T"You should never have doubted that you were my choice." She brought their lips together, she had made the right decision. She had made her choice, now she would have to live through its fall out.

"Regina, are you sure you've had enough time to think?" The other female stood in front of her, doubt written across her face. Regina looked into the eyes of the woman before her. She knew both of them had expected a weeks worth of waiting to find out who should was be with, but Regina didn't want to make the situation worse. She didn't want to go to bed every night worrying about what everyones reactions would be when, she had always known who she would choose deep down in her heart.

"I don't need more time my dear, if I had left it any longer I would have only worsened everyones pain. I knew who my choice would be the moment the question was put to me. I was just too afraid to admit it." The Queen shivered as the cold winds whipped around her. Even in a Valentino coat and scarf she was freezing. "Dear, its frightfully cold, can you please let me in?"

"Of course." She walked into the diner with Red and straight back into her arms. Her choice was cemented. She had chosen her wolf.

Granny walked from out of the back and took in the sight before her. Her Granddaughter was holding the Evil Queen in her arms. She walked behind the counter unnoticed and pulled out a bottle of Jack, placing it on the side she brought out three glasses and filled them up with the amber liquid. Part of her was happy that the regal woman had chosen her Granddaughter over the saviour, the other part was fearful of what would happen when the Charmings found out. Snow would not only be on her high horse for being right about Regina hurting Emma, she would be angry that her best friend had been the woman Regina had heart Emma with.

"Its a mighty fine mess, you two have made." Granny said breaking her silence and pushing two of the glasses towards the women. "This town will make demons out of the both of you."

"Ms Lucas." Regina greeted. "I'm sure most of them already believe I am a demon."

"Thats true." Granny snorted.

"Granny!" Red said, letting go of Regina.

"Well, what do you expect girl?" Granny placed her hands on her hips. "You two are gonna get an awful lot of hate for this, not from me. Red, you're my grand baby and I love you, I will always protect you. I believe in second chances, Regina gave us one. I'll give her one."

"Thank you." Regina smiled softly at the elder woman.

"Don't thank me yet, you're gonna break a lot of hearts here." Granny brought her glass up to her lips.

"We know, Granny." Red grabbed her glass and shot it back.

"The sainted Charming family will have your heads." Regina sighed at that and reached out for her glass. "What about your boy? This will break his heart."

"Granny." Red warned.

"I'm well aware of the fall out that will come with Henry." Regina put her glass back down and felt Red grab her hand.

"Eventually he will understand." Ruby tried to give Regina a smile of reassurance but was met with a glare.

"Eventually can be an awful long time, Miss Lucas." Granny laughed at Regina.

"Already regretting your choice, your royal highness?" Regina turned to the elder woman.

"No." She stop strong. "It isn't fair to emma to chose her for Henry, it isn't because I don't love her. I do. I do love Emma. She wanted to forget my past and try to convince other people that what I have done doesn't matter. It does matter. I murdered people. I used sex as a weapon. I have ruined lives, lives including those who are your friends. I will never forgive myself for what I did. She wanted to hide me away. Your granddaughter doesn't want to do that. She made me see that I shouldn't be ashamed of my past, I should embrace it, I should learn from it. I'm trying to atone daily for my mistakes but Granny, this isn't one of them." Regina took a breath. "I never expected it to happen, to fall in love with Red but I have and I will never regret it."

"Thats good enough for me..Regina." Granny smiled slightly and put her hand on Regina's arm. "I hear true love is a long and hard path..but you'll always find each other." Granny smirked and left out the back. Leaving Regina laughing and Red shaking her head.

Regina spent the night at the bed and breakfast with Ruby. she knew in the morning she would have to walk over to the loft and confront Emma and relay her choice. She felt safe in Red's wolf kept her close against her chest. Emma didn't stray from her mind for long, she couldn't let herself enjoy the embrace for the guilt as almost overwhelming. She couldn't pin everything on Emma. Emma may have pushed her away for Snow but, Regina had let her. The more Emma pushed, the more Emma told her that she was going over to Snow's and that Regina wouldn't be coming with her, the easier it became to run into Red's arms. She thought about their on. He wanted her so badly to be happy but admitted he wasn't sure about his mothers being together. He was worried about the fall out of what would happen if one of them got hurt. She had told him every thing would be fine, no matter what they would love him and would always be fair by him. She knew they would be but that didn't mean Henry wouldn't be upset that his mothers would no longer be a working partnership. She knew he would be upset but she hoped, he would see that it is better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all. She closed her eyes and prayed for forgiveness.

At 7am she could no longer lay there and pretend to be asleep. She got up and redressed, she would have to shower and have a change of clothes before going to see Emma. She didn't want to hurt Emma more by wearing the same clothes she had worn yesterday, she knew Emma would presume she had, had relations with Red something she was still yet to do . She left Red a note on her pillow explaining that she would be returning to the mansion to get dressed, showered and then would be heading over to Emma's to inform her of her choice. She left the bed and breakfast and began her walk home. The air was bitter. She walked fast and soon found herself approaching her mansion. She noticed someone was sat in front of her door. Picking up her pace even more, she soon realised it was Emma. The blonde was leaning against her door, blonde hair falling in front of her face. Red leather jacket still attached to her. As she walked up her path, she realised that Emma was asleep. When she got near enough she knelt down and shook Emma's leg slightly.

"Gina?" The sleepy saviour opened her eyes and smiled.

"Hello Emma." Regina helped the saviour up. "Lets get you inside and get you warmed up."

"Promises, promises." Emma laughed and Regina couldn't help but laugh with her. She brought Emma into the house and sat her not he stool by the breakfast bar. She began to make them both coffee all the while watching emma yawn and stretch.

"Were you trying to freeze yourself to death, Miss Swan?" Regina asked putting the coffee in front of her.

"I was waiting for you to get home." Emma took a sip of the drink. "Where were you?"

"I stayed at the bed and breakfast." Regina couldn't look her in the eye.

"With Rubes?" Emma asked. "That was a long break up speech." With that Regina looked at the floor, she swore she could hear Emma's heart break. "It was a break up speech, right Gina?"

"I made my choice , Emma." Regina looked up into the blue pools of sadness that were Emma's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"You..Ruby?" Emma's voice cracked. "You picked her?"

"I did, Emma." Regina took a breath. "Emma, I will never be the woman you need me to be. I will never be someone who can bow to Snow's whims. You pushed me away more and more and I let you. The more I stood back the more I saw s for what we are. You want to give me my happy ending, you want to save me. Emma, I have never needed saving. I need unconditional love, someone who isn't going to back away from what I did. Someone who can say, she did all those things but all those things led them to us. You can't do that and I understand. Those choices also took you away from your mother and father and Snow will never be able to forgive that. I will always love you, Emma Swan. You stood by me through everything but you pushed me away when it came to our relationship. You're my sons mother Emma, you gave him me back."

"Fuck, Regina." Emma's body was wracked with sobs as her heart broke. "I'm sorry about Snow, but we can fix this, please don't leave me."

"Don't apologise for her, she was right. I've broken your heart Emma, for that, I am truly sorry." Regina walked around the counter and wrapped her arms around her.

"You did." Emma sobbed into Regina's chest. "It was good though right? Before Snow." Emma pulled away and sniffled.

"It was great, Emma." Regina smiled.

"Ruby..Red, she makes you happy?" Emma asked.

"She infuriates me." Regina admitted. "she's never serious, very stubborn, she tracks mud through the house with her paws."

"Is that a yes?" Emma asked.

"She makes me very happy Emma." The Queen smiled to herself. "We both understand whats it like to live with a darkness. We have both killed people we cared about."

"What do we tell Henry?" Emma sighed.

"The Truth, he would only find it out from someone else sooner or later." Regina bit her lip. "It will probably be better coming from you, he can always come and find me afterwards."

"If you're sure." Emma hopped off the bar stool and wiped her eyes. "Its gonna take me a while to..think of you as a friend, Regina. I'm furious, I'm hurt and part of me wants to shoot Ruby but I love you. Just give me time."

"You have all the time in the world, Emma." Regina looked at the blonde sadly. "I'm so sorry." With a shrug, Emma left the mansion and Regina. With a sigh the Queen walked up the stair case and into her bathroom, Emma had all the time in the world.

Regina was showered and dressed by 11am, she now sat in her study and began to text Red. she informed the woman that Emma had left that she was aware of her choice and that she should probably avoid her for a while. They had broken her heart, after all. She heard the door open and slam. She knew only one person who would slam the door like that when angry, Henry. She pushed a hand through her heart and took a deep breath. She quickly typed another text telling Red that Henry had just entered the mansion. She knew Emma would have told him as soon as she arrived back the loft. she watched the study door open and was met with the face of her son.

"Hello dear." She said softly, smiling at him.

"Mom.." Henry's face was covered with mixed emotions, anger, sadness, betrayal and love. "How could you?"

"I never meant for it to happen, Henry. We never meant for it to happen." Regina shook her head. "Red is a good person, you know that. She was always one of the good guys."

"How can she be good when she broke mom's heart with you." He yelled, walking towards the table and slamming his hands down on them.

"Good people can sometimes do bad things." Regina reasoned, moving around the table to stand before him.

"But you love mom!" Tears fell from his eyes. "You're true love."

"Henry, sweetheart." Regina put her hands on his shoulders. "I love your mother, I always will do but I don't think what we had was true love."

"But.." Henry tried to argue.

"True love is something very rare, something your grandparents have." Regina smiled at the boy. "True love is unconditional."

"Is this because of Grandma?" He asked.

"Partly but its not her fault." Regina kissed the boy on the top of the head. "Your Grandmother will never truly forgive me for what I have done, I do not believe that she would ever be able to accept Emma and I. Your mother then was stuck trying to please us both. Think of all those family dinners Henry, think of all the times you went on outings and I was left here."

"Mom..I'm sorry." Henry whispered.

"This isn't your fault." The Queen hugged her son. "Red and I made a choice and we must deal with the consequences, you must look after your mother for me."

"i will." He nodded.

"I'm happy Henry, i'm sad that I've hurt you and Emma but she makes me happy, Ruby is happy." Regina looked into the boys eyes.

"I just..need time." Henry moved away from his mother. "I love you, I love aunt Rubes but I need to think."

"I understand, my door is always open Henry, I hope that one day you'll be able to come and have dinner with us."

"Yeah." Henry looked at the floor. "I just..I'm really mad right now, I don't really understand it all, all this adult stuff. I think, I'm gonna go check on my other mom."

"I love you Henry." Regina pulled the boy into a hug and felt a comfort knowing he was hugging her back.

"I love you too, Mom." Henry pulled away and Regina led him out and kissed him on the forehead as he left. She watched her son walk down the street and wiped stray tears from her eyes. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled the phone out. There was a text from Red.

"Snow knows. i'm coming over."

"Shit." Regina swore.

To be continued..