Author's Note: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters. I am just a fan.
What do you care? I'm the Evil Queen. I have done nothing but try to ruin your parents' lives, your life. Just leave me alone, ok, I don't need you to come sweeping in to play the role of hero because as good as it feels, it feels worse when you turn around and leave like it means nothing. And I don't know, maybe it means nothing to you, but it means something to me."
"It means something to me too. I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I made you feel like you are the Evil Queen. I never saw you that way," Emma said. "I'll leave you alone again if that is what you want. Maybe it's for the best, for both of us. I never meant to cause you this continued pain and grief, please believe that. And I'm sorry. I'll go now."
She got to the door but stopped, "Was it all in my head? Did I imagine there was more between us than playing the roles of rivals?"
Silence.
"Please. I need to have the answer to that before you go."
Regina was looking down at her feet. "No. It wasn't all in your head."
"Then why?" Emma said. "Why all of this? Why not say something, anything?"
Silence. "Don't shut me out. I hate it when you do that. Talk to me."
"How? How are we supposed to do this?" Regina said. "How are we supposed to be anything to each other? Those people outside of these walls, they will never accept me. And they shouldn't. I have done too much. I can never do enough to make up for it. I can't. All that was good in me died in a stable with Daniel's death. I can't be her anymore. This is all I have."
"No," Emma said. She put her hands on the sides of Regina's face and kissed her. She kept kissing her until she felt Regina kiss her back. Finally she stopped but stayed close to her. "It's not all you have. I'm not saying it will be easy. But I'm not going to let you stop this before starts. You have me. Through all of it. You have me."