Disclaimers: I don't own Once Upon A Time (Regina just owns my heart).

This chapter has chunks of dialogue borrowed from the show, because it covers the couple of episodes that I think could have easily turned SwanQueen into Canon. Let me know what you think, and I hope you like it!

The door swung shut behind Emma as she quickly strode out of the diner. Regina had pressed her to answer whether the blonde really intended to leave Storybrooke with Henry, but the sheriff wasn't ready to talk about it. So, Emma had followed her instincts and left, which left Regina, Henry, Hook, Robin, Snow, and David gathered around a booth in Granny's. Hook was quick to place his drink on the table and state, "I'll go talk to her."

Before the pirate could turn, Regina quickly disagreed, "No, I'll go."

"Regina are you sure-" David began.

"I'm sure," the Mayor assured, "If we want Emma to stay, she needs to know that she and Henry can be happy and safe here. Part of that means that she and I have to be able to get along."

Regina squeezed Robin's arm and took a step towards the door when Henry called "Wait." Regina turned and saw her son holding out the story book. "Take this. It might help her remember where she belongs."

Regina nodded, and gently took the book. "I'll bring her back, Henry," the ex-Evil Queen promised.

~SQ~

Regina finally found Emma sitting cross-legged on a park bench overlooking a pond. The blonde turned at the sound of footsteps and sighed, "I don't want to talk about this."

Regina kept walking until she stood next to Emma's bench. "I didn't come to harass you, Ms. Swan." The brunette lifted an eyebrow and glanced at the bench, "May I?"

Emma sighed but gave a disgruntled, "Sure."

The pair sat for a moment, just staring at the water. Taking in a deep breath Regina asked, "Why do you want to go to New York, Emma?"

The Sheriff shot the Mayor and annoyed look. "I thought you weren't going to harass me."

Regina lifted an eyebrow, "Harassment is inappropriate or coercive behavior. I'm simply asking for your reasons."

Emma rolled her eyes, but after a quiet moment, she answered, "Henry and I don't belong here."

Regina kept her tone light as she responded, "Henry has lived here almost every day of his life. If you asked him right now, he'd tell you he doesn't want to go anywhere else."

"Henry is a kid. He doesn't know what's good for him."

"Emma, his family is here. Your family is here. You've spent years wondering about what having a family would be like, and now that you have it, you want to leave? We both know that doesn't make sense. Tell me the real reason."

"Henry is my family, and we had a life in New York."

"A fake life that I created. Your home is here."

Emma turned to face the woman beside her. "It may have started that way, but there's no reason Henry and I couldn't go back to it."

Regina met the Savior's gaze. "You're running, Emma."

"I've been running since I was a kid. It's just what I did."

Regina scoffed, "So that gives you an excuse to just keep running for the rest of your life?"

Emma looked deep into the brown eyes facing her as she wistfully explained, "Home is the place that when you leave, you just miss it. I'm going to keep running until I feel that."

Regina opened her mouth to argue, but Emma had glanced over her shoulder and whispered, "What the hell is that." Confused the Mayor also looked over her shoulder. There was a huge orange beam of light shooting into the sky.

Regina frowned, "I have no idea."

Emma stood up, "I'm checking it out." She began striding towards the beam before Regina could stand.

The brunette shouted, "Emma, wait." But the blonde paid her no heed. Regina growled under her breath but stood to follow the Sheriff. The pair tracked the light all the way to the barn Zelena had tried to cast her time spell in. As they got closer, Emma finally checked her phone, and saw that David had messaged her about the beam. "It's Zelena's time portal. She died, and that somehow triggered it."

Regina stopped and shouted, "She's dead?"

"Yeah, and we need to figure out how to close this thing." Emma shouted back over the roar of the magic. Regina grabbed Emma's arm as the blonde moved to run towards the barn doors.

"We can't go in there. It's unstable, and we don't know enough about it to close it yet."

Emma ripped her hand out of the other woman's grasp. "We can't just leave it open," the Sheriff argued. But, before Regina could respond. The doors to the barn flew open, and a strong wind whipped the women off their feet and dragged them towards the fiery beam of light. One of Regina's flailing arms caught onto the edge of the barn door, and the other caught the Savior's hand. "Hold on!" She desperately roared at Emma. She and the Savior could both feel the blonde's hand slipping from hers. Regina lifted her head to meet Emma's terrified gaze, but an instant later, the blonde's hand was pulled free of her grasp. She watched as the Sheriff was sucked into the vortex.

"Damn it, Swan." Regina growled. She knew there was only one thing she could do to help Emma. So, Regina let go of the doorframe, and followed Emma into the blazing portal.

~One Time Traveling Adventure Later~

Emma strode toward the mayor's office door and with a purposeful attitude turned the doorknob. It was locked. The sheriff looked at the frosted windows of the office doors, "Gina," she called. I know you're in there. I can see the lights on."

Regina was curled against the other side of the office door, her knees pulled against her chest and her hands limp against the floor. The Queen felt like her heart was shattered, and the splinters were embedded in her chest. There was heat from unshed tears behind her eyes, and all she could think about was the pain of losing Robin, her happy ending stripped away yet again. She had no intention of letting the Sheriff into her office, nor did she intend to even get off the floor anytime soon.

Realizing she wasn't going to get a response, Emma sighed and leaned one hand against the door, the other moving to the pocket of her black skinny jeans. She paused for a moment and then gently assured, "I know this is all complicated, but you can have happiness." Regina folded her arms across her knees and seemed to sink further into herself. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but you just have to fight." Regina pulled her knees closer and rested her head against her arms. She was so tired of fighting.

Emma looked back at the hallway and then again at the door. Her face was determined, as though she could feel Regina as she sank lower into her pain. In a stronger voice the Sheriff insisted, "Okay, if you won't I will. Henry brought me to Storybrooke to bring back the happy endings. My job's not done until I do that for everyone, including you." When Emma still heard no response from the Mayor, she sucked in a small breath and turned down the hallway.

Regina lifted her head as she heard the Sheriff's footsteps grow fainter. The Queen's face glistened softly with tears. Her eyes roved over the office, at the symbolic seat of her power in Storybrooke. Instead of feeling reassured by the strength of that symbol, she just felt empty. Her eyes had just landed on the storybook she had tossed onto her coffee table when there was a sudden puff of white smoke. As it cleared, Regina saw the Savior's slightly smug expression at her successful teleportation. The mayor quickly swiped her fingers under her eyes, dashing away her tears. "Ms. Swan, if the locked door didn't make my wishes clear, I am not in the mood for company." Regina's tone was clearly supposed to be haughty, but, without the Mayor's usual briskness, it just sounded tired.

Emma's eyes landed on the brunette. Surprise flittered across the blonde's face at the mayor's fetal position but was quickly replaced with concern. Emma had seen this woman blasted against walls, face angry mobs, and fight against her own darkness, but never had she seen Regina look so small.

Regina saw the concern in Emma's eyes and interpreted it as pity. The Mayor began to bristle, until she remembered she was still on the ground. Before she could spring back to her feet, Emma crossed the room and stood in front of Regina, blocking the brunette from standing. After a moment of hesitation, Emma shuffled slightly to Regina's left and turned to slide to the ground. She was close enough to Regina that she could feel the heat coming off the other woman's body.

Regina's position was rigid. She didn't want pity, and she certainly didn't need anyone else to comfort her. Emma could feel the tension rolling off Regina in waves, but instead of moving away, she pushed her shoulder into Regina's. "I told you I'm fighting for your happy ending. That means I'm not going to leave you alone to cry in an empty office."

The brunette rolled her eyes, and let her head fall back against the door. "I don't need your help, Emma. I'm capable of managing my own emotions."

The Sheriff, turned her head to look at Regina, "After all the time we just spent in the Enchanted Forest, I'm pretty clear on the fact that you can handle yourself."

With a sigh, Regina asked, "Then why are you here?"

Emma turned her head to face the mayor's desk and leaned her head back to mirror Regina's position. "Just because you can handle this on your own, doesn't mean you have to." Emma paused, waiting for Regina to comment. When the brunette just continued to stare at the ceiling, the Sheriff continued, "I've spent years not letting people in and handling everything on my own. Shutting people out means you don't get hurt, but, you and I both know, eventually all shutting people out does is leave you feeling empty inside."

"Ms. Swan-" Regina started, but she was quickly cut off by Emma.

"Regina, just five minutes. All you have to do it sit next to me, and then I'll leave you alone. Just, let me be here for you." Emma insisted.

The Mayor closed her eyes, "I don't need you, Emma."

"I'm not saying you do. I'm saying we're part of each other's lives now, and that means being there for each other."

It was Regina's turn to look at the blonde, appraising her. Regina's tension slowly left her shoulders, and, after a moment, the brunette nodded.

After two minutes ticked by, Regina leaned her head against Emma's shoulder. She'd deny it if the Savior ever mentioned it, but in that moment, Regina was grateful to not be left alone. Emma didn't comment on the contact, but when the promised five minutes passed, neither woman made a move to stand or change positions. They sat there for several more silent minutes, until Regina slowly straightened her back. Emma glanced at the brunette. "How are you feeling?" the Sheriff asked.

Regina sighed, "Tired of sitting on the floor."

Emma gave a slight snort and then stood, pulling the Mayor with her. Once the women were fully vertical, Emma asked again, "Now how are you feeling?"

Regina smirked, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Now, I'm just tired. I'm physically and mentally exhausted, and I'm sick of losing my happy ending."

Emma placed her hands on Regina's shoulders, "Hey, I know not being able to be with Robin hurts, but that doesn't mean your happy ending is gone. Look at how hard you've work. I just saw first-hand how much you've grown since being the Evil Queen. You're not her anymore."

The Mayor closed her eyes and took a step away from the Sheriff. "It doesn't matter how much I've grown, Emma. I'm a villain, and villains don't get happy endings."

The Savior let her hands drop to her sides, but she was far from giving up. "Regina, if the last few days have shown me anything it's that you're not the same person you used to be. You're not a villain anymore."

Regina shook her head. "It doesn't matter what I am now. Look at Henry's storybook. All the stories have one thing in common, and it's that villains never get their happy endings. And no matter what I do, I'll always be seen as a villain."

Emma looked at the innocent-looking book on the table. "No, I don't believe that. Villains may not get happy endings, but people still get second chances, including you."

Regina gave the blonde a sad smile. "In that book, I had many second chances, but I turned them all down. Now that the last page is written, there's no more room for second chances."

Emma shook her head and stalked towards the coffee table, picking up the book in her hands. "There has to be a way to change that. No one can just decide that you aren't worth saving, no matter how many chances you've had."

Regina stared at the Sheriff as the blonde began rifling through pages of the book. Her brow wrinkled as an idea began to form in her head. "Say that again."

Emma didn't look up from the book as she asked, "What?"

"You said no one gets to decide how many chances I get." Regina repeated. "Who wrote the story? Who decided when the book ended?"

Emma finally met Regina's gaze. She shrugged and answered, "I don't know, whoever the author is."

Regina nodded, "Exactly, if I could find him or her, maybe the author could be persuaded to write me a happy ending."

Emma's face split into a grin. "Alright, where do we start looking?"

Regina lifted an eyebrow, "You want to help track down a fairytale author?"

Emma walked back over to the brunette, book still in hand. She looked straight into Regina's eyes as she promised, "I am going to help you find your happy ending. If that means hunting down authors, then no problem. I'm good at finding people."

Regina smiled at the Sheriff, and, for a moment, Emma was struck by the gentleness in the Mayor's eyes. Taking the book from Emma's hands, Regina flipped open the cover and stated, "Alright, then let's get started."