Summary: Growing up in a small town in the middle of Maine, Regina Mills and Emma Swan had been together since the 9th grade and best friends even longer. Graduation comes and goes with both girls realizing they both had different plans for their futures.

'Grew up in a small town,

and when the rain would fall down,

I'd just stare out my window.

Dreaming of what could be,

and if I'd end up Happy,

I would pray.

Trying hard to reach out,

but when I tried to speak out,

Felt like no one could hear me.

Wanted to belong here,

but something felt so wrong here

So I prayed,

I could Break Away...'

Regina smelled the saltiness of her tears before she registered to the fact that she was actually crying. It was August 13th, this was their day. Their anniversary and instead of being snuggled up in a head full of blonde cinnamon scented hair she was sitting in her apartment alone sipping a glass of homemade cider that her father sent to her. The picture she had was laminated, much like her heart. Covered in layers of protection hoping it wouldn't deteriorate due to the elements. She only ever allowed herself these stolen moments when she knew Danielle was going to spend overnight working on a case. She only ever allowed herself to smile when she thought about that lopsided grin Emma would throw her whenever she caught her trying to sneak a picture. Or the way green eyes would light up the moment they seen her, making her feel like the only girl in the world. She only ever allowed herself to think about the love she had but then lost. Then the anger came.

Emma knew! She knew how Regina felt about the stifling town. The overwhelming presentiment that her life would stand for nothing if she stayed in Storybrooke. That she would never amount to anything in that slow dinky place that they grew up. So why she waited until Regina was set off to leave for Columbia University is what baffled the brunette. In the same breath she wondered, why did she let Emma go so easily? Yes the blonde broke up with her, but Regina knew Emma felt that she was only going to be holding her back...

The key in the door startled her, and in her inebriated state she couldn't find it in her to rush to hide the evidence of what she had been doing. Whom she had been missing. Danielle always took off her heels whenever she came home, so there was no dreaded clacking of her heels. The light haired brunette simply walked into their shared living room with a smile on her face that slowly fell as she took in her surroundings.

"Regina..." Danielle cleared her throat, before her eyes landed on the Polaroid in her lovers hand. The blonde woman was smiling, and it wasn't the first time that she had seen this particular picture.

"I didn't expect you to be back so soon." Regina admitted, licking her cider stained lips and tasting the alcohol on them.

"What are you doing Regina?" Danielle sighed deeply before walking to sit beside the woman on the couch. She reached out to grab the picture but Regina tightened her grip. It took her several moments to pry the picture away before Regina gave up and let her have it.

"Tell me about her." Danielle demanded, keeping her eyes on the beautiful blonde who could be no older than seventeen when the picture was taken.

"What's there to tell? It really isn't any of your business!" Regina went to her coping mechanism of snarky.

"It is my business when my girlfriend of eleven months is flat out drunk looking at a picture of another woman! This isn't the first time Regina! Is this Emma?" Danielle waved the picture in Regina's face as she grew increasingly angrier.

"H-How do you-"Regina stopped herself but it was already too late. The humorless chuckle that Danielle gave her let her know that.

"You call out her name when we make love. Never when we fuck, only when we make love." Danielle admitted watching Regina's face crumple slightly as she tried to hold on.

"Tell me about her." Danielle demanded again, knowing she was going to need to hear this if she was ever going to be able to move on.

"We met in the fourth grade back in Storybrooke. She was the rough around the edges kind of kid that everyone avoided. We had been in the same recess period but I never had enough courage to go talk to her. Nobody did. She didn't have any parents and that was enough to make her a social pariah. So you can only imagine what a kid that age can get into." Regina smiled lightly at the memory and Danielle tried to ignored the ache that settled deep in her chest.

"I saved her from falling off her horse one day at the Stables. We were best friends after that. Eventually our feelings grew until we started dating in the ninth grade. We were together until a week before I came here." Regina licked her lips, her eyes trained on the picture.

"So when you said you were a little homesick, you didn't truly mean your home...Home is where the heart is, and you've given your heart to her to keep." Danielle responded watching Regina suck in a shaky breath.

"She's an idiot, but she was always my idiot. It was apart of her charm. She has this thing where she puts everyone before herself, including me. She let me go to follow my dreams because she didn't want to hold me back." Regina's voice wavered slightly.

"It sounds to me like you are the one who let her go. Face it Regina, you don't like it here in New York. You are a small town girl. I've heard you tell Mallory several times that if you could be the Mayor in Storybrooke then you'd be happy. So why aren't you there?" Danielle asked, passing the photo back to her soon to be ex-girl friend. She watched the brunette slowly trace Emma's face on the photo, a small smile playing on her lips.

"She's probably moved on by now. A girl like Emma Swan doesn't stay single for very long." Regina replied

"Or she's probably just as broken by this as you. Have you seen or spoken to her any time you've went back home?"Danielle questioned watching Regina shake her head no.

"I-It would hurt entirely too much to see her with someone else." Regina whispered.

"I wouldn't be able to see her look at someone like she used to look at me. To watch her bright green eyes communicate everything without speaking for another person would literally be the nail in my coffin." Regina continued

"Do you love her?" Danielle waited for her answer

"I..What?" Regina stammered

"Do you love her?" Danielle asked again, growing impatient.

"Please don't make...please." The brunette pleaded but Danielle couldn't find it in her to grant it. She loves Regina, and she would do anything for her to be truly happy. Even if it wasn't with her.

"Well you only need the light when it's burning low. Only miss the sun when it starts to snow. Only know you love when you let her go...Only know you've been high when you're feeling low. One hate the road when you're missing home. Only know you love when you let her go. And you let her go." Danielle licked her dry lips in hopes to center herself by focusing on anything but her breaking heart.

"Danny please." Regina sniffled, trying to hold back her tears.

"Staring at the bottom of your glass." Danielle gestured to the empty tumbler of cider.

"Hoping one day you'll make a dream last. But dreams come slow and they go so fast. You see her when you close your eyes. Maybe one day you'll understand why, everything you touch, oh it dies." Danielle wiped the first tear that fell from Regina's eyes away on instinct. Regina wouldn't meet her eyes instead looking at their chandelier

"Staring at the ceiling in the dark. Same old empty feeling in your heart. Cause love comes slow and it goes so fast. When you see her when you fall asleep, never to touch and never to keep. Cause you loved her too much and you dive too deep." Danielle used her thumb to trace Regina's cheek and she could feel the brunette shaking.

"You only know you love her when you let her go." She pulled her hand away and watched Regina completely fall apart. Ear shattering wails pierced the air as the older ADA brought her into her chest.

"I-I want her back. I didn't mean to." Regina hiccuped after a few moments.

"She let you go first, but now its time to put on your big girl panties and go get the girl. Success isn't measure by how much you make Regina. I'm sure you'll find success when you look at her. If she is too much of a bitch or has moved on, then its her loss. But you owe it to yourself and her to actually fight for it. If love was easy then everybody would be in love" Danielle watched Regina try to pull herself together.

"What am I going to say to her?" Regina furrowed her eyebrows causing Danielle to smile despite the situation.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out." Danielle promised.