Something Good
"Regina, what I'm trying to say is I…I love you," said Emma, voice quivering. Regina couldn't wrap her head around it.
"Wh…what?" she breathed out. How could this beacon of goodness feel love for an Evil Queen, a broken Queen. A wicked childhood had led to a miserable youth, which had led to a sad, lonely life. Evilness and power had been a lonely rode. Rumple and Mother hadn't mentioned that while steering Regina in the direction she'd walk for so long.
Love is weakness. The phrase had dictated her life for so long. Her heart had become cold and black. Because if love was weakness, so was happiness, so was light. In her life Regina had caused so much pain. It was all so much effort… effort towards what though? Not feeling that pain ever again, she supposed. As long as she was causing it, she wasn't feeling it.
Yet, through it all, here was Emma Swan, the Savior. She was standing there, in all her red leather clad glory, loving Regina, whether or not she should. She probably shouldn't, but Emma was never one for going 'round by the road. She came into Storybrooke that day like a storm. She wasn't afraid of Regina, that's what had first caught the Mayor's attention. Sure, they bickered, but there was an unspoken deal of sorts that it was all good-natured in a sense. Almost like they were enemies turned friends…frienemies?
Maybe the Evil Queen's dark heart could still love. Maybe someone else could still love her. Maybe love wasn't weakness. Nothing comes from nothing. Somewhere in that horrid past of Regina's, there must have been some small moment of truth, some good she'd done. Perhaps the Savior was really her Savior. Of course, Emma had literally saved her life…on a few occasions. But it was what Emma did for Regina's heart that had saved her.
Emma was the only one who saw past the Evil Queen so she could get a look at just Regina Mills. She probably knew Regina better than anyone else ever had. No one else had bothered. But Henry, their darling boy, albeit probably not consciously,
had allowed Emma to push aside the past and help Regina look towards a future.
Regina had been silent for a long time and Emma was beginning to get nervous. She bit her bottom lip and cleared her throat. Regina, seemingly emerging from whatever mental haze, finally looked up to meet those emerald green eyes. She gave Emma a watery smile. Her look was soft, loving, vulnerable, more so than Emma had ever seen on the brunette.
"Emma," whispered Regina, reaching up to cup Emma's face in her hands, "I love you too. I love you so much."