XXX

As she stares longingly at the picture that sat on her son's beside table closest to his bed she can't help but feel clenching of her fists around the frame - the clenching of invisible hands around her heart. She know's it shouldn't, it shouldn't be possible to happen twice - but her already shattered heart, shatters once again at the woman hugging a brown haired boy tightly as they both laugh and smile without the slightest knowledge that the moment is being captured for eternity.

She runs her hand over the glass that sheaths the photo within it. She can feel the tears form in her eyes but she refuses to let them fall. She know's Henry will be home from his last day of school shortly and that they are to travel back to Storybrooke from Boston to see her - to see Regina and her parents before Henry is off to College.

She can't believe it. Just two more months and he will literally be in College. She can't help but let a little smile form on her lips before it fades into a frown.

Five years.

Five years she had spent trying to force love to come to her. Love for Neal, but it wasn't there. It hadn't been in a while and perhaps he knew it - perhaps that's why he took off the year before with only a note stating that he couldn't deal with kids. Something she would never show Henry, something her - no theirs - Regina's and her's, their son. Something he would never know.

She had counted the days since she had last seen Regina. Had last seen the womans beauty. Her regalness. Her love. Five years, four months and three days. She could put it down to the last minute. The minute she had told Regina that she couldn't do it. That she couldn't be with her not when she had just gotten back her parents. She hadn't seen her since that day, the day she had seen the broken expression pass over Regina's face without an attempt to hide it and if the woman had tried - she hadn't done a very good job of it.

She had thrown it all away and for what? A man that would leave her with a sixteen year old teenager and numerous bills. She clutched the photo frame tighter, pulling it into her chest as she squeezed her eyes shut remembering the last night she and Regina had spent together.

They had just made love with a light blue magic swirling around them - encompassing them, circling them almost as if it where hugging them. Protecting them. Shielding them. The light had dimmed but remained as they lay back on the slightly frosted grass, gazing up at the clear night sky filled with stars, as they softly pant, clasped hands between them.

Her thumb had run over the back of Regina's hand as a small smile formed on her lips. She had never felt the feeling before had never felt anything like it, yet she could pinpoint it.

Love.

She let's the tear slip down her face as she pulled herself away from the memories. Memories of whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears as they tried to reach their peak together. As they came back down from it. As they laid in each other's arms. As they cried. As they fought. As they loved.

She hears the front door open as a loud Henry clambers up the stairs in search of her. Telling - actually rather, yelling that it's time to go. She stands places the photo and it's frame back in it's original spot as she follows after Henry whose already grabbed his clothes for the week and made his way out the door.

She'll be back after dropping Henry off. She'll be back to the empty house and soon to be empty bottles, the moment she gets home.

As she drives she can feel excitement, panic, fear and numerous other emotions well up inside her and yet one feeling tops all - anxiousness. Its a couple hours drive from Boston to Storybrooke so as she glances over to her son she's not surprised to see him asleep already with a rather large smile on his face.

It reminds her of the time Regina, Henry and herself had spent the day at the park an attempt from Henry to get both of his mother's on a friendship level and although it had started of hesitantly and a few harsh comments had been thrown about, the day had ended on a rather wonderful note.

It had been that night when they had gotten back to Regina's - Regina with the pinic basket in hand and Emma clutching the eleven year old boy to her chest as he lightly snored. She kept him to her left side with his head over her shoulder as she tried to help him avoid coffee stain on her shirt from the accident that she had had earlier that day.

It had been the very first night that she and Regina had made love and although it had been awkward, clumsy and hurried as they tried to touch each other as if they were trying to reach deeper, as if they were trying to reach the other's souls. Yet, it was perfect more than perfect - no words could describe it.

The closest she could come to was - real.

It was real.

She watches the stars above, the clear night sky that reminds her of that night as she continues along the deserted road. Their first time with the curtains drawn back to allow the moon and stars to bathe them in their twilight and their last night on the grass in backyard of Regina's bathed in twilight.

Perfect.

Real.

As she drives past the 'Welcome To Storybrooke' signs she feels - sees - the memories flood back to her. Of their first night, of their last night, of the last time she had seen the woman - a broken look on her face. It wasn't only the look she saw that cut her deep - she knew what Regina was thinking and looking into the womans eyes proved just that. The woman truly did believe that she wasn't worthy of love and at that point of time and in that instance she had done nothing to belay her of that thought, to assure her that she was indeed worthy of love - moreso than most. No, instead she had walked away with tears in her own eyes.

She pulls up alongside the curb of 108 Mifflin street, former Evil Queen, former Mayor who has been reinstated for the past three and a half years. It looks just as it did the night she had first met Regina with the exception that it looked sad, lonely - empty.

It had been nerve racking and she had acted like a total idiot with her clumsy and shy ways that she hadn't ever had problems with until the moment she had laid eyes on the beautiful Mayor and adoptive mother of her son.

She gently shakes Henry awake and somewhat smiles as her son grumbles for a few seconds before opening his eyes a slit to peer up at the white mansion of a house. His body immediately propels him awake as he cheerfully turns to his mother and hugs her tightly and with a soft 'I'll see you in a week. Love you' he's out the car and down the footpath.

She watches from the drivers side as the door opens and Henry's tall lanky figure blocks the view of the owner whose holding it open. She watches as he waves back to her gleefully, so she puts on a fake smile and waves back - the door shutting before she can even catch a glimpse of the brunette haired woman that she fell in love with so very long ago.

She sits alone in her yellow bug. The silence enveloping her - leaving her to her own thoughts. Leaving her to drive herself crazy. It takes her a few minutes before she steadies herself and steels her nerves. This had to end, she couldn't live without the other woman not another moment.

She wasn't going to let another sunset pass without being able to fall asleep next to the woman, without being able to make love to her whispering sweet nothings in her ear as they tenderly loved one another.

She wasn't going to spend another midnight waking to an empty bed. Waking by herself. No she was going to make sure that she would wake to be able to hold the person beside her. To wake to feeling fullfilled, to feeling loved. To the feeling of belonging.

So before she can change her mind she clambers out of her yellow bug, shuts the door behind her and starts up the path leading to 108 Mifflin and it's large door looming over her almost threateningly as if it knew what she had done previously and was prepared to protect it's owners heart.

She gingerly taps on the door and awaits for the mansions owner to open it. She hears the subtle sounds of talking - two voices, a good sign for her. The door is thrown open barely seconds after Regina has finished telling Henry what's for the late dinner.

They stand there. Staring. Thinking. Conversing. A quite conversation that requires no real words on two sets of eyes and the same loving gaze they had shared years ago.

And as Regina takes a step back pulling the door open a little wider in invitation, she steps inside. She know's they have a lot to talk about but at the same time she knows that love...true love - truly is the most powerful force in existence. And that this time...

Emma won't make the same mistake twice.