I don't even know what this is. Hell knows I have too many WIPs, but I got this idea and it wouldn't leave my mind.

Regina hated goodbyes. She had more than her fair share in life. From Daniel to her father, to her freedom. Every single one left a pain inside her heart and Emma Swan would be no exception.

At the same time, she had known all along what she had been getting into.

They weren't even supposed to meet, it was all by chance. Granny was as stubborn as she had been back in the Enchanted Forest and she was one of the few that didn't fear her. She insisted that Henry would be fine if she spent the weekend out of town. It took a lot of convincing, but Regina knew it was for the best. She rarely left the town's limits, afraid that it would be her last, especially with Henry. Yet, she had listened and she had gone. She needed a break from the same old tired day she felt she relived.

Henry was the one bright spot in all of it, but he was getting older, venturing out. It wouldn't be long until she was alone again.

So, she went to Boston. She saw the sights, she looked around. Loosening up more and more, she stumbled into a bar and that's where she met her: Emma Swan.

The woman was a firecracker. She did shots, joked with the bar tenders and gave as good as she got. It was impossible for Regina not to talk to her. Talking lead to shots, which lead to kissing.

Before she knew it, Regina was back at Emma's apartment and they were spending the night together.

Soon after that, they were texting and making plans. Regina made her way to Boston as much as they could. She learned Emma's story and about her life. Regina told what she could of hers. They went out to eat, for walks, they even went to the beach a few times. The part Regina most looked forward to, were the evenings, when they'd be wrapped up between the sheets. Their bodies would be pressed together, Emma's curls a wild mess all over the place. They'd fall asleep in each other's arms, their heartbeats side by side.

Regina knew it couldn't last, it was only so long before Emma would want to go to Storybrooke. She'd want to meet Henry. It'd be okay, in the beginning. Until Emma realized what she knew Henry was starting to: that no one aged. That no one was ever truly happy.

It'd all blow up and Regina would lose her.

So, she did what she did best and said goodbye. On a weekend she was meant to visit, she sent Emma an e-mail stating that she thought it was best if they ended things. She claimed life was getting busy and she just needed to focus on her son. She typed the whole thing out, deleted it and typed it again. She repeated the process so many times, she thought she'd burn her fingers to the bone. Finally, all that was left was the ending.

Love, Regina.

She meant the word, she had wanted to say it for so long. Yet, how could she say it when they were about to say goodbye?

Instead, she didn't sign it at all. Pressing send, she waited for a response. It took a few days and she knew it wasn't due to Emma's hectic work schedule. She was purposefully avoiding her, closing off her heart even more. Regina felt terrible for what she was doing, but it was for the best.

Eventually, she got a simple two word answer.

I understand.

It wasn't signed either.

Regina buried herself in work and taking care of Henry. The days blended together as they always seemed to, turning to months and then a year, followed by another. Henry found out he was adopted and it all seemed to go south from there. He wasn't talking to her like he used to, he wasn't even hanging out with his friends. He spent most of his time locked up in his room. She knew she would lose him when he turned 18, it was all happening 8 years too early.

Then one day, he went missing. She got a call that he hadn't been in school that day, the administration asking if he was sick. Regina began to panic. She had put him on the bus that morning, no issues in sight. She raced back to the mansion and tore through it, he wasn't there. She called everyone she could possibly think of, had Graham check every nook and cranny of the town.

She was so desperate, she even dug through her vault for a locator spell, but of course none had made it through. Tears burned her eyes and she wasn't sure if she'd ever stop crying. Was someone awake? Had they taken him as revenge? Who would she even start with?

The hours seemed to drag longer than any day over the past 28 years ever had. There was no way to contact him and no way to find him. Graham was attempting to give her some hope, but there didn't seem to be any.

That was, until she heard voices coming from outside the door late that night. She rushed to it and through the window, she could see Henry. Throwing the door open, she rushed down the steps and threw her arms around him.

"Henry!" His name had never felt so sweet on her lips. She didn't even notice the woman standing beside him. "Where have you been?"

Henry pushed her away, just as he had been doing for weeks. "I found my real mom!"

They were words she had been fearing for 10 years. She didn't know what to expect as she slowly looked up, but it sure as hell wasn't the person she found.

"Emma," she breathed.

A thousand memories came flooding back. All the kisses, the tender moments in bed, every single conversation. The way that she had certainly broken her heart. There were so many things she wanted to say, so many she should've. Instead, only one thing came to mind.

"You're Henry's birth mother?"

Emma just kept her eyes locked on Regina's, opening and closing her mouth a few times as if she didn't know what to say herself. "Hi."

"I'll just…go check on the lad, make sure he's alright," Graham spoke up from behind them.

Regina didn't turn around to watch him walk back into the house. They needed to talk, there was no doubting that. They just couldn't do it on her walkway. "How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?"

Emma let out a deep breath. "Got anything stronger?"