Chapter Text
They're all in Regina's living room trying to wrap their heads around what happened and what to do next when the doorbell rings. Regina has little patience for the person on the other side of the door. The only thing on her mind right now is Emma; Emma in a vortex of darkness, Emma's name on the Dark One's dagger, Emma giving up everything, Emma far away and alone. She's already pissed by the pirate who insists they summon Emma so he could kiss her out of the curse. She turned down the idea. Even if he was Emma's True Love, which is insane, she has serious doubts that the scum's kiss has the power to wipe out an ancient evil.
"She confessed her love for me!" he yelled, My kiss will break the curse! But by all means, share your plan with us. That is, if you have one, other than to stare at the dagger in despair, Your Majesty." And she would have killed him right then and there if it wasn’t for Henry, sitting quietly in the corner of the couch, looking ten again and so pale.
The doorbell rings again. Whatever tactless vermin it is on her doorstep, they're just asking for Regina to take all her anger and distress out on them. She yanks the door open and freezes; her blistering tirade dies on her lips. All their speculations where Emma might be and how to bring her back, and for some reason they never considered she could show up at Regina's mansion on her own volition. But here she is, looking alive and smiling brightly. In fact, she's too alive, her smile's too bright, and there's an alien hunger in her eyes. Her skin's two shades paler than usual and she's wearing a long black dress that looks oddly familiar.
"Emma?" Regina takes in her appearance, not sure if she's more relieved or alarmed.
"You like?" Emma asks, noticing Regina's stare at her cleavage. She runs her hand over the corset, obviously proud of herself, but also what - waiting for Regina's approval?
"Is that Maleficent's?"
Before Emma has a chance to answer, everyone else comes running. Hook pushes his way to the front yelling 'Love!' and Robin steps protectively in front of her, like Emma hadn't thrown away her own life for the sake of their happiness just an hour ago.
"Good evening, gentlemen," Emma says with fake cheer and then nods at her parents, "Mom, Dad. I heard you summoned me." At that Regina whips her head to glare at Hook. Did he...? "No, not with the dagger. It's just the way you all kept whining, Emmaemmaemmaemmaemma," she chants mockingly. "So I thought it would be only polite to pay you a visit. I hear nice manners are a must have for a Storybrooke villain, didn't want to be a dud."
Snow showers her daughter with senseless questions like 'are you alright?' and endless assurances. Hook keeps repeating 'Swan', 'kiss' and 'love' in every possible combination. And Regina can't shake off an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach from how unkind Emma's eyes are while she's listening to her mother and boyfriend blabbering.
Emma beckons Hook with a crooked smile, and Regina doesn't need to watch their kiss, but before she can turn away, Emma catches her eye and honest-to-God winks at her. Snow gasps when the kiss finally ends and nothing happens. Emma smirks at Hook's genuinely confused expression.
"Oops. Isn't this awkward?" Emma says caustically.
"I... I don't understand," Hook mumbles. "You said you loved me."
"Well, looks like I lied. Now that the yucky part's over," she turns to her parents, "I'm really happy to see my family. I'm still family, right?"
If Snow was thrown off balance by Emma's interaction with her presumably now ex-boyfriend, the faintest hint of insecurity in her daughter's voice brings her back into mama mode. "Of course you're family, Emma, we were so worried."
"Really? You still want me? Are you sure?" Something isn't quite right with Emma's tone. Like Snow's answer is somehow wrong and she’s giving her a chance to set it straight. But Snow doesn't seem to be bothered.
"Oh, Emma," she sighs, touched, and opens her arms for a hug.
Emma doesn't return the gesture, instead she raises her hand and the next moment Hook hangs in the air kicking up his feet and struggling for breath.
"Think again," she says coldly. Her face's clouded over, feigned cheerfulness has all but vanished. Snow jumps back from her in horror. Emma chuckles darkly. "That's what I thought." She tightens her invisible grip on Hook's throat; her mother's pleas to stop seem to only gratify her.
"Enough!" Regina tries to intervene with magic, but she's no competition for the Dark One. It all ends abruptly, and for a second no one understands what's happened. Hook's suddenly coughing on the floor, purple faced, David beside him. Emma stands still, hands down, eyes blank. Henry holds the dagger with shaky hands.
No. He wasn't supposed to see his mother, his hero, like this. He wasn't supposed to be the one stopping her from torturing and killing her useless boyfriend, whose life means unambiguously less than her son's innocence. Henry had gone to his room some time ago, clutching his book to the chest, already planning a new operation. Regina wasn't going to take away his way of coping, but she’d made him promise he wouldn’t do anything reckless and that he’d let her help. But now he is in the middle of the mess. Emma slowly steps toward him.
"That's mine," she points at the dagger. "Gimme."
"No!" Henry shouts, "You’re not yourself."
"What's the matter, kid? Now you see it wasn't your brightest idea to bring me to Storybrooke? I told you I didn't want to come here. I told you I didn't want you back in my life. And I don't want you ordering me around now. In fact, I don't want you at all." Emma's voice is even, her eyes cold, cold, cold. Henry's lips quiver as he tries to keep it together. Regina can't believe Emma, Dark One or not, could ever be this cruel to him. She almost explodes with fury, but dark magic keeps her in place and silent. Then something shifts in the Dark One's pose and for a moment Regina expects Emma to throw up. "Now give me... the dagger... and... stay away," Emma croaks with effort. Regina's somehow able to move again. She rushes to Henry, she'll tear the Dark One to pieces, but first Henry needs to be out of here, away from this, away from her. They hand the dagger over to Snow and Regina walks Henry off to his room. She secures it with a protection spell and heads back to the hallway. She'll comfort her son later.
Regina hears Snow's crying and Emma's malicious voice from the top of the stairs.
"No, you're not. You're not sorry, Mom, and do you know how I know it? I know it because you still hold my dagger. You want me on a leash. You can't stand the thought of me making my own decisions. You're afraid I'll do something bad. Something Snow White's perfect daughter ought never do. You took away my free will before I was born, and you're taking it away again. That's how I know you're not sorry."
"Emma, please. It's not true, you know that."
"Then show me you trust me. Show me I'm your daughter no matter what. Give it to me, and I will forgive you," Emma's soothes, but her eyes glint with greed. Snow doesn't seem to notice, she's sobbing and nodding, ready to cave in; her grip on the dagger loosens. By the time Regina makes it downstairs it's almost too late. She plucks the dagger out of Snow's hand.
"What do you think you're doing? We can't have the Dark One on the loose just because you feel guilty."
Snow stops crying and looks left and right like she doesn't understand what's happening.
"Want to have me under your control?" Emma gives her a saucy smirk, "you know you don't need the dagger to boss me around, Madam Mayor. I'll be happy to obey."
And this is the last straw. She's angry, so angry and hurt for Henry, for Emma, even for Snow. There's nothing to be smirking about. She hurls Emma against the wall, pinning her, mirroring their position in the hospital's supply closet from years ago. 'It's true, isn't it?'
"You hurt Henry," she growls, ignoring the Charmings' protests on the background.
Emma deflates momentarily. "Leave us alone," she manages, not taking her eyes off Regina. No one moves and Regina wonders if they're afraid for Emma. "Now." Regina gives the others a nod and they reluctantly leave.
"Listen..." Emma starts.
"No, you listen. This is how it's going to be. The dagger stays with me until I find a way to break this curse. And I will find it, cost what it may. And then you're going to apologize to our son. Dark One or not, you will not speak to him like that ever again. Understood?"
"Didn't... mean to," the words come with effort, Emma looks nauseated again. "Tell him... sorry." Regina takes a step back, anger gives place to concern.
"Can I... I need to sit," Emma says in small voice.
They move to the living room. Emma asks for a glass of a cider and sits on the couch. A few moments pass in silence while Emma tries to recover her breath and Regina pours their drinks, glad to have a moment to collect her thoughts.
"So, that passionate speech about breaking the curse... were you threatening me or promising help?" Emma smiles her real smile for the first time this evening, and some of the weight is lifted from Regina's shoulders.
"Both."
"You were right. Obviously I don't control myself, I shouldn't walk around the town freely, who knows what'll come into my mind next time."
"I'm glad you agree."
"It's just... It hurts so much that I lost my parents' trust, and yours. I was trying so hard to be good for them, and look at me now."
"Emma..."
"No, Regina, I don't regret it. I don't regret what I did. But you have to be careful. This thing inside me... it pushes me. I don't want anyone to get hurt."
She buries her face in her hands. "Fuck, I already hurt Henry. I need to fix this. Help me to fix it. Please." A moment ago Emma was calm. Sad, but relatively calm, and then she's on the verge of hysteria in a blink. She grows more and more agitated with each passing second, her speech becomes rapid. But it's still Emma, it isn't the Dark One. It is Emma Swan, Henry's other mother, who's desperate to repair the damage she caused to their son today. It's the woman who came to Regina's rescue without a second thought, and is miserable now because of it. Regina aches to alleviate her agony. So she sets her glass and the dagger on a cabinet and sits next to Emma, placing her hand on Emma's back.
"I will. We will fix it. I meant what I said. I will do everything in my power to get you out of this." Emma lifts her face to look Regina in the eye and she's suddenly aware of how close they are.
"Yeah?" Emma whispers.
"I promise."
"Thank you. For caring, and for being... you." Her eyes fall on Regina's lips. She smiles slowly. "Thank you," she repeats pointedly and stands up. Only then Regina notices the dagger in Emma's hand. Emma gives her a triumphant smile for the last time and disappears.