"He's fine," Whale announces as Regina and Emma scramble to their feet in the waiting area. "I've done a full exam and there's not a scratch on him."

"And Belle?" Emma asks, nodding towards the curtain that divides the trauma bay. "Has she come around yet?"

"Tamara showed me the dosage on her darts, so Belle shouldn't be out for too much longer. Her vital signs are all stable; it's very encouraging."

"I want her secured the minute your tests are complete," Regina commands, drawing herself up to her full height, and Emma could swear she actually grows a couple of inches with the ramrod-straight posture that's definitely crossing over from Mayor to Queen. "If her old room isn't available, any of the others will do. Have my regular nurse supervise her care."

"Due respect, Madam Mayor, you're not calling the shots anymore."

"Do as she says," Emma orders, hand twitching towards her badge. "Whatever issues you have with Regina, we need to keep Henry safe. And if Belle's been fooling around with magic, the Sheriff's station isn't equipped to deal with her."

"Moms!" Henry comes scurrying out from behind his curtain then, still in his hospital gown. He has a clear plastic hospital bracelet on top of the black one Belle put on him.

"Hey kid, how you feeling?"

"I told you already, I'm fine," Henry huffs, but he looks a little relieved when Regina gathers him into a hug. "Is Belle gonna be okay?"

"We hope so," Regina answers, smooth as ever.

"Henry didn't want us to take his bracelet off," Whale points out. "And we did try, but I'm guessing there's magic at work."

"My mom just likes me to wear it so she can find me" Henry lies, looking at Regina with a steady gaze and inviting her to back it up. "But only you can take it on and off, isn't that right, Mom?"

"That's right," Regina says. "Given the way mobs get riled up in this town, I take my son's safety very seriously." Emma shifts her weight nervously from one foot to the other, as Regina takes their son's hands in her own. "In fact, this is exactly like the one my own mother gave to me when I was a girl. We'll take it off in our own time, Doctor."

"Regina? If this is some black magic whatever-" Emma knows she shouldn't air their dirty laundry in public, and she knows Belle is the real culprit, but the mention of Cora has put them all on edge again.

"It's not."

"You sure?"

"Haven't I just shown you what I'm willing to do to prevent harm coming to Henry?"

"Fine," Emma sighs.

"Let's go in here," Regina says, getting back to her feet when she realizes how many people are staring at them. There's a small bathroom just off the waiting area, and Emma follows them in, not letting the kid out of her sight for a second right now.

"So what's the trick?" Emma demands once the door is closed. It's cramped, and the white tile looks that sickly kind of of pale green under the institutional lighting that reflects harshly on every surface. "Or is it like a password?"

"Mom, maybe I should keep it on," Henry tries again. "I don't want to hurt anyone else, please."

"Henry, you were smart to come up with that cover story, but if we're talking about hurting people, I think you have something to say to Emma."

"Emma, I'm sorry about this morning. I didn't mean it, I swear. I just get angry and… it's like I can't stop it."

"Gonna take a while to accept that apology," Emma grunts, but she can already feel her resistance starting to fade. He's a kid. And without sparkles on his face or blood-curdling giggles, he's just the sweet little boy who came to find her. She's not about to give up on him now.

If only the guilt about getting a much sweeter apology than Regina ever has would fade along with the doubt. "But Regina, does he have a point? I can lock this dagger up for good," Emma points out, patting her jacket where the knife rests again. "If one simple bit of bling is gonna stop all the magic problems. Not like it's gonna fall off him anytime soon."

"What Belle may not have known, and what neither of you seem to have the first clue about, is that the bracelet is not designed for long-term use. Look," Regina says, pulling the metal carefully from Henry's skin, as far as it will allow from his slender wrist. "You see how the skin is turning a faint shade of purple? It'll be twenty times darker by morning. And eventually… well. It isn't pretty."

"It did burn a little at first," Henry admits.

"It only gets worse, sweetheart. We have to get it off," Regina gets down on her knees in front of him, taking a deep breath that she holds for a long moment. "Now, this is easy if you do just as I tell you."

"Can I help?" Emma asks, feeling useless as she leans against the closed door with her thumbs through the belt loops of her jeans.

Regina shakes her head and continues. She takes Henry's hands in her own again, and looks up at their son with a reassuring smile and enough love to power the town for a month, if only they could channel it. It's enough to take Emma's breath away for a moment, but nobody seems to notice her quiet gasp.

"You just close your eyes and say out loud, 'I promise I'll be good'," Regina explains, her voice trembling a little. "But Henry, you have to mean it. You have to be thinking how you won't do magic again. That has to be your intent."

"What if I don't mean it enough?" He looks terrified, picking up on the way Regina is practically shaking.

"Then it hurts. A lot," Regina says, her head dipping for a moment. "But you're a good boy, Henry. Just take a moment to really focus, and I'm sure you'll do it. Don't worry."

"Maybe we should wait," Emma suggests, but Regina is nodding at Henry, urging him on. He squeezes his eyes closed, and Emma's struck by her own memory of a cupcake, a single candle, and the wish that maybe-maybe-set all of these events in motion. Or maybe Henry would have showed up anyway; she's no longer quite such a cynic when it comes to magic and what it can do.

"I promise I'll be good," Henry says, not much louder than a whisper. After a moment, just at the point when Emma thinks she might burst from nervous anticipation, the cuff slips from his wrist and clatters on the tile floor.

"Oh, thank the Gods," Regina mutters, grabbing at it and shoving it in the pocket of her coat. "Well done, Henry."

There's a knock on the bathroom door then. Mary Margaret's voice travels through the wood, making them all jump.

"Everything okay in there?"

"Henry, go see your grandparents, tell them what happened." Emma directs, moving away from the door just far enough to open it and steer him out. It's still not the greatest idea to have Regina and Mary Margaret in close proximity. "Your mom and I need to have a chat."

"I don't have anything to talk about," Regina says, grasping the sink and pulling herself up with less grace than usual. She looks as exhausted as Emma feels.

"What the hell did she do to you, Regina?"

"Don't."

"I know that with everything that happened, you haven't exactly had time to deal with-"

"I said, don't." Regina tries to push past, and if she'd rather be in the same room with her arch-nemesis then she really doesn't want to talk about it. Emma sympathizes, of course she does, but she also knows all too well the problems of something this horrible left undiscussed.

"I just want to make sure whatever the hell that dredged up for you… do you need some time? I don't think it's healthy to have a meltdown around Henry. And I'd be saying the same if it took one of my abandoned orphan issues to get the bracelet off, I promise."

"I…" Regina flounders there, her eyes closing to hide whatever pain she's in. Eventually she opens them again, scouring Emma's features for a lie, for some sign of a trap. "I think for now it's better I not be alone. Maybe later."

"You don't have to be," Emma reminds her, scrunching her nose at the admission. She's half a beat away from scuffing her toe against the floor, but none of this emotional crap is getting any easier. "I'm gonna check in with Tamara, then hopefully Belle will be back in the land of the living. Henry can stay with me, or my parents can take him back to the apartment and stand guard."

"After today, I'm not trusting anyone else with him."

"No, of course not. But you're not doing this on your own anymore, remember? So… go do whatever you need to do. Talk to Archie, or-"

Regina looks horrified, so Emma quits while she's ahead.

"I'll feel better if Henry's back at the apartment. If we go now, can you come and take over when you're done playing Sheriff?"

"You trust me?"

"With Henry? I suppose I do. Besides, you have the dagger."

"You can take it if you want," Emma suggests, reaching for it. But Regina places a hand on Emma's forearm, stopping her.

"I don't want it," Regina says. "I'll take him straight there, it won't be needed."

"Sure you don't need me to come with?" Emma asks. "I can talk to people later."

"You're not my wife, Emma. Henry is going to need us around all the time, for a while, so maybe shifts or something will work best. We'll talk about it."

"You're avoiding me," Emma concludes. "You're still pissed that I doubted you, and you're punishing me."

"Better than you punishing me for things I haven't done," Regina snaps back, with her usual venom. "I just want to go."

"Well, I'm not stopping you," Emma moves and Regina opens the door again. "I'll get back as soon as I can, to take my shift."

"See that you do," Regina commands, and in just a few steps she has Henry's hand in hers, both of them disappearing in a puff of purple smoke.

"How's he doing?" Emma asks, stopping in the doorway of Neal's room where the lights are low and the monitors beep quietly. Tamara is in a plastic chair on the far side of the bed, clasping his hand around the intrusion of the IV poking into his skin.

"The swelling in his skull has reduced, apparently. Doctor thinks that medically he should be waking up soon. Guess we'll just have to wait and see if the magic does anything on top of that."

"Well, you seem pretty cool with all of this. More than I am, to be honest."

"Come in, Emma," Tamara suggests. "Take the other chair and tell me what's obviously on your mind."

"It's just… how are you so calm about this?" Emma asks, sitting down heavily in the free chair. "I know we talked, before, and you said that you track this stuff. But I don't know how you go from 'magic is a thing' to dropping kidnappers in a dragon's lair. Which nobody discovered in 28 years of a curse, but you walked right into."

"I saw you heading into the library," Tamara admits. "I was in my car. Then when Regina followed I thought it might be worth checking out. The two of you usually means Henry stuff and… well, I guess someone has to look out for Neal's interest in all of this."

"Oh. Okay."

"Sorry I don't have a big conspiracy for you."

"I've gotten used to expecting one, sorry. I just… it's like I can't catch my breath, you know? And every time I say that to someone here they just do that head tilting thing. Like they're humoring me, you know? I'm whining about one thing that went wrong when their whole lives have been all this death and danger crap."

"Doesn't make your situation any less real," Tamara suggests. "I've always been a roll with the punches kind of gal, so I guess I just seem calmer than I am. You want to get a coffee?"

"I need to check in on Belle," Emma groans. "And get her somewhere safely out of Regina's way for when the relief of saving Henry wears off. I do not need more bloodshed on my hands."

"She's a handful," Tamara says, standing to stretch. Emma notes that the tranquilizer gun is propped against her chair, a sawn-off shotgun, basically. "You want me to bring some coffee to Belle's room? I'm going anyway."

"You're a lifesaver," Emma says. "Have you fixed up somewhere to stay while Neal is in here?"

"Yeah, Granny had a room for me. I'll head back there when visiting hours are over, I guess."

"If you need anything…"

"Emma, I think you have enough on your plate. But I appreciate the thought. Go get your Sheriff on, caffeine is on its way."

Tamara strides out of the room first, and Emma follows a moment later, wondering how in the hell she's still the least well-adapted to the shitshow that her life has become.

"Lacey?" Emma speaks softly, nodding at Whale where he's filling out something on the chart. "You got a moment to talk to me?"

"You can call me Belle," she responds, pushing herself up against the pillows. "Mother Superior came to check on me, and she's solved the problem with my memories."

"She seems quite present," Whale confirms. "We'll have Hopper come confirm that later, but for now I'm satisfied."

"I'm sorry for what we-I-did to Henry," Belle continues, motioning for Emma to come closer. "I don't remember any of Lacey's memories now, but from what they told me, you must have been terrified."

"I like to think she wouldn't really have hurt him," Emma assures Belle, sitting on the edge of the bed but keeping a wary distance all the same. "I mean, it was supposed to be helping, kinda."

"Is there something wrong with Henry?" Belle asks. "Is he sick?"

"Nothing we can't fix," Emma cuts off that line of questioning. At least the Blue Fairy has done them a solid on that front. "I would steer clear of Regina for a while, though. It takes her some time to get over things."

"I'll apologize to her, too."

"Like I say, leave it for a few days."

"She does have a temper, your Queen," Belle agrees.

"My Queen?" Emma flushes at the mention.

"Oh, I just meant she was Queen of your land," Belle amends, but there's a sparkle in her eye as she sees Emma's reaction. "But how fitting that someone is finally trying to break her curse. For all that she did it with bad intent, she's the reason I ever confessed my true love."

"Wait, nobody's saying-"

"She's a very lonely woman," Belle continues, brushing Emma's protest aside. "You might want to be careful of that. They don't like realizing they need someone else, after so long fending for themselves. I learned that the hard way. She'll push and push, but you just have to wait it out."

"Uh… thanks? Anyway, I'm not gonna press any charges right now, given the situation. I might ask you to check in with me a couple of times a week, just so we can be sure the whole Lacey problem is definitely solved."

"It feels like she's gone," Belle assures her. "Did anyone else have problems like this… with two personalities overlapping?"

"Not that we know of," Emma tells her. "I guess we should just be glad that the Blue Fairy knew a way to fix it all along. Although she could have mentioned that sooner."

"And uh… Rumple? He's really gone, isn't he?"

"I'm sorry. But yeah, he is. Neal was here. He arranged the burial and stuff. Maybe when he wakes up you two should talk," Emma feels like she's offering not much of anything to someone who seems to have lost everything, but it's really all she's got. "We're hoping he'll be back with us any day now, I'll tell Doctor Whale to keep you updated, too."

"Come see him when you're up," Tamara says, entering then with Emma's coffee. She hands it over and leaves again, with no more than a tired smile.

"Thanks," Belle says, reaching for Emma's hand and squeezing it. "You'll tell Henry I'm sorry, too? I hope I didn't scare him too much."

"He'll be fine," Emma says, with a lot more confidence than she actually has.

"I don't know what Lacey could want with an eleven year-old," Belle sighs. "But let's all be glad his mothers came to rescue him, hmm?"

"Yeah," Emma pulls away then, suddenly aware of just how tired she is. "Speaking of, I should go check on said kid and his mom. You feel better, okay?"

"You're really not mad at me?"

"You weren't yourself, so I guess not. Like I say, just give Regina some time, and hopefully peace will reign again."

"Thank you, Emma. You really are a good person," Belle sinks back against the pillows, reaching for a book on the table by the bed.

"I don't know about that," Emma replies with a shrug, before turning and getting the hell out of there.

"Mom?" He asks as they approach the front door. "Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?" She asks, trying not to snap, he can hear it in her voice though. "You're still grounded, Henry. We just got a fright with everything that happened."

"It's going to happen again, isn't it? I mean, Belle will tell people and then they'll try to fight me, or kidnap me, or steal the dagger and…"

"She won't tell," Mom assures him. "Even if I have to lock her up myself, I won't allow that. And hopefully resetting her to one set of memories at some point will delete that knowledge."

"Like overwriting a saved file?"

"Something like that. Are you hungry?"

"Is it weird if I really want some pie?"

Mom laughs at that, but it sounds really tired. They walk into Mary Margaret's apartment, well, it's Emma's now really, and Henry feels a little bit like crying because it still doesn't feel anything like home. Home is sheets that smell like that stuff Mom washes everything in, and the rooms are always warm or cool enough, and there's always fresh milk in the fridge and cookies piled up in the jar. This space is for adventures, for going to war, for hanging out and getting to know his new family. But it definitely isn't home.

Maybe he should tell Mom that. It's the kind of thing that might make her smile, even one of those weird shaky smiles that look more like she's going to cry, so he does.

"We can go home tomorrow," she promises. "If you want. I'll need some help to take the spell from here and put it on our house, but it's not a problem at all."

"Thanks," he says. "Do you want me to make you some tea?"

"No, the range here isn't very safe. And Emma doesn't really have any of the flavors I like. But thank you."

"I really am sorry, Mom," he blurts out, and she comes to gather him up in a hug, lifting him clean off the floor for a minute. "About everything. About stabbing Mr Gold, about Hook, about not knowing that I shouldn't trust Belle… I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Mom mutters against his neck.

"I really didn't want to hurt Emma. Or you. I just wanted all the magic to go away."

"I know what that feels like," Mom tells him, and they part long enough to go and sit on the sofa, side by side. It sags a little, but that's okay because it means he can cuddle into Mom's side, just like on movie nights. "But as long as we're in this world, it looks like you're stuck with it for now, Henry."

"That kinda sucks," he says. "Unless…are you sure that I wasn't supposed to become the Dark One? Like, maybe there's another book? Or a prophecy, now that I think about it. I mean, there's a reason I ended up with the Evil Queen as my mom, isn't there?"

"Henry-"

"I know. Emma said I shouldn't call you that anymore. But I think I understand what it feels like now. To get hurt, or angry, and have all this power to make it stop. It's… kind of cool, right?"

"At first," Mom admits. "But Henry, you've seen the story through to the end. Power changes you. Corrupts you. Do you know what corrupt means?"

"Yeah." Henry nods. "It makes your heart go black, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Mom confirms, and for a moment it looks like she's thinking about something else altogether. "But you're not there yet, Henry. There's still every chance we can stop this Dark One power from interfering with your life. You know I'm not done trying yet, don't you?"

"I know," Henry says, and he completely believes her for the first time in too long. "Can we have some hot milk before bed? It's late, but…"

"Of course," Mom replies, smoothing his hair and placing a kiss on the top of his head. He feels like he's five years old again, and even if the apartment is wrong, now he feels warm and he is safe.

"Thanks," he tells her. "I'll go put my PJs on."

"Hey," Emma says, because she knocked on her own front door again.

Regina watches her for a long, awkward moment, before relenting with a slump of her shoulders. "Hey."

"Henry still up?"

"He went to bed without complaint. We talked a little, about the bracelet and not doing magic," Regina says, standing aside just enough to allow Emma in, but it's close enough that their bodies brush.

"Well, if you need to get going…" Emma trails off, taking the dagger from her jacket and crossing the room to the safe. "I understand, you need some time alone. I can take the nightshift."

"Right," Regina says, but when Emma turns around the front door is closing and Regina hasn't moved. "You spoke to Belle?"

"I did. Turns out the Blue Fairy could have rebooted her when she first crossed the line," Emma discloses, because if anyone else will seize on that fact as suspicious, it'll be Regina.

"I told you," Regina sighs. "She can't be trusted. And yet it suggests once more that she might have knowledge I don't. We'll talk to her, this week."

"And you're not going home, are you?" Emma approaches cautiously, dropping her jacket on the back of the sofa.

"I could," Regina huffs, crossing her arms over her chest and staring Emma down. "I told you before, your doubt means no getting in my bed, Miss Swan."

"Ah," Emma says, before tutting loudly. "So careless, Regina. Because you didn't say anything about my bed, did you? And it's right over there."

Regina squeals as Emma rushes to pick her up, and there's a moment's pause to be sure, entirely sure that it's not pushing too far or insisting on anything Regina isn't willing to give. But she nips at Emma's earlobe with a playful sort of malice that says there's a truce, at least for now.

"I am sorry about that," Emma says, carrying Regina across the room with one cautious glance upstairs to make sure Henry hasn't stirred. "I won't doubt you again."

"See that you don't," Regina says, as she's lowered onto the mattress. "There are plenty of other people to not trust out there. And I think tonight proved that we might actually need one another."

"Yeah?" Emma is breathless at the thought, and she covers it with a kiss designed to take Regina's breath from her, too. "We'll see about that."

Emma is the one who sneaks out in the morning, which feels familiar if not a little ridiculous. Her running gear is easily summoned by magic once she's outside of the apartment, and it's hard not to smile when she switches on her iPod and then starts skipping tracks with thought alone.

She runs through town like the hounds of Hell are chasing her, and who knows, maybe that's Pongo's fairytale identity and nobody thought to tell her. She sprints past her parents' new house, throwing one arm up in what might be considered a wave, in case they're already up.

Only when she approaches the woods does Emma slow down, her burning calves and ragged breathing feel as invigorating as cold water to the face, but she has to pick her footing more carefully as she makes her way to the flat and winding path that she knows waits behind the trees.

She's reaching for her water bottle when the arrow whizzes past her shoulder, making Emma hit the ground with an instinctive yelp. She gets a face full of leaves and loose dirt for her trouble, and a moment later someone's hands are on her shoulder, helping her to her feet.

"Mary Margaret?" She gasps, seeing her mother's worried face looking back at her.

"Oh, did I get you? Are you hurt?"

"No," Emma confirms, wriggling away from Mary Margaret's inspection. "Although maybe put a sign up somewhere if you're doing archery practice, hmm?"

"You look exhausted. I brought some supplies with me," Mary Margaret has her fussing mode activated, dropping her bow and offering up a backpack.

"Supplies? Are you on the run?"

"No, but I've been having a tough time lately," Mary Margaret admits. "Your father tries, he really does, but I just had to get away from people for a while, you know?"

"Tell me about it," Emma says, swigging from her water bottle, shivering slightly as the cool air hits her sweat-drenched skin. "Speaking of, I should keep moving."

"You should have a sweater in this weather," Mary Margaret chides. "I have a spare one if-"

"Thanks, but I have enough on my plate without Regina mocking me for wearing my mom's clothes. Uh, I mean…"

"Of course. How… is she? And Henry, most importantly?"

"He went to sleep no problem last night. I think he got a bit scared, maybe that'll be enough to keep things calm for a while."

"Did you arrest Belle?"

Emma shakes her head. "It wasn't really her, you know? I'm keeping an eye on her, and we should all make sure Regina doesn't lay eyes on her for a few days, maybe. But the nun fairy apparently did her thing, so…"

"The Blue Fairy," Mary Margaret corrects, pulling a Twinkie from her backpack. "Sure you don't want something to eat?"

"That… kind of defeats the object," Emma says, even though some processed sugar sounds like heaven right now. "While we're talking about the Blue thingy, it's not a problem if we go have a chat with her this week sometime, is it? I mean, there's no code about all this stuff, about who goes to ask who?"

"Whom. And sure, we can go see her anytime. Just let me know when you want to see her and I'll arrange it. She's an old friend, it's not a problem."

"Oh," Emma wrinkles her nose at the mistake. "When I said 'we', I sorta meant…"

"You and Regina. Right."

Mary Margaret makes an elaborate show of picking up her bow again and testing the string on it. It twangs loudly in the awkward silence between them.

"I mean, I could ask you too, because of the friends thing… but with things between you and Regina still so frosty, I thought it was just asking for trouble."

"Because I tricked her and killed her mother?"

"Well, yeah. That kind of thing takes a while to get over, Mary Margaret."

"Much as it did when her mother killed mine," comes the pointed reminder, and Emma smiles as kindly as she can, jogging in place to warm back up.

"Even more history that we can't afford to have in the room when we should be focusing on Henry," Emma points out. "I'll come and see you after, keep you updated on everything. In the meantime, we all might need to be a bit more careful about handing Henry off between us. I don't think he gets any alone time for a while, not even at school."

"Won't that make him angry?"

"Kid has to learn to control his temper some time. I mean, we all did. Is it ideal? No. But then neither is finding out your parents are fairytale characters; we adjust."

"Check in on your dad for me today?" Mary Margaret asks, selecting another arrow and putting one earbud back in.

"You're gonna be out here all day?"

"Maybe," Mary Margaret says with a weary smile. "Enjoy the rest of your run, Emma."

"Yeah," Emma says, and with just one last look back, she jogs back in the direction of the trail she was first heading for. Another hour, to run it and get back. That's plenty of time to clear her head.

It takes two days to remove the magic protection from the apartment and replace it at Regina's much bigger house. They take turns doing each room, starting with Henry's bedroom, and eventually the blue glow has faded into each wall of the Mayoral mansion. No bleeding this time, although there's some dizziness at first when Emma overdoes it, still not entirely in control of her magic.

Henry, for his part, seems relieved to be going home, in between apologizing to Emma fourteen times a day. At the end of that second day, when they're debating pizza versus Granny's for dinner-even Regina can't pretend she has any energy left to cook-Emma panics at how goddamn domestic it's all getting.

"You guys get whatever you want. I, uh, need to head home. And go to the station first," she says, excusing herself and not quite looking Regina in the eye. There's been nothing left over for extracurricular fun the past two evenings, and Emma doesn't want to dwell on missing that already, either.

"Stay for dinner, Emma," Henry commands, but she shakes her head, holding firm.

"I'll see you after school tomorrow, kid," she promises, and Henry throws himself back on the sofa in a huff. "Regina, maybe we should go do that errand during the day."

"Yes, time is marching on I suppose," Regina groans from where she's tucked up in a comfortable armchair, hand now over her eyes. "I'll meet you at Granny's at eleven."

"I have to check times and-"

"What else could she possibly be doing? Praying?"

"You're going to see the Blue Fairy, aren't you?" Henry asks.

"Yeah, we need to follow up about Belle," Emma says, because only telling part of the story, even a tiny part, isn't quite lying.

"Oh," Henry looks bored again, pulling a comic book out from under a cushion, checking to see that Regina isn't looking to disapprove of his stashing them in inappropriate locations.

"Eleven, then," Emma says, relieved to walk out into the hall and towards an evening of being alone, just how she likes it.

The convent is only a short walk from Granny's, although Regina is technically doubling back on herself to meet there. Emma doesn't comment beyond a 'thanks' when a steaming hot mocha is pressed into her hand.

Astrid is the one to greet them, and she flits around so nervously that Emma could swear she can see wings fluttering. The fairies don't seem to have replaced that part of their outfit since magic came back; maybe there isn't enough fairy dust to go around yet.

"Blue is very busy today," Astrid explains, darting from one side of the corridor to the other as they walk. "Perhaps if I had some idea why you need to speak with her…"

"Didn't Snow set this up?" Regina snaps. "Surely the request of your beloved princess should be reason enough."

"Oh, she's made the time, of course," Astrid corrects. "It's just that when other magic users come into the convent we have to take certain precautions and-"

Regina charges up a tiny raincloud over Astrid's head and it starts to sprinkle her with a fine spray of portable rain.

"You were saying?"

"Oh, I wish you hadn't done that," Astrid groans, and Emma rolls her eyes that it's taken about two whole minutes for Regina to piss off their hosts. Not even Henry's entire future happiness hanging in the balance can entirely rein her in. Emma wishes really, really hard that she didn't kind of enjoy that streak in Regina.

"Your Majesty," Blue barks, appearing in a fizzing cloud of smoke directly in front of them. "I must insist that you refrain from using magic in our sacred space."

"Or what?"

"Regina," Emma warns. "We'll try to keep the safety on, your uh, Holiness?"

"Blue will suffice, Princess Emma," Blue says, much kinder but entirely false with it.

"Then so will 'Emma'," she replies, already shuddering at the royalty crap. "Is there somewhere we can talk, in private?"

"This way," Blue says, and she walks with much more purpose than Astrid, who slinks back the way they came from, leaving Emma and Regina to follow along the corridor and into a small chapel, raised altar, stained glass and all.

"We're supposed to believe this is private?" Regina looks around, scornful as ever. Today she's back in her bossiest clothing: the seams of her A-line skirt sharp enough to slit throats, her blazer as red as the blood that would run. She's dressed for battle, as much as she can be in this world and its fashions. Emma can't help wondering where all the insane ballgowns of death from Henry's book ended up; no way a clotheshorse like Regina gave up her threads so easily. Halloween might just be interesting this year.

Blue sighs, and produces a wand that looks nothing like the ones from Harry Potter (Emma's only frame of reference so far, which is kind of alarming now that she thinks about it) , zapping the doors they just came through.

"Satisfied?" She asks.

Regina nods, although Emma isn't exactly sure what changed, but so long as it stops a fight breaking out, it's probably for the best. Only then Regina grabs each of them by the arm and they're off in another puff of her purple smoke, landing in what appears to be some underground room… the crypt, Emma realizes. Regina's creepy-ass sanctuary.

"I told you not to perform magic in-" Blue rounds on Regina then, but Regina steps aside smartly.

"Now we're in my sacred space," Regina mocks, and Emma can't say anything because of the ten inappropriate comments crowding each other out to just trip off her tongue. That is probably the last thing this situation needs.

"Let's not fight about location. You know the deal with Henry," Emma begins. "And I'm sorry we haven't come to you before now-"

"I'm not," Regina snorts. Emma fixes her with a glare. Sometimes it's like being a UN negotiator, only these people are all from the same tiny nation and wouldn't know negotiation if it grew out of the ground in front of them like a goddamned beanstalk.

"But we've been trying to keep the circle small, for Henry's protection. You understand that, right?"

"Of course," Blue replies, and the reassuring smile doesn't come close to reaching her eyes.

"There was an incident with Belle, you dealt with her afterwards obviously and uh, she was saying there's a way to get the power out without killing the existing Dark One…?"

"Belle reads a lot of books," Blue sighs. "But she has no real knowledge of magic. Certainly not a malevolent power as old as this one. It spans countless generations. Empires have risen and fallen, yet the Dark One endures. Do you think a force like that is easy to defeat?"

"Well, obviously we don't think that. But he's just a little boy, and it's already getting way too dangerous," Emma feels her own hackles rising now, and screw keeping the peace anyway. "And Neal mentioned that you go by another name sometimes. One of those real old names, old enough to have been around when the Dark One was only Fifty Shades of Grey, you know what I mean?"

"Baelfire knows another name for me, yes. But that's the stuff of legends, believed by children in our world."

"Just like all of you in this world, so don't give me that," Emma retorts. "Do you know anything that might help us? I think you know my family will repay the debt, if there is one. Hell, I'll work doubles all year if that's what it takes."

"That won't be necessary. You know the same stories that I do. And there's no one magic user who can defeat the Dark One's power," Blue admits, her eyes flitting nervously to the only door, which looks pretty securely barricaded.

"I knew there was no point coming to her," Regina grumbles, magic crackling from her fingertips and making her clench her fists like a boxer desperate to throw the first punch. "Unless you want me to take out another potential threat to Henry."

"Regina!" Emma warns, stepping between the two women like she's regulating a schoolyard squabble. "Hey, Blue: you're one of those cryptic people, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you choose your words so carefully you'd think you were putting the Sunday Times crossword together," Emma accuses. "And before you start, Regina, I know you do it in pen and it's not really that taxing. But having a cursed memory to make you a genius doesn't count."

"It's important to be clear," Blue says, eyeing Emma with something that might be the very start of respect.

"You're clear alright," Emma agrees. "You didn't say the Dark One can't be defeated: you said no one magic user can defeat him. Right?"

"Right."

"But we're two magic users. Three if we decide to trust you. So what can we do about it?"

"You're smarter than either of your parents, Emma," Blue says, almost smiling now. "You might make an even better leader, yet."

"Like that's hard," Regina mutters, only it's actually loud enough for people two buildings over to hear.

"My magic is no use to you," Blue confirms. "Fairy magic is all external, can only be channeled through wands and dust. We can make potions of course, but even there we're limited."

"I've never touched fairy dust," Emma points out. "And I haven't seen her Majesty here do anything with dust beyond tut at it and judge me for my housekeeping skills."

"This is all theoretical," Blue cautions, before striding back into the center of the room, apparently giving up on her bid for freedom to sit on the upturned oil drum that's doubling as the room's only seat. "But you two possess magic that is more... elemental. Much like the Dark One's. If there were ever to be a match for him..."

"Emma, this is a waste of time-" Regina starts to insist, but Blue interrupts.

"You are perhaps the most powerful sorceress of this, or any other age, Regina. You must have seen how your own powers outstripped even those of your mother, at the height of her infamy."

"Oh, she got better in Wonderland," Regina corrects, defiant in a misplaced kind of pride, even now. "But yes, she felt threatened by my magic very early on. She kept it in check, of course. Didn't want to encourage me."

"And you've seen the power of True Love magic by now. They tell me Emma was the only thing that jumpstarted your powers, that opened a portal where none should have existed."

"What of it?" Regina asks, still sneering.

"Now, this is by no means a sure thing," Blue cautions, sighing deeply and relenting at last. "What I tell you is only old stories, and none of it should be taken as fact, or any kind of advice."

"You need us to sign a waiver?" Emma cracks, feeling her nerves begin to jangle.

"If I were to speculate," Blue continues. "My best suggestion would be this…"

She waves her wand again, directing Emma and Regina towards the animated figures that appear in a veil of smoke. They both give the scene their full attention, and if Emma is startled by Regina grabbing her hand, well, she does a pretty good job of not showing it.

"Pay attention," Blue warns. "I won't be able to conjure this again."

Thanks for all your lovely comments and PMs so far, your reviews have been such an encouragement. Huge thanks as ever to writetherest, the best beta a girl could hope for!