Once Upon a Time 1. Chapter 1

Why was it that Neverland was so cold at night?

Was it the shadows, which seemed to pass ominously, yet almost imperceptibly, overhead? Was it some strange marine layer which, not present at day, appeared suddenly just off shore at night? Whatever it was, Emma was sick of it. Sweating all day in pursuit of the Lost Boy's camp and Henry, freezing at night on the cold, hard ground. And now… the fire was out.

What did Regina tell her? Use her anger? That's how she ignited flames before. Or was it use her emotions? She couldn't remember. But, the fire was definitely out. Mary Margaret and David were safe and warm in each other's arms. Hook… where was he? Nowhere to be found this late at night around what used to be a campfire. Suspicious that he was gone, she mused.

Emma shivered slightly to shake off the memories of her kiss with him. "That was just weird," she told herself. She sat up and rolled her head around her neck to work out the kinks that sleeping on the ground had worked into her muscles. It was then that her eyes fixed on Regina.

Regina, with her little blue jacket rolled up beneath her head for a pillow; the same jacket that would be, miraculously, free of wrinkles the next day! Regina, sleeping soundly, without a shiver in the chilly night air and on the cold, hard ground: what _was_ her secret? Magic?

Emma crossed the remnants of the cold fire between them and sat down gently beside her. She studied her face. How angelic she looked! How could such a beautiful, peaceful face belong to the "Evil Queen?" It was hard to believe.

"Hard to believe," Regina murmured without opening her eyes.

"What?!," Emma stammered amazed.

"Hard to…" Regina's voice trailed off, back into sleep.

"This is not fair!" Emma thought. "Here she sleeps, all peaceful and warm, while I freeze with a pain in my neck!"

Besides, she was worried about Henry. _I'm _the savior? I can't even find my way to him on this island. What if he's wrong about me?

Emma used both hands to rub up and down her arms in an attempt to warm herself up. "Not fair."

Regina shifted slightly in her sleep, sighing somewhat as she did.

"Wow… she looks beautiful. How _does_ she do it?"

"Okay, Swan, okay… this is Regina, the Evil Queen. She is not the innocent beauty she appears!"

"That's it," she thought. "This bitch is sharing her evil keep-warm, sleep peacefully secrets with me!"

Emma placed two fingers across Regina's lips. "Wake up," she whispered.

As if on command, Regina's eyes opened suddenly. She looked panicked for a moment, so Emma placed her entire hand across her mouth.

"Be quiet!" she commanded in a stealthy voice. "It's only me."

Regina grabbed her wrist firmly and pulled her hand away from her mouth.

"What in the hell are you doing?" she spat out.

"The fire's out. I can't remember how to start another one."

Regina was clearly irritated. Her eyes narrowed as her lips curled into a sarcastic grin.

"Go into the woods and gather some wood," she purred coyly. Her tone changed. "After that… light a fire!" she hissed.

"Shhh…," Emma put a finger to her own lips. "Don't want to wake everyone up."

"Clearly not. Just me, apparently. What is it that you want?"

"Show me again… how to make a fire… with magic, I mean."

"Seriously? You woke me up for that?"

Regina flicked her wrist and the flame on the dormant fire reignited.

"Satisfied?," she yawned as she lay back down.

"No! I meant for you to teach me… magic! This fire will only last so long. But you are lying on the ground here, somehow… warm. Waking up the next day looking as if you just walked out of a boutique."

"And you're convinced this is magic?" Regina deadpanned. "I happen to have style, a _je ne sais quoi._

"I don't even know why I woke you up if you're going to speak French!" Emma scowled. "I was right. You are evil!"

Regina was just beginning to shake the cobwebs out of her own head. _She wakes me up, accuses me of being evil for having style and I'm the bitch?_ She eyed Emma curiously. "What's wrong with her," she pondered. She studied Emma's face. "She looks so terrified. Like a child."

Emma began to stand up, but was halted by Regina's hand on her upper arm.

"I'm sorry, Emma. Sit down."

Emma hated to admit it to herself, but she had a weakness for Regina when she appeared vulnerable, such as now: apologizing and full of sleep. She sat down beside her.

"What's bothering you? And don't tell me it's the fire!"

Emma hesitated. Was she really going to share with Regina? Okay, this was about Henry. And as much of a monster as the Evil Queen was, she _did_ love Henry. She couldn't deny that Regina had been a good mother. Henry was a good kid. But, this was about her… her insecurity.

"Emma?"

"What if I'm _not _the savior? What if I can't save Henry?"

Regina's response surprised her. She propped her head up on her hand as she leaned on her elbow.

"Why would you question that? You saved _me _enough times and you don't even love me. In fact, I think quite the opposite."

"I don't hate you, Regina."

"No. You just think I'm a monster."

"I said that out of anger. You were pissing me off."

"I pissed you off on purpose."

"Duh."

"So you could access your magic to help save Henry."

"I get that. I just don't know if I can do it. I'm cold, I can't sleep, I kissed Hook… I'm a nervous wreck!"

"You kissed Hook?" Regina recoiled. "What, in the hell, is the matter with you?"

Emma smiled at Regina's revulsion. She had to admit that it pleased her that Regina was as upset about it as she was.

"I'm just worried about our son," Emma said softly.

"Yeah… but kissing Hook?"

Emma wasn't sure, but Regina sounded vaguely jealous. No, couldn't be, she told herself.

"Get over it, Regina. I am."

Regina reclined her head on her "pillow" again.

"I miss him, too."

"Hook?" Emma knee-jerked her reaction.

"Henry!" Regina shouted as she bolted upright.

"Shhh…" Emma admonished as she turned to look at her parents. Mary Margaret and David shifted slightly in their sleep. "Be quiet."

"Yeah, right," Regina huffed, "Can't bother Mom and Dad."

She settled back down propped up on her elbow and eyed Emma. She could see distress reflected in green eyes. The sad face reminded her of her son when he was disappointed.

"Emma," she whispered, "We will not lose our son. I promise you that."

Emma couldn't quite identify why, but Regina's words reassured her.

"Really?"

"Really. I will do whatever it takes, believe me."

These words greatly comforted Emma.

"Thank you, Regina," she stated honestly. "I just wish I could sleep."

"Aah," Regina smiled. "But I have a magic little blue jacket."

She extended her "pillow" slightly so that Emma could lay her head upon it. Emma's eyes widened.

"So your jacket is magic?!"

Regina laughed out loud. Emma was struck at how remarkable it was to witness her in an unguarded moment of sheer mirth. She had thought her beautiful before, but in this moment she was extraordinary! Was there ever such a smile? She felt a tug at her heart. _Why do I always fall for her moments of grace?_ They were few and far between, but when they happened, Emma felt almost powerless before them. Yet… her experience taught her to be guarded.

"What's so funny?" she blurted awkwardly.

"It's a jacket, Emma."

Regina fluffed a part of her coat for Emma to place her head.

"Lay down. Fall asleep. I'll keep you warm."

Although her words seemed sincere, there was a trace of a smirk crossing her lips. Emma remained suspicious.

"But… I'll be right next to you!"

"Suit yourself then."

"What is your game, Regina?"

"No game. I offered you a warm place to sleep… you declined." Regina hesitated and given time to reflect upon what she had just proposed, her brow furrowed. "You didn't seriously think I had ulterior motives, did you? Really, Ms. Swan, you delude yourself!"

"I… um," Emma stuttered.

"Eloquent, as usual, go sleep where you will. I could care less!"

"No! I want to sleep with you!" Emma could not believe what she had just said. How could she ever recover that statement? But it was true! She wanted to be close to the one person who could feel the same pain and loss as she did. Nobody understood, but her. Too late… Regina's eyes were bedroom serious: half lidded and seductive. She just knew the other woman was going to have a sultry, sarcastic comeback: probably in French. The Queen's lips parted slowly.

"Duh."

Regina broke out in a broad smile.

"Really, Sheriff, I never would have guessed you to be such a prude. It's simple science. Those two," she nodded somewhat disdainfully to Emma's parents, "are warm because their bodies are close together. Hook is out there keeping warm with God only knows what… some thing with fins and feathers and eight legs, most likely."

This image drew an unguarded laugh from Emma. The two women smiled at each other, momentarily sharing a moment of mutual amusement. Regina wriggled a few inches back and patted the ground in front of her.

"I won't bite or think less of you in the morning. I promise. I just want you to get a decent night's sleep so you'll be rested and ready to go tomorrow. Besides, why is it that we shouldn't keep each other warm? It's not like anyone's watching."

Regina pondered her own words. "Why is it I _want_ her next to me?" she thought. It was not just to keep warm. She craved human contact, at this point. She had been alone for so long. And this woman, this daughter of her worst enemy, ignited something within her: a desire to be close… physically close. She had already shared with her more than she could remember sharing with anybody, not out of choice, but necessity. But now, she was choosing. "I want her near me," she thought and as she gazed into sleepy, green eyes. " I need her."

Finally, Emma acquiesced. She laid her head down on Regina's jacket with her back to the other woman. She could smell the subtle scent of the queen's expensive perfume still clinging bravely to the threads. She felt immediately warmer as she pressed up gently next to Regina. They were barely touching as her exhaustion took over and her lids began to flutter. Somehow, she had to admit, this felt right: Henry's two Moms snuggling together to protect themselves against the cold of night in this God-forsaken place. She could feel Regina's warm breath on her shoulder. She heard her own voice, as if in a dream, whisper, "Hold me, Regina."

Regina's arm reached around and pulled her close.

"Good night, Ms. Swan," her sleepy utterance trailed off into Emma's neck.

As the flames of Regina's fire crackled reassuringly, both women drifted almost immediately into sleep.

Neither was aware of the dark, flickering shadow cast slowly over them.


	2. Chapter 2: Wish You Were Here

Hook returned late from scouting a few of his old stomping grounds in Neverland. He really did want to help, he told himself. Emma had stirred feelings in him that he hadn't felt since he lost his beloved Milah.

As he approached the camp he had been sharing with the Charmings, he heard voices… female voices.

"It's simple science. Those two are warm because their bodies are close together. Hook is out there keeping warm with God only knows what… some thing with fins and feathers and eight legs, most likely."

Who was speaking his name so disdainfully? He silently peered through the thick foliage. What he saw stunned him: Regina and Emma, reclined together. He felt despair grip his heart. _This cannot be!_ _I leave for a moment and Regina makes a move on Emma?_ Baelfire he could handle. He was like a son to him and, beyond that, fair competition. But the Evil Queen? _No way_.

He watched as Emma lay down beside Regina. "Hold me." Did he hear Emma right? He witnessed incredulously as the queen wrapped her arm around Emma and pulled her tight. What evil plan did Regina have for her? He could not allow this to happen. "But what can I do?" he thought.

_I can wake her parents up to witness this. I can let them know that Baelfire is alive. _He walked silently into the clearing and cast a shadow over the two women. _Fins and feathers and eight legs indeed! We'll see who has the last laugh!_

/

Regina had shifted in the night. Her head was now fully reclined upon Emma's chest as the other woman held her. She could feel her head rise and fall slightly as Emma breathed up and down. She felt a warmth and comfort she had not experienced before. Was it tenderness? She had known precious little of that in her lifetime. Had anyone just held her before? Had anyone ever wrapped her up in strong, loving arms and just held her like this? It was a good feeling. One she might be able to get used to. She felt Emma stir.

"Hey," Emma smiled shyly down at her.

"Hey," Regina replied from beneath half-lidded eyes.

"Hey," Snow spit out hostilely.

Both women sat up with a start. Mary Margaret, David and Hook were staring down at them.

"What, in the hell, are you trying to do to my daughter?" Snow shouted angrily.

"We were just keeping warm, Mary Margaret," Emma said defensively. "Chill, for crying out loud."

"Keeping warm?! With her?!"

Emma jumped up suddenly. She held up both hands to Snow in a back-off gesture.

"Seriously?" she intoned incredulously. She took a moment to consciously calm herself as she ran her hands through her hair. "This _cannot_ be an issue. Henry has to be our focus."

"Agreed," Regina chimed in disdainfully as she grabbed her jacket and rose to her feet. "Get over it, Princess! You were always such a prude."

"You're not helping," Emma turned to her with a look of consternation.

"That's all I'm here to do, Emma," she protested. "Help."

What happened next was a like a blur to Regina. Suddenly, Snow, David and Hook were in a conference, into which they pulled Emma. The next thing she knew, they were all agreeing to go save Neal. This was absurd! They were here to save Henry… not Emma's ex! _Emma's ex!_ He can't still be alive, can he? Why did this bother her so? "You can't trust anybody," she thought. Henry was the only one in this realm who had shown her true love; who had forgiven her past deeds and told her he loved her. He _was _her son, in every way that mattered. She had to save him, Ms. Swan and her presumed-dead-baby-daddy be damned. This was a trick by Hook, no doubt! She still wanted Emma with her. She had to try.

"Are you really going to fall for this?" she said disdainfully.

She heard Emma ask her to stick together. This made her head spin. Right… while she chased after her boyfriend? Her anger overtook her. _Never trust tenderness, it is always false…_ _just a way to hurt me more._ She felt bitter and betrayed. She had allowed herself to be fooled again. Emma was determined to waste her time on finding a past lover and it had nothing to do with her or Henry. How could she have been so stupid, so weak, as to think someone like Emma cared about her?

"I'm tired of waiting around."

If Emma wouldn't use her magic with her to find their son, she would find someone who would! But, as she walked away, she knew in her heart that she was leaving her best chance behind.

/

So far, Hook had to admit, his plan had worked pretty well. He had managed to separate Emma from Regina and Emma had pretty much admitted to Baelfire that she had wished he were dead. He had also admitted that he quite possibly loved her… always a plus in the ladies column! "Clear sailing, Mate," he smiled to himself. But this Dark Hollow place, that was another matter. How could he distinguish himself from Baelfire as the more appropriate suitor?

He didn't have to wait long. Baelfire insisted on using a "lighter" to ignite a fire. The damn thing didn't work at all! He could do it better with one hand! His next move proved damning to both suitors as the lighter was flung away from them as he tried to grab it. He was now in the position of having his soul ripped out by a shadow. Pinned against a tree and screaming… not how he saw this playing out! Near death, his deep fatalistic side, the part that had grieved for a woman for what had seemed like eons, was actually amused. All these years, seeking revenge for the death of his beloved Milah, now to be vanquished because he tried too hard to impress a girl. _Stupendously ironic!_

His last thought was of Milah… until his breath suddenly returned to his chest! He fell to the hollow's floor and lay motionless, spent. His eyes gazed up to view Emma with hands clasped around a magic coconut. _Stupendously ironic!_

But then his heart clenched as he heard her breathlessly whisper "Regina!"

/

Regina sat on a rock near the shore. Since finding Rumple and convincing him to help her rescue Henry, she had calmed down from the morning's drama with the Charming family. She found she had time to reflect, as it was going to be a long wait for Ariel to return. She glanced down at her clothing. The noonday sun illuminated golden hairs clinging haphazardly to her jacket. "Emma," she mused. She selected a few strands and was amazed at their silky thickness. _Ms. Swan, you do have lovely hair! _She smiled sadly as she thought of Emma chasing after her first love on a heart-broken fool's errand.

Almost absent mindedly, she began to weave a few stray strands into a braid. She was comforted in a way she hadn't experienced since she was a child: making daisy chains in the grass. Before her mother came after her and…

She willed herself not to think of Cora as she continued her delicate work, forming a golden circle of tightly wound blonde hair. So absorbed was she in her moment of simple pleasure, she momentarily forgot where she was.

"What's that then, dearie?" came Gold's lilting voice.

"Nothing!" Regina declared defensively as she quickly shoved the golden circle into her pants pocket. "Mind your own business!"

"Aah, Ms. Swan," he continued as he sniffed the air. "I can smell her on you."

"First of all," Regina hissed, "Shut up! And second of all…eww. I don't even want to know what that means!"

"She's all around you," he continued, oblivious. "Perhaps, you've found someone… someone special, I mean."

"What part of _shut up_ do you not understand?"

Mr. Gold continued with his musings, oblivious to her protestations.

"Amazing symmetry to it, don't you think?" He punctuated his statement with a finger circling fancifully into the air. "Snow White is responsible for robbing you of your first true love and now you rob her of her daughter… in the name of love!"

Regina rolled her eyes disdainfully. "Just shut up, please."

"Henry has two Mommies," Gold continued cunningly.

"For the last time, Em…" Regina caught herself, "Ms. Swan and I are merely joined in the pursuit of finding our son!"

"So… Emma is it now?" Gold smirked.

"Shut… the fuck… up!"

"Ah, yes, of course. I'm wrong," Gold shrugged as he stared out at the ocean. "Ms. Swan already has two suitors. Hook and," he hesitated, "my son."

Neither spoke. Their silence was punctuated by waves hitting upon jagged rocks.

"Henry is all that matters," Regina finally murmured. "He's all the love I need."

"Of course," Gold nodded sadly. "Villains aren't allowed second chances."

"I may have to be here with you while we wait for that idiot mermaid to return, but it doesn't mean we need to share."

Gold bowed in an exaggerated manner. "Of course, your majesty. Whatever pleases you."

_He's right: we're villains. And villains don't get second chances. No warm, strong arms for me. No golden haired savior. No tenderness. I don't deserve it. _Regina clenched her fist against her stomach. "I don't need it," she lied to herself.

/

Emma lay on her stomach on the hollow's floor with a coconut clasped in her hands. Inside it, she knew, she had trapped Pan's shadow. _Man, I've been in some strange situations before, but this one just might take the cake… on the absurdity level alone! _She held the magic coconut tight, muscles tensing, knuckles white. How had she done it? How had she lit the fire that trapped the shadow? _Magic._ The word echoed through her brain. _Magic. I have magic._ She sat up still grasping the receptacle tightly. Neal's words barely registered.

"How did you do that?"

She was breathless as the realization came to her.

"Regina."

These two men fighting for her, fighting by her side, and who had saved her? Regina. She stared thoughtfully into space as she remembered Regina leaving her at the campfire, so upset. Regina had given her a gift. Regina had taught her magic. It was Regina who had given her the tools she needed to survive in this whack place! Besides that, she had kept her warm when she was shivering and had given her the confidence that allowed her to do what she thought was impossible. "I wish she was here now… to see this!" she mused internally.

"She's teaching you magic?" came Neal's questioning voice.

"Yeah, I think she is," was Emma's blank reply.

As she pondered what had just transpired, she came to the realization that she had come to rely on Regina. More than that, she had come to care about her. And at this moment, she missed her.

_Wish you were here._

/

How odd it was to be so close to her again and not be able to speak. Gold sat transfixed on Skull Island as Neal rowed their cramped boat. Emma felt the chill night air as she wrapped her arms around herself. Regina stared straight ahead, not daring to cast a sideways glance at the blonde beside her.

The decision to assemble this tiny crew in pursuit of Pan and Henry with Pandora's Box had been made quickly. Both women were comforted by the presence of the other. Regina knew she might need to combine their magic to succeed. Emma was grateful for Regina's power. She knew she could count on her to do anything to rescue their son. She had been impressed by Regina's display of magic at the Lost Boy's camp. Impressed and gratified. "Those little bastards deserved that," she had smirked to herself at the time. Regina was a woman of action. She was glad it wouldn't all be on her shoulders… which grew increasingly cold.

"Where _did_ she get that coat?" Emma pondered.

Regina could sense Emma shivering beside her. _I wish I could hold her. _

They sat in silence, oblivious to the beauty of the full moon reflected upon the water. Regina stole a brief look at Emma as Neal turned his head towards the island. She was amazed at how lovely her hair looked reflected in the light of the moon. It was only then that the beauty of the night was revealed to both women. Emma gave her a furtive half smile. They quickly looked away as Neal turned back towards them. But each had placed a hand on the small wooden seat they shared. They were so close, but might as well have been separated by an ocean. Imperceptibly, to anyone but the two of them, Emma extended her little finger to within an eyelash of the other woman's hand. Regina crossed her own little finger over Emma's. _There it was again: that tingling sensation when the two of them touched. Their magic._

Both were comforted by the physical sensation. The air didn't seem quite so chill, their task slightly less daunting.

Regina remembered the golden ring in her pocket.

_What will become of us, Ms. Swan? Of you and me and Henry?_


	3. Eclipse of the Heart

Emma Swan was just plain hardheaded, Regina told herself. Trying to run up the steps of a magical island without a thought to the probability that some sort of protection spell was in place. Not only hardheaded, but impulsive and… brave. She could think of no other word for it as she watched Emma flip through the air and fall sprawled upon the ground.

She had immediately moved to help her, but Gold's unkempt son had beaten her to Emma's side. Just as well, she thought. _Wouldn't want anyone to guess that I actually have a soft spot for the girl… that I actually care about her._

Still, it pissed her off watching Neal rub Emma's back, comforting her. The whole Charming family and their ilk was an anathema to her. This sweaty, unshaven auto-mechanic-type was probably just Emma's cup of tea. _I despise the Charmings._ Yet, Henry was, biologically, a Charming. And, there it was again, feelings for Emma. The whole situation was untenable. So many feelings were colliding inside her that she acted impulsively, herself. As she felt her anger build inside her, she gathered a fireball in her hand and flung it at the barrier guarding the stairs.

Mistake.

The energy bounced off the invisible wall and momentarily electrified the cavern. Regina, having been the source of the fireball, received the greatest jolt as it ricocheted back at her. She immediately experienced an energy drain. "This is not good," she thought. "That was an unusually well-crafted spell to drain so much energy from me." _I mustn't let anyone know that I'm hurt. _No worries on that account. No one came rushing to her side to check on her well-being. No, nothing came her way but a smart-ass remark from Neal not to try it again.

Gold, of course, took the opportunity to jump through the magical field, explaining that the spell guarding the steps would not allow anyone with a shadow to pass through. "Might have mentioned _that_ earlier, bastard" Regina scowled internally.

Regina shook her head and rolled her shoulders in an attempt to try and shake off the effects of the blast. No good. She was still weak. _I have to play this off._ She placed her aching hands on her side and gathered her strength as she paced back and forth. _Act normal_

She glanced at Emma standing before her. Perhaps the golden-haired savior might have an idea?

"So what are we supposed to do now?" she queried in hopes that her faith in Emma was not misplaced.

"What if we used the spell my father used to rip off his shadow?" came Neal's brilliant idea.

God, how she resented his presence! First Gold, with his perfect understanding of the spell, now his idiot son reminding her of how her magic wasn't as powerful or knowledgeable as his father's. Could her humiliation be more complete? She swallowed hard.

"Do you think if I knew how to do that, I wouldn't have done it already?"

"The moon," Emma said.

"The moon?"

"It's what causes the shadows. What if there was a way to block it out using magic?"

"You mean like an eclipse?" came Neal's usual dense response. "Is that even possible?"

An eclipse? No. Moving the earth to block the moon would defy the laws of physics and the universe. It would also have the unfortunate effect of quite possibly destroying the planet. Magic wasn't about suspending natural law, but suspending disbelief in what _was_ possible. To understand magic, one must perceive the world in a different way… as if the entire universe were made of strings that could vibrate in all directions. How one played the strings created oscillations, which would alter perception. "Magic in a nutshell," Regina thought.

She did not consider herself an expert at magic. Hardly so, (as her mother had always been quick to remind her) but, she could play the strings. She had the music. Perhaps she couldn't create a classical concerto, but she was a damn fine rock musician.

"Maybe," Regina responded as she rubbed her hands together. She couldn't move the earth, but she could cast a shadow across the moon. There was only one problem: it would take more energy than she currently possessed in her depleted state. She would need to draw upon Emma's magic, as well. _Play it off._

Emma looked at Regina incredulously. _She can do this? She can move an entire planet?_ She knew Regina was powerful… but this? Perhaps that wasn't what she meant. Her brief lessons in magic had indicated that there was a perception component to it. Perhaps she just meant to cast a spell upon the moon or the air to create a shadow, which would, in turn, block their own. _But even so… just wow!_ _I'm so glad she's here!_ What Regina said next, stunned her.

"I need help."

"With magic?" Emma queried incredulously.

Regina knew she needed to draw upon Emma's untapped source of energy, her untrained talent, to play this riff. She did all she could to muster her usual disdainful voice.

"It requires a lot. I guess we're about to find out how much those lessons I gave you paid off."

Neal glanced at them skeptically as both women gave each other a hopeful look. _What was going on here?_

"Follow my lead," Regina intoned with a confidence meant to hide her doubt.

Both women raised their hands towards the moon. Regina didn't have to touch Emma this time. She could feel her magic emanating beside her. She couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. Her student had grown. She had become stronger. She drew upon her energy to draw a shadow across the moon.

Emma could feel the full force of Regina's power surrounding her. It didn't scare her: it astounded her. _This is amazing. She's like crack. I can't get enough of this!_ She became immersed in the magic and watched, astonished, as she felt herself pull a shadow across the moon. Regina was, somehow, all around her. The feeling was literally electric. She sensed slight vibrations and a spinning sensation, as though the entire universe was reverberating around her in perfect harmony. As the shadow passed completely across the moon, Regina dropped her hands. Emma felt a sudden sense of cold and emptiness.

"We need to go… now!" Regina gasped out, as if exhausted by her efforts.

All three passed thorough the barrier. Neal began to run up the stairs with Emma in hot pursuit. Emma was onto the second landing before she realized that Regina was not right behind her. She immediately ran back down to see what had happened. She found her on the third step.

"Regina!" she called out desperately as she ran towards her. It was a total disconnect: the woman who had just moved a shadow across the moon, who had surrounded her with the music of the universe, was now a crumpled body slumped helplessly upon a stone step. Her head was bowed with her hand pressed to her chest. She couldn't see her eyes, only her perfectly coiffed brown hair draped about her face. She stood motionless for a moment.

"Regina?" she ventured tentatively.

"Just go," Regina managed to whisper, "Save Henry."

"What's wrong with you? What happened?"

"I was done in my own devices, as usual."

"No time for riddles! Tell me what happened!"

Regina looked up. Emma could see pain in those beautiful brown eyes. "Why did you come back? Just get Henry."

Emma hesitated for a moment. Every inch of her being wanted to bound up the stairs and rescue their son. But, the sight of Regina, spent and vulnerable, moved her in ways she had not thought possible.

"We will get our son… together. We stay together."

Regina managed a sad smile and Emma thought her heart would break.

"I was drained by the fireball I threw," Regina stated flatly. "I didn't have the power to cast a shadow upon the moon. That's why I needed your help with the magic. I'm depleted. I just need some time to recover. Go!"

Whether it was the power of the magical experience she had just shared with Regina, or some other, much more mundane reason, such as love, Emma couldn't fathom. But she did know exactly what she had to do.

"No way, lady. I didn't come all this way to…" she hesitated. _To what? Lose her?_

"I'm going to heal you," she continued.

"You're wasting time. You don't have the power or control, yet."

Emma wasn't exactly sure, but she thought Regina had smirked at her. How could she act superior in a moment such as this?

"I'll be all right in an hour or two. Just go… now!"

Emma was having none of Regina's words.

"We don't have an hour or two," she stated emphatically as she sat down beside her. She gathered Regina into her arms and laid the other women's head upon her chest, rocking her back and forth. She called upon her recent experiences with magic and summoned all she could. A purple light began to glow softly about them as she held Regina close. Regina could feel energy returning to her body, not continuously, but in small, discrete units. It was an incredible feeling: Emma was healing her: the golden-haired savoir, with strong, warm arms, replenishing her body… kissing her head.

_Kissing her head?_

Yes, Emma's lips were peppering her crown and forehead with kisses. They remained that way for what… an eternity? Emma paused a moment from laying kisses upon Regina to check their surroundings. She peered out from a nebulous purple mist. It felt as if they were in a cocoon, insulated from the outside world.

"What's happening, Regina?"

"You're healing me," she sighed.

"No, I mean the bubble thing. I can't quite make out the rest of the world."

"Healing magic does that. It tends to be quite intimate. It places you in an altered state with the one you're caring for. Time and space have little meaning."

"So what's happening out there? Has time stopped?"

"No. But it runs in an alternate way, so to speak… slower."

"So we'll still be on time to rescue Henry?"

"Shouldn't take long, to the outside world. In here, it will take as long as it takes."

"No! Stop being cryptic! Tell me! Will we be able to save Henry?"

"I asked you to leave me, Ms. Swan, if you recall," Regina answered with all the snark she could muster. "But, yes, what happens in here… is different. We are in a bubble, as you characterized it. After you heal me, it will be as if mere seconds have passed."

"Magic is so weird."

Regina laughed softly. "It is, indeed."

Both sat silent as Emma, unconsciously, continued to rock Regina slowly in her arms. Regina could feel her power returning. Was it possible? _Do I get a second chance? _No… focus! She is healing me to save our son, no other reason. And yet…

"You know," Regina gave Emma a slight smile, "Kissing is not in the magic healing handbook."

Emma looked down at her, confused. "What?"

"You were kissing me."

"Give me a break, Regina. It's just what _decent_ people do: kissing someone who is injured. But you wouldn't know anything about that… would you?"

"I guess not," Regina offered sadly. "All the same, it was nice."

Emma felt chastened by the other woman's honest reply.

"Feeling better?" Emma queried softly as she peered down into Regina's eyes.

"Almost there," Regina exhaled.

"So, you really love our son, right?"

"Stupid question."

"I know. I was just making conversation."

"I will always love Henry. He saved me from a life of loneliness. When he came into my life, when that little baby was put into my arms… I became Regina."

"When I gave him up, I didn't even want to see him. It ripped my heart out."

Silence fell between them once again. Regina reclined onto Emma's shoulder. Emma placed a gentle kiss upon her head.

"You were always Regina."

"No. I was someone else. I was dark and twisted, filled with hate and despair. I never knew what it was to love unconditionally, until I had a child."

"And then I showed up to take him away from you."

"I gave you ample opportunity. I didn't know how to keep love. I had to learn. I guess you taught me that."

"I did?"

"Not directly. But when I had to vie with someone else for my child's love, I didn't know what to do. I struck out."

"You still kinda' do that, you know."

"I'm trying to change. But Henry's the only one who believes me."

"Maybe not."

A wry smile crossed Regina's lips. "But you don't really believe in me."

"It's just that you have been so horrible to me, at times."

"As I said, I didn't know what to do. I struck out." She lifted her head and gazed directly into Emma's eyes. "I really am trying to change, Emma. I would do anything to save our son."

"I was with you in the mines. I remember. You would've sacrificed yourself."

"And that's what brought us here, together," Regina replied softly as she laid her head back down between Emma's neck and shoulder.

It was all that Emma could do not to place another kiss upon her head. If these feelings were even true… _but,_ _this was not the time or place._

"You know," Emma changed the subject, "When we were moving the shadow, I felt the most incredible thing… like nothing I've ever experienced before."

"What was that?"

"I dunno'… like the universe in synchronization… all beats happening at once."

_She feels the music. She has the magic._ "How did that make you feel?"

"Like I, um…" Emma searched for the right word, "belonged."

"Magic comes with a price, Emma."

"You keep saying that! What does it mean?"

Regina steadied herself against Emma's shoulders as she sat up, still wrapped in the other woman's embrace. Brown eyes met green as she tilted her head slightly and moved in close to the other woman's face. Their lips were only inches apart as she spoke.

"It's different every time," she whispered. "I'm feeling better now."

Emma was transfixed… on Regina's eyes, her mouth, her voice. She was so close; she could feel her sweet, warm breath upon her lips. "Um, what?"

"I'm feeling better. Time to…" Regina's words trailed off as she felt herself surrender to an aching need. As the purple miasma dissipated, she crossed the slight space between them and just grazed Emma's lips with her own...

"What in the hell is going on here?" Neal cried out as he came bounding down the stairs. "I turned around and you two were gone!"

"Regina needed help."

Obviously confused, he blurted, "Leave her! We have to get Henry!"

"We're almost done. She just needs a few more seconds," Emma explained. "We may need her. I'm not leaving her."

_We may need her?_ Regina's worst suspicions were confirmed.

"C'mon, Emma! Now!"

"Go save Henry!" Regina commanded, her energy clearly returned. "Who knows what your father's doing up there?"

"I'm not leaving Emma here with you!"

Both women eyed him as they simultaneously shouted, "Go!"

A look of consternation and anger crossed Neal's face as he turned his back on them and ran up the stairs.

"All better now. You did it. You healed me." Regina looked down at Emma's arms still surrounding her.

"Oh… right," Emma stammered as she released her.

Regina stood up. "Let's get Henry!" She peered down at Emma. "Ready?"

Emma hesitated as her fingers gently touched her lips.

"What's wrong?" Regina sighed in an irritated voice.

"So, the magic comes at a price thing… did I just exhaust my magic… healing you?"

"No, dear," Regina replied as she proffered a hand down to help her up. "Healing magic is pretty much free."

"Good to know," Emma acknowledged as she took Regina's hand and jumped to her feet.

"Just don't get too caught up in it," Regina offered. "Keep your eyes on the prize."

"Henry." Emma stated emphatically.

"Henry," Regina nodded. "Our son."

"Right… and how much time have we wasted down here?"

"Not much, mere seconds in reality, until your boyfriend interrupted."

_Okay, now that was just meant to irritate._ "He's not my boyfriend anymore. And what do you mean by that _in reality_ comment?"

"Magic time is not the same as regular time, as I have explained to you."

"So when I was healing you, we were completely on magic time?"

"Something like that."

"How do you know?"

"Magic," Regina called back as she started running up the stairs.

Emma shook her head and grabbed her sword.

_What price would magic exact this time?_


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Drama, Romance