So I think we were all mentally scarred by the episode yesterday. Because of this I just had to start writing. This is the prologue so hasn't been beta'd but the first chapter will be and I shall put it up in a couple of days provided there is some interest.

This fic is Swan Queen, I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer (this shall be the only one): I own nothing that you recognise… much to my regret.

The image I used is also not mine, if you know whose it is I shall of course credit it!

Regina's eyes snapped open. She wasn't in the Enchanted Forest. She was in her bed, in her bedroom, in her house… in Storybrooke.

What?!

She threw back the covers and ran to her wardrobe, pulling out the first things she could find, she threw on a plain red blouse and zipped up a black pencil skirt. She decided make up could wait, right now, she needed answers.

She grabbed a coat from the closet under the stairs before making her way out of the door, heading into the centre of the town.

As she rounded a corner, the clock tower came into view, underneath it she could already see a crowd of people gathering. Snow and Charming appeared to be in the middle, surrounded by people demanding answers they couldn't give. They spotted her as she strode towards them.

"Regina!" Charming shouted, breaking free of the crowd and running towards her, Snow following closely behind him.

"Why are we still here? What happened?" Snow asked as she neared her.

"I have absolutely no idea." Regina replied. "We're meant to be back in the Enchanted Forest. I don't understand." Her brow furrowed and she looked around at her town.

"No one does." Charming muttered, running a hand through his hair. "Now would be a really good time for Rumple to reveal he's not dead."

Rumple grasped the edge of the well and heaved himself over the edge and onto the rough forest ground.

He stood up and brushed himself off, his gaze swept the area as he realised where he was. The last thing he remembered was kissing his father on the cheek as he killed them both. But here he was, and he had no idea why.

Suddenly his head snapped up and he took off, running towards where the town used to be. He had to know if Storybrooke was still there, if Belle was still there, if Bae was still there. He was halfway down the familiar road to the town before he realised that he wasn't limping. He looked at his hands –no golden scales. Odd. He needed answers and he knew just where to find them.

Storybrooke soon came into view and he slowed to a walk, his breathing deep and ragged. He could hear the babble of people and he was certain he knew where they were congregating. He continued walking towards the library and as it came into view he saw that at least half of the town's residents were indeed talking loudly outside its doors.

A little way to the left, he saw Regina, Snow and Charming talking and he made his way over to them.

"Now would be a really good time for Rumple to reveal he's not dead." He heard Charming sigh.

"Well, good thing for you dearies, I am somehow, still here. As are you it would appear." He said loudly causing them to all turn towards him.

"Rumple!" Snow and Charming rushed over to him and started bombarding him with questions. However, they washed right over his head as he saw Regina slowly making her way over to where he was standing. He could see tears in her eyes and he pushed past the Charming, wrapping his arms around her. The daughter he almost had.

Regina hugged him back, tears slipping down her face. "I thought you were dead." She stated bluntly as they withdrew. "You were my mentor and I thought you were dead."

She was fully aware of how childish she was sounding, but she couldn't think of a better way to phrase how she was feeling.

Rumple nodded, "So did I." he watched Regina wipe her eyes on the back of her hand.

Snow and Charming had watched the strange interaction without comment but decided it was time to say something.

"Do you have any idea why we woke up here instead of the Enchanted Forest?" Snow asked, stepping forwards towards Rumple.

"I don't." He replied, "But give me some time and I'm sure I will find an answer." He finished, a determined gleam in his eye.

"Rumple?" They quartet turned around to see Belle standing a hundred feet away, gazing at Rumple as though she were seeing a ghost.

"Belle." Rumple breathed before running towards and picking her up; both were crying and laughing at their reunion.

Snow, Regina and Charming all turned back towards each other.

"What do we do now?" Snow asked Charming.

"We try and get on with our lives as best we can." He replied, giving her a small smile. "Shall we see if Granny is feeling up to opening the diner yet?" He asked and she nodded in reply.

They had just started walking away when Regina called out to them.

"What about Henry and Emma?" She asked desperately.

Snow's eyes glazed over. "Even if the curse didn't work, doesn't mean your spell didn't too."

"But…" She trailed off, the thought of never seeing her son again even though they were in the same world rendering her speechless.

Before she could break down completely, she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke and reappeared in front of her house. She unlocked the door with a flick of her wrist as tears started to fall down her cheeks. She grabbed her car keys before exiting the house again and heading towards her Mercedes.

Her mind blanked out as she drove towards Boston. She found solace in how her brain numbed itself and was only drawn from her state of dreaming when her petrol light started flickering irritatingly. She turned into the first gas station she could find and quickly filled her tank up before entering the store.

She approached the cash register and thankfully didn't have to wait to be served.

"Morning." The overly cheery woman opposite her said, attempting to engage her in conversation. "How're you today?"

"Number three please." Regina replied, making it perfectly obvious to the woman that she had no intention of talking to her more that was necessary.

"Right." The lady said simply. "That'll be eighty dollars please."

Regina handed her the money and accepted the receipt before making her way back to her car. She was just going to stuff the receipt into her wallet when she noticed the date and her eyes bulged. She ran back to the till.

"Is this the correct date?" She asked the woman.

"Yep," The lady smiled and responded, "sixteenth of December two thousand and fourteen."

Regina's head spun as she ran back to her Mercedes and jumped in. She put it in drive and turned out of the gas station, making her way back to Storybrooke.