Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When she had first arrived in Storybrooke a few months ago, it hadn’t taken Emma very long to realize that there was always something going on in the town, always a crisis needing to be solved.

Today was no exception.

It began with a heavy pounding on the door of Mary Margaret’s flat. Emma had woken up only a few minutes prior, eyes barely open and hair mussed from sleep. Still, she cracked the door open immediately, seeing as the knocking was growing increasingly urgent.

To her surprise, she found herself face to face with a very frantic Grumpy.

“Thank goodness you’re awake, sister. Your mom sent me to get you,” he began in a rush, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. “There seems to be some kind of weird magic thing out there that she wants you to check out.” Emma blinked slowly, trying to process the information.

“A weird…magic thing?” she repeated.

“Yup.”

“Okay, Grumpy—how urgent is this weird magic thing? Like, ‘We’re all about to get put under another curse’ urgent? Or can I get dressed?” Grumpy considered this for a moment.

“You can get dressed, but make it quick,” he snapped, turning away from the door and starting down the stairwell. “Never a dull day for the Savior!” he called out, voice echoing through the halls.

“You got that right,” Emma muttered to herself, slamming the door closed and letting out a sigh.

Never a dull day for the Savior.

---

By the time Emma made her way to the main street, a small crowd of people had begun to gather. Emma spotted Mary Margaret at the front of the group and weaved her way through.

“Alright, what’s up? Grumpy said that there was some sort of weird—" Emma stopped herself short.

Sitting on the pavement was a small cube, no bigger than the width of her hand. It looked fairly ordinary, except for the fact that it was glowing brightly, sending a steady stream of light out into the middle of the road. Not to mention it had a weird symbol etched onto its surface, written in a language Emma had never seen before.

“Okay, so…what is that?”

Mary Margaret shrugged.

“That’s the thing—we have no idea.” Emma turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

“And you think that I’m going to know what it is? I just learned about the existence of magic, like, three months ago!”

“We thought that if it contained some sort of dark magic, you might be able to contain it,” David explained, approaching Emma at her other side.

Emma crouched down to get a better look at the cube. Although the pulsating waves of white light were a bit jarring, it didn’t look to be inherently dangerous.

“I mean, it’s probably one of Gold’s toys, yeah?” David nodded in affirmation.

“We figured that as well. But when we went to ask him about it—he was gone.” Emma’s eyebrows raised skeptically.

“Gone? As in, one can find him?”

“Not as of yet.”

“Well, there’s no way—”

“What’s going on here?” A deep, velvety voice called out from behind Emma’s shoulder.

A voice belonging to no other than Regina Mills.

Emma’s eyes flickered to the brunette for a quick moment before gesturing towards the object.

“Magic cube,” she stated. “We think it’s Gold’s, but he’s nowhere to be found.” Regina’s features scrunched up in distaste as she took in the artifact.

“Of course it’s Gold’s,” Mary Margaret’s eyes lit up hopefully.

“You know what it is?”

“Well no," Regina began, flipping a strand of hair away from her face. “But I can tell you for a fact that it’s his. No one else in this town would possess something like this.”

“Whoa, what’s that?” A small voice inquired. Emma spun around to see Henry darting towards them.

“Henry, this could be dangerous,” Regina explained. “Why don’t you wait in the car until we can figure out what this is?” Emma offered an apologetic smile to the boy before turning back to the cube.

“You don’t think he messed with it and ran, do you?” The brunette sighed and folded her arms across her chest.

“That very well could be a possibility.” The cube let out an abrupt burst of light and began rattling in its place.

“I think everyone needs to clear out,” Emma stated, raising her voice authoritatively. Mary Margaret watched the box with wide eyes.

“I agree. Everyone, go home!”

The box shook violently, rattling around and spewing bursts of light into the air. Regina’s brows knit together in concern.

“It looks like it’s…powering up,”

“That doesn’t seem like a good thing,” Emma mumbled, stepping away from the box cautiously. “Is there any way to stop it?”

“You guys should use your magic!” Henry called out from the sidewalk. Emma’s eyes widened.

“Henry! You need to get back!”

The cube bounced around the road in a frantic rhythm, the light becoming nearly blinding to look at directly. Emma shielded her eyes.

“Regina, maybe the kid’s right. Maybe we should try a magic blast or something.”

Regina scoffed at her terminology, raising a hand to shield her own eyes as well.

“I suppose it’s worth a shot. There’s no telling what this thing will do when it reaches full power.”

The brunette raised her hands towards the cube, tendrils of red magic swirling across her fingertips.

“You ready?” Emma nodded wearily, raising her hands beside her. The whole concept of magic was still very new to her, and usually Emma found it nearly impossible to summon energy on command.

However, it seemed that high-danger situations tended to speed along the process.

White streams of magic flowed from Emma’s hands, and the two women concentrated their energy at the spasmatic cube. At first, nothing seemed to happen.

But suddenly, the cube grew still as the magic hit its surface. Emma’s eyes brightened.

“I think it’s working!” A swell of pride filled her chest at the accomplishment. One that disappeared immediately the moment she heard her son’s voice call,

“You guys did it!” Both Emma and Regina turned to see Henry still standing on the sidewalk, a large grin spread across his face.

“Henry!” Emma called. “You were supposed to go to the car!”

Henry shoved his hands in his pockets sheepishly.

“I know, I know. I just wanted to see—” He stopped abruptly, features shifting into concern. “Uh, is it supposed to be doing that?”

Emma turned back to the cube, watching in disbelief as it began to draw both of their powers in towards itself. Regina’s eyes widened.

“It’s trying to drain our magic!”

Emma desperately tried to stop the energy from escaping her fingertips, but the pull of the artifact was far too strong.

“Regina, I can’t—” Emma was struck with a sudden wave of dizziness, the world growing blurry around her. The light around the cube let out a blinding burst, and suddenly a portal was forming around its vicinity.

A portal that Emma and Regina were slowly being dragged into.

Emma could vaguely hear cries of alarm coming from her family behind her, but the portal was drawing her in, filling her vision with light.

She felt a gust of wind, and the last thing she saw before succumbing to the light was the look of unbridled terror on Regina’s face.

Chapter Text

Suddenly, Emma was peeling her face off of a paved road.

The world around her was blurry, and her head throbbed, presumably from her fall through the portal. Her gaze finally shifted into focus, and when it did, all she could see was Regina, who had landed right next to her. Emma frowned.

Damn, she’s looking awfully pale. Emma squinted her eyes for a moment, squeezed them shut, then opened them again. Wait, why’s Regina’s skin practically pure white? And her clothes are colorless? And—

In a state of panic, Emma cast a sweeping glance of her surroundings, mouth falling agape. Wait, everything’s colorless??

“Regina I don’t want to alarm you but—"

“Too late,”

“—There appears to be no color anywhere.” Regina hastily gathered herself from the pavement, brushing her tousled hair away from her eyes. 

“What do you mean—” She stopped abruptly and looked around, pursing her lips.

“It appears that you are right,” She raked her fingers through her hair, attempting to take in this odd, black and white world. “Okay, so—" She paused as her eyes swept over Emma, her features crinkling in disapproval. “What the hell are you wearing?” 

Emma’s glanced down at her clothes. Her tank top and jeans had been replaced by a dark suit with a long trench coat half-buttoned over it.

“You look like a mob boss straight out of an old movie,” Emma let out a dry chuckle. 

“Yeah, well you don’t look much better,”

Although Emma would never admit it, Regina actually looked pretty sleek in her black suit jacket and tight pencil skirt, not to mention the classy fedora donned on her head.

Emma surveyed their new whereabouts more closely. At the moment, they were in an alleyway, one that looked an awful lot like the alleyway in Storybrooke between Gold’s pawn shop and the hospital. Sure enough, as Emma poked her head around the corner, the entire street revealed itself to be a near perfect copy of their Storybrooke back home. Minus the lack of color, of course.

Okay, so this is weird. But manageable. It’s just a different Storybrooke.

Emma’s eyes widened as she suddenly felt a weight in her pocket. 

“Hey look, I still have my gun.”

“Yeah? That’s great. You got a magic bean in your pocket, too?”

Emma knew that Regina was mocking her, but out of desperation she fished around in her other coat pockets, just in case. 

“No,” she responded bitterly. “And for the record, a gun might be useful. You never know what we’re going to find out here,” Regina opened her mouth to make another tart comment, when the sound of gunshots rang out from across the street, cutting her off. The brunette’s eyes widened.

“Looks like someone beat you to it.” Emma glanced back out at the main street, eyes darting back and forth.

“That sounded close. We should get the hell outta here.” She cautiously darted towards the front of the hospital building, clutching her pistol close to her chest. Regina reluctantly trailed behind her. 

“And where do you suggest we go?”

“This is still some sort of Storybrooke, yeah? There’s gotta be a police station.” 

Emma crept to the corner of the building, checking the street cautiously before waving for Regina to follow. The two scurried across the road towards Granny’s, stopping abruptly as another round of gunshots echoed through the street, this time directly in front of them. Two gunmen stood in the middle of the road, casted in shadow and aiming their pistols straight at them. Emma’s eyes widened. 

“Holy—” She whipped around frantically, nearly smacking right into Regina as she turned away.

The two took off across the road, running in a mad dash until they reached the police station.

Regina yanked open the station door and rushed inside, nearly letting the door slam in Emma’s face. She whipped around to face Emma, eyes wide and hair blown astray. 

“You led us directly into them! They could have fucking shot me!” Emma gasped for breath in between words.

“No one’s…gonna shoot you…okay? And how the hell was I supposed to know where the random gunmen were?!” 

Regina let out an exasperated sigh, clearly overcome with stress. 

“Whatever. Can we please just get some assistance already?” Emma motioned in front of her. 

“Lead the way.” Regina rolled her eyes and stepped into the station’s office, finding herself face to face with David. Emma let out a sigh of relief.

“Thank God,”

 David whirled around, cocking his eyebrow in an almost comical manner. 

“Emma? Mayor Mills?” A wave of comfort washed over Emma. She knew that this David wasn’t her David, but maybe he would be enough to get them back home. Emma motioned to the door.

“You gotta get outside—there’s a bunch of people out there with guns, and there’s all this shooting everywhere and—" David waved his hands, cutting her off.

“Listen, I’m behind the eight ball here. I know those crazy birds are having a bump-off out in the street, but someone’s gotta guard the cooler or else the whole town’ll be chilled off,” He scratched his chin contemplatively. “There just ain’t enough buttons to go around, ya hear?” Emma stared at her father, mouth agape, before slowly turning to Regina.

The look of confusion on the brunette’s features only mirrored hers. 

Okay, so maybe he isn’t going to be a lot of help here. David turned to his desk, shoving a cigarette in his mouth and cupping his hands around his lighter’s flame until a plume of smoke escaped from his lips. “You two outta breeze off—these streets ain’t what they used to be.”

Regina pinched the bridge of her nose as though she were fighting a migraine. 

“I can’t do this.”

Emma shot her a look before turning back to father in a last-ditch effort to get some sort of answers. 

“Look, dad, I see that the town’s a mess right now, but we could really use your help. Regina and I—”

Suddenly, the telephone let out a shrill ring, causing David to snuff out his cigarette and answer immediately.

“Hello? What’s that? Gold, you say?” David glared dramatically out the window and shook his head, eyes narrowed menacingly. “Say no more, chum. I won’t let that wrong number terrorize this town any longer. I’m on my way.” David slammed the phone down and strode towards the door, securing his pistol in his belt. Emma intercepted him right before he stepped outside. 

“Wait—where are you going?” David sighed and drew a comb through his gel-slicked hair. 

“Duty calls. That dodgy Gold’s up to no good. I gotta shut him down.” 

“But I thought you couldn’t leave because of the…cooler?” David yanked the door open and stepped out into the night.

“They ain’t going nowhere. You gals stay safe out there. Watch out for tosspots.” Emma’s eyes widened as she called out,

“How the hell are we supposed to stay safe when—" But David was already in his cop car, pulling out into the street.

For a moment, Emma stood in the parking lot, letting the cool breeze brush against her skin as she tried to let the gravity of their situation sink in. That is, until the eerie feeling of being watched sent her straight back into the station again. 

Regina was leaning against the Sheriff’s desk, arms folded tightly across her chest. When Emma reentered the office, she threw her an expectant look. 

“Well?” Emma shrugged helplessly.

“David’s a little…occupied right now,” Regina scoffed.

“Great. Though I doubt he would have been very helpful anyway with all that nonsensical rambling.”

“It wasn’t nonsensical, okay? He’s just… a bit more dramatic in this world, that’s all.” 

“Right.”

“Anyway, we passed by Granny’s B&B on our way here, so what do you say we head there?” Regina raised an eyebrow. 

“Isn’t that where the shoot-out was?” Emma waved her hand dismissively. 

“We’ll, uh, take a different route.” 

The two exited the station cautiously, eyes darting back and forth rapidly. The gunshots appeared to have faded into a distant street, giving the two a little more confidence as they walked.

Still, even without the sounds of bullets echoing in her ears, Emma couldn’t shake the chill that this version of Storybrooke gave her. The streetlight above her flickered, and a thick swell of fog curled in the corner of a nearby alleyway. And was it her imagination, or was someone following them?

The sooner we get out of here, the better. 

Luckily, the two managed to get to Granny’s with no further attacks. Usually, the lobby was filled with cobwebs and every surface was coated with a thick layer of dust, seeing as outside visitors were nearly impossible to find in Storybrooke. 

It seemed that in this Storybrooke, however, this was not the case.

Granny stood at the check-in counter, overly alert. 

“Did you dolls need something? I’m very busy at the moment, so if you don’t need anything—"

“Just give us a minute, would you?” Regina snapped. Granny looked as though she had bitten into a sour lemon but said nothing in return. Regina turned to Emma, drawing closer and lowering her voice so as not to be heard by the nearby pissed Granny.

“What are we even doing here?” She hissed under her breath. “My mansi—uh-house is just down the street. We’re wasting our time.” Emma drew in a deep breath, trying to summon any last bit of patience she could find. 

“Listen, it’s been a very long day for the both of us. I’m tired, you’re tired, and frankly—I don’t particularly feel like running down those creepy streets again when there is a literal shoot-out happening. So, just bear with me for now by staying here tonight, and tomorrow we can get this settled once and for all. Deal?” Regina huffed out a small breath, tossing a quick glance over her shoulder at Granny before turning back to Emma. 

“Fine. But just for tonight.” Emma offered her a wan grin as she approached Granny, who stared at the two with daggers in her monochromatic eyes. 

“Well? What do you want with me, huh? You got something you wanna say, mayor? I sure as hell paid my taxes this month, so you can’t say nothin’ about that.” 

“No, Granny,” Emma assured. “We’re not here to bother you. We just want to get two rooms for one night, that’s all,” Granny side-eyed the two.

“Somethin’ wrong with your houses?” 

“Granny,” Emma implored, tone filled with exasperation. “We’ve had one hell of a day. Two rooms, and we’ll get out of your hair.” Granny’s eyes somehow managed to narrow even more.

“Sorry ladies, but you’re outta luck. We’re all booked out,” She paused for a moment, considering. “I guess I’ve got one room left, but there ain’t a lick of furniture in it.” Regina threw her hands in the air.

“What kind of B&B has a bedroom without a—"

“We’ll take it.” Emma snapped. Regina shot the blonde a look of bewilderment. 

“What do you mean, ‘we’ll take it’? What do you think—"

“Regina,” Emma interrupted. “Bear with me, remember? We’ll figure it out.” To Emma’s relief, the brunette said nothing further.

Emma grabbed the room key from Granny, and they trekked to the end of the hall. The door swung open, and sure enough, the entire room was bare. Granny waddled up behind them, chucking a stack of blankets onto the wooden floor. 

“That’s the best you’re gonna get,” She stated definitively before disappearing down the hallway. Regina’s eyes flickered to the pile of blankets, then up to Emma, clearly unamused.

“Listen,” Emma began, closing the door behind them. “We’ve got magic, right? I know the portal took some of it, but surely there’s enough to create a couple of beds.” Regina glanced down at her hands, shaking her head.

“The portal took more than some of it—I’d say it nearly took it all. I don’t know how much is left, but I sure as hell do know that I won’t be wasting it on creating some household furniture,” Emma sighed defeatedly.

“Fine. Blankets it is, then.” She tossed the brunette half of the stack.

“I cannot believe that we’ve just traveled across universes, worlds away from our home and you want to waste our time on a childish sleepover,” Emma had already laid out her blankets, shoving a slightly plusher one under her head as a makeshift pillow.

“Whatever,” she mumbled, sleep already creeping up on her. “I’m exhausted. We’ll get more done if we’re well rested,” The brunette didn’t respond, still standing in the corner of the room unbudgingly. Emma turned on her side. “Look, I’m just as worried as you are. But I’ve been trapped in magical realms before and so have you. We’re going to get home, Regina. I promise. Tomorrow we’re gonna figure this out.”

Regina finally gave in and grabbed her measly stack of black and white blankets, hastily laying them out on the opposite side of the room and laying down.

The two laid in silence, acutely aware of all the noises that this strange new world had to bring. Distant sirens whistled down the streets, gunshots rattled in nearby alleyways, and a bout of rain had started, pattering against the windows and echoing through the room.

Emma didn’t know what had come over her, perhaps it was the sheer exhaustion of the day, but right as she fell towards the edge of sleep, she mumbled out a soft,

“G’night Regina.” And maybe it was sleep-induced imagination, but she could’ve sworn she heard her respond,

“Goodnight, Emma.”

---

White beams of sunlight streamed through the window, slowly coaxing Emma from her sleep. For a moment, she thought she was still at home, curled up in Mary Margaret’s flat.

But as Emma blinked and allowed her eyes to adjust to the colorless room, her mind quickly recovered the events of yesterday. She rolled over, grimacing as she took in the achiness of her stiff joints. I guess two blankets don’t offer a whole lot of support. Regina’s probably going to get on my case about that. I bet—

Emma’s train of thought halted as she surveyed the room.

Regina was gone.

A small rush of panic filled Emma’s chest as she thought about all the dangers lurking out on the streets of this new Storybrooke. She shook her worries away, scrambling to her feet and swiftly buttoning her thick trench coat.

I’m sure she’s fine. Regina’s smart—she can handle herself, and she couldn’t have gone far.

Emma left the B&B and took to the street, scanning the roads for any sight of her. Since Granny’s diner was the closest building, she decided to start there. Lo and behold, there sat the brunette at the countertop, perched primly on a shiny black stool.

Emma let out a small sigh of relief and approached her.

“’Morning,” Regina turned to look over her shoulder.

“Good morning,”

“You’re missing your hat,” The brunette cracked a sarcastic grin.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m missing it.” She took a sip of black coffee. “I’ve been trying to talk to some of the locals, and I’m not getting anywhere,” Emma scanned the other customers in the diner, all huddled into booths, faces buried in their newspapers.

“Yeah, they don’t look like the chatty type. We’re gonna have to find someone we know,”

“Like Gold,” Regina responded flatly. Emma winced.

“Can’t we find someone a little less…murdery?” The brunette rolled her eyes, taking another sip of coffee.

“Listen, we can go back to playing cops with David, but if we want to get some real answers, we’re going to have to talk to someone who knows about magic,” Emma sighed and plopped onto the stool next to her.

Regina was right, of course. Emma knew that if anyone would have a way for them to get home, it would be Rumpelstiltskin. A new version of Ruby passed by the counter, wordlessly placing a cup of coffee in front of Emma. She narrowed her eyes at a figure behind them, then leaned in closer.

“You two outta watch your back—looks like you’ve got yourself a tail.” Emma turned around in her seat, just in time to catch a glimpse of a man dashing out the back door, his long black coat trailing behind him.

Emma leapt from her stool and took off after him, a confused Regina trailing a few steps behind her.

“What the hell—”

“I knew it—that guy’s been following us ever since we got here,” Emma explained as they burst through the door, following the man down an alleyway. “Maybe he knows something!”

The man led them down a few street corners until he found himself at a dead end. He whipped around frantically, and upon realizing that he was cornered, he reached into his coat pocket.

Emma’s eyes widened and she quickly grabbed her pistol, pointing it defensively at the figure.

“Hold it! Don’t move,” Emma frowned as she took a better look at the figure. Even shrouded in shadow, his face was now easily recognizable. “…Grumpy?”

Regina let out a dry chuckle.

“So, the man that’s been after us this whole time was one of Snow’s dwarves. Very menacing,” Emma ignored her sarcastic comment, not yet lowering her pistol.

“Grumpy, why have you been following us?” The dwarf’s eyes darted between the two, his expression a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

“To murder you,” he admitted, scoffing his boot on the ground. Regina raised an eyebrow.

“Well, at least he’s honest,” Emma eyed him in disbelief.

“Why on earth would you want to murder us?”

 “For money, of course!” He spat. “The insurance payout! Double the cash?” Emma wanted to roll her eyes to the back of her head.

“Double Indemnity? That doesn’t even apply here!”

“Whatever!”

Emma lowered her pistol ever so slightly.

“C’mon Grumpy. Let’s get you to the station. We don’t need you going around and—”

“Emma?” Regina interrupted, voice laced with concern. Emma turned away from Grumpy, immediately spotting the cause of Regina’s worry.

A giant glowing portal filled the space beside them, nearly identical to the one that had brought them here. Magic and light fizzled onto the pavement, snapping and popping as though it were alive.

“Oh god, not again,” Emma glanced back to where Grumpy had been standing, only to find the dwarf long gone.

I suppose I’ve got bigger problems now.

The portal began to glow brighter, the tendrils of magic nearly reaching their skin.

“What the hell do we do?” Regina called over the rushing noise of the portal.

“I don’t know!” Emma yelled helplessly.

The light became blinding.

“Brace yourself!”

Chapter Text

A swell of heat blasted against Emma’s skin, and a sudden dry breeze kicked up a swirl of dust into her eyes. Beside her, she could hear Regina coughing.

“You okay?” She called out, aggressively scrubbing the dust from her eyes.

“For the moment,” the brunette mumbled. Emma blinked furiously and allowed her vision to focus on their new whereabouts.

Immediately she was struck with an explosion of warm color—a stark contrast to the monochromatic world they had just left. The town was now covered in a hazy yellow hue, with rickety wooden buildings and wispy tumbleweeds floating down the dirt roads.

“Oh god, we’re in a Western,” Regina turned, planting her hands on her hips.

“No shit,” She jutted her chin towards Emma’s head. “Looks like you’ve got the hat now.” Emma swiveled around and caught a glimpse of her reflection in a cloudy windowpane. Sure enough, there on top of her mussed blonde waves sat an authentic, hand-woven cowboy hat. She had the full ensemble as well, complete with a navy vest and matching brown leather pants and boots.

Regina’s outfit was, yet again, far more stylish than Emma’s, consisting of a black button up tucked under a layered skirt, with matching heeled black boots and a bandana around her neck.

Emma glanced down at her waist to find her pistol snugly secured in a gun holster.

Except that pistol was now a revolver.

Regina surveyed the rows of buildings, wearily stepping aside as a pair of horses and their riders trotted down the main street. She then started down the road, nearly leaving Emma in the (literal) dust.

“Hey, where are you going?” The brunette motioned vaguely ahead.  

“To Gold’s, remember? He may be…difficult, at times—"

“At times?”

“All the time,” Regina mended. “But he’s our best chance of getting out of here.” Emma sighed and adjusted her hat in place.

“Yeah, alright. Let’s get this over with.”

The two trekked down the road until they encountered a decrepit, run-down building with a rusty nameplate that read “Gold’s Appaloosa Antiques”, to which Regina scoffed at upon reading.

They entered the shop, wooden floorboards creaking under their boots. Like the antique store back in their Storybrooke, the building was filled with odds and ends packed from the floor to the ceiling. Only here, they were slightly dustier. And more country-like.

“Gold?” Regina called out. “I know you’re in here. We need to talk.” Upon being summoned, Rumpelstiltskin rounded the corner, emerging from the shadows of his office. His eyes flickered between the two women.

“A visit from the Mayor and the Sheriff. It must be my lucky day,” Regina was clearly not in the mood for pleasantries. She marched up to the counter and pressed her palms into the wood, leaning forward menacingly.

“Listen, Gold. We don’t have time for any of your games. Long story short, Emma and I—we aren’t from Storybrooke,” She paused. “Well, not from your Storybrooke. Anyway—we need a way to get back to our world. You got anything that could help?”

Rumple’s eyes widened ever so slightly, as though he were surprised by this news. Emma didn’t buy it, though. Gold was hardly ever surprised by anything.

“Another version of Storybrooke, hm? That’s quite fascinating. May I ask how you ended up here in the first place?” Regina exhaled impatiently.

“I told you—we don’t have time for any of this. Can you help us or not?” Gold shrugged nonchalantly, swiping a layer of dust off the counter with two fingers.

“If I knew how you got here, maybe I could help you get back.”

“It was through a portal,” Emma offered. “A portal created by a magical cube. It was weird though, almost like it was malfunctioning.” Gold considered this while examining the dust on his fingers.

“Interesting. Very interesting,” He finally returned his gaze to the two women. “This does appear to be quite the predicament. Frankly, I’ve never heard of such an object,” Regina huffed out another breath, planting her hands on her hips and making towards the door.

“But,” Rumpelstiltskin began, stopping the brunette in her tracks. “I think I still might be able to help.” Emma raised an eyebrow.

“You think?” Rumple chuckled to himself.

“I’ve got something that will assist you, but you know how exchanges are made in these parts,” Emma sighed.

“Right a deal—”

“—A duel, of course.” Emma’s eyes widened as she turned to Regina, making sure that she had heard him correctly.

“…A duel?”

An unsettling smile stretched across Rumple’s face.

“That’s right, dearie,” He turned his back to them, slowly stepping around the counter until he was nearly back in his office. “Meet me at the end of Main Street. Sundown.” He turned and nodded towards Emma’s revolver before disappearing behind a curtain. “And be sure to bring that pretty little lead-slinger with you.”

---

The two women found themselves back at Granny’s diner, which in this world was now Granny’s Saloon.

Despite being indoors, the heat was sweltering, with no relief from the dry, humid air.

“I think I like this world even less than the last,” Regina declared. Emma nodded in agreement, fanning herself with her hat.

“What do we do about this duel?” she prompted. “We can’t seriously consider going head-to-head with Gold. I’m sure he’s got some sort of trick up his sleeve.”

Regina shrugged, a slight movement of her shoulders.

“What if we had a trick of our own?” Emma plopped her hat back on her head.

“What’d you mean?” The brunette extended her palm outward, looking as though she were about to cast a spell. Emma frowned.

“But you said no magic. We have to save it, remember?” Regina leaned back into the wooden booth.

“I know what I said. But if we can get help from Gold, we’re as good as home.” Emma considered this. Regina was far more experienced with magic than she was. If she really thought this was going to help, maybe it would be worth it.

“Alright, what’s your plan?” The brunette grinned—the first real smile Emma had seen from her since they had fallen through the portal.

“Hand me your gun.”

Emma obliged.

Regina held the revolver in one hand, then hovered her other hand above the gun’s cylinder. A flash of red burst from her fingertips, weaving into the metal, then disappearing with a shimmer of light. A flicker of pain spread across Regina’s features, causing her to bite back a grimace. Her fingers curled into a fist, which she quickly pulled away from the table.

“There,” she breathed, trying but failing to mask the toll that the spell had taken on her. “That should ensure that your bullet will hit its mark. As long as you aim in Gold’s general direction, it will know to strike him.”

Emma glanced at her revolver wearily.

“…Right. Okay. Thank you,” She glanced up at Regina, noticing that the brunette’s skin had grown a shade paler. “You alright?” She waved her off.

“I’m fine,” She stood from the booth, swaying on her feet ever so slightly. For a moment, Emma feared that she would fall right over, but Regina quickly steadied herself, pretending to fix her skirt. “In the meantime, I’m going to see if anyone has any other information that could be useful.” Emma gave an affirmative nod, watching as she slowly crossed the room, scanning for anyone of importance.

Suddenly, a small figure bounded around the corner enthusiastically, plopping right across from Emma in the booth. Though she was all dressed up in cowgirl attire, Emma was still able to recognize her as Jefferson’s daughter, Grace.

“Howdy Sheriff!” The girl chirped, a large smile drawn across her face.

“Howdy, Grace,” Emma responded, attempting to mimic the strong southern drawl that ran through the inhabitants of this Storybrooke. “Whatcha got there?” Grace beamed, plopping a small white box onto the table.

“Some cards. Wanna play? My pa taught me how to play Rummy the other day, and I think I’m gettin’ the hang of it!” Emma chuckled. She figured that there wasn’t anything she could do until sundown, anyway, so why not indulge the kid in a few rounds?

“Alright, you’re on.”

---

The sun was beginning to sink in the sky, casting a hazy orange glow over the town’s weathered structures. Emma had played more than a couple of rounds of Rummy with Grace, which ended up being a pleasant distraction from her current situation. Eventually, she bid the girl farewell and set off to find Regina, who had abandoned the Saloon some time ago while Emma had been caught up in her games.

She found the brunette sitting on a rickety bench outside, surveying the townspeople.

“You get anything useful?” Regina shook her head.

“Not much. Just that Gold is a crook, which we already knew. No one seems to know anything about magic, though. That would just be too helpful, now, wouldn’t it?” Emma offered her a lopsided grin in response, thankful to see that Regina was still her normal self, and that the color had returned to her skin.

“Well, hopefully none of this will matter soon. After tonight, we should have our ticket back home,” Regina nodded absent-mindedly, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.

“Everything alright?” Regina’s gaze lowered to her hands.

“Yes, of course. I just…” She paused a moment. “I’m just worried about Henry, I suppose. He was right next to the portal when we went through and—" Regina sighed and shook her head. “I just hope he’s alright.”

Emma’s gaze softened. Often times she found herself forgetting that Regina had taken care of Henry for nearly his entire life. It was comforting, seeing her caring about him like this—especially after initially thinking that this was not the case.

“I’m sure he’s just fine, Regina. He’s a tough kid, and plus, they’ve got plenty of magic over there if he got scratched up at all,” Emma frowned at this, not wanting to think about Henry being hurt. “But I’m sure he’s alright.” She concluded, unsure of who she was trying to convince anymore. Her gaze shifted to her revolver, which she pulled out of its holster, inspecting it thoroughly.

“I won’t have to kill Gold to win this duel, right? I just gotta nick him?” Regina shrugged.

“I suppose. Though I’m sure this world would certainly be better off without him.” Emma scoffed, sliding the gun back in place.

“Tell me about it.” She sighed and glanced at the sky. “I guess it’s close enough to sundown. Should we head on down there?” Regina nodded in agreement, and the two strode down the main town drag until they reached the end of the road.

The clock tower loomed above them menacingly, casting dramatic shadows against the fading golden light. Emma nervously spun the revolver around by its handle, eyes darting back and forth as she awaited her opponent. The sun sank even further into the horizon, until all that was left was the faintest orange glow in the distance.

After what felt like an eternity, Gold strutted down the main road, the spurs on his boots clanking with every step. Emma sucked in a breath and squared her chest.

“Alright Gold, let’s get this over with.” Rumple flashed an amused grin.

“I’m glad to see that you’re so eager for this. Frankly, I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” Emma’s fingers itched towards her revolver.

“How does this work?”

“It’s simple. Whoever shoots first wins,” Emma’s mouth parted in surprise.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.” Emma stole a glance at Regina, who gave her a small, affirmative nod. She knew, logically speaking, that she had nothing to worry about due to Regina’s spell. However, the thought of giving Gold the permission to shoot her point blank was in no way appealing. Emma drew in another breath.

“Okay,”

“Excellent. Let’s begin.” Emma mirrored Gold’s position: stance wide, fingers hovered over the gun, eyes fixed on one another. The whole town had fallen silent, and she was suddenly very aware of her own heartbeat thundering in her ears.

You can do this Emma. You literally cannot fail.

Onlookers crowded on the side of the street, peaking out of storefronts and watching from open windows. Emma continued to stare Gold down, refusing to blink.

Any second now…

Emma’s fingers twitched, preparing to grab her revolver, when suddenly the world went dark.

What the—

The blonde’s head craned towards the sky, eyes widening as thick clouds covered every source of light. Thick, unnatural, clouds. A creeping feeling filled Emma’s stomach.

Here’s that trick.

A rustle of movement caught Emma’s attention. She yanked her gun from its holster, aiming it in front of her.

“Gold? You wanna get rid of these clouds and fight fair?”

No response.

It was worth a shot.

Emma licked her lips, keeping her grip steady on her revolver.

“Regina?” She called out.

“Here,” the brunette responded, a few feet to her right. Emma desperately willed her eyes to adjust to the darkness, hoping to make out even the slightest shape, but it was no use. A gust of wind blew in from her left, startling her and causing her to whirl around, gun pointed at the open air.

Disoriented, she opened her mouth to locate Regina again, when suddenly the soft jingle of spurs rang out from behind her.

I’ve got you now.

Without further hesitation, Emma whipped around and shot at the noise, knowing that she was probably a bit off, but also knowing that the enchanted bullet would help close the distance. She lowered her gun triumphantly, right before a scream of agony rang through the street.

But the scream didn’t belong to Gold.

The clouds dissipated from the air as though they were never there, bathing the street in moonlight and illuminating the figure lying crumpled on the ground. Emma’s eyes widened. 

Oh god, oh god—

“Regina!”

Emma scrambled over to the brunette, chest racked with panic. Regina’s face was contorted in a grimace of pain, hand clutching her side, which was now spilling blood onto the dusty gravel.

“Shit. Shit. Regina I—"

Emma’s mind was reeling. She reached towards the wound to offer more pressure, which only caused Regina to cry out in pain again. Emma yanked back her hands.

“Okay, just hang on, alright? I’m going to—” Emma was suddenly interrupted by the sound of spurs slowly creeping up behind her. She pulled her eyes away from Regina for a split second, heart racing even faster as she spotted Gold only a few feet away, gun raised.

Jesus Christ, how did this go so wrong so quickly?

Emma instinctively reached for her gun again, but the second it was in her hand, Gold motioned towards her and flung it out of her grasp with his magic.  

“You’ve already had your shot, Sheriff. Now it’s my turn.”

Emma’s thoughts raced faster, mind drawing up blanks as she knelt in front of Regina. The brunette winced in pain and grabbed Emma’s arm, jolting her to attention.

“Go,” She hissed through gritted teeth.

Rumple took another lazy step forward, savoring the fear on their faces.

Emma shook her head. She couldn’t leave her. There had to be something she could do.

She considered Regina’s act earlier with the bullet. Although magic was supposed to be a last-case resort, she reasoned that it didn’t get much more “last-case” then this.

Rumple cocked his gun.

In response, Emma raised her hands, preparing to summon any sort of energy she could muster.

“Farewell, Sheriff. I hope you—” Rumple stopped abruptly as a blinding light filled the street.

Emma didn’t even have to turn around to know that it was a new portal.

Without looking back at Gold, she pulled Regina into her arms and ran towards the light, leaving nothing in her wake but a cloud of dust and the echo of a bullet.

Chapter Text

The force of the portal sent Emma flying to the ground, yet again.

Regina had been flung from her arms as the burst of energy carried them to their next destination, leaving her sprawled on the dirt beside her. Emma swept her blonde waves from her eyes, confusion muddling her mind as she gathered her bearings. The second her eyes landed on the brunette, however, a bolt of fear immediately struck her back into reality.

Oh, fuck.

“Regina!” She called, frantically scurrying to her side. Regina groaned in response, hand still clutched at her wound. “Let me see.”

Emma bit back a gasp as Regina limply lifted her hand, exposing the deep gash that the bullet had inflicted. She moved closer, heart thundering in her chest as blood began to trickle and pool beneath the brunette’s waist. Emma tucked her hair behind her ears, drawing herself to her feet.

“Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do,” she began, trying to keep the obvious note of fear out of her voice. “You’re going to stay right there and keep pressure on that wound. I’m gonna go get help. Okay? Okay. I’ll be right back,” She turned to leave, when Regina let out a cough and called after her.

“Emma—wait,” Her features scrunched together as a wave of pain took over. “There’s someone here.”

“What do you me—” A rustling from a nearby brush interrupted her.

Emma spun towards the noise and scanned her surroundings. She hadn’t gotten a chance to fully take in this new world, but now that she was looking around, it was very clear that they had ended up in a lush jungle of a sort. They had landed in a small clearing, surrounded by thick plants and an endless sea of trees, with leaves so dense that Emma could barely see the night sky above her.

A figure emerged from behind a thick tree trunk—a gray-haired woman with round spectacles, fully clad in a camouflage-patterned outfit.

Granny, Emma realized, releasing some of the tension in her shoulders. The older woman appeared to look relieved as well, lowering what appeared to be a makeshift slingshot.

“Oh, thank goodness it’s just you. Those tigers have been driving me wild lately.” Emma decided not to question how a slingshot was going to be of any assistance in that situation and instead motioned over to Regina.

“Hey Granny, we could really use your help. D’you think you could get Doctor Whale over here? Like, right now? It’s an emergency.” Granny stole a glance at Regina.

“Yikes, that looks pretty bad. Did the tigers get you?”

“Granny—”

“No matter. I’ve got some supplies back at my place. You think you can get her over there while I fetch Whale?” Emma looked down at Regina skeptically. She looked to be in pretty bad shape, but maybe Granny’s supplies would keep her from bleeding out.

“I can try,” she offered. Granny gave an affirmative nod before turning back to the trees.

“Great. I’ll meet you there,” Emma’s eyes widened.

“Wait—Granny—I have no idea where your ‘place’ is.” Granny shot her a perplexed look.

“It’s just twenty paces this way, to the left of the Kapok tree, of course.”

“Right. How could I forget?” Emma knelt beside the brunette again as Granny disappeared into the brush.

“Do you think I can move you?” Regina gnawed at her lip.

“I’m not sure,”

Emma gingerly slid a hand under the brunette’s knees, then placed the other underneath her lower back. Very slowly, she began to lift, when suddenly Regina let out a cry of pain. Emma immediately lowered her back to the earth, eyes darting quickly to her wound. It really didn’t look good.

“Okay. I’m…I’m going to try some magic,” Regina frowned and shook her head.

“You can’t— we need to save it. Mine’s practically gone and—”

“I won’t use it all, I promise. Just try and relax.” Reluctantly, Regina lowered her head back to the ground.

Emma closed her eyes, trying to focus and channel her energy. She really had only just gotten a taste of her powers and what she could do.

Think healing, think healing.

Emma hovered her fingers over the wound, eyes squeezed shut in concentration. She felt a buzzing warmth in her fingertips, and when she opened her eyes, a soft white glow was emitting from her hands. Despite the situation, Emma couldn’t help but smile to herself.

I’m kinda getting good at this.

She carefully hovered the magic over Regina’s waist, watching in awe as her skin began to heal, the bleeding coming to a full stop. The light dimmed, and Emma was hit by a sudden wave of dizziness. She quickly melted to the ground, allowing the world to come back into focus before she inspected her work.

Although the skin was still roughed up from the bullet, it seemed to be a significant improvement from before.

“How d’you feel?” Emma asked hesitantly, trying to fight through the lightheadedness that had taken over. Regina sat up and examined her skin.

“Much better,” she confirmed. Emma exhaled in relief, slowly rising to her feet. She extended her hand and helped Regina up as well.

“Can you walk?” The brunette nodded, and as they began to leave the clearing, Emma suddenly took note of Regina’s outfit, then looked down at her own.

The two were both wearing variations of Khaki button-ups, Emma with cargo pants and Regina with a skirt. Except now they were both covered in dirt and blood.

“I look like I just murdered someone,” Emma observed.

“Yeah? Well I look like I just got murdered,” Regina responded flatly.

Muttering a quick “Fair enough,” under her breath, Emma continued on, following the path that Granny had described. After twenty paces, she planted her hands on her hips and surveyed the area.

Now, what the hell does a Kapok tree look like?

“Over there,”

As though reading her mind, Regina pointed to the left, where the roof of a wooden structure could be seen peeking out from behind a giant, thick-rooted tree.

“Alright. Let’s hope that Granny has some actual beds in this world.”

---

“Hammocks?”

Emma could not believe her eyes. Every room in Granny’s Bungalow B&B was strewn with colorful hammocks dangling several feet off the floor, swaying slightly in the breeze. Granny had returned with Dr. Whale shortly after they had arrived, showing them to a room with two bright hammocks awaiting their arrival.

“They’re quite comfy,” Granny had assured.

“I suppose it’s a minor improvement from the floor,” Regina had muttered, shrugging off her bloody jacket.

Dr. Whale had applied a variety of balms to Regina’s wound, although it seemed like Emma’s magic had done most of the healing. Now the two reluctantly sat on their hammocks, serenaded by the chorus of insects and wildlife outside.

Emma leaned back, wiping away the sheen of sweat that had formed on her forehead. Now that Regina’s injury had been dealt with, she finally felt as though she could breathe.

“So,” she began. “It appears that the portal opens up about every 24 hours.” Regina shifted on her hammock.

“It appears so, yes.” The brunette glanced down at her hands, still covered in flakes of dried blood. “I suppose I should thank you for earlier.”

“For what?”

“For healing me. And…for the whole situation with Gold,” she continued, almost sheepishly. “You could’ve left me, but you didn’t. Which was probably really stupid and could’ve ended very badly, but—thank you.” Emma offered her a lopsided grin.

“I wasn’t going to leave you for dead, Regina. I know we haven’t always gotten along, but I couldn’t just abandon you like that. Besides, it was my fault you got shot, anyway.” Regina waved her off.

“It wasn’t entirely your fault. I should’ve made my spell more specific.”

“So—we’re good, then? You don’t hate me even more now?” Regina let out a soft, dry chuckle.

“I don’t hate you, Emma. I’ll admit at first it was a bit…jarring, having another mother come into Henry’s life, but now…I don’t know,” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I think it’ll all work out.”

Emma hadn’t realized that she had been grinning so profusely until her cheeks began to hurt.

“I’m glad to hear that,” she replied softly. She cast one last look at the brunette before stretching out onto her hammock. The second her head hit the fabric, she immediately began to drift, all of the stress and exhaustion of the day melting away with the sounds of the jungle.

---

The nearby squawking of a parrot jostled Emma from her sleep. Yet again, it took her a few moments to remember where she was, and yet again, Regina was already gone. Emma hastily combed her fingers through her wild waves and tugged on her thick, brown boots.

Luckily, Regina hadn’t gone far. She leaned against a nearby tree, somehow appearing a lot less disheveled than Emma was.

I bet she’s secretly using magic or something, she thought bitterly.

“’Morning,” Emma offered. “You look like you’ve got an agenda.” Regina smirked.

“I do.”

“Care to share?” The brunette jerked her chin in a general direction away from the bungalow.

“I spoke to Granny this morning. She mentioned that the fairies’ hut is nearby.” Emma nodded slowly.

“You think they can help us get outta here?”

“Maybe. So far nobody in any of these worlds has been of any use, except for Gold. I suppose we could try looking for him, but…” Regina shrugged, beginning to walk off. “…fairies have magic too, so it’s worth a shot. And probably doesn’t involve a duel.”

Emma staggered after her.

“Wait—you’re gonna go alone? After everything that just happened?” Regina turned back to her nonchalantly.

“I figured we could accomplish more if we split up.” Emma huffed out a humorless chuckle.

“That’s great and all, but I can’t even see three feet ahead of me with all these plants.” Regina shrugged again and turned back around.

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“Wait—Regina!”

But the brunette was already gone, disappearing into the thick foliage. Emma heaved a sigh and planted her hands on her hips. She considered following Regina anyway, but deep down she knew that the brunette was right—they would have a better chance of getting information if they split up.

Of course, we could get ambushed by Gold again, Emma thought ruefully. Or a tiger.

Despite her misgivings, she set off in the opposite direction of Granny’s bungalow, making careful note of the landmarks around her so that she could find her way back. Emma was surprised to see that this version of Storybrooke was so spread out amongst the trees and plants, and it took her several minutes of walking before she encountered another structure.

The only issue was that the hut-like building appeared to be raised on stilts high above the ground, with no stairs or ladders in sight. Emma scanned the nearby area, confused by the sight until she spotted a series of obstacles propped around that seemed to lead towards the hut.

Am I seriously going to have to parkour to get in here?

Emma considered moving on to another building, but the prospect of aimlessly wandering through the jungle farther away from Granny’s was rather unappealing. Instead, she inspected the obstacles thoroughly until she found what appeared to be the beginning.

The path was this: three logs increasing in height, far enough apart that one had to jump from each one to another. Then, there was a thick, horizontal branch made that acted as a trapeze bar, from which Emma had to swing from to land on a wooden platform attached to a tree. Lastly, she had to climb across a row of dangling vines, before she could step onto the balcony of the hut.

Simple.

Emma jogged in place, trying to warm up her limbs and lift her spirits.

You can do this, Emma. You’ve literally fought a dragon. This is nothing.

Getting a running start, Emma jogged across the terrain and leapt onto the first log. She wobbled a little upon landing but retained her balance well enough to jump onto the next without any issues. The third log was slightly more intimidating, seeing as it was raised fairly high off the ground, but Emma made the last jump before she could overthink it.

Next was the horizontal branch.

Emma dried her sweaty palms on her khaki pants, trying not to look down below.

I’ve come too far now—I gotta see this through.

Summoning all the courage she could muster, Emma leapt from the log and through the air, palms gripping the wooden bar.

Without too much difficulty, she managed to hoist herself up to the thick vines, grabbing onto each one for dear life and climbing swiftly until her boots hit the wooden planks of the hut’s deck.

Emma laughed at herself and shook out her arms, which were now burning from the exertion.  

If only Regina could have seen that, she found herself thinking. That was Olympics material right there.

Emma regained her focus as she approached the wooden door of the hut.

Whoever’s in there, I really hope they’re friendly.

Emma suddenly remembered her gun, but when she checked her belt and pockets, she found that it was gone.

Must’ve got caught in the portal, she thought remorsefully. She stepped up to the door and knocked.

For a moment, there was nothing. Then, a familiar voice called out,

“Who is it?”

Mary Margaret! Emma beamed.

“It’s me, Emma! I just have a few quick questions.” The door opened immediately, and she was greeted by the cheery face of Mary Margaret, clad head to toe in camouflage similar to Granny.

“Emma! So good to see you! You look out of breath—did you do the course to get up here? You know you could have just called out and I would have sent the ladder down! Well, anyway—you said you had some questions?”

Emma offered a pinched smile, trying not to appear winded from the useless obstacle course.

“Yeah, if you don’t mind…” She then launched into the entire story of the object giving off unstable energy and how they had been thrown through alternative versions of Storybrooke these past few days.

“So,” Emma finished. “You got any ideas for us?” Mary Margaret stared back at her, dumbfounded.

“I, uh…huh. That’s quite something. An alternate universe,”

“Yup,”

“Very interesting. Well, in terms of your problem, I can’t say I know much about magical items,” She leaned in closer. “Although, there’s one powerful remedy that’s always seemed to work for me.” She offered, voice taking on a suggestive tone. Emma shot her a look of discomfort.

“What do you mean by that?”

“You know—true love’s kiss. You got anyone special?” Emma scoffed.

“I’ve been a little busy with interdimensional travel. Plus, I don’t think true love’s kiss is gonna be of any help here. What am I supposed to do—make out with the cube?” Mary Margaret chuckled.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s the intention that counts. Not with the cube, of course. With an actual person.” Her forehead creased in thought. “I suppose acts of bravery are always good. Maybe the cube would like that.” Emma nodded slowly.

“Right…acts of bravery,” she dug the toe of her boot into the wooden planks of the floor. “Don’t suppose you have anything a little more…concrete?” Mary Margaret shrugged helplessly.

“That’s all I got. If you want magical objects, Gold’s your guy.” Emma winced, a recollection of yesterday’s events flashing through her mind.

“I think we’re good.”  Trudging towards the window, she peered through the small opening, trying to find the sky. “Shit, what time is it? I should probably get back to Regina,” Promptly, she waved a quick goodbye to her mother, who graciously unraveled a rope ladder for her to climb down to the ground.

Unfortunately, retracing her steps proved to be a bit more difficult than she had anticipated.

Emma’s eyes grew weary as she scanned every tree and bush, and soon all the foliage melted into one green blob.

“Regina!” Emma called out in desperation, completely abandoning her tracking efforts. “Regina, where are you?”

By some miracle, the brunette came stumbling into the clearing a few moments later, swatting bugs away and shoving leaves out of her path.

“I’m done with this world,” she declared. Emma’s shoulders sagged with relief.

“Me too. Lucky for us, the portal should be opening soon. You get anything from the fairies?” Regina straightened, holding out a small artifact for Emma to see.

“As a matter of fact, I did.” The object appeared to be a small, square-shaped piece of wood with an intricate symbol carved onto it.

“Right. So…is that some sort of rune, or magical spell, or…?”

“I have no clue,” Regina stated confidently, shoving the square into her pocket. “But Blue said that it would help us find answers, and god knows we need them.”

“Well, let’s just hope that wherever we’re going, it’ll be someplace useful.”

As though on cue, the earth around them began to shake, and a sudden fissure of light crackled into existence. Regina met Emma’s eyes.

“I guess we’ll find out.”

Chapter Text

Emma was very proud of her descent through the portal; for the first time since they had begun this journey, she hadn’t fallen directly on her ass.

It seemed that Regina had gotten the hang of it as well, stumbling into the new world with a fair amount of grace and remaining steady on her feet.

Emma immediately took notice of the brunette’s new attire, which appeared to be a floor-length gown in the shade of deep plum, with intricate silver embroidery around the neckline and sleeves. Half of her hair was pulled away from her face in an elegant twist, while the rest fell in soft, dark waves around the nape of her neck.

For a brief moment, Emma caught herself staring. She quickly shifted her gaze, hoping that that Regina hadn’t caught her.

Her own satin dress was the color of the sky, and her hair, decorated with ornate golden pins, had been swept up in an updo. Pearlescent white gloves that reached her upper arms had been adorned on her as well, with Regina wearing a matching set.

Though she had never excelled in history class, one look at these outfits told Emma that the two were now in the regency era. A quick scan of her surroundings confirmed this notion, as the streets were bustling with horse-drawn carriages and citizens waltzing along with parasols and top hats.

“This is much more manageable,” Regina stated, smoothing down the fabric of her dress. The dense humidity of the jungle had been replaced by a cool breeze, and Emma relished in the open stretch of blue sky that was now visible above them.

“I agree,” She stated, scanning the area. “Now, what do you say we get that totem to someone who can tell us what it is?” Regina quirked an eyebrow.

“Who do you have in mind?”

---

After walking down the dirt road for a few minutes, the two women found themselves outside an antiquated version of the town’s clocktower.

Inside, Belle stood behind a counter, methodically sorting out a stack of books. Her eyes widened as the two approached.

“Magistrate Swan! And... Miss Mills. How can I be of service?” Emma smiled politely.

“Hey, Belle. No need for the formalities—really,” Regina stepped forward and placed the wooden totem onto the countertop.

“Can you tell us what this symbol means?” she asked, immediately cutting to the chase.

Belle eyed the brunette wearily. Apparently, the citizens of this Storybrooke weren’t completely convinced of Regina’s change of heart, either. She hesitantly plucked the piece from the counter and examined it thoroughly, features scrunched in thought.

“I can’t say that I recognize it,” she replied. Her eyes brightened after a moment, and she set the totem back on the counter. “But, if you come find me later at the ball tonight, I’ll have had some time to research it!”

Emma cringed internally.

“A ball?” Belle’s painted lips curled into a girlish smile.

“Of course! Where else would the ton be on a fine Thursday evening such as this?” She leaned forward conspiratorially. “Not to be a complete gadabout, but I heard there’s going to be a bit more than sherbert in the punch this evening, if you know what I mean,” she chuckled to herself as she grabbed the token and took to the bookshelves. “By the end of the night, the whole ton’ll be three sheets to the wind!”

Emma attempted a half-hearted chuckle.

“Right, of course. We’ll, uh—we’ll see you there,” But Belle was already too deep into the library to hear, eyes wide as she scanned each title with fervor.

---

“I never thought I’d have to attend another ball,” Regina mumbled under her breath. Emma scoffed in response.

“I never thought I’d have to go to a ball. The brunette’s lips quirked into a humorless smirk.

“Well, you’re in for a real treat. Get ready for six hours of sitting around and doing absolutely nothing. At least, that’s what my role always was.” she finished bitterly.

The two wandered aimlessly down Main Street, taking in the vintage-looking version of Storybrooke’s buildings.

“Wow, that does sound like a blast,” Emma drawled sarcastically. “But hey, at least there’ll be booze.” To this Regina rolled her eyes, not without a small smile escaping her lips.

A cool breeze ruffled their hair, and in a nearby pond a group of swans drifted idly over the water’s glassy surface.

“Belle better be able to figure this out,” Regina stated. “We got lucky with this world, but who knows what the next one could be.”

“Let’s hope it’s a beach or something,” Emma muttered, tugging on her sleeve. “And not like…I dunno—Hell.”

“Storybrooke in Hell. Now that would be something.”

Regina sighed impatiently and planted her hands on her hips, watching as a dapperly dressed man trotted by on a horse.

“So what do we do now?”

Emma shrugged.

“Now we wait.”

---

It hadn’t been easy, killing time before the ball started. Regina had been growing increasingly antsy as the hours went by, complaining about “wasting time” and how there was surely an “alternative solution”. But ultimately, neither of the women could think of any other ideas besides turning back to Gold, which was not something either of them particularly wanted to do.

Finally, the town began to congregate towards the doors of City Hall, where tonight’s ball was being held. Although Emma was in no mood for a party after the events of the past two days, she reluctantly filed in with Regina and the rest of the town-goers through the city’s main hall and into the ballroom.

As she stepped inside, she had to admit, it did look spectacular.

The entire room had taken on an enchanting aura of elegance; rich velvet drapes hung from each window, shimmering golden chandeliers held warm, flickering candlelight, and every table in the room was overflowing with lush flower arrangements.

Emma couldn’t help but find herself somewhat in awe of it all.

“Oh my god, there’s a fucking string quartet.” Regina flashed a genuine smile, one that melted away far too quickly for Emma’s liking as they skirted along the edges of the room.

“Try not to get too distracted, Magistrate Swan. We need to find Belle.”

As she scanned the room, Emma quickly realized that this was going to be a far more difficult task than she had anticipated. The ballroom was a dizzying spectacle of lavish dresses, the dancers sweeping by and transforming the room into a blur of color. Not to mention that guests were constantly drifting in and out of the main hall into side rooms for more private conversations.

“I guess we could split up again,” Emma offered, although a small part of her was reluctant to leave the brunette’s side in such an unfamiliar environment.

Not that she’d ever give her the satisfaction of knowing this, of course.

Regina gave an affirmative nod and took to the left side of the room, hastily weaving through the thick crowd of guests. Emma sighed and continued down the right side of the ballroom, eyes scanning the crowd.

She spotted the punch bowl sitting on a nearby table and decided to take a brief detour, grabbing the ladle and pouring a generous amount into a glass. The first sip caught her by surprise—Belle hadn’t been lying about the whole town being ‘three sheets to the wind’ by the end of the night.

As she took another steady sip of her punch, Emma was approached by an unfamiliar man dressed in a sharp suit and tie.

“Good evening, Magistrate Swan. I didn’t expect to see you here tonight,” Emma raised an eyebrow.

“Uh, hi. Do I know you?” The man chuckled, looking down at his shoes bashfully.

“No, no. We’ve never met. The truth is, I’ve finally worked up the courage to speak with you,” He gestured to the center of the ballroom, where dozens of couples waltzed effortlessly in time with the music.

“Could I ask you for a dance?” A rush of panic swelled in Emma’s chest. She didn’t want to hurt this stranger’s feelings, but she also had absolutely no interest in dancing with him.

“You know, I totally would, but I promised my friend I’d bring her a refreshment,” The man’s gaze remained hopeful.

“Oh! Well, when you’ve finished then perhaps—”

“Thanks for the offer!” Emma called as she snatched up a second glass and scrambled away from the table. She peered across the room, scanning the sea of guests until she spotted Regina in her plum dress. She appeared to be in a similar conversation—one with a tall, mustached man who also seemed to be trying to recruit her for a dance. The brunette looked just as uncomfortable as Emma had felt.

She tried to weave through the guests to reach her but had only made it a few feet before she was stopped again, this time by a group of older women.

“Magistrate Swan, what an unexpected surprise!” Emma forced a pinched smile, eyes darting away to find Regina again.

“Yes, a surprise indeed,” began a second woman. “How have you been?”

“Uh, well—”

“That’s wonderful dear,” the third woman interrupted. “Say, we noticed that you didn’t come here tonight with a partner. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course,” she interjected quickly. “But there have been some nasty words flying around town. You know, ‘on the shelf’, ‘spinster’…awful things, really, awful things.” The first woman leaned in closer, voice lowering conspiratorially.

“But is there any truth to them?” Emma was baffled by these women’s questions. My god, why do they care so much?

“I-uh—” She forced a smile and took a quick swig from her glass. “I gotta go. Nice chatting, ladies.”

Emma quickly hurried away, head spinning. These people are something else.

She finally made it to Regina, who had also been cornered by a group of people. It looks like Emma had made it right in time, for a few moments later and Regina might have caused a scene.

“There you are,” Emma declared, voice rising above the other guests. She cut in to the circle that had formed and handed Regina the extra glass of punch. “I, uh…have something very important to discuss with you,”

The brunette wasted no time leaving the group of guests behind.

“These people are just as bad as the ones back at the Enchanted Forest,” Regina snapped under her breath. Emma opened her mouth to respond when suddenly a new group of guests made eye contact and started heading their way.

Without thinking, Emma promptly grabbed Regina’s arm and swiftly redirected her towards the center of the room. The brunette eyed her in annoyance.

“What the—”

“Sorry,” Emma cut in, eyes darting around the room. “We had some more unwanted company coming our way.” Regina sighed impatiently, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.

“You know, I—” Her eyebrows knit in a frown. “Someone else is coming.”

The two women quickly wove through the crowd, but no matter where they went, it seemed that some nosy member of the town wanted to have a word with them. Emma stole a glance at the waltzing couples, and before her brain could catch up with her words she turned to Regina.

“Dance with me,” she prompted. The brunette whipped around and looked at her as though she had grown five heads.

“Excuse me?”

Emma’s forehead began to prickle with sweat. Maybe she shouldn’t have suggested this.

“We need to get away from these people, at least long enough to find Belle. Maybe they’ll take the hint that we want to be left alone.”

Regina let out a bitter laugh.

“You’re very funny, Emma,”

“I’m serious—these people are pissing me off.” Regina’s expression hardened.

“I don’t dance,”

“Yeah? Me neither. I’ve never even been to one of these things,” she motioned to the couples, who were now entering a slower waltz. “But it can’t be that hard, right?”

Regina eyed her, seemingly unconvinced. She began to dish out another tart comment, when suddenly another member of the town made a beeline to the two.

“Shit,” Regina hissed. “Fine.”

The two quickly hurried to the dance floor, trying to seamlessly integrate with the circle of couples already spinning in the waltz. Emma glanced at a nearby set of partners and attempted to mimic their position—one hand on their partners’ waist and the other clasped in their hand.

Emma tried to ignore the unfamiliar brush of warmth that blossomed in her fingertips as she took Regina’s hand in hers. The music played on, and the couples around them elegantly dipped and spun in a practiced rhythm. Regina glanced around, attempting to remain calm.

“This is a horrible idea. I don’t even know the fucking steps,”

“I don’t know the fucking steps either,” Emma whispered back in a rush, trying to keep her voice from sounding frantic. “I’m just following the people in front of me.” The two managed copy the steps with varying degrees of success, only nearly stepping on the dresses of the other couples a few times.

Emma tried to keep her focus outward, but her gaze kept drifting back to Regina. It was an odd sensation, them being so close. Not to mention her touch was gentle—tender—even, and it took Emma by surprise.

“Any sign of Belle?” Emma offered, trying to break the palpable tension as they swayed unsteadily across the room. The brunette cracked a wry smile, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

“The only thing I’m focused on right now are these damn steps, Magistrate Swan,”

“Alright, you don’t have to keep calling me Magistrate Swan,”

“Maybe I want to. Maybe I think it’s humorous,”

“It’s not that humorous.”

Just as Emma thought that she was getting ahold of the waltz, she found herself nearly maneuvering them right into another couple. Regina shot her a look.

“You know, I’m perfectly capable of leading,”

“I’m sure you are,” Emma teased, the words slipping right off her tongue.

She paused.

Oh shit, did that sound weird?

Regina didn’t respond, only glanced over her shoulder, pretending to look for Belle. But was it Emma’s imagination, or was a touch of color spreading across her cheeks? Emma scrambled for a recovery but drew nothing but blanks.

Miraculously, the strings grew softer and the waltz eased to a stop.

“I think I’m going to check some of the other rooms, see if Belle’s in any of them,” Emma stated. The brunette nodded, and though Emma was unsure why, she appeared almost…disappointed.

“Right, of course,” she agreed. “I’ll…check the ballroom again.”

Then Regina was gone without another word, disappearing into the sea of silk and satin.

---

Emma made her rounds of the ballroom for the better part of an hour, skillfully dodging unwanted conversations and making a couple stops at the punch table for good measure.

She was starting to get a little nervous, having seen no sign of Belle anywhere. Though she couldn’t tell what time it was exactly, she knew that the portal would be opening soon enough.

Emma made one final sweep of the room, then decided to check outside. She peeked out the front doors, but Belle wasn’t there. She trekked along the outside of the building—to no avail. Finally, Emma rounded the back of the town hall, where a delicate gazebo had been constructed, decorated with candles and flower petals for the occasion.

Regina stood inside, leaning on the railing and peering up into the night sky. It was a clear night; the moon illuminated a soft glow, and the sky was a sea of glittering stars.

“Hey,” Emma started, stepping into the gazebo. “I take it you couldn’t find her?” Regina sighed, gaze still fixed on the sky.

“I think she lied to our faces about coming tonight.” Emma leaned on the railing beside her.

“I think you might be right.” She stole a glance at the brunette, whose eyes carried a wistful expression she couldn’t quite decipher. “I know you’re worried about Henry,” she ventured. “Believe me, I am too. But I have to believe that the portal only affected us. I’m sure Mary Margaret and David have everything under control.”

Regina dipped her head and nodded slowly, absentmindedly tugging on her gloves.

“I’m sure you’re right. It’s just…” She pressed her lips together, hesitating. “It’s just—he’s all that I have.” Regina inhaled sharply and gazed outward, not meeting the blonde’s eyes.

“I mean, you have a whole family and a whole town that practically worships you but I—I just have him.”

Emma leaned closer to the brunette, who finally met her gaze.

“Regina,” she began softly. “I need you to know that’s not true,” Regina shifted slowly, fully turning her face towards her. “I know it may seem like you’re alone in all this, but I really am here for you,” Emma continued on. “I can see the good in you. So can my parents. And although it may take some time, I think the town will be able to see it as well.”

Regina’s lips parted, momentarily speechless. A flicker of emotion danced in her eyes, a swell of warmth, perhaps. Emma’s gaze danced between hers, watching as her carefully constructed walls melted away.

“Emma—"

“There you are! I’ve been looking for you two all night!” Emma spun around to see Belle standing at the entrance of the gazebo. The woman planted a hand on her hip mischievously, her gold satin dress shimmering in the candlelight. “Have you been avoiding me?”

Regina scoffed.

“Quite the opposite. You got any answers?” Belle held up an ancient looking book, stuffed with notes scribbled on paper.

“I most certainly do,” she replied chipperly. She weaved in between the two and plopped the thick book onto the railing, fervently flipping through pages until she landed on the right one.

“Here,” she began, pointing at a symbol on the page that appeared to match the one on the totem perfectly. “The book doesn’t give it an official name, but it’s described as a symbol of balance. Essentially, the rune was put in place long ago to keep users of dark magic in check.”

“So…Gold,” Emma stated. “The cube with the symbol was meant for Gold, and by him touching it…the rune activated these portals that we’ve been going through?” Belle nodded.

“That would make sense—the magic is supposedly highly reactive. It must have created the portals as a way of transferring the dark magic in attempt to bring balance to your world.”

“Well, it did a great job,” Regina quipped. “Gold’s still back there doing god knows what while we’re here getting thrown across the universe.” Belle’s forehead creased in thought.

“Maybe…maybe bringing back the balance would stop it?” Her eyes glittered with the idea. “Maybe you just need to harness some light magic to even everything out!”

“Yeah, well, we don’t have any magic,” Regina stated bluntly. Belle shrugged, undeterred.

“Sometimes magic can be found in acts, right? Perhaps there’s something you could do to harness that energy.” Emma’s eyes widened.

“Like an act of bravery.” Belle nodded along encouragingly.

“Yes! I’ve heard of stories of that!”

I guess Mary Margaret was on to something after all, Emma noted.

“Well this is great and all, but ‘an act of bravery’ is awfully vague. You got any suggestions?” Regina retorted. Belle shot her a sour look.

“This type of magic isn’t an exact science, okay? And for the record—” Belle stopped abruptly, squinting into the distance. “Is that your portal?”

Emma met her gaze and spotted the glowing white light, slowly drawing nearer in jolting flashes.

“That would be it,” she sighed. “Thanks for your help, Belle. I guess we’ll have to take it from here.”

“If you need any more help, you can always find me in the next world!” The woman called as Emma and Regina stepped off the gazebo and onto the lawn, faces illuminated by the blinding light.

Chapter Text

Emma had been hoping for a version of Storybrooke that was relaxing; something peaceful, with no major events or dangerous landscapes.

Within mere seconds of stepping through the portal, it became very clear to Emma that this world was certainly not going to meet that criteria.

The town still held Storybrooke’s classic buildings and structures, but beyond that it was nearly unrecognizable. This was due to the fact that every building had taken on a completely futuristic, technologically advanced appearance.

It also didn’t help that the entire town was suspended thousands of feet above ground.

“Holy shit!” Emma cried out, her voice lost to the wind as a hover vehicle zipped by mere inches from her face. The Storybrooke citizens appeared to be carrying out their daily travels on an assortment of high-tech looking vehicles, all flying in the empty space where the roads once were.

“I think it’s going take an act of bravery just to get from one building to another,” Regina murmured. Emma nodded in agreement, turning to her.

“Whoa, nice outfit.” The brunette’s elegant ballgown had been transformed into a sleek black trench coat with a matching top, pants, and high heeled boots. The only touch of color was a thin strip of neon purple light that was streamlined into the seams of each piece. “You look like you stepped right out of the Matrix,” Emma teased.

“The what?”

“Never mind.”

Emma glanced down at her own attire. She appeared to be wearing something very similar, only her fabric was colored a shiny silver chrome, and her jacket stopped at her midriff.

“Alright. Well, I guess our first plan of action should be finding a place to sleep. Once again.”  Emma eyed the flying vehicles as they zipped by at a concerningly rapid speed. “Don’t suppose you see any hover cars lying around?” Regina shot her a withering glance. “Yeah, me neither.”

She turned to face the building’s entrance that they had appeared in front of. The structure was dizzyingly tall and covered in a mirror-like glass, and displayed above the doorway was a bright red neon sign that read “Granny’s Galactic Getaway”. Emma motioned to the building.

“It looks like we’re stuck here again, unless you can figure out a way to get to our places.”

Regina took one last glance at the nonexistent roads before folding her arms across her chest and striding towards the building.

“That sounds like a problem for tomorrow,” she declared, resigning herself to her fate.

Inside, the two women found themselves being greeted by Ruby instead of Granny. She looked them up and down in her red latex dress, complete with silver LEDs along the hem.

“Can I help you guys with something?” Emma stepped forward towards the metallic counter.

“Yeah, we need rooms for the night. But let me guess—” she paused. “—There’s only one left.” Ruby shot her a weird look.

“Uh, yeah—that’s right,” the girl’s eyes darted between the two, a mixture of confusion and suspicion behind her gaze. “Although in the room there are two—”

“Sounds great,” Regina cut in, only half trying to cover up her exhaustion-fueled irritation. Ruby narrowed her eyes, looking as though she was going to speak, but then decided against it last minute.

“’Kay, great. Follow me.”

---

Emma had thought that the hammocks from Granny’s Bungalow would have been the oddest sleeping situation that they could have found themselves in.

She had been very wrong.

Stationed on either side of the sterile, metallic room were two glowing, pod-like structures. They reminded Emma of vertical tanning beds. Regina raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

“Ruby, are you going to tell us what the hell we’re looking at here?” Ruby shot her a look of confusion and gestured vaguely to the hunks of metal.

“They’re sleeping pods, obviously. What else would be in a bedroom?” All of a sudden, Emma found herself holding back a laugh.

“Yeah, Regina,” she joined in. “What else would be in a bedroom? A bed? Come on, now.” Regina rolled her eyes as though she were annoyed, but Emma could see a subtle smirk tugging on her lips.

As Ruby left the two to their own devices, Regina’s grin spread fully on her face as she shook her head slowly.

“I think you’ve finally lost it, Swan.”

“I don’t know what you mean. Now if you excuse me, I need to go charge my batteries in my futuristic cyborg coffin.” Emma turned and folded her arms across her chest, examining the pod. “Okay but seriously,” She began. “How the hell is anyone supposed to sleep in this?” Regina shrugged, her lips still quirked in amusement.

“Why don’t you give it a try?” Emma hesitantly opened the glass door.

“If I get locked in here and it tries to put me in cryofreeze or something, you better let me out.”

“Oh, please. Just get in already,”

Reluctantly, Emma took a tentative step into the glass pod. Surprisingly, the interior was fairly comfortable—the pod had been lined with a thick, foamy cushioning. Emma reached for the handle and gingerly closed the door behind her. For a moment, nothing happened. Then abruptly, the pod began to tip backwards until it was laying fully horizontal.

Emma let out a little yelp of surprise.

“Oh, fuck this,” she exclaimed, breath fogging on the glass.

Though she couldn’t hear Regina outside of the pod, she could tell that the brunette was laughing. Emma banged her fist against the glass.

“Alright, alright. Show’s over, let me out!” Regina fiddled with the control panel on the outside of the pod until the glass door slid open again. Emma quickly stepped out of the contraption, shaking off the minor wave of claustrophobia that had washed over her.

“Yeah, there’s no way in hell I’m sleeping in that thing.” Regina planted her hands on her hips and surveyed the rest of the room. There wasn’t much to see.

“I guess it’s the floor, then.” Emma sighed, shoulders sagging in defeat.

“I guess so.”

---

Emma groggily opened her eyes the next morning to an unsurprisingly Regina-less room. She had hardly slept last night—the room was frigid, the metal floor had given her no support, and her lumpy chrome jacket had made a poor excuse for a pillow.

After giving herself a few minutes to fully wake up, she made her way onto the balcony and gazed down at the bustling town below. Despite all the commotion around her, Emma’s mind began to drift back to her waltz with Regina yesterday—the way her skin had lit up under her touch, how her velvety perfume had flooded her senses, how they had been so close she had felt the soft brush of Regina’s breath against her skin—

Holy shit, Emma, she chided herself. There are a billion other things you should be thinking about right now. She hastily ran her fingers through her blonde waves, tugging through the tangles. Besides, it was just a stupid dance.

Emma made her way to the lobby, where she found Regina sitting in a neon turquoise chair, reading what appeared to be a digital pamphlet. Upon seeing Emma, she snapped the device shut and stood.

“Finally,” She stated. “I can only look at these digital interfaces for so long.” She motioned to the walls, which were decorated with an assortment of glowing geometrical shapes. “You know, this place sort of reminds me of some of those games Henry plays on that device of his.” Emma smiled fondly.

“Yeah, it does, doesn’t it?” The two stood in a comfortable stillness for a moment.

“Well,” Regina continued, breaking the silence. “You said we needed an act of courage to balance the portal out, correct?”

“I mean, I’m pretty sure that’ll work.” Regina pursed her lips.

“Right. Well, Savior—you got any brave ideas?” Emma surveyed the lobby.

“Well for starters, I’d say we should figure out a way to get from place to place.” She turned back to the counter and clicked a button, which sent a loud, digital-sounding ring throughout the lobby. A few moments later, Ruby rounded the corner.

“Hey Ruby,” Emma began. “Look, is there any way we can borrow a, uh…vehicle?” Ruby stared at Emma as though she had lost her mind.

 “…A vehicle?” Her gaze darted toward Regina, then back to Emma. “Don’t you guys have your own?”

“Well, yes, but…” Emma sighed and leaned closer to the girl. “Listen, we’re on official cop business, here. If you wouldn’t mind just lending us yours, I promise you’ll get it back by the end of the day.” Ruby eyed her wearily.

“Right. Cop business.” Finally she gave in, rounding the corner and leading them out to the back of the building. “You can take Granny’s old car,” she began. “But don’t touch my bike. I just put in new hover stabilizers.”

Emma gave her a pat on the arm as she crossed towards the car.

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Thanks again, Ruby.” The teen nodded and offered a tight-lipped smile.

“Good luck with your…cop stuff.”

The two climbed into the car, Emma at the wheel.

“Ookay,” she began, hesitantly scanning the foreign controls of the car. “Do you see a ‘fly’ button in here anywhere?”

---

It had taken them the better part of an hour, but eventually the two had managed to get the car off the ground and out of Granny’s parking lot. Emma was still getting the hang of the driving part—her knuckles were turning white against the wheel, and every time she made a turn the car would wobble concerningly.

Emma slammed her brakes at an incoming floating red light, sending Regina lurching forward in her seat.

“Sorry,” she offered. Regina smoothed her hair back in place and leaned back into the seat.

“Where are we going, anyway? We’ve got the car—now we have to find a way to complete an ‘act of bravery’. We better not be risking our lives in this contraption for no reason, Swan.” Emma would have waved her off if her hands weren’t practically glued to the wheel.

“We’re gonna be fine—I got the hang of it now. Anyway, I was sort of thinking we could get some inspiration as we drove—er—flew. Y’know, maybe if we saw a cat stuck in an electronic tree or something.”

Regina turned to face her fully.

“You think that saving a cat stuck in a tree is going to be good enough to balance a centuries-old rune and break us out of an interdimensional loophole?”

“Well I didn’t mean literally, I was just trying to convey the idea that—” It took Emma a moment to realize that Regina was laughing to herself beside her.

Okay, she’s losing it.

“Whatever,” Emma mumbled, trying but failing to keep a grin from her face. “You got any better ideas?” Regina sighed and stared out the window, her features illuminated by the glowing neon lights.

“Looks like we’re going with yours, Savior.” Emma winced internally. She was still coming to terms with this newfound role, and although it should’ve felt rewarding, it still felt like a heavy weight on her shoulders.

“You really don’t have to call me that.” Regina lifted a shoulder in an elegant shrug.

“You are the Savior, are you not?”

“Well, yeah. But…I don’t know.” Emma paused, easing carefully on the breaks as they reached another stoplight. “It’s only a title, really. I’m just Emma.” Regina considered her for a moment, eyes watching her thoughtfully.

“I wouldn’t say just,” she responded finally. “You’ve done a lot—for this town, for Henry…for me,” she finished, her words ending so softly Emma had barely heard them. She felt a rush of warmth blossom in her chest, the feeling distracting her so strongly that she nearly flew directly into a streetlamp.

Regina shot her a wide-eyed glance. “Perhaps I spoke too soon.”

---

The two had circled the nonexistent streets of Storybrooke so many times that Emma was starting to grow dizzy.

“I think we need a new approach,” she admitted reluctantly. “Clearly there is no one out here who is in desperate need of help.” Regina sighed, propping her arm against the window.

“You’re probably right, though I don’t see what else we can do. Unless you’re planning on going door to door?” Emma let out a dry chuckle.

“Ha, right. ‘Excuse me, Granny—are you in need of an act of bravery perhaps?’” Emma shook her head. “Jesus, this is gonna be impossible. I mean, it’s not like a giant threat is just gonna come outta nowhere and—"

“STOP RIGHT THERE! Emma Swan and Regina Mills, you are ordered to pull over your vehicle to the nearest building!” The two synchronously whipped around in their seats, finding themselves face-to-face with a giant, menacing hovercraft looming overhead. Leaning out one of the windows was David, holding what appeared to be a high-tech version of a megaphone.

“Any clue as to why your father is yelling at us from a giant spaceship?” Regina exclaimed as Emma frantically steered into the floating parking lot of the town hall.

“How the hell am I supposed to know?!” David’s machine trailed behind them, hovering ominously in the air.

“Please step out of your vehicle,”

“Jesus Christ, we didn’t even do anything!” Emma huffed as she tentatively stepped out of the car. Regina reluctantly followed suit.

The hovercraft lowered itself to ground level, and David stepped out into the parking lot. He almost looked intimidating, which was a feeling Emma never thought her father could convey.

“Emma Swan and Regina Mills,” he began authoritatively. “An anonymous citizen has reported your suspicious activity, and we have reason to believe that you are actually shapeshifting aliens of the planet Zorion, and we must confirm your identity before you may carry on.”

Emma’s sleep-depriving mind launched her into a fit of laughter. Beside her, Regina bit back a smile of disbelief as well.

This has gotta be some kind of joke, right? The other worlds had caught her by surprise, but seeing her father in a head-to-toe cyber police uniform standing outside his hovercraft was really something else.

Unfortunately, David did not seem to see the ridiculousness of the situation. His brow creased in frustration, and he yanked a blaster from his belt.

“Is there something funny, Ms. Swan? Or should I say—Zorionian?” Emma’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“What? No—Dad, come on. It’s me. It’s Emma!”

“Prove it—what year did you purchase your yellow nanobike?”

“What, I—” Emma turned to Regina helplessly. “I don’t know that because we’re from another version of Storybrooke—but it’s still us!” David raised his blaster menacingly.

“That’s what they all say. Besides, the Emma I know would never forget the day she got that bike.” Regina took a tentative step forward.

“Listen, we can prove to you that—” David tightened his grip on the blaster and stepped closer.

“I don’t want to hear it! Mayor Mills would never spend the night at Granny’s Galactic Getaway, especially not with my daughter! Now show your true form, or I’ll have no choice but to attack!”

Emma leaned towards Regina, whispering,

“What do we do?” The brunette’s features creased in concertation as she scanned the area. As she leaned closer and whispered back, stands of her hair brushed against Emma’s collarbone, sending a rush of electricity against her skin.

Focus, Emma, focus.

“The portal should be opening soon, right? Maybe we can stall him long enough to get through.” Emma nodded and extended her hands in front of her in surrender.

“Alright, David,” she announced. “You caught us. We’re aliens.” Regina shot her an incredulous look, one that Emma ignored and kept going. “Why don’t you bring us to the station and we can sort this all out?” David’s lips curled into a humorless smirk.

“Defying my orders, huh? You won’t show us your true form? Well, don’t say I didn’t warn ya. I am sorry about this, but I must protect my town.”

“Emma, move!”

Regina shoved Emma forward, narrowly pushing her away from the beam of light that escaped David’s blaster. With nowhere else to run, the two quickly scrambled into the car, barely dodging David’s attacks.

“Holy shit, that thing is fast!” Emma cried as she powered up the car and jerkily swerved out of the parking lot. “You don’t see that portal anywhere, do you?”

“Not yet,”

The car sped through the air, weaving in and out of traffic as Emma tried to get as much distance between her and the hovercraft as possible.

“When I said to stall, I didn’t mean to accept our death sentence,” Regina retorted, keeping watch over her shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m not known for my improv.” Regina’s eyes widened beside her.

“Emma, David’s closing in.” Emma snuck a quick glance over her shoulder, just in time to see David blast at the car with the guns attached to his ship.

“Oh, fuck!” Emma swerved back in forth between the lanes, leaving a wake of angry, honking vehicles behind her. “We need to get him off our tail!”

Which is impossible, since we’re flying in the open air, Emma realized.

“Hold on, I think there’s something in the trunk,” Regina exclaimed, reaching behind her seat and retrieving a large, sleek piece of metal. “I think it’s one of those guns that David was using earlier.” Emma stole a glance at the object and nearly chuckled.

“Why on earth does Granny have a giant blaster in her backseat?” Regina eyed the weapon wearily.

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

David’s ship fired a stream of rapid shots, nicking the edge of the car and sending them launching to the side.

“Can you use that thing?” Emma cried over the gunshots, grip tightening on the wheel as she swerved to avoid a speeding hoverbike.

“I was trained to swordfight, not blast people with space guns!” Regina yelled, gripping the car’s safety bar as they lurched to the side in a quick turn.

Emma’s mind raced in thought.

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” she began. “You’re gonna take the wheel, and I’m gonna try and distract him until the portal shows up.”

“But we can’t just—”

“Here we go!”

Emma released the wheel and dove into the back seat, snatching the blaster from Regina’s lap as she went. The brunette’s eyes widened and she quickly grabbed the wheel, awkwardly sliding into the driver’s seat as she tried to keep them from crashing.

“Try and keep the car steady!” Emma called as she leaned out the rear window, aiming Granny’s blaster at the hovercraft.

“I’m…doing…my best,” Regina responded through gritted teeth, brows creased in concentration. Emma sent a rapid fire of shots from the blaster, only one of which barely scraped the edge of the ship’s outer hull. She prepared to shoot again, when suddenly a sharp turn sent her flying to the other side of the car, her shoulder slamming into the opposite window.

“Sorry!” Regina called out. “There was a floating stop sign.”

Emma pulled herself up and unrolled the other window, which was nearly shattered seconds later by fire from David’s ship. She raised Granny’s blaster again and pressed firmly on the trigger, this time sending the bursts of light directly towards the ship’s engines. Emma let out a celebratory yell.

“I got him!”

Despite the successful hit, David’s ship was still intact. In response to Emma’s blaster shots, a giant machine gun extended from the side of the hovercraft, firing up its electronic barrels.

Oh, no.

“Regina!” Emma called out frantically. “I don’t think we’re gonna be able to avoid this one!”

“Hold on!” The brunette called. “I think I see the portal up ahead!” Emma’s heart pounded excitedly as she peered through the windshield. Sure enough, the familiar white light had materialized in front of them.

Without warning, David’s machine gun began firing, rattling the car so fiercely Emma’s vision began to blur.

“Don’t stop accelerating!” She cried out, unsure if Regina could hear her over the noise. A chorus of warning signs flashed aggressively on the car’s dashboard, and the engine began to clank in protest.

Come on, come on, we’re so close.

Behind her, Emma could hear the machine gun fire up again. She knew that the car wouldn’t survive another round.

“Oh god, oh god—”

In an instant, the portal’s blinding white light swept through the car, flooding Emma’s vision.

A moment later, everything went black.

Chapter Text

The first realization Emma made upon opening her eyes was that she was not dead.

A very good start.

She immediately shot a glance towards the front seat where Regina had been driving the car. Although the brunette looked a little worse for wear, she appeared to be very much alive as well.

Okay, two for two. Excellent. Now, where the hell did we end up this time?

Emma cautiously maneuvered across the backseat, kicking at the jammed door and climbing out. Regina did the same, stumbling out of the driver’s seat and waving away the thick plume of smoke that was billowing from the engine.

“Was this what it felt like when you drove your bug into the town sign?” The brunette grumbled, attempting but failing to smooth down her windswept hair.

“Ha, ha,” Emma coughed, backing away from the car. “I think this was a little worse.” Regina stood beside her, planting her hands on her hips.

“It seems like the car changed its appearance to match this world,”

“Huh. It seems so,” The once futuristic hover car had transformed into a rusty truck of some sort. Emma stole a glance at herself in the car’s cracked window. “Can’t say I’m a huge fan of my appearance.”

In contrast to the sleek, spotless attire of the previous world, Emma’s outfit looked like it had come straight from a dumpster.

She wore an army green tank top and chunky cargo pants, both with various gashes and holes strewn about. For once, Regina didn’t look any more put together, with a black flannel t-shirt that was ripped at the waist, paired with faded jean shorts that were unraveling at the seams.

“Okay I don’t get it,” Regina began. “What is this supposed to be—some kind of post-apocalyptic…something?” Emma’s gaze focused on a nearby sign, clearly handmade, written on a sheet of tin with a menacing biohazard symbol on it.

“I don’t think you’re far off, Regina,” she responded. She took a few hesitant steps forward, sweeping her gaze at the nearby civilization. They had crashed on the outskirts of town, behind Gold’s pawn shop. “I mean, look at this place—it’s a mess.”

The buildings were dilapidated, with cracks running through the windows and vines snaking up the walls. It looked as though some sort of disaster had struck, and no one had bothered to clean up afterwards. Regina peered into an abandoned storefront.

“Do you think that—" She cut herself off at the sound of incoming footsteps.

“Hold it right there!” A voice bellowed. David rounded the corner, followed closely by Mary Margaret. Both were wielding clunky hunting rifles, with mismatched clothes and bandanas tied around their foreheads. “Don’t even—oh. It’s just you guys.”

Regina leaned closer to Emma and murmured, “This is the second time today that David has pointed a gun at us,”

The Charming’s slung their rifles back over their shoulders.

“What are you doing on this side of town?” Mary Margaret asked. “We just sent out a town-wide announcement that the Undead had been spotted over here not long ago. It’s not safe.” 

Emma shot Regina an unamused look.

Do I even want to know?

“…Undead?” She inquired reluctantly.

“The zombies, of course.”

Emma hung her head in defeat.

Didn’t want to know.

“Right, the zombies. Of course—how could I forget?”

A wave of exhaustion crashed over her, reminding her of the lack of sleep she had gotten from the last world.

“Could you give us a moment?” Emma and Regina took a few steps away from the two. “Look,” Emma began. “I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted, and this place sucks. After what we just went through, I don’t feel like dealing with zombies right now—so whadya say we hunker down and sleep for the rest of the day and hope that the next world is better?”

Regina gave her an affirmative grin.

“I say that’s the best idea you’ve had all week, Swan.”

They rejoined David and Mary Margaret, who had been scanning the area diligently, poking at bushes with their rifles and staring menacingly into the distance.

“Regina and I are pretty exhausted from our…uh—from looking for zombies. I think we’re just gonna lie down for a bit,” David nodded.

“Sure thing. We’ll see you later.”

“Oh, wait—” Emma began. “We need someplace to go. Lemme guess—Regina’s mansion is inaccessible?”

“Overrun by the undead in the first wave,” David confirmed.

“Mary Margaret’s flat?”

“Being used as a makeshift hospital for survivors,”

Emma and Regina exchanged a glance.

“Granny’s B&B?” They asked in unison, in a reluctant, monotone voice. David beamed.

“In near perfect condition!”

---

“David and I have very different definitions of ‘perfect’,” Regina muttered, grabbing a moth-eaten blanket from the floor.

This world’s version of Granny’s B&B was certainly a far cry from the last in terms of lavishness. The walls were constructed from bare wood planks, and the room was empty spare for two thin sleeping bags and a pile of worn blankets.

“I’m starting to wonder if I’ll even be able to sleep in this room,” She quipped bitterly, striding across the floor. Her arm gently grazed Emma’s as she passed, leaving behind a current of electricity where her skin had touched.

“It’s worth a shot,” Emma began quickly, trying not to let the sudden contact get to her head. “Better than dealing with zombies.” Regina chuckled—a low, amused sound.

Her laugh was rather sultry, Emma couldn’t help but notice. It was deep and velvety, and it had this quality of—

Emma blinked profusely, snapping herself back to reality.

Holy shit, Emma—pull yourself together.

Though the accommodation was lackluster, and the sound of distant commotion could be heard through the cracks in the walls, Emma fell asleep hard and fast.

When she did, she found herself in a state of peaceful bliss, dreaming of chocolate waves of hair and dark, cherry lipstick.

---

“Emma? Are you in there? We could really use your help!”

Emma’s peaceful slumber was abruptly interrupted as a sharp banging on the door and the shrill voice of Mary Margaret jolted her awake. From the other side of the room, Regina uttered muffled profanities into her blankets.

“Not now, Mom. We’ll be out later,” Emma called out groggily. The knocking stopped, and Mary Margaret coughed awkwardly from the other side of the door.

“Oh—uh—if you’re busy I didn’t mean to interrupt—" Emma’s eyes widened, skin immediately flushing with heat.

“No, no—not like that!” Her eyes quickly darted towards Regina, who wore a playful grin while still pretending to rest. “We’re just trying to sleep,” Emma continued quickly. “But, uh, you can come in, I guess.”

Mary Margaret flung the door open without hesitation.

“Good. Because we really need your help. The Undead have broken through our Southern borders and are threatening to cross into town.”  Emma blinked slowly.

“That’s…an issue,”

“One that we cannot help you with,” Regina interjected, sitting up from her pile of blankets. Mary Margaret stared at them in confusion.

“Why not? You two are our best hunters—we need you!”

“I’m flattered,” the brunette stated monotonically. “But we’re taking the day off. I’m sure Charming and his famous sword fighting skills will get the job done.”

Mary Margaret only appeared more perplexed.

“…Sword fighting?”

“What she’s trying to say,” Emma interjected. “…Is that we believe in you guys, and that you don’t even need our help.”

“But—”

A guttural, booming rasp of a growl rattled the frames of the room’s window. Mary Margaret’s eyes widened.

“Oh no. They’ve gotten even closer,” She cast Emma one last pleading look before she bolted towards the door. “Please, we need you.”

Emma huffed out a breath and flopped back onto her stack of blankets, a wave of guilt washing over her. Regina raised an eyebrow wearily.

“Don’t even say it—”

“I think we should help them.”

“There it is.” Emma sat up and faced her.

“Think about it, not only would it help them, but it could count as our act of bravery, too. This could be our ticket home.”

Regina sighed, her expression softening slightly.

“Do you really believe that?” Emma shrugged.

“I don’t see why not. It’s worth a shot, right? To get back home—back to Henry?” At the mention of their son’s name, a spark of determination lit in Regina’s eyes.

“Alright,” she agreed. “But you better not get bit. I have no interest in co-parenting with a zombie.”

---

The unnatural screams of the undead grew louder and fiercer as they approached.

Mary Margaret led the two to a shed where she offered them both hunting rifles similar to the ones her and David had. A few yards away stood the edge of town, which was sealed off with a line of tall, chain-linked fences. Emma spotted a group of the town’s members scattered at different points along the fence, all wielding guns of some sorts. Even Granny had a rifle loaded and was going to town, shooting bullets so fast they were only a blur in Emma’s vision.

“Okay, so, we just…shoot the zombies—”

“The Undead,” Mary Margaret corrected lightly.

“Someone just shoot me now,” Regina muttered under her breath. Emma bit back a smile and continued.

“Right. We just shoot the Undead…anywhere? A solid shot and that’s it?” Mary Margaret glared at Emma in confusion.

“You’ve done this a million times, Emma—why the hesitation? You know it takes more than one bullet. Sometimes it takes a whole round.”

“Wonderful. Thanks for the review. We better get busy, then,” Regina chirped with false positivity, nudging Emma by the arm to get moving. The moment they were out of earshot, she dropped her saccharine smile and turned to Emma. Beside them, an undead snapped its jaws against the chain fence, tearing at the metal and rattling it violently.

“If this doesn’t work, then we’re fucking screwed,” Regina stated definitively. Emma sighed and turned her rifle over in her palms, loading the chamber with a sharp, satisfying click.

“This will work,” she asserted, trying to muster as much confidence as she could. “And if it doesn’t…” A shrill scream from the undead pierced the air. “…then I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

Regina reluctantly loaded her rifle, and the two women headed to the edge of the fence where the metal was beginning to give. A small cluster of the Undead had formed, menacingly dragging their rotting limbs towards the town line.

Emma raised her rifle, drew in a breath, and fired at the closest one. The bullet nicked its arm, only momentarily hindering its movement before it began to tear at the fence again. Regina mimicked the process, only missing a few shots before getting used to the weapon.

The Undead only seemed mildly irritated by their bullets, and soon the cluster was able to force its way past the metal fencing.

“Shit,” Emma muttered, scrambling to reload her gun. “Regina, we need to shoot faster.”

Now that the Undead were past the gate, their movements were quicker, and they began to spread out.

The two women backed away quickly as the they gained ground. Emma gritted her teeth as shot after shot rang out from her rifle, slowly knocking the creatures back. A few yards away, a noise sounding like a dying growl rang out into the air.

“Got one!” Regina called out triumphantly, lips stretching into an all-too-rare smile. Only seconds later, her smile dissipated and was immediately replaced with a look of fear. “Emma, behind you!”

Emma whirled around just in time to dodge an attack from one of the Undead, mere inches from her face. She made to back up, but a second creature stumbled to her side, pawing at her face and grabbing a fistful of her hair. Emma yelled in frustration, jabbing the creature with the butt of her rifle at full force, sending it crumbling to the ground.

The first creature lunged towards her, its gaping jaws snapping dangerously close to her skin. Emma grabbed it by the shoulders, desperately kicking and trying to push it away, but the creature’s strength was unnatural.

Abruptly, a deafening shot rang through the air, coming from Regina’s rifle.

Emma stumbled away as the creature crumpled to the ground. She grabbed ahold of her own rifle and fired out an excessive number of shots at it, just in case. Regina hurried over, a sheen of sweat glistening on her skin.

“You okay? You didn’t get bit, right?” Emma conducted a quick survey of her exposed skin.

“I think I’m okay.” Regina’s shoulders slumped in relief.

“Good,” she exclaimed, scanning the area. “I think that was all of them.” Her eyes met Emma’s expectantly. “So, do you think the portal will just open now, or…?” Emma glanced around, looking for any sign of recognition from the cube.

“I don’t know, I…” she began. “…I guess if this worked, then it should just show up.” Regina nodded, gnawing on her lip. They waited a few minutes, watching their surroundings closely.

But nothing happened.

Emma frowned.

“I don’t understand—the portal should be here. We did it.” Regina’s gaze hardened, a wave of bleakness clouding her brown eyes.

“No, we didn’t,” she asserted, her voice hollow.

“What do you mean?”

Regina motioned vaguely to the air.

“If we had done it, the portal would have been here by now. We failed.” Emma’s eyes trailed the brunette as she turned and headed back into to town, sitting on the cracked steps of what once was the town hall. She sat beside her, drawing in a deep breath and exhaling, trying to calm her nerves after her near-death experience.

The sun was setting once again, casting the broken town in a warm, orange glow.

“We’re going to figure this out,” Emma offered.

“I know,” Regina responded softly, not meeting her eyes. Emma watched her intently.

“Then what is it?” The brunette sighed and lifted her gaze to the horizon, her skin glowing in the hazy light.

“Do you ever feel like there’s this…higher power that’s controlling our fate?” Emma raised an eyebrow.

“What, like a god?” Regina shook her head.

“No. I don’t know.” She paused. “I just feel like no matter what I do, it’s never good enough. It’s like there’s someone else out there, pulling the strings of my destiny,” She ran her fingers through her hair, letting out a soft, humorless chuckle. “It’s like…I’ll always be stuck as the villain in Henry’s book. The one who will never get a happy ending.”

Emma leaned back on the steps and considered this for a moment.

“I’m going to be honest, Regina—I don’t know a whole lot about magic or higher powers or destinies. But I do know this,” she continued, leaning forward and meeting Regina’s eyes. “You’re doing everything you can to change for the better. I’ve seen it. And I have to believe that we are in control of our own fate, that our futures hold limitless possibilities,”

Regina’s eyes danced back and forth between hers.

“So what you’re saying is…”

“I believe that you can have your happy ending, Regina. I really do.”

Regina’s lips parted, her features softening at her words.

“Emma…” she began, holding her gaze with an unreadable expression before turning away and looking down at her hands.

“…thank you.”

A swell of warmth filled Emma’s chest as she lifted her gaze back to the sky, which had now darkened and was sprinkled with stars. A soft white glow pulsed in the corner of her vision, which Emma quickly identified as the opening of a new portal.

As the light grew brighter and drew closer, neither woman moved from the steps. They sat in a comfortable stillness, feeling the night breeze against their skin as the white glow filled their vision.

Chapter Text

Blinking her eyes to adjust to her new surroundings, Emma found herself no longer sitting on the steps of City Hall, but on the pavement instead.

“Lovely,” she muttered, pulling herself to her feet. Instinctively she extended a hand to Regina, who took it, surprisingly, without any sort of sarcastic remark.

Regina’s dress was the color of red wine, with a plunging sweetheart neckline and straps that hung delicately around her shoulders. It fit her perfectly, cinching her waist and accentuating her figure. And then there was her hair, which fell in soft pin curls that perfectly framed her face.

Not that Emma had taken notice or anything.

Except that she had. Of course she had.

Regina was gorgeous, which was something Emma had always known but had been too stubborn to admit. Her hair, her skin, her eyes—she was so beautiful it was almost aggravating.

In that moment, Emma realized that she was still holding Regina’s hand.

Her skin flushed with heat and she quickly pulled away, awkwardly coughing and running a hand through her hair. She averted her attention to her own clothes—which consisted of black pants, boots, a white undershirt and a crisp leather jacket.

“So,” Emma began, tucking her hands into her jacket pockets. “Judging by the attire, I’m gonna guess that we’re in the fifties?”

Regina’s gaze drifted towards town, where Ruby sped down the road in a red convertible, Elvis blasting on the radio.

“I’d say that’s a pretty safe guess.”

“Alright,” Emma sighed. “I can work with the fifties.” Regina smoothed down the velvet fabric of her dress, a frown creasing on her forehead.

“And how exactly are we going to do that? Our act of bravery didn’t work, and I sincerely doubt that we’re going to find anything here that’s crazier than zombies.”

“I don’t know—those old timey shindigs did look pretty wild,” Emma teased. Regina rolled her eyes, as she always did with Emma’s lame comebacks. But now Emma could see that the display of annoyance was only a facade, hiding the quirk of amusement that tugged on her lips.

“The last thing I want to do right now is go to a shindig and—"

“Did you just say shindig?”

Emma turned over her shoulder to see Archie, clad head to toe in dapper-looking 50’s attire. He looked pretty ridiculous, Emma couldn’t help but think, with his gel-slicked hair and baby blue bow tie. He smiled enthusiastically as he approached the two.

“Granny’s is having a shindig right now—it’s out of sight! You two should come join the fun!”

Emma cast Regina a skeptical look.

“Thanks, but no thanks, Archie. I think we’re gonna pass.” His cheery expression faltered.

“Right, right of course. I’m sure you two are very busy. I’ll be seeing you around.” He waved with his umbrella and headed towards the restaurant.

Emma sighed as she eyed the warm, inviting light that flooded out of Granny’s, finding herself drawn towards the bubbly music and laughter that it exuded.

“Maybe we should go,” Emma murmured, watching him leave.

“You in the mood for milkshakes and soda pop?” Emma cracked a grin.

“I was thinking something a little stronger.” Regina considered this for a moment.

“Alright, fine. But there’s no way in hell you’ll be getting me to dance again. That was a one-time deal, Swan, so I sincerely hope that you enjoyed it.”

I sure did, Emma thought reminiscently.

---

The two women stepped into the diner, and it immediately felt as though they had stumbled onto a movie set.

There was Beach Boys blasting from the jukebox, young girls in poodle skirts dancing their hearts out, and teenaged boys sitting at the bar, sipping Coca Cola and running combs through their greasy hair.

Regina leaned in close to Emma.

“Why do I feel like everyone’s about to burst into song?” Emma huffed out a laugh.

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

The two slid into a booth at the back of the diner, flagging a waitress down and ordering a couple whiskies. When they arrived, Emma took a long sip, savoring the smooth warmth as it ran down her throat.

“So,” she began. Regina raised an eyebrow, a soft smirk playing on her lips.

“So,”

“We’re kind of at a dead end here,” Emma admitted. “Our act of bravery wasn’t good enough.” Regina tilted her head to the side in thought, ice cubs clinking in her glass.

“Maybe it wasn’t the right kind of bravery,” she offered. Emma’s eyes flickered to meet hers.

“What do you mean?”

Regina shrugged.

“Maybe it’s not a physical act. It could be…something more emotional. Like a…deep truth or something.”

Emma nearly choked on her whiskey.

“A deep truth? What’s that supposed to mean? Sharing secrets at a sleepover? I think I’m gonna need a few more drinks for that.”

Emma sighed and leaned back into the booth, considering Regina’s suggestion. Only a few moments passed before she spoke again.

“Alright, I’ll bite.” Her gaze drifted around the diner in thought. “A deep truth… let’s see…” Her eyes lit up. “Oh, I’ve got one!” She leaned forward conspiratorially.

“A few days before all this, Mary Margaret was showing me this new sweater she had knitted. She was so proud of it, and she asked me what I thought.” Emma took another swig of her drink.

“Of course I told her it was amazing—but honestly, ‘Gina—it was the ugliest fucking sweater I’ve ever seen.”

Regina chuckled, the sound a deep, low purr.

“Your evil ways know no bounds, Swan.” She then paused. “Did you just call me ‘Gina’?”

Emma silently cursed herself, her skin flushing with heat.

“Uh, yeah. Guess I did.”

“Hm,” Regina mused, pressing her glass against her lips. “That’s a new one.”

“Well, there’s been a lot of firsts on this trip, right?” Emma continued quickly. “Anyway, it’s your turn to spill. C’mon, your majesty—let’s hear it.”

Regina sighed and took a moment to think.

“Alright.” She set down her glass and met Emma’s gaze with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“A few weeks after I cast the dark curse, I went to Granny’s and told her to get rid of karaoke night or else I’d raise her property taxes by fifty percent.”

Emma barked out a laugh.

“Oh, come on— you can’t blame them for trying to have some fun.” Regina shot her a pointed look.

“The noise was so obnoxious that I wanted to claw my ears off and live the rest of my life in silence,” she declared. “Besides, she had plenty of money from the curse. They would have been fine. Probably.” Emma smirked.

“How generous of you.” She made a mock showing of looking around. “Well, it seems that our truths weren’t enough.”

“It seems not.” Regina stared into the bottom of her glass in contemplation before finishing off the remaining liquid amber inside. “I hate to say this, Emma, but we’re getting nowhere. I think…I think we need to go back to Gold. Try to make a deal.” Emma winced.

“He nearly murdered us last time,” she grumbled, downing the remainder of her drink.

“I know, I know. But he’s the only one with strong enough magic to get us anywhere. I can’t think of anything else.” Emma ran her fingertip along the rim of her glass in contemplation.

“Alright. If you think he’s our best bet, then I guess it’s worth another try.”

Regina offered her an affirmative smile, and despite her mind screaming at her to do the exact opposite, Emma pulled herself to her feet and began the walk to Gold’s.

---

The night was cool, and as always, a scattering of stars glistened in the sky. The two walked wordlessly alongside the road towards Gold’s, the chatter of Granny’s slowly fading behind them.

“When I was a child, I used to put stinging nettle in my mother’s clothes,” Regina stated, so out of the blue that it caught Emma off guard.

“…What?” Regina lips twisted into a slow grin, her gaze lost in an old memory.

“It would make her itch like crazy. She’d be furious with me, sure, but it was worth it in the moment. To have that little bit of authority over her.” Emma smiled fondly.

Regina hardly ever spoke about her family, not that Emma blamed her. Still, it was nice to hear about this piece of her—the Regina still untouched by evil.

Her mind began to drift, trying to think of another confession, when suddenly a large group of cars caught her attention. They were all parked on an open patch of grass in front of a giant screen, and it took Emma only a moment before she realized what she was seeing.

“Oh cool, a drive-in movie.” The two stopped and watched as Storybrooke citizens fetched popcorn from a nearby stand and settled into their cars, all while grainy cartoon advertisements played on the screen.

Out of the corner of her eye, Emma spotted a flash of yellow. She turned to see her bug, or at least this year’s version of it. At the sight of her car and the cozy movie, Emma had a sudden realization. She turned to Regina.

“You know what? I say screw Gold. We can do this on our own,” The brunette raised an eyebrow.

“Do you have some magical plan suddenly?” Emma sighed.

“No, I…I don’t know. I just have this gut feeling.” She shoved her hands in her pockets, gaze sweeping over the cars in the lot. “Give me the rest of this world to think. If I can’t come up with anything, then we can see Gold in the next one.” Regina considered this for only a moment before agreeing to the deal. It was clear that Gold was a last case resort for both of them.

“So, what do we do in the meantime since you’re on the case, Sheriff?” Regina drawled. Emma shrugged sheepishly.

“I was thinking…maybe we could just wind down a bit. Clear our heads.” She jutted her chin towards the movie screen. “Whaddya think?”

Regina sighed, unable to keep a faint smirk from tugging on her lips.

“I don’t see many other options,” she stated, trying to sound reluctant but failing. The two slid into the bench seat of Emma’s bug, which she promptly pulled onto the back of the field.

The advertisements rolled for a few more minutes before the movie came on. Tonight, they were showing “Suddenly, Last Summer”, a film that Emma had never heard of before.

If she was being honest, though, she wasn’t paying attention to the movie one bit.

Although part of her brain was desperately trying to formulate some sort of alternative plan to get them home, Emma found it hopelessly impossible to concentrate with Regina’s presence so near. Her perfume was practically intoxicating, and Emma couldn’t stop stealing glances at her as she reacted to the film. How her lips would part ever so slightly at an unexpected moment, how her forehead would crease in thought at conflict, how she would—

Emma silently cursed herself for getting so distracted.

They needed to get home, to Henry, and yet—all she could think about was Regina.

In a desperate attempt to clear her mind, Emma blurted out the first random truth she could think of.

“Once when I was seven, my foster parents asked me to add sugar to a cake mix but I accidentally added salt and I ended up ruining another child’s birthday,” she sputtered out in a rush. Regina turned towards her in the seat, a teasing smile on her lips.

“That was really deep, Emma,” Emma rolled her eyes.

“It’s not like your ‘truths’ were that deep, either, alright?” Regina’s eyes flickered in recognition.

“You’re right,” she began. “So why don’t we do a little better? You first, Swan. Let’s hear it.” Emma’s heartbeat began to quicken. What could she even say? Her mind flooded with a thousand different thoughts, none of them good enough.

“I don’t really think I have anything—” she began.

“Oh, sure you do. Everyone does.” Emma’s heart raced faster.

“I don’t know, I—”

“Come on Swan, you can trust me,”

“Regina, I really—”

“I won’t be judgmental, honestly, I—”

“I really want to kiss you right now.”

For a single moment, time froze, and Emma wondered if she had really just said those words out loud. Then Regina’s expression began to shift, first to utter shock, then to realization, then to something else entirely. It was a look that Emma had never seen before, but God, she hoped it would never go away.

“Then do it.”

Her voice was a smooth, velvety whisper, and the words had formed on her cherry lips so softly that Emma briefly wondered if she had imagined it. But that look in her eyes told her everything she needed to know, and for the first time since their trip had begun—Emma didn’t hesitate.

In one swift motion she grabbed Regina’s jaw, pulling her closer and kissing her fiercely. Emma’s insides began to melt as the taste of dark cherries swirled on her tongue, heat swelling across her skin as Regina came alive under her touch. The brunette threaded her fingers through Emma’s blonde waves, deepening the kiss further.

It was a feeling Emma couldn’t describe—one that she unknowingly had craved for so long. And now that it was here, she didn’t know how she had survived her whole life without it.

Regina was rough, but Emma savored every second of it, her breath hitching in pleasure as the brunette’s teeth grazed her bottom lip. She needed her closer, closer.

Her hands worked their way from her soft curls, down her neck, arms, and finally past her hips and to her legs. Regina gasped softly against her mouth as Emma’s fingers found the warm skin of her thighs.

“Emma,” she breathed, but the thought was cut off by another kiss. Her hands slowly pushed up the velvet fabric of Regina’s dress, her mind dizzy with want, when suddenly the car was flooded with a piercing white light.

Emma quicky pulled away, fervently shielding her eyes in confusion.

“What the hell—”

In front of her car’s windshield hovered a cube-like object. The cube, Emma realized—the one that had brought them here in the first place. She braced herself for the blinding light and the thrumming sensation of the portal, but the feeling never came.

“What is it doing?” Regina asked, leaning forward in her seat. Emma squinted and peered closer.

“It almost looks like it’s trying to…stabilize itself?”

While the left side of the cube was still pulsing wildly with light, the right side appeared to have grown calm. Emma’s eyes widened with realization.

“Regina, I think my act of bravery worked! Look, half of it is normal looking!” At least, Emma assumed that’s what the magical cube normally looked like.

Regina exhaled a laugh, shaking her head in disbelief.

“You’ve got to be kidding me—a kiss? That’s what did it? How cliché.” Emma grinned.

“Hey, it always worked out for my parents.” Regina rolled her eyes, still smiling despite herself.

“Oh whatever—just come here.” Regina leaned forward and kissed her again, grabbing her face and drawing her in fiercely, before pulling away far too quickly for Emma’s liking. They watched the cube and waited. But nothing happened.

Regina frowned.

“I don’t understand.”

“Maybe you can’t reuse the same act,” Emma offered. “But you’re welcome to try again if you’d like.” Regina shot her a wry grin, attempting to smooth her curls back in place.

“Well, we’re making progress.” A warm breeze drifted through the car’s open window, the dramatic orchestra of the film swelling in the background. Emma met Regina’s eyes, her heart still thrumming with excitement. The brunette smiled.

“But I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try again.” She leaned forward, a rush of her velvety perfume brushing against Emma’s skin, when suddenly the blinding light from earlier returned.

“Okay seriously, what the fu—”

Emma’s complaint was silenced as the portal enveloped her vision, the movie in front of her fading into a soft, white light.

Chapter Text

The moment Emma stepped through the portal, she was met with a sense of familiarity.

There was something about this new Storybrooke—between the lush, green trees and stretching dirt roads, that she just couldn’t put her finger on. Regina stumbled out of the portal behind her a moment later.

“Well,” she began. “Here we go again. What are we working with?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Emma admitted. “For some reason, I feel like—” She paused as she took notice of Regina’s outfit. The brunette’s appearance had changed drastically since the last world—her hair now swept up in an elaborate updo, and her simple red dress now exchanged for a bejeweled half-skirt draped over sleek, black pants. It almost reminded her of—

“Holy shit—” Emma exclaimed. “You’re dressed as the Evil Queen. We’re in the Enchanted Forest.” Emma surveyed the area, still seeing the town’s classic buildings. “At least, the Storybrooke version of it,” she mended.

Regina glanced down at her lavish clothes.

“Lovely,” she muttered sarcastically. Emma’s own outfit was equally fancy—an elegant pearl-white ensemble complete with boots, pants, blouse and a half cape that fell a little ways below her shoulders, all adorned with golden detailing around the edges.

“Okay,” Emma began, fidgeting with the ends of her hair, which was now pulled into a loose side braid. “So, we’re halfway there. We just need to get your act of bravery, and then we’re home.” Regina extended her arms out to the side in exasperation.

“Well how am I supposed to do that? You already stole the all-powerful kiss remedy.” Emma smiled sheepishly.

“Sorry.” Regina’s annoyance faded immediately.

“I suppose I’m glad you did,” she drawled, her silky voice sending heat coursing through Emma’s skin.             “But now that means that I have to come up with something equally brave,” she concluded. Emma shrugged.

“Maybe it doesn’t have to be anything crazy. A kiss is a simple act.” Regina nodded, but didn’t appear entirely convinced.

“Well, right now I’m exhausted. I suppose it’s not even worth checking to see if either of our places are available?”

“Most definitely not.”

---

Emma and Regina found themselves standing outside Granny’s B&B for what felt like the hundredth time this week. This world’s version of the building was nothing spectacular, just a plain, wooden cabin threaded with vines, but at least it was a step up from the last dilapidated structure they had spent the night in.

Granny stood at the counter wearing ornate golden spectacles and a layered medieval dress. Everyone here, Emma quickly realized, was very well dressed.

“Alright Granny,” Emma began with a sigh. “One bedroom please, because I know you don’t have two for some unfathomable reason. Also preferably with beds, but if not than at least some sort of blankets and pillows.” Granny stared back at her, unblinking. Regina raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t have beds, do you? What’s it going to be—hammocks? Cyber-pods? A coffin?” Granny looked insulted.

“A coffi—why, no, of course not. We have beds like every other well-furnished establishment around here, thank you very much. Not to mention two rooms, if that’s what you really want.” Emma and Regina exchanged a look, seemingly impressed.

“Well then,” Emma began. “Two rooms it is.”

As Granny led the two to their rooms, each one across the hall from the other, Emma felt a small, sinking feeling of disappointment that she just couldn’t push away. Sure, her and Regina had just shared a pretty intimate moment earlier, but it’s not like they were going to be sharing a bed or anything. That would be crazy.

She stood in her doorway awkwardly.

“Well, uh—g’night ‘Gina.” Regina smiled softly in return.

“Goodnight, Emma.”

Emma drew her door to a close, leaving her alone with her thoughts for one of the first nights in a while. It was an odd feeling, she soon came to realize. She had grown accustomed to Regina’s constant presence—the smell of her perfume filling the room, her soft, slow breaths in the night, even the sounds of her shifting in her sleep had all become comforting in some way.

But now, she was utterly alone.

And although she had always painted herself as a loner, it became clear to Emma in that moment that she really, really didn’t like being alone.

Despite this, she shoved this realization to the back of her mind and flopped onto her bed. It was a pleasant surprise, having an actual, cushioned mattress to sleep on. Still, Emma tossed and turned, her mind running a mile a minute.

Why had her kiss fixed the cube but Regina’s didn’t? Was it really the kiss that did it? How would Regina be able to—

Emma let out a frustrated groan.

“Shut up,” she muttered to herself. “Go to sleep.” She drew the quilted covers up to her chin, fluffed her pillow, readjusted her position, and laid blinking at the ceiling.

This is ridiculous, she thought to herself. Maybe Regina has a sleeping potion in there. Like, some sort of magical melatonin.

Excited at this prospect, Emma kicked off the covers and rushed to the door. As her hand hovered over the handle, her forehead creased in thought.

No, that’s stupid. Why would she have that? Plus, she’s probably asleep already.

She flopped back onto the mattress.

A few minutes later, the thought entered her head—

Maybe this bed is just too firm. Regina would probably like a firmer mattress, right? She seems like the type.

Emma stood up again and crossed the room.

Maybe she can’t sleep, either. I better go see if she wants to switch.

But yet again, she stopped herself moments before opening the door.

“Jesus, Emma. Just drop it,” she scolded herself under her breath. She stood there for a moment in the dark, letting the silence hang in the air around her.

It was nearly suffocating.

“Oh, fuck it.”

Heart pounding in her chest, Emma gritted her teeth and gave in to her thoughts, grabbing the handle and swinging the door open fiercely.

She had expected to see an empty hallway.

What she had not expected to see was Regina standing there, hovering halfway between her doorway and Emma’s.

“Emma—” Regina began, clearly caught by surprise. “I was just…getting water.”

“Oh,” Emma offered. “Nice. I mean, uh—cool. I was…” She caught sight of Regina’s silk nightgown, and suddenly, not a single intelligible thought could form in her head. “I was…also getting water.” She finished lamely.

Regina nodded slowly, playing along.

“Right. Well, I suppose…let’s go get water, then.”

“Yes, let’s.”

Neither one of them moved.

“I didn’t come out here for water,” Emma stated, the words betrayingly slipping off her tongue. “I…was gonna see if you wanted to switch rooms?” Regina raised an eyebrow coyly, the way she always did.

“Oh? And why would we do that?” Emma tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Regina still had this hold on her, the kind that made her skin flush and her heart flutter with a nervous energy. 

“Well, y’know, my mattress is really firm, and I figured you’d prefer that, so—” Regina chuckled softly, her demeanor relaxing in intensity as she leaned against her doorframe.

“Mine is rather soft, but to be honest, I like it that way.” Emma pressed her lips together, unsure of what to say. God, I never should have come out here—this is so fucking stupid. I just look ridiculous and—

“We could share, if you’d like,”

Emma’s heart stopped.

Okay so clearly I’m hearing things because there’s no way she just—

“There’s plenty of space,” the brunette continued, visibly entertained by Emma’s unbridled look of surprise.

“I—”

Emma I swear to God if you don’t say yes right now—

“Yes,” she exhaled. “I mean, that would be great. The mattress, yeah, the mattress really sucks, so this would be very helpful. Um, thanks.”

Emma followed Regina inside, closing the door behind her. The room was lit with only a single candle, which Regina blew out the moment Emma sank into the mattress.

For a moment, there was only quiet—a palpable tension that Emma so desperately wanted to break. Then, Regina spoke.

“I know I’ve been complaining about…well, everything lately, but this whole journey…it hasn’t…it’s not—” The brunette paused.  “I’ve really enjoyed some of it.” Emma was grateful for the darkness then, so Regina couldn’t see the comically large grin spread across her face.

“Really?” Emma prompted, nudging her on. Regina chuckled lightly.

“Well, I can’t say that I enjoyed getting shot, or nearly eaten alive by flesh-eating zombies,” she mused. “But yes. I will admit that I’m having some fun. So, thank you, for making all of this…less miserable.” She concluded solemnly.

“I’m so touched,” Emma teased. She could practically hear the brunette roll her eyes beside her.

“That’s as good as you’re going to get,” she stated conclusively. Then, “Are you really going to lie on the edge all night? Get over here.”

She didn’t have to tell Emma twice.

Immediately she moved nearer, her hands finding Regina’s waist and drawing her in closer. She had let her hair down from its updo, and now it fell to her shoulders, softly brushing against Emma’s neck as she held her.

She drew in a deep breath, savoring the smell of Regina’s deep amber perfume, letting it linger in her lungs like smoke.

Emma’s mind grew weary, and as the gentle rise and fall of Regina’s breathing lulled her to sleep, she began to wonder if the whole evening had been a dream.

If it is, she mused to herself as she slipped from consciousness, I hope that I never wake up.

---

The next morning came all too soon, with the sun’s golden rays streaming lazily from the window, and the sound of excited birds chirping on a nearby tree. It truly was something right off of a fairytale page.

The best part of all was, of course, Regina. Emma’s heart swelled with warmth at the sight of the brunette next to her, realizing this was the first time she was still here in the morning.

I could get used to this, she mused, feeling as though she were still lost in a dream.

Unfortunately, the day had to start, so Emma reluctantly pulled herself from Regina’s side. She quickly made a stop in her original room, changing back into her thick, golden-embossed attire, desperately missing her tank tops and jeans.

The two met up outside the front steps of the B&B, surveying the town around them.

“Don’t suppose you dreamt of any brilliant acts of bravery last night?” Emma prompted. Regina only responded by shooting her a withering glare. “Yeah, me neither.” She gave the brunette a mischievous grin.

“You could always try my act again? Maybe it will work today.” Regina’s glare broke into a knowing smirk.

“You are so full of shit, Swan.”

But still, the brunette leaned forward, a coy smile playing on her lips, before she kissed Emma swiftly and pulled away. It was nothing like the passionate moment they had shared the other day, and for a fleeting, panic-ridden moment, Emma wondered if it had all been a fluke.

There must be something else going on, she assured herself. She’s probably just worried about Henry and everything.

As before, everything in the world remained the same—no glowing portal and blinding white light. Regina pursed her lips, thinking.

“You know, Belle had mentioned that if we needed any more help, we could find her in the next world,” she began. “Maybe she can give us some ideas.”

“Maybe she can give you some ideas. I’m already good.” Regina sighed.

“You’re insufferable.”

---

It took the two women a few tries to locate Belle before they found her behind the counter at Gold’s pawn shop. Emma couldn’t help but feel that she looked a bit out of place—all dolled up in her tiered golden dress in this dusty antique shop, (which looked even more antique in this version of Storybrooke).

Her eyes brightened when she saw Emma, and as always, dimmed as she spotted Regina beside her.

“Hello…you two. What can I do for you?” It seemed that Regina didn’t feel like explaining their entire situation, so instead she simply asked,

“What are some acts of bravery that could break a spell? And don’t say a kiss. Already tried that.” Belle gaped at her, her bright blue eyes darting between the two in confusion.

“Uhm, well—”

“You don’t have to answer that, dearie,” an all-too-familiar voice stated, emerging from the shadows menacingly. Emma gritted her teeth.

“We’re not here for you, Gold. We just have a couple questions for Belle and we’ll be out of your way.” Rumpelstiltskin offered her a crooked smile, his skin glistening a dirty gold in his Dark One form.

“That very well may be the case, but you see, I’m afraid I still have some unfinished business with you.” He turned to Belle. “I’ll be back in just a moment, dear. I think I’d like to handle this outside.” Regina’s hands curled into a tight fists.

“We’re not going anywhere with y—”

Before she could get the rest of her sentence out, the three were swept from the room and into the forest with a swish of deep red smoke.

“Much better.” Gold concluded chipperly. “Now,” he began, turning to Emma. “A few days ago, in a…dustier version of here, we had ourselves a little duel, now, didn’t we?” Emma paled.

“You…you remember that?” Rumple snickered.

“But of course, dearie.” Regina eyed him wearily.

“How is that possible, Gold?” He waved her question off.

“The Dark One has his ways. Now, back to our duel.” He took a few, slow steps towards Emma. “I seem to remember winning.” He cocked his head to the side, stopping in front of her. “I also seem to remember you running away before I could dole out my punishment.”

Beads of sweat began to form on Emma’s forehead.

She didn’t like where this was going.

“What do you want, Gold? A rematch? A piece of my hair for a spell?” Rumpelstiltskin chuckled again, steepling his hands in front of his face.

“No, no, dearie. No need for a rematch when I’ve already won! In that other world, I was just going to shoot you. But that’s no fun, is it? I think I can come up with something a little better than that.”

Regina stepped forward, her dark eyes flashing in a warning.

“We’re not here to play your games, Gold. If you know of our situation then you’ll understand our urgency. We need to get back to our world, and unless you can help with that, we want nothing to do with you.”

Gold only grinned.

“Such a sharp tongue, that one.” He slowly turned back to Emma. “I think I’ll draw some inspiration from our dear queen, then. Take a page out of her book, if you will.” Emma’s eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean by that?” Rumple’s eyes lit up excitedly as tendrils of blood red magic curled around his fingertips.

“Why, a sleeping curse, of course!” He giggled, as though this were all part of a game. “How fun would that be? Of course, I don’t have the theatrics of the apple, but I think my magic will do just fine.” He turned to Regina, the power around his hand swirling brighter.

“Have anything you’d like to say to your friend, dearie? Make it good—it might be the last thing she hears.” Regina’s eyes flashed with fury.

“Don’t you fucking play with us, Gold. I swear I will—”

“Nothing, then? Well, I suppose I’ll just have to proceed.” A bolt of fear ran through Emma’s veins, with the sudden finality of what was about to happen.

“Gold, wait—” But Emma’s plea had fallen on deaf ears.

For a moment, all she could see was red. Bright, brilliant red. She was in a sea of it, drowning in it.

And then there was nothing.

Chapter Text

Regina had known fear her whole life.

It had always been a constant presence, a merciless god hovering over her shoulder, swooping in at any given moment and piercing her with an arrow of dread. She had felt it with Daniel, her mother, even with Henry.

And now she felt it for the woman she had once despised, lying unconscious in the grass at her feet.

“Emma!?” She cried out, half a question and half a plea.

She sank into the earth next to her, rolling her onto her back and gazing into her face. As Rumpelstiltskin had promised, the blonde was fast asleep, the only movement in her body being slow, lulled breaths and the softest murmur of a heartbeat.

Regina’s hands curled into fists around the soft fabric of Emma’s dress.

“Enough, Gold. You’ve had your fun. Undo this, now.”  As before, Rumpelstiltskin only chuckled gleefully, greedily soaking up every moment of her pain.

“Well, I’m afraid I can’t, dearie. You of anyone should know that!” Regina closed her eyes in defeat, drawing in a shaky breath.

True love’s kiss, she thought mournfully.

Except, her kiss hadn’t worked with the portal before.

“Gold, please,” she began softly, the docile words sliding painfully off her tongue. “There has to be another way. You want to make a deal? Fine. Let’s make a deal.” Rumple paced around her slowly, making a show of pretending to consider her offer.

“As much as I love a good deal, dearie, I’m afraid there’s only one way out of this one.” He leaned closer to her, scrunching his features in mock disgust. “Besides, you have nothing that would interest me, anyway.”

Regina launched to her feet, reaching out and grabbing Rumpelstiltskin by his cloak.

“Listen to me, Gold, I will fucking—”

The Dark One disappeared in a puff of scarlet smoke, reappearing a few paces behind her.

“Sorry, didn’t quite catch that.” without waiting for a response, he continued. “Anyway, this has been lovely, but I’m afraid I’ve got other matters to attend to. If I were you, I’d start looking for another way to get home. Either that or start using that mouth of yours to break that spell.” He let out another infuriating chuckle, wiggling his scaled fingers in a wave. “Good luck!”

And with another plume of smoke, he was gone.

For a moment, Regina stood silently in place, hopelessly staring at the patch of earth where the Dark One had stood. How could she have let this happen—let Rumpelstiltskin walk all over her? She was better than this.

As she turned and knelt beside Emma again, a deep, sinking feeling of dread ran through her.

Maybe she wasn’t.

Her fingers clutched onto the fabric of Emma’s dress again, holding onto her as though she could disappear at any moment.

“Emma, I—” She began weakly, stopping herself short. Her knuckles began to whiten in her grip.

Maybe there really is some sort of higher power controlling my fate, she thought icily. A cruel one, with an awful sense of irony. She lowered her head, releasing her grip on Emma’s dress and smoothing out the silky fabric.

“You don’t deserve this, Emma,” she began softly, her words barely more than a whisper.

“Your whole life you’ve been good—you’ve helped others, you’ve brought everyone together, you’ve saved our whole town and I—” She exhaled slowly, bitter resentment filling her chest, unsure if it was towards Gold or herself.

“If anyone should bear this punishment, it’s me. I don’t deserve to walk away scot-free, Emma, and I—”

Why am I even doing this?

But Regina continued anyway, unsure if she was talking to Emma, herself, or maybe just the universe itself.

“I don’t deserve you,” she concluded firmly. “But that doesn’t stop me from wanting you, anyway.” Regina shook her head, her lips forming a humorless smile as a hollow, aching pit of emptiness began to form in her stomach.

“Goddamn it, Emma—we were so close,”

I was so close. To having everything—to having you.

 Regina’s eyes began to sting in frustration, but she refused to let any tears fall. She knew it was hopeless, but she leaned forward slowly and kissed her, anyway.

It was only the softest brush of her lips against Emma’s, but in her mind it was a promise—that they would both return home, together, no matter how long it took. 

Regina sighed softly and pulled herself to her feet, watching as a gust of wind sent leaves scattering through the grass.

Now what?

She scanned the dirt roads of the town, watching the familiar faces go by.

Bravery. Think bravery.

Regina threw her hands up in exasperation.

“How the hell am I going to do this?”

“I think you already have.”

Regina whipped around, hands automatically splaying defensively, though she had no magic to spare. There before her stood Emma, awake and well and clearly no longer cursed.

Regina’s eyes widened.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she whispered. “The damn kiss actually worked.” Emma lips quirked into a smile.

“You don’t have to sound so excited about it,”

“You’re insufferable, Emma,” Regina shot back, not without a grin of her own spreading wide across her cheeks. She took a few steps and embraced the blonde tightly, drinking in her scent of sweet earth.

“I think you beat my parents’ record for the quickest spell-breaking kiss,” Emma muttered into Regina’s hair. She chuckled softly, pulling away.

“I’ll be sure to gloat about it all the time, then.”

Emma’s smirk suddenly morphed into a look of confusion.

“What?” The blonde jutted her chin behind Regina.

“It’s the artifact,” she observed. Sure enough, as Regina turned, she was met with the familiar white light that had driven their journey forward. Unlike before, however, the cube appeared to be fully stable, the light streaming off of it doing so in measured, consistent beams.

“It’s balanced,” Regina whispered. “But how? My kiss didn’t work the first time.” Emma shrugged.

“Maybe it wasn’t the kiss, then. Maybe it was what you said before.” Regina’s cheeks warmed.

“You heard all that?” Emma had the decency to look a little sheepish.

“Yeah, I kinda did. But you’re wrong, you know.” Regina’s eyes danced back and forth between hers, a question forming on her lips. “About not deserving me,” Emma explained, taking a step closer and brushing a stray lock of hair from Regina’s face.

“You deserve everything, Regina. I know your past was dark, and I know that you were too. But we can’t change that.” Emma turned towards the portal, her skin awash in the pure, white light.

Regina turned as well, feeling the breeze of magic ruffle her hair.

“But we can change the future,” she stated, finishing her words. Emma smiled.

“Exactly.” She laced her fingers with Regina’s, a tired but hopeful look in her eyes. “So, what do you say?”

Regina squeezed her hand tightly, not wanting to ever let go.

“I say we go home.”

---

Henry had been thrilled to see them, of course.

The moment the two stepped through the portal, Emma met Regina’s gaze, exchanging a silent understanding that they immediately needed to find their son. The moment she opened the door to Mary Margaret’s flat, Henry leapt from the couch and ran towards them, hugging them both fiercely.

They held him just as tightly, a wave of relief washing over Emma as it was clear that the portal had caused him no harm.

As per any event of significance in Storybrooke, a celebratory dinner was held at Granny’s in honor of their return. All members of the town made an appearance, wielding homemade dishes and hastily slewing crooked streamers along the walls.

Emma had never been one for social gatherings, and she was well aware that Regina wasn’t either, but not a single moment of the night passed where either of the women didn’t have a genuine smile on their faces.

As the night grew late, people began to trickle home, patting Emma on the shoulder and welcoming her back one last time. They even smiled and bid farewell to Regina, something that warmed the brunette’s heart far more than she would ever care to admit.

As Henry and the Charmings collected the remainder of the dishes inside, the two women leaned on Granny’s wooden balcony, taking in the sweet, comfortable silence that their Storybrooke provided. Emma let out a wistful sigh.

“Y’know, Dorothy was onto something. There really is no place like home.” Regina snorted.

“Well spoken, Swan.” The brunette paused a moment, the stars of the night reflecting in her eyes.

“Maybe there is a greater power out there. Watching us, shaping our destiny.” she tiled her head to the side thoughtfully. “But I don’t think I care.” Emma turned to her.

“And why is that?”

“Because it led me to you.” Emma’s eyes widened briefly before her features melted into a warm smile.

“Well spoken, Madam Mayor.” A moment later, Henry came bounding out of the diner. The two watched him adoringly, both wrapping him into a hug as he approached.

“I gotta say, this universe is definitely my favorite,” Emma remarked, her voice muffled in Henry’s hair.

Regina only hummed in agreement, the simple sound carrying all the unspoken love she never thought she’d find.