The past is like a handful of dust. It filters through your fingers, disappearing little by little. I wish for one day, I could go back. In another life, I would do things differently. - The One That Got Away

"Gina-" This was it. She had to, for her daddy.

"We are over! This is over!" Emma glanced at the suitcase at the door and a fully dressed Regina. In heels and all.

"But you-"

"Did you actually think I would run off with the likes of you?" Regina had to swallow her tears as just Emma's fell down her face.

"How pathetic. You mean nothing to me." That sent Emma over the edge, she turned on her heels and ran out the door. Down the front steps. Not paying attention to her surroundings. She never saw the car coming and she never heard Cora yelling for either one of them to stop. She didn't feel it when it hit and she certainly didn't see Regina crying over her, begging for another chance.

"My daughter is my everything. She needs me and I need her. Someday I have to let her go. And when I do, she needs to be with a man, not some girl." Cora words made Emma's heart sink.

"I love her." Cora simply rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"I know the type of love you think you two have. It's just puppy love and puppies don't stay puppies forever dear. Which means one day you'll grow out of it and leave her for somebody else, breaking her heart." Emma's jaw clenched, how dare this woman think she understands?

"You don't know us." She managed to choke out, Emma wasn't going to win. They were never going to win.

"I don't want to. I don't want ever know you." Emma avoiding eye contact, afraid she would break. Regina did have her mother's eyes but Regina's were full of warmth, and they were soulful. Cora's were soul-less and cold.

"You need to get in that thing you call a car and leave Storybrooke. Don't ever think about coming back." Cora turned to leave and just as she got to the gates, Emma stepped forward.

"Why are you like this? Why can't accept that we love each other?" Cora didn't even turn around.

"I made the same mistake you two want to make. And I regret it every day."

"Baby, you sure you want to do this?" Emma dragged her index finger down Regina's jaw and traced her lips with her middle finger. Their bodies covered in a thin layer of sweat despite the snow falling outside the car as they basked in the after glow of their love making.

"Yeah." Regina replied dreamily as she snuggled closer to her lover. "Let's just go."

It's been half an hour since 12:00, and Regina is sitting in her room staring at the packed suit-case in tears.

Where is she? It's already twelve thirty, and their plane leaves at 1:15.

Regina doesn't know what to do. Emma wants them to runaway together, but she can't leave her mom, all alone. Cora already lost her father.

Emma was beyond frustrated and looked at the time again, 12:40. That's it, she was calling her. Emma headed for the nearest payphone with her bag slung over her shoulder.

Regina wiped away the tear drop and looked at the crumpled paper. Meet me at the airport at midnight. -Emma She wanted to go, so badly. She didn't want to be a lawyer or some rich man's wife like her mother wanted. She wanted to be a doctor, she wanted to grow old with Emma and watch their grandchildren play together.

Emma dialed the last digit, and waited.

And she does love her, she loves her so much it hurt. But Regina couldn't help but doubt. What if her mother was right? What if- Her thoughts were stopped by her phone ringing. It must be Emma, before she could mentally debate on whether or not she should answer the ringing stopped.

The line went dead. Fine, if Regina won't pick up her phone, then Emma was just going to risk getting caught and go get Regina.

Emma jogged up the walkway and she could see their silhouettes as they argued. Regina then stopped and turned back to her mother. After a few minutes the yelling had stopped and Regina was in the middle of the living room, pacing. Emma began to walk up but Regina swung the door open hurt evident in her dark eyes.

"What would your father think?" Regina stopped suddenly, she gasped and turned.

"What would he think of his little girl? Running off and leaving her mother behind! And with a girl no less!" Cora could see Regina breaking and she knew deep down somewhere that what she was doing was cruel. But Cora was no longer there, it was as if she had given in to her dark side again after all these years.

"Do you think you will ever see him again if you leave?" Regina titled her head and narrowed her eyes.

"He's dead mother! I won't ever see him again!" Cora swallowed and let the evil push these next words out.

"Well, if you leave with her, you are condemning yourself to an eternity in hell. And your father is not in hell, Regina." Regina's shoulders slumped and a single tear fell down her face. This was the one thing that had always held her back. If she did go with Emma, was she condemned? Would she truly never see her father again?

"Gina-" This was it. She had to, for her daddy.

"We are over! This is over!" Emma glanced at the suitcase at the door and a fully dressed Regina. In heels and all. Something wasn't right.

"But you-"

"Did you actually think I would run off with the likes of you?" Regina had to swallow her tears as just Emma's fell down her face.

"How pathetic. You mean nothing to me." Regina didn't have time to cry as she witnessed crash. She must have broken a heel from the way she stumbled down the sidewalk. Not that she cared, all that mattered was the bloody blonde lying on the gravel. She screamed at the ignorance of the other driver, she screamed for her mother to call 911 and she screamed for Emma to be okay.

"Don't leave me please." It seemed like hours before help came and by then it was too late.