Hi everyone so this is a bit different from other writings I've done, so bear with me. Each of the chapters in this fanfic are going to be different citizens of Storybrooke writing letters to Regina who died saving them. It is sort of their way of making peace with her being gone and saying things that they never would have said to her in person. I hope you all enjoy and please read and review and let me know which characters you want to hear from and if there is something special you want them to say. I am perfectly fine with doing more than one letter from the same character.

I unfortunately do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its amazing characters.

Dear Regina,

Hey, so you're gone… and things have been pretty hard. Henry is doing okay I guess, I mean he misses you… a lot. He is putting on this whole brave act when we are out in public, or even when he is around me, but I can see right through it. He is a lot like you in that way I guess, not wanting the world to see him cry or anything like that, but the truth is he does cry. Late at night I hear him in his room and I have no idea what to do, I feel like everything I say to him just isn't enough. Who am I kidding? This was always the stuff you were good at. Yeah, I'm good at playing along with the whole Operation Cobra stuff and being the fun aunt type of person… but you… you were the mother.

Hell! Why am I even writing this damn letter!? It's not like you can even read it! It's not like you will ever be able to read it! Why the hell would Mary Margret even suggest doing something like this?! She was just rambling on about how it will make us all feel better and shit. To be honest I just really wanted to tell her to shut the hell up! ... I guess you would have laughed if I had… you probably would have laughed… if you weren't dead…

I mean seriously! What the hell Regina?! Why did you just have to go and sacrifice yourself like that?! I mean yeah, I get it; you saved us all and stuff. But still… why did you have to die? I mean we all acted like it was a living hell to have you around but the true living hell is that you aren't here. It just makes this place seem so empty and broken, you added a flare to this town, you were the fire that gave it life, literally! And now you are gone and the fire has died… nothing is the same and I don't think it will ever be again.

Anyway, back to Henry (to be honest I just need to write about him to keep myself from crying, I don't want to make this letter look more crappy then it already is, I mean Mary Margret is writing hers and it is all smeared from her crying) the kid is tough, he is already back to school and he is doing really well. Archie thinks he should talk with him though, but I'm not sure if Henry wants to go back to therapy. I mean who knows, it might be just what he needs, or it could be the thing that puts him over the edge… I have no clue. God! I just feel like I'm failing at everything! He is such a good kid and he is trying so hard to make things easier on me, I mean he is so self efficient and hell he is just a kid! I mean most kids would be just spiraling downward in a free fall after something like this, but he isn't. If anything Henry is the one climbing up and pulling himself through it and I feel like the kid is having to pull me through it too.

All those years ago I gave him up so that he could have his best chance. And that was you Regina, you were his best chance. And you raised Henry better than I ever could have, he is so strong and caring, he has so much heart… just like you. And now you are gone and if it wasn't for him I would have never known you had existed. You did an amazing job raising him, and I just want to say… thank you Regina. Thank you for raising my son and for loving him and teaching him, thank you for being the mother I couldn't be. And above all, thank you for showing me what it means to be a mother and a savior. You showed me that, it was one of the many things I am proud to say I learned from you… and I will never forget it, I will never forget you.

Thank you Regina for being his best chance,

Emma