Hello, my friends. Life has again tried to smother me, but here we are. In the meantime, I've graduated college, so that was pretty cool. :) Kept me busy, I hope you can excuse my lack of writing. Anyway, here is the long awaited Chapter 12. Enjoy!


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

She just looked at him, her mouth moving as if she was trying to speak, but no sound came out. He took a tentative step into the room and spoke again. "What did you do to her?" Regina realized now that all the progress they had made was forever ruined. Every 'I love you, Mom', every returned hug, every time he asked for both of his mothers to have dinner with him together, was all for naught. And at this point in time, she couldn't find it within herself to blame him. He had been right about her all along, and her lies had finally caught up to her. She'd face the consequences later. Now, she needed to find a way to wake Emma.

By now, Henry was kneeling next to Emma, turning her head to face him. Tears welled in his own eyes as he looked up at his adoptive mother and asked in a whisper, "Is she dead?"

"Henry," she said calmly, pulling herself together in order to not further worry her son. "I need you to get the phone and call 911 right now."

"Not until you tell me what you did to her," he spat, standing quickly, his small hands balled into fists at his side. She was on edge, and despite her usual ability to keep calm under pressure, she was terrified of losing Emma. She snapped.

"For the love of God, Henry! For once, just do as I ask! I'm trying to save Emma!" Not able to face Henry after losing her temper, she returned to tending to Emma. She reached her hand up to the liquor cabinet and grabbed the napkins from within. She used it to pull tiny pieces of glass from her palm and fingers before wrapping her wounded hand gingerly in the cloth.

Henry, after hearing the panic in his mother's voice, realized that her intentions were most likely as stated: she wished to save Emma. He took a few steps backward, the shock of the situation still weighing heavy on his ten-year-old shoulders, before he turned and sprinted off toward the kitchen to grab the telephone. Once he retrieved it, he quickly called the emergency number he was taught as a youngster and spoke to the 911 operator on the other end, speaking more maturely than any ten-year-old she had ever heard. But she wasn't surprised. He was Regina Mills' boy, after all.

In such a small town, there were few emergencies. Medical personnel arrived at the Mayoral Mansion in minutes, hauling Emma's softly breathing, unconscious body onto the gurney and into the ambulance headed for Storybrooke General. Henry walked with the gurney, holding Emma's limp, cold hand, until the paramedic nudged him out of the way, lifting the gurney into the vehicle, and driving off down the road, sirens blaring. Noticing his mother's absence, he walked back into the house to find her sitting on the floor of her study in the mess of broken glass, cider, and blood, tears streaming down her face. When paramedics arrived, she had stood for a moment to allow them room, explaining that she was in the kitchen pouring a glass of wine when she heard the crash, and that was it. She had no idea why Emma had collapsed. Henry believed otherwise. He wanted to get to the hospital to be with the Sheriff, but he could wait a few moments longer. He wanted answers.

Walking until he was just a few feet from the Mayor, but still out of the mess, he sat down and crossed his legs, folding his hands in his lap. His eyes were watery, but he learned to keep a brave face from his mother, and he held his tears at bay. He waited patiently, listening to his mother sniffle a few times before she finally looked up at him. He could see the change in her. He wasn't going to let this incident change his mind. The Evil Queen wanted to change, and he just needed to give her the opportunity.

"What happened?" he asked.

"It was an accident," she answered softly, the guilt beginning to suffocate her. She couldn't lie to him anymore. Not now that the hospital would be able to find no way to resuscitate her lover until she found a way to wake her from a sleeping curse. But how do you tell your son that he's been right about the lie she's been telling for years? Every time she lied, he looked at her with that puppy dog face and sad eyes, frustrated that no one would believe him about the curse. But he was the only one that really knew the truth. How could she tell him that he has been lied to? How can she then break his heart and tell him the sad, horrible truth that Emma can't be saved? As she struggled to find the words to say, she heard his soft voice speak up again.

"You can tell me. It's not like I don't already know."

She looked up to find him looking at his folded hands in his lap for a long moment. He raised his brown eyes to look at hers, and she saw how calm he was. She had raised him to be so brave. If he can be, so can she.

"Henry," she said, swallowing hard, pausing to catch her breath. "The curse is real. It wasn't your imagination."

He dropped his head, his eyes closed, yet Regina hadn't missed the look of devastation on his face. It's one thing to know the truth for yourself, but to have your mother confirm the lies she's told you for years is something else entirely. She watched with a terrible ache in her chest as a tear fell from his eyes onto his lap. "Honey, I…" she whispered to him, reaching to touch his hand, but he yanked it away, as if her touch was poison.

"Don't touch me," he snapped, the pain so evident in his voice. "Just tell me how we save Emma."

"It's a sleeping curse, Henry." He lifted his head, his tear-filled eyes glaring at her.

"You cursed her?!" he yelled, old habits dying hard as he immediately blamed the Queen again, forgetting that he had earlier promised himself to remember she was trying to change. The hurt was still too new, and Emma still unconscious.

"I know that you won't believe me. And I don't blame you. I've lied to you for so long, and I'm sorry. But please try to trust me just this one time," she pleaded with him, the guilt making her voice sound shaky and strained, "when I tell you that it was an accident. The curse was in cider that she accidentally drank, Henry. I didn't do it on purpose." He shook his head, not sure whether to believe her or not. She had lied for years, made everyone in Storybrooke think he needed therapy, when he was the only able to see the truth. Now he was supposed to believe that the Evil Queen didn't give the one woman who threatened her happiness a sleeping curse? She was cursed with apple cider. It had Evil Queen written all over it.

"I care for her. I wouldn't hurt her."

He furrowed his brow and studied her features, looking for signs of further deceit. But he found none. She was touching the small red stain on the carpet, the sadness so evident that Henry had no choice but to believe her. Her tears were still flowing, and the shaking in her fingers was nearly violent. She breathed in a ragged breath through her mouth, and held it as if it was the last breath she'd take, willing the pain inside of her to stop suffocating her. Remembering how the two women had become good friends over the last several months, despite that they tried to hide it, he sighed reluctantly.

"I believe you," he said, barely above a whisper. Regina perked up, a small glimmer of hope in dark brown eyes. Henry fidgeted with his fingers for a few moments before he looked up and said more confidently, "I believe that you didn't intentionally hurt her."

"Oh, Henry, Sweetie. I'm so sorry. I…" She reached out to touch him, but he pulled his hand away and out of her reach. That wounded look draped over her face once more, but Henry made no move to rectify the situation.

"Not yet," he said softly. "I need more time." Her eyebrows furrowed, but she empathized with how he must be feeling toward her. She couldn't say she blamed him. In fact, she was surprised he was even still in the same room with her. "So, how do we fix this?" he asked, biting his bottom lip nervously.

Regina honestly had no idea where to begin. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, struggling to find words suitable enough to answer him. Emma was cursed with a sleeping curse, and the only known way to break a sleeping curse was for her to kiss her True Love. But who was Emma's True Love? It certainly wasn't the Evil Queen, and she was the only person Emma had been interested in since entering Storybrooke. She had considered lying again, pretending that she knew exactly how to make this all okay, but she couldn't lie to him anymore.

"I really don't know, Henry."

"You said it was a sleeping curse, right?" At Regina's nod, he continued. "Well sleeping curses are broken with True Love's kiss, just like when Prince Charming kissed Snow White." Her stomach turned at the memory, but she was focused on more important issues.

"Emma doesn't have a True Love here. We can't save her that way." She reached out again to comfort him, her motherly instincts driving her actions, but he dodged her touch.

"We have to save her!" he yelled, exasperated. Tears began to roll down his cheeks again. "There has to be another way!" He rushed to his backpack, grabbing his storybook from within. He vigorously flipped through pages, searching desperately for an answer. With each turned page, his heart dropped a little more. "There has to be something in here that will explain how this works." He turned a few more pages, the speed with which he was flipping them increasing after each turn. "There just has to be." His mother moved closer, her heart breaking at his desperation. "True Love's kiss can't be the only way. Maybe if we…" His sentence trailed off, no solution presenting itself to him. As he sped through pages, he turned one too quickly, and the edge tore. "No!" He pressed his hands to the edges, attempting to mend it with pure willpower, frantically pressing it back together, only to watch it fall apart again.

"Henry…" Regina said soothingly, reaching her arm out to touch his shoulder.

"We have to fix it!" he yelled frantically. "We have to save Emma!"

She grabbed the book with one hand, gently pulling it from his lap. With the other, she wrapped her arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. He fought against her soft touch for only a moment before he collapsed in her arms, his need for comfort overriding his anger at his mother. He cried into her chest, his tiny shoulders shaking with each sob, his hand grasping at the material of her blouse around her collar. She rubbed his back in soothing circles, her own tears silently sliding down her cheeks and into his hair. She sniffled once, but the sound was unheard over the sound of Henry's sobs. She wiped them away with the back of her hand before nudging Henry's shoulders away from her. She looked him in his tear-filled eyes, cupping his chin gently.

"I'm going to fix this, my sweet prince. I'm going to make this right."

Although she was unsure of how she would do this, the determination and conviction in her voice convinced the boy. He buried his head in her neck, both of his arms wrapped around her. She kissed the side of his head, holding him close for a few moments longer, before she spoke up.

"Okay, I'm going to call Catherine now. And she's going to take you to the hospital." Henry sniffled and wiped his eyes. "You can stay with Emma there. Keep her company until I figure this out."

"What are you going to do?" he asked, wiping his nose with his sleeve.

"I'm going to speak with someone. Someone important. He might know what to do."

[X]

Walking out of the pawn shop, Regina was filled with so many emotions that she was almost numb. She was unable to feel them all at once. Joy and fear, frustration and anxiety, guilt and sorrow, all twisting around inside her stomach, proving to do nothing but make her sick. As she reached for the handle of her car door with a shaking hand, she caught sight of her reflection in the car window. She was shocked by how disheveled she looked. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the tears she had cried on the way to the pawn shop, her mouth had creases she'd never noticed before. But the worst part was that her face looked nearly lifeless. After finally experiencing happiness for the first time in years, she was now feeling so defeated. Her conversation with Rumple kept replaying in her mind.

"And what brings you here, Madame Mayor?" Mr. Gold asked, leaning on his cane behind the counter.

"Cut the act. I know you're awake," she shot back.

"Act? Whatever do you mean?"

"You're awake, Rumple. And I need your help." Even as she asked, she scrunched her nose up in displeasure. She hated asking the imp for help, but saving Emma was more important.

"Ah, so that's why you're here," he said, a large smile splayed across his face. "It must be that time."

"What do you mean? What time?" she snapped, stepping closer to him, placing her hands on the counter. He held a hand up to stop her from coming closer.

"I think you have more pressing matters to attend to. What can I help you with, dearie?"

She hung her head, taking in a deep breath. When she picked it up, she brushed hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "Emma accidentally drank a sleeping curse, and I need to know how to wake her." Rumple began to chuckle, shaking his head as he did so. "And what exactly is so funny?"

"I just find it amusing," he began between laughs, "that the Evil Queen, of all people, doesn't know how to wake someone from a sleeping curse. One would think that you'd at least remember that much. Shall I tell you the story of Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"This isn't funny, imp. True Love's kiss can't wake Emma. I need something else."

"It can't wake Emma? Or you don't want it to?"

"Excuse me?" she questioned.

"If True Love's kiss wakes Emma, your precious curse will break. And you really don't want that now, do you?" Rumple's eyebrow raised, and a knowing smirk crossed his face.

"I don't care about the curse, Rumple. Not anymore." She hung her head for another brief moment before pushing herself away from the counter. "If you're not going to help me, I'll do it myself."

"Ah, but there's your answer, dearie," he said, coming out from behind the counter. Regina stopped walking and turned to face him, her confusion etched on her face. "True Love's kiss will wake Emma, Regina. You're just looking in the wrong places." She began to understand what the old man was saying, but it didn't seem possible. She remained silent as he took a few steps closer. He pointed a finger toward her chest, speaking softer than usual. "You should look at yourself first." Her jaw dropped open and she slowly shook her head.

"Me? Rumple, I don't know what you're talking about. It couldn't possibly be…"

"Fate is a funny thing, Your Majesty. And the Savior is meant to break your curse. I just didn't see it happening this way." Regina was still silently shaking her head, the gravity of the situation hitting her once again. "Now you have to choose, Regina. Wake Emma and break the curse, or choose the curse and lose Emma. It's up to you. But think long and hard about this one, dearie. There are many consequences at stake."

By now, she had arrived at Storybrooke General and was walking through the front doors, her heart racing. Katherine had texted her to inform her of Emma's room number so she would know where to find Henry. As she walked, she seemed almost zombie-like, as if she were simply going through motions, oblivious to all around her. The gasps and scared looks that usually brought a smile to her face had gone unnoticed, and the gasps quickly turned to quiet whispers, discussing the Mayor's uncharacteristically disheveled appearance.

As she approached the room, she saw Katherine sitting on a bench reading a book. She lifted her head to notice Regina and rose from her seat, a look of concern gracing her face. "Madame Mayor, are you okay?" The brunette didn't answer aloud, but slowly nodded her head. "Okay, well Henry is inside with Emma. Mary Margaret and Ruby are in there as well. Mary Margaret said she'd keep an eye on Henry, but I said I'd wait outside for you."

"Thank you," Regina answered. She put a hand gently on Katherine's shoulder and stared into the room for a brief moment.

"Regina, you seem dazed. Are you sure you're okay? Do you need some water or something?"

"No, thank you." She finally made eye contact. "I just have quite a lot on my mind." She looked at Katherine long and hard before saying, "I want you to know something, Katherine." The blonde nodded, signifying that she was paying full attention. Regina continued.

"I want you to know that I really do care about you. You're my only friend here in Storybrooke, and no matter what happens, just know that I have actually grown quite fond of you." Katherine had opened her mouth to respond, but words failed her. Before she could come up with a polite way to express her puzzlement, Regina was walking into the hospital room, leaving her with her thoughts.

As she entered the room, she saw Henry sitting on Emma's right closer to the far wall. Mary Margaret was at the foot of the bed, holding the railing, Ruby at her side. When her presence was noticed, Mary Margaret and Ruby both looked completely caught off guard by her entrance in the room, having expected Emma's room to be the last place they'd see the Mayor.

"Oh, Madame Mayor. What are you doing here?" Mary Margaret asked, immediately stepping further away from the door and closer to the wall, Ruby close to follow.

"I'm here to see Emma," she said matter-of-factly. But her tone was missing its usual bite when addressing the school teacher, and the two friends exchanged curious glances.

Regina had yet to really look at the pair. Her focus was on the sleeping blonde in the hospital bed that she had grown to love. She looked so peaceful lying there, as if she didn't have a single problem in the whole world. She observed that her breathing was slow and shallow, nearly non-existent. The monitor in the corner was beeping slowly, signifying that Emma's heartrate was a below an average pace. Regina sighed heavily and turned to Henry.

"Hi, sweetie," she said kindly, a warm, small smile crossing her face. He gave her an awkward and forced smile in return, his hurt feelings still too new.

"May I have the room please?" she asked, addressing the others. Mary Margaret silently nodded and moved to leave, but Ruby stayed and leaned a hand against the bed.

"You're not gonna hurt her, are you?" she asked, the accusation blatant.

"Ruby!" the teacher exclaimed, smacking her arm with the back of her hand. She moved past her, hoping to squeeze out of the room before the hot-tempered Mayor tore into the sexy waitress, but the response was quick and simple.

"No, I won't hurt her."

Mary Margaret stopped in her tracks and turned to face the brunette standing beside the bed. She was acting so odd, and her uncharacteristic behavior had peaked her interest. She observed for a moment, and the Mayor turned and placed a hand on the edge of the bed without touching the sleeping woman. Her whisper was barely audible, but Mary Margaret could have sworn she heard, "I'd never hurt Emma."

Ruby stood staring obviously, her brow furrowed in curiosity. The teacher grabbed her arm gently and tugged her toward the door, giving Regina and Henry some space. She paused for a moment, trying to see more of why Regina was acting so strangely, but then reluctantly followed her friend out the door to the bench down the hallway.

After waiting for the others to be out of earshot, Henry said, "Did you find a way to help her?" Regina sighed heavily. Walking to the other side of the room, she kneeled in front of Henry to be eyelevel with the boy sitting in the chair.

"Henry, I want to be honest with you from now on, okay? No more lying." He slowly nodded his head. "I think that I may have found a way to help Emma." The excitement was evident on his face, but she continued. "But I can't promise you that it will work." And then there was the disappointment again. She gently placed her hands on his knees, and he didn't pull away as he had earlier. She smiled warmly at him. "I'm going to do my best to wake Emma, but I need you to be prepared for what will happen if this works." He seemed confused, and she sighed heavily once again. It was hard enough for her to accept the consequences for herself, let alone knowing what she was about to put her son through. She covered his hand with hers and rubbed her thumb over the back of his, as she had done so many times before.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to explain this as best I can, and when I finish, you can ask whatever questions you still have, okay?" He nodded again. "Good boy. Now, I'm going to kiss Emma in order to wake her. But if this works like Mr. Gold thinks it will, the curse is going to break."

"I knew Emma would be the one to break the curse!" he shouted, unable to contain his excitement. Regina smiled at him, but the smile was undeniably sad.

"Yes, Henry. Emma is the Savior." He wiggled in his seat, the excitement of it all preventing him from sitting still. And then he realized.

"Wait, you are going to kiss Emma? I thought it had to be True Love?"

"Well, you see. The curse wasn't the only thing that I was lying about, Henry. Emma and I have been seeing each other romantically. But we both found it best to keep it a secret until we were sure that a relationship was something that we both wanted." The boy's brow furrowed as he tried to understand why hiding their relationship was so important. "We thought that a big change like this in your life would be one that we didn't want to make unless we were sure that we wouldn't have to change it again, at least not for a while. We didn't want to disappoint you." He nodded his head.

"So, you love Emma?"

Regina looked him in his eyes and found no accusations or disbelief. Just a simple question from a curious boy. She smiled before she answered.

"Yes, I love her. Very much so."

Henry stared at his hands in concentration, trying to wrap his head around all the new information he'd been given. She gave him a few moments to process his thoughts before she continued to the most difficult part.

"Now, if the kiss works and the curse breaks, there are going to be a lot of people that will be very angry with me."

"Like Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"Yes, like Snow and Charming." She sighed. "And the rest of the townspeople that I cursed." She paused, trying to choose her next words wisely. "Henry, I'm going to be punished for my actions. And what the means yet, I'm not sure. But I want you to be prepared for me to be gone for a little while. Maybe even a long time." He stayed quiet, but she could see a small hint of sadness on the boy's face. He was just still so angry and hurt. "You will probably stay with Emma for a while."

"Well then won't I see you at Emma's loft?"

"No, sweetie. I don't think so. I don't think Emma will be wanting to see me for a long time."

"But she's the Savior. Her heart is good. She'll forgive you." She smiled at his naivety, but shook her head gently.

"No, I don't think so. And even if she does miraculously forgive me, I think I'm going to be sent away for quite some time."

"Like jail?" he asked, frightened. She sighed.

"Yes, something like that."

A heavy silence filled the room, and Regina relished in these last moments with her son. She continued to rub her thumb over the back of his hand, and did her best to comfort him. For a moment, she believed this was the last contact she'd have with her son. But before she knew it, Henry was throwing himself in her arms.

"I know that I said I was mad at you, but I'm sorry. I don't want you to go to away, Mom." He cried on her shoulder, and she wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding him close. She rubbed one hand on his back, and used the other to hold his head close to her neck. Tears streamed down her own cheeks and she shushed him gently, comforting him.

"Now now, my sweet prince. There's no need to be sorry. You're allowed to still be angry with me. I hurt you, and being upset with me is a natural response to that. You don't have to be sorry for feeling that way, okay?" He pulled is head back and sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. Regina reached a tissue from the bedside table and handed it to him, still rubbing a hand along his back while he blew his nose.

She wiped her own tears before she put her finger under his chin and lifted it to face her. "I want you to listen to me, okay? I want you to learn from this. Learn from my mistakes." He nodded his head and wiped his running nose again. "All actions have consequences. And my selfish wants back in the Enchanted Forest all those years ago are catching up with me now. I have to pay for my mistakes, Henry. And that means losing everything I love." Tears welled in his eyes again, and she wiped them away with her thumb, more of her own tears caught in her throat as she said, "I'm sorry, Henry. I'm sorry that I've hurt you."

"It's okay, Mom," he said through more tears. "You've changed. I couldn't see it before, but I know now. You're not the Evil Queen anymore."

"No, baby. I'm not." He smiled, but she continued. "But the former queen still has to pay for her mistakes. And I'm afraid that it took me a little too long to realize how wrong I was." He frowned, and she rubbed his forehead, pretending to get rid of his frowning wrinkles. He giggled softly, and she smiled warmly at him.

"All I ask is that you remember how much I love you." He stared at her intently, studying her face in case it was the last time he'd ever see her. With tears in his eyes, he answered her.

"I love you too, Mom."

She slid him from her lap back onto the floor where he stood. She leveled herself with him again and kissed him softly on the forehead. She then stood and rubbed the back of his head affectionately before she said, "Now, go ahead back out there with Katherine. I don't want you in here in case something goes wrong."

He nodded and walked toward the door. When he reached the threshold, he paused briefly to look back at his mother, the sadness evident across his features, before he hung his head and walked into the hallway.

Once he was through the door, she collapsed into the chair and sobbed. She felt the pain in her chest, as if someone had taken her heart from within her and was squeezing it tightly in their fist. She sobbed so violently that she almost couldn't catch her breath. She felt the bile snaking its way up her throat, threatening to spill from her mouth at any moment. She'd lost her son, her little pride and joy, all for revenge. She never meant for this to happen. She never meant for her little boy to have to feel the weight of his mother's sins. He had forgiven her. He loved her again, and they had been spending so much quality time together these last few months. And right when she thought she had him back, she lost him for good. Snow and Charming would probably have her executed outside of Town Hall, and her son would be left without his mother. At least he would have Emma, his other mother, and that left her with some comfort.

After some time, she pulled herself together, wiping her tears with a tissue. The pain in her chest and the shaking in her hands remained, but she dragged herself out of the chair. She walked to the edge of the bed, tugging the chair behind her. When she was close enough, she put the chair beneath her and sat down. She reached for Emma's hand, feeling how cold the pale skin was beneath her own warm skin.

"And then there's you," she said softly to the sleeping blonde. She rubbed her thumb across the back of her hand, just as she did Henry's. "I'm going to lose you before I ever really had you." She allowed her hand to travel further up Emma's arm, softly brushing her fingers against her forearm, the machine behind them signaling that her heartrate was getting slower.

"I really hated you when you first arrived here, Miss Swan. So passionately I despised you. But simultaneously, you intrigued me. I knew so much, and yet so little. You poked and prodded me in ways that no one else ever dared to. I fought with you constantly. But then," she brushed her fingers up her forearm and then back down toward her hand, "you decided to be the bigger person." She intertwined their fingers and held her hand close to her chest. "You put Henry before everything else, and it was in that moment that I realized that life is more than just battles of wits and revenge. There is so much love in the world, even in the most unexpected of places." She moved her chair closer to the edge of the bed, bringing cold pale fingers to her lips. She kissed them gently, one by one.

"You never gave up on me. I fought my feelings for you. I tried with everything in me to keep them at bay. But that stubborn Charming blood in you runs deep. And as much as it pains me to say it, I love that about you. You never give up." She kissed the palm of her hand, letting her eyes flutter closed, breathing in the scent of vanilla and the original scent of Emma one last time.

She rested her lover's hand back on the bed before rising from her seat. She leaned over Emma's sleeping figure, holding her weight up with a hand placed beside Emma's head. She used her other hand to softly brush her hair away from her face. She smiled down at her sleeping girlfriend, a tear rolling down her cheek. She whispered, "I can only hope that you don't give up on me now." Leaning in until she was a breath away from soft pink lips, she said quietly, "I love you, Emma."

Gripping the sheets beneath her hand, she prepared herself for a blast as she pressed her lips firmly against Emma's. But instead of an explosion, there was a gentle breeze and a bright light. Her body was filled with warmth, but her hair was blown back by the wind that entered the room, despite the closed windows. She felt a tingling sensation start in her lips and spread to warm her cheeks. From there it spread like wildfire, reaching the tips of her fingers and toes, enveloping her in comfort.

Pulling away, she heard a small gasp from below her as Emma's eyes opened, green eyes finding brown. She smiled so widely, she was sure it would split her face in two. Emma touched her cheek softly, blinking to adjust to the change in light. She wiped away the tears streaming down Regina's face, her confusion etched in her eyebrows.

"Regina, baby. Don't cry. What's wrong?" The brunette shook her head, knowing it was only a matter of minutes before all hell broke loose. "Is this a hospital? Why am I in the…."

"I love you, Emma Swan."

The smile that overtook Emma's face in that moment was one of sheer joy and happiness. Her eyes had a certain sparkle to them, one that Regina had never seen before. She placed her own hand on the one on her cheek and closed her eyes, but she felt a gentle tug pulling her down and back toward the bed. Emma pulled her in for another kiss, before she whispered, "I love you too, Regina Mills."

The gentle kiss was suddenly filled with more passion as Regina took all that Emma was willing to give her. She wove her hands through blonde silk, holding her close. She snaked her tongue into her mouth, a small whimper escaping Emma's lips as she welcomed her lover fully. The kiss ended as quickly as it had begun, leaving both women panting and breathless. They rested their foreheads together, catching their breath and relishing in each other's company, when the door slammed open, and someone came running in.

"Regina, get away from my daughter!"

Regina tensed immediately, but she obeyed silently, releasing her hold on Emma and stepping a few feet away from the bed. Emma began to sit up, attempting to explain.

"No, Mary Margaret. It's fine! We're to…. I'm sorry, your what?"

Mary Margaret turned her attention from the Mayor to the confused blonde in bed. She smiled warmly at her, a look of relief on her face. Standing at the end of the bed, she touched Emma's foot through her blanket, resting her hand on it as if to assure herself that this was real. Tears welled in her eyes as she spoke.

"My daughter. You are my daughter, Emma."

Emma blinked slowly, her mouth slightly agape. Her palms started to sweat, and she felt an uneasiness in her stomach that she didn't believe was related to her hospital stay.

"I can't be," she stated firmly. "That's impossible. It doesn't make any sense. Now you sound like Henry."

"But Henry is right," the school teacher answered. "Magic is real. The curse is real. It's all true." Emma shook her head, refusing to believe such nonsense.

"Regina," she said, addressing her girlfriend, quietly standing off the side of her bed. "Tell her to stop saying stuff like this. Tell her it's not true."

Regina slammed her eyes closed once more, a small quiet choking sound escaping her throat as she tried to keep herself from crying. Despite her best efforts, more tears began to fall, but she wiped them quickly. She inhaled deeply through her nose, exhaling it slowly out her mouth. She raised her eyes once more to meet those of her lover before speaking.

"It is true, Emma." Her mouth fell open once more as Regina continued to speak. "Henry is correct. Magic is real. And Mary Margaret is your mother."

Emma ran a hand down her face, processing what she had been told, the sweat on her palms only mingling with the sweat now shining on her forehead and cheeks. Her fingers were shaking, and she felt a fuzziness in her head that she only felt in times of extreme anxiety. It felt as though her brain was on a radio station that wasn't quite clear, and only some information could come through. She was reminded of every time that Henry had told her magic was real, simultaneously reminding her of every time that she had told him it wasn't. He insisted that…

"Oh god," she said, dropping her hand from her face. "That means that…." She couldn't say it aloud. That would make it real. That would solidify the betrayal she felt seeping into the edges of her heart. She felt the acid rising in her throat as she looked at Regina, who by now had tears streaming down her face. Her bottom lip was tucked in between her teeth, struggling to stave off the sobs that were threating to wrack her body at any moment. This was the moment she would truly lose it all.

"That means that you're the Evil Queen."

Regina never moved. She didn't deny or confirm the accusation. She didn't even flinch. The silence in the room was deafening, and Emma felt like she would lose her mind at any moment. All of this was so overwhelming. Things she believed to be just fairy tales were not only real but were her life. She was the child of Snow White and Prince Charming. She went from an orphan to a princess in just moments, and yet she could only focus on one thing. Regina, the one person who had made her feel safe and loved, had lied to her in the worst of ways.

"Regina," she choked out, her own tears forming a lump in her throat. "Say something."

"Yes," she whispered. "I am the Evil Queen."

"Oh my god," Emma choked on her words and the tears fell freely now. She threw her face in her hands, the anger boiling to the surface, smothering out all her other overwhelming feelings. "I trusted you," she said, teeth clenched. Mary Margaret stood quietly observing, lost as to what the connection was between the two women.

"I know," Regina said between tears, "but I never meant…."

"Snow!" Ruby came barging in, hugging her friend tightly. "The curse," she then said, looking around the room. "It's broken." They shared another short embrace before she turned to Regina. "If I were you, Your Majesty, I'd find a place to hide." Regina shook her head, realizing the gravity of the situation. The curse was broken, everyone was awake, and they would most likely want her head on a stake.

"Emma," she said desperately, rushing to the edge of the bed, "No matter what you think, no matter what anyone tells you, I do love you."

The Sheriff only stared at her as Regina backed slowly away from the bed. She wiped a stray tear from her eyes before turning and running down the hallway to safety. Emma watched her leave before turning to Snow standing at the foot of the bed.

"It's true," she said quietly. Snow looked at her with adoration as she slowly stepped closer. She sat on the edge and reached her hands out slowly, cradling her daughter's face in her hands. She began to cry freely now as she pulled Emma into a tight hug.

"You found us," she said through her tears, holding her close to her chest. Emma sat dumbfounded, still so shocked at all that had occurred.

"Grandma?" Henry asked, walking back into the room. Snow laughed, surprised to hear such a title used in her direction, having not known their relation while under the curse.

"Yes, Henry," she said, turning to the boy as he walked to her side of the bed. She pulled him into a hug, never letting her one hand leave Emma's arm. "I suppose so."

"You did it," he said to Emma. "You saved them." His smile split his face in half, and Snow brushed his hair from his forehead.

"She saved all of us," she said proudly, her smile matching Henry's.

Emma moved her mouth slowly, as if she was trying to say words but couldn't think of any to say. She looked dumbfounded at the woman on the bed next to her. She forced a small smile toward Henry, one that faded quickly, before she began to push herself out from underneath the covers.

"Emma, do you want to talk about…. it?"

"What?" she asked, searching the room for her clothes. Snow stood from her side of the bed.

"Us? Your life? Everything?"

"Can we do everything maybe later? With a glass of wine?" she said, finding her bag of clothes on a nearby chair, having been removed by hospital staff. "Or several… bottles," she added under her breath. She stepped into the restroom to change her clothes.

"I know it's a lot to take in," the teacher said, after the Sheriff emerged from behind the door, "and I don't want to push. But I've been waiting for this a long time and…."

"Yeah, so have I," she snapped. "I've thought about this moment my entire life. I've imagine who you might be! But of all the scenarios that I concocted, my parents being…." She paused, struggling to digest all the information that she had been given over the last few minutes. "I just need a little time, that's all." She shrugged, in a manner that suggested she was hoping for some sympathy. This wasn't easy for her to just accept that she was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.

"Snow…" came Red's voice, interrupting the tension. Everyone followed the wolf's gaze out the window, witnessing a commotion. A large group of people was hollering and running down Main Street.

"There you are," Archie said, running into the room. He touched Emma's arm softly. "I need your help." All eyes were on Dr. Hopper as he breathlessly tried to enlist the Sheriff's help. "Dr. Whale has whipped everyone into a frenzy. They're going to Regina's house. They're going to kill her."

At that, Emma was throwing on her shoes and making her way to the door. Henry looked out the window, panicked. "Please help her," he said, turning to his blonde mother. "She's still my mom." All she could do was nod before turning and heading out the door.

"Emma, wait!" Snow called after her.

"I have to help her," she said. She slipped on her jacket and ran her way to Mifflin Street.


I hope this was worth the wait! Please tell me what you think! Reviews really mean the world to me. Thank you! :)