All's Well That Ends Well, Right?

An Emma Swan and Regina Mills fanfic;

By emilyjasmine;

Disclaimer – I own nothing but the plot;

I hadn't quite intended on writing something else so soon after Back to Storybrooke, but I got a request from the lovely MSAllySomereva for an alternate story to when Emma and Hook go back in time and make it SwanQueen central and I couldn't refuse! Also a huge thanks to her for checking over this first chapter for me!

Now, sit back and relax, and enjoy the ups and downs and struggles Emma faces in the past and the journey she has to take in order to get home, but as always, it doesn't go as smoothly as planned.

So, getting pulled through another portal was not the best thing that had happened to Emma Swan. Being joined by Captain Hook of all people was also not desirable. Yet the biggest problem she currently had, worse than being back in the Enchanted Forest with her current companion, was being back during the reign of the Evil Queen while she hunted for Snow White.

The trees were green, the sky was dreary and the wind had a bite. Emma pulled her jacket tighter around her front in an attempt to fight off the chill as she gazed around the forest; hoping to find some miraculous solution to her problem manifest between the trees.

"I can't believe we're back," she muttered. "What the hell are we going to do? I have no magic and even if I did, I wouldn't know what to do to get us out of this mess." She slumped on the floor and wrapped her arms around her knees.

"Well, doing nothing isn't going to help, love," Hook stated. "We need to find someone to help us."

Emma glared at him. "Well, I never!" She huffed and ran her hand through her hair in frustration. "If it wasn't for you, I'd still have my magic," she grumbled quietly. "Who can actually help us? Rumplebloodystiltskin?"

"Did someone call my name?" Asked a lilting voice from behind them.

Emma flicked her head rapidly to the side and gasped in shock. She stood up quickly and came face to face with the one and only Rumplestiltskin. She took a step back, as if thinking that being that close to him, she would contract his scaly skin and grotty fingernails. He was wearing his signature crocodile costume. Emma had never seen anything like it except for the drawings in Henry's book.

"How did you know we were here?" Emma asked in return.

Rumple giggled, high pitched and teasing, his eyes glinting with mirth, enjoying every second. He flashed a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Now that is a good question, isn't it, Dearie? How does the wind blow?"

"Stop speaking in riddles," Hook hissed.

"You!" Rumple cried, pointing a scaly finger at the pirate. He'd clearly not seen the pirate up until that moment. He shot out his hand as if reaching it around a throat. Hook gasped and clutched his throat as his face turned red.

"Stop it!" Emma shouted and stepped between them. "I get it, you hate him, but that's not the problem right now!"

The Dark One ignored her for a few more seconds before looking at the Saviour and seeing her death glare. He snapped his hand back and the pirate felt the floor gasping for breath. Emma ignored him and turned back to Rumple.

"Answer my question!" She demanded.

"You need not know, only that I knew to be here," he replied. "I don't know who you are, Dearie, but I can sense magic. It was foretold I would come here. Who are you?"

Emma was silent for a few moments. She knew how important it would be that Rumple didn't remember any of it. Just her being there was changing the past and she knew how dangerous it would be. Yet, she also knew not to mess with the Dark One and soon realised that honestly was the best policy. She could worry about everything else late.

"Emma. Emma Swan and we need your help."

One again, something flashed through the Dark One's eyes that she didn't recognise and her heart started to quicken in fear. Rumple smirked and glanced for a millisecond towards where the pirate, who was standing up again, was. His face turned and Emma realised the look, it was sheer evil.

The Dark One laughed humourlessly. "You know, I would help you, for a price," he began, "but I would never help someone who was amicable with him."

"What?!" Emma cried, realising what was going on.

"So, Dearie, I wish you luck!" Then with a bang and flash, Rumple disappeared and it was as if he'd never even been there.

Emma stared at where the Dark One had stood in disbelief. She screamed in frustration and kicked the tree in front of her. "Fuck!" She cried and clutched her foot and hopped, willing the pain to diminished as quickly as it came.

"Come now, love, it's not the end of the world," Hook said as he took a step towards her.

The Saviour dropped her foot and turned on him, her eyes alight with the fire of her fury. "It's not the end of the world?!" She hissed. "Of course, it is! He was the only one that could have helped us, but you had to have pissed him off years ago and steal his wife! So now he won't help me get back to my son and my family. I have to get back!"

She turned her back on him and started pacing, muttering to herself, trying to come up with ideas. Initially she was going to suggest trying to find Rumple and ask him if he could bring back her magic, at least, then she could try and get them back herself. Then, if that didn't work, she was going to ask the Dark One in general to get them back, surely he had the power. She didn't know if there was anyone else she could ask. She had no idea where Maleficent was, if Regina had already trapped her, so she was out of the question. She couldn't go anywhere near her parents because she would mess up their meeting which would end her existence. That only left one magic wielder and Emma was terrified at the thought of it, but it was their only choice.

"You have an idea, don't you, Swan," Hook said as he recognised the look in the blonde's eye.

"It's a long shot," Emma murmured in reply, "but it could work." She turned her back on the pirate and looked into the distance. "We have to ask Regina."

Hook's eyes shot open in alarm. "Swan, you can't be serious. You don't know the Evil Queen, not like I do. She's not the Regina you know today in Storybrooke. She'll never help us."

"Maybe not you, but maybe me," she said quietly. She turned around and looked at the pirate. "We have to our separate ways. Go occupy yourself for a few days and I'll figure it out by myself. Meet me here in three days."

Emma then began to walk away before Hook called her back. "WHAT?" She snapped, finally losing her patience with the pirate.

He pointed to the clothes on the line behind them. "All I'm suggesting is that you look the part before going anywhere dressed like that."

The blonde rolled her eyes but silently agreed with him. After a few minutes, she was dressed the part in a maiden's dress, minus the corset because she was so not okay with that. With that done, she turned once more and started walking as far away from Hook as she possibly could.

The last few days back in Storybrooke had been so chaotic, it was actually nice to have some peace and quiet as she walked through the forest. Sure, something could jump out at her but what was the worst thing that could happen?

Just as she thought that, she heard the tell-tale sounds of horse hooves heading in her direction. She did all she could to quickly hide behind a fallen tree with only a few seconds to spare. She recognised the black suits of the soldiers easily from Henry's storybook, along with the black carriage that followed them. Wherever Emma was, the village was about to received a, most likely, unwelcomed guest.

The carriage pulled to a stop barely a few meters away from where Emma was hiding and she held her breath to prevent them from hearing her, but she couldn't help the gasp when she saw her.

Emma had heard story after story about the Evil Queen, from what she did to what she was like, but not a single one of those stories had prepared her for what Emma was met with after she saw the Evil Queen in all her glory for the first time. Her breath caught in her throat as she admired the Queen from afar. Her leather trousers clung to her like a second skin and a low-cut blouse that hinted to everything made Emma's heart quicken and skin blush, but that wasn't the main thing that peaked her interest.

In fact, it wasn't even what the Queen was wearing; it was her eyes. Her face showed determination to find Snow and to punish the woman who had apparently helped her, but her eyes showed pain and vulnerability. Well to Emma it did because she knew Regina like she knew herself, even though she'd never met this version before, but she could see where her Regina had been. Well she wasn't her Regina, if anything she was Robin's Regina. Emma shivered at the thought.

If she were honest with herself, that was the main reason she was happy that she was away from Storybrooke for now. It was true that she was worried that her new baby brother was going to replace her in her parents' life. Then Neal had suddenly come back in her life to just die again. There was also the fact that she'd gone from living a perfect life in New York, believing she'd never given her son up, just to have her world turned upside down by the pirate when he gave her that damned potion to give her, her memories back.

Thinking of the pirate, his constant attempts at winning her affections was just as irritating as it sounded. But then, she was happy that he'd brought her back to her family and also to Regina. Though the surprise was when she found out that Regina had a boyfriend! She wanted the former queen to find her happy ending, of course she did, but she'd never stopped to think about what Regina's happy ending would be. Did she think it would be a man? In actual fact, no. The only male she'd imagined in Regina's life was Henry.

Thinking of Regina, she looked up and watched her. Despite her being in her Evil Queen element, terrorising the villagers, which included, Emma realised Marco, Granny and Ruby, the latter of whom was half hidden behind her grandma, Emma still saw Regina. A broken woman, who was desperately seeking anything to make her feel something again.

Emma watched Regina threaten the village to reveal Snow White's plans or hideout and Emma was impressed at how strong the villagers were. She'd heard the story from her mother and read it in the book, she knew that Snow had been there not a day ago, yet they didn't say a word as they defended their rightful princess.

Then finally when none of the villagers spoke, Regina stepped back into her carriage and the door snapped shut behind her. The carriage driver flexed the reigns and the horses sped off into the distance. Emma was then able to stand up and stretch out her cramped limbs from being crouched for so long.

She shook out her legs and then arms before cracking her spine. She wished she had her magic and could poof to her destination but alas, she didn't. Instead, she would have to follow the tracks until she reached Regina's castle. She had no idea how long that would take but right now, she had no other option.

oOoOo

The walk took hours and she had to sit down and rest several times. She cast her mind back to some of the survival tips her mother had mentioned in passing as she started to grow hungry and thirsty. She found a couple of small streams and took a drink, but she didn't have anything to carry water in, so she had to gulp down what she could.

She vaguely remembered which safe berries Snow had pointed out the last time she was in the Enchanted Forest and she soon found a bush full of blackberries and ate a couple of handfuls. She found a few other berries that she couldn't name and picked a few to snack on further into her journey.

Along the way, she passed a few more small villages, but as she had no money, nor nothing of value, she couldn't buy any food. She simply ducked her head down and passed through, hoping no one would see her and then recognise her in the future.

Night was starting to fall when finally, she saw the black, spiky castle in the distance. She breathed in a sighed of relief. Her feet ached and her back killed. She was ready for a sit down, yet she knew the night wasn't over. She still had to figure out a way to get the Queen to help and not kill her.

On she walked, unaware of her surroundings. Weariness encroached her senses, as the tiredness took over. Her feet started to stumble as she dragged them along. Then suddenly, everything went black.

oOoOo

The next thing she knew, she was in a small chamber, lit by a few candles, next to a crackling fire and someone was mopping her brow with a cool cloth.

"It's okay, Miss, you'll be okay," a voice murmured as they brought the cloth down her cheeks.

Emma blinked her eyes and saw kind brown eyes looking down at her. She'd recognise those eyes anywhere after spending so much time staring into a version of them, not that she would ever admit to that. She knew without even asking that this was Regina's father.

"Ah, good, you're awake," he said with a smile in his voice. She tried to sit up, but Henry pushed her back down gently. "Don't get up yet, you're still tired and need to rest. I've sent for my maid to get a room set up for you for the night."

Emma went to speak but her mouth was too dry to say anything. Realising this, Henry helped her lift her head and brought a small water goblet to her mouth. Emma relished the simple taste of water, the liquid never tasting so good to her before.

"Now, can you tell me your name?" He asked gently, his eyes sparkling with happiness despite not knowing her and Emma soon realised why Regina loved this man more than anything in the world.

"Emma," she whispered, "My name is Emma." She thought it best no to say her full name as she'd heard that not many people had surnames at the time.

"That's a beautiful name," Henry replied. "A beautiful name for a beautiful lady." He placed the water goblet down and Emma blushed at the comment. "My name is Henry. Now, Emma, can you tell me what led to you collapsing outside the Queen's castle?"

The blonde took a deep breath as she began to sit up. This time, Henry didn't stop her. She winced as her head spun and Henry passed her the water goblet again. She took a small sip.

"Thank you," she murmured quietly as her brain worked overtime to think of a good excuse, but instead, she chose to stretch the truth as much as she could. "I've been travelling," she began, which was true. "I have been separated from my family and I need to return to them, but I don't know how. I've heard so many great things about the Queen and hoped to get a job here to help me get back to my family."

Henry was quiet for a few moments. "I see," he said finally with a small smile. These days he never heard anyone say anything positive towards his daughter, but he could see the honesty in Emma's eyes and actually believed what she was saying. "I see," he repeated. "What if I said there was a job going in my quarters instead of the Queen's, would that work?"

"That would be amazing!" Emma said quickly. She soon realised if she could get close to Henry, that was a one-way ticket to getting closer to Regina. Once she was in the castle, she could work her charm and move her way up. Well, she could only hope! "I would be honoured, Sir."

"Then that's settled!" He said happily. "I can't pay much, but I can guarantee you a place to stay and the hours are not too bad. You will have every Wednesday afternoon off and every other Sunday. The job isn't difficult, just cleaning and helping during trips. If you do a good job, I'm sure I'll be able to get you a position with the Queen, but she is rather demanding."

"I'm sure she's a great woman," Emma said quietly. She tried not to think about how true her words were. She knew that Regina was a great woman, just currently completely heartbroken.

"She is indeed," Henry agreed before coughing slightly to change the subject. "Now, I shall show you to your room and ensure some food is sent up for you."

Henry helped Emma stand up, she tried to refuse as she was starting to feel better, but he insisted. He led her out of the room and along a couple of hallways, pointing out some important rooms and directions including to his chambers and the washroom, before arriving in a small room. It wasn't much but it was enough. There was a bed, a small vanity table with a small mirror and a wardrobe that was surprisingly full of clothes, which Emma was grateful of as she only had that one dress and her jeans.

"The food will be here in a few moments," Henry said as he walked back to the door. "If there is anything else you need, or if you start to feel ill again, please ring this bell," he pointed to the small brass bell on the vanity, "and someone will be along to help you. Good night, Emma." He dipped his head in respect and started to walk away.

"Henry, I mean, Sir, I can't thank you enough for this," Emma said in earnest. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"You are very welcome," Henry replied. "Sweet dreams." He then turned and left the room.

Emma sat down lightly on her bed and looked around, not believing her luck. Sure, she was miles away, well years away, from home with no current way to get home except for her practically impossible plan. But as she thought about it, maybe it wasn't impossible. Her first step, get to the Queen's castle, was complete. She was in and working for Henry. The only way was up, right?

A few minutes later, there was a quiet knock on the door as the cook brought up some food. She opened the door and saw no one was there but there was a tray on the floor. It was a simple bowl of vegetable soup and some bread and a jug of water. It wasn't much, but it was the finest food after not eating all day.

She ate the food slowly, savouring the taste, before stripping down to her underwear. She blew out the candles and settled into bed. Day one in the past of the Enchanted Forest was done and the first step of her plan was complete. She just hoped that the rest of her task would go just as swimmingly but really, would that ever be the case?