AN: I know, I know. Yet another story, but it seems after a few months I finally came up with some Dark!Emma/Dark Swan ideas. This one is my favorite so I'm pretty sure this and Covered are going to be the last Dark Swan ideas I have. No guarantees though. I'm still working on updating my other SQ fics, slowly but surely. Hopefully you'll enjoy this story as much as you enjoy my other fics.

There were several people in the diner, the small business nearly packed during one of their daily rushes, but the room was utterly silent. The recently returned Charming, Snow, Regina, Henry, Hook, and Robin Hood had brought the Savior—now Dark One—back with them. And she sat in a booth across from the former Evil Queen. The two women stared at each other and said nothing. They seemed to size up one another as if they wondered when the other would make a move. Everyone else waited with baited breath to see what would happen.

Emma sat with a forearm pressed against the edge of the table, a cup of coffee in front of her, toned down makeup from when the group first found her in the Enchanted Forest, and a cold yet eerily neutral expression. As much as she looked the same, there was so much that had obviously changed about Emma. Regina, and everyone else, had noticed it in her appearance alone. She held herself differently, too. Less defiant, more haughty.

Regina sat with her legs crossed under the table while she lightly scraped her nails against the ceramic of her coffee mug. There was a scarlet red stain on the rim left behind by her lipstick that Emma's eyes occasionally glanced down to see, but focused more on the lipstick that still remained on her lips. The brunette noticed, but didn't know what to make of it. They'd stared at each other like that for years, mostly when they were unhappy with their arrangement. But Emma's eyes didn't hold the same kind of fire or disdain as they had when she'd first arrived in Storybrooke. She still had an edge to her, but green eyes were almost softer as the blonde basked in the sight of her company.

Emma tilted her head to the side and stared at Regina for a few more moments. Her lips slowly curled into a smirk before her eyes shined with amusement. She looked like she knew something she wasn't supposed to and it thrilled her.

"Why are you looking at me like that," Regina asked.

Emma shook her head before she straightened up and let her smirk fade a little. She still seemed amused, but she was also ready for their conversation. "You're very easy to look at. And those eyes are so easy to get lost in."

Regina shifted in the booth from right to left and averted her eyes. She focused on her coffee and moved the handle forward and back a few times. She kept the mug on the table and listened to it slide across the wood as she made the mug dance back and forth in half-circles. Normally, she was better at hiding her emotions, but it was strange to sit with Emma like it was a cordial meeting that could turn into a standoff at any moment. She was nervous at the very least and she couldn't control how uncomfortable she appeared because the younger woman set her on edge that much.

"Aren't you quite the romantic since your sacrifice. Too bad your boyfriend isn't on the receiving end of such sweet words," she said almost acerbically. Regina tried to sound upset or bored or anything other than off balance, but that was exactly how she felt and it seemed to take hold of her like the darkness had swallowed Emma up two weeks prior.

"I'm glad you think I'm sweet," Emma smiled, and it wasn't the same as Regina remembered it. She hadn't seen Emma smile after they'd found Lily and came back to Storybrooke. She hadn't been in a very good mood before they went to Massachusetts and New York and she was in an even worse mood when they'd returned. As soon as she seemed to be coming to grips with everything that had happened in the last few months, the darkness was ripped out of its cage: Rumpelstiltskin's black as all sin heart. After what Emma did for her that day, she really wished her mentor had died with all his misdeeds and pain, both his own and that which he'd inflicted upon others.

"I never said I thought you were sweet," Regina argued and refused to look Emma in the eye as she unfolded her paper napkin and smoothed out the creases. She had ordered her food just before Emma slid into the other side of the booth and they'd stared at each other for several long minutes before their conversation began. It was about time someone served her the meal she asked for, but she had a feeling no one would give her something to eat until Emma left. It took a death glare from the blonde for Granny to bring Emma the coffee she barely touched.

Emma shrugged like semantics didn't concern her and Regina remembered that she'd been just as nonchalant about it when she'd been the Evil Queen. Unless it was someone correcting her. Then she killed them for their insolence.

"What is it you want," Regina asked before she turned her attention to the counter. There was no cook or server in sight, just a bunch of gawking townspeople she really wished she could set ablaze without any backlash.

"Why are you so guarded? You and I were just starting to get comfortable as friends."

"We're still friends, Emma."

Emma practically snarled when Regina used her name. Her body tensed and she raised her shoulders as her face twitched into a look of displeasure before she was able to compose herself.

Regina furrowed her brow and stared quizzically at the other woman for a moment as she tried to figure out why the blonde would have reacted that way. When no reasons came to mind, she relaxed and let out a sigh. "I don't know what you want from me. Why are you here?"

"Can't I check in on the woman I saved from the fate I now suffer," Emma asked, and she sounded so much like Rumpel that it physically hurt her to witness.

"You've seen me," Regina tried to brush off the pain of watching Emma turn into something so far from who she was and tried to move past whatever it was the blonde was trying to do by being there. "I'm fine. You can go now."

Emma lightly laughed. "That's not checking in. That's physically assessing you."

"Then what is it you want to know?"

"Why are you getting upset? If we're still friends—"

"I'm upset because I haven't eaten yet," she said to Emma before she turned to look at the rest of the people in the diner and added, "Because everyone's afraid to come over here!"

Emma sat back and looked as casual and uncaring as ever before she snapped her fingers and a full plate of food appeared in front of Regina. "If that's not a meal you want to eat, I can get you something else."

Regina stared down at her food, baffled that Emma would know how to magic up a meal from scratch and even more baffled that Emma had bothered to use her magic for such a small request. She looked up from the plate and her eyes locked on Emma's. The blonde looked completely at home with herself. "Why did you do that?"

"Because you're hungry and you won't talk to me. I fixed your hunger issue. Now you can talk to me."

Regina closed her eyes and sighed again, heavily. The longer she sat with Emma, the more like Rumpel the blonde sounded. It was unnerving and, even worse, heartbreaking. "If you would just tell me what you want, we can talk."

"It feels like you think I'm after more than some simple information."

"Because you won't get to the point," she growled. "I'll tell you what you want to know, but you have to ask me a question before I can answer. That's how conversation works. Or have you forgotten?"

Emma paused for a moment and looked at her. Everything was still again for several seconds and Regina clenched her fists on top of the table as she heard the ticking of the clock with too much clarity for her liking.

And then the blonde finally came out with it. "Are you happy?"

Regina blinked and reared back a bit, surprised by the question despite her happiness being Emma Swan's sole mission ever since she brought the woman they all thought was Marian back to Storybrooke with her. "What?"

"I want to know if you're happy," Emma repeated herself even though they both knew she hadn't needed to. "I value your happiness, Regina. I want to make sure that you get every good thing you deserve."

Regina shook her head. "You can't possibly know, or think, I deserve anything good."

"I do. I know you understand that because you tried to stop me from taking on the darkness."

Regina started to fidget again.

"You don't...owe me anything," Emma said. "But I hope you'll give me an honest answer."

Regina nervously licked her lips and tried to take a deep breath before she looked up at the blonde. She had no idea what to say. Her honest answer would have been a long and complicated story. She also didn't want to lie to Emma in case her superpower still worked even as the Dark One. There was no telling what the woman would do if she knew Regina had lied to her about something so simple yet so drastically important. "Everything's changed," was what she settled for and hoped it was enough to satisfy Emma's curiosity.

"That doesn't tell me much. You can answer the question in one word."

"You would think it was that easy—"

"It is that easy," Emma cut her off mid-sentence. "All this hesitation tells me is that you're not happy."

"Well, you can't just expect me to be happy overnight just because you thrust yourself at the darkness," Regina said with a clipped and angry tone. She was a little flustered that Emma pushed so hard just know whether or not she was happy.

"I don't expect that. I didn't expect that. I just want to know that you're okay and I get that maybe you're not smiling every second of every day because 'everything's just so fucking fantastic all the time,'" Emma said with a fake cheery voice before she dropped it back down to her normal pitch. "How are you? If you're not happy, what's wrong?"

"So many things," she mirthlessly laughed and gently shook her head.

Emma frowned, not too pleased with that answer. "You're miserable," she noted.

"Your parents may be determined to get you back, but they're also devastated. They look so grim all the time, even when they think they're getting closer to finding a way to separate you from what makes you the Dark One now. And Henry... Well, Henry's crushed. How am I supposed to be happy when everyone around me is hurting?"

"But you're not hurting?"

"Of course I am. You're an idiot for doing what you did. I'm pissed that you thought it was the only way to fix things, but it isn't like you're the only person in my life. I've got other things going on, too."

"Then tell me about them."

Regina scoffed. "No."

"Friends tell each other things, Regina."

"Friends also know when to leave things alone."

Emma sighed and closed her eyes. Regina watched her emotions change as they crossed over her face like rolling waves. It was unsettling and maybe a little disturbing that within a few seconds she saw the Emma she knew disappear and when green eyes opened again, the Dark One was in control.

"I gave up everything for you so I have every right to push you on this. There's a reason you're not telling me everything and I'm pissed off because you won't explain why my sacrifice might have been for nothing."

Emma's voice was low and a little breathy. Not only did she not look like herself, but she no longer sounded like herself either. There was a rage and strong sense of power underneath Emma's previous exterior and it rose to the surface as soon as the blonde reached her limit. It seemed Emma had a very low tolerance for frustration as the Dark One.

Regina wasn't afraid of Emma, but she definitely didn't like or appreciate the woman's tone. She wouldn't back down, but she also wouldn't fight the blonde on the issue. She'd had plenty of disagreements with Rumpel in the past and she knew when it was best to keep her mouth shut and when she could challenge him without too many consequences.

Regina looked at Emma with a tight-lipped expression and steely brown eyes. She was firm but not combative. "Fine. You want to know if I'm happy? I'm not. You want to know why? You're part of the problem. Your 'noble' and 'heroic' and 'charming' sacrifice has been more of a burden to me than it has been a chance to keep chasing after my happiness.

"But as I said before you aren't the only reason I'm not happy. I have a pregnant half-sister to deal with and she just loves to rub it in that's she's carrying my boyfriend's baby. She also likes to mention how I'll never be able to have what she has."

"She doesn't have anything," Emma snapped in front of her. But not at her. It was clear her anger and words were intended for her sister, but Zelena wasn't around for Emma to lash out at. "If she's bothering you, I can—"

"Please," Regina dismissively waved a hand and continued, "I might not like what she has to say, especially since it's truth, but it's not like she hasn't said it all a thousand times before. She's grasping at straws because she knows Henry's enough for me and she and I both know it."

"What seems to be the real problem then?"

"It's none of your business."

"I just explained to you why it is."

"Just because you decided to become the Dark One in my place doesn't entitle you to pry into my personal life. I think you know that deep down."

"Maybe I do know that, but I'd rather know why things aren't easier for you. Why can't you relax and unwind and just...be happy with Henry and Robin and his kid?"

"Because of you."

Emma shook her head. "That's not a good enough excuse. I know everyone's trying to figure out how to change me back, but that shouldn't stop them from living their lives."

"Really? Because as I recall, every time you jumped at the opportunity to help or save me you left your boyfriend behind without a second thought."

"That's different."

"Because it was you and not me?"

"No, because I don't love him as much as he seems to love me. You and Robin are solid."

Regina laughed. It wasn't entirely bitter, but it also wasn't a pleasant laughter either. "We're not."

Emma frowned and asked, "Why not?"

Regina huffed and decided she'd rather tell everything if it meant the other woman would leave her alone for a while. She needed a break from the blonde and she desperately needed a break from their conversation. "He thinks I spend too much time worrying about you, but it's not like his heart is really in this relationship much right now either."

Emma remained silent and Regina wondered if their talk was finally over. It wasn't. "He's never really been all that committed to you, has he?" While it normally would have been a question, Emma had said it as a statement.

Regina stared down at the table for a few seconds. Her anger with Emma started to dissipate while sadness and slight defeat took its place. She tried not to seem so affected by Robin's recent actions, especially when most of her thoughts were consumed with ways to get to Merlin and rid Emma of the darkness. Most of the time she hid her feelings well. Not just from Robin, but from Zelena and Henry and the Charmings. Well, David never really noticed her mood changes, but Snow knew her well enough to pick up on them. So far she hadn't detected any problems, which Regina thought being so consumed with saving Emma from the darkness had a large hand in that. She would have been thankful if she wasn't so rattled by the ways the darkness had already started to change the blonde.

When she looked up at Emma again, she saw a flicker of something in those green eyes. There was a sharpness in them she hadn't noticed before, but it disappeared in a flash as soon as she saw it. Emma didn't even have to blink before she looked more like herself.

"I promise you, Regina, you'll be happy."

"Maybe one day," she replied with a disbelieving tone. "Not likely anytime soon."

"Maybe sooner than you think." Emma vanished in wisps of dark blue smoke that looked all too much like the swirling vortex that had ripped her out of Storybrooke the night of her sacrifice. It sent chills down Regina's spine that affected her more than the goosebumps Emma's words had given her. She wasn't sure why Emma seemed so sure she'd be happy, but she worried about what Emma would do next to prove it.

Robin gathered fallen logs and the occasional twig along the Merry Men's camp in the woods. Little John walked beside him with his own stock of logs and things while Roland bumbled around and grabbed only what his tiny body could handle with a large smile on his face.

Robin looked down at his son and smiled at the six year old before he ruffled the boy's brown hair. Roland looked up at him and his smile almost seemed to brighten, although it didn't seem physically possible.

"That's a mighty fine collection you've got there," Robin complimented the boy. "I think we'll have ourselves the perfect fire thanks to your help."

Roland giggled and Little John flashed a fleeting smirk at the exchange between father and son. Robin turned to John and displayed a small, lopsided smile to his friend before he asked, "Do you think you have enough for the camp or shall we make a second trip?"

Little John shook his head. "This should last a few hours. If you think we need more, we can always get it later."

Robin nodded and faced forward again. He pressed his hand to the back of Roland's head and brushed his fingers against the boy's hair as they continued to move forward.

Suddenly, there was a sound to his right and it echoed throughout the woods. He looked left before he turned in the direction of the sound instead of its echo then stopped. He protectively threw his arm out in front of Roland and his hand pressed against his son's chest as the two of them and Little John stood completely still for a moment. Robin furrowed his brow as he listened to the woods for another indication that there was something else out there with him. He wasn't disappointed. There was another snap followed by rustling leaves.

"I think it might be a deer," Robin explained before Little John had even asked for his thoughts on what might be near. "Take Roland back to camp."

Robin pulled an arrow out of his quiver, all his kindling in one arm, as he looked around for another moment. He faced Little John as he added, "I'll see if I can round up some supper for us," he grinned.

Little John nodded and nudged Roland forward. "Come on. Let's bring our supplies back to the others, shall we?"

"Bye, Daddy," Roland said as he walked ahead at Little John's insistence and waved when he looked over his shoulder at Robin.

Robin waved back before he set down what his contribution to the fire that would no doubt be started without him. When Roland turned away from him, he focused his attention on the woods and then slowly crept past the tree line once again to hunt. It didn't take long before the hunter realized he was the one being hunted.

Another few snaps and more rustling drew his attention to his right. There was a rush of air at the back of his neck and he felt a presence behind him. He turned and in one fluid motion tried to raise his bow and arrow, but a hand reached out and grabbed his bow just as he found out what was in the woods with him.

"Oh," he said a second before he relaxed a little. "Emma. What are you doing here?"

He frowned when Emma snatched the bow out of his hand and watched her break it in half with her hands. His frown morphed into a grimace when he looked from the broken bow to Emma's eyes. She wasn't happy and her glare was filled with a fire he didn't understand.

"Emma?"

The blonde dropped the bow onto the ground and took a step closer to Robin. She cocked her head to the side and looked him over from head to toe and back again in a quick and unimpressed glance. When her eyes met his, her jaw tightened before she finally spoke.

"I don't know what your problem is, but you need to step up."

Robin looked even more confused by that than her overall displeased expression. "I don't…I don't understand."

"Yeah, I know you don't. That much is clear," Emma said. "I checked in on Regina."

There was a flicker of something in his eyes, like maybe he was starting to see why Emma was there.

"Why would you need to check on her? She's fine," Robin said.

Emma swooped in and made all the space between them disappear. Their noses nearly brushed in their proximity and even though she'd never spent more than a few minutes in the same place as him, had never had a real conversation with him ever, she was willing to be uncomfortably close to him for Regina's sake. "Of course you'd think she's fine. You don't pay her enough attention. I get that what Zelena did to you was wrong and there was no way you could've prevented—No, there actually was a way you could have prevented it. You could have stayed with Regina."

"She's the one that…encouraged me to go to New York with my family. She told me that's what I needed to do. It was clear she didn't want—"

"Didn't want what? All Regina's ever wanted was to be loved. The fact that you were and yet again are her boyfriend, you should know that. She wasn't going to break up your family, but you didn't even fight for her! You never even chose her."

"I did. When I thought Marian was…" he trailed off, but Emma didn't let him even attempt to finish his sentence.

"Marian, despite her never actually being Marian here, was always your first choice. You always 'chose' Regina when it was convenient for you. When 'Marian' was dying, you went to Regina. When 'Marian' was okay again, you left Regina. When you found out Marian was Zelena, you said you couldn't leave her because she was pregnant with your kid. When you realized how messed up Zelena is and thought maybe you could fix things with Regina, you went back to her. Do you see what that could do to her? How that could hurt her?"

Robin shook his head and looked at least a little regretful, but he still didn't seem to get it. Emma decided to push further.

"Do you see how that could upset someone like me," she asked.

"Someone like you," he responded with a question of his own, his voice a little higher pitched than usual.

"Someone who actually gives a damn about that woman."

"I care. Emma…I love her."

"Not enough," she barked. "But you will. I promised Regina I'd give her a happy ending. I always keep my promises."

That was all the warning Robin had before Emma thrust a hand into his chest. She didn't tell him it would hurt. She didn't tell him it was going to be quick. She didn't tell him anything. She just plunged her hand into his chest and yanked when she had what she wanted. She wasn't gentle, wasn't careful, wasn't polite, didn't even pretend she was happy about what she was doing. She just did it.

He yelped as she pulled his heart from his chest and gave it a little squeeze just to show him who was in charge. He winced and bent over at the waist for a few seconds until she relieved the pressure. He took a deep breath and stared at her with wide, scared eyes.

"You're going to be the kind of man Regina deserves. She's going to be happy and you're finally going to be able to make her happy."

"Please," he breathlessly begged. "Don't—"

"Don't worry, Robin. I might be a monster, but I still have a heart," she grinned. "When you're with your son, you can be yourself as long as you don't say anything about what happened here. But when you're with Regina, you don't have a choice in the matter. Because you always seem to make the wrong one. Now go. You have some Merry Men to get to and a son that needs your attention."

He didn't move.

She flashed a bitter smile and breathed out a mirthless laugh as she shook her head. She raised the heart and spoke closer to it, "Go."

Robin backed away a few steps before he turned around and headed in the same direction Little John and Roland went.

Emma chuckled as she watched him leave and lowered the heart before she said, "Such a neat trick."

When Robin moved past the tree line and made himself visible along the side of the road, she left the woods and went her own way. She was determined to make Regina happy and she was determined to make Robin a part of that because he was what Regina wanted.