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“Zelena has gone to New York.”
They get the news from Gold. Emma, Snow, David, Hook, Robin, and Regina herself are in Regina’s office, discussing how to find Zelena as she’d gone missing from her jail cell, and Gold had just come here to inform them of this major turn of events.
“How do you know that?” Hook asks, suspiciously, and Regina agrees with him.
“I tracked her, captain,” Gold replies in his usual snarky manner. “If you forget, I’m the world’s most powerful wizard.”
Hook scoffs. Regina says, “Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Where is she in New York?”
“Manhatten.”
“And what does she plan to do there?”
“For once I am just as clueless as the rest of you,” Gold replies, spreading out his hands. Somehow, Regina finds that a little hard to believe.
“So, what do we do?” Emma asks.
Gold scoffs. “I don’t do anything, Miss Swan. She’s gone. We’re free. Why would you want to go after her?”
“Uh, because she’s my sister and escaped to New York for a reason,” Regina replies instead. “And I, for one, plan to find out why.”
“Alright, Madam Mayor. That’s on you. My job here is done.” With that, he walks straight out.
Emma sighs. “Okay, so, who’s going after her? Me, Regina, and…?”
“Me,” everyone says together, and Regina exhales slowly, fisting her hands.
Emma stares at them incredulously. “Okay, seriously, come on, we can’t all go.”
“I’ll come with you, Swan. Frankly, I think Regina can stay behind. She won’t be able to do anything in a world without magic anyway,” Hook volunteers and Regina forces herself not to throw a fireball at him, or worse, snap his neck.
“Uhh, because Zelena’s literally her sister?” Emma shoots back, raising her eyebrows. “Isn’t that obvious?”
Hook shuts his mouth and doesn’t protest further.
“Emma,” Snow says softly. “I think we all should go. It’ll become way easier to catch her. We should work as a group.”
Emma sighs. “If you’re all sure.”
Everyone nods. So, it’s settled.
They leave Henry in Storybrooke. None of them want him to be at risk.
They go to New York by flight so they reach faster. Once they reach, they decide how to find her. Regina pricks herself with a needle and tries to find Zelena with the help of her blood.
They narrow her location down to one of the main areas.
“Why would Zelena be staying somewhere so crowded?” Emma asks, peering into the map over Regina’s shoulder.
Regina shakes her head, “I don’t know. But I guess we’re about to find out.”
It’s night time and the streets are still extremely crowded. “How will we find Zelena in this crowd?” David asks.
“Let’s split up,” Robin suggests.
“Alright,” Hook agrees immediately. “I’m with Swan.”
“I can be with you,” Robin offers, smiling at Regina.
Regina forces back a smile. Guess there is no other option.
Regina and Robin weave their way through the crowds. In an attempt to stay close and not lose the other, Robin keeps his hand clasped around Regina’s and Regina feels suffocated—
They don’t find Zelena or even any hints of anything useful but they reach an isolated street and Robin decides that’s the best place to kiss Regina. They’re walking side by side when Robin suddenly stops and turns, catching Regina by the waist and turning her toward him, and he puts his mouth on hers.
Regina is paralyzed. Sure, she’s kissed him before but this was a little unexpected.
Suddenly, there’s a loud screech and Regina pulls away immediately. Both of them look up to see a flying monkey dropping on them. Regina’s eyes widen but they’re unprepared and the monkey falls onto them. Regina and Robin both jump away but the monkey scratches Regina’s forearm and Regina cries out.
Robin takes out an arrow and attaches it to his bow but the monkey is faster and it flaps its wings, the bow and arrow falling from Robin’s grasp.
Regina picks up a metal rod fallen on the sidewalk and fights off the flying monkey.
When it’s gone, Regina sighs heavily and drops the rod to the ground. She suddenly feels exhausted. A lot has happened in a matter of a few days and she’s been running on pure adrenaline. But now it’s all crashing on her. In the middle of New York, in front of Robin Hood.
Robin rushes toward her and takes hold of her hand, lifting it up.
“You’re bleeding,” he points out.
Regina swallows and nods. She pulls away her hand and walks away.
“Where are you going?” Robin asks, following her.
Regina stops and takes out her phone with shaking hands. “I’m calling Emma.”
“Oh, I see.” A pause. “Why?”
Regina doesn’t answer and instead clicks on Emma’s number, putting the phone to her ear, her hand still shaking. Emma picks up after the first ring. “Gina?” She says. “Did you find anything?”
“Yes—“ Regina’s voice cracks and she clears her throat. “Yes.”
There’s silence on the other end and then Emma speaks again. “Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Regina replies a little too quickly.
More silence. “Where are you?”
Regina sends Emma her live location and Robin and she wait.
After about 2 minutes, Regina sees Emma running toward them and Killian following behind more slowly. Regina, who’s slumped against a wall, stands up straight.
“Emma,” she says.
As soon as Emma reaches her, she wraps Regina in her arms and Regina lets out an involuntary sigh of relief. “What happened?” She holds out Regina’s hand. “You’re bleeding, what happened here?”
“Zelena’s flying monkeys attacked us.”
“Okay, wow, so she gotta be close right?”
“Uh huh,” Regina nods.
“Okay, then we’ll find her tomorrow.”
“What? Why not now?”
“Uh because you’re hurt? We need to tend to the scratch.”
Oh.
So, they all go back to their hotel. Snow applies medicine to the cut and bandages it up while Emma stands in front of them watching. Regina tries not to wince in pain. She wishes she just had her magic to heal it.
There’s a knock on the door. Emma opens it. “Can I see Regina?” Robin says from the door.
“Yeah,” Emma replies. “Regina, Robin.”
Regina gets up and holds his hand, they both go outside. Robin holds her close. “How are you?”
Regina forces a small smile on her face. “I’m alright, you don’t need to worry.”
“Good,” Robin says and kisses her. For the second time in the span of an hour. Why is she counting?
Robin pushes her against the wall and pries open her mouth with his tongue. Regina suddenly gets the overwhelming urge to throw up. She doesn’t know why.
“Can you guys stop with the PDA? It’s really gross, not gonna lie,” a voice snaps, and Robin and Regina break apart. Emma stands there with a sour expression on her face.
Regina flushes and Robin smiles guiltily. “Sorry, she’s intoxicating.”
Emma simply stands there, staring at him. “Yeah, she is,” she says and walks off.
Regina and Robin sleep in the same room. Regina is lying facing away from him and he has an arm draped around her waist. Regina feels her chest contracting, and she doesn’t know why. She doesn’t know why she feels so trapped.
Eventually, she falls into a restless sleep.
Regina dreams of evil sisters and flying monkeys. But the highlight: she dreams of being trapped in a castle with a monster for a husband.
She wakes up gasping for breath. Tears leave her eyes. She looks toward Robin who’s fast asleep. She has to get out of here. Regina walks out of the room and goes to Emma and Killian’s room. She knocks.
She prays that it’s Emma who opens the door.
The door opens and it’s Emma alright. More tears immediately leave Regina’s eyes.
“Hey, Regina,” Emma says, stepping outside, closing the door, and wrapping Regina in her arms.
“Emma,” Regina gasps. “Please, please, kiss me. If you’re okay.”
“What?”
“Yeah,” Regina breathes.
Emma doesn’t hesitate any longer and puts her mouth on Regina’s. Regina kisses soft lips and her hands touch soft cheeks and she feels free.
The next day, Regina avoids Emma.
She sticks with Robin as they look for Zelena and Emma looks pissed the entire time. Last night, after their kiss, Emma had tried questioning her but Regina had brushed it aside with more kisses. Then she’d gone back to her room and fallen into a dreamless sleep.
Now, she’s embarrassed and can’t meet Emma’s eyes.
David shouts, “Hey!” They all look up to see a monkey flying over a house, almost as he’s watching over it.
The monkey looks down at them, and they all stand in position, their weapons ready. The monkey flies toward them, and David slams it in the side with his huge police gun.
Then, they all run and hide in a small street between the house the monkey was flying over and another house. “This is definitely her house,” Regina hisses.
Mary Margaret nods. “Yeah! How do we go in, though?”
“I’ll pick the lock of the back door,” Emma suggests.
“Okay,” David says. “Regina, Emma, and I will enter, and if we need help, we’ll call out for you.”
Everyone nods their heads and Regina, Emma, and David slip away. Emma uses her hairpin to pick the unlock and the three of them slip inside the house.
Inside, it’s beautiful. “What now?” Emma questions Regina.
“We find her.” It’s the best way because just in case it isn’t Zelena’s house then they could be arrested for a break-in.
They don’t find her but they find a door. Emma slowly opens it to reveal a staircase leading down into darkness. The three look at each other. Emma purses her lips and takes a step inside. Slowly, they all descend. They reach inside to find a crystal ball shining with green light. The crystal is suspended in the air and the green light is illuminating the whole place.
The basement is empty, and made of complete stone.
“Hello, sister.”
Regina turns sharply to see Zelena standing in a black dress, with a wicked smile on her face.
“Zelena,” Regina sneers.
“That would be me. I see you found me. Or rather, you found your death.”
Suddenly, a great force hits Regina in the chest and she goes flying back, hitting the stone wall, and crumpling to the ground. Did she just use magic? How?
Emma voices out Regina’s thoughts. “How did you do that?”
Zelena ignores her and stalks forward toward Regina. “I’d left you behind. I was going to leave you alone. But I guess you don’t want to be left alone.”
Regina stands up, just the littlest bit unsteady. “I know you plan to do something atrocious. I’m not going to let you.”
“Oh, you will. Because you’ll be dead.” She flicks her wrist and Regina is slammed into the wall on her side.
“Hey, look here,” Emma shouts.
Zelena turns and Emma shoots. Zelena ducks and the bullet hits the wall. Zelena laughs. “You won’t kill me.”
“No, but I can hurt you.”
Zelena simply laughs out loud. Regina attacks from behind. She holds Zelena in place with her arm around her neck. “What do you want? What are you planning?”
“Not going to tell you,” Zelena grits out. She shifts out of Regina’s grip, and pushes her into the wall, suffocating Regina with the help of Regina’s own scarf.
Regina scratches at Zelena’s hands helplessly, her vision blurring.
Suddenly, Zelena falls to the ground. Emma stands behind her, holding up a gun — which she obviously slammed into Zelena’s head.
“Are you okay?” Emma says, stepping toward Regina and gripping her shoulders.
Regina nods. “Yeah.”
David comes to them. “How was she using magic?”
Regina steps over Zelena’s body and stares at the crystal ball. “I don’t know how but I think she was harnessing magic from this ball. Let’s take her away and question her.”
So, they all carry Zelena back to the hotel.
As they wait for Zelena to wake up, Regina sits on the edge of the bed and Emma checks her neck which is now bruised where Zelena choked her. David stands in front of them, watching patiently.
“Is it paining?” Emma asks, her fingers grazing Regina’s neck.
Regina shivers. “A little. I’m fine, though.”
“I’m sure you are,” Emma smiles.
Knock. David opens the door. Robin walks inside. “Regina,” he says, sounding worried, and he comes and hugs her.
“Robin,” Regina says.
“Are you alright?” He says, pulling back, his hands still gripping Regina.
“Yeah, yeah, I am. Don’t worry,” Regina says.
Robin’s brows crease in worry and he kisses Regina right there.
“Okay, I’m gonna leave,” Emma says and walks out. Regina looks up. Odd.
“Emma, wait,” Regina says, and runs after her. She hears the two men follow behind as well.
“Yeah?” Emma turns back.
“Why are you so pissed?” Regina demands.
“I’m not pissed.”
Regina scoffs. “I can see that you are. And this isn’t the first time since we’ve come to New York. So, you better start talking.”
“Isn’t it obvious, Regina?”
“No!”
Emma smiles with no humor. “Okay, then there’s nothing to say.” She starts to leave but Regina catches her wrist, stopping her.
Emma turns and snatches her wrist from Regina’s hand. “Don’t touch me!”
Regina snaps back as if Emma just slapped her. Emma licks her lips and sighs. Then she speaks, “You can’t just come and kiss me in the middle of the night when you need to be comforted and then go around avoiding me the next day and kissing your boyfriend.”
Regina stiffens. “I’m sorry,” she says, her voice immediately lowering.
“Yeah, you should be,” Emma snaps.
Regina doesn’t have anything to say so she stands quietly and looks down at the floor. It’s a pretty carpet.
“Okay, now, bye,” Emma says. “I need to go find Hook.”
Regina’s head snaps up. “What, why?”
Emma looks at her like she’s crazy. “Uh, because he’s my boyfriend?”
A flash of jealousy goes through Regina and suddenly, everything clicks into place. Everything starts to make sense. “Emma,” Regina says.
Emma turns back to see her and Regina moves forward, catching Emma’s lips with her own. Emma hesitates for only a second before kissing her back, her hands going up to hold Regina. Regina puts her hands in blonde curls and kisses Emma harder.
“What the fuck,” Robin says, sounding more hurt than angry, and Regina barely hears him leaving.
Emma deepens the kiss, beginning to use her tongue.
“What the fuck is right,” David says, who sounds pretty grossed out, and he takes his leave as well.
“Do you want to…maybe…take this somewhere…more…comfortable?” Emma asks in between kisses.
“Mm-mm,” Regina nods, and they go stumbling inside Emma’s room.
Hook’s sitting there and he immediately stands up. “Swan!” He says. Emma pulls back, looking horrified.
“Shit,” she says.
“Hook, please leave,” Regina says impatiently because she needs Emma right now.
“No, you leave!” Hook shouts.
“Sorry hook, but Regina’s right,” Emma says. Hook’s jaw remains open as he shakes his head and stalks out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Emma and Regina immediately spring into action, catching ahold of each other once again. Regina bites Emma’s lips, and Emma groans and pulls back. Regina whines in protest but then Emma begins to nip at her neck, going lower and lower to her cleavage, and Regina sighs.
Regina tangles her hand in Emma’s hair. “Emma,” she moans.
Emma pushes Regina back against the table and touches her everywhere — everywhere but where Regina needs her most.
“Emma,” Regina warns, and Emma chuckles, sending a bolt of shiver through Regina’s body.
Then she’s settling down on her knees, pulling down Regina’s stockings, and finally, finally putting her mouth on Regina. Regina sighs in pleasure, one hand in Emma’s hair and one clutching the table behind her, as Emma makes her feel free, free, free.
Emma and Regina lie in bed, simply cuddling after they’re sated when there’s a knock on the door. “Ugh,” Regina groans.
Emma gets out of Regina’s arms — Regina reluctantly lets her go and lets her head fall back onto the pillow, closing her eyes. She hears voices. It’s David at the door.
Emma shuts the door and comes back, sitting down on the bed. “Come back here,” Regina whines, holding out her hands. Emma holds both of her hands in her own and pulls Regina up.
“I wish. But Zelena’s woken up, we need to go,” she says.
Regina’s head falls on Emma’s shoulder, and she feels Emma smile against her hair, her hands coming up to hold Regina. Regina pulls away and smiles too.
Emma kisses her softly and Regina sighs.
Then, they go to Zelena.
Snow and David — Zelena sitting tied up on a chair — when Emma and Regina arrive. Robin and Hook are nowhere to be found.
“She’s not ready to tell us anything,” Snow says.
Regina goes up to Zelena and bends so they’re on the same level. “What. Do. You. Want?” Regina asks.
“Why should I tell you?” Zelena sneers.
“See,” Regina says patiently, “here’s the deal: either you tell us what you’re up to or you’ll remain tied here for the rest of your miserable life.”
“Then I’ll guess you’ll have to keep me here.”
Regina counts in her head and tries not to lose patience. “Okay, you don’t have your magic in this room. And if you don’t tell us then we’re going to destroy your crystal.”
Zelena laughs horribly. “You think you can just destroy my crystal? Go ahead sis but it won’t be that easy.”
Regina stands up straight and sighs. “Wait, I have an idea,” Emma says.
“I’m all ears,” Regina says tiredly.
“We can just take her back to Storybrooke.”
“But if she escaped once, she can escape again,” David comments.
Emma walks up to Zelena. “Zelena, how did you escape?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Rumplestiltskin.”
They keep Zelena tied up. Put her in a car. And drive back to Storybrooke.
They put her in her cell. David and Snow watch over her while Emma and Regina go to Gold’s shop.
“You lied,” Emma shouts, flinging open the door to the pawn shop, and getting straight to the point as always.
Gold looks up, amused. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, don’t play the fool,” Regina says dangerously, placing her hands on the counter.
Gold smiles at her for a second and then scoffs. “Alright. You caught me.”
“Why?” Emma demands. “What was in it for you?”
“Zelena out of my life forever.”
“God, you’re so self-serving,” Regina says with distaste.
Gold chuckles. “Call me what you want, dearie, it doesn’t phase me.”
“Of course it doesn’t. Let’s go, Emma.” Regina grabs Emma’s hand and pulls her along and Emma pushes one of Gold’s toys on the ground while walking away.
Regina and Emma set up wards around the station for Gold so he can’t help Zelena again.
Regina hopes Zelena improves and they don’t have to keep her in jail for too long. She’s hopeful Zelena will change. If Regina can, anyone can.
For now, though, she tries not to focus on it too much. Because for now, she’s content with being in Emma’s arms as Emma kisses her warmly and Regina feels comfort she hasn’t felt in years.