So I'm supposed to be studying for my finals and not on this site/ tumblr/ the internet in general, but that finale has made it impossible. I mean it was incredible and I need to know what happens. How are we supposed to survive until September? So this is my take on that painful last moment.
"Regina wait."
She had bolted out of the dinner the minute she'd finished admonishing Emma. It was too painful to watch Robin and Marian's reunion. Noticing her leave, Robin followed.
"What?" she snapped, turning around on the same sidewalk they'd been strolling down in blissful ignorance just a few minutes ago.
"I'm sorry," he replied sheepishly.
He was still trying to process everything that had just happened. He wanted to do right by Marian, by Regina, by Roland and by himself. But he already knew that he couldn't do it all.
"How nice for you," she retorted with tears in her eyes.
"I need you to understand-"
"Oh I understand perfectly. What do you need of a consolation prize when the grand prize is right through those doors?"
The tears were gathering in her eyes, but she was still able to hold them in.
Robin took a carefully step towards Regina so they were only a few feet apart.
"That's not true. But she's my wife Regina, the mother of my son. She would have died and it would've been my fault. But she's alive. I owe it to my family to give this a shot."
She just glared.
"What would you do, if it had been Daniel?"
The tears started to fall down Regina's face, and she screamed at him, her voice cracking as she spoke.
"No. You do not get to talk about him. I trusted you. You don't get to throw that back in my face. You-"
At that point she was bawling and unable to continue speaking. She fell forward in agony, and Robin instinctively pulled her into his arms. Her sobs were becoming more and more audible, and she was having trouble breathing. He held her tight, gently stoking her hair and murmuring apologies. He felt like he would hold her forever if he could. After a few minutes, her breathing returned to normal and she had no tears left to cry.
"Get off me," she mumbled into his chest.
He backed a few steps away.
"Regina I-"
"Leave me the fuck alone."
He opened his mouth to speak, but Regina conjured up a fireball he could only assume was a threat.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Go!" she shouted, the fire in her palm growing larger. He wanted to make this right, but he had no idea how. So instead he turned around and walked back to the dinner, leaving Regina on the deserted street. She made her way home alone.
…
"Would you mind holding onto this for a bit longer?" Regina asked, pressing the bag containing her heart into Robin's hands.
He took the bag, and removed the pitch black heart and laughed. She knew this was wrong. That didn't happen. She looked up at Robin's face and saw a smile of pure malice. She didn't have time to process what was happening as Robin gave her heart a harsh squeeze and she fell to the ground on her hands and knees.
"Down on your knees you're not so powerful now, are you Regina? Now you can get what you deserve."
She looked up to see a mocking Emma. Of course it would be Emma to once again kick her while she was down.
"I-"
She was cut off by another squeeze to her heart.
"Did you really think you deserved to be happy? That it was possible that someone would love you?"
She wanted to respond, but all she could see was her heart being crushed by the man she had entrusted it to. She heard echoing laughter, and looked around to see everyone she had ever hurt: Snow, Cora, Rumple, the Storybrooke residents, and faces she only recognized from their corpses. All reveling in her pain. Everything was growing hazy and it was a relief when it finally all went black.
…
Regina awoke with a jolt. Her sheets were tangled around her, there were tears in her eyes, and her heart was racing. She had a moment of calm, realizing that it had just been a nightmare. But then felt a pang remembering what had actually transpired that night. She felt sick and still not quite awake. She made her way to the bathroom to splash some water on her face.
It made her feel marginally better. She looked into the mirror and saw the color completely drained from her face. One could say that she looked as though she had seen a ghost, and in a way she had. Thinking about Marian's return sent another emotional spasm through her body.
She was thinking about how much she wished she hadn't put her heart back the previous night when she had a revelation. She reached into her chest and removed her heart once again, letting out a satisfied sigh as her emotions dulled. A slight grin had spread across her face when she heard a voice.
"Mom?"
Regina turned to see her son standing in the doorway.
"Henry? What are you doing here?"
"I asked Emma to take me here after the coronation, but you were asleep when I got home," he paused, noticing what Regina had in her hands, "Mom is that your heart?" he asked with concern.
She didn't know what to say.
"I… I thought I could have a second chance but I can't. I don't want to feel that. It hurts too much."
She placed her heart on the counter.
"That isn't true, you will have that chance mom. This happens all the time in the book. Something always convinces them they can't be together. But there's always a happy ending."
"Oh Henry," she replied with a small smile, pulling him into a hug, "not for me."
They remained in silence for a few minutes while tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Please mom," he said, tentatively picking her heart up from the counter, "put your heart back in."
She couldn't refuse the pleading in his eyes. She took it and braced herself for the painful rush of emotions. She thought of Henry as she pushed her heart back in. She felt the return of the intense pain and heartbreak, but also felt the comforting strength of her love for her son.
"Thank you Henry," she said as she walked him back to his room. He always was wise beyond his years.
They reached his door.
"I love you mom. You'll be okay."
Of course she didn't believe that.
"I love you too my little prince," she replied, and kissed his forehead.
She returned to her bed and braced herself for torturous dreams that never came. She was surprised to be woken up after a dreamless sleep by the light streaming through her windows. Maybe, just maybe, she really would be okay.