Beyond the Call of Duty

A Fiery First Meeting

A/N: I originally wrote this for OQ Prompt Party 2020, using prompt 182: Robin is cursed to be an EMT and is taking Regina's vitals the night of the fire. She sees the lion tattoo and freaks. I've been working on this since then, determined to expand it into a full verse.

This is a first curse AU and is set during the first season. My goal is to turn this into a series of seven stories, each surrounding a different season of Once Upon a Time to see how Robin's presence from the beginning changes how it unfolds.

So let's start with the first season. I hope you enjoy this new take on Once Upon a Time.

-Mac

"Come on, Regina," Emma said, grunting as she navigated down the stairs. "We're almost there."

The heat pressed down on them, almost as if someone kept placing weights on Regina's chest. She struggled to breathe as they slowly moved down the stairs, hindered by her injured ankle. Pain shot through her leg with even the slightest movements and blackness started to creep into her vision. Her lips were chapped and when she tried to wet them, she found her tongue was just as dry. And she could hear the flames consuming her office as smoke slowly began to fill the stairwell. She made a note to have all the doors checked to make sure they were still fireproof and would keep the smoke out in case of a future fire.

If she made it out of this inferno that was.

Which, despite Miss Swan's insistence that they were going to make it, looked very doubtful.

Her vision began to blur and she felt her head begin to swim as she continued to struggle to breathe. There had to be something poetic in the fact that her signature spell involved fire and now it was likely she was going to die surrounded by flames. Maybe that was how her life was always meant to end.

She just didn't know it would be so soon.

Maybe it was time to just close her eyes and let the darkness and flames take her away.

"Regina? Regina, don't you quit on me now!" Emma yelled, giving her a little shake. "I can see the lobby."

"Then just leave me," she murmured. "Wouldn't that make your life so much easier? You can get Henry and free the town."

Emma didn't respond right away and Regina knew she was considering her suggestion as they reached a landing and stopped. She expected Emma to just prop her against the wall and tell her to burn before running away. Instead, she adjusted her hold on Regina with a grunt before saying: "I am not going to leave you. We're both getting out of here for Henry's sake. Okay?"

Henry's sweet face flashed before Regina's eyes, clearer than anything else. She saw him smiling and saw the love in his hazel eyes. Her heart skipped several beats and she felt a burst of energy rush through her. For a few seconds, her vision cleared and she managed to hop down the final steps with Emma's help.

They crossed the lobby and Emma pushed open the doors, letting them escape the heat and flames at last. Cool air washed over Regina, which felt refreshing. She still struggled to breathe it in though as she dropped to her knees, too weak to stand. Emma stood next to her, hands on her knees as she took in several deep gulps of air.

"You okay, Regina?" she asked, her voice hoarse and shaky. Sirens blared in the distance and she knew the fire department was on its way.

Emma placed a hand on her shoulder. "Regina? Can you answer me?"

Regina tried to tell her she was fine but only a weak whine came out instead. Emma's eyes widened and she squeezed her shoulder. "It's okay, Regina. Help is on the way. Just hold on."