Hey guys! So this story was inspired by 5x05 when Emma and Regina were arguing in the doorway. In my opinion, this is how the that situation should have gone. *Warning* this is a Swan Queen fan fiction, so if you don't like that or whatever please, please don't read it. I personally love Emma/Regina. This fic is-as of right now-a one shot. I think it has potential to be a slow burn, but you guys have to let me know what you think!

Also, I have another fic, Let the Games Begin, if you want to check that out please do.

~SQ~

Chapter 1

"I didn't have a choice," Emma affirmed, her face a stoic mask of indifference. I didn't have a choice she repeated in her head.

"There's always a choice," Regina mused ironically glaring at the woman before her. She couldn't believe that she—the evil queen—was telling the savior, now dark one, that she hadn't needed to rip out her son's heart. Oh the irony Regina thought bitterly. Regina was furious at the other woman for not only what she did to her son, but also what Emma had done to her son as well. They were supposed to protect him; they were supposed to protect him together. Wasn't that what they had always done?

"Em-ma," she spat, pronouncing each syllable with malice. "You've said that to me a million times." Pain was fueling Regina's anger. She was hurt at not only what Emma did, but also that the fact that Emma clearly not herself. Never in a thousand years would Regina have thought that the sweet and optimistic woman in front of her would be fully consumed by the darkness. It hurt more because this same darkness could have curled its way into Regina's heart and God only know what would have happened then.

"We were running out of time. It was the only way to free Merlin," Emma said her composure slightly crumbling. The dark one had let something slip out only because she needed Regina, the only woman that had ever pushed her, to see that what she had done was indeed the right thing. Emma thought out of all people Regina would understand, but clearly she didn't. There was a pain deep within Emma that she did not quite understand. I don't need to justify myself to her Emma thought with contempt, but also a little…sadness?

"Merlin? We freed Merlin in Camelot?" Regina questioned in utter confusion. The wheels in her head began to turn before her next question slipped from her mouth. "But if that's true why are you still the dark one?" she asked more sadly than she intended. She was suppose to be furious at Emma for hurting their son, but now she was more confused than ever.

"This is a waste of time I want to see my son," Emma said, effectively deflecting the question Regain had just asked.

Henry. The one thing that Emma had done right. She was everything to him and more. Since recently breaking up…or rather 'taking a break' with Hook, Emma realized that only one thing that actually mattered to her, her son.

"Well I don't think he wants to see you," Regina responded, the bitterness hardening her voice again. The mention of Henry brought back her anger and she fully intended to let the blonde know that she had royally messed up.

"Goodbye Miss Swan," Regain affirmed as she turned to slam the door in Emma's face.

"He was right," Emma said under her breath, more to herself than anything. Rumpelstiltskin was right Emma frustratedly thought to herself. She did notice that Regina had stopped in her tracks upon hearing what the blonde had just confessed.

"What did you say?" Regina turned. Evidently there was something Regina had missed. Maybe due to her lack of memory or something else she could not say.

"What does it matter to you?" Emma shot back. She regained her composure and resumed her verbal battle with the ever-put-together mayor. Just like the good ol' days Emma darkly joked in her head.

"Can't you see that I want to help you?" Regina stammered begging, pleading, that Emma understood. "Emma despite what you might think…" she trailed off. She couldn't finish her sentence staring into the eyes that were no longer filled with shine, but with a deep darkness.

"Help me?" Emma laughed. "Help me? If you wanted to help me you would have…," Emma practically screeched putting herself in Regina's personal space. "You would have," the blonde finished not daring to continue what she was about to say. Regina didn't even flinch at the sudden invasion of personal space.

Emma was right she thought; they had been through too much. Emma scanned the brunette's eyes for any sign of resentment or anger, but she found none. This frustrated her even more pushing her over the edge. She roughly shoved Regina against the house, grabbing her by the throat squeezing roughly. The blonde didn't want the other woman's pity. Emma wanted Regina to understand. That's all she ever really wanted, to be understood. She wanted Regina too see that she had done what she had done to protect Henry, to protect her former arch nemesis as well.

"Emma," Regina squeaked at the loss of air. "Please," she gasped parting her lips to try and secure some air for her lungs. Her eyes darted back and forth between the eyes of the woman that pinned her to the wall. It should have been me Regina thought as she began to see spots skirting around the edge of her vision.

Emma leaned close to Regina's side and whispered in her ear, "He said I would lose the ones I loved most."

The blonde's breath ticked Regina's skin sending shivers down her spine as she tried to process what the sheriff was saying. Who said that? Regina questioned silently in her head. The ones she loves most? What does that mean…only a certain spineless man would talk in such riddles Regina concluded.

"And he was right," Emma said drawing her head back to look at Regina's face. She slightly loosened her grip on Regina's throat, but didn't completely remove her hand. The blonde's brows furrowed in confusion as she tried to process why she was telling the other woman this.

Gasping for air as soon as it was once again allowed back in her throat, Regina choked trying not to move. As Emma's eyes roamed her face, Regina could feel them settling on the scar at the top of her lip.

"I lost Henry," Emma stated more to herself as she gritted her teeth. He hates me she thought suddenly sadder than anything else. The anger faded, but the frustration to be understood still bubbled at the surface of her mind.

"And I lost…"

"The handless wonder. Yes I know," Regina finished for her rolling her eyes in the process. She knew she was pushing her luck. Insulting the man who had just broken up with the dark one in front of her face was certainly risky. That man is a self-righteous idiot. Her hate for the captain only grew once he was in Storybrooke. Emma could do so much better she thought to herself.

"No!" Emma yelled. "Don't you see you idiot?" At that point Emma released Regina totally and began to walk away. These feelings, these feelings that had been hidden for so long were on the verge of bursting out of her. They had been through so much together: they started off as mortal enemies battling for dominance in a tiny town against one another, but then eventually became civil upon realizing they shared a son. A son they both loved and cared for more than anything else in the world. Later on they became friends after seeing how similar they really were: after the diamond threated to destroy the town, after Pan in Neverland threatened their son, after shattered sight made them hate each other. They had conquered all these enemies together. Their progression was truly something amazing to watch and reflect on. How does she not understand? Emma furiously wondered. After all that, she still doesn't get it.

She didn't get very far before Regina grabbed her hand, effectively stopping her in her tracks. "See what Emma?" Regina asked quietly trying to soothe the answer out of the blonde's lips. "You can tell me."

"If you can't figure it out for yourself then you are more incompetent than I initially thought," Emma spat. She tried to pull her arm out of Regina's grasp, but found her effort futile. She could have easily escape with a wave of her other hand, but decided against it. Let's see if you can figure it out Emma challenged in her head.

"Miss Sw-," Regina began, but quickly thought better. Sighing she continued, "Emma. I need to know what happened in Camelot in order to understand what you are trying to tell me."

"No you don't," Emma smiled wickedly. "Think Regina. You're a smart girl," she taunted. Anyone that looked at their past would be able to see it; see the tension, see the trust that was constantly tested, see the love they both shared for their son. Granted Emma was slow to catch on, but the Queen was still completely clueless to the obvious.

"Your parents?" Regina guessed now red with embarrassment. Think Regina think! She commanded herself. Why is this so damn difficult? These encrypted riddles were messing with her head making it spin widely trying to find a solution.

"This isn't twenty questions Regina," Emma said now feeling un-amused with the brunette. If she can't figure it out for herself, then she doesn't deserve happiness Emma justified. I don't have to tell her anything…but oh how I want to.

"Wow…you're even worse than Gold," Regina stated flatly not realizing she had said this out loud. She wondered how long this riddle would continue before Emma left her to question what had just transpired between them. Is she going to leave me? Don't leave.

"Thank you," Emma said with fake gratitude, her lips curling into a frown. "Now let go of my arm," Emma said pulling her arm from Regina's vice grip with little trouble this time.

"Emma please tell me," Regina voice quaked. She never intended to beg, especially not to Emma Swan, but she was desperately confused. She wanted—no she needed to understand. She wanted Emma's trust. She wanted to understand what Emma was trying to say.

"Desperation doesn't suit you Regina," Emma mused stepping closer to the brunette. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind the brunette's ear. "I always liked Madame Mayor. Now she was a feisty one that never gave up. What happened to her Regina?" Emma questioned innocently.

The sickening sweetness of Emma's voice made Regina breath hitch. She had no witty response, no comeback to throw back. What happened to me she thought. Emma was getting the best of her right now of she couldn't think. Only Emma had this effect on her. Only with Emma her mind would go completely blank. It was so unlike Regina that she found herself panicking. Emma's proximity was so close that it seemed Regina would never be able to escape her.

"She never backed down from a challenge," Emma said while running her index finger down Regina's jaw line. She could feel the fire inside Regina blazing and she loved it. It was an intoxicating addiction. The magic that circled them was almost like a powerful vortex pulling them closer together. The power this woman projected was simply exciting and invigorating to watch. Any room she stepped in she had complete control and Emma admired her for that. In any situation Regina was always so authoritative and knowledgeable, which was something Emma had come to know and love about the brunette.

"She realized that she lost the one's she loved because of ambition," Regina said not daring to move. As much as she hated to admit it, the touching was soothing. The soft touch was so unlike what Regina imagined the dark one to be capable of. But it's Emma she thought. She's still Emma. She knew that this could be a potential manipulation, but she didn't care. She wanted to hope that somewhere deep down that Emma really did care. The sheriff seemed almost curious and vulnerable while running her finger over Regina's skin.

"No," Emma said softly resting her hand on the side of Regina's cheek. "They still loved her. She only thought she had lost them," Emma finished.

They? Regina thought. What is she talking about? A million thoughts were running through her head, but no of them seemed coherent. She focused instead on Emma's beautiful green eyes that didn't seem so dark anymore.

"Emma I—"

"Yes, I know. You don't understand," Emma said almost inaudibly. Even though they were so close, Regina had to strain herself to hear her. "Let me show you then."

Regina was so confused her eyes darted to the ground as she tried to process what in the hell Emma was trying to tell her. She was completely oblivious to the fact that the blonde was starting to lean towards her.

~SQ~

Thank you so much for reading! I hope and would really appreciate if you'd leave a comment. I personally love reading comments, so please let me know what you think. Have a wonderful week :)