I don't own Ouat. This was inspired by the promo of 6.10. I already posted this on Tumblr, btw.

Regina will treasure Snow's haunted look, the scream she lets out. It might actually be better than crushing her heart. She ignores the angry yell of her insipid prince (this is between Snow and her. It has always been)

" You know.." she says slowly, one hand still buried in long blonde locks and the other pointing a sword at the woman's neck . "you might actually have done me a favor when you made sure I could never kill you".

She laughs. " Because this hurts so much more, does it not? ".

" Let her go " Snow says, sword in hand and her 'prince' glaring at Regina over Snow's shoulder. Arrows fly at her from the right, completely uselessly of course. She could stop an infinite amount of arrows with her magic.

The princess in her arms glares at her. " why must you hurt my mother? She spared you".

Regina pulls the spoiled little thing in her arms closer. " She never spared Daniel".

" Regina.. I was ten. It was a mistake".

Regina snaps her head back, mourning the fact that she cannot use her magic like that on Snow anymore. "A mistake? I implored you to not- ".

" She was your mother! How was I supposed to know what she would do, I just did not want you to- ".

" You could have LISTENED "she screams the last word and it is only when there is a sharp hiss that she manages to push away the murderous haze and focus on something else than the familiar image in her head where she crushes Snow's heart

When she glances down at the source of the sharp hiss, there are little half-moons pouring blood on a pale arm. She glances back at Snow, who is watching her daughter with the kind of heartbreak written on her face that might even sully her 'pure' soul

It is at this moment that the coldness returns. With a savage kind of pleasure, Regina smiles. " if I cannot kill you, Snow, then I will do what you did to me: I will take the thing you love most"

There are screams and yells and feet running towards her as the purple smoke takes them away.

—

She pushes the princess away from her as soon as the world rushes back into focus. She chuckles as the woman stumbles a bit. Not as graceful as one would expect, with all the tutoring she has surely gotten.

She prowls towards the woman at the moment that this nemesis turns, clutching her arm and still glaring (honestly, do the Charming family members only have one expression?) at her. "Release me this instant " she orders.

"Hm.." Regina cocks her head, pretends to think it over. Then smiles. " I do not think so".

She suddenly grabs the princess' chin and yanks her forward. Her hands clench in a way that almost makes Regina think she is about to get hit. "Now let me look at my pric-".

The princess yanks her head back. " Do not touch me".

" I will do as a please, I am a que-".

" Even if you were, I will not let you touch me".

" Even if I-?

The little rat steps toward Regina. " You are not the rightful queen".

"You insolent, pathetic-".

"You know you are n-"

Regina steps closer, closer, closer until she is close enough to see the woman's pupils dilate and hear her breathing as well as voice falter and smell her. Her eyes flick down , to where a pulse is jumping & the woman is clearly swallowing with difficulty.

" You are not the rightful monarch" she finishes.

" I was forced to marry your grandfather, I.. earned that title" Regina says, even if it always felt more like 'I was sentenced to that title' than 'I earned' it.

The princess blinks in confusion. " Forced? ".

That actually makes Regina steps back, after which she immediately catches herself and presses that inch forward again. Even if the way she is being studied, the wariness but also curiosity and something else makes her feel like she is a young girl again and Cora's eyes never leave her for long.

(especially after she had fallen so hard ; every time Cora looked at her it had felt like an accusation then)

" What- "

Regina waves her hand and transports the woman away before she can ask the questions she obviously wants to. A part of her is stunned ( why did I not hurt her? She is Snow's and why did that slip out of my mouth? ) but she pushes that part down. Questioning herself has not done her any good, these past years.

Still, a part of her is rattled. She tells herself it is just the feeling of finally having a chance at revenge or the long nights and days she has had working towards this and then finally to just shut up.

What really is going on , she cannot admit. But it probably has something to do with all the hatred she had gathered and prepared , just slowly leaking away when she actually came face-to-face with Snow's daughter.

Perhaps she is just tired.

—-

The first couple of days, Regina amuses herself by spying on Snow. Snow, who is relentlessly hunting for her daughter, who is in meetings that are all Emma Emma Emma and whose eyes are desperate and heartbroken. Regina tells herself to enjoy the tears, the mutters of 'I did this, how even Snow's prince seems to have very brief moments of hesitation.

She watches and observes how Snow changes. Her eyes are different, her hands tremble, the way she walks is subtly different. A broken bird she thinks and she feels her own heart ache in remembrance of how losing a loved one feels (right? That is why her heart aches, because it remembers Daniel. Right?)

It must have been a week when she first visits the princess. She taunts her and the foolish woman runs towards her, reaches for her with fierce protection in her eyes For a moment , Regina honestly thinks this woman capable of hurting her, of darkening herself to spare Snow all this pain.

Then she is on the floor, Regina throwing her head back as she laughs, one hand still outstretched and the scent of her magic slowly disappearing.

Weeks. It is weeks of taunting and bickering and magic (sometimes wondering why am I not doing worse than this) that does not scare the princess off, does not temper her spirit. In fact, she remains honest to the point of disrespect and somehow, it impacts Regina. They both do not speak of it, but her taunts become teasing instead and she is less keen to throw the princess on the floor or against walls using magic.

Then the Thing happens

They asked Rumpelstilstskin perhaps. Or some other sorcerer. Or perhaps even that fairy ( even though her magic is not supposed to be like this). Whoever helped them, the end result is a magic arrow stuck in Regina's shoulder.

Two gestures and the people who attacked her are dead , but Regina is already weakening. The world starts to sway and she almost falls into the arms of one of her soldiers. It is only a harsh voice – do not show weakness dear- and the cold terror that warns her that her soldiers will only follow her if she is strong and ruthless that keep her from fainting

She fakes a cruel chuckle and thinks 'home , bring me home, somewhere safe' : her magic obeys.

Except it doesn't, because she certainly did not mean to transport herself to the princess did she?

Then there are suddenly gentle, slightly calloused hands on her and the world is blurring and moving and darkening so she cannot see but she hears that voice breaking " Regina. Re- gina" . She can feel herself fading, her senses leaving her one by one. There is something wet falling on her face and there are breathless gasps and there is-

" REGINA"

"Emma? " she mumbles , half-out of it. For a moment, she sees a meadow and gentle blue eyes. She reaches for him, aches for him all over again. There is a confusing moment of bliss where he is hugging her and then he is pushing her away, Rocante's neigh the last thing she hears before she opens her eyes grudgingly.

And the world changes.

Emma is crying, trembling. The tunic Regina gave her ( just because Emma was starting to smell horribly of course) is torn, the piece of fabric now wrapped around Regina's shoulder. The arrow is on the floor, broken into pieces.

" R-regina?".

"Emma? " Regina repeats, too confused and tired (and a bit delusional) to emotionally pull away. She licks her lips that feel like they have been on fire. It is not the only unpleasant sensation, because there are approximately six different ways her body is in intense pain right now but-

Amidst all that, there is Emma's wide eyes and Emma's miniscule, shy smile and just-

Regina tries to push her away and the world starts to sway again. She almost screams at the pain.

"Don't move! The wound is pretty bad and I am not certain, but the arrow seemed- ".

" I know. Magic ".

" Right. Do you have any counter spells or – ".

" It was only my shoulder. It will have to heal the ordinary way – magic won't work- and I will be weakened for several weeks, but that is all".

" Oh" she says and Regina nods. She probably should pull away. And say something about how much this kindness towards her greatest enemy will hurt Snow (Snow killed Daniel. Snow reveled in Regina's imprisonment, in how she was caught in that role of stepmother. Surely Snow is cruel, all that kindness a façade)

Instead, she stays. Her voice is cruel and cold but Emma merely smiles and lifts her eyebrows, not bothered at all.

Emma is a lot stronger than the usual princess, as is shown when Regina wakes and she is in Emma's bed. It is not a good bed, hardly a bed at all but it is still better than the floor that Emma is curled on.

She shivers and Regina struggles to push herself up. Manages barely and presses against the wound as she stands. She hesitates only the shortest moment before she grabs the blanket and manages to throw it on top of the shivering princess.

She looks back one more time, braced against the wall, at the slumbering princess.

My undoing she thinks and she almost lets herself wonder 'in what way?',

—

Emma never speaks of how she suddenly gets a nicer room or is allowed to read and train in private (apparently she swordfights which surprises Regina until she remembers that Snow had learned how to fight herself). She is never allowed to fight against Regina's guards, no matter how often she says 'I need an opponent or how else will I improve?'.

The world truly has changed, because even if Regina is the same towards her guards and the same during the sparse moments she checks on Snow, she and Emma are different

Emma is allowed to look at her wound, Regina's barbs hardly enough to deter her. Emma is allowed to touch Regina sometimes. She is even allowed to ask about magic ( and Regina has to bite her tongue to keep herself from apologizing when she laughs, leans forward and purrs ' Would you like a taste? Your mother would be so disappointed' because Emma looks so pained and angry at that).

Time moves slow and fast at the same time. The mirror shows Snow and Charming searching everywhere, asking everywhere, calling in favors. They are also still ruling, of course, but they spent every 'free' moment looking for their daughter. There are posters nailed to trees, distributed to the people, brought to other kingdoms.

The seasons change and Emma begs and argues long enough until she is allowed outside. Regina's heart nearly stops when her hand is gripped and she is pulled along. She manages only the barest of protest and Emma's knowing grin annoys her, but makes her smile as well

That smile is wiped away when Emma throws a snowball at her.

Of course, that somehow escalates into a full-on snowball fight where Emma keeps whining about her 'cheating with magic' even though she is cheating herself by sneaking up on Regina( surely that is cheating) and making them both fall in the snow.

Her cheeks are flushed, her eyes sparkle and her hair is a tangled mess of white and gold. Regina's heart jumps and her throat constricts when leveled with a loving look that she hardly even recognizes.

Then of course Emma has to ruin the moment by grabbing a hand of snow and dumping it down Regina's dress

" It is your own fault for wearing a dress like that in the snow!" Emma laughs, sprinting away as Regina screams bloody murder. This of course leads to another fight, one where Regina basically lifts all the snow in the garden and jumps it on Emma.

And laughs and laughs and laughs

–

"You know.. I do not think I have ever heard you laugh like that" Emma says. They are in her room and Emma is in the bathtub, a screen unfortunately hiding her from Regina's view. Regina is on a chair in front of it.

" Like what? ".

" So happy. And not your – " Emma hesitates, her voice lowering. " your mean happy".

" mean happy? That is terribly juvenile of you to say" .

" You know what I mean" Emma sounds terribly relieved, Regina notes.

" I suppose so. It was vaguely amusing to see you stumble over your own feet".

" I did not stumble, you made me fall. Because you were cheating".

" It is hardly cheating".

" It is too!".

They are both silent for a while, the only sounds calm breathing and the water as Emma moves in it. Is mostly comfortable, though it does leave Regina too much time to wonder what exactly the damn screen is keeping from her. Far, far too much time

" Are you warm?" Emma suddenly asks and for one crazy moment Regina thinks that she knows exactly what is going through Regina's mind but then she understands

" I am fairly warm, yes. The blanket is comfortable".

" Thank you for letting me go first".

" I have magic that can keep me warm".

" Yes, but that has been malfunctioning ".

Regina grits her teeth. She hates the reminder. " I do not need the reminder, I am perfectly aware"

And so the bickering ensues. And continues. And only ends when Emma leaves that goddamn bathtub with a blanket wrapped around her but still bare shoulders and bare legs and water sliding down-

For Hades' sake, since when is Regina this easily distracted by a little skin?

"Regina?" . Regina hardly hears it, still busy with gliding her eyes all over Emma's blanket-clad body. "So I definitely win the discussion, do- " Emma's voice is suddenly a lot higher when Regina comes closer, her eyes locked on the droplets that are sliding down Emma's neck towards her –

" Is the water still warm? " Regina pretends like she was not just staring at Emma in a way that the starving peasants normally look at buffets.

"Uh it is lukewarm".

Regina waves her hand, the water immediately replaced with clean and steaming water. She turns around and shows Emma her back. " Can you untie the knots ? " she asks. Her outfits may be extravagant and intimidating and distracting, but they are also hard to get out of. Which is why she normally uses magic, but why would she with Emma near?

" Ehm. Are you wearing anything beneath that?".

" Obviously not. Hurry or the water will be cold. Again"

"Fine, fine"

Emma starts untying the knots of today's outfit and Regina can feel her fingers tremble against her bare skin. Little thrills shoot through her at every brush of the hesitant fingers. It seems like a delicious torture until finally, all the knots are untied and she can breathe a little easier.

Or she would, had Emma's touches not ruined everything.

" Push it down" she commands, cursing herself at how the command comes out.

" P-push- "

" Push. It- " Emma suddenly does as she is instructed and Regina gasps at the cold air that attacks her skin. She can feel her skin goose bump , but she does not cast another warming spell. After this whole torturous day in Emma's presence with Emma's naked body close to her and Emma's touches, she can use the cover the cold offers .

She turns around, smiles at Emma. " Very well. Now get it off me".

Emma stares at her, hands clenched into fists, mouth a little open and obviously fighting not to let her eyes drift lower. " Can you not do that yourself?".

" It is easier this way".

"Fine". Emma slowly kneels and Regina puts one of her hands on her shoulder, lifts her right foot. One shoe is removed, then another. Finally, Emma places her hands on Regina's hips and takes a deep breath.

Her eyes are closed as she pulls the fabric down

Regina steps out of it and pads Emma's head. " Thank you" she says absentmindedly, enchanted by the slight flush on Emma's cheeks, the wonder in her eyes that are slowly opening, the fluttering of her lashes..

She nearly falls into the bathtub, which seems to end the enchantment for both of them.

"Thank you?" Emma questions with a tiny smirk

" Yes. You make a semi-competent servant" Regina says as she sinks into the bathtub.

"I am not actually your servant" Emma says, sounding fondly exasperated.

" Too bad. I would not mind if you were " Regina says, enjoying the hot water. She offers her hand to Emma, who hands her the sponge.

" Keep on dreaming" Emma laughs.

" You really have a beautiful laugh" Regina says offhandedly, then freezes. She had not meant to say that ( even if it is true, because Emma glows when she laughs)

" Get out".

" what? "

"Get. Out" Regina spits.

" So what that you think my- " .

Regina does something she hasn't for a very long time. She lights a fireball and throws it in Emma's direction. She regrets it the moment Emma's face darkens. She stands up, throws Regina a look that makes her regret (when was the last time she felt that particular emotion?) it so very much.

" Is that how it is going to be ? Every time you say something nice, you are going to counter it with insults and abuse? ".

Regina starts to leave the bathtub, 'sorry' s and 'wait' s and explanations on her lips, things she has no idea whether she can even say. She snaps her fingers , magically dressing herself so she won't have to do this naked.

Emma is already at the door when she calls "Emma, w-wait".

It is the slight tremble in Regina's voice that makes Emma even turn around. But her expression is still angry and her arms are crossed.

" I - " Regina nearly chokes on the words, then pushes them out quickly. " am sorry. I should not have spoken to you like that".

"No, you should not have ".

She means to offer explanations that do not give away what she is starting to feel and think, but instead says 'you are my enemy's daughter".

Emma suddenly looks a lot more tired than angry. " And you are the woman who destroyed entire villages, who killed people needlessly and tried to crush my mother's heart" she whispers.

Regina nods. " I- " wanted to be happy. Did not want your mother to get away with murdering the only person who had chosen me so completely. Was changed by so many people and through so many circumstances. Felt so empty

" Mom still talks about you sometimes, did you know that?".

Regina shakes her head. She feels cold again somehow.

" Yes. And of course, a lot of it is really bad. She censored it, because she was afraid of the impact it would have on me. She never thought about me asking other people, so I know most of it regardless. However, she also talks about some of the good things". Emma pauses. "When you did not cast the Dark Curse…". Emma shakes her head, whispers "you should've seen how happy she was. She was crying with happiness, because she thought- ".

Emma does not finish, but Regina knows. Knows exactly what snow thought.

But it never was about redemption. It was about a price too high to pay, a single and a short moment of clarity.

There is a heavy kind of silence between them as Emma walks back to her, until there are once again so very close. Regina desperately wants to know what Emma is thinking, so she stares into the by now familiar eyes but they are closed off.

" It is not too late" Emma finally says , slowly moving her hand towards Regina's. Regina forces herself not to grab that hand, squeeze it, never let it go. This is about Emma. It is Emma's choice. " Mom might even forgive you".

" No, she won't. No one will".

" I will" Emma says it with such conviction that Regina almost believes her.

" So that is it then? You want me to just surrender".

Emma comes even closer. " I want you to be happy. I want all of us to be happy".

Regina is torn between an intense desire to take the last step, to accept whatever Emma is willing to offer ( oh how humiliating that she would possibly even accept scraps from this woman) and pushing her away as hard as possible, drive her away until she is far enough for Regina to never find her again.

Emma seems to feel this because she squeezes the hand she had taken sometime during the conversation. She squeezes it once, then gives Regina a small smile. " I will let you think about it. But you cannot keep hurting Regina, I just-".

so you would drop me as soon as I-

" I understand that everyone makes mistakes, but you only going to hurt everyone including yourself. And- ". Here Emma chokes a little. " What if mom decides she has given you enough chances? ".

Regina thinks of the crazed look Snow had the last time she spied on her. How she screamed at an advisor.

" Just- come and get me if you have decided okay?"

And before Regina can speak any of her terrifying secrets , like that three-letter-one that cost her everything before, Emma is gone.

–

In the end, Regina waits too long. She leaves on a horse for business, still very much in doubt and when she returns…

When she returns nightmares she did not even know she had have become true.

There is blood in the throne room and in the sitting room and in the hallways. There are corpses that have swords run through them and corpses with arrows in their backs and corpses with no marks whatsoever which means one thing only (magic).

Regina only vaguely notes all of this as she runs towards the chamber, only barely keeping herself from screaming Emma's name. She is screaming it in her head though, amidst all the thoughts like I will kill them, wring their necks tear them limb from limb burn them

The spells that guarded Emma are broken. The door ripped from its hinges. The three guards laying in puddles of blood, murdered in such a way that even she grimaces a little bit. She stumbles, reaches for the wall as the pain is overwhelming

I lost her

Before she can spiral into one of her murderous moods and tear the castle apart searching for any enemies that are still there, she hears it. Faint, broken, pained breathing. She raises her head, pushes away from the wall

It is an enemy soldier, sword in his stomach. She grabs the hilt as she kneels next to him, puts her mouth close to his ear. " Who took her?"

He shudders. " Can't… tell.." he manages to croak

She retracts the sword a little, pushes it in again. He cries.

" Who took her".

She lights a fireball, presses it into his skin while he whimpers and sobs.

"Who took her".

Brings the fireball to the sword injury while he pants and whimpers and mutters "no.. p-please..".

" Who took her".

He screams the name by the time she asks for the tenth time and everything vanishes for a while. When she comes to, her breathing is harsh and her hands sore. It smells like burned flesh. She wipes the blood from her face and stands.

She will find Emma

–

She waits until after the meeting, disguised as a servant. When they dismiss her, she keeps her head low and nods. Instead she lingers and waits. When the last person has left, she slips back inside and slams the door closed.

She throws her hood back, wills her body to take on its real form. Forces the words out of her "I need your help. Emma was taken".