A/N: Hello lovely readers! I know I said like a million years ago that I was almost finished with Chapter 9, so I'm sorry it took forever for me to actually post it! I just moved away from home and into college this past weekend so it's been crazy, and the internet was being ridiculously stupid, so I've had barely any access to wifi since I've gotten here. But I finally got it all figured out so hopefully it's all good now! Thanks so much for being patient!

"Unnffff."

The thin curtains covering Emma's window rustled gently, allowing complicated patterns of buttery sunlight to pool on the wooden floor of the bedroom. The window was set slightly open, letting the natural sounds and smells of the outside world flow inside. Birds chirped excitedly, acting as a gentle wake up call for Emma Swan.

"Nnnnng." She let out another muffled moan from the bed, then finally detached her face from her pillow and opened her eyes, only to squint upon seeing the bright sunlight. She flipped over so that she was lying on her back, and let out a tired sigh, blinking slowly. As grogginess ever-so-slowly ebbed away and she caught up with the living breathing world, she recalled the events from the night before.

When she, Regina, and Henry had finally arrived home, it was extremely late, and contrary to expectation, Snow and Charming had still been awake. Emma had purposely stayed out late, hoping her parents would be fast asleep when they returned, but her efforts were to no avail. They were sitting solemnly in the kitchen when the three of them, still laughing happily, bustled noisily into the apartment.

"Oh..." Emma stopped suddenly upon seeing her parents. "You guys are still up. I... I though you would be asleep."

"We... couldn't sleep," Snow said softly, standing up and facing the new arrivals.

"Emma..." Regina started, stepping forward.

Emma shut her eyes, not wanting to hear Regina's assertions that she should not apologize, that she should just shut herself off from her parents forever. She didn't want that.

Please, Regina. Don't. Please, just don't, she thought. She couldn't handle that right now. Her eyes flickered over to where Regina was standing and to her surprise, the brunette looked empathetic.

"Go on, make up with them." Her voice was soft, and her eyes sincere. Emma opened her mouth, trying not to stare too long at Regina, but surprised by what she heard.

"I'm serious," Regina continued. "I know you want to."

Emma allowed a small smile to appear, then looked up at her parents.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Oh Emma..." Snow cried, and pulled her daughter in for a warm embrace.

"All those awful things I said, I didn't mean them," Emma whimpered into her mother's shoulder. "I felt so bad after I said them, but I just couldn't face you guys, I just couldn't."

Charming stepped forward and joined the hug, wrapping his strong arms around the two women.

"It's okay, Emma," he murmured.

"No, it's not. I hurt you guys."

"We're just happy you came back and apologized," Snow said with a smile, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Me too," Emma smiled.

"Hey, can I get in on this hug?" Henry jumped in, his voice hopeful. They all chuckled and Emma extended her arm out to her son. "Get in here, kid."

He happily ran up to his family and snuggled into the middle, enjoying the love and comfort emanating from the three adults. Regina watched, her mouth smiling but her eyes sad.

It had all worked out just fine, much better than expected, and Emma smiled, hugging her pillow, extremely relieved that she was on good terms with her parents again. As her morning grogginess finally left her, she sat up in bed and cocked her ear.

Was someone crying? Emma looked around the room. Soft sobs could be heard from inside the bedroom, but she could not locate the source.

"Regina?" Emma said tentatively, raising an eyebrow. No answer.

"Regina!" she said again, louder this time.

"What?" Suddenly she was there, right next to Emma's bed. Emma looked up at her searchingly, lines appearing on her forehead. Regina definitely looked like she had been crying. Her eyes were still glassy and wet, not to mention the red rims around them. Her cheeks were blushed with emotion and she was still sniffling.

"What happened?"

"What do you mean what happened? Nothing happened." Regina swiped a hand across her cheek, trying to wipe away all traces of tears.

"Regina." Emma threw the covers off and stood up so that she was face to face with the other woman.

"What." Her voice still showed signs of cracking.

"What happened." Emma's tone was urgent, and worried. Regina sighed and looked out the window, moisture brimming at her eyes once again.

"Where did you go?" Emma tried again. "Regina, whatever it is, I want to help."

"You can't help," Regina whispered.

"Just talk to me. It'll help to get it off your chest." Still, Regina wasn't convinced. "Was it a nightmare? Did you have a bad dream?"

"No," she replied shakily. "I don't sleep, remember?"

"Oh... right." Emma bit her lip, then took a step back, waiting for Regina to tell her whatever made her so inexplicably sad.

"Do you..." Regina paused a moment when her voice came out shakier than she expected. "Do you ever wonder what I do when I'm not with you? When you're asleep?"

"You don't stand creepily over my bed and watch me sleep?" Emma's eyes twinkled, but Regina didn't crack a smile.

"No..."

Emma cocked her head as she thought about it. Where did Regina go when she wasn't with Emma? Granted, she was with her the majority of the time, but when she wasn't, where was she? Emma scratched her head. She had wondered about this very subject a few times, but Regina had brushed it off each time like it was nothing.

"I guess I just figured you go home and... do stuff. Or walk around town. I don't know." Regina raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Haunt the people you hate?" Emma tried again.

This time, Regina did let a small smile tug at her lips. "No," she said. "But we should add that to the list."

"It would be a long list," Emma rolled her eyes. "But okay, enough guessing games. Tell me what's going on."

"I... I don't even know if you'll believe me."

"Regina, I'm seeing the ghost of your dead self. I think I'll believe anything you say."

"Alright..." Regina took a deep breath. "I've been... reliving my life, in a sense."

"Reliving your life?!" Emma's eyes widened. "Do you mean like... time travel?"

"No, nothing like that." Regina shook her head. "It's hard to explain."

"Try," Emma persisted, her green eyes large and imploring.

"Okay, um... I'm kind of traveling back to scenes from my past. I'm not reliving every single thing that happened, just the important parts."

"Like... on purpose?"

"No, of course not. I don't know how it happens or why, but it just... happens. One second I'm here with you, and then when you fall asleep, bam, I'm there. It's like I'm watching it all play out though. I don't watch it from my own perspective, I'm just standing there watching myself do something, or talk to someone."

"Wow," Emma breathed. "How long has this been going on?"

"Ever since the beginning, I guess. Since I died."

"But why didn't you tell me before?"

"I don't know, I didn't think it was a big deal. And I didn't want to worry you."

"Jesus." Emma slowly sat down on the bed, trying to process this new information. "The last memory you... relived, or whatever... it was a really sad one, wasn't it? That's why you were crying."

"...Yes."

Emma's voice softened. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Regina paused. Did she want to talk about it? She wasn't sure. On one hand, it was a memory she had kept hidden deep inside her for years, one that she had tried to forget due to the overwhelming grief it caused. But on the other hand, it might be nice to talk about it, get it off her chest.

She bit her lip and shook her head. Maybe another time. She wasn't ready yet.

"I... I'm sorry, Regina."

"What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything."

"I'm just sorry you have to go through that."

"It's okay," she sighed, looking out the window again.

"What do you think it means?"

"I don't know," Regina murmured, sitting down beside Emma on the bed. "It probably doesn't mean anything."

"It has to mean something," Emma pondered. "I wonder if this is magic's doing, or if it's... something else. The something that's keeping you here."

"I doubt it's magic. I've never heard of anyone using magic to relive scenes from their past. And I certainly wouldn't know how."

"Well, obviously you didn't do it. So someone else did. I wonder who."

"That's if we are assuming it is magic, which I just said it's not."

"Whatever. I'm not ruling it out."

"Emma Swan, you are the most stubborn person I've ever met."

"Thanks." Emma's grin flashed from ear to ear.

"That wasn't a compliment."

"Correction. It wasn't intended to be a compliment. But I took it as a compliment. And subconsciously, you meant it as a compliment, too."

Regina laughed, raising her eyebrows in disbelief. "You're joking, right?"

"Not at all." Emma held her gaze, sitting a mere few inches away from the brunette.

"I think you're forgetting something. You confessed your feelings for me. Not the other way around."

"Well I think you're in denial, Madame Mayor."

"Of what? My feelings for you?" Regina's voice was skeptical and a mocking smile graced her lips.

"You don't want to admit it because you think you have to go, to pass on or whatever. And you don't want the heartbreak."

"Wha..."

"Deny it all you want." Emma's voice grew softer as she leaned in closer to the other woman. They sat side by side on the bed, but Regina's head was turned toward Emma, and Emma's whole torso was turned toward Regina. She leaned in even closer, letting her hand gently brush over Regina's, and smiled, wondering which strong emotion the older woman was experiencing at the moment.

"I know it's true," she whispered. Regina breathed in, feeling Emma's cool breath drift across her own mouth. She parted her lips slightly, just blinking, her tongue seemingly tied up. She physically could not speak as Emma gazed at her, her face inches away, green eyes searching her face.

"I..." Regina stuttered, her voice coming out much dryer than she expected.

"That's what I thought," Emma breathed, smiling victoriously before breaking her gaze and standing up, heading out of the bedroom and toward the bathroom.

Regina sat there on the bed, opening and closing her mouth wordlessly. She was stunned. What had just happened to make her freeze up like that? She put a hand over her heart, which was thumping wildly. She felt uncomfortably warm, and she touched her cheek with the back of her hand, feeling the heat spread quickly on her face.

She shook her head and took a deep breath, trying to steady the erratic beating of her heart. It wasn't true. It couldn't be. Regina closed her eyes, pushing out of her head the fact that Emma Swan was the cause of all these feelings.

"Regina," Emma called from the doorway. Regina quickly turned around at the sound of her voice. Emma was dressed now, her usual jeans and boots on, and was pulling on a jacket, her cell phone in her hand.

"I've gotta go to work." She gestured to her phone.

"Okay."

"Are you... I mean, are the memories gonna start up again if I leave?"

"Um... yes. Yes, they are." Regina stood up, regaining her composure.

"Wow. So... every time you're not with me, that's when it happens?"

"Why do you think I've been following you around?" Regina replied with a dry smile.

"You could come with me, if you want. I mean... it's not like there's much for me to do, I'm not that busy."

"I don't doubt it." Regina pursed her lips. "However, this... whatever is happening to me... can't just be avoided."

"Well, what happens when you finish reliving your life? What happens when you get up to the point when..." Her voice trailed off.

"I don't know. I guess we'll see."

"Hmm." Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Go to work," Regina said, gesturing with her hand. "I'll be fine. The town needs its sherriff."

"You sure?"

"Yes. Go," she said, smiling to convince her that it was alright.

"Okay," she said reluctantly, suddenly feeling awkward standing there in the doorway of her bedroom. She turned to go, then hesitated, looking back into the room. "How will you... I mean, how do I find you again? If you'll be... wherever you'll be."

"Don't worry," Regina smiled reassuringly. "I have more control when you're awake. I can come back here when I want."

"You can?"

"Yes. When you're sleeping, I'm pretty much stuck until you wake up. But now, it'll be fine."

"Okay. I'll... be at the station."

"All right."

The moment Emma walked out of the room and downstairs, Regina immediately felt the familiar tug, the nagging pull away from reality. She fought it as long as she could, focusing her energy on staying strong, staying right where she was. But the minute she heard the door slam and watched Emma drive away through the window, she could fight it no longer.

She sighed a ragged breath as Emma's small bedroom swam before her eyes and before she knew it, she was in her childhood bedroom. The younger version of herself was lying on her four poster bed, tears streaming silently down her face, staring at the ceiling.

Young Regina gripped a small metal ring in her hands, holding her hands to her mouth to try to muffle her sobs. The tears were relentless, though, and they pooled over her cheeks, dampening her pillows.

"Regina, you must stop this blubbering." Cora, appearing in a puff of purple smoke, pursed her lips and shook her head, looking down at her sobbing daughter.

"Go away, mother," Regina sobbed, turning her body so that her back was facing Cora.

"Daughter, I'm trying to help you, can't you see that? Crying won't do any good. I did you a favor. You must accept that and trust that I am right. Daniel would have just led you down a path of misery."

"Don't say his name." The young girl suddenly sat up, snarling the words through gritted teeth. "You killed him." Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as she spoke the words out loud.

"And now you can marry the king and live a life full of riches and power. That's all I ever wanted for you, Regina. I worked so hard to get you here."

"I don't want that," Regina cried for what felt like the thousandth time. She fell dejectedly back down onto the bed, letting her head hit the pillow with a thud. "I just want Daniel..." she whispered.

"Well you can't have him," Cora said sharply. She walked up to Regina's bed and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to stand up. "Now pull yourself together, you foolish girl, or there will be major consequences." She raised her eyebrows threateningly, then turned and walked away.

"You can't force me to marry the king, Mother!" Regina cried out after her. "I won't do it!"

"Oh, you stupid, stupid girl." Cora turned around in surprise. "I cannot believe you just said that." She glared into Regina's dark brown eyes. Then, all of a sudden, ropes appeared out of nowhere and bound Regina's entire body until she could barely breathe. She gasped and spluttered for air, eyes wide and fearful.

"See?" Cora smiled. "I can force you." She gave a little laugh and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

As soon as the door clicked shut, the ropes binding Regina's arms and legs tightly to her body fell loose and disappeared as soon as they hit the floor. The young girl let out one last sob, letting her arms and legs finally relax. Her face contorted with despair, she examined the welt marks on her limbs that did not, in fact, disappear along with the ropes.

"No..." she whispered, more tears cascading down her face. She shook her head vigorously, in denial of what her future was destined to be. She had no choice in the matter, had no ability to choose what her life was going to look like. And it frustrated her to no end.

Present day Regina watched her younger self express her anger and sadness, her face stony, long-hidden despair and outrage etched within her features. She gritted her teeth, hating this painful reminder of an awful past. No tears fell from Regina's now mature, more experienced eyes. She had done enough crying.

The deep hole in her heart, though... that was unfixable.

Shaking her head from the unpleasant thoughts, Regina decided she wanted out. She had reached a most horrible time in her life to relive, and she had had enough painful memories today. She couldn't handle anything else.

There was, however, the problem of getting back. She had lied to Emma earlier. Coming back when Emma was awake was not easy. It was possible, yes, but extremely difficult. When the sherriff was asleep, though, it was indeed impossible for Regina to get back to the earth until she woke up. For whatever reason, one Regina still did not understand, she could not be in the real world if she was not with an awake Emma. Once Emma fell asleep, or went to a different place, Regina had nothing holding her to the earth. It was as if she lost all gravity when Emma wasn't there. And Regina had no idea why.

"Focus, Regina," she told herself, clenching her fists desperately. She closed her eyes, picturing her home. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes, only to find she was unsuccessful. She was still in her old bedroom, accompanied by a quietly crying young Regina.

"Focus..." she repeated shakily, squeezing her eyes shut, trying with all her might to imagine Storybrooke, her mansion, her son, her town. It wasn't working. Frustrated, she breathed in, biting her lip. All of a sudden, Emma came to her mind. It was an arbitrary thought, but for a reason she couldn't name, she held onto it. She pictured Emma sitting in the sherriff's station, leaning back in her chair, messily eating a donut. She pictured the woman's cascading blonde hair, she pictured her green eyes, she pictured the badge Emma wore so proudly. It all focused sharply in her mind, and it was so effortless.

She opened her eyes. Letting out a small relieved sigh, Regina let a tiny smile grace her lips. It had worked. The scene she was so vividly imagining just seconds ago was now reality. Success felt so good. But not as good as the sound of a certain someone's voice coming from behind her...

"Oh hey Regina."

She twirled around quickly, and the sight of the blonde sherriff sitting haphazardly on the chair with a lazy smile on her face made Regina break out into a huge grin that she couldn't even help if she wanted to.

Yep. She was home.