Emma combed her fingers through her freshly shortened hair. It fell past her chin, but didn't go beyond her shoulders now. She smiled at her reflection. No more split ends, no more being strangled by her own hair in her sleep, faster showers. This was going to be wonderful. Plus, she looked damn cute if she said so herself. She couldn't remember the last time she'd cut her hair, but she knew it was long before she ever stepped foot in Storybrooke.

Exiting the bathroom, Emma headed downstairs into the living room. She crept up behind the couch where her fiancé was sitting, and covered his eyes with her hands. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Hi," she murmured into his ear, feeling sexy.

A deep chuckle came from the pirate. "We shouldn't be playing these games this close to the wedding, Swan."

"What games?" Emma asked coyly, one hand moving to stroke down his neck and then his chest. She leaned forward just enough to kiss his neck.

"Emma… You're not being fair." Hook took her hand and pulled at it, indicating he wanted her to come around the couch.

Emma relented, straightening up and then moving around the couch to sit next to him.

Hook leaned in to kiss her, and then froze in horror, inches away from her face. "What the hell did you do?"

Emma blinked, startled. "What? she asked meekly, confused.

Hook grabbed a fistful of her hair. "This! What the hell did you do to your hair?!" he raged. "It can't possibly grow back in time for the wedding!"

Tears welled up in Emma's eyes. Why was he yelling at her? "It's just hair!"

Hook released her hair and stood up, pacing away from the couch, fuming. "It's hideous! You ruined it!"

Emma crossed her arms. "Hair does grow back."

Hook glared at her. "You," a pause, "are hideous."

Emma stood up and twisted the ring off her finger, throwing it at him. "Don't worry about a wedding, then! Fuck you!" She ran past him and out of the house, stumbling down the porch steps in her haste, a sob tearing from her throat. She didn't know where she was going, she just knew it was away from him.

Emma wasn't paying attention to where she was going, and the tears made her vision blurry. She didn't realize who it was when she collided into Regina. "Sorry," she whimpered. "Excuse me." She tried to continue around them, but their voice stopped her,

"Emma?" Regina asked with a touch of concern. "Is that you?"

"Yes!" Emma snapped. "So what if I cut my fucking hair?!"

Regina's eyebrows drew together in confusion. It wasn't the hair that had made her unsure. She stepped up to her and wrapped her arms around her. "Ssh. I've got you." Using her magic, she took her to her place. Once inside, she guided Emma to sit down on one of her chairs. Doing so, she saw Emma's hand had no ring on it once again. "Oh dear… What's that pirate done now?"

Emma tried to wipe her embarrassing tears away and regain composure. She looked at Regina. "He said I'm hideous."

"What?!" Regina exclaimed in shock and anger. "I should kill the bastard! Just say the word, and it's done."

"No, don't do that." Emma reached for Regina's wrist, but got her hand instead. "It's not worth it."

Regina looked at her. "He's wrong. You do know that, I hope. There is nothing hideous about you. You are beautiful, and if he can't see that, he's an idiot that doesn't deserve you." Her free hand ran fingers through Emma's hair. "This hair is just as gorgeous as it was long."

Emma blushed. "Th-Thank you." She wasn't used to receiving so many blatant compliments from Regina.

Regina slowly knelt down on the floor in front of Emma, looking up at her. She took both her hands in her own. "You shouldn't be cheated out of your wedding just because Hook is a moron, Emma."

"You want me to go back to him?" Emma asked, confused and a bit mad.

"Listen to me, Emma." Regina squeezed her hands. "You can still have a wedding without him."

Emma's eyes widened. "What… Are you… Do you mean… ?"

"Emma Swan, I have loved you even when I have hated you. I would die for you. I would also keep silent and smile while watching you marry someone else if they made you happy. But he doesn't make you happy, does he?"

A tear escaped Emma's eye for an entirely new reason. She could always tell when Regina was lying, and this was not a lie. "I thought you were out of my league," she whispered.

Regina reached up to gently brush the tear away. "No, darling. Am I too late?"

Emma shook her head with a smile. "Only fashionably late." She gently pulled her up onto her lap.

Regina ran her hands through Emma's hair. "I really do love your hair, and I would love you even without any hair at all."

Emma held her fiancée close and tenderly pressed their lips together.

Who knew that a haircut could stop her from making the worst decision of her life and help her make the best one?