Disclaimer: I own none of the characters. All are property of their respected groups. (i.e. ABC Studios, writers of Once Upon a Time)

Note: This story takes place after the events of the winter finale of season 3, Once Upon a Time. This will be a Swan Queen pairing fic, if you do not like that pairing yet still decide to read on then please be respectfu. reviews are always lovely. Without readers... stories can not live. Thank you for reading and hope you enjoy. :)

Sometimes a home isn't a location you are seeking but rather... the people who can fill the voids in your heart and make you whole.

Chapter 1

Regina sat on her couch, legs half under her and a hot cup of coffee in hand. The dog lay against her, its head resting on her lap sound asleep. It had been a little over a year since Storybrooke vanished along with all of its inhabitants, back to the Enchanted Forest. Regina had given up the thing she loved most once again so that they would be spared the curse, a price that was hers to bear and bear alone. Her son. While she would remember every moment of every day she lived in Storybrooke with Henry, he would remember none of it. Nor remember her. A single tear fell upon her cheek in thought.

She had given him all she could and the best chance of happiness, placing good memories in the empty space where the old ones of Storybrooke would have been. So too did she give those memories to Emma, Henry's birth mother. The woman who at the start was a thorn in Regina's side, but who over time… meant more to her than Regina wished to admit. They had become family through the bond of their son. She wondered a few times if Emma had wanted to say something more that day, like in the mines, or meant more by the few words she spoke and that look of heartbreak in her eyes. That look was all too familiar to Regina, though she was used to seeing it in her own reflection.

"What will happen to us?" Emma asked.

Regina simply responded. "I don't know."

"Doesn't sound like much of a happy ending."

"It's not." Was all Regina could say.

She had watched as Emma and Henry slowly got in the car that day and drove over the town line, watching until all that was left was a blur of magic cloud as the town vanished, returning them to the Enchanted Forest and leaving no trace behind.

Regina now found herself back in the world where she had given up her son. The moment she arrived back, the first and only thing on her mind was to find Henry. Now that the curse had somehow been altered surely that meant that she could see him now, right? 'Never' really didn't mean never, did it? But what would she say? He wouldn't know her any longer. She knew if she did somehow find them and tell of what happened, she would have to take it slowly, a step at a time. There was no guarantee they would ever believe her.

When Regina managed to locate them, months after her arrival back, her first impulse was to rush to them and hug Henry tight, but she knew better. Instead, she stayed at a distance not really sure where to go from that point. She would see them in the park or at the store here and there after that but never approached. Regina kept telling herself she simply wanted to make sure they were truly happy and that the memories she gave them were enough. But deep in her soul she knew that was a lie. She wanted more… she still wanted that happy ending. She wanted...no, needed them back in her life. Them. She no longer could deny that the fates had spun Emma's life thread with hers, forever to be destined to entwine with one another. Her missing pieces of her heart were so close at that moment, yet unreachable at the same time. How was she to go on from here without destroying everything once more as she seemed to repeatedly do in her past when she wanted something?

Regina decided then and there that things would be different this time. She would keep her emotions in check and keep at bay the darkness that seemed to always find her. And if she was going to continue with anything, the first thing she needed was a place to stay. She started off with the newspaper then ventured into an internet cafe to try and attempt to look for places online. She looked at a few different locations before falling in love with a loft which happened to be located not too far from where she believed Emma and Henry to be living. While yes it was a far cry from a castle or manor, she could make it livable.

After a few days of buying furniture and décor it was looking and feeling more like a home. But once all the hustle and bustle of that had died down, all she was left with was time. Time to think and feel and it was in those moments the holes in her heart seemed to expand wanting to engulf her in darkness. The light to cast away that darkness and fill those voids was missing in her life. Her son, Henry. Without him, she didn't know how long the wisps of light left behind would last. While she had been used to living in a castle "alone" in her past, it seemed odd that living alone in a small place like this was far more isolating and lonely than that could ever be.

It was about a month after moving in that Maddie, her four legged companion, came into her life. Regina smiled at the memory and looked down to scratch the dog's ears and gently stroke her fur. The Beauceron nestled closer to Regina and nuzzled into her hand. Regina had been hesitant at first about taking the dog in to her home. One of her neighbors had come knocking on her door one day and explained they were moving and would not be able to take their dog with them. They knew she lived alone and tried to convince her that the dog would be perfect company for her and also a source of protection. They also mentioned that the Beauceron had seemed to take to her the few times they had run into her in the building and they wanted Maddie to have a happy home.

Thinking of that day, Regina bent down to kiss the dog's head, glad she had eventually accepted the offer to take Maddie in. After all they were kindred spirits; both had to give up their families. Maddie lifted her head and cocked it to the side to look at Regina before gingerly licking the woman's chin and nuzzling her. The brunette smiled and scratched under the dog's chin. "I'm going to go take a shower and then you and I shall go for a walk in the park. How would you like that?" She asked the dog. The Beauceron barked in agreeance to the idea and moved off the couch to let Regina get up.

The brunette walked to the kitchen area and washed out her coffee cup and placed it in the sink while Maddie took off towards the bedroom and jumped on the bed, laying down to wait on her human. She watched every move Regina made until the woman disappeared into the other room to shower. When Regina returned, Maddie lifted her head and jumped down to grab her leash and sat waiting at the door. "Almost ready my love." The brunette said lovingly to the dog as it sat there wagging its tail back and forth as she finished putting on her boots. Once Regina got up she grabbed the scarf that was laying on her dresser and placed it around her neck then put her coat on. "Leash?" She asked placing her hand in front of the dog's mouth. The Beauceron gently dropped the leash in her hand and waited for it to be attached. "Off we go then." Regina stated as she stroked the dog's head one last time before opening the door and set them on their way.