Okay, I know I have stories to update (a new chapter for A Fresh Start will be posted within the next few days) and I'm really sorry for the wait, but I had to do this. So many people are writing their own versions of what happens to Regina when the Curse of Shattered Sight hits and I had to jump in with my own. I am warning you now; this is not a happy fic. If you've read my other stories you might see a connection that I tend to kill characters. So WARNING- CHARACTER DEATH!
"I love you." She uttered as she gently held his chin up to look into his eyes.
It was in those gold specked whiskey brown eyes that Henry could see a raw unrestrained fear that he had never thought his adoptive mother could have felt. For the first time ever he truly understood how terrified his mother was of becoming the woman she once was again, he could see the fear swimming within the depths of her gaze. He knew she was good, he knew she had changed; she no longer was the Evil Queen. But now he realized how greatly this curse would affect her and that she could lose everything she had fought so long and so hard to earn. Henry wanted to comfort her and to tell her that it would be alright, but the truth was that he too was afraid. "I love you too." He managed to reply.
They had found out only a handful of knowledge about the curse, but one thing they did know was that it wouldn't affect children the way it did adults. Henry wouldn't be curse by the shattered sight, but that didn't mean he would be safe. Regina stepped back and looked at him with love overflowing in her gaze, she wanted to hug him but she knew there wasn't time. As she backed away towards the door she looked at her son, her baby boy and she felt salty tears sting the corner of her eyes. "Now remember, you stay here until Emma comes to get you. My office will be sealed shut, no one except for Emma will be able to get in which means no one can hurt you, it is the only place you will be safe so you are not to leave." She instructed him as she reached the door, a tear running down her cheek.
"I won't mom." Henry promised as he watched her. He knew she was trying so hard to be brave for him, she never wanted him to be scared; from the time he used to cry at the sound of thunder during a storm to now, she was always trying to be the brave one.
He watched as she closed the door, he could see the blurred image of her through the glass and his eyes never left it as she cast the protection spell. Then suddenly when she turned after having stood at the door for a moment Henry couldn't help but race forward towards the door. He was about to open it and run to her when he remembered her instructions, he had to stay. His hand lowered from the door knob and he was about to walk back towards the desk in the back of the office when he heard it.
"I need to seal myself in that vault." He heard his mother say and he wondered who she was talking to.
"To keep people out?" Henry heard a thick accented voice ask. Immediately he knew who it belonged to, he could recognize Robin Hood's voice anywhere.
"Oh, no. To keep me in." He heard his mother reply as he leaned his ear against the door.
Henry heard the sound of shuffling and realized that Robin must have moved closer to his mother, "Regina, I'm not afraid of you." Robin's thick accent came again as the archer uttered the words to his mother.
Pressing his ear further against the door Henry heard the click of his mother's heels. He listened to her voice as she spoke the next few words, the words that were laced with fear, "But you really, really should be." She cautioned. Then the next thing he heard was the sound of his mother's stilettos clicking against the ground as she quickly retreated from her office and from the two people she loved the most.
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The curse had struck; Henry could hear all of the chaos filling the streets as he sat in his mother's office. Listening to the world outside of town hall he could hear people screaming and fighting, he could hear the citizens of Storybrooke tearing their loved ones apart as he sat nice and cozy and safe in a protected office. He hated it, he hated being stuck here, he hated that he had to sit by and do nothing when he should be out there trying to protect his mother from others but more importantly, from herself. This wasn't what heroes were supposed to do; they didn't relax while the battle was being fought. No, heroes were supposed to be out there, they were supposed to work to stop the villain and save the day. That's all Henry wanted to be, he wanted to be his mother's hero.
"Henry!" A voice shouted and broke the teenager from his thoughts. "Henry!" The voice yelled again.
"Emma?" Henry yelled in response to the cries of his birth mother.
Henry watched and saw the image of Emma appear through the blurred glass of the office door. After a few moments the room shook and there was a flash of white light. "Henry!" Emma gasped as she burst through the door. She looked worse than when he last saw her, there was a tear in her jacket and a small cut was bleeding on her forehead. "Kid! You're okay!" The blonde gasped and raced forward to hug him.
Henry wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes returning the hug. "Emma, have you seen my mom?" He asked worriedly when they parted. "And what are you doing here?" He added.
"I'm here to make sure that you were okay and that no one got in." Emma explained. "I was worried because I knew that Regina cast the protection spell, so I didn't know if she could undo it herself or not. I needed to make sure she wasn't here with you." Emma breathed and hugged him again.
"She isn't. She hasn't been here since before the curse." Henry looked up at Emma and swallowed, "Emma, I'm really worried about her. I think something bad is going to happen." He admitted.
Emma looked at her son and sighed, she put her arm around his shoulder like she has done since her first days with him. "Henry, bad stuff is happening all over town. I think out of everyone in this town whose safety you're worried about she is probably doing the best right now." Emma admitted as she tried to give the kid hope.
"No Emma, I'm worried about what she is going to do!" Henry blurted out. "What she might do that she will end up regretting. My mom has worked so hard to change, if she does something during this curse I don't think people will forgive her as easily as they might forgive someone else. And I know that she won't forgive herself." He turned and looked at Emma with wide pleading hazel eyes. "Ma, you have to let me go find my mom!" He insisted.
Emma looked at her son and her mouth opened slightly in surprise. Her brow then furrowed and she shook her head, "No way kid, it's too dangerous out there for you. Besides, if your mom see's you then who knows what she might do." She reasoned. "Henry, that woman out there right now is not the woman who is your mom. Your mom told me to keep you safe and to keep you away from her; she doesn't want to risk hurting you Henry."
Henry shook his head and looked desperately into Emma's emerald green eyes. "Please Emma!" He begged. "Something is going to happen! I need to be there to stop her! I can feel it!" He looked as desperate as the ten year old that Emma first came to Storybrooke with in that moment and Emma knew how much he believed what he was saying.
"Henry…" She paused, and closed her eyes. She wondered if she was actually considering letting him go, she wondered if she could really risk him like that. No, I can't. She determined and opened her eyes. "No Henry, you are staying here and I'm putting the protection spell back up so that no one can get in and hurt you."
"EMMA!" Henry shouted in protest.
"I said no Henry!" Emma sternly barked back at her son. "I know you're afraid of what might happen to your mom, but I'm afraid of what might happen to you! And you know what? So is she! That's why she put this spell on her office! She doesn't want you risking your life! She wants you safe and so do I!" Emma lectured and turned to begin putting the spell up again.
Henry could feel the sense of worry in his heart growing as Emma turned around. He knew he had to get to his mother, he believed with all his heart that something bad was going to happen. The thought of trying to make a break for it crossed his mind, but he knew Emma would catch him. He knew he couldn't just sit back and ignore the feeling in his gut, the one that kept telling him he had to find his mother. He knew that in order to do that, he had to get past Emma. Looking around the room Henry tried to think of a way to get past his birth mother. Come on! Think Henry! Think! He mentally screamed at himself. Then suddenly as if a light switch had been turned on in his brain, he got an idea. Reaching into his pocket he felt his finger tips brush against the fabric of a pouch. Yes! He thought and pulled the bag out of his pocket. Quickly his nimble fingers undid the ties of the bag and he soon had the contents of it poured into his hand. Leaning down the teen let the marble balls roll quietly onto the floor behind Emma who was still working on the spell.
Once he was finished Henry stood up and said in a desperate sounding voice. "Emma!"
"What kid?" The blonde asked as her eyes remained closed and she tried to focus on the spell.
"Why can't I at least go with you?" He asked and hoped that she would take the bait.
Emma sighed and opened her eyes; her shoulders visibly deflated a bit as she turned to face her son. "Look Henry, I kn-WAH AHHH!" She cried out in surprise as her feet slipped on the marbles and she went flying into the air. With a thud she landed and let out a groan before going limp, her chest rising and falling but her eyes closed.
Henry carefully rushed over to her through the marble mine field and made sure she was alright. After the best examination he could give he determined that his plan had worked and that she was simply knocked out. "Sorry Ma, but I have to go help my Mom." He said with a look of determination in his eyes. Quickly Henry stood up and ran out of the office and down the stairs towards the front doors and Main Street.
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Like a dark phoenix arising from the ashes of the small town, Regina stalks the streets if Storybrooke in the full glory of the Evil Queen. Around her fires burn and take down entire buildings, people scream and claw at their loved ones ruthlessly, and upon the ground the beaten and broken bodies of the dead lie with their loved ones reveling in the victory of their kill. But none of this fazes the woman who was once mayor of this town; her sight is set on one target, hate and determination blazing in her eyes as she sees the Sheriff's station come into view. Every ounce of her looks the part of her former self, from the elaborate corset and leather pants, to the confident strides and over powering dark aura she radiates. The only thing that looks off in any way is the sword grasped within her gloved hand. She curses her weaker self for blocking her magic with the damned leather cuff that was clamped to her wrist now; ending Snow White would be much easier with a ball of flames. But now I can watch the life bleed out of her. The Queen thinks with a twisted grin.
She approaches the front door of the Sheriff's station, her free hand reaching forward to open it when suddenly an arrow hits the side of the building right by her head. She doesn't flinch when the arrow whizzes by her head, if anything she stands stiff and looks at the shaft of the arrow allowing it to rip open fresh hatred to seethe within her. Her hand wraps around the shaft of the arrow and she yanks it from the wall her whiskey brown eyes seem to glow with revulsion as she turns swiftly to face the owner of the arrow.
"Thief." She addresses him as she throws the arrow to the ground. She knows that her weaker self, the Regina who was a fool, loved this man with her whole heart. She is a love sick imbecile! The queen thinks as she glares into the outlaws ocean blue eyes and finds a look of absolute disgust and hatred brewing within them.
"You took my wife from me!" Robin snarled and drew his bow string back once more with an arrow notched and ready to fire. "You cause my son to almost have to grow up without his mother! And now because of you he still might have to!" Robin spat.
Regina smiled and a dark chuckle sounded from her throat as she looked at the man, clearly not fazed by the arrow aimed at her heart. "Get over yourself Thief." She sneered. "You could have saved your wife if only you were the man of honor that you claim to be." She smiled wider and tilted her head. "But you aren't, you have no honor."
Robin watched her with a scowl and positioned his bow ready to fire. "I was until you enchanted me! You're a temptress! A siren! And everyone knows that the only way to escape a siren is to kill it!" He growled. "I will not let your hold over me tear apart my family!"
Regina laughed, "You honestly believe that I would waste my magic on you?" She looked at him and saw the unwavering look of fury in his eyes. "Oh! You do!" The queen sneered and looked him up and down. "I don't waste my magic on pathetic creatures like you; the only reason why you keep coming back to me is because you are only capable of thinking with your crotch, instead of your brain." She lifted her sword a bit and her smile disappeared. "You only ever saw me as a bit of pleasure to have on the side while you went home to your wife at night. I am not some conquest! I am a queen, and you are nothing more than a worthless lowly outlaw."
"At least I'm not a murderer. I'm not the one who killed hundreds of innocent people for my own selfish revenge." Robin retorted and aimed his bow. "No, I only have to kill one great and terrible Evil Queen." And with that the archer shot his arrow.
Regina was already a step ahead of him and ducked out of the way, the arrow flying by her as she narrowly escaped it. When Robin reached for another arrow she charged at him with her sword in her hand. With a shout she brought the sword down in an attempt to cut into him between the shoulder and neck, but the archer was smart and ready, he lifted his bow and blocked the blade. As they stood with their weapons locked against each other, they glared into each other's eyes. "When I die it won't be by your filthy hands Thief!" The queen spat and suddenly kicked out, her foot making contact with Robin's gut.
Robin grunted and stumbled backwards, his bow thrown from his grip as he landed hard on the pavement. Regina watched for several heartbeats waiting for him to get up, but he didn't show any sign of movement aside from the rise and fall of his chest. A victorious grin painted itself on her face as she waltzed over to the body of the archer, her eyes looked over her handy work as she saw him lying there with his eyes closed. The queen's grin turned to a look of determination as she lifted her sword over the archer's stomach, ready to plunge the blade in. "Goodbye Thief." She sneered.
Suddenly Robin's eyes snapped open and he lashed out, kicking Regina's legs out from under her and jumping to his feet. The queen's eyes widened as she crashed to the ground, her sword clattering against the pavement just out of arms reach. "Did you really think it would be that easy?" Robin asked and looked at her as she propped herself up and glared at him. "Oh you did, didn't you?" He mocked and unsheathed a hunting dagger from his boot. Kneeling down beside her he looked at her and took a moment to smile at the small gash steadily bleeding from her cheek, "I'm going to enjoy this!" He snarled.
"Not as much as I'm going to enjoy this!" Regina said and grabbed a piece of rubble beside her. Gripping it tight she slammed it into the side of his head.
With an 'oof' Robin fell to the side, his forehead bleeding from its contact with the rock and his eyes closed. The queen reached forward and snatched up the dagger, her eyes watching the outlaw to make sure he was not bluffing again. Once she had the dagger firmly in her grasp she used her foot to roll Robin onto his back causing a small groan to escape his lips. "Well now, I think we both know what happens next." Regina smiled and got to her knees, holding the dagger over Robin's unconscious form. "You've pestered me long enough Thief and with this dagger I will finally get rid of you once and for all." She declared and raised the dagger to plunge into his heart.
"MOM NO!" A voice yelled and Regina froze.
Henry… She thought and for a moment she felt a hint of warmth within her but it quickly disappeared into cold hatred. Ungrateful brat! She turned and glared at the boy who was watching her with wide eyes. "What the hell are you doing here little prince!?" She spat with acid in her voice.
Henry stood frozen in place for several heartbeats as he stared at his mother. In her eyes he could see nothing but darkness and hatred, she seemed larger than life even though she was kneeling, she was so different from the woman he knew. It took him several seconds to find his voice again as he stared at the woman he recognized from his book as the Evil Queen. "Mom…" He uttered and stood stock still. "It's me Henry." He said as he looked for his words to trigger something within her.
The queen rolled her eyes, "I know who you are." She snapped. "How could I ever forget my ungrateful narrow minded son?" She hissed and looked at him with absolute detest in her eyes. "The little leech that I raised, I fed, that I cared for through most of your life! And what did I get for all my trouble, how did you repay me for wasting my money and my love on you? You left me! You destroyed everything I had! You made my father's sacrifice mean nothing! You turned your back on me and called me a monster! You ran to Emma and gave her the title mother when I was the one who gave you everything! You would tease me with promises of your love! You baited me with the thought that I might get you back!" She paused and took a breath, her eyes narrowing. "Well my little prince, I have finally seen the light, I know that you will never love me the way I once loved you. So therefore my love is no longer yours! I wish that I had never taken you in! I was a fool to save your life time and time again! You are nothing to me! I should have gotten rid of you long ago!"
"Mom, you don't mean that." Henry said as he felt his heart break at her words. He knew that this was the curse talking, that she would never say these things to him. But he also knew that the curse revealed the truths that are buried in the deepest and darkest parts of the mind. "You don't mean that, just like you don't mean to kill Robin." He said carefully.
"Don't I?" Regina asked with a malevolent smirk. "You clearly don't know me as well as you think you do." She scoffed.
Henry shook his head and looked at her with love in his hazel colored eyes. "No, I know you better. I know you mom, I know the bad and the ugly stuff, but more importantly I know the good stuff, I know the beautiful stuff. And you mom, you are good, you are resilient and you love with more strength than anyone else. You were able to break a curse with true loves kiss even without your heart. You took me in and you loved me as if I were your own." He reminded her.
She looked at him and scowled, "Yes, and that is something I have lived to regret." She pointed out as she continued to hold the dagger over Robin's unconscious form.
"No mom, it is something that we cherish together. I have given you so many reasons to want to hate me, what you said is true, I have been an awful son." He paused and took a breath. "But you, you have been an amazing mother. You loved me when no one else did, you cared for me, you protected me, and you always forgave me. I love you so much mom, and even if you don't realize it right now, you love me too." He explained and took a step closer to her.
Regina tensed, the queen scowled deeper as she felt her weaker self clawing at the wall that kept her from gaining control. NO! She yelled internally as she tried to beat the part of her that loved this boy and the archer back into its cage. "Get back Henry! I have a thief to execute!" She snarled as she adjusted her grip on the dagger.
"No mom! You love Robin! You could never kill him, he is your soul mate and you two have fought for longer than you could have ever known to try and be together." Henry insisted as he looked at the grip his mother had on the hunting dagger. "This isn't you mom, this isn't the woman you have become. You know love because I love you, because Robin loves you. We are your family and I am your son and I won't let you do something that you will regret when the curse is broken." Kneeling down beside her slowly, he looked at her and said in a soft voice, "I love you mommy."
NO! NO! NO! NO! The Evil Queen screamed internally as she felt the entrapped part of her, the part that was a mother and a lover bursting through and regaining some control. Her gaze snapped to the side to meet Henry's and she gasped in an exhausted and relieved voice, "Henry?"
"Mom?" Henry asked with a smile as he saw the warm golden whiskey brown look in his mothers eyes return. "Mom! You beat it! You over powered the curse!" He rejoiced and went to hug her.
"Henry no! Stop!" His mother gasped desperately. "It's still fighting for control, you aren't safe, Robin isn't safe." She warned him with fear in her gaze along with love. "Henry you need to go." She pleaded.
Henry's brow furrowed and he shook his head. "No I won't leave you. I can help, just let me help you." He begged and looked into his mothers eyes.
Regina could feel her grip on what control she had beginning to slip away, she could feel the curse dragging her back into the retched cage it had already trapped her in once and she was mentally fighting and clawing to break free. She could feel the shattered sight returning and she knew the moment it did her son and her soul mate would be in great, life threatening danger. "Henry GO!" She gasped and her hands were visibly shaking as she fought for control over the dagger.
"Mom?" Henry asked as he watched her hands shake as if she were holding back some powerful force, as if she were attempting to fight back against the will of some invisible enemy. "Mom, you can do it! You can fight it! Please I believe in you! You can beat this curse!" Henry encouraged her as he stuck by her side.
"I… can't…" Regina gasped as tears stung her eyes and she looked at her son. She was quickly losing ground in this battle, she wouldn't be able to resist much longer, but she needed to because she needed the ones she loved most to be safe. "Henry… please…" She begged as a tear ran down her cheek, stinging the open cut that lay on her cheek bone.
Henry was shocked as he saw his mother pleading with him, she was begging him. He knew his mother was not one to beg, she never would beg unless she were truly desperate. He knew that she would fight long and hard against this cruse in order to keep him safe, but if she was begging him to go… then it must be a losing battle. "Alright mom." He nodded and looked at her with love and admiration as he saw how strong she was. He gently leaned forward and kissed her cheek before standing up and backing away. "But you keep fighting; you can't let this curse control you…" He said as he looked at her from where he stood several feet away now. "You love stronger than anyone I know, let that love help you to beat this…" He insisted.
Regina looked down and saw Robin beginning to stir in front of her, she knew that the moment her concentration on the dagger broke that she would lose control and plunge the dagger into the man she loves. She couldn't do that, Henry was right, her love was her strength and this curse would take that from her if she didn't stop it from doing so. She could beat this curse; she could save her loved ones, but only at a price. And just like every price she has ever had to pay, this one would come at a high cost, but her son and her Robin were worth it, and they always would be.
With one last burst of strength a look of determination blazed through her eyes and her hands stopped shaking. "I love you, I'm sorry." She breathed. Then with one swift motion she plunged the dagger deep into her gut, crying out in pain as it tore through the fabric of her corset and the flesh underneath. Immediately blood began to blossom like a crimson flower from the wound and soak into the black fabric of the queen's corset. Regina winced as her hands remained firmly on the hilt of the dagger and she slumped a bit, her kneeling body quickly losing the ability to stay upright.
Henry's eyes widened with horror as he watched the scene from several yards away, he watched his mother plunge the dagger into herself and a cry of horror escaped his mouth. "NOOOO!" He screamed and rushed forward, and when a burst of white light shot through the town he didn't even care, his only concern was the woman with the knife in her belly kneeling on the pavement in front of him. As his mother began to tilt towards the ground he slammed to his knees on the concrete beside her and quickly caught her body before it could end up crumpled on the pavement. "Mom!" He cried and tears fell down his cheeks.
She looked up at him and winced again as one of her hands left the hilt of the dagger and reached up to wipe away his tears. "Shhhh." She said softly. "It's… alright… my little… prince." She struggled to get the words out, talking caused so much pain and she could taste blood in the back of her mouth, but none of that mattered because her little boy was holding her, he was crying, and it was her duty to comfort him.
"Mom!" He sobbed as he looked down into her whiskey brown eyes. "Why mom? You didn't have to do that!" He insisted and held her on his lap, his gaze looking into her eyes pleading for an answer or reassurance that she would be okay, or anything that would make the his desperation and worry for her turn to relief.
"I…" She took a breath and winced. "I did have to." She replied and took a painfully shaky breath that caused more sting than anything else. "I had… to make sure that I couldn't hurt you… or Robin."
"You didn't." He assured her and pushed a strand of dark hair out of her face. "You beat it mom, just like I knew you would." He took a breath and tried to control his crying as he looked at her with red tear filled eyes and said sternly. "Now you need to beat this."
Regina chuckled and it was agonizing and sounded gurgled and deformed. "N-not e-even I…" She took an unsteady breath. "can beat off d-death." She admitted and hated how true her words were. She was his mother, she was supposed to be with him for many more years to come, she was supposed to watch him grow and learn and love, she was supposed to help him and tease him and lecture him and love him. She was supposed to be with him forever. "I-I'm s-sorry Henry." She breathed and moved her thumb weakly over her son's knuckles.
"Regina?" A groggy voice called and Henry looked up for an instant to see Robin sitting up and rubbing his head. When the archer opened his eyes and turned to look for the woman whose name he had called his tired blue eyes landed on the mother son pair and immediately all exhaustion was overcome by shock and panic. "Oh god! Regina what happened!? What did I do?" Robin gasped as he rushed over to his true love who was lying in her Henry's lap with his hunting dagger buried in her stomach. He felt sick with worry as he tried to remember what had happened, he remembered pulling the dagger on her, but he couldn't find the memory of ever stabbing her. But finding the memory was second priority; he pushed it aside and looked at Regina with alarm racing like a lightning through his veins.
"Y-you di-didn't do anything R-Robin." The queen struggled to get the words out; it was becoming harder to think, harder to speak, harder to feel. The intense pain that once came from the lethal wound to her stomach had begun to numb until she could barely feel it at all. She had courted death her entire life, he had been her most frequent dancing partner for so many years, and now they had entered their final dance together, this was their grand finale, hers and deaths. "I… I did." She said and it was so low and sounded gargled as a bit of blood fell from her mouth.
"Mom!" Henry gasped at the sight of the blood on his mother's lips. "Heal yourself with magic!" He suggested suddenly and a flare of hope shot through him at the idea.
"Yes Regina! I've seen you heal with magic many times before, do it now. Please!" Robin begged and wanted to hold her in his arms so badly. But he would never forgive himself if he stole her away from her son's arms in her last moments with him.
Regina's eyes fluttered and she was beginning to become so tired. "C-can't." She murmured weakly. She paused and took a small and shallow breath that felt so useless in her lungs. She then parted her lips and uttered a single word, "Cuff."
Henry and Robin's eyes snapped down to Regina's wrist where the black cuff was wrapped around her arm, Henry immediately felt sick at the sight of it while Robin looked confused. "Cuff?" The archer asked and looked back up at Regina whose eyes were beginning to drift shut. Gently but with some force behind it he patted her cheek. "Regina, what about the cuff?"
"It blocks her magic… it can only be removed by fairy dust." Henry said as he felt numb, his eyes stuck on the black leather of the bracelet.
"Then let's go get some!" Robin stated as if it was the most obvious decision to be made. He looked lovingly at Regina and chocked, "Regina, you need to hold on for a little while longer. I'll go get some fairy dust, I'll find some and I'll bring it back and we can get the cuff off and you can heal yourself." With all his heart Robin wanted to believe that this crazy and unrealistic plan might work, he wanted to have faith that he wasn't going to have to say goodbye to this woman who was his entire world. He couldn't give up hope, not on her, not ever.
Regina tried to chuckle but it came out only as a gurgle with another trickle of blood escaping the corner of her mouth. "No." She managed to choke out. She wished that she could still feel her hands, that she could move the hand that didn't hold Henry's and reach out to hold onto Robin. But she couldn't and even if he held her at that instant she wouldn't know, she wouldn't feel it.
"Regina! I have to do something!" Robin pleaded. "I can't lose you! I love you!" The archer admitted as he gripped her open hand. "Please don't leave me."
Henry watched with tears running down his cheeks, he wanted to stay strong for his mother, but he just couldn't. "Mom, he's right!" Henry agreed whole heartedly. "There has to be something. You can't just leave like this! You can't just leave me!" Henry cried and looked at the woman who raised him. "Mom I love you, so please don't go." He begged her.
Regina could hear them both just barely as everything began to turn to nothing, she heard their pleas, she heard their demands. And just as she thought she couldn't hear anything at all, that she would never hear them ever again, she heard their declarations of love for her. It was the most touching thing to ever grace her ears, it would be last and best thing she would ever hear and she was surprisingly accepting of that. As the darkness and nothingness came to claim her and the curtain on her final dance with death began to close she managed a small smile and her tired voice uttered the softly spoken final words that she would want her two boys to remember forever, "love… you… always." Then for the first time in a very, very long time, Regina Mills closed her eyes and felt complete and utter peace. She had beaten the curse, she had her family, she had love, and now she had her time to rest and she welcomed it.
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Henry and Robin felt her go slack, they saw her chest fall and not rise again, they watched her head shift limply to the side. She was gone, Regina Mills was dead. Both of them were frozen for a moment letting her last words to them replay over and over in their heads, both of them trying to remember that sacred voice forever. Then Henry broke down, he crumpled onto the lip form of his mother and held her in his arms, hugging her as he sobbed into her shoulder. The boy didn't flinch as an anguished cry rang out from the archer on his knees next to him. Robin howled with grief as he held onto the hand of his true love wishing and praying with every ounce of his being that she wasn't truly gone, that she would come back to him. Both the boy and the man stayed there holding onto the body of the woman they both loved, they stayed even when people came, they stayed when Snow crumpled down and cried at the sight of Regina's dead body, they stayed when David carried the broken down princess away, they stayed when Emma and Little John tried to convince them to leave, they stayed when the crowds came and when the crowds left. They both stayed with her because they had both left her once before and she still loved them enough to give everything for them, and so they stayed because they needed her to know that they loved her too, and that they would always stay.
Sorry… I think? Maybe... maybe not...