Hello readers!

Bringing you a multichapter fic. This is mostly going to be Emma-centric and honestly i don't know who she may or may not end up with at the end of this fic but its looking more and more like a WickedSwan endgame the more of it i write... i hope that is ok with everyone. It may still change yet but we will see.

This is canon-divergent from the time Emma kills Hook and her Dark One status is removed but BEFORE any of the underworld stuff can occur, therefore Hook is definitely dead and Robin is still alive. Because Robin is still alive i'd changed the babies name to Margot because why would Zelena need to honor a dude who isnt dead? Anyways... some changes will occur, as it stands Zelena and Regina still don't remember the past where they had wanted to be sister/best friends and Cora ruined that. This will likely come to light later on in the fic.

Anyways before i spoil anything else regarding this fic... read on. Please review, i'd love to hear your thoughts =)

Henry had been calling Emma most of the day. It wouldn't do any good really. Emma wasn't going to answer his calls. Not today. It had barely been two weeks since she'd turned from her Darkness to the light again. Two weeks filled with self loathing, depression, grief and extreme regret. Two weeks filled with being by herself and not really feeling any support at all.

It was understandable, she had convinced herself anyways, Regina was playing happy family with her soulmate and her stolen child. Well her niece, really, the tiny baby was apparently better off in her care than her sisters given what Zelena had done and so Robin had decided he wanted majority custody of his daughter. Zelena had tried but even she knew she didn't have a leg to stand on.

Emma was in the woods around the town line when Henry called for the 11th time in an hour. She let it ring out not minding the tone causing the birds and surrounding ambient sound to still. Nothing really mattered at the moment. After all, it had only been two weeks since she killed the man she loved. It had been two weeks of the town jumping any time they realised she was standing there. Of offering side eyes and wary looks when she asked for something or offered an opinion. Emma was now the pariah.

It was as she was looking up from the phone in her hand that she realised how close to the boundary she was. The magical barrier was invisible but it was almost startlingly clear that something wasn't right on the other side. It wasn't exactly obvious, but there was a difference. The surrounding forest seemed to be duller, muted colours, dead spots. Not many, it wouldn't even be really clear except Emma had spent the last two weeks out here and was realising that it had gradually become more and more clear that something was amiss.

"Henry?" Emma uncharacteristically answered the 12th call.

"Ma! Why wasn't you answering? Where are you? Why don't you come over for dinner?" Henry asked as if he was worried that if he didn't speak quickly she would hang up.

"Was that your mothers idea?" Emma asked with a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Actually I haven't asked her yet but I'm sure she would be OK with it. She asks me every day if I've spoken with you." Henry says slowly.

"I'm sorry kid, not tonight. I don't feel like company." Emma wasn't going to lie to him, she felt like crap. In fact the last thing she actually wanted was company. People asking her how she is feeling. It was almost worse than the mounting suspicion thrown at her all the time.

"Ma please, you never feel like company anymore." Henry's tone took on that slightly whiny tone that grated on Emma's nerves.

"No, Henry, i really don't. I killed the man i love, kid. I need time." Emma sighs dejectedly, willing herself not to choke on the emotions that were welling in her chest again.

"Ma…" Henry says softly, he didn't know what to say though. They had all been there. It was heartbreaking.

"I'll talk to you later, kid." Emma says with a soft smile in her tone but not on her face. There was a soft affirmation on the other side of the line and Emma hung up.

"How is she?" Regina asked looking over at her son. Regina hadn't been intentionally ignoring Emma, it had been more trying to give Emma space to grieve while also managing her own life.

Since taking on Margot, the one thing that Zelena had ultimate say in, the name of the baby, Regina and Robin had settled fairly well into a loving family role. Regina was attentive as was Robin, they were in love. Regina wasn't about to waste her second chance at happiness, not after finally getting it back and certainly not after what happened to Emma with her second chance. It killed Regina a little though, to have seen that woman's heart break again, after everything Regina had already done to her.

"Still the same. She doesn't want to talk, she doesn't want to spend time with anyone. I'm worried about her. It doesn't help that people in town don't trust her anymore." Henry says pouting sadly.

"She's not the Savior anymore. She's the Dark One." Robin says from his spot on the sofa beside Regina.

"She is not!" Henry says sharply but Robin gives Henry a placating smile and lifts his hands in a placating gesture.

"We know that, dear. Robin just means that that is how people are still seeing her. Emma didn't directly terrorise people as the Dark One, but the fear of the Dark One in general runs deep in the folk in town here. Look at what they did to Ruby when the first curse broke." Regina explains to the growing young man gently.

"I wish she would talk to anyone. I wish Gram and Gramps would talk to her. I don't think they mean to ignore her but i think they don't know how to even talk to her anymore." Henry sighs heavily and moves over to gently sit beside Regina, the Mayor didn't hesitate to pull him against her.

"No one really knows how to talk to Emma anymore, my sweet prince. She just needs time to heal. All we can do is let her know we are here when she needs us." Regina says gently kissing his head. Even the hand squeezing his shoulder, the hand belonging to Robin, felt reassuring.

It was later that night. Bordering on midnight in fact, when Emma was rudely interrupted from her silent and uncomfortable musings. She was in her car out on the street, not staking out. No, she had been sleeping in her car since the darkness and love had been stripped from her. She would shower in the house but that was it. She refused to be in there more than a few minutes. Looking up she scowled at the redhead outside her car window.

"Sorry to interrupt but… what are you doing, darling?" Zelena asked in a tone that bordered between not interested and concerned. Relatively typical of Zelena it seemed.

"Sleeping." Emma grunts, her discomfort was making her ornery.

"Yeah that was what i thought. Can i ask why you're… 'sleeping' out in your car outside of your house?" Emma had plotted to murder Zelena less than a month ago so she really didn't understand why Zelena was sitting here asking these questions.

"I sleep better out here than i do in there." Emma says after a moment, she felt like she didn't really need to lie to Zelena. Like there was no point, the witch would see right through her anyways she was sure of it.

"Alright, I'm glad you're sitting down because I'm about to suggest something crazy…." Zelena says after a few minutes her tone was the same but her expression was more open, suddenly more sincere than Emma had seen it before.

"Really?" Emma asked almost bored, she was somewhat too curious to have it be completely bored.

"Come back to the BnB with me. For tonight. If you are anything like me you will sleep better with company." Zelena says after a moment and Emma's eyes widen a little.

"Are you propositioning me?" Emma asked dubiously because it somewhat sounded like it.

"No." Zelena actually laughed. "God no. No i mean to, at most, cuddle. We are the outcasts now you and i. I hate to say it Swan, but you and i can help each other." Zelena says seriously but it makes Emma frown.

"Help each other do what?" Emma asks slowly.

"Heal. We can be alone together. After all we are both heart broken at the moment. I know you know what its like to give up a child you really want." Zelena's tone was softer, she knew it wasn't quite the same, she knew where her child was and that she could see Margot when ever she wanted, but she wasn't allowed to have the baby with her all the time, she was watching her sister play mother to her child.

"Alone together?" Emma asks uncertainly but maybe, just maybe, this could actually work.

"Yeah. I need friends, you need company that isn't afraid to say stuff to you. I gave my heart up, you stabbed yours. We can heal together, we both need a friend right now and I don't have many takers." Zelena smiles now and it was strikingly genuine despite the mildly sardonic tone.

"I.. yeah i think maybe you might be onto it. Cuddle buddies?" Emma asks almost weakly at that point, the hope of maybe just maybe sharing her grief with someone that might help her get a little sleep. It was almost enough to weep over.

"If we must label it. Now come on. Let's go, we both need the sleep." Zelena smiles and finally opens the car door instead of speaking through the cracked window.

Emma gets out after a moment and smiles lightly. She would come back tomorrow and a change of clothes or something but for now she was content to just go with Zelena. This oddly forgiving woman, a woman who had been at risk of death from the woman she now seemed willing to spend time with. It would almost make Emma suspicious but the amount of self loathing she had at the moment she was willing to put herself at risk right now. Besides Zelena was right. She did know what it was like to be heart broken over losing a child, it just makes you want to have any kind of physical connection with someone. Something Emma had been denied while in prison.

It wasn't until they were walking, because it was a fairly nice evening, back to the BnB that it occurred to Emma that it was midnight there about which seemed odd for Zelena to be our and about. Of course it was also odd for someone to be sleeping in their car outside of their perfectly sound house.

"Why were you walking around at midnight?" Emma asks finally.

"Because I couldn't sleep and I thought I might as well get some air at a time where all the good little boys and girls are in their beds instead of constantly judging me with their eyes." Zelena offers a little blandly, the first indicator that it was really bothering her.

"Yeah OK, that makes sense." Emma definitely understood, she got more than a few of those looks these days.

"It's absurd isn't it? All the good you did for this town completely over shadowed by fact you were the Dark One recently. It doesn't matter what you sacrificed. It doesn't matter that you took the darkness so my sister didn't have to. It only matters that you had that power and used it." Zelena laughs but it was a bit cold.

"You haven't mentioned the part where I plotted to kill you." Emma says after a moment, it was fair to say Emma had a lot of regrets.

"You were pretty desperate, and I've done worse. I don't have a lot of room to judge you, Swan. So I won't. I'd rather we form some semblance of friendship because we both deserve it." Zelena explains with a half smile her tone and expression much calmer now.

"It was all for nothing anyways. I could never really have saved him." Emma has her hands jammed in her jacket pockets lest she fiddle.

"Not from what I've heard about Excalibur. I'm sorry, for what it's worth. I've been tricked and toyed with a bit too. I don't think I've ever allowed myself to love someone though. I'm not brave enough." Zelena admits lightly as the pair neared the BnB.

"It's an extremely fine line between bravery and stupidity and I'm beginning to think I'm not as smart as I thought I was." Emma's chuckle was self deprecating at best.

"I just think you have a greater capacity for hope than most people. Myself included. Don't you get that from your mother?" Zelena quirks an eyebrow as she leads Emma into the building.

"Something like that I think. I don't really like it. This whole thing makes me want to run." Emma admits softly as though she were worried someone would over hear her.

"You have too much to stay for though. Despite everything you've at least found family." Zelena points out gently both of them quieter now so not to disturb the tenants.

"So have you though." Emma points out.

"A sister who hates me, and with good reason and a child I can only love at a distance?" Zelena scoffs lightly, definitely bitter.

"Regina doesn't hate you. She'd try to run you out of town if she did. Trust me." Emma gives a half smile.

"Honestly I feel like there was a lot of sexual tension and chemistry with you and Regina." Zelena offers changing the subject. Emma managed to pull her hands from her pockets in time to catch herself before face planting the steps in front of her as she laughs. An actual laugh, if a little too loud.

"God no. Regina couldn't stand me. At best it might have been hate sex, but I'm not into that. I need feelings or I feel dirty." Emma says amused.

"Oh OK so the chemistry was all you then?" Zelena gives Emma a pointed look but Emma just chuckled.

"No. It's like you said, I'm full to the brim with hope. I always hoped for better with Regina but I never for a moment considered she'd go that route with me and so it never crossed my mind. Like I said she hated me but I saw a lot of good in her, therefore I was her biggest cheerleader but that was it. Besides i get distinctly straight vibes from her." Emma explains genuinely amused by the topic for the first time in weeks.

"Yes I suppose she does give that strictly-dickly vibe." Zelena offered as she unlocked her door.

"Strictly-dickly?" Emma couldn't help the snort and guffaw that came from her. She stumbled into the room when Zelena yanked her in as opposed to letting her make a racket in the hall. Even Zelena had a chuckle at Emma's mirth.

That was until the laughter dissolved to tears that didn't seem far from the surface almost constantly these days. Emma was so very broken and Zelena wasn't particularly whole herself. It was because of this and the understanding that she had that lead Zelena to move Emma over to the bed and make her sit as Emma sobbed uncontrollably. Boots were removed and blankets pulled back. Zelena urges Emma to shuffle over and make space before sliding onto the bed herself and pulling Emma close and that was how they remained. Zelena wept silently as the blonde cried herself to sleep. But the point was they both slept, exhaustion settling in and sorrow giving way to peace as sleep overcame them both.

The following morning was a surprise for pretty much everyone else in town. Not really a pleasant one how ever. As it seemed very much that the woman who was recently the Dark one and the woman who also recently terrorised the town had… buddied up.

Regina, Robin, Roland, Henry and Margot was sat having breakfast at the diner that morning, a treat for them all after a somewhat rough night with an unsettled baby. David and Mary-Margaret had come in not long after the Mills/Hood family had settled in a booth. Smiles and waves were exchanged before the Charmings, with baby Neal in tow, settled in their own seat. Grumpy at the counter waiting on coffee with a frown on his face. Archie sat having a coffee and waffles while reading the paper at a table for two in the middle of the diner.

It was for all accounts a typical morning. Food was being run from kitchen to table, dishes from table to kitchen. Orders jotted down and beverages served ice cold or piping hot. It was all so typical and normal. So normal in fact no one counted on any kind of abnormal behaviour at all. Not a bit of it. Right up until the door opened and the bell chimed. Glances in that direction were promptly followed by double-takes and wide eyed stares or open distrust and suspicion.

"Is that Zelena with Emma?" Henry could hear Mary-Margret ask in the booth in front of theirs.

Not only was that Zelena with Emma but both women were smiling and talking to one another and so neither had immediately noticed the stares directed towards them. Not until they looked up to find a seat that was.

"Well then…" Zelena trails off slightly and Emma nods, words weren't really necessary.

"Maybe let's get the coffee and food to go and you can join me on my walk before I go to the station." Emma suggests lightly and gestures the counter near the register where Grumpy was sitting.

It was the first time anyone had seen Emma with another person since the darkness had been stripped from her and frankly no one tried to see Zelena at all really so it was much a surprise. Henry for his part was somewhere between pleased and upset. Pleased because it was nice to see Emma with an expression other than blank on her face but upset because he had hoped she'd come to her family to be cheered up.

"I'm not sure this is a good thing." Robin says finally and Regina nods, she had to agree. Her estranged sister surely had some plot and Regina didn't want to see Emma be a part of it.

"I'll go and speak with them." Regina says gently getting up and double checking the baby was OK. She walked over to the pair and smiled a little stiffly.

"Oh hello dear. Did you need something?" Zelena's tone wasn't exactly friendly but it wasn't as hard as it could have been either.

"I'd like to know what you're up to actually and if you really think it's worth dragging Emma into it right now. Or is this because she attempted to murder you." Regina was immediately defensive and Emma almost would have been pleased if not for the fact that Regina was so off base.

"Regina…"

"No no, don't worry, Swan. Regina's right to be dubious. I'm the bad guy after all. What could I possibly need you for other than some grand plot to make everyone else miserable?" Zelena cut Emma off but didn't look away from her sister.

"Zelena." Regina's tone was one of warning at that point.

"Well it is what you're all thinking isn't it? Either that or you're doubting that Emma's entirely rid of her darkness and we are planning something together?" Zelena asks seriously, and beyond aggravated. Emma wouldn't stop her.

"So you are up to something then?" Regina quirks that superior brow.

"Of course I am, dear sister. I'm getting breakfast with the only person who doesn't look at me like I'm about to exude some disease all over them." Zelena snarks and rolls her eyes.

"If we can get some service that is." Zelena added because it appeared the current front of house staff weren't inclined to serve either of them. A fact confirmed when a scowling Granny came bustling out of the kitchen grumbling about sacking the lot of them.

"What can I get you?" Granny was all business as she looked between Zelena and Emma.

"Two grilled cheese, a serve of onion rings and two coffees please. Black. To go." Emma informs straight laced but not impolitely.

"Ill have it right out." Granny offered ringing it up on the till and taking their money.

"There, see? Breakfast sorted. We will be out of your hair soon." Zelena smirks at Regina who scowls still quite suspiciously.

"Actually Regina I wanted to ask you something. Have you noticed the woods outside the magical barrier?" Emma asked before the bickering could go any further.

"What about it?" Regina asks frowning because that seemed like such a random question.

"It's just… it appears to be dying." Emma says after a moment.

"Well it's not dying inside the barrier. What does it matter? Someone probably dumped some chemicals out there or something." Regina brushes it off and really Emma hadn't any proof to the contrary so she just shrugged. Seeing no more argument really at the moment Regina looked to her sister.

"Would you like to come by tonight for dinner and spend some time with Margot?" Regina asks her sister.

"Yes please." The abrupt answer was the true indicator to Regina that Zelena did in fact quite desperately want to spend time with her daughter.

"I'll see you at 6." Regina says finally and goes back to the table leaving the pair alone.

Everyone in the diner watched as the unlikely duo got their order and left. Only when the bell chimed behind them did things become a little more normal. The waitstaff went about their merry ways, coming back out to serve as usual. The only thing that really seemed out of place was the eyes turning to Regina instead. Though now they weren't condemning they were curious.

"What's going on then, Mayor? Why are those two chumming up?" Grumpy asked in a … well grumpy kind of way.

"It appears they're just… keeping each other company." Regina explains with a light frown. David and Snow were torn between being suspicious and just being worried about their daughter.

"And you trust that?" Grumpy asked seriously.

"Now Leroy you look here, those two girls have lost enough for the time being, you give them a break. It's my understanding that birds of a feather flock together and the only difference between the two at the moment is the fact that Zelena still gets to spend time with her love." Granny stepped in at their defence because honestly she remembered what they did to Ruby and she wasn't about to sit back and let them do the same thing to Emma or Zelena, not without proof of nefariousness.

"You can't be serious. It's going to bite us in the ass when they team up and go all psycho on us all." Leroy grouses but gets his coffee and leaves without another word. Granny just shook her head and went back through to the kitchen.

Regina attempted to get back into her breakfast but she'd lost her appetite. The niggling feeling of guilt and shame was creeping in and she wasn't sure at all how to combat it. On one hand she felt like Zelena didn't deserve to raise a child but on the other maybe her child was exactly what Zelena needed to really calm down. But then there was the fact that Margot was also Robins child. Sighing softly she resigned herself to the liquid breakfast of a coffee.

For the last several days Emma had been going to the border of the towns limits and every day the dying surrounding forest was getting worse and worse. Emma had started taking photos and had even convinced Zelena that something was going wrong. Any time she attempted to speak to anyone else about it though it was the same thing.

The towns people, particularly her parents and Regina, were convinced that the biggest problem was just someone dumping something that was effecting the forest around them. It was beginning to really get on Emma's nerves. They weren't exactly cut off from the rest of the world and so Emma did some research. It seemed if wasn't someone dumping things around the town it was mass soil poisoning but no one could explain what was causing it.

Zelena had seen the evidence herself, had gone with Emma to the town line and had looked through Emma's research. It was because she was to convinced that something was amiss that they decided to go and try with Regina again. They had gone to the house but Robin had explained that Regina had gone with Henry and Violet to the diner.

When the unlikely duo made it to the diner Regina was sitting by herself at the counter, clearly it was a date that Henry and Violet were on. Emma supported it, she had somewhat sabotaged it to begin with but had worked to get Henry back in the girls good graces. It seemed to have worked to say the least.

"Regina." Emma spoke up when they approached the woman to get her attention.

"Well if it isn't the dynamic duo. What can i do for you today?" Regina asked in a somewhat bored tone. There was only so much she could handle when chaperoning a teenage couple.

"Regina its about the world outside of here." Emma says seriously.

"Not this again Emma." Regina, at that point, needed some air. She got off her stool and headed outside knowing full well Emma and Zelena would follow her.

"No seriously, dear sister, you should listen. What is going on outside the town is a global phenomenon." Zelena says seriously.

"It doesn't matter though, its going on out there and not in here." Regina says just as serious and Emma frowns deeply.

"You cant honestly say that. Something bad is happening Regina!" Emma scowls deeply she didn't know how she could get Regina to understand.

"It doesn't matter, Emma! Because we have a barrier to keep us safe from stuff like that!" Regina says seriously because she just wasn't sure she cared enough about the millions outside.

"Regina it's-" Zelena trailed off as a car sped down the street towards them.

Said car screeched to a stop in from of them before the door swung open so hard it made a serious cracking and grinding sound and none other than Lily Page stumbled out of the car holding her left arm against her side. Before they could speak Lily looked at them, a few blisters on her face like she had been splattered with hot oil.

"You need to help me…" Lily murmured weakly, taking a step towards them.

Emma saw her eyes roll and moved quickly surging forward and catching Lily before she could do more than fall to her knees. Upon closer inspection Lily looked as though her whole left side had been burned, or scalded with something. Zelena and Regina both were there beside her. Emma didn't understand how this could have happened but she didn't hesitate. It was the first time she'd used her magic since losing the darkness but she manifested it so she could heal the damage done to Lily's skin, removing the pain.

Lily remained unconscious for only a moment more after the magic diminished, when she roused she blinked up at them.

"Worlds crazy out there." She croaks and Emma casts a glance at Regina. The Mayor didn't say a word.