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She barely felt the residual dust from crushing the alter version of Snow and Charming’s hearts. It was there, but not her focus. If killing (which had totally been an accident, by the way), Emma’s fake parents wasn’t enough to wake her… perhaps nothing would be. Would they truly be stuck here for the rest of their lives?
Great… Henry had seen what she had done.
“I… I won’t hurt you, Henry.” She had come to this insane place to save Emma. There was no way she would harm Henry… even a copy of him.
“But I will hurt you.” The anger in his voice reminded her of a younger version of Henry. One who maybe didn’t know how his words cut her like a knife when he defiantly proclaimed that he had found his real mother.
She closed her eyes, and everything stopped. If this was how she had to go out, so be it. She would not fight any version of her son.
Even if he wasn’t real.
A vision of the first time she ever held Henry flashed through her mind. And she was at peace.
She heard him draw his sword. If only Emma would just wake up before it was too late.
She heard the blade come at her. He must have thrown it.
She felt it lodge itself in her abdomen. So this really was how everything would end.
She thought she heard Emma scream her name, but her grasp on reality was quickly fading.
***
Was her son really going to kill? That was never what she wanted. How could she stop him?
It was too late…
Instead of crying out Henry’s name in disappointment, she found herself screaming “Regina!”
Like she was awakened from a horrible nightmare, she suddenly remembered who she was. Who she really was. And what had brought her to this delusional Wish Realm.
The blade went straight through the former Evil Queen’s stomach, and protruded out her back. Her mouth was agape in a silent scream, as if she was more shocked than injured.
Time stood still.
Did that really just happen? Maybe she would be okay since this place didn’t really exist… right?
The next moments happened in slow motion. Regina’s knees buckled underneath her, and she was going down.
Emma had no idea how she made it over in time, but she caught her best friend before she hit the ground, cradling her in her lap.
She was vaguely aware of imposter Henry’s confusion, but he wasn’t her focus.
All that mattered, was the brunette who was quickly bleeding to death in her arms. The woman who had clearly risked everything to come to this alternate reality to save her.
The person she saved from a burning building, even when they were supposed to be sworn enemies.
The woman she had become the Dark One to save without hesitation or a single regret.
The woman who had quite literally followed her to hell and back.
The other mother to her son.
The only one who truly understood her.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
Why they had both risked their lives and happiness for the other time and time again.
“Hang on, Regina.”
Regina finally focused on the blonde who was cradling her. “Em-ma.”
“Why the hell did you come here?”
“You… know.” Her breathing was erratic.
Shit. Tears spilled down her face as she realized just how much she had lost out on. “You’re going to be okay.”
“No… But, you are.” With that, Regina’s eyes closed and her body went limp in Emma’s arms.
“No! You can’t leave me here. Please don’t leave me.” She gently rocked back and forth, trying to force her mind to pretend that the queen was just asleep. “I love you.” Emma whispered, then gently kissed the forehead of the fallen queen.
A pulse of rainbow light burst forth from their connection. As it rippled through them, the room dissolved until it was just Emma holding Regina, in the middle of Main Street back in Storybrooke.
It didn’t phase Emma that the Wish Realm and alter egos from it had disappeared. That was not her concern at the moment. She would happily spend the rest of her life in that delusional world if it meant Regina was okay.
She expectantly stared at Regina, holding her breath for any sign of life. She couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not ever.
After what felt like an eternity, Regina exhaled and slowly opened her eyes. “Emma?”
Emma hadn’t realized that she hadn’t been breathing, either. It was as if Regina suddenly was her oxygen. Without her, what was the point of breathing? “Thank God!” Emma hugged the brunette as if her life depended on it. As if she let go, her reality would disappear as easily as the Wish Realm had. “Did you really follow me into a Wish?”
“I thought you’d know by now that I’d follow you anywhere.”
Emma smiled, leaned down, and kissed the woman she finally realized meant the world to her. Even though this wasn’t a rainbow kiss and didn’t break any curse or wish, she knew that it was the start of something wonderful.