So, I kind of wrote this on a whim while waiting for Game of Thrones to finish buffering. I was listening to Ariana Grande's Almost is Never Enough and I got this idea and decided to give it a try :). I'm sorry I made my first one-shot angsty *runs and hides*. Also, thanks to my good friend Leila for reading this and giving me the courage to post it!
"Now, go. There isn't much time left. The curse will be here any minute," Regina uttered with a watery smile.
She gave one last hug to her son, savoring the moment. With a final kiss to Henry's forehead, Regina pulled away, refusing to make eye contact with the savior, knowing that her resolve would crumble with one look at the tormented expression. She kept her head bowed while Snow gave her silent goodbye to Emma and tried to regain her composure by swallowing the knot in her throat.
Regina took the small moment to reflect on her past year with the blonde, fights and all. She chuckled internally at the memory of one of their verbal sparring getting out of hand. The brunette rather appreciated that Emma could always hold her own and she would be lying to herself if she said that she didn't find some enjoyment in it. In that moment, the moment in which she was losing everything, Regina refused to deny herself the truth any longer.
The former evil queen had fallen for the savior somewhere in between the fiery arguments, invitations to stay, and understanding conversations. She found the blonde infuriating, without a doubt, but with time, the wrath transformed into endearment. Regina blamed the two idiots as much as she thanked them for bringing Emma into the worlds.
She snapped out of her thoughts when she noticed the things she loves most get into the forsaken yellow bug to escape the curse. She ripped and crumpled the curse in her hands, a sorrowful expression on her face. Regina turned around and lifted her hands in the air, magic pouring out of them to stop Pan's curse, all the while cursing herself for not being powerful enough to stop it all together. For not being able to extend her time with her son and the blonde she could have had everything with.
Regina was no fool. She noticed the way Emma looked at her with yearning when she gave her the gift of good memories with Henry. They were both so adamant on staying in denial; they had missed their only chance at starting something that would have transformed into a beautiful relationship.
As the purple smoke engulfed them, Regina watched the bug drive away as she realized that she had been ready too little too late to experience true love again. She stood with tears in her eyes, took one last glance at the fading car, and resigned to her fate.
