Leave a Light On

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters.

A/N: I don't know how I'd do this without you, MegannRosemary. You're amazing, I love you!

I borrowed some scenes from episode 309, "Save Henry", but the story doesn't follow what happened on the show.

I'm really sorry for the delay, real life gets tough sometimes. Also writing doesn't come super easily for me, and I'm sure this could be much better, but I'll probably never be happy with it so I'm just posting. This was the first idea that I had when starting this story, so I hope you guys like it. This is the last Neverland chapter for those who really hate that place lol. Reviews are super super appreciated.

The wind wailed with the desperation that ached in their bones, but between the frigid gusts, they slowly pieced together Pan's plans and figured out where Henry had been taken. They wasted no time in rushing to the eerie cave, their hair whipping about their faces, frantic as their racing hearts.

As they rushed in, the horrifying scene unraveled in slow motion.

Henry was holding his own heart. His golden glowing heart.

A silent no formed on Emma's lips.

This couldn't be happening. Except it was.

Their son handed his heart over to Pan. They froze as they saw him fall unconscious to the ground, his body lifeless and limp.

The two mothers ran to his side, falling to their knees next to their son, as Pan flew away with a smug victorious grin.

"You're going to be alright Henry. We're going to get you home." Regina muttered while holding Henry's hand tightly in her own.

"How do we help him, Regina?"

"I'm going to tear that insignificant waif apart limb by limb." Regina seethed.

Emma softly squeezed the brunette's arm, in a small attempt to reassure her. "Regina, look at me, please."

Devastated brown eyes met hers, silently pleading to somehow make things right again.

"You need to stop. That won't help Henry." The younger woman muttered.

"Don't tell me what to do! My son is dying." Regina snapped.

"Our son. So yes, I know how you feel."

"You have no idea what I feel! You have your parents, you have this… person. A pirate who pines for you, you have everything and yet you claim to know what I feel? All I have is Henry, and I'm not about to lose him because he is everything!" Regina gritted angrily, tears clouding her vision.

"You're right," Emma spoke quietly; "I don't know what you feel. So what do you want to do. You want to run the show, run it. How do we save Henry?"

"I don't know." She admitted, her voice small and wavering.

Regina pushed herself to her feet and paced to the opening in the cave. She looked out over the moonlit water, as if it held the answers she so desperately needed.

Emma was struck cold by the utter devastation on Regina's face. This was a woman who couldn't survive losing the only person she loved. Not again. Emma dropped to her knees besides Henry, and gently brushed her son's hair from his forehead. Her hand slowly crept to her chest. "Forgive me, Henry", she whispered.

Regina watched the other woman, green eyes wide and unfocussed, her chest heaving, and she wondered what had possessed her. "What do you think you are doing…" Regina stopped dead in her tracks when she realized what was about to happen. She shrieked, "Emma, don't!"

Emma gasped while her hand moved into her chest, reaching for her heart. Not even the excruciating pain gave her hesitation, she couldn't turn back now. Regina needed Henry, and her son needed his mom. If this is the last sacrifice she did for him, it would be worth it. She stared at her heart cradled in her hands in disbelief.

"Emma, stop this nonsense right now!" Regina demanded urgently. "You have no idea what you're doing!"

With tears in her eyes she stared at Regina and then back at Henry. "I love you, Henry," she whispered as her hand slowly lowered to her son's chest, securing her own heart in the empty cavity. The moment her hand left his chest, her eyes closed and she slumped to the ground with a dull thud that echoed in the small cave.

"Emma!" Regina screamed as she rushed over and dropped to the cold rock ground. Her panicked gaze darted between her son and his unmoving mother. She'd been wrong earlier when she said she only had Henry in her life, seeing Emma lying there unconscious made her realize that she also had Emma.

And now she would lose them both.

A loud gasp and sharp coughing snapped Regina back to reality.

"Mom?" Henry croaked.

"Henry!" Regina called out holding her son close. "Oh Henry!"

"Mom, what happened? Emma!" Henry cried out, when he caught sight of his birthmother sprawled on the ground.

The color drained from her features when she realized she was faced with explaining the situation to her son. The consequences weighed heavily on her heart. Emma was gone; she'd sacrificed herself, and given Regina back her son. "Honey, Emma… s-she gave you her heart."

"What? Mom how is that possible? Is she… is she dead?" Henry asked frantically.

"I don't…. know Henry. In all my countless acts as the Evil Queen, I've never actually given someone's heart to another person." Her voice was devoid of emotion, as though her mind refused to believe the horrors it had just encountered.

"Mom, you have to give Emma her heart back."

"What? No Henry, no. I can't do that. I won't risk you."

"You have to! She's going to die!"

"Henry, look at me. We will get Pan and bring your heart back. In the meantime, you have to keep Emma's heart. She wouldn't want me to risk your life, no matter the cost. Do you understand?" Regina tried to sound calm and convinced about what she was saying, even though she was anything but that. Her heart was beating so loudly that she could barely hear her own thoughts.

Henry nodded. "Mom, you have to save her, please."

Regina placed her hands above Emma's body a bright golden light glowing from them.

"What is that?" Henry wondered.

"It's a preservation spell to keep her body in this condition for a while longer. It will buy us some time to get to Pan and get your heart back." Regina explained.

Emma looked impossibly small, lying motionless on the cold ground. The faint moonlight made her look even paler and Regina wondered if in fact Emma had passed into the realm of souls. The harsh reality settled in fast and made Regina spring into action. They didn't have much time if they were to save Emma.

"Honey, hold my hand, I'm going to take us all to the camp site." The three of them disappeared in a cloud of smoke, reappearing at their camp in the forest.

The group was startled by the sight that suddenly appeared engulfed in the queen's trademark purple smoke.

Snow was the first one to react, approaching them hurriedly. "Henry? Oh Henry, you are ok! Regina what happened? What's wrong with Emma?" Snow questioned while holding Henry close to her.

"We don't have much time, so I need you to believe me. Emma gave Henry her heart." Regina stated matter of factly.

"What?! Is she…?" Snow trailed off.

"She's not dead. I did a spell to preserve her body."

"Her… body? Oh my God, this can't be happening." Snow started to panic.

"How much time do we have, Regina." David asked.

"Maybe an hour before the preservation spell wears off. We need to figure out where Pan is and get Henry's heart back."

Charming picked his daughter up and gently moved her to one of the makeshift beds where her usually long lithe frame looked frail and childlike.

"Henry, you stay here with Emma and the rest. I will be back with your heart." Regina promised Henry.

She moved quickly towards one of the lost boys. "Where is he!" Regina fumed.

"Not. Telling." The lost boy taunted.

"You won't talk? How about I make you talk." She was ready to dive her hand into the boy's chest, when a strong hold on her arm stopped her. She was seconds away from ripping this person's was arm off.

"Regina, wait." Snow warned.

"There's no time! Your daughter is going to die!" The mix between panic and rage was clear on her voice.

"Don't you think I know that! But this is not the way. Let me talk to them." Snow offered.

After a heartfelt speech about family and love, and promising to bring them to Storybrooke with them, Snow got some of the lost boys to tell her where Pan was hiding.

"I'm going alone." Regina demanded.

"Mom, wait."

"What is it honey?"

"I… I think… Emma's heart. I feel like it's trying to tell me something."

"What do you mean?" Worry spread over the woman's features.

"I'm not sure. I feel things. But I don't think it's me that's feeling them. It feels like… Emma is worried about you." Henry paused, his face scrunching up while trying to understand what was going on. "Mom, I think… I think Emma loves you." Henry said with a smile bigger than Regina had seen in a long time.

"Henry…"

"No mom. I know that Emma loves you. But now I can feel it. She loves you mom!" Henry exclaimed.

"Oh honey, I know you want to believe in fairy tales and happy endings. But I'm a villain; I don't get a happy ending." Regina said sadly, attempting to discourage her son from these thoughts. It surely wasn't possible. No one could ever love her.

"You're not a villain, you are my mom. And you do deserve a happy ending, so does Emma."

"Henry, we can discuss this later, ok? I have to go. I'll be back, I love you." With a kiss and a glare that silenced his protest, she disappeared.

Minutes felt like days, as they all took turns watching over the unmoving Savior. Snow was clutching her daughter's frail hand tightly, as if it was her only connection to life. She couldn't lose her daughter again, good always wins, right? But as much as she kept repeating that line, she knew that wasn't always the case.

Charming watched the heartbreaking scene helplessly. His daughter's fate was in Regina's hands. He had to believe that everything would be ok, and his baby girl would open her eyes again and call him Dad.

Regina reappeared next to the group, startling them. Everybody released sighs of relief when they noticed she was holding a heart in her hand. Henry's heart.

"Regina, you did it! How…?" Snow wondered.

"Does it matter?" Regina snapped. "We have to hurry. Henry, lay down next to Emma, honey." She urged her son.

Henry wasted no time and lay next to Emma. "I'm ready mom. I trust you."

Regina wished she had as much faith in herself as her son did. After conjuring a quick spell so that Henry wouldn't feel any pain, Regina carefully reached inside her son's chest, retrieving Emma's heart.

She paused, feeling warmth in her own heart; a connection to the comforting weight pulsating in her hands. She was now holding the hearts of the people she loved the most. The two people she couldn't afford to lose.

First she gave Henry his own heart back. Her son returned right away, with a sharp gasp. She released the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

After hesitating for a second, she proceeded to place Emma's heart back in her chest. She stared at the sleeping blonde and saw no change, no reaction. "Emma?" she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.

"She has her heart back. Why isn't it working?" Snow demanded, fearing the worst.

"I don't know. Her heart is beating. I-I don't know." Regina sounded lost, defeated. She had no idea why Emma wasn't waking up. "She gave up hear heart. Perhaps she just doesn't know that she can come back."

"Mom, do something! Please!" Henry begged.

Regina desperately weighed her options, there had to be something she could do. She had to make things right and find a way to bring Emma back.

"I'm going in." Regina announced after a long silence, leaving no room for argument.

"What? Where?" Snow inquired.

"Emma's mind. I'm getting that insufferable, stubborn woman back." Regina stated with resolve.

A mix of voices erupted at the same time, questions voiced loudly. Regina ignored everyone and turned to Snow searching for confirmation.

Snow nodded, "Do it, bring my baby back Regina."

The brunette woman lay down next to Emma, she looked at her silently hoping that this would work, that Emma would come back with her. She held her limp hand intertwining their fingers, and closed her eyes. A purple glow immediately encased both women.

When Regina opened her eyes again, she was in a place she didn't recognize. Taking a better look around her, she saw a little girl, maybe 5 or 6 years old, her face peeking from behind a tree. An apple tree, to be accurate. The place appeared to be a yard at an orphanage, but Regina didn't see any kids around. The girl was covered in dirt; her light blonde hair was long and messy, her bright green eyes pleading for someone to love her.

"Hello dear, what's your name? What are you doing here by yourself?" Regina asked gently, as to not to spook the girl away.

"N-nothing, I'm sorry, I'm not being bad I swear!" The little girl said still trying to disappear behind the tree.

"I know you are not, honey. It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you. Would you tell me your name?" Regina tried again.

"I… I'm Emma," the little girl responded shyly.

"Hi Emma. My name is Regina." It was so strange to see the hard headed blonde as a shy little girl. She never pictured her like this as a child. The brunette couldn't help the strong urge to protect her.

Emma stared at her wide eyed and open mouthed.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with the other kids?" Regina continued.

Emma just shrugged.

"Do you want me to take you anywhere?"

The girl's only answer was shaking her head.

"I can't leave you here alone, dear."

"I have nowhere to go! No one wants me!" Emma cried, tears streaming down her dirt stained face.

"Emma that's not true. Would you let me help you?" Regina's heart ached, she wanted to make everything right for this girl, make sure she knew that she was loved. Little Emma ran to Regina's arms, searching for the tiniest bit of comfort, a gesture that she so rarely encountered.

"My parents didn't want me. What did I do wrong?" Emma sniffled while holding on to Regina tightly.

"Honey, listen to me. You did nothing wrong. You're a perfect little girl." Her voice cracked seeing the pain she had caused this innocent girl. Her need for revenge had been so strong, that she never considered the consequences of her actions.

"No, I'm not!" Emma muttered in between sobs, clinging desperately to Regina.

"Do you want to know a secret, Emma?" The girl nodded against Regina's chest. "I have magic. And I happen to know that your parents love you very much. They didn't want to let you go, but they had no choice."

"Really?" Watery green eyes peeked out at her.

"I promise. You have your super power right? You can tell if I'm lying." Regina added, tenderly wiping away Emma's tears.

"How do you know about that!" Her face lit up.

"I told you, I have magic." Regina winked.

Emma beamed at her and hugged her even tighter. Regina ran her hand through blonde hair. "Everything will be alright, Emma. I promise."

Without any warning, Regina felt everything around her becoming a blur, like she was being torn from this place and Emma, and she was struggling to hold on but failing.

When her surroundings became clear again, she found herself in a different place. It was very dark, so she blinked a few times, trying to adjust her vision. She saw a young teenage girl, who was obviously another version of Emma. The girl seemed to be around 15, but looked older. Teenage Emma stood confidently leaning against an old buildings' wall, blowing smoke rings into the air. The shy little girl was definitely gone, and Regina couldn't help but wonder how many hardships she had endured to change like this.

Regina walked confidently towards the teenager.

"Hello." Regina said.

"Who are you, lady?" The teenager snapped.

"My name is Regina. You're Emma, correct?"

"Listen, whatever you think I did, it wasn't me, ok?" Emma responded attempting to hide her panicked voice.

"Emma, I just want to talk to you."

"How do you know my name?" The blonde's defenses were on high alert. She had learned the hard way not to trust anybody.

"You shouldn't smoke, you're too young." Regina's brow furrowed at the girl, snatched the cigarette from her hands and stepped on it.

The shocked look on the girls face was priceless.

"I want to help you." The older woman continued.

"I don't need anybody's help. I do pretty well on my own." The teenager sneered.

"I'm sure you do." Regina replied sadly. "I would like to share a story with you. When I was about your age, I felt like I was constantly failing. My mother…. well she had very high hopes for me, but I just want wanted a life of my own. I did my best to please her, but it was never enough. I was never enough."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Emma demanded, with her typical eye roll.

"Because you are enough Emma. You are better than this." The brunette encouraged.

"No, I'm not. I'm weak and worthless. No wonder my own parents didn't want me. I wouldn't want me either."

"You're exactly the opposite Emma. You're strong and smart and have a whole life ahead of you. A great life with people who love you."

"You don't know me lady and you don't know what you're saying."

"I do know you actually. It's very hard to explain."

"Why don't you try."

"Because I don't have much time. You really shouldn't be wandering around like this. It's reckless and dangerous." Regina couldn't help to be concerned for the girl.

"No one cares."

"I care." Regina answered honestly.

"Why?" The girl wondered.

"Because I know you and I care about you, Emma."

Emma couldn't help the sharp sting of tears behind her eyelids. No one had ever cared about her and she could feel that this unknown woman did. It was both unsettling and comforting.

Before she could continue her conversation with the teen, she felt the same strange pull as everything morphed before her eyes. She wasn't sure what exactly she was supposed to say to the different Emma's, but she hoped that she had done enough to get through to them.

When her surroundings came into focus again, Regina found herself in a place she finally knows. Storybrooke's well. It made sense, it was where you could get back what was once lost, and Emma had lost so much. She was staring into it; focusing on something deeper than the surface of the well. Regina's chest tightened at seeing the blonde she wasn't sure she'd ever see again.

"Emma?" Regina called out quietly.

"Regina? How are you here? I… I'm dead! What's going on?" Emma panicked.

"Emma, listen to me, please. You're not dead."

"Yes I am, Regina! I gave my heart to Henry. What the hell is going on?"

"I promise that you are not dead. And I need you to come back with me."

"I'd never risk Henry's life Regina, and if I go back Henry would die!" Emma was shaking. She wished so badly that what Regina was saying was true, but she knew it wasn't possible.

"Do you seriously think that I'd risk our son's life?"

"I don't know! Maybe I'm just imagining all this…" Uncertainty reflected in her features.

The reality that she might not be able to get Emma to come back with her hit her hard. She could lose her and Henry would lose his other mother. This was her only chance and she had to make it count.

"Emma, I don't have much time. I need you to trust me. Please." Regina inched closer to the blonde. In her eyes she saw the little girl that she'd just met, the doubt, the fear, the hope. As Regina got closer, Emma's gaze drifted to the ground, avoiding looking at her directly. Her blonde hair covered part of her face, probably a habit she acquired to protect herself. Regina's hand softly reached for Emma's hair, brushing it away from her eyes. Emma slowly lifted her eyes and looked back at Regina. "Emma…. We need you to come back," she breathed, brown eyes imploring. The brunette slowly closed the distance between them, softly brushing her lips against the blonde's.

Emma didn't pull away, her eyes were closed. It was a feather light kiss, but years of memories flooded the moment with an intensity that rocked them to their core. For a few seconds time seemed to stand still.

Regina pulled back just enough so she could look into deep green pools where she could so easily get lost.

"Emma I promise you that Henry is alright, our son is alive, and he needs you.

Please come back. For Henry. For me."

"For you, Madam Mayor? Are you trying to tell me you would actually miss me?" Emma smirked.

Regina let out a soft chuckle. "Not a chance. Hold my hand."

Emma hesitantly reached for Regina hand, but before their hands made contact, Regina abruptly felt like she was being pulled into a vacuum and everything went black.

"No! Emma!" Regina cried out when she found herself once again present in the Neverland Jungle.

"Regina! What happened?" Snow's concerned gaze alternated between Emma's unresponsive form and Regina's panicked features.

Regina brushed herself off and stared at Emma, hoping to see some sign that it had worked, but still the blonde wasn't reacting.

"I… I don't know if it worked…" Regina stammered. "I'm sorry, I really tried…" Her internal struggle to seem unfazed was failing miserably. She had to blink a few times as an attempt to push back the tears that was threatening to spill at any time.

A few seconds passed in which Regina felt a numbness seeping from the cold ground and spreading through her as she gazed upon the peaceful blonde. She moved away, unable to handle the unmoving image of Emma any longer.

The loud gasp that came from the blonde followed by rough coughing startled her. Hazy emerald eyes fluttered open as she kept struggling to catch her breath.

"Emma!" Snow cried out.

Regina was frozen in place, her limbs felt far too heavy and no matter how much she willed them to move, nothing was happening. She was terrified that she was imagining everything. Was Emma really back? Had she actually managed to save her son's biological mother?

Emma blinked a few more times, trying to focus, her breathing still labored. Snow was kneeling beside her, gripping her hand tightly.

"Emma, can you hear me?" Snow softly questioned.

"M-Mary… Marg'ret?" Emma croaked, looking around herself and frowning at not being able to piece what had happened together.

"Oh honey, are you ok?"

She shook her head as the images came flooding back, her features distorting with confusion.

"H-Henry? Where is he? Where is Regina?" Emma asked sounding agitated and still attempting to catch her breath.

"I'm right here mom. You saved me!" Henry threw his arms around Emma, holding her tight. Tears fell, and trickled down his cheeks.

Regina snapped out of the hazed state she had been in and slowly moved closer to the younger woman. "Emma…." She breathed, her eyes shone with unshed tears. "Welcome back." She breathed with the brightest, most beautiful smile Emma had ever seen.

"Thanks," Emma mumbled weakly, trying to keep her heavy eyelids from closing.

"Try to rest, Emma." Regina encouraged, rubbing soothing circles across the other woman's hand.

"No... I…" The blonde protested.

"Shhh, it's ok. Rest now." The brunette insisted.

Emma closed her eyes once more, too weak to fight the darkness.

Emma was back. She hadn't lost her. Regina could finally breathe again.

"Mom? What's the matter? Is she ok?" Henry questioned.

Regina carefully brushed a strand of blonde hair away from Emma's pale face, the gesture reassuring her that the younger woman was going to be ok. "She will be ok, dear. She just needs to rest."

"Thank you mom!" Henry hugged her tightly. "You saved her, you're a hero!"

"I'm just really glad I could help her, honey." The woman held her son close, taking comfort in the strong beat of his heart so close to her own, as her mind struggled to process the recent whirlwind of events. Relief washed over her knowing that she wouldn't have to find out what her life would be like without the presence of the infuriating blonde. Their son was safe and Emma was back. "We need to get out of here."

Thank you so much for reading! I'd love it if you want to leave a review! :)