Author's Note: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters. Just a fan.
Regina hit the back button on her ipod to let the song play one more time. She had now lost track of how many times she had listened to it as she nursed her wine. She had been lost in thought since that morning when Emma had left her bed. Regina had woken to find Emma staring at her.
"What?" Regina asked.
"I love you," Emma smiled.
The admission had nearly taken her breath away, and as much as her soul cried out to say it back she didn't. As her silence stretched on, the hurt on Emma's face felt like her heart was being crushed.
When she did speak, she said the worse possible thing at that moment – "I should um get up. I have a meeting this morning."
By the time she got out of the shower Emma was gone.
She had felt bad all day, constantly picking up her phone debating on whether to call. She got less than nothing accomplished at work and ended up leaving early. Regina had come home and now here she sat listening to the same song over and over again.
"If I could find assurance to leave you behind
I know my better half would fade
And all my doubt is a staircase for you
Opened out of this maze"
She wasn't even sure how she had discovered the song, but that first verse would not leave her mind. It meant even more to her now.
When the song ended, she started it again.
"Are you going to listen to that song all night?"
Regina turned to see Emma standing in the doorway. Still she couldn't seem to find her voice. Emma moved to sit beside her on the couch.
"It's a good song," Emma said.
"Yeah."
"Why do you keep listening to it?"
At first she didn't say anything. "The first verse, it makes me think about us. About how if I didn't have you and Henry in my life everything good would be gone from me. Even so there is still this darkness in me and I don't want you and Henry to be exposed to that anymore than you have already been. That is what I feel when I hear it – that I have to give you up even it means dooming my soul forever."
"Is that how you hear it?"
"How else would I hear it?"
"Listen to it Regina. Listen to all the lyrics."
"The first step is the one you believe in
The second one might be profound.
I'll follow you down through the eye of the storm
Don't worry I'll keep you warm.
I'll follow you down while we're passing through space
I don't care if we fall from grace
I'll follow you down"
"That is what I hear," Emma said. "That is how I feel. I would follow you anywhere, no matter what it means. I love you."
Emma took Regina's hand in hers. "I love you," she repeated.
"I love you too."
NOTE: The song is Shinedown's I'll Follow You. If you haven't heard it, I suggest you check it out.