Spoilers for the finale.
This fic slightly diverges from the canon in that Hook didn't come back to Storybrooke.
"She's out there," Regina said looking blankly down at the floor.
"I'm so sorry. We honestly thought it would work and that you would get rid of her for good," Emma said coming to sit by Regina's side in the dinner only for Regina to slightly scoot away from her. Emma sighed, she had never meant for something like this to happen. She had only wanted to help but instead they had released the evil queen and Regina had to come face to face with what used to be in her and who she used to be.
"I should have kept the darkness inside where the only person it would hurt is me," Regina whispered so low that Emma barely heard it. Emma grasped Regina's hand both to her surprise and Regina's who looked at their joined hands. Emma didn't move it because she knew that Regina needed it, she was surprised again when Regina didn't drop her hand.
"You have worked so hard to overcome what you were," Regina shook her head sadly.
"It doesn't matter now, does it? That part of me is out there terrorizing people. She has a vendetta against your parents and you, she could hurt you or them and she wouldn't blink an eye."
"But that's not you, not anymore. That part of you been buried for a long time and you kept the darkness inside of you in check," Regina smiled bitterly.
"Until I tried to get rid of it the easy way. I should have known there is no easy way, only pain, one way or another." Emma's heart was full of regret. All she had wanted to do was help her and she had ended up causing Regina and the rest of them, even more, pain because it was true, The evil queen did have a vendetta against her and her parents and she was sure they would see it soon. Emma impulsively hugged Regina who stiffened for a moment at the contact but slowly relaxed into it eventually grasping onto her like she was a life preserver.
"I don't know what will happen," Regina whispered brokenly into her ear.
"We'll figure it out. We always do," Emma whispered hoping she wasn't making false promises.
A feeling suddenly washed over her, one that she thought she would never feel again, especially not so soon after Hook had died but she tried to bury it. Now wasn't the time for that. She had just lost Hook and Regina had just lost Robin. Both of them were grieving and she probably wasn't thinking straight but she couldn't stop the feeling from creeping up, although she did her best to stamp them down as it tried to rise. She broke the hug early because she was afraid of what she might try to do if the hug wasn't broken. Regina looked surprised and a little hurt at the abrupt end of the embrace. She didn't know how to explain it so she just looked away and then back.
"Sorry, I thought I saw someone." Regina didn't look like she believed her and she scooted back in the booth again increasing what felt like a gulf between the two of them. Worse was the fact that she had unintentionally put the chasm there. She had to fix this but how could she do that without explaining herself and risk widening the chasm further.
"I'm sorry...it's not...it's just. Aw screw it." she said giving in and just letting whatever would happen happen. She scooted over and captured Regina's face in her palms and brought their lips together.
It was a quick kiss mostly a scrape of the lips because she wanted to know Regina's reaction before trying to escalate the situation. Regina's mouth was slightly opened frozen with a look of surprise.
"What was that?"
"I feel something for you." Regina's mouth closed slightly and she looked unsure.
"Really?" she asked.
"Yes really," Emma admitted. Regina's head moved forward so that their lips were only centimeters from each other.
"Even though I'm the evil queen."
"Even though you were the evil queen," Emma corrected and met her lips again this time much much longer.