Hey guys! I'm back. I've been on a long break again. Holidays, life, school.. the usual. Terrible excuses, I know. Anyhow, I will be writing again. This is a prompt I got from Tumblr after the 5x01 episode.
Here's the prompt:
Can you PLEASE write a fic on Regina dealing with the loss of "her" Emma as she becomes the Dark One. Based off the song "She Use to Be Mine" by Sara Bareilles?
I know that I might have gotten a little off track here.. so sorry for that. However, I do hope the prompt giver and everyone else enjoys this one-shot. I had a great time writing it.
She's here. She's alive. They found her. A million thoughts are rushing through her head once she looks at her again. She looks empty, broken, fighting a battle inside that Regina knows all too well. A battle that she has lost more than once. And now Emma has to face the same darkness, fight the same battles. Regina knows that she's strong and brave, and for god's sake she's supposed to be the savior. But this girl standing in front of her? She's no savior, no princess, she's not even Emma Swan.
Regina's not really listening, looking at the leaves on the ground beneath her instead, because somehow looking at her makes it worse. Emma's idiotic parents have come along of course, and Regina will never say it out loud but she's glad they're here. Henry stays by her side, he's not afraid, but then again his ignorance will always have him believe in the good in his mother's heart. It's that believe that has saved them many times before, but this time it may be their weakness.
She looks up, and Snow is almost forcing the dagger in Emma's face, pushing her to take it from her. Hook encourages her, telling her that it's okay, she should have it. They trust her. Regina almost wants to roll her eyes. Of course they trust her, what they are forgetting is that this isn't Emma. Not really. This is not their daughter. Not really. They are not helping her at all. The brunette watches her closely, and she notices Emma's eyes linger on the dagger in front of her just a little bit too long.
But then there's that fire in her eyes. The same fire Regina had seen on the day that they met, when Emma had stood on her front porch, and the same fire that she had seen in Emma's eyes when they had kissed only a couple of days ago.
"The fight to control my darkness has just begun, it's too much power." She speaks then, looking around the group of people standing around her. "Someone needs to watch me." It is then that her eyes make contact with Regina's. The brunette is slightly startled by the sudden eye contact between them. She sees a coldness in there that makes her breath hitch. There's nothing in Emma's eyes that Regina recognizes, it's more like a reflection of the empty look that she used to have in her eyes. After she had lost Daniel and was soon going to marry the king, she had felt lost, no love left in her almost black heart. She couldn't believe this was happening to Emma. What if they couldn't save her? What if they failed? What if Regina could never tell her how she really felt? That maybe that kiss wasn't a mistake, but she was just scared.
Emma takes the dagger from her mother's hand and then points it in Regina's direction. "Are you serious?" Is all she can ask. She's not sure what else she can say.
"I saved you. Now save me." The blonde speaks up. Her tone is somewhat aggressive, as if trying to talk guilt into her. Like this is all Regina's fault. She knows it is though, in some way. Emma had wanted to save her happiness, thereby sacrificing herself. What she didn't know though, was that by sacrificing herself, Emma had still taken her happiness away from Regina.
Right now she really wished that she had the power to rewrite their ending. She has changed so many stories of the last decades. But it's this one, one she cares the most about, she can't change. She's completely powerless.
She never should have let Emma save her, it was stupid and reckless. Like she used to be. Not caring about what her decisions may do or cause. Always daring her and others, daring life itself to beat her up just one more time. Emma had been reckless when she had showed up at Regina's doorstep a few nights ago, tears in her eyes. She had been reckless when she pushed the brunette against her own front door, pressing her lips against Regina's without saying a word.
The brunette stares deeply into Emma's eyes. She's trying to find something in there, just something that shows that maybe there's still a little bit of that - of her - Emma inside of her.
The blonde speaks up again. "And if you can't save me, do what no one else will willingly do. You're the only one who will get past their feelings and do what is necessary." No. No. Please. Don't say this. She can't handle this. She knows where this sentence is going, but she doesn't want to hear. "Destroy me." Emma almost whispers. She can't look at her anymore. She's mad because Emma knows, she must know by the look in her eyes, and she may have been the evil queen, and she may have destroyed more people who she loved in her life before, but she's not capable of this. It's unfair of Emma to ask this of her. She hopes it's not some kind of punishment for her pushing Emma away when she had kissed her so suddenly.
Pure panic had overcome Regina, and the only thing she could do was push Emma away. 'Why?' She had asked the blonde. 'I.. I' Emma had stammered. Regina knew immediately, this was an impulse, something to make her forget whatever had happened. It had nothing to do with Regina herself. 'Get out'. She said to Emma, her eyes cold.
The blonde had tried to call her after that, but Regina never answered. They never got a chance to talk about it.
Regina nods, not knowing what else to do. She can't do this, but she may have to. Someone does need to watch Emma. The rest of the group seems to be relieved that the weight is not resting on their shoulders.
"Let's go." Charming says, carefully putting his hand on Emma's back, guiding her. Regina wants to follow them, however a soft hand on her arm stops her. "Wait." someone says. Regina looks into the eyes of the woman she has known for almost all her life now. The woman that she has loved, hated and then finally accepted into her life. "I can do this." She says.
"I know." Snow responds. "It's not about that."
Regina frowns. "Then what is this about." Her eyes land on Emma a few feet a front of her, already walking.
"It's about Emma." The short brunette responds. "I know what happened the other night-"
"It's-" Regina starts to interrupt.
"Let me finish." The brunette says, her eyes soft. "It's okay. I just wanted to let you know that this wasn't a mistake, at least not for Emma. I know that it may have seemed that way, but the truth is that she has been struggling with this for quite a while. She was just so frustrated. And that night, I know she had a fight with Killian, and she had a bit too much too drink."
Regina looks confused. "Why are you telling me this?"
Snow shrugs. "I don't really know." The brunette then leaves Regina alone in the woods, standing with the dagger still in her hands. She's not sure what she should do with this information. Right now, she can't let her feeling take over. Right now, she has to fight for Emma.
She's imperfect but she tries
She is good but she lies.
She is hard on herself.
She is broken but won't ask for help.
She is messy but she's kind.
She is lonely most of the time.
She is all of this mixed up
And baked in a beautiful pie.
She is gone but she used to be mine.
'Sara Bareilles - She used to be mine'
Please Review and let me know what you thought :) Or send me another prompt! :)