'Let yourself do it, Regina,' resounded an insinuating voice behind Regina. Her own voice.

The witch did not have to conjecture whom she faced.

'You know you are not a part of me any more. I destroyed you in the Enchanted forest on that day, remember? And I will do this again, no matter what it takes,' Mills answered abruptly looking at herself with hatred.

'You don't seem as sure as last time,' the Evil Queen sneered smiling at Regina and slowly approached to her. She wore the smile that had been driving out of her senses for a long time.

'We both know, you will accept my proposal, won't you, dear?' the Queen whispered in her lips and disappeared in a purple haze.

Regina Mills felt, with all cells of her body, that the Queen was right. But inside her there was a nasty feeling that smarted her soul somehow. As if she betrayed her family, and the woman who was always ready to sacrifice her serene life for the sake of Regina's happy end, the woman who had saved her from becoming the Dark one once.

'Abhorrent eternal survivor guilt. But this time it's not groundless,' thought Regina.

Emma Swan wanted to decide everything for Regina anew. 'You won't sacrifice yourself. I won't let you go for that. You worked too hard to banish the Evil Queen from your soul to allow you to suffer again. Not now, when you... we... have found our happy ending —' she constantly repeated trying to persuade herself, that the presence of the Evil Queen in Storybrooke will not be reflected in the life of the hole city.

'Emma, don't be so naive. Think about yesterday's attack on your mother. Me... I mean, the Evil Queen came here for her, and for your father. Destroy me. You can't expose to danger all citizens. You are the Savior. Who knows better than you what does it mean to renounce everything for the good of salvation of the hole town. I'm sure, you'll understand,' threw an indifferent answer Regina.

Mills knew Emma Swan being in infinite love with her. Mills knew that sheriff could do any act, even the most reckless and inconsiderate, for her not to perish.

However, a fair-haired woman did not actually have a hunch that the witch had stopped dreading any difficulties, even death ones. She did not guess that Regina appreciated the Evil Queen too highly. Mills admired her. And her heart cherished the one, who had been poisoning the life of many people for a long time, more than a sincere daughter of the Charmings. Regina loved Emma selflessly, but she always chose the Evil Queen, as the awe of her might, her incomparably peerless clarity of thought, and her exterior regal magnificence was too great.

The Black Queen checked to the White King. The White King was nearly doomed. As did the White Queen that never left her King in this game.

Mills heard a brief hail.

'Hey, Regina! Are you alright?'

'Sure I am,' Mills answered aloof. 'Why are you asking?'

'You haven't answered the phone for about one hour! Did you meet the Evil Queen? You look quite seedy.'

'Regina!' Swan blurted out, not having got the reply.

'Oh, what? Sorry, I didn't catch the question,' mumbled the sorceress.

'Tell me, what's going on with you today? You're being weird,' sheriff squinted at the mayor.

'Emma, everything's okay, dear', trying to smile as naturally as possible, answered Regina, getting a load of the fact she started using the same words as Evil Queen used. 'I really ran into her recently. She suggested me turning to her side. As usual.'

'I beg you, Regina, be careful, don't listen to her. Let's go now to the `Granny's`, you look too tired. Don't you feel like having something to eat?' the woman proposed grandmotherly.

'I don't think I can afford it now, because I just got a perfect idea about the Queen, so I need to go to the library right now. See you soon.'

Mills hugged Swan tight burying herself in her hair smelling of cinnamon and apples. This odor of the shampoo became Emma's favourite when she had just moved to the mayor's detached house.

'Hey, that's okay,' Regina felt arms of her precious girlfriend hugging her back. 'You know I'm afraid of this suspense too. But we can't, we don't have a right to show fear, because the city will be weak without our assurance. I'm not talking about the fact they won't have any protectors. I mean, they will fall morally, they will surrender to the forces of vice. And you are the key to the salvation of these citizens. You will knock this damned Queen into fits. I believe in you, Regina.'

'Thank you. Although I'm not sure about anything now.'

'Please don't say redundant words. You know you have two people, who will always come and help you in any case whenever you need. They will always be healers of your soul, and your heart. They will be able to save you from yourself, or that Queen. Henry and I will never leave you alone. Remember this forever, Gina.'

Finishing speaking, Emma kissed her gently and went towards the centre of the town, wishing luck, just as if nothing had happened.

'Kind, responsive Swan,' thought Regina. 'If somebody had supported me this way while I was young, the evil witch wouldn't exist now. There would be no such nightmare. She cherishes while I betray. I deceive, thinking of the Evil Queen as a necessity like oxygen for my lungs, as a wind for the endless waltz of whirling leaves. I'm powerless in my feelings.'

Regina disappeared in a light haze, shifting to her crypt, which was situated right in the thick of Storybrooke's wood.

'You didn't surprise me when I found you here,' sniffed Mills in contempt.

'You came so fast...' the witch purred. 'In fact, I believed you'd visit the library before visiting me.'

'Are you aware, that eavesdropping on private conversations is not a good business? Especially, it's not good to hear the words pronounced by your own mouth.'

'I suppose, you start forgetting, that we are two different people now. As if you don't know about this, dear,' the Queen grinned. 'Your date with Swan was so sweet.'

'Stop calling me like that!' said Regina, trying to ignore the last phrase about Emma.

'Or what?'

The Queen made show of misunderstanding. 'Don't lie to yourself. We both know you like it.' The Queen circled round Mills, and kissed her barely palpably, so why she slightly closed her eyes.

'I came about business. Now I am ready to join you,' Regina continued talking in a severe steely voice.

'Well done,' one more cattish smile was given to Regina. 'Hope you remember all conditions of our agreement?'

'The life for serving evil forces, destroying everything around and so on and so forth. And... Leaving Storybrooke... Of course I remember. Needn't having been asked,' answered Regina apathetically, internally execrating the idea of harming innocent people.

'Don't forget one more thing. From this moment we're not one person. But the hatred in our hearts will be the same. Keep in mind, that's just for the sake of your boring town. After all, you've always wanted it safe.'

Regina frowned disgust.

'Okay, it's not the most important aspect.'

'On the contrary. Do like me,' the Queen said, pulling her heart from the body.

Regina followed her example.

'Great. Now there is only one more thing to do.'

Reddening spots of blood went free from two women's wrists. They fell into a chalice, filling the left space, where two beating hearts were lying.

The Queen held the beverage out to Regina. The woman took a sip, so why her mind became misting, mixing her thoughts in one large ravel, that she was not able to untangle any more. The Queen made her do one more gulp by throwing back her head and pouring the liquid into her mouth. The liquid spread along Regina's body mingling with her own blood. She was not able to control herself any longer. She felt faint in her legs; and that debility intensified every instant. Mills started falling but the Queen easily swooped her body up, whispering some phrases, but only a small part of them was able Regina to grasp.

'Again... Mine... We'll subdue... And there will be no... And the Savior won't exist... You'll become...'

Regina could not understand anything else as she fell asleep.

The last thing she felt is the Queen putting her on something soft, and covered her with not less soft, so the warmth started spatting along her body.

The body perceived almost imponderable kiss on the forehead.

Regina made her final choice. She chose the Queen.

The Black Queen checkmated the White King, capturing the White Queen while her first move.