Regina woke with a start, wondering when she fell asleep. Her stomach dropped when she realized she had been resting her head on Snow's shoulder. She got up, realizing Snow had also fallen asleep.

"Did you mean what you said earlier? About this place not feeling like home?" Regina's voice broke through the silence, startling Snow.

"Oh..yeah" snow said in a sleepy voice "I know this place is supposed to be home, and that being back is supposed to be all I've ever wanted...but without her here, it doesn't feel right. And I know that even if she were here, it wouldn't feel like home, either...I just wish we could go back…" she looked up through tear-filled lashes at Regina, who nodded in understanding.

"Sorry to have ruined this place for you in the process of my cursing you into unhappiness. That, I'm afraid, was entirely unintentional" she said, her voice laced with sadness.

"Funny, isn't it? How things changed...a year ago, I would have given anything to be here...and now, I'd give anything to go back". When Regina didn't answer, Snow continued "I just wish I had known how precious it was when we still had it."

"I knew." Regina said simply, staring ahead blankly. Snow nodded but didn't speak, plunging them once more into a strangely comfortable silence.

"I'm not a woman of many regrets, Snow White." began Regina a few moments later " In fact, as you recall, I had none"

"Yes, I remember." answered snow.

"And yet, I cannot shake the regret I feel for not holding your daughter when I had the chance. I regret not taking her in my arms and telling her how I felt, despite knowing for quite some time of my own feelings. I regret letting her slip away. I regret trying for so long to push her away. I regret so much when it comes to Emma Swan and now there is nothing I can do about it." at those words, the tears flowed freely down Regina's cheeks once more. This time, however, she shrugged away Snow's embrace, not wanting to be comforted by her former nemesis.

"You'll get your chance, Regina. When she and Henry come back here, you can run to her and take her in your arms, showing her all the feelings you've had all along…" Snow had her hands clasped together, getting carried away with her romantic imaginings.

"Snow, stop." Regina interrupted sternly.

"Sorry, I'm just excited. Things are going to be perfect when she comes back to us"

"She's not coming back, Snow." she finally snapped.

"What do you mean?" Snow asked, her face falling. Regina sighed before continuing.

"The curse...when Emma and Henry left Storybrooke, they lost all memories of us and of the town" Snow gasped, eyes watering once more.

"So...she doesn't remember anything? Any of us?" she asked, her tiny voice trembling.

"I'm afraid not. I was able to gift them a fake life, much like those I gave you all in Storybrooke...but she doesn't remember anything that transpired in the last few years. As far as she or Henry know, they've lived together since the day he was born. Happy. A family." her voice cracked on the last word. Beside her, Snow sobbed quietly. Regina raised her hand and placed it on Snow's, in an attempt to comfort her. Realizing how bizarre and uncomfortable that was, she removed it a couple seconds later, wondering what on earth was happening to her.

"That's really beautiful, you know" Snow said finally, sniffling.

"What is?" Regina asked, failing to see any beauty in all the misery of the situation.

"What you did. Giving them a good life...together. They deserve it, you know. To be happy." Regina nodded, looking down at her hands, unsure of what else to do.

"You deserve it too, Regina." she managed to choke out between sobs "Happiness."

Regina's mouth quirked in a bitter half smile at Snow's words.

"I feel as though the curse was designed to remove only the possibility of my own happiness, all along. It's rather fitting, really" at these words Snow shook her head, her face still covered in tears.

"I don't believe that for one second, Regina. It may have taken your happiness right now, but we WILL get it back. If it's the last thing I ever do, I will make sure Emma gets back here and you get the chance to tell her how you feel and you and she can raise Henry TOGETHER. I WILL make sure my family gets a happy ending." she said, sounding certain, despite the shakiness in her voice. At this, Regina looked up at her and gave her a small smile. She knew there was no use arguing with Snow's undying optimism. She had literally just told her that her daughter was off in another land, with absolutely no recollection of any of them even existing, and yet this woman still held on to some tiny grain of hope that it would all work out. It was in this moment that she felt a twinge of jealousy over the fact that she was not blessed with such optimism. She knew too well the reality of the situation. Her son and the woman she loved were gone forever. If she dared hope, she knew the blow would be even more crushing when the reality of the situation came crashing down on her once more.

"Regina, I'd like to show you something" came Snow's voice, breaking the silence after a few minutes had gone by. She got back up on her feet, turning to offer Regina a hand in getting up. After a moment's hesitation, Regina accepted the outstretched hand and stood next to Snow. She followed the other woman as she led her down the hall and up a staircase to a closed door.

Regina held her breath when they reached the door in question.

"What is this, Snow?" she asked

Snow opened the door and motioned Regina to follow her in.

"The room we had for Emma. I come here whenever I want to feel her close to me…" she said quietly, her voice still raw with emotion. Regina took a tentative step in, looking at the bedroom around her. It struck her in this moment how much Snow didn't actually know her own daughter. This room felt nothing like Emma. It was but the shadow of Snow White's expectations, left behind after the curse. Still, Regina understood the significance of Snow bringing her to see it. She looked at the woman's face and saw no trace of malice or ill intent in her actions. So, instead of bringing up the ways in which this was ridiculous, Regina walked over to the unicorn mobile, placed above the bed laid out for baby Emma and ran her hands across it, letting the glass figures gently clink against each other.

"Thank you, Snow." she said, looking up at Snow, who looked as though she had been waiting anxiously for a response. "This means a lot to me.." Snow nodded in a way that told her she didn't need to express it any further.

Suddenly, loud footsteps were heard coming closer. In moments, Charming was in the doorway, a look of alarm on his face. His features relaxed when he saw Snow.

"I awoke and saw you still hadn't come to bed, Snow. I was worried…" his eyes fell on Regina, who still stood over Emma's basonnette "What is she doing in here? Taking a moment to revel in the life she snatched away from us so many years ago?" Regina's eyes fell, unsure of how to respond. She awaited the continuation of his rant, but instead was surprised by a little voice next to her, coming to her rescue.

"Now, you leave her alone." came Snow's voice, trembling "She's going through this as much as any of us...I brought her in here because I thought she would enjoy it…"

"Enjoy it, right." he scoffed "Enjoy what, Snow? The thought of the life that could have been? Why would this bring her any comfort, other than the enjoyment she gets out of our misery?"

"Because it was hers…" Regina said quietly, finally looking up at his now very confused face.

"Now, if you are all done with this foolishness" she said, regaining her Queen-like mannerisms with a sniff "I'm going to try to get some sleep in this godforsaken castle"

She stormed back up to her own room, leaving Snow and Charming to fight out their own battles. She delicately placed the glass unicorn she had sneakily taken off the mobile before Charming's interruption on her bedside table. She had been wrong about Emma's room. As silly as it was, as much as it didn't feel like a room Emma would approve of, it was proof that Emma Swan, her Emma Swan existed in a realm other than that of her dreams. It was something she could touch, feel, and smell..and know that once upon a time, Emma had been there.

And that...well, that was worth everything, she thought as she gave the unicorn one last look before laying her head down for a particularly restless night of sleep.