Summary: Robin broke her heart and left her. Emma and Henry broke her heart before it had been healed. Regina was alone again and trying her best not to spiral back into darkness. She decides to take a little road trip to get over her lost loves, and perhaps finds the love she desires along the way. Queen/OC Little bit of OQ and some SQ

Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT

Emma looked up as her computer whistled. She clicked on her email inbox and found one from Regina. Her stomach immediately knotted to see the brunettes name. It had been three days since she'd seen the ex-evil queen and her heart began to hammer in her chest in preparation for what she was about to read. She knew Regina was in a dark place right now and had tried to contact her, to no avail. The mayor had completely closed herself off since they broke up. It had been difficult for them and perhaps the hardest decision she'd ever made in her life. But it had to be done. Everyone was losing their minds over it, the Savior couldn't love the Evil Queen, and instead of facing them as she should've done, she'd run. Just like she always did.

Emma opened the email and began to read.

Dear Sheriff Swan,

I have decided to leave Storybrooke for a little while. By the time you read this, I'll more than likely be gone already. I wanted you to know that the town has not been abandoned. I have made sure that my assistance will not be needed for at least 3 months. Precautions have already been put in place. I don't want your mother in my office or my house.

Take care of Henry and tell him that despite everything, I love him and always will. I should return in a few months but if I do not, do not worry, I can take care of the town from my laptop. Again, measures have been put in place. I have run this town for too long for your emptied headed mother or father to run it into the ground.

DO NOT try to follow or find me. If you do, I will roast you. That is a promise, not a threat.

And that was it, nothing about them. Nothing about what happened between them. Emma sighed and leaned back in her chair. Now she would have to tell Henry and her mother the 'good' news. She sighed, realizing that she wouldn't get to see her favorite brunette again. A single tear slid down her cheek, knowing that she had been the final straw, the one to drive Regina away and her heart broke at the pain that she knew she had caused. She made up her mind, stood up and grabbed her keys and coat.

Regina rolled down the windows of her mercedes benz, letting the wind play with her hair and smiled to herself. Freedom. It was time for a change, not just of scenery, but of one to herself as well. As she neared the town line, her smile faltered and she hit the brakes. Her eyes roamed the Storybrooke sign and the painful memories threatened to overwhelm her.

¨No, not again.¨ She growled, wiping the few stray tears that escaped. ¨You are the Evil fucking Queen! Damn Robin and screw Emma. Henry is safe, he has a whole town protecting him. Great, I have to give myself a pep talk just to leave the idiots behind.¨ Regina sighed and looked at herself in the mirror. It was time for a change. With a wave of her hand, her car started to transform into a dark red SLR Mclaren. She'd heard Henry saying it was an expensive car and now she saw why. She waved her hand again and her hair began to grow longer, nearly reaching her waist and curling slightly at the ends. Her usual slacks and silk shirt became a short, slim fitting little black dress. A final retouch of makeup and a pair of sunglasses completed her new getup. She was all set to go when the horn of a little yellow bug made her scowl.

"Regina, wait!" Emma cried, as she scrambled out of the car. She ran up to the car and paused with a confused expression at the new vehicle and the new woman sitting inside it.

"What, Miss Swan?" Regina said, contemplating driving off. No, that would be rude. But it would be fun.

"Regina, Im sorry for the way things went between us. I'm sorry I hurt you." Emma tried to continue but Regina purposefully revved the engine, effectively drowning out her apology.

"Miss Swan, I would say no harm was done but I am afraid that's the exact opposite of what happened. You made your decision, just like Robin. Its nothing new to me, the pain, the loneliness." Regina said with a soft grimace that she quickly flicked upwards into a smile. "I am a villain and we don't get happy endings, but I'll be damned if I let you or any of those idiots in this town try and stop me from trying to find one. Go back to the handless wonder and apologize to him. I don't want your apology. Later...Emma." She smirked and slammed the pedal to the floor and the car leaped forward on command. Regina couldn't help letting out a happy yell as Storybrooke faded behind her. Home was behind her, but the world was ahead, awaiting a queen.

Regina spent the better part of the first 3 months simply enjoying herself, enjoying the

different sights and sounds and smells of the cities. She road tripped around the United States, enjoying herself and all the money that magic could provide. Her nights were spent lounging in lavish hotels, sometimes crying her eyes out into pillows as old memories tried to haunt her. It was on one of these nights, in her new apartment in California actually, that she dressed herself in a simple red dress, put on her favorite red lipstick, touched up her makeup and walked down to the bar for a stiff drink.

It was one of those bars where there was a stage with some bimbo in a skimpy outfit

singing about sex. However, as Regina had her back to the stage and was nursing her second drink, she heard someone come on stage. No man whistled or gave those annoying cat calls. There was dead silence. Then the sweetest voice that the queen had ever heard reached her ears and Regina turned around, her jaw dropping at the sight of the goddess onstage.

She was tall and absolutely gorgeous with a full head of long blonde hair and striking

purplish blue eyes. She wore a sleek black dress with a waist high slit that revealed a long sleek golden leg that seemed to go on forever. Her voice was riveting as she slowly swayed her hips, singing some seductive sensual song that Regina didn't recognize. She was fearless, confident in her sexuality, winking at men in the crowd and flirting while singing. She was the epitome of boldness, the very aspect flashing in her eyes. When the song was over, she winked sexily and walked off stage, her hips sashaying as the men hooped and hollered.

Regina sighed and returned to her drink, still hearing the voice of the siren ringing in her ears. She picked up her drink to examine it before preparing to knock it back, hoping to erase the pain of Emma and her betrayal, when she felt a hand touch her shoulder and a familiar blonde leaned against the bar counter.

"Can I buy you a better drink?" It was the blonde from stage. She had removed her stage makeup and applied very little to accentuate her eyes and lips but even it was unnecessary. Her hair had been braided back into a long braid and draped over her left shoulder. Her dress was gone, replaced by jeans, heels, and a long black blouse. She now wore a pair of stylish black reading glasses as well.

"You change quickly." Regina said, motioning for her to sit.

"I know. I had to hurry in case you left." She smiled, almost shyly, a stark contrast with the person that was just on stage.

"I'm flattered, dear, but I'm probably twice your age." Regina smirked.

"Oh contraire, I bet you're barely over 30. I'm 29."

"How much would you like to bet?"

"Dinner and a dance."

"Dinner, no dance."

"Please." She made a puppy dog face that was horribly cute and adorable. "My name is Alize, by the way."

"Regina."

"Regina." She repeated with a grin. "Means queen. That's a beautiful name. Much nicer than Alize."

"Oh hush, you're name is quite charming, and unique." Regina said, heart skipping beats as the blonde goddess slapped a 10 on the counter.

"Was I close?"

"You were. I'm 32."

"Then I win! Yes!" Alize did a small shimmying victory dance. "So, about that dinner?"

"Tomorrow, dear." Regina smirked.

"Well then," she slid close to the brunette. Regina felt their hearts hammering. Her lips were only inches from the blonde's. "You should give me your number." Regina met her gaze evenly and arched an eyebrow before smiling broadly.

"Got a pen?"

They agreed to meet at a diner nearby the next day at 7. Regina had a riding lesson to give at the country club stables and Alize had to perform again. Regin couldn't resist the grin that spread across her face as she walked back to the room with the number clutched in her hand. It was a good feeling, like one she hadn't had in years. Not even Emma, or Robin for that matter had been able to make her melt with the sound of their voice. She had no doubt that had Alize been of the enchanted forest, she would've been a siren. An exceptionally beautiful one.

No more tears were shed that night. She made the decision, though regretting it instantly to check her email. There were a total of 36 new emails. Most of them were concerning Storybrooke and its upkeep which was quickly settled with a phone call. The rest were from Emma, asking where Regina was and when she would come home. She didn't bother to read them but did send one of her own, telling Emma to tell Henry that she loved him. She closed her laptop and changed clothes for bed, already ready for her date with the blonde goddess.

Her riding lesson passed in a daze. It passed rather quickly as well and she was shocked to look at the clock to find that it was 5 o'clock and the lesson was over early. Normally, she would opt to stay and work overtime but not tonight. She ignored everyone as she showered and changed and headed home. She showered again and dressed herself in her little black dress. She did her makeup and let her hair fall free after a good brushing. By then, it was about 6 and Regina couldn't help but think: damn, I look good, as she examined herself in the mirror. She decided to leave early to watch Alize's show and put on her favorite 5 inch heels before departing.

Just like the night before, Alize was made up to look like a supermodel or a goddess. She wore a suit that was black with sparkles and again had a high slit that showed off her legs. The suit left most of her midriff bare and Regina could see toned abdominals that had a faint 6 pack. Her hair was sleek and wavy and had been dyed multi shades of brown and gold. Her smile was perfect and white. Then she sang.

It was like the woman was reaching into the queen's very soul. Her voice was angelic, magical even that took her breath away. She exuded power, confidence and...joy. Again it was a very sensual song, something about making love, another song Regina didn't know but didn't really care. It was not often that Regina Mills found herself at a loss for words, but there was no way to describe Alize's incredible voice, or the effect that it had on her.

I wonder what she sounds like in a different situation such as some handcuffs, maybe a riding crop- Wait? Where did that come from? Regina had to force the thoughts from her mind but it didn't help when Alize slowly walked offstage, again giving a teasing goodbye with her hips.

"Regina! You're early!" Alize said as she returned, now wearing a short purple dress with quarter length sleeves. She had chosen not to remove any makeup and the mere sight took the brunette's breath away again.

"My lesson finished early." Regina said.

"Well, let's go."

"You said you haven't had the greatest experiences with love." Alize said, dipping a fry into a cup of ketchup. "What did you mean?"

Regina sighed. So far the dinner was going quite perfectly and she felt so relaxed with Alize that she could felt like she could tell her anything, but of course she couldn't say that she was an evil queen from fairytale land. At some point she'd made the slip about having a terrible past. She wasn't surprised that the blonde, who turned out to be fiercely intelligent and knowledgeable had picked up on it.

"Well, let's just say I've had my heart broken a few times."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alize asked.

"I suppose. Do you want to ask about?"

Alize's eyebrow flicked upwards for a moment. "Okay, tell me about your first relationship. I'm all ears."

"Well," Regina sighed. "His name was Daniel, and he worked at our family stables. My mother had married into a wealthy family and she didn't want me to be with someone of what she considered lower status."

"She made the two of you break up?" Alize asked.

"He died."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's quite alright, dear. It's not exactly the only time that happened."

"What? Are you telling me that somebody else you dated died?"

"I think this is the part where you run away. Screaming. Perhaps calling me a murderer." Regina said, silently praying that she wouldn't.

Alize scoffed. "Yeah right. What happened?"

"His name was Graham and we weren't actually 'dating'. It was more like just casual sex, not really any feelings. He was in a um, car accident."

"Wow, that must have been terrible. No wonder you don't like dating."

"Yep. But it gets better. I met a guy named Robin who I thought was my soulmate. His wife had died a few years back and he had a son named Roland who I fell in love instantly, until Mama came back from the dead."

"No way."

"Yes, and he chose her over me." Regina sighed again, feeling the hurt slice her heart with each mention of her past loves. However, the pain would dull whenever she looked into the eyes of her date and she felt the power to keep going.

"I would very much like to kick his ass." Alize said, with angry glare at the rest of her food, before looking back up. "Who else's ass do I need to kick?"

Regina smiled sadly. "Remember how I told you I adopted a boy, named Henry?"

"Yeah."

"Well, when I told him he was adopted, he went to find his birth mother, and he succeeded. And after we fought over him, tried to kill each other a few times, we decided to try to be more civil to one another, for Henry's sake. Eventually...we started seeing each other, dating. It got pretty intense I suppose. We decided to tell her parents and they blew up about it. Me and her mother have a very complicated history."

"Let me guess: she broke it off with you because of her parents." Alize said.

"She broke my heart." Regina said.

Alize was silent for a few moments. "Is that why you left Storybrooke, to get away from her?"

"I wanted a fresh start, to be free of the terrible things I've done."

"I'm not going to ask what you did but the past is the past, right?"

Regina took a deep breath. "My past will always be my present and future. Based on what you've heard of me so far, what would you say about me?"

Alize leaned back and look slightly downwards as she thought for a moment. "Well, I would say that you have been through a lot of pain, that you've suffered greatly, but you have a profound strength to overcome it. When you feel, you feel deeply, with all of your soul. You're layered, there are many sides to who you are and no one is the right one. You've been hurt many times and you still try to fight against it, for your son, who i can see you love dearly." She smiled. "Perfectly imperfect."

Regina smiled, surprisingly finding herself blushing. "Let me guess: you have a gift for reading people."

"No. You're walls aren't as high as you thought. I won't climb them, but if you give me enough leverage to peek over the top, well…"

Alize threw back her head and burst out laughing, stopping mid-laugh to cover her mouth as people turned to look at the pair of women. This only caused Regina to laugh out loud as well. Alize couldn't hold it back any longer and laughed as well.

It was going in to hour 3 of their date and neither woman wanted to go home. Talking between them came so easily, it was like they had been friends for years instead of two days.

The mood was killed when Regina got a phone call. She was tempted to hit ignore but curiosity got the better of her when she didn't recognize the number. "Hello?" She said, grinning while giving Alize an apologetic look.

"Regina?" The former queen's smile dropped at once and she slipped back into her mayoral tone.

"How may I help you, Miss Swan?" Alize cocked an eyebrow but didn't say anything. "May I ask how you got this number?"

"I find people for a living, Regina." Emma said with a slight chuckle.

"What do you want?"

"You said you would be back in 3 months."

"I know, but something's come up and I think I'm gonna stay where I am for a while. I found something truly extraordinary." Regina smirked as Alize blushed.

"Henry has been asking about you."

"I'll call him when I get home."

"He misses you, Regina. We both do. He needs his mother and I need-"

"You made your choice, and so did he. He didn't want an evil queen for a mother and you didn't want me. You got to be mom of the year after I raised our son for 10 years, after you gave him up. You got what you wanted, and so did he." She quickly pressed end and sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"Evil queen?" Alize said.

Regina looked up. "Oh, just a stupid nickname." She waved away the matter as quickly as possible.

"That was the birth mother, right?"

"Yeah. I told her that I would return to Storybrooke in 3 months, but obviously I can't now."

"Why's that?"

"You of course."

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