Time Will Tell

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Blue, what the hell are you doing here?" Regina growls at the Fairy, very visibly showing off her anger and resentment that she still holds against the woman after all these years.

"Regina, let her speak," Emma calmly says, hoping the brunette won't completely lose her temper and convince the fairy not to share the truth. 

"Thank you, Emma," Blue begins, forcing Regina to roll her eyes. "The mirror traveled you back to a time where it first transported both of you. We are actually in the present right now as we speak. It is over five years ago, the night before your wedding, Emma. Do you remember why you came into this vault, the night before your wedding?" Emma's mouth gapes open, her eyes blown wide as her gaze slowly drifts to Regina, whose face is all scrunched up in confusion. "Emma?" Blue gently says, urging her to explain the truth.

She tries to speak, but her mouth is as dry as sawdust, so she tries to swallow down her fear and rejection.

"Uh, yeah," her voice embarrassingly cracks under the pressure of this single moment. "I came to talk to Regina about Hook being a part of Henry's life." Both women glare at her, unamused and waiting for her to proceed with the story, knowing there is so much more than she's revealing. So, she sighs in defeat and reluctantly continues knowing neither one will drop the subject until the entire truth is exposed. "Fine, I was also looking for any excuse not to marry Killian. I was hoping Regina would sense my despair and say something that would stop the wedding."

"As for you, Regina, why were you hiding out in your vault that night?" Blue investigates in a stern manner and much to Emma's surprise, Regina answers rather quickly.

"I was debating whether or not I should tell Emma about my true feelings and stop the wedding. Or if I should be a good friend, step aside and allow her to be with the one she loved."

"Exactly. You both were right on the verge of telling one another of your true feelings, but then decided not to. So, the mirror stepped in, being the advocate of destiny," she explains through a sly grin that somehow only makes Emma more nervous.

"I'm so confused," she blurts out. "So, we aren't in the past, this is the present, but it's five years ago? How does any of this make sense?" She rambles while Regina remains silent, obviously taking in the new information. And Emma isn't sure if the mayor is following along or is just as confused as she is.

"Let me finish explaining and then I think you will understand, Emma," Blue recommends.

"After you spoke to Regina, the night before your wedding, and you turned around to leave, the mirror actually pulled you both inside, sending you to the future, five years from now. The morning you woke up from Henry's phone call, explaining that Regina was missing, was the morning after you were taken from the mirror. The mirror implanted your mind with false memories of the last five years. This was all done to show both of you what would happen if you waited too long to confess your love for one another. The mirror revealed the past in the Enchanted Forest and now your future. You are now back to that night, the night before Emma's wedding. You both have a choice to make now. Do you want to fully commit to being True Loves or are you both going to continue running from your true feelings?"

Regina and Emma are both silent, attempting to process all the new information that Blue just dumped on them, because this is the very last thing Emma thought would be occurring when she woke up this morning.

"So, this is basically a do over, in our minds. We get the last five years back...to be together?" Regina suspiciously inquires, eyeing the fairy warily, but Blue nods along.

"So, the last month or so, Regina and I were in the mirror and in New York together, that all actually happened, right?" Emma questions as well, still trying to wrap her head around everything to thoroughly comprehend the situation.