Speculative ending (I hope we get something like this, honestly) after Archie is found alive.
Archie blinked in the bright sunlight. He had been rescued at last, Cora and Hook having retreated to regroup after the Charmings had led an attack to drive them out. Nearly a week on that dreadful ship, subject to whatever torments they could think up (and with Cora, that was a LOT), Archie was relieved beyond words to at last see sunshine.
"I'm sorry to worry you all." He said, offering his hands for Emma to cut free. "Cora tricked me. I thought it was Regina, so I opened the door…"
"So it WAS Cora the whole time…" Snow said softly. "Regina's innocent."
"Innocent?"
"We, well…we thought she'd killed you…" Charming shrugged, rubbing the back of his head. "She was the most logical person, and all the evidence pointed to her…but I guess that's just what Cora wanted, wasn't it?"
Henry came running up to join them as Emma finished sawing through the hemp binding his hands and tossed it on the ground.
"Where is Regina?" Archie asked, rubbing his wrists. "I fear this whole thing will not sit well with her trying to change her ways…"
No one spoke, and Archie turned to look at their faces, reading from their expressions what they did not speak aloud. Regina had returned to her evil ways, at least to some extent. And they felt they were partially to blame for that.
"Do you know where I can find her?" he asked again.
"No one's seen her in days-"
"I know where she is." Henry cut Emma off, running up to Archie and skidding to a stop, his hands catching the end of his scarf.
"Wait, kid…" Emma knelt, taking Henry's shoulders in her hands "You KNEW where Regina was this whole time?"
"Yeah…?"
"And you didn't tell us?"
"Of course I didn't tell you where she was! She's my MOM, I'm not gonna turn her in…"
Archie jumped in before Emma could protest.
"Henry, can you take me to her?"
"…-egina…"
The Queen blinked, a stray tear falling into the grass as she did. Had someone just called her…? She sat up a bit straighter and looked around her garden.
She had been sitting on the small stone bench by her apple tree – the one thing she had left in this town. And even her tree was dying. The apples all lay on the ground, some rotted or bug-eaten, but most looking like they had just dropped from the branches. The leaves were yellowing around the edges, and the bark peeled in a few places. Finding no one in her garden that the voice could have belonged to, she strayed a hand up to brush one of the dying branches, feeling the ache begin in her chest once again. She really had caused the death of everything she'd ever loved. How long would it be until Henry would end up suffering as well-
She winced, the thought of her baby boy lying dead or dying on the sidewalk hitting her like a physical blow and shocking the air from her lungs. She gasped sharply, choking on her breath as pain tore through her. Not him…not Henry too… The thought that her son might die because of her was too much for her to bear, and she curled in on herself once again, arms clenched around her middle as if to hold the pieces of her shattered life together.
"Regina?"
She glanced up from under her hair as she heard her name again, louder this time, more distinct. A male voice, and one she recognized too well to possibly be true.
"Archie…?" she whispered, her head turning slowly toward the gate.
"Reginaaa!"
She could hear footsteps, hurried but pausing. Looking for her.
"…Archie?" She called quietly, not daring to believe that he was back. But a second later, there he was.
He stood there, at the edge of her garden. Bruised, with his hair mussed and his clothes slightly askew, but smiling and very much alive.
"Regina." He breathed in relief, pushing the gate open. "I was worried that I wouldn't find you…"
"Archie!"
She was on her feet in an instant, and he only had time to take three steps before she had run across the garden and into his arms, oblivious to the small group of people at Archie's heels.
The therapist staggered back a pace as Regina ran into him, catching her and hugging her tight.
"You're alive…you're really alive…" the words caught in her throat and she buried her face against the front of his shirt, sobs wracking her body.
"Yes, I'm alive and well." He gently reached up, smoothing out her tousled hair tenderly.
He could make out Regina mumbling something into the front of his jacket, and took her shoulders in his hands, leaning her back a bit so he could hear.
"-rry…" Sob. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…this is all-…all my fault…" Sob. "I didn't mean it, I didn't mean any of it…I was just upset…you would never hurt me I know that and-" Sob. "Oh Archie I'm sorry…I thought you'd died, and the last thing I said to you was-" Sob. "Was so mean…I couldn't forgive myself…"
She shifted so she could get her arms around his neck, her head resting on his shoulder.
"Shh, shh. It's alright, I know. It's okay." He placed a hand on her head, the other on her back, holding her close, "You were upset, that was all. I know you didn't mean anything by it."
She sniffed, choking back another sob, and Archie again hugged her, only then realizing that he had an audience.
It was a good few minutes before Regina registered the crunch of shoes on gravel and tensed, cautiously pulling away from Archie to see who was nearby.
To her shock and slight horror, the entire town seemed to be gathered around the edges of her garden. Ruby leaned against the gate, one leg kicked across the other casually, while Granny rested against the fence beside her, crossbow in hand. The dwarves were all leaning over the far fence, a few having to peek through bushes, all carrying their picks. The Charming family seemed to be gathered in a cluster on one side, and Jefferson, Whale, Gold, Belle, and the Blue Fairy blocked off her remaining exit. By the looks of confusion and surprise on most faces, she could guess that they'd seen her break down upon Archie's return.
Regina could feel her breaths getting faster, panicked, as she turned in a slow circle. She was completely surrounded. No escape now.
But something was…off. The way they were standing, it was almost casual. She even got a few smiles as she glanced around with still-teary eyes.
"Well, what do you know."
She whirled to face Charming as he spoke, and found that Archie had stepped back a pace, leaving her in the middle of her garden, dozens of eyes locked to her. It felt like her execution all over again.
She knew her eyes were still overflowing with tears, her breathing shallow and fast. Shrinking in on herself involuntarily, she felt like anything but a Queen just then. She felt like an ant, waiting to be stepped on. And the shoe to crush her was in the hands of Snow's Prince.
But then Charming gave her a slight smile.
"Maybe we were wrong about you."
She could do nothing but stare at him in confusion.
She turned sharply as someone chuckled, someone coughed, someone whispered, unable to pinpoint who it was and still entirely lost as to what was going on. However, most of the faces around her wore friendly smiles, some of them even sympathetic.
"Mom!"
Her surprise at the word jolted her so badly that she jumped. Regina turned to see Henry nudging his way between people, who edged out of the way as much as they could so he could pass.
He paused, concern flickering across his face when he saw her tears, but then replaced it with a small smile and ran over to her.
She fell to her knees, catching Henry as he launched himself into her arms and burying her face in his hair as her tears started afresh.
"Archie's okay, and Cora's gone, and everyone knows you're innocent!" he relayed, "You can come home with me now!"
"Henry, I-…"
"Please?"
She reluctantly let him go, leaning back to look him in the eyes. He looked up at her hopefully.
"Please mom? I miss you…"
She took a slow breath, getting her emotions under control before she spoke.
"Henry, I don't think anyone will like me doing that…"
Henry's smile vanished, replaced with a sad, hurt look that pained her to have caused, and he began to argue the point.
"But, you haven't done anything wrong! Why-"
"On the contrary, Regina."
Henry stopped mid-protest, turning to look up at Charming as he spoke.
The Prince and Snow shared a smile, then both glanced at Emma, who nodded, before Snow finished the thought for him.
"We'd like you to come back. If Henry and Archie trust you, then we'll trust you as well."
"We all will." Ruby chimed in.
Archie took a step closer, offering Regina a hand and a smile. Henry kept a tight hold on her other hand as she stood slowly. With one final look around at the nodding heads and smiling faces, Regina finally allowed herself a smile. Maybe, at last, she would get her happy ending.
That's my drabble for the evening. Reviews are appreciated. X3 Thank you for reading!