Chapter Text
Regina approached the cell anxiously. She'd been here before; when Rumplestiltskin had been it's occupant. She was certain Emma was here, moving closer to the bars to peer into the darkness.
"Emma?"
No sound.
No movement.
No sign of life at all.
"Don't let it's beauty trick you." The guard warned. "It's killed many of our guards that way. It's no innocent young thing, it's a beast."
"She's no beast. Leave us alone." Regina demanded, but still hadn't set eyes on anyone else yet. She felt her confidence wane with each passing second she stood in silence.
"Emma?" She asked again, reaching her hand to one of the bars, wrapping her fingers around it as her eyes once more searched the darkness.
Emma watched her from where she was hidden in the shadow of the cell. She scrutinized her. She'd missed her more than she realised was possible, and for the time being all she wanted to do was look at her and breathe her in.
Regina waited for what felt like an age, the hope in her gaze slowly fading. Her lids closed in the same moment her hand dropped from the bar, but then she felt slender fingers wrap around her wrist and a sultry voice whisper across her senses.
"Don't leave me,"
She opened her eyes and was suddenly looking straight into Emma's, and she was certainly a vision. Her skin glittered, her hair sparkled, her presence was pure enchantment and Regina was undeniably mesmerized by all that the darkness had done for the Saviour's allure; but that wasn't why she stayed. The Emma she knew was still in there. The plea was hers, as well as the darkness talking.
"I'll get you out of here." Regina replied simply, her eyes once more alight with hope.
"I knew you'd come." Emma seemed grateful.
There was no point breaking herself out of there, even though she knew she was capable. She'd escaped countless times to keep herself entertained as she waited and waited, always making sure to return so that nobody knew of her absence. This cell may have held the previous dark one, but it couldn't hold the new one. Saviour privileges made this a whole new ball game. She needed to see Regina's choice. She needed to see if she was still loyal to her, to their friendship... whatever it was that had been growing between them.
She needed to see Regina's belief in her, despite everything else. The woman's presence outside of her cell was the confirmation Emma had needed. Her sacrifice had been worth it.
Regina pulled something from her pocket, glancing back towards the guards to check they weren't watching; then she seemed to enchant it before blowing it across the bars to open up a gap big enough for Emma to step through.
She offered her hand, and Emma gently slipped her own into her hold, clearing the gap and standing right up in Regina's space. She didn't release her hand for a moment.
"I'll take care of the guards," Regina started to move away, but Emma gently pulled her back.
"Who else came with you?"
"I came alone. It was safer that way."
Emma's expression fell, but was quickly covered with a newly embraced arrogance and lack of care.
"You came alone because you're the only one who's fighting for me."
"That's not true, they wanted to be here but I-"
Emma's expression darkened as she stopped her mid sentence.
"If they wanted to be here, nothing you said or did would have stopped them."
Regina quietened. They'd tried to hold her back. The journey to the enchanted forest had been dangerous, but she'd come anyway. So maybe Emma was right, whether or not she wanted to be.
"We should move quickly, whilst we still have the element of surprise."
"I can take us home." Emma said simply. "Stay close." Her arms snaked around her waist and her head rested almost intimately against her shoulder as she transported them back to Storybrooke.
~
In the light of day she got a better look of the woman in her arms, seeing the exhaustion and self neglect as she unsteadily took a few steps back and reached to the dresser to try regain her balance.
"Are you sick?" She moved closer, lifting her hand to her face, eager to offer healing or comfort.
"You just moved us between realms, Emma," she was distracted, but impressed.
Emma revelled in it for a second, then refocused.
"Why do you look unwell? Where's Henry? Where's... Robin?"
There was no missing a hint of dislike as she tagged on his name at the end.
"Not... here..." She answered vaguely.
"Did he hurt you?"
Regina avoided her question, but was visibly unsettled.
"Henry will be pleased you're home, and your mother," she put some distance between them again. She was elated to have Emma back home, but her presence was somehow overwhelming, and she felt the need to back away ever so slightly. "Do you mind if I tell them the good news?"
"I do actually." Emma was right next to her in another instant. "You need rest."
"I'm fine,"
"I know you're not. I can sense it. I can feel the hours you've been putting in trying to find an answer... trying to save me."
"How?"
"I've got all sorts of new abilities."
"That's not fair-"
"Maybe not, but... I'm also not ready to see anyone else yet. Is that good enough reason to wait?"
Regina acquiesced.