Prologue

Regina stood by the counter in the back of Mr. Gold's better known as Rumpelstiltskin's shop, she watched as Emma, Henry, Snow and Charming all exit together as a family. The empty feeling inside her is one she has grown painfully used to over the events of the past months as Henry makes it quite clear that he prefers to claim Emma as his mother. She remains standing there even after she hears the bell at the front door of the shop ring indicating that they had left. And again like so many times before this Regina stood alone and forgotten, the feeling of it made her heart ache. No matter how hard she tried and no matter what she did it seemed that she would never be accepted by these people, she would never be invited along to celebrate a victory, or be included unless it was her magic needed. But what hurt the most was the fact that she knew that this had been her last chance to be included in the celebration, and her last chance to be with Henry.

"You don't look well at all Madam Mayor." A voice came from behind her causing Regina to turn around fast and find herself staring at none other than Mr. Gold.

"We both know why that is Gold, try not to enjoy this too much." Regina said in her icy tone showing she was in no mood to be messed with.

"Enjoy? Why would I enjoy this? I may be the Dark One, but that doesn't mean I'm heartless." Mr. Gold said as he looked at her with sincere eyes.

Regina sighed and looked at him, "I'm sorry." She said finally after a moment. "I'm sorry for snapping." She felt herself growing weaker and a bit wobbly. Gold obviously sensed it too because his hands were suddenly on her arms as if to steady her.

"Apology accepted Dearie." He said still holding onto her to make sure she didn't fall. "You need to sit lay down." He said and even though Regina wanted to protest and claim to be perfectly capable of supporting herself she allowed him to guide her over to the small cot that charming had been lying upon. She lowered herself onto it and laid down feeling weaker with each passing heart beat, a small pain inside her was growing stronger with each breath of air.

"I wouldn't change what I did." She said suddenly and her brown eyes gazed up at Rumpel who was sitting beside the cot. "I had to absorb the spell, I had to do it for Henry he would have never forgiven me if I hadn't." She sounded weaker than she had 15 minutes ago when she was talking with Henry.

"I know Dearie." Rumpel said as he watched her jaw tighten in pain, his eyes looked truly saddened by the scene. "But we both know magic always comes with a price, and that spell's price was death."

Regina held her fist tight in pain as the spell coursed through her. "It was either the death of the Savior and Snow and me losing Henry, or the death of the Evil Queen and Henry having the family he wants and a last good memory of me." She groaned in pain as the spell seared through her, her skin was becoming pale and her eyes closed tight in agony but she continued. "Besides the villains aren't supposed to have happy endings." She said in a soft but pain filled voice. The scene played out again over and over in her head, the well where things once lost return, the green lightning and smoke of the spell to keep whatever came through from making it to the surface alive. Then suddenly Henry was there begging for Regina to stop the spell, to trust him and believe that it would be Emma and Snow coming through the portal and not Cora. Regina had known then that if she did what Henry was begging her to do that she would be risking the possible wrath of her mother, but more than that, she knew that if she absorbed the spell that it would still proceed with its designed purpose and it would kill her. But Henry had begged her to give Emma and Snow the chance and to trust him, she had looked into her sons eyes and seen the pain and hurt of her betrayal even though she had been trying to protect him, but she also saw the strong hope and belief in his eyes that Emma and Snow would return. Regina had needed Henry to know that she trusted him and loved him so she did what he asked her to. She walked up to the well and absorbed the spell into herself, and he had been right because only a moment later Emma and Snow climbed out of the well. But now only an hour later Regina was paying the price for her actions as she lay on the cot with Gold sitting beside her, her skin burning up and ghostly pale and her pulse switching from rapid to dangerously slow, her brown eyes grew wet with tears.

Gold shifted in his seat and closed his eyes feeling his heart ache at her words, "No… no we are not." He said with a grief filled voice. He moved a bit and got up from his seat walking a few steps away.

"No! Please don't leave me." Regina gasped weakly as he left her line of sight.

Mr. Gold quickly returned, "I'm not going anywhere Dearie, I promise." He said looking at her he took her hand and placed a glass orb in it. "Hold onto this, it will help the pain." He closed her fingers around it.

Regina held onto the orb as tightly as she could and together she and Mr. Gold waited for heart breaking minutes as her life slipped away. Regina's eyes had been closed in agony for close to ten minutes when suddenly she opened them and gaze up at Gold. "Thank you Rumpelstiltskin." She said in a small and soft voice.

Mr. Gold looked at her and his mouth opened just slightly in surprise and grief as he saw the look in her eye and the innocence on her face. For the first time in many years the Regina he was looking at was not the Evil Queen, she was the Regina who still had hope and love, the young woman who loved horses and believed in happy endings. But then it all faded from her face as her brown eyes glazed over and her chest fell and did not rise again, her grip on the glass orb became nonexistent and the sphere rolled out of her hand.

This is my fist Once Upon a Time fanfic so please read and review, I update a whole lot faster the more reviews I get. I don't own any of these characters but I so wish I did!