Hey guys! It's finally here! The sequel! I am so ridiculously pleased with the response to my previous work, and I hope to make this one better than the other. I heard the issues with my craft surrounding the other story, and I will try not to repeat with this one. So...Shall we begin?

The wooden door swung shut behind Emma, bringing a final wash of cold air inside. Regina was staring at the dying fire, and the blonde had no idea what was supposed to happen next. Then again, she never really did. Emma didn't follow plans; she followed her instinct and hoped for the best.

The brunette finally turned to look at her uncertain companion. A look of open concern flooded her eyes, and she took a tentative step toward the Savior. "Are you okay?"

Emma shrugged. "I'm breathing, aren't I? Speaking of which, that was some stupid shit you pulled back in town. What exactly were you thinking?" Her words came out harsher than she intended, and she cringed a little at her tone.

All the openness on the mayor's face disappeared, and a shield came down. Her expression hardened, and she immediately crossed her arms defensively. "I was doing what I thought was right."

"Right? Right for who? Can't've been you, 'cause you'd be dead. And it can't've been for Henry either, 'cause you'd still be dead," she pointed out.

"It's not about me, or Henry, or you, or any single person! It's about the fact that I am a monster, Emma. And my crimes...they call for a thousand death sentences," Regina said hotly, but her words grew softer.

"So, getting yourself strangled by Whale in front of everyone was the right thing to do?"

"I went out there to face the people," the brunette stated firmly. "And I was expecting retaliation, and yes, even death. Did you think they would just put me on trial? Did you think they would wait patiently for my head?"

"I'm guessing you people don't do that then? Does someone say, 'Off with your head!' and it's just done?" The blonde's face was etched with confusion, and already she was separating herself from the people of the Enchanted Forest.

"'You people?' Emma, we are your people. You were never born in this realm. You came from the Forest. Just as the rest of us did."

"Yeah. Because of you!" she spat.

Regina's lips parted, her eyes widening in hurt. She didn't expect Emma to jump into the blame game so soon, and she wasn't prepared for it. Her voice caught in her throat along with her breath, and her arms loosened, falling to her sides. "Yes...because of me," she whispered in a small voice.

"That...that came out meaner than I meant," Emma responded, taking a step forward, but the brunette had already turned back to the smoldering hearth.

"No, Miss Swan. You have never been one to exaggerate, my dear. That outburst was your true feeling. You are not incorrect in blaming me."

Emma shifted uncomfortably on her feet, and she felt her legs tremble a little from weakness. Her actions that morning were more than they had endured in a long time. Her muscles felt strained and shaky. "Yeah, but...that doesn't mean I have to be a dick about it," she said awkwardly.

"Eloquent, dear." There was a hint of sass to Regina's words, but, for the most part, they sounded weary.

"I'm serious, Regina! I'm not gonna be the one who puts you on the chopping block." The blonde took another step, closing the gap just a little bit more.

The Queen turned to face the other woman again. Her expression was struggling to remain impassive, but her sorrow bled through nonetheless. "Why? You have as much right as anyone. In fact, you have even more right to condemn me than most."

Emma's left leg wobbled a bit when she shifted again, shoving her hands into her pockets. A pale, pink blush crept up her fair cheeks. "I could chuck you to the wolves, yeah, but it's not you I'd be punishing." She bit her lip, pausing momentarily. Regina's head tilted to the side, confused. "I'd be punishing the Evil Queen. Only...I told you before that I didn't really see her in you. Doesn't mean she's gone, but I just don't see her, and I've never known her."

"Bless the Gods that you have been spared that much. Who exactly do you see, if not the Evil Queen?" Regina asked cautiously.

"I see..." Emma squinted her eyes slightly, peering closely at the brunette. "Someone who's scared, and definitely angry." She shrugged. "I guess I just see you, Regina Mills."

"And you harbor no ill will toward me?" Regina's query was wary and slightly incredulous.

Emma let out a small bark of laughter, and her eyes lingered the mayor's freshly-bruised throat. "I think you know that's not true. I'm just too damn tired to be angry."

Fear briefly flashed through brown eyes. "Just how angry are you?"

"Well you've done a damn good job of ruining as many lives as possible, and I'm not excluded from that list. You stole my life from my parents." The blonde swallowed, remembering the pained look she saw on Mary Margaret's face earlier. "I am furious. Although," she trailed off. "It did give me Henry."

Regina's face pinched slightly with hurt. "Yes, it created Henry."

"Was it worth it? Any of this? Did it even give you whatever it was that you wanted?" Emma bit out.

The brunette stood stoically, but her face still gave away her sadness. "At the time, it seemed to be the only course of action I could take. It felt like the only way I could achieve happiness."

"Doesn't answer my question. Was it worth it, Regina?"

The Queen hesitated for a long moment, and Emma watched as the older woman's jaw repeatedly tightened and retightened. "Yes," she finally said in a small voice. "It was worth it."

"What the hell! Seriously?" Emma began pacing in short lines, raking her hands through her hair in agitation.

"Had I chosen a different course of action, you never would have had Henry. I cannot, in good conscience, wish his existence undone."

The blonde was torn in a moral dilemma. It was true: If the Evil Queen had not cast her Curse, Emma never would have had her son. None of her life would have happened the unfortunate way it did. She would have been somewhere entirely different with her family. However, after knowing her son - the ambitious, charming, passionate, goofy boy he was - she too couldn't imagine a life without him.

On the other hand, Emma only knew a fraction of the brunette's crimes from the book, but even then she was well aware that the woman had committed countless atrocities. Emma's head ached with the knowledge that Regina would do every single one of those things all over again, if only to have Henry once more.

"I don't get how you can say that," Emma finally admitted.

"If you knew what I had suffered, I think you would have a better understanding of my decisions, dear." Regina's mask was finally back in place, and her words lacked the vulnerability they had moments prior. Instead, her tone rang cold with an edge of cynicism.

"I'm guessing you're not gonna tell me right now, huh?" Emma asked, and she paused her pacing to look at the other woman. The brunette shook her head, and the blonde couldn't fight the eye roll that followed. "Right. If you did, I'd get to arrest you, 'cause you'd be confessing to a lot of shit, yeah?"

It was Regina's turn to roll her eyes. "Firstly, I might remind you that you aren't currently the sheriff. Secondly, whatever I may or may not admit to happened in another realm. I'm not sure your jurisdiction extends that far."

"You sure about that, Regina? 'Cause judging from the mob outside your house, it looks like they don't care that what happened was in another realm or whatever." The blonde's boots thumped against the floorboards when she resumed her pacing. "They didn't care if we were all stuck in a fucking realm of forgiveness. They'd've had your blood anyway."

"I had it handled," Regina said bitterly.

"No you fucking didn't! You-" Emma's words were abruptly cut short. Her weak, left knee finally gave out. She hit the floor, breaking her collapse with her elbow, and before either woman had a moment to think, Regina was already kneeling at her side. Emma remained stiff and unmoving, trying to process the damage.

"Emma...? Are you hurt?" The brunette's hand shot out briefly, but she seemed to think better of the action and retracted it.

The Savior grunted, taking measured breaths. It would seem that the adrenaline had finally worn off. "I'm fine. Elbow hurts like a bitch." It burned, and ached, and stung all at once. She knew she shouldn't continue leaning on it, but she was afraid of moving. Her body had suffered so much damage recently, and Emma wasn't ready to add another hurt to that growing list.

"Lie back, and take your weight off of your arm." This time, Regina reached out, placing her hand on the younger woman's shoulder, gently trying to pull her onto her back. She felt a small blossom of warmth at the touch, but Emma's injury was her current focus.

Surprisingly, the stubborn blonde gave under the slight urging. She awkwardly rolled onto her back, keeping her arm crooked. She groaned, and squeezed her eyes shut. "Always in pain these days," she ground out through her teeth.

"Can you move it?" Regina asked. She watched the Savior gingerly extend her arm, hissing as she did so. She almost got it fully extended, but the woman suddenly snapped her arm inward, groaning loudly. Her other hand came up to cup her elbow.

"I don't think it's broken," Emma grunted. "Just banged up really bad."

"How can you be sure?" Regina's words were hurried, her concern dominating them again. Emma opened up her eyes, staring at the woman hovering protectively beside her.

"I know, 'cause I've broken my arm before. This doesn't feel the same."

"What if it still needs some sort of medical attention?"

"And what? Go to the hospital? Not after today."

"Why not? You're the Savior, and loved by the people."

"And also the woman who saved the Evil Queen from a grisly, public murder! And the doctor who would attend to me is the man who tried to commit said murder. I'm good, thanks. Speaking of which...are you okay? Whale didn't hurt you too badly, did he?" Her expression was open and concerned as her eyes scanned the tender, red flesh around Regina's neck.

The brunette's fingers flew up to lightly massage the area. "No. He didn't. Thanks to you. I think all he did was manage to bruise me."

"I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner," Emma said softly.

Again, that open look covered her face, and she looked like a puppy that had upset its master. Something about the expression deeply upset Regina. Emma's uncontrolled rage had sent them both into this spiral in the first place. She had come after her. She had placed her hands around her neck. Yet, when someone else did the same thing, the blonde felt the need to save her. Emma thought she had the right to be concerned about her wellbeing.

She clenched her jaw, trying to remember that the game had changed. The Curse was broken, Emma had actually saved her, and they were supposed to be more than what they were. However, she couldn't simply let go of the way Emma had attacked her. The hurt, humiliation, and anger still bit deeply. "Why? Did you want to reserve choking rights for yourself?" Regina snapped, giving in to the pain she still felt.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "It's a never ending game of tug-of-war with you, isn't it?"

"Did you expect me to just let that bit of the past go, and fawn all over you for pulling one slimy bastard off of me?"

"What? No! I'm not trying to play hero or anything. Doesn't mean I can't stop someone from hurting you. So, stop putting words in my mouth!" Her cheeks flushed again.

"That didn't stop you from hurting me, Miss Swan! That didn't stop you from doing the same thing Whale tried to do!"

Emma sat up on her good arm, her eyes a swirling mix of fear and indignation. "I thought you tried to kill me!"

"And you thought going all Old Testament, eye for an eye, on me was the right thing to do?"

"I never said it was right," Emma shot back. "I wasn't in my right mind, and I..I was scared."

Regina narrowed her eyes. "What you did wasn't the actions of a scared individual."

"I won't try and justify what I did, but I can't explain it either." Emma repositioned herself so she was sitting on her knees. "I woke up from a coma with no memories of how I got there, and all I could remember was your face over mine when my eyes opened.

"I didn't know what I was thinking or feeling. I still had nightmares, I could barely walk, and I was colder than I had ever been in my life. Nothing broke that chill. And then, I was in the shower, and I'm pretty sure I scalded my skin from how hot the water was. My legs were still shit, and they gave out.

"I hit my head, and I blacked out. When I came to, Mary Margaret was there, and so were my memories. Me trying to leave, Henry pleading me to stay, the turnover...Something just snapped in me. I was scared, and so my anger took over. Next thing I knew, I had smacked the bejeezus out of Mary Margaret, and I was hell-bent on finding you. The rest...well, you know." Emma finished speaking, and she found that she couldn't look Regina in the eye. She stared at the floor, massaging her elbow.

The brunette remained silent for a long while, just observing the flurry of emotions passing over the blonde's face. She felt angry and sad, but the worst part was knowing that she still couldn't fully blame Emma for her actions.

"What you did to me, Miss Swan, was, by all accounts, unforgivable." She watched as shame deepened the creases in Emma's brow. "However, I can't say it was entirely unwarranted." It was Regina's turn to avert her eyes when emerald ones shot up to search her face. "It was I who gave you the turnover in the first place. I have a vivid understanding of the desperation you felt to get to me. Again...it felt like it was the only thing I could do to protect both Henry and the Curse."

"But...Regina, I was leaving."

"I know," she responded, frowning. "That did give me pause, Emma. Truly."

"So what made you follow through?"

"You said you were scared. So was I." Regina paused, clenching her jaw tightly. "And old habits die hard."

Emma found that she couldn't argue. In fact, she realized that she finally understood what the brunette had been feeling. When she broke and attacked the mayor, every emotion she felt that day must have been how it had felt for Regina probably since the moment she had decided to stay in Storybrooke. She suddenly felt very ill.

"Emma...?" The blonde's silence upset Regina, and she saw a look of dawning comprehension on the younger woman's face.

"How can you be so calm? How can you be so calm, when I'm a fucking wreck?" Emma's eyes were tight with pain, and she looked almost desperately to Regina.

A sad smile crossed the brunette's face. "Years and years of practice, dear."

"God...Where do we even go from here?"

"I don't know, but I know that we don't have a lot of time here."

"Why? What do you mean?" Emma's face flooded with fear, and she looked positively alarmed.

"Think about it, dear. We're not the only ones who know about this place."

There was a long pause. "Ruby," they said in unison, looking into the other's eyes.

How is that for a first taste? As always, a shout out to my Beta, Jasmine, who will be helping me with every chapter. And, look for me on Tumblr at Writers-Dilemma. tumblr. com