Hi! I apologize again for the long wait. Life gets busy, but I got this ready for you! Hope you enjoy!

"Mother!"

Cora tore the enchanted heart from his chest, clutching it tightly. Daniel gasped in pain, his mouth gaping open as he collapsed to the floor. Regina yelled as she ran to him, cradling his head in her hands, as she shouted again, "No!" But it was too late. Cora had already crushed it, the dark gray sand sliding through her fingertips. As she held Daniel's lifeless body in her arms, she felt that her own heart was no less crushed than his.

She cried, the warm tears leaving a salty trail down her cheeks as she caressed his face gently with her thumb, whispering his name like a quiet prayer. The barn was silent, her soft voice the only sound heard. A sudden chill overcame her, and she turned to look behind her, wondering where the cool air was coming from. Surveying the room, she saw that the doors were closed, and Mother was gone. She furrowed her brow in confusion, but snapped her head to face forward when she heard another voice.

"Regina."

In front of her stood Daniel surrounded by a gentle white light, a brilliant smile on his face. His clothes were clean and new, and he was a considerable distance from her, but his voice had sounded like he stood directly in front of her. He tilted his head to the side and said her name again, hoping to grab her attention and snap her out of her shocked state.

"Daniel?"

"Yes, my love."

She looked down at her arms where he had previously laid lifeless, and saw that her arms were empty. Looking up at him again, he was significantly closer now. She reached up to touch him, but he was just out of reach and made no attempt to move closer. She sniffled and wiped a tear, unsure of what to do or say, her confusion evident on her face.

"Don't cry, Regina. Everything is all right. Hush now, love. There's no need for tears."

"But I love you!" she cried, taken aback by this apparition's causal attitude. Her lover was gone, taken from her. And his spirit-like being was moving closer, acting as though she had no right to be upset.

"I know," he said calmly, his ghostly fingers brushing against her cheek, leaving behind a trail of goosebumps. Her eyes drifted shut, and she held her breath, willing this small moment to never end. "And I love you. But you need to let me go." Her eyes snapped open again, and she looked at him incredulously.

"What?"

"I love you and I want you to be happy, Regina. I want you to love again." She began to vehemently shake her head, denying his words.

"I could never. I can't." He shook his head in response, smiling gently down at her.

"You have to open your heart and try, Darling." He began to walk away backwards from her as he continued. "I'm free now. Allow yourself to be happy, Sweetheart. Let love back into your heart."

"I'll never find love again," she cried, wiping the tears from her face. "It won't be the same."

"Ah," he said, pausing his walk. "But that's the beauty of it. Every love is different, my dear Regina. We were first loves, and I'll always be here with you. But there is someone else out there that makes you happy, and you are denying yourself the pleasure you truly deserve."

Regina's brow furrowed as she thought about his words, not quite understanding what he meant in the haze of this dream. But everything was made clear when she felt a familiar weight in her arms. She looked down, and there in her arms was her beautiful blonde girlfriend, sleeping soundly.

"Emma," she whispered, as a smile crept across her face. Her heart warmed at the sight of her sleeping lover, and she had the irresistible urge to lean forward and kiss her cheek. She freed her hand from under her lean body and brushed a stray blonde hair from her eyes before pressing her lips ever so gently to her pale cheek. She felt a warmth overcome her, one she'd never experienced before, and she released a tiny gasp, a salty tear running down her cheek. Now she understood what Daniel meant.

Sitting upright in her bed, Regina pressed her hand to her chest and attempted to regulate her breathing, as she had done so many times before. But this time, she had a small smile on her face and butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't sure what to really make of this dream, but she knew that Daniel, or his apparition, or a figment of her imagination, had a valid point. She will always have a special place in her heart for Daniel, and she will always love him. But that doesn't mean there can't be room for more than one love. She did cast the curse to find happiness, didn't she? And it was the curse that brought Emma to her. Resettling herself in bed and wrapping the covers around her snuggly, she decided in that moment that it was time to take down her walls and let Emma in. Tomorrow after school, they'd tell Henry.

[X]

Emma nearly tripped over her own feet rushing out of the station. She had called her deputy to come in early after she received the text from Regina saying that they needed to talk. Although she assured her that there was nothing wrong, Emma feared the worst. She hadn't stopped pacing the office since she got the message, and had gotten nothing done. She made her rounds around town in the patrol car, barely taking note of anything around her. All she could think about was this talk with her girlfriend. When she returned to the station and admitted to herself that she'd get nothing else done until she went to Regina's, she asked her deputy to come in about two hours early. Once he'd agreed to do so, she told the older woman that she'd gotten off early and asked to see her sooner rather than later. When Regina responded that the timing worked out perfectly, she had her jacket on and keys in hand on the way out the door.

Knowing that she should still be on duty had she not moved shifts, she didn't mind leaving her car in front of the mayoral mansion. Instead, she parked right outside the gate and sprinted to the door. She took a moment to collect herself before knocking. She then fidgeted with her fingers behind her back, rocking on her heels, as was her nervous tendency.

Her nerves eased away as she saw the wooden door open to reveal the Mayor, dressed in black slacks and a black vest over a white blouse. Her outfit hugged her form, and her black blazer with the white stripe around the lapel seemed to be a new addition to her outfit. The third button of her blouse strained against her chest, and when she leaned dramatically against the doorframe for a moment, Emma caught a glimpse of her black lace bra. She subconsciously licked her lips thinking about the last time she saw that little number.

Averting her gaze back to Regina's face, she saw a hint of nervousness that, had she not known her well enough by now, might have missed. Her own nerves came creeping back under her skin and she swallowed, pushing some hair behind her ear.

"Come in, Sheriff," Regina said, stepping to the side, allowing the blonde to enter. She sounded as though she spoke with confidence, but there was a small tremor in her voice that Emma didn't think she'd ever heard before. Emma brushed past her and into the foyer before turning around swiftly. She faced her lover as she took off her boots, and then stood nervously at attention, waiting to hear what was so important that they needed to talk about.

"Is everything all right?" Regina asked her.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Emma replied quickly, her jittery hands fumbling in front of her. "You said we needed to talk."

"Yes," she answered calmly, stepping closer toward her. She leaned up and kissed her cheek before placing a hand at the small of her back. "Would you like to take a seat in the kitchen? I'll make some cocoa."

Although her nervous stomach prevented her from having any kind of appetite, she nodded politely and waited to follow Regina into the kitchen. Noticing that Emma was still tense, the older woman gently reached out her hand and intertwined their fingers, needlessly guiding her lover toward the kitchen.

Feeling less like Regina was about to leave her, she sat more comfortably on the stool at the island bar, waiting for her to start the conversation. However, the silence continued, and Emma could feel her shoulders tensing with every passing moment. Finally, Regina spoke up.

"Are you happy?"

"Excuse me?" she asked, furrowing her brow. Regina just nodded her head in her direction, as if the question's deeper meaning was blatantly clear.

"Are you happy? In this relationship, I mean," she clarified, stirring the heating milk on the stove.

"Yes, Regina," she answered confidently. This question she easily knew the answer to. "I'm very happy." She paused only for a moment before asking, "Are you?"

"Yes, dear," she answered fondly, pouring in the chocolate powder, and stirring once more. "I'm also very happy."

"So, um," Emma continued, rubbing anxiously at the back of her neck. "Then what did you want to talk about?"

Regina turned from the counter and handed her the hot chocolate in a warm mug. She walked to the fridge to grab the whipped cream in the aerosol can, spraying a generous amount that normally would have caused the older woman to tell the blonde she ate like a child. Placing the lid back on the nozzle, she grabbed a small shaker of cinnamon from the cabinet and sprinkled some on the white foam. Emma watched with patient fascination as Regina made her favorite drink, despite that the woman often teased her for her sugar consumption. The smile on her face had never wavered, and Emma was becoming even more confused as to what this talk was about.

Smiling, she took a small sip from the mug, the white cream leaving a little mustache across her upper lip. As she raised her hand to wipe it away, Regina intercepted her hand, pressing it back down toward her lap. She brought up her own hand and wiped away the dairy mustache with her thumb, smiling affectionately as she did so. Then she sat down on the stool next to Emma, held her hands with her own, intertwined their fingers on her lap, and sighed contently. She looked down at their hands for a moment, gathering the courage to speak her mind. Emma, realizing that Regina was hiding that she was swallowing her nerves, gave her a silent moment to recollect herself. Finally, she spoke.

"I was thinking that maybe…. Maybe we can tell Henry."

"Tell Henry?" Emma asked with genuine surprise, her eyebrows raised.

"About us," the Mayor clarified, wondering what the blonde was confused about.

"I know," she replied, shaking her head. "I just didn't think that you wanted to tell him until…." She stopped midsentence, the realization dawning on her. Regina was nervous to tell her that she wanted to be honest with Henry because that meant that things were getting serious. She had told her that she didn't want to tell Henry about them until they were both sure that this was what they wanted because they didn't want to split up and end up hurting him. But now, Regina was admitting that this was serious for her. This relationship was something she was sure she wanted, and sharing her feelings is something Regina Mills rarely does. No wonder it was so difficult for her to broach the subject. She wasn't sure if Emma harbored the same feelings.

Emma's smile split her face as she released her hands from Regina's grasp and gently held her face in her hands. Regina released an involuntary sigh of relief at Emma's heartwarming expression. "I'd love to tell Henry about us, Regina. And I've never been more sure of anything in my whole life." She leaned forward and kissed her sweetly, the taste of chocolate and cinnamon making Regina's heart race faster. She was going to be happy with Emma. She was going to see where this whirlwind relationship would take her. She'd get to wake up with her in the mornings and receive an endless number of hot chocolate kisses. She'd see her on her lunch break and look forward to family dinners in the evenings. She was still nervous that something could go wrong, but the potential for all this greatness was all she could think about. As Emma pulled away and rested her forehead against hers, she felt warm breath caress her cheek.

"Regina, I…"

"Yes?"

She pulled away to look into Emma's eyes. Her green eyes seemed to sparkle with mirth as they searched brown ones for something unspoken. She held her gaze for what seemed like forever, hoping to spit out the words she was only able to say when she was sure the Mayor was asleep. Second guessing herself, she convinced herself that she needed more time to be sure that her girlfriend was ready for that confession. Instead, she rubbed her thumb against her cheek.

"I'm really happy that you're happy, Regina. All I want is for you and Henry to be happy." Regina kissed her once more before Emma asked, "But speaking of the kid, when did you want to tell him?"

"Well," she started, biting her lip nervously. "Since you're off work early, I was hoping that maybe we could tell him when he comes home from school?" Emma swallowed thickly. "We don't have to if that's not something that you want. I was just thinking that maybe…"

"Babe, it's fine," Emma reassured her. "I just might need something a little stronger than this," she joked pointing to the hot chocolate. In a few quick gulps, she downed the remnants of the milky liquid before wiping her upper lip, setting the mug back down on the counter. "Got anything stronger?" she asked with a wink. Regina smirked at her.

"Cider is in the study, dear. You know where it is."

Emma rinsed her mug thoroughly before placing it in the top rack of the dishwasher. She then passed Regina, kissing her cheek lovingly, before heading out of the kitchen and into the study to pour herself a strong glass of cider. She wasn't quite prepared to talk to Henry about something as serious and as complicated as his two mothers who supposedly didn't get along actually secretly being together. She loved the kid, but she didn't normally have to do parental things with him. And talking about their relationship status seemed to jump all the way across that line. She just wanted a little something to steel her nerves.

"Do you want a glass too?" she called from the study.

"I'm going to pour myself a glass of wine, but thank you," Regina replied from the kitchen.

"Suit yourself!" she answered back, kneeling in front of the liquor cabinet beside the desk in the study. She pulled out the large tumbler that she had seen on numerous occasions and noted the low level of liquor content in the bottle. She poured the remaining cider into a glass and realized that it was barely half full. "Regina, you're almost out of cid-" She stopped yelling upon finding a smaller bottle that resembled a sort of vial pushed toward the back of the cabinet. "Nevermind! I found more!"

Removing the cork stopper in the top of the bottle, Emma was overwhelmed with the scent of apples. "Damn," she whispered to herself. "This shit is strong." Shaking her head, she poured the contents into her glass, leaving the smaller bottle next to the large tumbler, intending to help Regina fill them later. Swirling the amber liquid around her glass, she raised it to her lips and took a sip.

Regina was in the kitchen pouring herself a glass of wine, when she heard Emma call and say she'd found more cider. She set down the bottle and picked up her own glass, furrowing her brow in thought as she tried to remember why she had two bottles of cider in her study when she could have sworn she only had one. And then she heard the loud crash.

Realization dawned on her and she dropped her own wine, the glass shattering on the kitchen floor. Her face pale, hands shaking, she rushed into the living room to find Emma face down on the carpeted floor of her study. Broken glass was strewn around her, the cider color stain on the floor blending in with the small blood stain from the apparent cuts on Emma's hand.

"No, no, no, no," Regina began whispering to herself as she rushed to Emma's side. "This isn't happening. This can't be happening." She rolled the Sheriff onto her side, calling her name with no response. She checked her pulse, which was still present, but steadily slowing. "Emma, Darling. Please wake up. Say something. Dear god, please say something." She rocked back and forth, holding Emma's unconscious body in her arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she held her, searching the room for the culprit she wished it wasn't. But there, on the top of the liquor cabinet, was the small vial of the sleeping cursed cider that would be her own undoing. Her happiness was in her grasp, quite literally. And now her happiness was unresponsive in her arms, doomed to be asleep forever.

"Emma, I'm so sorry, Sweetheart. I never meant for this to happen," she said to her between tears and sniffles. She pressed her forehead to Emma's feeling only the tiniest wisps of breath against her face as the Sheriff's breathing slowed. "I wanted us to be happy. This wasn't supposed to happen."

Just then, the front door opened and Henry came running in. He stopped dead in his track, looking from his unconscious blonde mother lying on the floor to the brown tear-filled eyes of his brunette mother trying desperately to wake her. He dropped his bag to the floor and stood, mouth open in shock.

"Mom," he said, his voice shaking with nerves, "what did you do?"

Um... Please don't hate me. And if you do, let me know in your reviews or pm me.