Regina Mills/ The Evil Queen

"Get the hell away from my son!" Regina growled loudly as she looked at her mother's back which was turned to her, she also saw Henry suspended in the air stuck in the invisible grip of her mother's magic. Cora turned around with a look of surprise on her face, her eyes widened when she saw her daughter standing before her.

"Regina?" She gasped looking at the woman that was standing in front of her. This woman was like no Regina she had ever known, this woman was not the innocent young girl who knew no magic other than that of her mothers, nor was she the Evil Queen whose heart had been blackened by pain and anger at the people who had destroyed everything she loved. No, this woman stood defiantly in front of her mother, not fearing her magic or her wrath, this woman showed no anger except towards the fact that her son was in danger. This woman was the Regina Mills who had been forged by the one thing that would make her more dangerous than ever, love. She was crafted by a mother's love for her child; it was unconditional, unquestionable, and undying. And what Regina knew now was that it was something Cora continuously failed to realize as the strongest magic of all.

Regina stood tall and powerful before her mother and glared into the woman's soul. Her shoulder length raven black hair framed her beautifully stern face, and she stood in a knee length white dress with long loose sleeves, her pale skin seemed to glow. Those who cowered and hid after being thrown backwards by Cora peered out from their hiding spots and gasped, because even to those who came from the Enchanted Forest, she looked like something from a fairytale. "I said to get the hell away from my son!" She growled again and the ground around Cora's feet began to shake.

Cora lost her balance and fell to the ground still looking shocked. Henry began to fall to the ground but was caught quickly by Regina's magic; she lowered him safely to the earth as she began to rush over to him. He stared up at her with wide disbelieving eyes, "Mom?" He gasped as she kneeled down beside him.

"Shhh, I'm here Henry." She said and reached out touching his cheek with her finger tips. He closed his eyes and pushed his cheek into her hand, missing the feeling of her warm and loving touch. She smiled and looked at him her eyes filled with affection. "Henry, I need you to go over to Emma. I need you out of the way so you will be safe and so I can talk to my mother." She directed him with a soft voice after a few seconds. He opened his eyes and looked at her; she saw him open his mouth slightly like he wanted to argue but he shut it and nodded reluctantly. He got to his feet and looked at her again as if he were checking to make sure she was really there, she smiled when she saw the elation in his eyes as he confirmed her existence, then he turned and raced over to Emma who was watching in utter shock as the scene played out before her. Regina nodded to the blonde as she stood up again and turned to face her mother who was getting to her feet.

Cora looked at her daughter and said in a shaky voice, "But y-you were dead."

Regina nodded, "Yes mother, I was dead." She said a slight icy tone edged her voice.

"Then how? How are you here?" Cora asked and reached out with a trembling hand and touched her daughter's soft black hair.

Regina stared into her mother's eyes and said in a hushed grateful yet sad tone, "Because mother you were wrong, because of love." Regina smiled beautifully at the words as she said them. "Because of Henry and Snow, they loved me… they never truly gave up on me."

Cora's eyes darkened suddenly and she looked at Regina, "Love?" She asked angrily. "You died because you loved that insolent boy. Love has always brought you pain, and it was the death of you! And for what?" Cora asked. "So you could save the pathetic fools who keep on trying to take away all the power I worked so hard to get you? So you could watch as your 'son' chooses another woman to be his mother instead of you?" Cora shook her head and stared at her daughter as if she were still a senseless teenager. "Love is weakness Regina." She said firmly.

Regina's smile faded at her mother's words and she regained her defiant manner. "Not if it's the only thing left worth fighting for." Regina said looking at her mother with a treacherous look in her eyes. "And my child- no my children, both Henry and Snow, they are worth fighting for. And to me they are worth dying and living for. I was wrong mother! It wasn't Snow's fault for Daniels death, it never was! You tricked her, and you killed him, because you don't know how to love, because you can't love!" She emphasized the words and looked at her mother shaking her head slightly. "Because you don't have what it takes to love… you don't have your heart."

By now Charming had raced over to Snow and woke her up. Snow, Charming, Emma, Henry and everyone else listened to Regina as she confronted her mother. Snow's eyes were wet with tears as she heard Regina claim her as her daughter and tell Cora that it wasn't Snow's fault for Daniel's death. Charming looked truly and undeniably dumb struck as he listened to the woman he knew to be the Evil Queen talk to her mother about love and how she loved Henry and Snow and how they were worth fighting for. He looked at Snow and saw tears in her eyes, and understood, this was the Regina Snow had been holding on for throughout all the years and all the pain, and he now understood why she had held on so tightly.

Cora chuckled slightly, "And look at how far I've gotten. I've escaped every attempt you have made to get rid of me, I escaped your curse, I made it to this world, I gave you all the power you have Regina. Without me you would be nothing! These," She said and waved her arm indicating the people surrounding her and her daughter. Regina briefly glanced around and saw all the people who had shown up for her funeral, her heart lifted at the sight, then her eyes settled on her mother again. "These Regina are distractions! And I cannot let you be distracted!" Cora looked at Regina with stern eyes. "They will have to go." She said.

Regina looked at her mother and said with a firm voice, "No mother! You will not harm any of these people!" Regina suddenly raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Remember mother, you made me their queen." She looked at Cora and said, "And a queen defends her people until her last breath!"

Cora looked at her daughter with bewilderment, "You dare speak back to me! You know I will not tolerate that sort of behavior!" She then raised her hand to magically lift Regina into the air like she did when Regina was a child. But Regina didn't budge; she remained on the ground and smirked an eyebrow raised.

"Something wrong mother?" Regina asked with a fake innocent look.

Cora raised her hand again and again trying to send her daughter into the air, but Regina stayed firmly on the ground in front of her. "What is this?" Cora asked her eyes wide with panic.

Regina looked at her and said loudly, "You have no power over me now mother!"

Cora summoned fire in her hands and directed it like a giant flamethrower at Regina. Flames engulfed where the woman had been standing and several people in the crowd of onlookers screamed. Once the flames died away Cora gasped as she saw Regina standing unharmed, not even a hair out of place. Regina walked up in front of her mother and looked at her, "Everything I did Regina, I did for you." Cora said in an unsteady voice as she looked fearfully at her daughter.

Regina shook her head, "No mother, you did it for you." She said and waved her hand, holding her palm out and a glowing object appeared in it. "But this, this is for me." Regina said and plunged her hand into Cora's chest shoving her mother's heart back into place. Cora gasped her eyes wide in surprise and pain as she felt her daughters hand in her chest. When Regina pulled her hand out she no longer held her mother's heart, but instead held a large black and blue orb of light that was Cora's magic. Regina held the orb in front of her mother and said softly, "And this is so you will never hurt anyone again." Then Regina placed the orb between her hands and crushed it into nothingness.

Cora looked up at her daughter in astonishment. "Regina?" She said her hand over her where her heart had been returned. "Regina, my baby girl." Cora said and reached out touching Regina's cheek as if for the first time ever. "I am so sorry, you are enough, you always have been enough." She cried and fell into her daughters arms crying and holding her tight.

Regina held her mother and at first was in shock at what her mother had just said, then she hugged the woman back. "I forgive you mother." She said softly and closed her eyes enjoying the feeling of her mother embracing her, truly embracing her for the first time ever.

"MOM!" A voice called out and Regina turned and saw Henry running towards her. He was followed closely by Emma, Charming and Snow who were looking at Regina in awe and confusion. Regina turned and caught Henry as he came flying into her arms. "Mom! I've missed you so much! I'm sorry for everything I said and did! You are my mom! You aren't the Evil Queen! You are a hero! I love you!"

Regina held her son in her arms and smiled, tears coming to her eyes. "I love you too Henry." She said.

"How did you do it mom? How? How did you come back?" Henry asked and looked at her with wide excited eyes.

Regina smiled and looked at him lovingly. "You." She said simply. "Because I will always find you, and I will always save you, no matter where I am." She promised.

Regina was surprised when she suddenly felt another join the hug, turning her head slightly she saw Snow hugging both her and Henry. "Regina, I knew you were still there." The woman cried.

Regina smiled and moved her arm so she was hugging Snow as well. "Yes you did, you never gave up on me." She said. "I'm sorry Snow, for everything, Daniel's death was never your fault, I should never have blamed you."

Snow smiled and replied, "I forgave you long ago."

The three of them stood hugging for a while longer before they broke up due to Charming coughing. He looked at Regina and stepped forward, "Regina," He began to say. "I would like to apologize." He said with a guilty look.

Regina stepped forward and put her hand on his shoulder, "Charming, I forgive you. And thank you for keeping Snow safe." She said with a kind smile. She then turned to Emma who was standing silent and awkwardly to the side. "Miss Swan." She said. "Thank you so much for looking after our son."

"Yeah, no problem, he's easy to work with once you can get him to calm down." Emma said with an uneasy smile. "Regina?" She asked suddenly. "How are you even here?"

Regina looked at her then at all of those surrounding them, she sighed and looked down at a stone grave. Beside the grave lay the shattered remains of the glass sphere, "When I was dying Gold gave me the orb to hold onto to help ease the pain." She began and saw Snow and Emma flinch and Henry shifted uneasily. "I managed to use my magic to lock a part of my soul in the orb, and when Cora attacked Henry it broke. I was released and the part of my soul that was trapped bonded with the other half." She looked at them. "But here in this realm I am still dead, I cannot exist here."

Henry suddenly looked at her in surprise and fear, "Wait! Do you mean you're not staying!?" He gasped.

Regina looked down at her son and took his hand. "Henry I can't stay, this land is not meant to have someone like me in it." She said looking at him sadly.

"Someone dead you mean?" Emma asked looking a bit confused.

Regina looked up at her and nodded, there was a sob and she turned and saw Snow crying into Charming's shoulder. "But that doesn't mean I'm gone." Regina said. "I am always with you right here." She said and touched Henry's chest right over his heart.

"But Regina we just got you back! I just got you back!" Snow cried.

"And now we must say goodbye again." Regina said sadly. "But know that I will always be watching you all, I love you and I will never truly be gone." There was suddenly two flashes of white light and behind Regina a tall handsome young man with brown hair and blue eyes appeared beside an older looking man that was shorter and a bit fatter with white hair and sideburns but a mostly bald head and warm brown eyes, both were wearing white. Regina turned and gasped, tears of joy filled her eyes as she saw the two men. "Father!" She gasped and raced over embracing the shorter man; he hugged her back and smiled looking at his daughter. Regina then pulled away from him and raced over to the younger man; he caught her in his arms and met her lips with his, the two kissed passionately.

Emma leaned over to Mary Margret and asked, "Is that?"

"Daniel." Snow nodded in conformation.

Regina and Daniel only pulled apart because of yet again an uneasy cough from Charming. "Daniel, Father, I've missed you both so much!" Regina said with a wide smile as she held both their hands.

"We have missed you to my precious girl." Her father said with a smile and squeezed her hand.

"And we have waited for you." Daniel said looking at her lovingly. "Are you ready to go home?" He asked her.

Regina looked at him and said, "I have one thing left to do." She then turned around and faced her mother who was looking on with a look of guilt and sorrow. "Mother, you were unable to share your love with me, but I want you to promise me you will share it with my son and with his family." She said holding her mother's hands.

"I promise Regina." Cora said with a shaky saddened voice.

Regina hugged her then pulled away and faced Snow and Charming. "Please look after my mother, I know she has done horrible things, but please give her this chance to make up for them." She looked at the couple in front of her with her dark brown eyes.

"Of course we will." Snow said and reached forward hugging Regina tightly. Regina hugged her back then turned to Emma.

"Emma, look after my son." She said looking at the blonde. "He means the world to me."

Emma nodded and said, "Yeah I know, he's a good kid." She then also surprisingly hugged Regina. Regina hugged her back and then turned looking at Henry who was teary eyed.

"Come now my little prince, there is no need for tears." Regina said and wiped a tear from his cheek. "I need you to look out for all of them Henry, just like you always have." She said and smiled at him.

"It's not fare." He whimpered. "I need you." He said. "You're my mom and I love you!"

Regina smiled at him and took his hands. "Henry, you will always need me, just as I will always need you. I will always be with you even if you can't see me. I'm your mom, it's what we do." She said and hugged him tight. "I love you my little prince." She said shedding a tear. "Now promise me you will look out for them."

"I promise." Henry said and hugged her back tightly. But soon they had to let go, Henry held Emma's hand as Regina walked back over to her father and Daniel.

She looked over her shoulder at the people standing and looking at her, they will be alright, she told herself. Daniel took her hand and she looked up at him and smiled radiantly, "Now it is time for our happy ending." He said and began to lead her forward. She followed him with her father at her side and in a flash of white light they were gone, off to their new home to live happily ever after like all hero's should.

Hey guys I really hope you all enjoyed the story, let me know if you think I should make a sequel because I'm thinking about it. I really loved writing for you all and I would appreciate reviews. Love you all!