The savior, the product of true love, and the current thorn in her side was undeniably proving her assumptions correct, that the charming genes were unrealistically strong. No matter how much Emma thought she was helping she just continued to make things worse, just like her mother. Those genes just oozed idiocy, heroism and over optimistic thoughts. Regina wanted to put all of them inside a cage and feed them to the ogres. Except this wasn't the Enhcanted Forest and Henry would never forgive her for that.

A mix of anger, despair, and regret washed over her all at once as Emma confronted her. The blonde was truly upset, but it wasn't enough not after what she did. For a moment she had allowed herself to believe that she was finally worthy of her happy ending. She got her hopes up, and gave her heart out for a second time just to have it break once more because their foolish notion of change and second chances managed to rub off on her. It was all Emma Swan's fault.

"Regina!" She pleaded.

Her hand instinctively rose with anger, itching to quell the magical storm inside her that demanded retribution. All it would take was simple push of her hand and she'd be sent hurdling backwards. It would teach her a lesson to mess so foolishly with timelines but something in those green eyes grounded her, reminded her of how much she changed, how her life changed. She clenched her hand into a fist and lowered it down to her side. She was better than that now. It took her too long to finally understand what Rumple meant when he said "All magic comes with a price!" The image of him saying it, and doing it with a small flourish of hands came to mind, just adding to her irritation. If she stuck around any longer her resolve would break.

Wordlessly, she turned on her heels and left the crowd of bumbling idiots, pushing away the feeling that they had some how began to feel like family to her. That feeling just made walking away all the more painful.

Tears were flooding her vision as she hurriedly walked down the dark streets of Storybrooke. She could have vanished in a puff of purple smoke but the choking feeling in her throat had her feeling desperate for air. Yet, the walk only reminded her of the loneliness she felt during her first year of the curse, that painful year without Henry where everything felt so devoid, and empty...

A tightening in her chest had her stopping, the pain was too much to push past. Why was she always made to be the villain? Couldn't she just be happy for once in her life? She tightened her jacket around her, wrapping her arms around her torso and leaned back against the wall of a closed shop. The cold brick wall felt like the only stable thing in her life right now.

"Regina..."

Her head snapped up at the sound of her voice. Why did it surprise her that Emma chased her down? With an angry swipe of her hand across her cheek she wiped away the fresh trail of tears. She wouldn't show any more weakness.

"Miss Swan." A flash of pain went across the blonde's face at the coldness in Regina voice. "Can't you tell when your presence isn't needed? Why don't you go back to the diner and find someone else's life to ruin? It looked like Ariel was happy maybe you can help her too." The end of her sentence had a bite to it, she wanted Emma to run away but Emma still stood her ground.

"Look Regina I didn't know-"

"Of course you didn't. " She growled.

"I'm sorry!" The raw desperation in her plea managed to catch her off guard, and she struggled not to let her mask fall away. There were too many emotions swimming in Emma's eyes. Emotions that she was all too familiar, hurt, sadness and something else that was far too complex to label. The new tightening in her chest caused her to soften her demeanor.

"Why did you bring her back?" The question was spoken quietly, a hint of exhaustion just barely making its way through her words.

"I couldn't let her die."

"Yes I know that," she hissed a little angry at the idiotic reply. "I mean why? What did you see In her? She was going to die anyway."

"I..." Emma paused searching for the right words but a sad laugh filled the night air before she could reply.

"I've had my heart broken and you've decided it was in order to save some one you know nothing about?" Regina pushed herself off the wall, unfolding her arms and standing up to her full height. "At least when I took a life I recognized why they deserved to die."

Emma's eyes saddened and she felt her breath catch in confusion. Why wasn't Emma angry at her for that last comment? It was meant to hurt she thought angrily.

"I can't undo this and if I had the chance I'd probably save her again. I wasn't going to let her die when I knew I was the one deciding her fate. Like you said...I wasn't thinking about the consequences." Emma stepped towards her, far too close into her personal space, but she didn't step away. That would be conceding power and the one thing Regina cherished was power. "I'm sorry about Robin... I want to make this right but you need to let me try. "

She searched Emma's eyes for a reason not to fling her body across the street. How dare she try to play this off as some kind of compassion!

"I have no interest in easing your guilt. Miss Swan."

If she hadn't been standing so close to her she never would have saw the slightest fall in Emma's face, and she felt a twinge of sadness again. It wasn't for herself this time though. Something in Emma's past had her far too understanding of what a broken heart felt like, and evil or not she did not wish that kind of pain on anyone. Still, Emma deserved this. Foolishly going against Rumple's advice, altering their futures for a lowly peasant. She was lucky Marian's arrival in Storybrooke hadn't caused more of an impact.

"I feel horrible about all of this but you can't seriously blame me for doing the right thing." She stepped closer to her as she went on." I know what you're feeling right now and honestly it sucks but the best thing you can do is move on. Stop living in the past. Keep it where it is and move on. Otherwise it only makes the pain worse..."

Emma's sadness felt constricting. She was too close to ignore it, and somehow Emma's emotions felt like priority over her own. She didn't want Emma to be sad, she had just wanted her to know how foolish, and dimwitted her actions had been. Oddly enough, this broke her heart more than Robin reuniting with his true love but the kind, reassuring words forming in her brain were completely different than the cruel words coming out of her mouth.

"You're right. I don't need to be looking in the past because the thing making me the most miserable is in the present. Standing right here. In front of me."

That was the final blow. Regina felt she had gone too far with that one, cut too deep to mend it and just knew that it couldn't be undone. Emma bit her lip, her soft face twisted with pain and no more words were spoken between them. Emma turned abruptly and headed back towards the diner.

A heavy sense of guilt fell on her, the need to apologize almost had her running after her but she was too busy still trying to be angry to act on it. Her anger was justified she told herself. Emma ruined her happy ending. Despite the thought a new ache still made its way into her heart. It seemed she too needed to understand the consequences of her own actions.

"Emma she just needs some space." Mary Margaret said after listening to her retell their encounter back at Granny's.

"I've destroyed her happiness..."

"Yes but things have a way of working themselves out."

Emma never felt angry towards her mother but that last statement got under her skin. Did she seriously expect her to just wait it out? It was if she was telling her to just shove everything in her closet rather than organizing her room.

"I can't just let her self destruct like this. What if she goes back to being the evil queen?"

"She wouldn't!" Henry exclaimed from his seat beside her. "She's come too far..."

"I hope your right." She propped her chin on on her elbow and stared down into her cup of hot chocolate. It didn't taste as good as it usually did.

"Maybe she'll be more accepting in the morning. We can bake her some cookies and I'll go with you."

"No offense but the two of us on her doorstep first thing in the morning won't exactly be the best start to her day..."

Mary Margaret's brow scrunched up.

"I guess your right. "

"I'm going to try and talk to her again tomorrow but right now... I need a drink." She pushed aside the cocoa and flagged down Ruby for something much stronger.

11 am came around and she still hadn't worked up the courage to pay a visit to Regina. Where was her bravado when she needed it? She could fight off dragons and ogres but somehow talking to a grown woman felt far more life threatening. She anxiously ran a hand through her hair while thinking about a particular comment Regina had made to her last night. She did tend to make it worse for Regina but it was never intentional. Was it too soon to talk to her? Would Regina even let her speak? While Pacing the floor for about the hundredth time that morning Mary Margaret finally spoke up. It jerked her out of the thoughts that had started to consume her.

"Emma you need to stop this. Just go and talk to her."

A sigh left her and she shoved her hands in her jean pockets.

"I know..." She looked over at her mother. She was leaning back in a chair, trying to read a book.

"Do you want me to drive you?" She smiled softly at her mother. She was trying she'd give her that.

"No thank you. I need to do this alone." Snow nodded in understanding.

"Just call me if you need anything. Your father and I will come to your rescue if you need it."

"Thanks." She took in a deep breath. If she didn't head out now she knew she would end up talking herself out of it.

It took several doorbell rings and many loud knocks for Regina to finally open the door to her.

"What do you want!" Regina growled furiously swinging the door open.

Her words failed her with the sudden reality of having to speak. She hadn't actually expected Regina to open the door. Each second she wasted with silence mean't another second Regina lost her patience. She knew she had to speak, and she knew that she was quickly screwing this up but she just couldn't make a sound.

"Thank your for such a compelling conversation. Give me a couple days to go over the implications and I'll get back to you on it."

The door was moving quickly to a closed position. She panicked and instinctively brought a foot out. The pain was immediate and she let out a hiss in response to the sudden throbbing. It worked to keep the door open though as Regina fully pushed it back with a mix of anger and... concern?

"Regina," she breathed, her voice was straining with pain. "We need to talk."

Regina's eyes casually ran up her body, as though she were sizing her up, and something about that dark calculating look in her eye stirred a strange longing in the pit of her stomach. The sudden feeling had her nearly stumbling backwards down the steps from the shock of it.

"Come in." Regina replied curtly while she stepped back to allow her through. The feeling fleeted and she walked through the doorway. The pain of walking instantly met her foot but she did her best to hide it. This wasn't about her. She was here for Regina.

"I'd offer you something to eat but im afraid all I have are apples."

Her stomach was starting to churn with anger. Why couldn't she just give her some slack? She held in her angry reply though well aware of how big it was of her to actually invite her in. Maybe she had a chance.

She moved to her couch and was silently grateful to get off her throbbing foot. That really fucking hurt. How she managed not to cry was a miracle. Regina sat in a chair across from her staring at her expectedly with a not so welcoming expression.

"I know you are mad at me and you have the right to be but I just want to make sure your going to be okay..."

Regina sat with a leg delicately folded over the other, a long span of leg showing from the dress she wore. It was becoming increasingly difficult not to look there.

However, the malicious expression taking over Regina's face wasn't making it as hard as it originally was. She felt extremely uncomfortable on the other end of it.

"Emma," She sighed and the expression quickly fell. "I'm far from okay. But if it will ease your troubled mind I can pretend that I am and you can go on feeling good about yourself. At least one of us should."

Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. Regina had likely meant that as some kind of barb but all it did was reinforce just how devastating the loss of Robin was to her, and how badly she messed things up. There was too much pain behind her statement to let it go but what could she say to make things right?

Regina was refusing to meet her eyes and her gaze seemed to settle for staring vacantly out the window. She followed the direction of her gaze and knew she was already losing this conversation. She was willing to say anything to pull her back in.

"You deserve to be happy." Her voice was thick with emotion, surprising her just as much as Regina with just how much was there. "You aren't that evil queen. I know you aren't." Regina lifted her chin slightly but her eyes were still glued to her healing apple tree outside. She had to try something else.

She got up of the couch limping slightly at the pressure and approached Regina.

"The evil queen would have already taken her revenge on Marian. You haven't." She sat on the arm of the chair and Regina finally turned from the outside world. When they locked eyes her heart nearly broke in two. The pain was immense, a life time of loss and always getting the short end of the stick finally caught up to her. It had her reaching out for Regina's hand from her lap. "You've changed and to be honest... I consider you a friend."

Regina's pain stricken face lessened more with the comfort of her words and touch. She hadn't pulled away yet, and this mean't more to Emma than she ever thought it would. Regina trusted her and maybe didn't even hate her... The moment she said friend both woman felt their hearts flutter from the truth. At some point in time, in all of their struggles, they had managed to get closer to one another. Regina no longer felt like that vindictive, power hungry mayor willing to destroy anyone that got in her way. In a way she owed that to Emma's arrival. The first day she arrived she had wanted to destroy her but she couldn't because of Henry. That practice in self restraint somehow made not killing people easier the farther along they went.

"I don't like seeing my friends upset. Which is why I want you to tell me what I can do to try and make this better."

So many thoughts came to Regina's mind. Leave Storybrooke, leave my house, give me back my son, get off my chair, stop touching me ...but what came out was completely different.

"Just be yourself."

That sounded like forgiveness. She wanted to smile and jump for joy but something stopped her. Regina was about to cry. She could see it in her watery eyes, and the way she kept swallowing, trying to push back that lump forming in her throat.

The evil queen learned to turn sadness into anger but Regina didn't know what to do with it. She didn't know what to do either but she went with a hug, to try and offer her a moment of solace. She twisted on the arm of the chair and wrapped her arms around Regina's neck.

Regina's face was nearly pressed into her chest but she wasn't about to sit in her lap. It was an awkward position but it felt right. Regina didn't pay it any attention either, she was aching for that type of comfort, any type of comfort. A painful sob escaped her and she was hooking her arms around Emma's lower back, needing to feel the warmth that came with someone that actually cared about you.

Emma didn't deserve to keep feeling so guilty. She thought. This whole situation was just the result of who Emma really was. The savior.

In her embrace she allowed the tears flowed freely, Emma could shield her from the rest of the world if she needed it. The tears that had started off as ones of sadness quickly turned to ones of gratitude. Emma was the only person besides Henry that truly cared for her and she was just realizing this now. She couldn't be mad at her now.

Blonde curls tickled her nose and she was breathing in the scent of Emma for the first time. It was sweet, and not to strong with just a hint of lavender. Not at all what she expected. Even more surprising was how Emma seemed to just melt into her like they fit together perfectly.

"I'll stay until you tell me to leave." Emma said, her breath tickling her ear.

Those string of words were all Regina needed to hear before fully relaxing in to the embrace. It should have been humiliating but she didn't care, a shoulder was finally there to cry on without being reprimanded for weakness. She was suddenly crying for every bad deed in her past, past heartaches and all the happiness it cost her. Emma shifted her hand to the back of her head gently stroking soft strands of brunette hair. It was so gentle that Regina almost felt she imagined it.

"It's going to be okay."

Emma sounded so sure that she genuinely believed her but the skipping beat in her heart had her afraid and suddenly ending their embrace.

She stood up slowly, careful not to hurt Emma and straightened out her dress, trying to ignore just how much she wished she could stay in her arms. But it would be too embarrassing to stay in them any longer.

She cleared her throat and met Emma's gaze.

"Thank you." Emma's eyes shimmered warmly.

"It's the least I could do." Emma reassured clearing her throat as well. The air in the room had shifted and they were both immediately aware of just how real that moment had been.

"How-hows your foot?"

A grin spread across Emma's face at the notion.

"It's seen better days." She replied. There was a brief down turn of Regina's lips. Red full lips she noted.

Something was wrong with her because right now she was imagining what they would feel like against hers.

"I'd heal it for you but you deserved it." The offense she took at the statement vanished when she noticed the playful gleam in Regina's eyes.

"Yes your majesty." She curtsied but, unfortunately, the idea worked better in her head. When she placed the swollen foot back on the ground the jolt of pain caused her to lose her balance. Regina surprisingly leapt forward to catch her, grabbing her waist before she stumbled to the floor.

"Perhaps it would be easier for you to just call me Regina."

Butterflies filled her stomach as she looked up at Regina who still had her arms firmly wrapped around her.

"Agreed." She breathed.

Regina seemed to realize the abnormally long amount of time she was holding onto her and abruptly released her.

"I have work to do," she said. "I'll show you to the door."

Regina held herself straighter now, almost rigid feeling very uncomfortable with her own state of mind. The emotions running through her mind where confusing and she almost coward back to the role of the cold, heartless mayor in fear of them. However, Emma never gave her that chance.

"Regina... If you're not busy tonight. Maybe you would like to have dinner with me.. And Henry of course!"

Regina blinked back the surprise. Nobody ever invited her anywhere except Emma. The party and now this. She was grateful for it all.

"As long as your not cooking." She said flatly. Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes. At least Regina was considering it.

"I'm not so at seven then?"