Title: No Sunlight

Pairing: Snow/Charming

Rating: T…may go up to M

Warnings: Torture scenes/abuse, all out Evil Queen-ness

Summary: After the curse breaks, Regina must first regain control over her magic before getting her revenge against Emma and Snow. Dark. Canon until midway through 2x01. Multi-chapter. Emma, Regina, Snow, Charming, Ruby featured.

Spoilers: Through Season 1 Finale/first half of 2x01.

Timeline: This story takes place after the townspeople go to confront Regina in 2x01, when Regina tries to use her magic against them. Regina's magic is back but inconsistent. The townspeople did go to confront Regina and Emma stops them from doing anything permanently, placing Regina under house arrest. The story picks up when Emma goes to check on her "prisoner."

Snow White stood in her apartment and worried, something that Mary Margaret was very skilled at doing. She was pacing in the living room while James sat at the kitchen table, watching her make the same lines over and over. Insanity. Snow was insane for doing the same thing over and over and hoping it made a difference, just as she thought her daughter, Emma, was just as insane by offering the Evil Queen an olive branch. Snow had tried this bridge mending time and time again with her stepmother, only to have it thrown back at her. Finally, James broke the silence.

"I know it feels like we just met her, but we have to trust her," he told his wife, concern and worry etched on his face. "Mary Margaret must know how capable Emma is, just like David knows how smart, tough and resilient Emma is. She'll be alright." He stood, placing his hands on his wife's shoulders, both to comfort her and calm her pacing.

"I…both parts of me know how amazing Emma is but without even the facsimile of humanity to hide behind, Regina has no reason to be anything but destructive and evil with her. What if she hurts her?"

James turned Snow around to face him. "That's where the trust comes into play. Besides," he smiled, "She has my sword."

Emma stood tall, her fist held up to knock on the door of Regina Mill's house…or prison. She had her favorite red leather jacket and black calf-length boots on with her fa-James's sword strung against her back. Her hair was tied back in a simple ponytail. In short, she looked streamlined and battle-ready for whatever the Evil Queen could possibly throw at her. She even had her Sheriff's badge and Glock on her hip, giving her every bit of authority it could. Still, Emma hesitated. Her fight or flight instinct was whining loudly in her ears, set, as it nearly always was, to flight. Then, she thought of Henry and how he was the only thing she had ever cared enough to fight for; how he had changed her flight instinct so that the needle pointed more evenly between the two. Mary Margaret had pulled the needle more so to fight, along with the election of Emma to Sheriff.

Emma wondered if Regina knew she was poised on the other side of the door and smiling at Emma's fear or weakness. That was enough to make Emma resolute as she pounded three times on the front door. The door was opened a split-second later, mentally confirming for Emma, that yes, Regina had known that she stood there and had made the Sheriff suffer. Knowing that Regina was legitimately evil, and very powerful, firmly cemented the mask of stoic firmness Emma presented to most of the world. Any further sign of weakness would only be exploited by the impeccably dressed woman standing in the doorway before her.

As Emma had mentally and physically prepared for whatever opposition Regina might offer her, Regina had done the same, in carefully choosing the outfit she wore now. How it galled her to owe her life to the Charmings and to the biological mother of her child, to her greatest enemy, second only to Snow White.

Regina was wearing a sharply tailored black suit. Gone were the attempts of any color in her wardrobe, save the red lipstick the woman favored. Her brown eyes were intense in their burning and she met Emma's gaze without blinking. Emma, for her part, knowing a dominance display when she saw one, put up with it for thirty seconds before speaking, her frown deepening.

"Are you done?" Emma asked, sarcasm evident in her tone. "Or do you want to keep acting like children?"

Regina arched an eyebrow and wordlessly stepped aside, allowing Emma to pass into the doorway. Regina slammed the door behind Emma, smiling slightly when Emma jumped.

"I guess still acting like children, then," Emma remarked, spearing Regina with one of her patented I-take-no-bullshit stares. Point to Emma as she had both conceded that yes, the noise had scared her, but no, she wasn't going to back down to Regina.

Regina very nonchalantly leaned against the front door, effectively blocking the nearest exit. Emma did her best to mirror Regina's unconcerned air, leaning a hip against the small desk in the hallway and crossing her arms. The sword, cold and incredibly sharp, felt comforting in its scabbard across her back.

This time, Regina broke the silence. "What, exactly, do you want, Sheriff Swan? If it's a thank you," she shrugged elegantly, "Well, I think you'll be kept waiting."

"That's not why I came. I came to discuss the terms and conditions of your imprisonment," Emma said, straightening. Her stance and body language became both aggressive and defensive simultaneously. Her hand itched to have the sword in it against the monster that stood before her.

Regina abruptly walked into the living room. Emma, surprised, followed her; unsure of what the other woman was doing.

"Well, if that's what we are going to 'discuss' then, I do believe, as the host," she said the word ironically, "I should at least ask if you wanted a drink."

Emma hesitated long enough in answering that Regina smirked.

"Really, Ms. Swan, if I was going to try to poison you again, don't you think I'd at least be sneaky about it?" Regina drawled, stepping into the kitchen.

Emma followed her, determined to at least watch the Queen prepare her beverage.

"Well, you are evil, why wouldn't you try to poison me? Isn't that a main component of your wheelhouse?" Emma asked, almost conversationally, as if they were merely discussing the weather.

Regina threw back her head and laughed. The sound made Emma jump, again. Regina's laugh was at once, beautiful and terrifying, as if it promised you riches and in the same sound, a horrifyingly painful death.

"How long did it take you to perfect that laugh?" Emma asked sardonically. Regina knew her mannerisms still had the ability to unnerve and manipulate as they had in the Enchanted Forest.

Regina chose not to answer the question. She moved around the kitchen with practiced ease. Emma watched her movements uneasily, not noticing what she was creating, only that it didn't look overtly dangerous. At last, Regina finished mixing and gathering a proper hostess's tray and set it on the counter. She picked up a drink and handed it to Emma. Emma reached for it with her left hand, lightly touching Regina as the glass was handed off to her.

Emma felt a shock move through her center, traveling through her arm and into her hand, transferring to Regina's hand. The glass fell to the ground between them, dropping whatever liquid it contained onto the women's shoes and shattering on the cold floor. Emma's eyes were wide. Regina smirked and let out the most terrifying laughter Emma had ever heard. The sound was worse than the roar of the dragon or the news of Henry's (temporary) death.

Emma backed into the living room, her eyes never leaving Regina. Her right hand reached up, of its own accord, and secured James's sword. Emma brought it down in front of her in a defensive position, completely unsure of the situation unfolding before her.

Purple smoke wrapped around Regina, the exact same smoke that had moved through Storybrooke when the Curse had been broken. When it cleared, Regina stood before her, no longer a simple Mayor, but the Evil Queen incarnate. Emma had long ago learned to use fear to her advantage, but much like when Henry had died, she had no idea what to do with the situation in front of her. Now the needle was firmly set at "flight" as a keening warning sound filled her ears. Regina finished her laughter and raised both hands in front of her, pointed at Emma.

"As much as I hated you, I always secretly wondered if you would be able to break my personal Curse as well and return the thing I love most: power," Regina strode forward, taking each measured step maliciously, enjoying the fear she invoked in the Sheriff. "You see, my dear," she drawled, stepping even closer, "Magic is power and you, apparently, have it in spades."

Regina's words fell on deaf ears, she might as well have told the couch it was made of gold. At that moment, all that mattered to Emma was keeping space between Regina and her. The blonde had tunnel vision, fixated, as she was on the threat moving towards her. Emma made herself take several deep breaths and continued to back up. The cold grasp of terror had her in its grip. It gave a squeeze to Emma's heart when she felt her foot hit the wall behind her, signaling that there was no more space to maneuver.

Emma, resolved that there was no flight from the monster in front of her, instinctively raised the sword, grasping it with both hands.

Regina stopped just shy of the sword's tip, leveled at her stomach and the vulnerable organs within. The smirk grew into an evil smile.

"Would you really do it, Sheriff? Kill me? After you just saved my life? That seems quite counter-intuitive," she drawled.

"I-I promised Henry-" Emma stuttered.

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY HIS NAME!" Regina roared suddenly, darkness filling her eyes. She moved swiftly, swatting the sword away from her with her left hand with such force that it flew from Emma's hands to land, magically, point down on the floor, standing on its tip. The fear was now so strong that it nearly choked the Sheriff. She was up against the wall, moving herself as far away from Regina as she could. If able, Emma would've pushed through the living room wall, to escape into the town beyond.

Regina stopped her menacing steps and studied Emma. Emma was just out of her reach.

"Do you have any idea," she said, her voice a deadly whisper, "How many times I've wanted to kill you this past year?"

Regina snapped her fingers and James's sword flew into her waiting hand. "I think I know what I'll do."

As she finished her last word, Regina plunged the sword through Emma's red leather jacket into the Sheriff's stomach, pining her to the wall. Emma's eyes bulged so that only the whites were seen and her scream pierced the room.

"I'm going to hurt you just enough to get you before Death's Door and right before He can claim you as His, I'll bring you back," Regina smiled evilly, her hand twisting the sword with supernatural strength. Emma opened her mouth but couldn't speak. Tears filled her eyes as Regina continued to twist the sword.

"Then, when I think you've finally paid for every stolen moment with my son and every liberty you've taken with my town, I'll finally kill you, Savior," Regina finished, pulling the sword from Emma's body, allowing her to fall to the ground. Regina watched, condescension and satisfaction mixing on her features, as Emma moaned in intense pain and bled to death at the Evil Queen's feet.

A/N: Is Emma dead? Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it... I'm interested in hearing if you think the rating should be "M" rather than "T"? As usual, what'd you like, what'd you not like, etc? I've already got much of this written out but I can always edit it. Thanks, y'all :)