"You have to go."

It was the last thing I said as I watched them climb in the car, green smoke rushing in. Magic coursed through my hands as they went skyward to hoist up a shield.

Stories, that's all we would be now, again.

I had to remind myself in a moment this would all have been a dream. But I got to watch them a moment more. That woman drive off with my son, to a happier life. As a tear ran down my face it fell to the ground as I looked to see where it had landed, I was gone.

The next thing I knew I was standing in a forest, with the rest of my town. Storybrook was gone. Some exclaimed how happy they were to be home. How the warm summer air was far superior to the clammy cold that we had become accustom to in Maine. I didn't care. The sun was on my face. A warm wind swept through my hair, the grass was so green and I could be starting a new life. But the only thing I felt was empty, again. Like I was before here.

Snow walked over to the queen with ease, not the old caution she had used, what now seemed like a life time ago.

"Regina, you did it. We're back.

Where will you go now?" She looked at the dark queen now just a woman who had once again lost everything, with such concern.

"I…. I don't know. " Regina looked around at all the happy faces, still felt nothing.

"well Regina you are always welcome in our home. We are family. If you ever need anything, don't be a stranger. Actually would you like to come home with us?"

The dark queen hadn't been listening but now at the last offer looked into Snow's hopeful eyes.

"I'll keep that in mind." she offered up a slight smile.

She was on the verge of tears but decided she would travel to her castle and be alone to figure things out. She set her determination and walked away.

She arrived a lot sooner than she thought she would. The castle was a tomb. Sacked, torn, broken just like her heart. She sighed and picked up a picture of her mother. A mother who had never truly loved her until the end.

She blew the dust off and set it back on the table. She took only a few minutes more till she realized she couldn't stay here. She needed help.

She needed to make a deal.

Rumple maybe he would still be alive? A conjuring spell that's what she needed to enact. She went to her work room and got to work recreating a spell from memory. She called for Rumple. She waited one, two , five seconds. Nothing. When she blew out a candle and she heard Mr. Gold.

"rumple, you're….you're alive"

"I am as surprised as you are dearie…." Rumple looked his hands over; so confused to still be in existence.

"Rumple I need to make a deal with you, I can't stay here, in this castle. I want to go home…." She started to chock back a sob. She would not to the best of her abilities cry.

"What would you have in mind?" he said still checking that he was real.

"I just said I want to go home" she said on the edge of losing it. Her fist hit the wall.

"well you can't do that… its gone."

"Then make a new story brook. Here where my kingdom is, I don't care about castles or jewels or any of this, I never wanted this…." She looked around as though she would set fire to everything with the ire in her heart. Every little object brought more malice to her heart.

"I can do what you ask, but it won't bring him back."

"But at least I will be home."

"The witch is coming the witch is coming!" The dwarf ran in yelling holding a scroll in his hand.

Snow walked to the front of their reception camber to receive him.

"Send for Hook, If anyone can find Emma and get her to believe again, its him."

This crazy man had come to the door and claimed he was her love. That her parents were prince charming and snow white. And that she had given up her son when he was a baby. She almost had but at the last second she changed her mind. But after a week he had her entertaining the most wild ideas. He had this crystal unicorn that for some reason she felt like was a part of something meant for her. It was a big risk for her and Henry to jump in the car and let him spill some "magic" on it. Within moments the three were suddenly in a new town. One Emma knew she had never been to before but yet it felt so failure. A café called Grannys, a clock tower that the time didn't work. A small town…. But you could see a castle off in the distance. They definitely weren't in Boston anymore.

She had spent months alone in her home in Storybrook. She had visited snow a few times for tea but felt out of place. She preferred her mayors wardrobe to that of the queen. A few people had moved back into the new Storybrook into their old homes but she was still left alone. Everyone knew of her sacrifice. But she was done with life. She had nothing to live for anymore. She was baking her famous apple turnover today. With a bit of cinnamon, chilli powder and of course poison.

A yellow car drove down new story brook.

Regina was waiting for her oven to go off and heard a car. Instinctively she checked the front door. Her breathing stopped. It was a yellow bug. Emma Swan's car. And if Emma was here so was; Henry.

She walked out to the front of her sidewalk into the street the car stopped.

Hook got out.

"Regina, woah you have been busy, erected a whole 'nother town while I was gone." He said with his stupid crooked smile.

"Yes I…." she lost what she was about to say when Emma stepped out of the car. And she caught a glimpse of the one thing that mattered in all of the world; Henry.

He was a year older but in many ways the same except for one. It was obvious he did not remember her. He glanced at her then out the other window.

Her heart sank.

"Hi Regina, Emma swan. that is my son Henry." She watched the woman stare at her son too long then shake herself as though in a dream.

"Well don't mean to be rude but I was on a bit of a mission for the charmings and must get their daughter back…."

"oh of course, ni…nice to meet you miss swan." Regina was on the verge of breaking down, right here on the sidewalk she turned and ran for her life.

Emma's bull shit detector went off something was wrong with that woman. Her parents appeared down the road. They must have caught word that she was here.

Her parents? She had parents? Such an odd concept. The reunion was quick her mother snow hugged her and her father kissed her on her head she felt awkward but went with it. These people felt familiar, it felt right. Minus the sad woman that had run back into her house. What was her deal. She did not seem ok.

"Mom…." she turned her head to her son

"sorry what? "

"well I was thinking that we would get you guys back to the castle and we'll have some lunch and fill you in on what is coming, we are just so glad to have you back sweetheart, though you don't remember us" charming said while displaying the biggest smile he could muster.

"Is there anything we could do so that I can remember or do I really have to just start from scratch? This is a lot to ask anyone to believe." She said with a big sigh.

"well actually miss swan Regina is the one who gave you the new memories if anyone could get your memories back its her."

She would trust these people with her son. He was smart, savvy and hey if magic was real they must be her family right? She would go strike a deal with this woman to get her memories back.

The dark woman's hand hovered over her baked good. Just one bite. It would all end.

She heard a knock.

She would ignore that.

No one would care she was gone.

Maybe snow would shed a single tear but nothing more.

Then foot steps

"Regina? May I come in."

She stopped when she saw the woman with tears streaming down the side of her face looking broken and about to enjoy a baked good. Standing at her isle kitchen counter.

"I'm sorry to burst in but I was told you gave me my memories? That you could help bring them back?" Emma hesitantly ventured further in.

"Miss swan there is nothing I could do to bring them back I told you when I destroyed the curse that you would not remember.

…the worst thing is I had to give up Henry….. and I thought I would never see him again. But seeing him again... without him remembering me... is worse than any curse." She cast her eyes down at the turnover.

"What? remember you? Who were you to him?" she asked confused.

In a voice barely above a whisper Regina sighed and said "his mother" and took a bite.

Emma took a step forward and Regina fell to the floor.

"REGINA!" tore through her throat. She reacted as though this woman was someone to her and not just a stranger. Regina wasn't breathing.

No. what to do. There was no one around this wasn't a real town, she couldn't call anyone. She needed her memories. She did the only thing she could think of to do she couldn't lose this woman, what was it they did in the stories….

A kiss.

She quickly pressed her lips to Regina's.

Memories came flooding back like she was hit by a train. It knocked her back off the queen. Their lives in story brook her life without Henry. Remembering her family, magic, Regina. She had made her life hell but had loved her son and in the end she had cared for this woman but did not have the time to tell her.

Regina still wasn't breathing. No. now she was panicking. She knew her. Worse now she cared for her even more. She loved her. She pressed her lips harder, deeper willing with everything she had that Regina not be dead. For her, for Henry.

A spark went through her and Regina sucked in air.

Eyes open. Breathing. She pulled Regina up into her arms.

"Regina . What were you doing?!"

"Emma?" regina coughed.

"Of all the things you have put me through this tops it. How could you do this to Henry, if he lost you he would never forgive me…."

She said Henry wouldn't forgive her.

"wait, Emma you remember?" her heart raced there was hope.

"yes …..you were the evil queen, Regina. But you raised my son. Our son."

This was all hitting her so hard. What had just happened…. She had just remembered a life she didn't remember she had, guilt from giving up her son and a kiss that saved reginas life! What did this all mean.

"Let's get you in bed, you need to lie down." Her head was starting to hurt as well.

She carried a very weak Regina upstairs with little difficulty, and surprisingly little complaining. And deposited her in her queen sized bed with black satin sheets and dark blue comforter.

"honestly Regina what were you thinking?" she finally blurted out.

Regina just avoided her gaze.

" I saved your life, I think I deserve some answers. How did I do that anyway?"

Regina sighed.

"I had nothing left to live for is that so hard to understand? All I had was Henry, I gave up everything for him. As far as you miss swan I think we both know the only way you could have saved my life and frankly I haven't quite processed it yet…" frustrated tears started to fall.

"But the greatest magic, the only kind that could have possibly conquered death or near death would have to be…." Emma thought hard.

Regina met her confused gaze.

Something clicked.

"Yes. True loves kiss…..

" So miss swan there seems to have been secrets on your end as well." She said matter of factly still not grasping what had transpired between them.

Their conversation was cut short by the slam of the door down stairs opening, again.

"MOM! MOMMA!"

"Henry" Regina breathed.

"Henry up here kid"

The boy had a rush of memories come back. Storybrook, his real childhood flooding back. Then a fear of what had happened to his mom. He had a sinking feeling. Remembering the last time he saw her …

"Mom will you be ok?!"

"what matters is that you will be"

He flew into the room and tackled his mom that lay in the bed.

"Mom! I… I remember. Are you ok? What happened?"

He said looking from his one mom to the other.

Regina just held onto him for dear life. Her eyes were swelling with tears Henry was back, he was here, he remembered. She had someone…. Or two someone's. She was still confused on that one.

"Henry I'm fine I just mixed a wrong potion is all, luckily miss swan was here to help. She saved my life." She said with a slight smile, gripping her sons hand tightly like he might disappear like a dream.

"Momma can we stay with mom tonight?" he looked at Emma with worried eyes.

"Of course. I want to stay and make sure she is alright."

Regina sighed she didn't want someone to look after her, after that kiss she was confused on the thing that was Emma swan. But Henry would be here too at least tonight...

"Mom, is my room still there? Can I see it?" he asked suddenly really excited at all the personal items that might not be gone forever, like the scrapbook his mom had given him for his 8th birthday.

"of course my little prince, I'm fine really go see it, everything is as it was." She loosed her grip on his hand.

With that the boy bounded off to find the book and lift his mother's mood further.

"We have a great son" emma spoke as he left the room.

"yes. we do" regina laughed.

They spent an hour going through the book and making Regina smile. Night came and Henry went off to bed, when Regina was soundly asleep. Emma was going to go sleep down on the couch but when she nodded off for a moment and had a nightmare of Regina not breathing that was out of the question.

She sat on the bed next to her eventually giving up and chancing the queens wrath by curling up on the bed as well.

Regina awoke to a lightly snoring Emma in a little ball on the bed. She thought how cute she looked then quickly wanted to kick herself. Opening up her heart was always a bad idea, except in the case of Henry. Everyone leaves.

She didn't want to be the evil queen anymore.

She sighed and without thinking brushed Emma's hair away from her face….

Green eyes fluttered open "Regina…."

"Shhh go back to sleep miss swan" Regina said brushing her hair with her fingers.

"ok good night."

"good night"

Emma awoke the next morning with the evil queen asleep on her chest. How had she gotten there?

"Mom momma can we make pancakes?" Henry yelled from downstairs.

A sleepy Regina started to come out of her peaceful sleep and gave Emma a confused face as she pulled herself off of her chest.

"sure Henry be down in a min why don't you get everything ready?" Emma shouted towards the door.

"ok!"

…...

"Regina…."

"Emma….."

They looked at each other then they looked away.

Emma cleared her throat.

"So Madame mayor, you uh have a nice sleep?" she said with a little grin remembering the brunette sleeping on her only moments ago.

"yes. Thank you. Sorry about um being you know, on top of you." She scratched the back of her neck.

"well this is awkward."

"yep"

They looked at each other.

"Emma I….. where did you get the idea to try a kiss anyway?" she had wanted to know what sparked the attempt at true loves kiss. They had never had any reason to think there was something between them. Regina had a strong pull but assumed it was just the intensity of her fear of Emma taking Henry from her not that there could be something more under the surface.

"I am not sure. I just was desperate. I couldn't lose you, not sure why. I guess now I know " a nervous laugh escaped her lips.

Regina was curious. How could she have feelings for Emma. Though her numbness was gone and it wasn't just her son down stairs it was miss swan sitting there all embarrassed in her bed. Not leaving. When Emma looked up Regina instinctively leaned in.

And kissed her lightly.

Emma's eyes opened wide in surprise.

Regina pulled back a little to gage Emma's reaction. She couldn't read her.

"miss swan I'm sorry if I …"

Emma pulled regina's lips back to hers. There was an energy spark.

Emma pulled back they just stared at each other.

"mom I'm ready" Henry shouted from down stairs.