The shock of trying to absorb two deaths in as many days hits the town hard. A general sentiment of complete disbelief had settled over the town as they tried to come to terms with how they could ever lose one of their beloved pariahs of justice (let alone two.) No one could believe that anyone so fundamentally good could be vanquished by evil. It just wasn't right.

She doesn't feel it though. Any of it. This is just not a loss that Regina can come to terms, she can't take anymore grief. In fact she doesn't feel anything like it. If anything she feels quite the opposite. The death of Snow White has set her free. Her death has given her more peace than she has felt since Daniel died.

And she hates it. How can she be happy? She killed the most beautiful soul in all the realms and she's happy. It is a mockery of the depth of emotion she felt (and still feels) for the loss of Robin and a blatant insult to the woman who forgave her again and again for the evil she carried inside her.

She can't even begin to mourn Snow because her death has brought her so much peace she can't bring herself to regret killing her. The evil queen is sated. And for the first in a long time she is quiet. Well almost. Regina can hear her gloating inside her head, but she doesn't care, how can she when she is no longer at war with herself? No longer feels conflicted by every decision she makes? The darkness within her is feeding on and growing from the joy of the utter annihilation of her life-long enemy and she doesn't care. Regina has never hated herself more.

The queen is quiet in the back of Regina's head. She knows when she has to wait, knows when patience is required to make the kill, and oh is this that one she is destined to make. She will bring Regina down. It's time for her goody goody nonsense to die, to become extinct, to be in the past. Regina's hatred, however, is an interesting development and one she didn't see coming. But it is certainly one she can use to her advantage, if Regina is angry then it shouldn't take much to push her over the edge, even if it is her the hatred is directed at, the darkness knows how to get its way.

The queen is up to something, Regina is sure of it, she can hear the words of hatred the queen is spewing inside her mind. She is trying viciously to resurface. She wants to kill again. And again. She wants her happy-ending loving, good-doer enemies gone. She wants this town burnt to the ground, ravaged until it is unrecognisable and the term 'happy ending' is meaningless.

The queen is miserable, trigger-happy and seeking revenge. She is delighted that her life-long foe has finally been vanquished but she is not happy, she is sated, sure, but now she's had her taste and she wants back for more.

Do not fear my love you will get through this.

Robin. He has been so quiet since she regained control of herself that she was becoming worried that he had faded away, so worried that the queen had locked him somewhere she couldn't find him. But he's here and she is so grateful that he is still with her in some capacity.

But right now it is just another reminder of her failures, of her mistakes. Not only does she now have to live with the evil queen voicing every blood-thirsty thought she has, but she has to live with the ghost of the man she loves, he was the light to her dark and now he balances out the queen inside her head, but he is still gone, still dead. And it just another reminder of another love that she couldn't save, just another thing she couldn't get right.

Regina lets a single tear slide down her cheek. It is the first sign of remorse or regret she has managed to muster up since she awoke to a scene of utter chaos and destruction-her own doing of course. She savours it while it lasts, anything is better than the bitter sweet mix of emotions she feels over Snow's death.

She hasn't seen any of the merry band of heroes since the fight she inadvertently found herself in the middle of and can't be sure she wants to. She does not feel the need for an apology. After all what good would it do? She's monster again now, just like maybe she always was. Who was she kidding with the hero thing? Blood has always been much more her colour.

Do not give up my love, they will forgive you in time. No one blames you for this milady.

If only it were true.

Regina wonders through the empty town- it is both a blessing and curse that everyone is at Snow's funeral- and tries desperately to find the meaning behind her mixed emotions. There's literally nothing left here for her now. No one left who cares about her. And she hardly expects Emma to let Henry anywhere near her after that display. That loss of control has cost her so much. And yet if she goes back, if she barricades herself inside her head again to hide from the added pain she's feeling now, it could cost her so much more.

So what's an ex-villain, who became an unlikely hero, who may now be a villain again supposed to do? Wondering around in apathy certainly isn't helping anyone, especially herself. But what else can she do? She is almost as hated back in the Enchanted Forest as she now is here. And if she allows herself to feel properly, to explore her complex, contradicting and ridiculously convoluted emotions, then who's to say that the queen won't come out to play again? What's to stop her killing another one of her friends if she can't handle it?

Nothing.

'Oh, Robin. What have I done?' She must appear crazy talking out loud to the ghost of her lover who now only exists inside her head, but she doesn't care. She is beyond caring about what anyone in this stupid town or anywhere else thinks about her now.

Maybe it would be better for everyone if they just came for her with their pitchforks. At least if she's dead the evil queen won't be able to hurt anyone else ever again. Besides it's about time she faced the music and paid for all her crimes.

Don't give up yet my love, there is still so much you can do.

Regina just laughs.

The queen doesn't give up just because she has been locked away again. Oh, no. Regina has proven that she can be broken, that evil can triumph over good and win. Now she is done waiting for an opportunity, done looking for some other trigger that can bring Regina crashing down. Because she has already found it. In fact she has had it all along.

Regina is a broken woman after all and some wounds never heal. Some wounds can reopen so easily when just the right amount of pressure is applied…

And what's an evil queen to do but provide that little push?

If there was anywhere for Regina to run to escape her feelings she would. If there was any way for her to overcome her actions she would. If there was any way at all for her to come to terms with and accept all the damage she had done and all the lives she had ruined, she is sure she would have found it by now. Henry had helped for a little while, but Regina can't help but remind herself that whilst Henry was growing up, he was surrounded by an entire town full people she had cursed to never know their true identities. All because of a teenage, doll faced girl.

There is no way past her past. There is no way to hide from it or escape it. But she can't face it either. The evil queen and all her desires for vengeance still sit in the back of her head and they could so easily escape. They already have.

That can't happen. Not again. Regina cannot allow one other person to be hurt by her actions. Maybe StoryBrooke needs another death. Just one more to ensure that any and every other death in the future only occurs from natural causes.

What's that they say about everything happening in threes?

Her heart is pounding, her pulse roaring in her ears. It's not loud enough to drown out the voices in her head though. She can still hear them. The queen laughing. Robin's begging.

'Oh you can't get rid of me that easily Regina, you know that. Don't think I won't stop these foolish actions of yours. Just let me out to play again, you'll see. I'll make it all better, all your problems will go away…Come now dear, don't be silly, we still have so much work to do, you and I…'

Regina no! Please no! Don't just don't please! So many people still need you! I'm still here for you… Regina!

A/N: That is all for now dear readers, don't say I didn't warn that this doesn't have a happy ending. But don't worry it's not over yet! Thank you to everyone who messaged me and asked me to keep this going, I love you all and thank you for the awesome feedback! This was only supposed to be a one-shot but you've really got the creative juices flowing now! As always don't forget to review and I'll see you all next week! Minty xx