A.N. If I was writing season six ..

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"If she doesn't know by now how I feel, Zelena - "

"Oh, I'm sorry .. did we all miss the raging declaration of love for one Miss Emma Swan? I don't recall witnessing that merry little parade float down Main Street."

"I think I liked it better when we didn't speak." Regina goes to brush by her but Zelena grips her arm, stopping her from leaving the room.

"I should just lock you two in a dungeon and not let you lovebirds go until all this heart mush gets sorted out, yes?"

"No." Regina yanks her arm away and glares at her sister.

"Well, I for one think it's a fantastic idea."

"She's marrying the Pirate. She loves him, Zelena - "

"Pfft .. please. They have about as much chemistry as you and Robin had."

"Don't rock that boat, Zelena."

"Well, if you don't speak up soon, my dear sister, there will be a certain boat a rockin'. I think Emma would rather her wedding night be on dry land. And preferably with you."

"Well, it's a good thing no one in this town cares what you think, especially me." She goes to walk by but Zelena stops her again.

"That hug between you two was awkward as all hell, Regina. I actually cringed a little bit."

Regina rolls her eyes before landing a dark gaze onto her sister. "Well, that just proves how off base you are, Sis .. Miss Swan and I obviously have no chemistry to speak of."

"Oh, you two have plenty of chemistry .. a blind goat could witness that easily enough. That's why it was so uncomfortable being privy to that god awful interaction. You were stiff as a board and Emma looked guilty as all get up, showing you her ring - "

"Because I had lost Robin, Zelena .. again! Realizing the doppelganger wasn't going to magically replace the real Robin, ringing any bells here? On top of losing the real Robin - "

"Regina, you can't honestly stand there and tell me that if Robin had lived, you would be spending the rest of your life with him. That you were happy and in love with him like you were with Daniel?"

Regina's mouth opens and closes a few times before she turns away from her sister's penetrating gaze. The answer screams inside of her and she hates that Zelena is aware of the truth. The guilt she feels over the fact that he died saving her weighs heavily on her heart and soul. Especially, when she knows without a shadow of a doubt, he wasn't the one for her. Emma Swan or no Emma Swan, Robin Hood was not her happily ever after.

She shakes her head, remembering all too well that when he had left, it tore her up inside and she had missed him terribly but the events that happened afterwards? Well, if she's being honest with herself, it's the catalyst to it all really. When she had went to him in New York, to try and warn him about Zelena only to have him lash out at her, making her feel like some lovesick fool, as he told her he was with Marian now and she just had to accept that. Only to completely jump back to her mere hours later after he had found out his wife had in fact been dead that whole time. He had just been so quick to proposition her when there seemed to be no other options conveniently left for him. She feels herself cringe because it's always been there, curled up like a little yarn of thread inside her heart and when she was alone, quiet with her own thoughts; she would find herself picking at that thread, as it started to unravel ever so slowly.

"I'll answer that for you .. that would be a big fat, NO." Zelena says.

She stands a little straighter and crosses her arms in front of her chest. "I was drunk and not in my right frame of mind in regards to what you are trying to infer."

"You knew what you were saying .. you're just mad that there is a witness to kick you in your ass and not let you forget about it."

"I hate you."

"Good, it means I'm being an amazing sister then." She gives her a cheeky grin while Regina turns and storms out of the room.

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"So, have you told everyone yet .. Regina?"

Emma glances away, curling the loose sleeves of her shirt around her fingers as she mumbles, "I don't want to talk about Regina, Archie."

"You always seem to say that when I mention her name, Emma .. why?"

"Why do you always have to bring her up in every session?"

Archie closes his mouth and stares at her for a solid minute before replying, "I wasn't aware that I was."

Emma matches his gaze, staring him down as she states, "Well, you do and it's annoying."

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"Hmm .. deep in thought it appears .. pining over - "

Emma snaps her head up, staring Zelena down with her trademark glare. The tall redhead quickly rushes out, "Pining over the seating arrangements? That can always be a bit of a bitch; figuring out where to sit everyone at the reception and all."

"What would you know about it?" Emma mumbles as she quickly gathers up her paperwork and leaves the diner, the little bell left to ding rapidly upon her hasty exit.

"I see you still have an undeniable gift for clearing a room, hmm, Sis."

"Oh, so you were the one that was pining .. watching Emma from across the room? How sweet and semi stalker-ish."

"Once again, you are barking up the wrong tree."

"Right. If you say so. Still working on leasing that dungeon by the way .. how long do you think I would need? Should probably leave it as a month to month transaction, no? I reckon by the way you two skirt around each other, forever might not even be long enough."

Regina takes a sip of her coffee, glaring at her sister over the rim before she waves her hand and watches Zelena quickly disappear in a swirl of smoke.

"Really, that should just be my go to every time she opens up that damn mouth of hers." Regina can't help but grin to herself as she enjoys the new found peace and quiet.

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"So, what is your plan, exactly? Wait for the famous line, 'If anyone should object .. ' and then you'll gallantly stand up, wave a fireball or two around, burn the ridiculous leather the Pirate is wearing to a crisp and then .. you and Emma swirl away in a puff of magic to somewhere dreadfully romantic?"

Regina rolls her eyes for the hundredth time before she carefully lowers Robyn down into the crib. She grabs her sisters arm and drags her out of the nursery before snapping, "Will you please keep your voice down .. better yet, just stop talking altogether."

"What are you so afraid of? Do you really think she doesn't have feelings for you? Um, hello .. sucked herself into the Vortex of Evil .. you and her got that mad Hat to start spinning, which come to think of it .. she pushed you out of the way and got herself sucked into another realm then too." Zelena laughs and Regina widens her eyes.

"How the hell do you even know about that? It was years ago."

"Precisely my point, Regina. It was bloody years ago!"

Regina waves her hand and Zelena quips, "Nuh, uh .. you can't zap me away, my daughter is here." She smirks and Regina puffs herself away instead.

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Regina saunters up to her son who is sitting in a booth at Granny's and completely absorbed with his phone. She sighs because he is growing up so fast, and sometimes she yearns for the days when he was still her little boy and had his nose buried in that fairytale book. She clears her throat and Henry slowly looks up at her, sending up a sheepish grin that reminds her of Emma. She feels her heart still for a moment before smiling back and taking up the empty spot across from him.

"Henry, sweetheart .. you don't happen to have any 'Operations' looming do you?" Regina places her fist underneath her chin, propping her elbow up along the top of the table and her dark brown eyes stare down her son.

"Uh .. no."

"Try saying that once more with some conviction this time, dear."

"Mom, I .. I don't have any operations looming." He looks away briefly before meeting her gaze and she shakes her head at him.

"Henry Daniel, why do I not believe you?"

He shrugs and looks away again before trying to change the subject. "Do you want some lunch or a cup of coffee? You look hungry and thirsty, Mom .. let me go tell Ruby - "

"You're in cahoots with Zelena, aren't you? And that's how she knows about things that happened way before her time, correct?"

"What? No."

"Henry .. don't lie to me."

"Mom, you and Ma need to .. talk. So, yes, there is an operation." He finally admits.

Regina's eyes widen and she closes and opens her mouth a few times before she remembers to take a much needed breath. "What the hell did Zelena tell you?!"

"She didn't have to tell me anything. I have eyes and ears and a brain, Mom." He casually shrugs before sliding his phone over to her. A picture of himself wedged between his two moms is his screen saver, taken right after Regina and Emma had returned from the wish realm. "Do you notice anything about this picture?"

Regina can only stare at the phone as she shakes her head no. "Well, I do. There's no sadness in either of your faces, your eyes. There's an energy captured here, and I think that energy is called Love, Mom. True Love. It's what Snow and David have. I have pictures of you and Robin, I also have pictures of Ma and Hook and none of them capture this. Not one. Zelena might be a loon sometimes but she's right about this. I'm right about this. Operation: Out Loud is about as important as Operation: Cobra was."

"Out loud?" Regina whispers the question and Henry can only nod at her.

"Yes, because what you and Emma have, finally needs to be spoken, out loud. Before she does something stupid like marry Hook. He's an alright guy and all but you've said so yourself, she is too good for him and I think part of the problem is, you think she is too good for you. But you are wrong. You two are perfect for each other and I think the magic between the two of you proves that, Mom."

"Henry, it's not as simple - "

"It's as simple as you are willing to make it. I once told Emma that it wouldn't be a very good story if the hero just believed at first, and now I'm telling you, every epic love story has an opening. David was engaged and then Snow stole his mother's ring .. that was their opening. Mom, you just have to keep yourself alert for yours and Emma's."

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The opening comes quicker than either woman would have expected as Regina finds herself alone, sitting at a bar when Emma plops down next to her and randomly tells her that Hook has decided to leave. That in fact, he is already gone. Regina can't help but glance down at Emma's left hand and she is all too aware of the sudden jolt her heart takes at the now naked ring finger.

She hears herself say, "I'm sorry, Emma .. " but inside she isn't sorry at all.

She feels guilty about this until Emma shrugs and replies back with a steadfast, "Don't be. I'm not." Regina watches as Emma swallows down a shot of liquor before raising her fingers, beckoning for two more from the barkeep.

"What happened?" Regina's interest is piqued and she desperately wants to know the details before Emma gets sloshed two sheets to the wind.

"What hasn't happened .. " Emma murmurs before she turns and looks at Regina. "He killed David's father .. but that actually isn't the problem. It was back in Fairytale time .. so, really, all bets are off with that one. " Emma laughs and Regina feels her breath catch just a little as a few strands of blonde hair tickle her arm while Emma leans sideways a bit before straightening back up on the bar stool. "The problem was .. I caught him trying to erase the memories from a dream catcher. Instead of just coming to me, trusting me, he .. well, he just didn't think to do that and .. there just wasn't any thread left to unravel, Regina."

Her eyes grow wide as she turns to face Emma more directly. "I'm sorry, what?"

Emma shrugs and looks away, a bit shyly, Regina thinks as she feels her fingers lightly touch Emma's arm. "Thread .. unravel?"

"It's silly, Regina .. I .. it's how it felt though, I guess. If I'm being honest with myself, it goes back to when he left me in that cage years ago. And then when he found out he was a dark one .. the things he said to me .. " Emma shrugs again and glances away but Regina doesn't miss the path Emma's fingers take as they quickly swipe underneath her eyes. She downs the next shot before turning to capture Regina's gaze again. "I just always referred to it in my head as a great big ball of yarn and well, I guess this latest stunt he pulled, I ran out of thread to unravel. It's just .. it's over and when I handed him back the ring, all I could think was .. I don't think it should have even started to begin with."

Bright eyes look into Regina's dark brown and Emma feels her heart skip a little as she gets lost in that gaze for a second. It isn't the first time this feeling has washed through her when Regina looks at her like that. A dozen scenes race through her head, but it always seems to stop on the one when she had told Regina, 'There you go .. telling the truth again.' Emma shakes her head, trying to clear the memories as she steals a glance down to Regina's mouth. It also isn't the first time she wonders what it would be like to kiss those lips, to pull Regina close and just breathe her in.

A slight blush touches her cheeks and she quickly clears her throat. "I've had too much alcohol .. I should go. Thank you for listening to me." She throws enough money on the bar to cover hers and Regina's drinks before she slips off of the stool. A soft hand along her arm stops her from moving forward and then those damn brown eyes are looking at her again, like she's the only one that matters, in any land. Regina and her damn endearing heart eyes.

"When you sober up .. would you like to come over for dinner, Emma, maybe tomorrow night if it's not too soon?"

Emma's face scrunches with confusion because Henry has the class camping trip tomorrow night. So, she doesn't understand why Regina would be inviting her over when Henry isn't there as well. "Oh, but .. the kid isn't gonna be home .. he has that trip, remember?"

"I'm well aware of what our son's schedule is, Emma." Regina slips off her own stool before putting herself directly in front of the other woman. She leans in and softly brushes a kiss against Emma's cheek, and she smiles to herself as she hears a sharp intake of breath exerted by one Emma Swan. It's all the affirmation she needs really, that and the fact that she watched Emma glance down at her mouth more than once over the last ten minutes.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Em-ma." The words get whispered by her ear, and the special emphasis on her syllable sends shivers down her spine. She has to swallow a gulp of air all over again as she feels Regina squeeze her hand while wide brown eyes dance bright despite the shadows cast by the dimly lit room.

Emma manages to nod her head once before she finds her voice and replies with her patented sheepish grin, "Sure thing, Regina .. 8:15 okay?"

And now it's Regina's turn to steal a glance at Emma's mouth as she beams, "8:15 sounds perfect."

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