Title: Any Other World
Category: TV Shows » Once Upon A Time
Author: Alwaysbringback-up
Language: English, Rating: Rated: T (for graphic depictions of violence)
Genre: General/Suspence

Chapter 2: Who is Going to Save Us?

Pairing: SwanQueen

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the OUAT universe. All characters belong to Adam and Eddie, the show's creators. I promise that my writing is done purely for recreational purposes only. No ill harm is intended.

So I wrote this for SQ week! The prompts were an "Act of True Love," and "Trapped Together." I decided to combine the two prompts together for the sake of the story. This is the resolution to the first chapter. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading!

Regina screamed at the top of her lungs. She could feel the rope around her wrists cut deeper and deeper into her flesh as she tugged at her restraints. She wanted the pain. She welcomed it. Somehow, it didn't seem fair that Emma was the only one suffering. Regina deserved more pain than Emma did. It seemed like Emma was always the one enduring. It wasn't fair.

"God damn you!" Regina screamed, her eyes blazing fire at the woman ripping open her love with each lash of the whip. "God damn you, Regina! I will kill you for this! You have my word!" Regina shouted at the top of her lungs. Still she knew deep in her mind that she could never kill her former self. It would also result in her own death as well. And Emma needed her to get home.

The Evil Queen paused briefly, looking into Regina's eyes. The only word that Regina could use to possibly describe the smile on the brunette's face was wicked.

"Congratulations," the Evil Queen purred with a devilish glint prominent in her eyes, "You just earned your lover another five lashes." Regina bit down hard, her jaw clenching. She could not keep the growl from escaping, however, as she watched the Queen eagerly crack the whip against Emma's back. Hot tears streaked down Regina's face. Regina sharply inhaled as she saw the pool of blood at the blonde's feet, seemingly noticing it for the first time. Regina's eyes strained against the sunlight in the west, trying to determine if Emma was still breathing.

Unfortunately, the pole was blocking Regina's view.

"Please don't take her from me," Regina begged in a whisper. "Not now…after everything we've been through together." Regina didn't know how she would be able to live, if Emma didn't make it through this.

Finally, the whipping stopped. Regina looked up as the Evil Queen handed off the whip to the soldier. Slowly, the Evil Queen walked over to Regina.

"Let's see if she loves you after this," the Evil Queen said with a knowing look. "She won't ever be able to look at you the same way...ever again."

"You have no idea what you've just done," Regina hissed, the vein in her forehead swelling with the brunette's anger.

"Actually," the Evil Queen retorted, "I know exactly what I just did. You don't deserve her love, and you never will."

"Take her to the dungeon," the Evil Queen instructed her guards. "And have a doctor see to the other one. It would be such a shame if she died now before I could have my way with her."

"Touch her and I swear to god I'll…" Regina's voice cut off sharply as the Evil Queen made a squeezing gesture with her hand, and instantly choked the words out of the brunette.

"You'll what, dear?" the Evil Queen derided, knowing that Regina was completely incapable of speaking. Regina persisted, trying desperately to speak. But her words were little more than choking noises in the back of her throat. Finally, Regina gave up. "That's what I thought," the Evil Queen laughed.

Three days later... (The dungeons)

The clank of rusty metal jolted Regina from her sleep. Regina let out a deep shuddering breath as she tightened her hold around her legs. For a long moment, there was eerie silence. But then another clank sounded in the darkness.

"Emma!" Regina gasped. She could only pray that it was the blonde making sounds in the darkness. Because otherwise? Otherwise, the truth was far too painful.

Regina refused to open her eyes. No. She didn't want to get her hopes up. Because Regina had been down in the dungeons for so long, that the darkness was starting to mess with her. She would frequently hear things and see things that just weren't there. She was so sure that this time wouldn't be any different. She couldn't be altogether certain she wasn't imagining this too.

Regina let out a hiss, as a whispering reached her ears. It was happening again. Regina's jaw tightened, and the brunette rocked back and forth. The worst part about all of this was the way she was caught in limbo, perpetually alternating back and forth between nightmare and reality. Tears began to leak from the corner of her eyes. She missed Emma terribly.

How many days had it been since she'd last seen the blonde? Two? Three? It was impossible to say. Regina could scarcely let herself think about it, because the truth was, she was afraid that she would never see the blonde again. She felt immensely guilty for allowing herself to surrender to sleep when Emma was likely fighting for her life. She could only imagine the sort of awful things that had been happening to the woman she loved while she slept. Regina felt weak, and wished more than anything that she could have been stronger for the blonde.

Regina strained to make out what the whispers were saying, but the sounds were indecipherable. Regina flinched as another loud bang sounded nearby and echoed off the walls of the cold, dank dungeon. By the time Regina opened her eyes, her heartbeat was already thundering deafeningly in her ears. That had been close. Regina squinted, her eyes raking the darkness for a possible source.

It was nearly pitched black where she was, and the cold stone against her back made it nearly impossible to stay warm. Her body convulsed in violent shivers as it struggled to warm itself. The dank cool air continually licked at her skin. Over the course of the last several hours, Regina had curled into a tiny ball. Her own arms were wrapped around her own legs tightly, as her body was left clinging and begging for warmth.

Regina jumped as the door to the dungeon flew open with a loud bang. Quickly the brunette pushed herself up off the floor with faltering, shaking arms. She stepped towards the bars, straining to make out the figures on the opposite side of the room.

"Shackle her to the wall over there," one of the men commanded as they shuffled into the pitch-black room. Regina breaths quickened. She made the mistake of breathing through her nostrils. The dungeon where they were being held was dank and smelled of stale, moldy air that brought her to the edge of being sick. The smell grew worse with each passing day.

"Emma!" Regina spoke, her voice barely a whisper.

"Hey!" One the shadows exclaimed, slamming his cudgel against the bars next to her hand, "Get back against the wall!"

Regina did as she was instructed, but the brunette's shackled hands clenched into fists, as she thought about destroying the men who had done nothing as so much harm was done to her love. Without breathing Regina watched as three men shrouded under the veil of dark shadows in the room shackled Emma to the opposite wall, suspending the blonde's limp body from the wall with little care as to her comfort.

Regina watched as shackles were fastened around Emma's motionless limbs. The shackles were fastened around each wrist with a click. The soldiers let go, and the blonde lurched forwards, the chains pulling themselves taught as the blonde's legs gave out and she nearly sank to the floor. Emma's head dropped forwards, lolling against her sternum.

Regina's eyes opened wider as she strained to see whether the blonde was even still breathing.

"I'm going to kill you for what you've done," Regina spoke loudly, her voice little more than a growl. She glared daggers at the soldiers through the darkness.

Regina stiffened as one of the men turned towards her, and merely started laughing. His laughter echoed through the dungeon, mocking her in the darkness. "I'm sorry… It's just…. Am I supposed to be scared of you?" He walked towards her. "You can't use magic!" he taunted her. "You're completely powerless."

"You have no idea what I'm capable of," Regina hissed. "I will rip out your innards and strangle you with them. I'll cause you so much pain and agony that by the time I'm finished, you will be begging for me to kill you."

"You will never lay a hand on me," he said confidently, "And after tomorrow, you won't be hurting anyone."

"What are you talking about?" Regina questioned.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" he asked her, shadows playing over his face.

Regina bit down on her tongue. "You're to be executed tomorrow morning at dawn," he told her. "And your lover? She's to be the Queen's new plaything. That is…until the Queen gets sick of her, and decides to end her as well."

"You'd better be lying," Regina threatened.

"Or what?" he laughed. "Enjoy your last night on god's green earth, your majesty," he said with a mocking bow.

"No," the word of denial was forceful, and full of strong will. She would not let this happen. She wasn't going to let anything more happen to the woman that she loved more than she thought she could ever love anyone.

The brunette locked her jaw and gritted her teeth together, as she waited anxiously for the three men to depart from the cell and leave them in peace. It seemed to take them forever to leave. Another agonizingly long second and the metal door was slamming shut with the coarse sound of metal on metal, bourn from the bar sliding down to lock them inside. Regina's face scrunched up as she choked back a sob that threatened to break forth.

She couldn't even see Emma's face. The blonde's hair was hanging in front of her face, obstructing Regina's view like a sort of yellow curtain. She also couldn't tell if the blonde was breathing.

The coarse sound of chains dragging on the uneven stone floor had her on edge as she struggled against her own restraints.

"Emma," Regina cried out into the darkness. "Emma! Wake up!" Regina nearly howled, perhaps a little louder than necessary, but she couldn't help it as she was in such distress. Growing more disheartened with every second that ticked by, Regina let out a loud and feral cry as she pulled harder at her restraints, unwilling to accept her current fate. She would not be separated from the blonde any longer. She pulled with everything she had, using every ounce of strength. She would do whatever it took to reach the blonde. She didn't care if she had to pull one of her arms out of its socket to do it.

"Emma," Regina's voice was louder this time. Regina tried to keep the severest of emotions out of her voice. But she was immensely afraid…. probably more afraid than she had ever been in her whole life. And that was saying something. Over their three years together, she and the blonde had shared plenty of moments in which neither one of them was sure how to get out of trouble. But somehow, this one seemed to be the pinnacle of them all.

"Emma," Regina hardly breathed as she squeezed the blonde's hand again, trying to get the woman to respond to her in any way she knew how. She had to wake her. She needed to keep Emma conscious, otherwise there was a good chance Emma's body could not fight the cold, and she would freeze to death. Regina sucked air into her lungs as she realized that Emma's hands were so cold already, and stiff. She reached over for Emma's side, starting to shake the blonde in hopes she'd get a better response.

"Emma, don't you dare do this to me. You can't leave me on my own like this! You're scaring me," Regina's voice shook as she gritted her teeth together. She could not keep her hands from shaking. Her voice was raw as she spoke her next words. "Damn it, Emma. Please! Please wake up." Regina's eyes shot open, as a groan seemed to fill the air, sounding as if it were coming from the depths of Emma's soul. "Emma, please," Regina begged, as she brushed the blonde's hair away from her face and ran her cold, dirt covered hands softly along the contours of Emma's face. Regina's touch was gentle, tender. Another whimper of agony slipped through Emma's lips. "Shh…I'm here," Regina whispered soothingly, doing her best to keep Emma calm and relaxed. "It's okay, Emma, I'm here." Regina pressed her forehead against Emma's, silently willing the blonde to open her eyes. "I'm right here and I'm not going to go anywhere. Now, I need you to promise me the same thing. Please don't leave me. Please… I-I don't think I could bear it." Then, mercifully, Emma's eyes blinked open.

"Talk to me," Regina urged the blonde desperately.

"Regina," the blonde whimpered, her whole body crying out in pain. Tears shimmered in the blonde's green eyes. Regina felt tears spring to her own eyes. There was no question. If she could take any of the blonde's pain, she would. Hell, she was willing to do anything to spare Emma any future torment. "P-Please," a sob tore its way past Emma's throat.

"Please what," Regina said softly. "What can I do, love?"

"Make it stop," Emma begged through her whimpers and tears, "Just make the pain stop."

"I can't," Regina confessed, as sob burst forth from her own throat. "I'm so sorry, but I can't." Emma closed her eyes and exhaled shakily.

"I…I don't have my magic," Regina admitted, her voice rough and broken. "If I could stop your pain, I would. Hell, I'd take it all for you, if I could."

"Tell me you have a plan for getting us out of here," Emma whispered, her brow scrunching up in pain.

"I…I'm working on it," Regina said. "I'm going to figure out a way to get us out of here. I promise."

"You have to get out of here…" Emma whispered. "P-Please. They told me they're going to execute you tomorrow morning."

"Emma," Regina replied.

"If you have to leave me here, it's okay," Emma breathed. "I would understand…"

"I am not leaving you," Regina said forcefully. "Emma, I don't care what they do to me. I am not leaving you here to die on your own."

"We're never going to make it out of here together," Emma whispered, her breath hitching. "You have to leave me."

"No," Regina said adamantly. "I will never leave you. Never."

"Then we're both doomed," Emma told her, her tone defeated.

"Emma, I need you to promise me something," Regina said emotionally, "If we can't get out of here and the unthinkable happens. Promise me that you won't throw your life away. Promise me that you'll do what you have to survive."

"I don't want to live without you," Emma said, tears forming in her eyes. "I don't think I can."

"Maybe…" Regina let out a quavering breath. "Maybe you don't have to. The Evil Queen, she truly wants you to be her lover."

"No," Emma shook her head. "No, Regina… I can't love her. I could never…"

A thought suddenly occurred to Regina. The thought was so horrible, in fact, that she couldn't bring voice to it at first. "Emma, oh god, she didn't, did she?" Regina squeezed her eyes shut, as she realized that a lot of time was uncounted for. Almost three days had gone by, in fact. The Evil Queen might have already...no. Regina would not give more thought to that. She couldn't.

"She kissed me," Emma told her, and Regina's eyes sprung open. "But nothing else...I think she would have tried, if she had sensed more weakness from me. I shoved her away. She was so mad, I thought that she might kill me, but then she just laughed instead."

"I'm so sorry," Regina told her, as tears streaked down her face.

"It's not your fault," Emma told her. "Regina...I know what you were trying to suggest earlier. But I can't...I can't do it."

"No. Just listen to what I have to say. No matter how you feel now, please just try to give the Evil Queen a chance," Regina said honestly. "If anyone can make her believe in love again, it's you. You saved me once, and I believe you can do it again. You can save her."

"Regina…"

"You were the first, Emma," Regina told her, deciding that the time for confessions had come. "You were the first to believe I had the capacity for good. You and Henry believed in me, and it made all of the difference in my quest for redemption. You desperately made me want to find all of the good in myself that you two saw," Regina pressed on. "So if anyone has the ability to save the Evil Queen, it's you. You can bring back the light, and drive back the darkness." Regina put everything she had into her next words. "I'm asking you to do this for me. It's my last request."

"I will try, but I will never love anyone as much as I love you," Emma said emotionally. Regina nuzzled Emma's face.

"I know," Regina replied. "Me too."

"It hurts," Emma whimpered.

"I know," Regina exhaled. "I know. It's okay. Just close your eyes, dear. I'm right here." Emma let out a whimper and closed her eyes. Regina spent the next few minutes breathing in tandem with the blonde. "Emma?" Regina spoke softly after several moments. The blonde was still…too still. A pang of fear ripped through the brunette. Regina stroked the sides of Emma's face. "Emma, wake up." Regina jumped backwards as the door to the dungeon was thrown open, and a man with a lantern stepped inside. Regina's eyes darted up to the man's face and gasped. She felt like she was looking at a ghost. Regina took a step back.

"Whoa," he breathed. "This is so weird. You… You look just like her."

"Who?" Regina questioned.

"The Evil Queen," the Huntsman elaborated. "You look so much like her. A little older maybe, but not by much."

"Graham," Regina breathed in surprise, "It's you."

"I'm sorry. Who is it you think that I am?" He asked as he stepped inside.

"You're the Huntsman," Regina said calmly, remembering that the man before her had no idea of his other existence. "Are you here to take me to my execution?" Graham set the lantern down. Regina watched as he quickly pulled a ring of keys from his pocket.

"No," he said honestly. "Listen, we don't have much time," he told her, as he walked over and released the shackle from her right hand. "The guard outside will only be out for another couple of minutes."

"Wait. You… You're helping us?" Regina felt guilt swell in her heart. A man who she had tortured, controlled, and used, was helping her. She had killed him in cold blood, crushing his heart out of a spite and anger that she still wasn't sure was ever really directed at him, and he was saving her life….both of their lives.

"When I heard the rumor you were to be executed sorely because you used white magic on the Evil Queen," he said softly, "I felt compelled to do something to help." Regina watched as he released Regina's left shackle. Regina flexed her wrists, rubbing at the sore, and raw skin.

The Huntsman quickly walked over to Emma, placing the key into the shackle around the blonde's left wrist. Regina stepped forwards, bracing the blonde's weight against her. He quickly freed the blonde's other hand. Regina let out a grunt, as Emma's entire weight suddenly dropped onto her shoulders.

"Here," he offered as he maneuvered Emma and draped the blonde over his shoulders. "I'm afraid that I can only get you so far. You'll have to make it out the rest of the way on your own. The Evil Queen… she… she uh…"

"Has your heart," Regina said with tears in her eyes.

"Yes," the Huntsman nodded.

"You know that she'll likely kill you for helping us," Regina said in a whisper as they pushed their way out of the cellblock and into the dimly lit corridor. The Huntsman nodded.

"I can't let you do that," Regina muttered suddenly, coming to an abrupt halt. "I can't let you die for me."

"What other choice do we have?" he asked.

"We're going to get your heart back," Regina said determinedly. "And then you're coming with us."

"But how?" he asked as he looked at her.

"It helps when you know where to look," Regina replied. "Listen, we're going to have to split up," Regina said as she came to break in the corridor. "Do you think that you can make it out of the castle keep on your own?" The Huntsman nodded.

"Then I will meet up with you shortly on the North side of the lake," Regina told him. "Please don't let anything happen to her. She's my true love." Graham nodded.

"I will protect her with my life," he said honestly. Regina gave a resolute nod. She would do this for him, if he would truly risk his life for them. This was a chance to undo one of the horrible things she had done before, and you had better believe that she was going to do what she could to right that wrong.

12 hours later... (The Mill's cottage)

Regina pushed her way into a place that already elicited far too many horrible memories, but she had no choice. It was the only place that she could think of to go. She swept the cobwebs out of the way, as stepped into the small cottage, a place she'd spent much of her childhood. She rushed over to the dinning room table, instantly pushing everything from the surface and onto the floor with a loud clatter. She turned back to the door, as two men came rushing in, with an unconscious body suspended between them.

As she looked at Emma's unconscious form, Regina felt scared and helpless. She had her magic back again, but it was only a trickle compared to what she was used to. And Emma was in bad shape.

"Quickly!" Regina ordered the Huntsman and another young man, "Set her down here." The two men carefully carried Emma over, grasping her by the arms and legs. They were careful to avoid the gaping wounds that covered much of Emma's back. With a twinge of pain, Regina realized that she couldn't even see Emma's face. The blonde's face was downcast, with her unruly curly blonde locks shielding much of Emma's beautifully angular profile.

"Here, let me help," she offered, trying to help them, maneuver Emma onto the table stomach down. They set the blonde stomach down onto the dining room table. Regina felt tears spring to her eyes, at the whimper that escaped Emma's lips. The blonde hadn't regained consciousness yet, but was still clearly feeling the pain of her injuries.

"Emma?!" Regina's voice was gentle but firm as she spoke the woman's name. "Emma, can you hear me?" With her fingers, and a gentle touch, Regina gently swept Emma's bangs from her eyes. "Emma," Regina breathed. "It's going to be okay. I'm going to take care of you."

"Can we do anything else to help?" the Huntsman asked. He was even more eager to help now that he was in possession of his heart once more.

"Can you get some water from the well for me, please?" Regina pleaded. Graham nodded. "Hurry!" Regina implored him, as he rushed out of the house.

Emma let out another agonized whimper. "I know, I know," Regina soothed, "I know it hurts. But that's actually a good thing. The fact that you can still feel pain means that your spine wasn't damaged." Emma let out a sob, louder this time.

"Shh," Regina spoke, "Just hang in there a little longer, love. It's going to be okay. I love you."

Regina rushed over and grabbed an ancient bottle of alcohol from her stores, and grabbed a knife. She wiped away the dust from its surface. Regina upended the bottle of alcohol over the blade and sanitized it. Then, she wiped it on her shirt to dry it. She set it down on the table next to the blonde and walked to the fireplace. She threw several logs into the space, and sent a fireball into them. The fire exploded to life in the fireplace. A kettle from the table floated over towards the hook in the fireplace.

Regina moved back to the table, trying to figure out how to remove the rest of the tatters of Emma's shirt from her body. In a lot of places, the fabric had been pressed into the gaping wounds. Regina decided to cut away the larger bits of fabric, while avoiding the wounds as much as possible. This was easier said than done, however. Emma had suffered over two dozen lashes of the whip, turning her back into little more than mince meat. Emma continued to whimper as Regina carefully, and tenderly pulled away the remains of the fabric. It was hard to see what she was doing, through the never-ending torrent of tears that escaped. She felt like it was all her fault. And despite the fact that she tried to differentiate herself from her old self, she knew they were both the same person. The Evil Queen was right. Regina didn't deserve what Emma had done for her. She couldn't help but feel as if it should be her lying there in Emma's place.

"I'm so so sorry," Regina whispered; as she used a pair of forceps to carefully dig out a piece of fabric from one of the more gruesome wounds on Emma's back. "It should have been me." It was slow work, but eventually, she was able to separate all of the remaining pieces of fabric from Emma's skin. Unfortunately, during her efforts many of the wounds were reopened again, and were bleeding. There was a crash, and Regina whirled around, as the door flew open. Regina was waiting, a fireball poised in her upturned palm. She would protect Emma to her last dying breath. But thankfully, it was a false alarm. The Huntsman carefully set down the bucket, and lifted his hands in alarm. "I…I'm sorry, my Queen. I…I tripped over something outside."

"It's okay," Regina said, letting out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Thank you."

Regina finished pulling away the fabric from Emma's wounds. She grabbed a clean scrap of cloth from the dresser in the bedroom, and draped it over Emma's back.

Then, Regina lifted the bucket and poured water into the kettle over the fire, and turned back to the table. She waited impatiently for the water to reach a boil, and let it boil for several minutes to remove any contaminants. The last thing she wanted was to introduce any sort of infection to Emma's back. Finally when she was satisfied, she cooled the water and poured some of it over Emma's back. She didn't miss the sharp intake of breath this earned her from Emma. Quickly, Regina cast a freezing spell, instantly turning the water on the cloth and Emma's back into ice. The muscles in Emma's body instantly stiffened, as ice met fire. Thankfully, the swollen, inflamed skin around the wounds on Emma's back was instantly soothed. Ice formed a thin sheen on Emma's body. In several minutes, Emma let out a sigh, as everything was temporarily numbed, and the worst of the pain was lifted. She could breathe again.

Regina rinsed the blood off of her hands, and pulled up a chair. She scooted forwards. With trembling hands she reached out, brushing the hair out of Emma's face. In a soothing manner, she continued running her hands through Emma's hair, relishing the way the silky strands slipped through her fingers. She did this for hours, as she continued to care for the blonde's wounds. As the ice melted, Regina repeated the process, dumping more water over the wounds and freezing it. It was the only way to keep the worst of the pain at bay. Regina let out a sigh, as Emma moaned in her sleep.

"It's going to be okay," Regina soothed. "I'm going to get you home." Regina continued her ministrations, pressing a cool cloth to the feverish skin of Emma's face and forehead. This seemed to rouse the blonde a bit, as she moaned again.

Soon enough, Emma's eyes were moving beneath her eyelids and the blonde's eyes blinked open. Regina instantly felt all air stolen from her lungs. She'd never been so happy to see Emma's sea green eyes.

"Emma," Regina exhaled, her expression soft, "Thank god. You're awake."

"H-Hey," Emma breathed, her breathing hitching as Regina continued her soothing touches. Regina caught herself and stopped.

"How are you feeling?" Regina asked, flinching as she realized what a ridiculous question that was. Emma's back had been ripped open in nearly two-dozen places. And despite Regina's efforts, she knew the blonde was probably in terrible pain. "How's the pain?"

"Better," Emma sighed, her eyes never leaving Regina's face. She watched the play of emotions on Regina's face. The older woman was clearly devastated. "I'm assuming that you had a lot to do with that, so thank you."

Regina nodded, "Unfortunately, we don't have potent painkillers in the Enchanted Forest, but once we get back to Storybrooke, we can figure something out." Emma nodded and let out a deep sigh, letting her head drop back onto the table. She was just thankful Regina was keeping her numb.

"I…I'm so sorry," Regina said sincerely, her voice cracking. "Emma, I don't think I'll ever be able to apologize enough. I…am…so sorry for what happened. It's all of my fault."

"Regina," Emma said, her eyes holding Regina's gaze. Blindly, Emma's hand reached up and sought out Regina's. Emma hissed as she pulled at traumatized muscles in her back and shoulder, but she persisted until she accomplished her task. Regina felt the heat in Emma's touch as the blonde's hand wrapped around her own. "What happened was not your fault."

"Yes it was," Regina said brokenly. "I might as well have taken the whip to you myself."

"No," Emma shook her head, adamantly, "I don't care what you think. That woman was not you. You've come so far, Regina. You're good now. And as far as I'm concerned, the two of you couldn't be more different."

"Still, I…I'm so sorry," Regina said emotionally, her voice cracking.

"I know," Emma nodded softly. She let out a deep breath. "But I'm not."

"Emma," Regina shook her head.

"No," Emma protested. "I know I should be…but I'm not. If it meant that it kept you safe, then how could I be?"

"I…I thought that she was going to kill you," Regina confessed. "After you passed out in the square, she tried to pull out your heart and I…"

"Then thank god I wasn't conscious for that part then, huh?" Emma interrupted.

Regina had to resist the urge to throttle the blonde in front of her.

"This isn't something to be taken lightly, Emma!" Regina hissed. "Do you have any idea how scared I was that I was going to lose you? I can't ever lose you. Don't you understand that? It… It would kill me! Or worse, I could revert back into that horrible woman!"

"I…I'm sorry, Regina," Emma spoke sincerely. "Look, I didn't mean to cause you pain. I just…I couldn't stand by and let them hurt you. Not when I…I feel the way I do about you."

"How long… How long have you known?" Regina questioned.

"That I was in love with you?" Emma clarified. Regina could only nod.

"A while," Emma said softly. "Look, I know that I'm supposed to be with Hook and you're supposed to be with Robin. And I promise that I'm not trying to destroy your happiness, but I…I had to tell you. I just needed you to understand why I had to do it."

"Emma," Regina spoke as she leant forwards. "How much do you remember about what happened?"

"Bits and pieces, why?" Emma asked in a groggy, raspy voice.

"Do you remember what I said?" Regina asked sadly. "Before you passed out the first time?"

"No," Emma replied honestly, "Should I?"

"Damn it, Emma," Regina said as she felt fears burn hotly in her eyes. "I…I said that I loved you too."

"Oh," Emma gasped as Regina stroked the side of her face. Emma's breaths quickened in her lungs as her eyes darted down to Regina's lips. "Regina?"

Emma suddenly allowed herself to hope in ways she'd never allowed herself to hope before. Regina started to lean forward, their lips would have touched, too, had Emma not nervously pulled away in the last moment. Emma tried to stomach the look of hurt on Regina's face as the brunette took the rejection, swiftly.

"Regina..."

"It's okay," Regina said gently, as she realized why the blonde had pulled away.

"Don't get me wrong, I would love to kiss you," Emma told her, "But it just feels like... Well, we have some unfinished buisness. And I honestly have no idea what might happen."

"Yes, i understand," Regina agreed. Regina reached into her pocket, and pulled out the artifact. "I umm… I have something for you."

"Regina," Emma gasped, "Is this what I think it is?"

"Yeah," Regina smiled. "We finally have a way to take the darkness out of you and destroy it. The thing is...this...I could do it right now. I could take all of the darkness out of you, but I have no way of knowing how much pain that it will cause you."

Emma let out a hollow laugh. "As if the pain could get any worse."

"Do you really mean that you wish for me to do it now?"

"Yes," Emma nodded.

Regina turned to the two others in the room. "I need you to do me a favor."

"Whatever you wish," Graham said with a graceful, supplicating bow.

"Hold her down," Regina ordered, and Graham hesitated. He met her eyes, and concern was evident in his wide eyes.

"I promise that it's not what you think," Regina told him. "No harm will come to her. In fact, it's just the opposite. She's been possessed by darkness. I'm going to pull it out of her with this spell and artifact, and destroy it."

"She speaks the truth," Emma spoke up. "Please do as she wishes." Emma closed her eyes as she felt hands on her arms and legs. The pinned her to the table with all of her weight.

Regina pulled a piece of paper from her satchel and smoothed it out. She held the artifact over Emma, as instructed, and recited the spell in a language that Emma had never heard before. Emma felt the darkness start to scream inside of her, and suddenly realized that she was screaming as well. She writhed on the table as the darkness tried to maintain its hold on her. The pain was excruciating, and Emma honestly wasn't sure if the artifact was working. But then, slowly, incrementally, she slowly felt the darkness loosen its hold, and get sucked out of her. Darkness swirled around in the air, and Regina struggled not to look at it, as it swirled somewhere up near the ceiling. She continued the spell, struggling over words. The screams of pain coming from her love were extremely hard to bear. And it made it hard for Regina to concentrate.

Finally, the darkness was slowly pulled into the artifact. The artifact glowed a deep shade of purple, and grew hot in her palm. Regina struggled to hang onto it, as every instinct in her body was telling her to let go. She spoke the last few words of the spell in a booming voice. Her voice growing louder, as she held back the screams of pain. The skin on her palms began to crack and blister. Suddenly, the pain was lifted as the artifact suddenly grew cold. Regina dropped it, and the talisman dropped to the floor with a clatter. Emma stilled on the table, though her breathing was heavy and erratic.

One of the men, released their hold on Emma and reached down to pick up the artifact.

"Don't touch it!" Regina shouted as she stepped between the man and the artifact. "There's no telling what would happen. The darkness wants a new servant, and is likely trying to lure you to it."

"I'll take him outside," Graham said as he grabbed his trusted friend by the bicep and led him from the cottage.

When they were finally left alone, Regina spoke to the blonde, who was still lying on the table.

"Emma?" Regina held her breath as Emma's eyes slowly opened. "Emma, how do you feel?"

"It...I can't believe..." Emma stuttered as her green eyes met Regina's. For the first time, in months, Emma's eyes sparkled, as if the blonde was finally free of the monumental burden. "It worked."

"It worked," Regina beamed. This time she could not stop herself. Emma tugged her towards where she lay on the table, the need to be close to the brunette outweighing everything else.

Then Regina is kissing her, her lips so soft against Emma's own. The blonde gasped in surprise as their lips collided, and her eyes fluttered closed in ecstasy. Emma suddenly felt a surge of powerful emotions course through her, emotions so powerful, that Emma thinks that she might have just cast a spell without meaning to. The moment their lips touched, it felt like everything coming together all at once. Regina moaned softly into the kiss, as a wave of light exploded between them and shot outwards, ruffling their hair. Regina heard Emma gasp, as the gust suddenly cut through them both. Regina's eyes flew open, her breathing suddenly heavy.

"Emma?" Regina whispered. "Did you…"

"Feel that?" Emma finished for the brunette. "Yeah. Yeah, I did." Then Emma smiled, a wide beaming smile, and Regina couldn't help but think that it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. "Oh my god," Emma breathed suddenly.

"What?" Regina found herself asking in alarm. "Emma, what is it? What's wrong?"

"The pain," Emma spoke softly. "It… It's gone."

"What? All of it?" Regina questioned. Emma just nodded.

Regina's eyes moved to the expanse of Emma's back. With trembling hands, Regina slowly and carefully lifted the cloth away from Emma's skin. Her eyes widened in shock as she found the large expanse of skin to be nearly flawless. All of the gaping wounds had closed. In fact, the only sign that the blonde has endured any trauma at all are the faint silvery lines crisscrossing the skin of Emma's back.

"Regina?" Emma questioned as she started to push herself up off of the table. "What is it?"

"The wounds," Regina spoke in amazement. "They've all closed."

"You healed me," Emma smiled, as she slowly maneuvered so that she was perched on the edge of the table. "I told you! You're a hero, Regina. You and the Evil Queen are nothing alike. For one, I'm not in love with her, but I'm hopelessly in love with you."

"Goodness, you're so wonderful," Regina spoke as she surged forwards, her hands framing Emma's face as she pulls the blonde into the most passion filled kiss she's ever experienced. "I love you," Regina whispered against the blonde's lips. "I love you so much."

When the kiss broke, they stared into each other's eyes for a long moment. "Just promise me something," Regina said breathlessly.

"Anything," Emma replied earnestly.

"Never scare me like that again," Regina ordered. "Never leave me like that."

"Never," Emma promised.

"And for god's sake," Regina husked, "Let's stop lying to ourselves, and to the people we love. They deserve better than that, and so do we."

"Are you talking about Hook and Robin?" Emma asked her. "You want us to end things with them, and give us a try?"

"Yes," Regina told her, "That's exactly what I'm trying to say. I want to be with you and only you, Emma. Please."

"Yes," Emma smiled against Regina's lips. "A thousand times yes, my majesty." As she pulled back, Emma spoke. "Umm…Regina?" Emma said with a sudden flush to her cheeks.

"What, dear?" Regina asked.

"Umm… This is sort of awkward. But do you have a shirt that I could borrow?" Emma said, her green eyes twinkling. Regina looked down, and felt heat immediately flush over her chest, face, and the rest of her body. Emma was exquisite. She almost wanted to lie to the blonde and tell her that she didn't, just so that she could admire the blonde's body a little longer, but that hardly seemed fair to the blonde.

"Oh! I…I'm sorry," Regina stuttered shyly, "O-Of course." Regina quickly rushed into the other room. Emma followed her into the small bedroom, watching as Regina pulled out a shirt. She handed the piece of clothing to Emma. The blonde accepted it gratefully and pulled it over her head.

"So… You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but… what is this place?" Emma asked as she tugged the peasant top into place.

"It was where I grew up," Regina answered. "I don't have a lot of great memories here, because of my mother, so I figured that the Evil Queen would avoid this place if at all possible. It seemed like the safest place to bring you." Emma nodded.

Both women were forced to tear their eyes away from each other as the door to the cottage opened, and a scruffy faced man stepped inside. Emma's eyes scrutinized the man's features and gasped.

"Graham?" Emma said as she stood up and walked over towards the man. With shaking hands, Emma tentatively reached up, her hands brushing the man's cheeks. She felt shock as her fingers encountered warm heated skin. He was solid. He was real. Emma pulled away and turned back to face Regina.

"How?" Emma asked.

"Well," Regina cleared her throat. "We're in an alternate time stream."

"So he's alive?" Emma questioned. Regina nodded. "Are we going to take him back to Storybrooke with us?" Emma asked.

"I had thought of it," Regina confessed. "I suppose it depends on what he wants to do. But I'm afraid it would all be extremely confusing for him. Everyone there knows of Graham, and not the Huntsman."

"Still, you could like… give him new memories and stuff, couldn't you?" Emma asked. "Make it all a little less traumatic?"

"Yes," Regina nodded. "I could certainly try."

"Excuse us for a minute Huntsman," Regina said to Graham. The brunette took a deep breath and grabbed Emma's hand, leading her to the opposite side of the cottage. "Emma, there is something I think that you should know… It's about what really happened to Graham. I…I sort of…"

"You killed him," Emma interrupted softly. There was no accusation or judgment in the blonde's green eyes, only acceptance.

"All this time… and you knew?" Regina asked in surprise. "You knew this whole time?"

"Well, I…I suspected," Emma said honestly. She seemed to pick up on Regina's guilt, because she gave the brunette's hand a squeeze. "Regina, it's okay… Well, I mean it's not okay, but…" Emma took a deep breath. "What I mean is… I know that you're sorry for what you did, and you're a different person now. This is a chance for you to right your wrongs, and give him a better life."

"I guess that this is sort of my chance to atone for what I've done," Regina spoke. "You know, we'd both be dead if it wasn't for him."

"It's funny how things work out, isn't it?" Emma questioned. "I never would have guessed in a million years that all this would work out for the better."

"Me neither," Regina laughed out of pure happiness. "This is more than I could have ever hoped for...just days ago."

"Regina," Emma said gently, as she took Regina's hand. "Not that I haven't had an absolute blast, but do you think that we can go home soon?"

"Of course, my love," Regina said, as she placed a lingering kiss to Emma's lips, "There is nothing that I want more. Let's go home!"

A/N: So that's it! I hope that satisfied everyone's need for a happy ending. It also fit the last two prompts pretty well. I'm quite happy with how this turned out, if I'm being honest, and I really hope all of you are too!

Please hit the review button on your way out, and let me know what you think! Thanks again for reading!