I've been meaning to upload this story for about two weeks, but I didn't because I was nervous. This is not just the first fic I've ever written, but the first thing ever, not including school project essays. I've proofread it twice before uploading, but English is not my native language, so there will be mistakes.

I appreciate constructive criticism, so I'd like to know when I'm doing something wrong, but also please include any tips for how to do better.

I'll try to post new chapters every week. I have written the first five, so expect constant updates the next five weeks at least.

I hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

Prologue

On her walk to the dinner Regina was going over the events that led to the Sheriff's earlier call. Miss Swan called her and invited her to the Welcome Back Party the town was throwing for their return from the Enchanted Forest. Regina was surprised about being invited to the party, but she taught that was their way of saying thank you for helping with their return. But nobody knew the extent of her help, or what the consequences may be. Come to think of it, she didn't really know what would happen, but she figured absorbing a Death Spell must have a cost. Quite a big one at that. 'Why did I do that? ...For Henry… Not for Miss Swan, and certainly not for Snow White! '

Henry had asked her to help bring them back, and Regina taught that helping with their rescue was an appropriate thing to do. After all Miss Swan had fallen through the portal because she had been helping her with the wraith.' Damn that imp.' But most of all she had helped because she taught that rescuing the beloved Savior will help get her son's love back.

Her trail of thought was interrupted when Regina found herself in front of Granny's Dinner. 'Wow time really flies when you're thinking.' She gathered her thoughts and took a step forward, but suddenly she felt dizzy and stopped. 'A glass of Jack isn't nearly enough to make me this dizzy.' She took a deep breath and walked to the front door of the dinner, took another breath and entered.

As the bell on top of the dinner's door rang Emma turned around to see Regina walking in with a shy smile on her face and the site brought a smile on her own face as well. 'She is beautiful when she smiles. …Wait WHAT? Where did that come from Swan?' Emma snapped to reality when Leroy or Grumpy or whoever the hell he was, grabbed a knife and asked what Regina was doing there. She suddenly had an urge to punch him, but instead she settled for turning to him and saying that she invited her. That shut him up, but then her par… David and Mary pulled her aside.

"Why would you invite her?" -MM asked somewhat irritated.

"As a thank you for her help about getting us back here…"

"All she did was put Charming under a sleeping curse, so that I could tell him that we were fine and were coming!" – said MM now seeming even more irritated.

"She did it because he asked her to." – Emma shoot back now irritated herself.

"I wanted to see if you were fine." – David tried to defend himself with a sweet tone, which annoyed Emma even more.

"Mary Margaret told Henry that we were ok the first time she saw him and because you put yourself under a sleeping curse so that she could tell you the same thing, he had to go back to that place a second time, so don't blame that on Regina." – she fired back.

"She is trying to change…"- she continued – "and Henry believes in her, so I believe in her. She deserves a chance don't you think?"

"We've given her far too many chances Emma." – David said determined and Mary Margaret nodded in support.

"This time is different, this time she has Henry." – Emma replied before turning her back to them to go get a drink.

As Regina sat in the booth alone, she thought about how glad she was that everyone was ignoring her. She wasn't feeling well. She figured that something was wrong when she didn't say anything back to Leroy as he greeted her with a knife, but went to set down her lasagna with the rest of the food. 'Are this the effects of the Death Spell? Damn that imp!' Her mind went trailing back to the moment she found out about the Death Spell.

After Charming-the idiot was put under the sleeping curse they had to put Henry back to sleep so that he could tell them what Charming had found out from Snow. When Henry woke up he happily told them that Snow and Miss Swan had found a bean and that they were headed to Lake Nostos to restore it. Then they were going to open a portal and come back. As Henry had sat next to Charming, Gold pulled her aside to tell her that he put a Death Spell over the well after the curse broke. He said that he had put the spell, so that no one could enter Storybrooke and said that anyone who would try would die immediately. That meant that if Snow and the Sheriff tried to come back through the portal they would end up dead. After seeing her son's face and how happy he was when he talked about his birth mother coming back she knew that she couldn't let that happen.

Another wave of dizziness hit her and after stabilizing she thought that it was time for her to head home.

Emma saw Regina walking out of the dinner and she went after her because she felt bad that everyone was ignoring her, including she herself and Henry. After walking out of the door she realized that she had no idea what to say to the woman, so she went with – "Archie made a cake. You don't want to stay for a piece?" 'Really Swan? Cake? Regina and cake? Smooth!'

"I'm fine thank you, and thank you for inviting me." – Regina replied looking tired.

"Oh no problem, Henry wanted you to come." – she said trying to make the woman see that her son still loved and cared about her.

"I would like to see him more. Maybe you can let him stay over some time? I have his room just waiting for him." – Regina said in a sweet tone.

"I don't think that is a good idea…" – Emma rejected her because she didn't think Henry was ready, not because of Regina. She could really see that the woman was changing and was about to say that when Regina interrupted her in a fit of anger.

"Because you know so much about parenting in the five minutes you've been with him. Talk to David, at least he took care of him while you were gone, like I did during the first ten years of his life!" – Regina said and turned away to leave.

Emma taught that she saw her sway as she tried to walk away. Regina didn't seem that drunk so that she couldn't walk back home and Emma wasn't going to offer her help after what she said. She turned and sat on the stairs to clear her head and enjoy a little peace and quiet before she went back to the party.

If Regina suddenly hadn't felt very ill, she would have stayed with Swan a little more to list all the reasons that her son should come back home with her, but she wasn't feeling well and she couldn't let the Sheriff see her weakened.

The more she walked, the more ill and week she felt. She was started feeling so sick that she had to stop and rest against a street lamp. The rest didn't help her at all. Regina taught that whatever happened to her, should happen in her home, not out on the open where anyone could see her, so she continued walking. She didn't even have enough strength to poof herself to her house.

As Emma sat on the stairs in front of the dinner she heard a voice she knew well. Gold. 'What does he want now? I can't deal with one more fairytale villain. One villain per night please.' Gold made a tsking noise with his tongue before speaking.

"Is that any way to treat the Queen after everything she did to make sure you got here, Miss Swan?"

"She did nothing. She just put David under a sleeping curse. And that isn't much." – she repeated Mary Margaret's words from earlier. 'Great Swan, now you're becoming a two faced bitch. What is this town doing to me?'

"Well if you think that absorbing a Death Spell is nothing than I guess you're right, dearie." – he said with that all knowing smile of his.

Emma didn't like the sound of that at all. - "What are you talking about? What Death Spell? What is a Death Spell?" – she asked standing up from her sitting position.

"After you broke the curse I put a Death Spell on the well to keep any unwanted guests away from our little town. By keep away I mean kill anyone who would try to enter Storybrooke. You succeeded only because she absorbed it, dearie." – he said smiling and Emma wanted to wipe that smile of his face with her fist, but she wanted answers more, so for the second time that night she restrained herself.

"Regina did what? What will it do to her?" – Emma asked already panicking.

"Kill her dearie, what else do you think? It's a Death Spell after all."

"WHAT? Can I do something? Can I save her? I am the Savior, right?" – Emma said while her face turned white like she'd seen a ghost.

"Oh it's already too late, dearie."

That was the last thing she heard him say before she pushed him out of her way and ran as fast as she could toward Regina's house.

"It can't be too late, it can't be too late…" - she repeated as she ran towards the mansion.

Regina knew she was in her front yard. She could see her porch light through the swirling mass of colors her view had become. She knew that she was dying, and she was determined to die in her house. She wasn't going to die lying on the street like some homeless person, she was a Queen for Christ sake. As Regina looked up again she thought that she saw a men's silhouette coming her way. She even thought that she heard her name being called. 'Great, now I'm hallucinating too.'

She was too weak. She knew that she wouldn't make it to the front door. Her vision was totally gone now, except for a little light that was coming from in front of her and that was quickly fading too. She felt her legs weaken more with each step she took. Then as her vision suddenly went black, she felt herself falling into someone's arms.

"It can't be too late, it can't be too late…"

Emma was just around the corner from the former mayor's house. Her legs were hurting, her lungs were burning, she was covered in sweat but she kept running like a crazy person. It couldn't be too late. When Regina's house came in her view she suddenly stopped. She saw Regina's limp body being carried through her front door by some guy.

"No, no, no, no… Please God, no. She can't be dead." – she quietly begged and started walking on shaky legs towards the house, determined to go inside and save Regina. Emma didn't give the guy much thought, he was either a friend or a foe, he would either help or she would kill him. She stopped again behind the fence of the front yard as she looked through the window.

Emma could see the guy carefully laying Regina's body down on the same sofa she sat and drank cider with her that first night when she brought Henry from Boston. He positioned himself behind her back and hugged her. 'He hugged her? Who the hell is this guy? 'The moment he wrapped his arms around her they both started glowing green. 'What is he doing to her? ' As Emma took a step forward determined to get the jerk off Regina, she saw Regina open her eyes, look at him and smile weekly as she settled back into her position. 'She smiled at him? A real, genuine smile? Who the fuck is this guy?!'

"It is too late." – she murmured to herself as she started walking back to her apartment.