*So yeah, the end of the finale just crushed me. I'm so angry that the writers did this to Regina again, and I can only hope that her reaction isn't "time to burn everything to the ground with magic"

(Regina)

"Are you happy?"

It's the first thing out of her mouth when they run into each other outside of Granny's the next morning. He's caught her off guard, so she doesn't quite succeed in keeping her voice from cracking. Her hands are shaking, lower lip quivering, and she can feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She's a mess, and she doesn't even try to hide it.

"Regina..." He reaches for her, but she steps back, avoids his touch. She is glass. If he touches her now, she'll break.

"Are you happy with her, Robin?"

He looks down, to the side, just past her shoulder, anywhere but directly at her. "She's Roland's mother. She's my wife."

"That's not what I asked." It's a testament to how broken she is that the words hold none of her usual snap. "Does having Marian back make you happy?"

His gaze wanders again, and she follows it to his family; mother and son cuddling on a bench.

He finally meets her eyes. "Happier than I thought I'd ever be again after I lost her. There was a piece of my heart missing for the longest time, but now I finally feel whole again."

Oh. His admission makes it both better and worse. The man she loves is happy, he just found that happiness with someone else. She nods, closes her eyes against the flood of tears.

Warm, calloused hands wrap around hers, and his whiskers scratch her skin when he presses a kiss to her knuckles.

"I'm so sorry, Regina," he whispers. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know," she replies. I love you anyway is on the tip of her tongue, but she holds it in. She refuses to make him feel guilt over any of this. It's not his fault.

She finally looks up at him, and he's closer than she expects. Close enough to kiss if she wants. And oh she wants. But she doesn't. Because he is not hers.

She steps away, takes her hands back. "You'll understand if I keep my distance for a while."

He nods, opens his mouth to say something. She stops him with a hand and turns away, walks away from him with her head held high and tears streaming down her cheeks.

And even though she's only been up for a couple of hours, she crawls into bed when she gets home and cries herself back to sleep.