Reset

Regina had climbed the few stairs to the hallway and now turned and looked down at Emma who was standing by the front door with her arms folded and waiting for an answer.

“I..” Regina started before looking up at the ceiling and swallowing, “I cast a protection spell on you.”

Emma looked at the brunette with a confused expression.

Regina turned around and started walking towards the kitchen.

“Whoa, whoa,” Emma cried out as she rushed up the steps and walked in front of Regina to prevent her from going anywhere, “you what?”

Regina swallowed nervously, “I cast a protection spell on you, though I don’t know how he found out about it.”

“What does that even mean?” Emma asked.

“It means that you are protected from any minor ailments, cuts, bruises.. if someone were to try to injure you, you would be aware of their presence,” Regina tried to explain, “it’s complicated.”

Emma looked at her hand, “I did cut myself..”

Regina frowned, “what?”

“In Gold’s shop yesterday evening I thought I cut myself on broken glass but when I looked there was nothing there,” Emma said as she studied her hand, “did the spell heal me?”

Regina nodded, “yes, it will have and that explains how he knows about it,” she huffed.

“You don’t like that he knows about it?” Emma questioned.

“I don’t like anyone knowing my weaknesses,” Regina admitted.

“When did you..” Emma asked softly, sensing that Regina was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the conversation.

“When I healed your spinal injury,” Regina said as she looked anywhere but Emma’s face.

Emma nodded as she took that in and then asked, “I know my understanding of magic is a little lacking but I would assume that would take a lot of magic?”

Regina quickly stepped around Emma and into the kitchen without saying a word and Emma remained where she was as she quickly debated with herself how to deal with this. She realised that Regina’s collapse was not only caused by healing her but also adding this protection spell to her, a spell that had been in effect ever since. The fact that Regina endangered herself like that was infuriating to Emma but then the fact that Regina cared enough to go to those lengths was too much for Emma to take in in one go.

Emma didn’t know if Regina was embarrassed or worried but she certainly didn’t want Emma knowing about the protection spell nor did she want to talk about it now it was out in the open. Without a second thought Emma turned and walked into the kitchen and smiled at the sight of Regina busying herself in the kitchen making coffee.

“So, Sidney was the Genie?” Emma asked, glossing over the protection spell until another time.

“Yes,” Regina said tersely and Emma realised that that was also a sore point for the brunette.

“Where is Sidney now?” Emma asked gently.

“In a.. facility,” Regina replied cryptically as she held up a mug, “coffee?”

Emma nodded and Regina quickly turned around and fussed unnecessarily with the coffee machine.

“Regina..” Emma said softly as she approached the brunette, “I know that there are.. a few skeletons.. in your closet. And I know you don’t necessarily want to talk about it,” she paused in the hope that Regina would reply in some way.

When she didn’t Emma continued, “but I really need to know, Belle was attacked and I have a duty..”

“I told you that Sidney was the Genie!” Regina turned around angrily, “when I poured my heart and soul out to you! Do you really forget so easily?!”

Emma backed up, “hey, I’m sorry,” she said gently, “I kind of forgot that bit..”

“Forgot?!” Regina cried in anguish and stormed over to the sink and busied herself with cleaning the taps.

With careful movements Emma stepped closer to Regina and reached around and turned off the tap and removed the cloth from Regina’s hand and lightly turned her around so the brunette was facing her.

“I remember now, but when you told me I was very distracted because you had just told me that my grandfather had you trapped in a loveless marriage and that you lost a baby because of him,” Emma said with a careful tone, “after you told me that, I went in there,” she pointed to the laundry room, “and I punched the wall because I was so angry and upset by it.”

Emma suddenly had a moment of realisation and she looked at her hand, “the protection spell,” she whispered, “I wondered if I’d broken my hand with that punch but then I forgot all about it, the pain went away..” she looked up at Regina with tears in her eyes.

“I didn’t forget, I was just distracted at that moment,” Emma said plainly, “I know it was hard for you to open up to me and I appreciate that you did and I did listen to you. I’m sorry I took a while to catch on back there..”

Regina brusquely nodded her head as her arms wrapped around her own body protectively.

“So,” Emma said, “correct me if I’m wrong.. Sidney was a Genie who Leopold released and he fell in love with you. You convinced him to kill Leopold and then trapped him in the mirror?”

Regina gave a small nod and Emma continued, “in Storybrooke he was a journalist and.. what happened?”