Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters. Otherwise, guess what would be canon already.

The Queen's Decision

She had known, probably from the start of all this, but she hadn't wanted to admit it, even to herself. Wasn't she allowed to be a little selfish? Wanting just a bit more time before the inevitable?

But time was running out. So, she made her decision, and tried to turn it as much to her favor.

Just like she always did.

"What would it take?" Regina asked, staring down her other half, her worst half. "What would it take for you to leave and never come near Henry again?"

The Evil Queen had already come too close to turning her son once before. She wasn't going to let it happen again.

Her other half smirked, an expression that she knew all too well. "You know what would end this." She teased.

Regina glared at her. In a way, she knew this, too. After all, it had been what had started this all.

"Snow White's heart." The Evil Queen purred.

Regina's clenched her fist. "Isn't the curse you placed on them enough?" She growled.

A snort was the response. "Come now." The Evil Queen came closer, her voice low and tempting. "You know it's more of a compromise than anything else. And you would not be here if you weren't willing to go all the way." She walked around Regina, studying her. Regina didn't turn with her, not willing show weakness. The Evil Queen's lips trailed at her ear. "So will you do it?" She asked.

Yes, there was a way for Regina to fix this. Finally, the story would end as it was meant to.

"You wanted to see me, Regina?" Snow asked, walking over to the kitchen area of her loft. She paused and frowned at the sight before her.

Regina had been working hard, trying to find ways to prevent Emma's vision from coming true and to stop the Evil Queen. Therefore, it wasn't surprising to see all the spell ingredients scattered across the counter. What was unusual was a familiar looking box sitting on the edge next to Regina.

Rarely had something good come from Regina bringing out one of those boxes.

"Is something going on?" Snow looked nervously from the box to Regina's back facing her.

Regina stiffened at her words. "In a way." She set down the pestle in the mortar where she'd been grounding some herbs. "I've discovered a way to kill two birds with one stone."

"Uh…" Regina's words weren't making Snow feel any better. In fact, there was an uneasy feeling twisting in her gut.

Regina finally turned around, and Snow quickly looked her over. She seemed different somehow. There was a sad glint in her eye though she wore a faint smile. "Don't worry." She said as she walked over.

Snow opened her mouth to reply, even if she wasn't sure what she was going to say, but before she could Regina held up one of her hands and blew the contents into Snow's face. She coughed a bit, a sudden wave of sleepiness crashing over her. As she swayed, her vision darkening, she felt gentle but strong hands softly guiding her to the floor.

"This will all be over soon."

Those were the last words she heard before Snow's world faded away.

She awoke with a gasp. Snow blinked around in confusion, finding herself sitting up in her own bed. A glance let her see that Neal was safely in his cradle, sleeping soundly though it appeared that Regina had changed him into his PJs. Her brow wrinkled as she thought about what had happened with Regina who only knew how long ago. She had been so sure that Regina was going to do something to her, the way her alarm bells had been ringing, but now…

A soft grunt sounded to her left and she looked over to see David's eyes blinking open. For a moment, all they could do was stare at each other.

Then they both gasped. Snow launched herself into David's arms as he met her halfway.

"Are you okay?"

"I was so worried!"

"But how…"

"I don't…"

Snow began to pull away as realization began to hit her.

Regina…

"Snow," David frowned at her, "what's wrong?"

Snow scrambled from the bed, hurrying towards the kitchen. She frantically glanced around.

There were no signs that Regina had been there. The spell components gone, the woman herself gone. And yet…

She had been wrong. There was one thing on the counter. She walked over and couldn't help but stare at it.

With trembling fingers, Snow picked up the envelope adorned with three words in familiar, regal handwriting:

To Miss Swan.

"So you have it?" The Evil Queen smirked, triumph lining every move she made.

"What do you think?" Regina snarked back, rolling her eyes. She held out the box containing the heart. "And you give your word to leave and never come near Henry?"

"Of course." The Evil Queen sauntered over and reverently grasped the box from her hands. She opened it and inspected the heart closely. After all, they had both been fooled before. "Exactly as I remember it." She whispered as she caressed it.

Regina resisted the urge to roll her eyes. However, she didn't leave, standing her ground. She had to stay until this was over.

The Evil Queen chuckled. "I knew you had it in you. The Darkness does not relinquish its hold so easily as one may think." She glanced over at her coyly. "You will always be me, dearie." She picked up the heart and held it in her hands.

"I know." Regina admitted. She had finally accepted it. She had finally accepted that she couldn't treat this part of herself as something separate. It was something that made her who she was.

It had been a mistake to let her out, to try to exorcise her.

But she would fix this.

"How did you do it?" Her other half wasn't even looking at her, too entranced by the heart in her hand.

Despite accepting that this was herself, this obsession sickened her, especially as her counterpart had held the halves in her hands all too recently. She wondered if this is how others had viewed her in her worst days.

"Well, Idiot Number 1 was easy; after all, he was currently the one sleeping away the day from your curse." Regina nonchalantly said, studying a nail. "Snow White was fairly easy as well, she didn't even see me coming. Then it was just the matter of putting it back together and packing it up for you."

"I see." The Evil Queen waved a hand over the nearby mirror, revealing both the prince and princess sleeping in their bed together. "Asleep?" She turned and raised an imperious eyebrow at her.

Regina returned the gesture. "We have grown close in the past few years. I thought dying in their sleep would be a small boon for me to grant."

"Hmph. You really are too kind." The Evil Queen returned her attention to the mirror. And then, with a gleeful grin, she began to squeeze the heart. Her eyes never left the image of the two in the reflection.

Regina watched her slowly crush the heart. She had seen many crushed hearts in her time, mostly as the Evil Queen when she had been the one doing the crushing, and for the most part, people had always seemed to be in anguish as it happened. They clutched their chests, moaned in pain, begged for it to stop, begged for mercy. The calmest crushing she had ever seen had been when Snow White had crushed Charming's heart, his expression one of resignation.

She was different.

That was why despite the agonizing pain erupting in her chest, her expression never changed. The more the Evil Queen squeezed, the worst it got. But she was a Queen, even if she was not necessarily evil, and she would carry herself with the poise and composure of one until the very end.

Until she met her end.

This was her decision.

She did allow herself one reaction. As her heart began to crumble away in her other half's hand, Regina allowed a smile to grace her lips. She had won and the others would finally be safe from her. Her final thoughts as her life deteriorated were on them.

"Goodbye, Henry, Emma," Regina whispered.

The Evil Queen's head whipped around, and finally, realization dawned in her eyes. "No!" But it was too late.

The last of Regina's heart disintegrated in the Evil Queen's hands. She let out a howl of fury even as she fell to the floor. Regina found herself slipping to the floor herself, darkness closing in.

She was gone before she hit the floor.

"Mom? What's wrong? You sounded kinda – " Emma stopped and blinked as she crossed the threshold into her parents' living space and saw both of them awake. "Dad!" She grinned and ran to embrace him. "But how…"

"Regina." Snow's voice was quiet. "I don't know how, but she did this."

"She did?" Emma pulled back and looked around, but she didn't see the other woman anywhere. "Hey, where – "

"I don't know." Snow said again. And this time, Emma really looked at her. She would have expected her mother to be ecstatic, but she seemed subdued and worried. Alarm bells began to ring in the back of Emma's mind. Something was wrong. "Look, when we woke up, this was on the counter." She held out an envelope.

Emma hesitated to take it. She knew she had to, but something in her gut was telling her that she wouldn't like it. Her curiosity won over her fear though, and she took the envelope. She raised an eyebrow at Regina's fancy handwriting and what appeared to be an actual wax seal holding it shut, but she proceeded to open it. Unfolding the letter within, she began to read.

Her breath hitched and heat prickled at her eyes the more she read. No, this has to be a joke. She prayed as she got further, ignoring the worried looks her parents were shooting her. She also ignored the way her hands, which had been curiously still for the longest time since she had first gotten her visions, began to shake.

"Emma?" Snow's voice petered through her consciousness as she reached the end. But in all honesty, Emma didn't hear her.

"No." She couldn't accept this. "No!" Turning on her heel, the letter clutched in her hand, Emma raced out the door.

"Emma, Emma! What's wrong?" She ignored David calling out for her and concentrated on running as fast as she could. The only things that were on her mind were getting to her destination and Regina's words.

My dear Miss Swan,

By the time you receive this letter, everything will probably be over. It's time to end this story, Swan, the way it was meant to. I finally know what I have to do. This is my decision, so don't go blaming yourself like I know you love to do. This is my redemption.

As I once told Henry, villains don't get happy endings. At most, we can only hope for redemption. And make no mistake, Miss Swan, despite everything, I am a villain through and through. All the worst things that have happened can be traced back to me.

I have been and always will be the Evil Queen.

"No." Emma ignored the heat in her eyes as she put all of her energy in running. She had to be faster. She couldn't be too late. "You are so much more than that."

I was a fool to think any differently. To think I could just cast her out and have it all be done. Life doesn't work like that. She is as much a part of me, even when separated, as your role as a Savior is to you. When you went Dark, you still wished to save people, even if you went around it the wrong way. I cannot make such claims.

"You're wrong." Emma ignored the people staring at her as they quickly got out of her way. They all knew better than to get in the way of the Savior when she was on a mission. "You still did good. You are good."

I shouldn't have asked you to kill me. I see that now. There is a difference between you asking me to kill you and me asking you to kill me. I would have done it if things had come to that, though luckily they didn't. On the other hand, even when I was at my worst, back at the beginning of our relationship, you still couldn't kill me. You can't kill me. You are too good to kill me. I know you want to find a different way, that you've been trying to find a new way, but this time there isn't one.

So, I'm taking care of it.

"No." She was getting closer, but the dread wasn't lightening one bit. "Please don't let me be too late." She prayed.

The villain is supposed to die at the end of the story. The Evil Queen, me, should have been gone long ago. It's how things should be.

"Please." And Emma didn't even know what she was begging for now. It just couldn't be true.

Plus, there is another reason I'm doing this.

Your visions.

"Please. Not because of me."

I don't know why I wasn't in it. If it turns out that I truly was meant to be your demise, as either Regina or the Evil Queen, then this is automatically solved. You will be safe, and I know that you will take care of Henry. You did do well for an entire year after all.

Emma took little comfort in the fact that Henry was currently on a date with Violet. Sure, he was blissfully unaware at the moment, but how was she going to explain this to him?

If not, well, you're going to have to survive. Henry needs to have at least one of his mothers. And I've taken steps that should help you.

I'm giving you my time. All of the days that I will not live, all of the time that I will not use, I give it to you.

"No. I don't want this." Her goal was in sight.

The spell I cast that activates upon my death should take care of those shakes and stabilize your magic. A sacrifice of time is a powerful thing. It should be enough to grant you more time, regardless of your status as Savior. But you're going to have to fight for the rest of it, and you better. If not for Henry, which should be enough, if not for your parents, and really, someone needs to look after the idiot duo, then do it for me.

This is all that I wish.

Distantly, Emma noticed two other people standing at the entrance of her destination, but they seemed hesitant to cross the threshold to the place where Emma just knew that Regina would have done this.

But she really hoped that she hadn't. Especially if it was for her.

It's funny to see how far we've come. I never would have wished for something like this when we first met. But the point remains.

Live, Emma. Please. That's all I truly ask of you.

Goodbye, Emma. Please give Henry my love.

Maleficent and Zelena turned to look at her as she finally arrived at the mausoleum, the entrance to Regina's vault. They both had the looks of people who know something's wrong but aren't sure what it is.

With all my love,

Regina Mills

"Is she in there?" Emma took giant gulps of air as she finally slowed to a stop. She didn't know how long it had taken her to get here. It seemed to take minutes and yet hours at the same time. Part of her didn't want to know how long it had been. How long could it have been since Regina left that letter on the counter?

Zelena and Maleficent exchanged a glance. Emma wasn't surprised by their presence. They were the two of the people closest to Regina who wielded magic.

"I felt her magic flare for a moment, but then…" Maleficent's voice trailed off. "It was gone." She finished quietly.

Zelena nodded in agreement, glancing nervously at the door. "She hasn't come out yet." She murmured and Emma was surprised at the amount of concern in your voice.

Sometimes Emma wished former villains would pick a side and stick to it. Their emotions seemed to continually flip flop. Then again, Zelena was the worst offender in that regard.

"I'll go check." Emma volunteered, waving them back. It was then she realized the letter was still in her grasp. She carefully unwrinkled it and refolded it, sticking it in her pocket and ignoring the curious looks she got. However, they nodded their acquiesce and moved back.

Emma followed the familiar path into the main room of the vault. That's where she saw Regina.

"Regina!" She yelled at her as she dashed to her side. Her hand reached out for the other woman's as she knelt down, and the first thing she noticed was that Regina was cold.

Too cold.

Emma gave her friend a good look over. For all intents and purposes, Regina could almost pass for just sleeping. Her eyes were shut, her hair and make-up were as perfect as always, and her clothes were not even mussed. But she was cold, and as Emma's fingers slipped down to Regina's wrist, there was a distinct lack of pulse.

"Regina?" Trying to shove down her panic, Emma laid her ear over where Regina's heart should be.

Nothing.

For the first time, Emma looked around the room. There were no signs of the Evil Queen herself, but there was one of those boxes Regina used to store hearts laying open on its side too far away for Regina to have been holding it, but too close for her to have thrown it there. In front of the mirror was a pile of what appeared to be stone, but Emma realized with a lurch was actually the remains of a heart.

Her breathing hitched again. "Regina?" Heat prickled at her eyes again as she turned back to her friend. And then her heart lurched as she noticed something.

Regina was smiling.

There was a satisfied smile on her face, and Emma could honestly say that she had never seen Regina look so content. As if she was happy to die and finally end her miserable, heart-breaking story. As if she was glad to sacrifice herself to not only stop the Evil Queen, herself, but also save Emma from her fate or at least give her a fighting chance.

And it hit Emma. She couldn't deny it anymore.

Regina was dead.

"Regina…" Emma sobbed as the tears were finally released from behind the dam. Her body heaved with sobs as she gathered her friend into her arms. She clutched at Regina's limp body, curling around it, as she cried as she never had before.

But then again, Regina was her friend. The other mother of her son. Her greatest ally. Her… something more that neither of them had ever wanted to admit.

And as she ran her fingers through Regina's hair, as though offering comfort to someone long gone, Emma whispered one of the many things that she knew she should have told Regina ages ago.

"You aren't a villain, Regina. You really are a hero."

The Queen was dead.

AN: So technically, I haven't really watched this show or am part of the fandom. But I've seen a few clips recently and gained an idea of what's going on. Pretty sure the Swan Queen is going to drag me into watching the whole show. In any case, I apologize for any inaccuracies regarding characters and the situation. (Though I do know that EQ said that crushing Snow's heart was poetic enough for her pain, but hey, she can change her mind. Plus, there's the bonus of darkening Regina's heart once more supposedly since she'd be betraying her friends.)

I'll have the sequel I wrote for this up soon.