The world seemed to stop for a moment. Regina couldn't have possibly saved her life Emma thought. This was a nightmare, all of it, if she could just wake up she'd be back in her Boston apartment with her little cupcake making a silly wish.

"Regina?" Emma looked at the other woman unable to say anything else.

Regina began to come out of her haze and looked down at the wound. This was not the way she thought to die. Death in battle was not unexpected, it was that she had saved Emma knowing full well that she might not clear the blade in time. She had never seen a heroic sacrifice in her future.

"Mom, I'm sorry." Henry pleaded. "I'm so so sorry. I've been terrible. Please… we need you."

"Henry, its ok –"

"No its not, I was a jerk. Can't you use magic to fix it?"

Magic can be used to heal but the greater the wound the more magic and therefore energy it took and she barely had enough energy to have this conversation. Regina just gave a soft smile resigned to her fate.

"Henry, you know I love you right."

"Yes," Henry cried. "I love you too mom."

It had been more than a year since Henry had told her that but even the times he had said it didn't mean as much as it did now, because now he knew who she was and he still said it.

"Henry, can I talk to Miss Swan for minute?"

Henry squeezed his mother's hand then ran toward Snow not allowing himself to cry until his face was pressed against his grandmother's stomach.

Regina lay awkwardly propped on Emma's lap. "Take care of Henry –"

"You're going to be fine Regina." Emma tried to smile.

"Don't be naïve Miss Swan." Regina snapped but regretted it was she saw how broken the blonde looked.

"I can't do this without you."

"You can and you will, you've jumped between worlds, you've slayed a dragon, you stood up to my mother," Regina allowed herself to laugh at that. "You'll be fine."

"Regina I'm scared," Emma admitted. "You're going to leave me aren't you?"

It was strange hearing Emma say those words, Regina wondered if it was intentional since she had asked the same thing of her in that dream world. If she had stayed there she wouldn't be dying now she would have been there with Daniel and a young Snow but she had made a different choice.

"You…," Regina tried to lift herself closer to Emma, "you and Henry… you were my new dream."

Regina closed her eyes and Emma sat the stunned this wasn't real it couldn't be, "Regina!" Emma yelled. There was no reaction, Emma brought her head down closer and whispered, "Regina…please"

The plea was met with silence. Living the life she had she knew the world wasn't a fair place but this went beyond unfair, this was cruel. Why did Regina have to do that? She wanted to hate her. This woman had been a thorn in her side since she'd arrived in Storybrooke but then everything had changed when the curse broke. It changed further still when she'd ended up in Regina's mind, now she couldn't even imagine hating the other woman. All she wanted now was for Regina to be ok. Emma couldn't hold them back any longer and tears began to fall.

Snow and Charming watched the exchange take place. Regina had promised to protect Emma and although Snow was grateful for her daughter's life she was not happy that it was at the expense of her ex stepmother. Charming looked at his daughter similarly thankful and sad. He put a protective hand on his wife's back and his son's shoulder. Even Grumpy, standing with the other dwarves, did not look pleased with the turn of events.

Henry too watched the scene. He didn't fully understand why Emma looked so sad but he saw she was crying just like he was. He watched her tears fall onto his mother's chest and it looked like she was glowing. He rubbed his eyes but the light was still there coming from the wound. Each tear that fell made the light brighter.

"Emma!" Henry called.

Emma looked at Henry who was standing there with his mouth hanging open. She looked back down at Regina and saw what Henry was so transfixed by. There was a very magical glow coming from the pool of tears that had settled on Regina's wound. The glow began to grow brighter and brighter until Emma could no longer look at it.

"Did you know you look like an absolute mess when you cry?" Regina coughed weakly.

"Regina!" Emma exclaimed.

Emma didn't care that she had just been insulted she practically squealed with joy as she pulled the other woman into an embrace. Suddenly she felt the impact of another person joining the hug.

"You saved her." Henry said excitedly.

Neither was sure which one of them he was talking to but it didn't matter, they had saved each other.

OUAT OUAT OUAT

There was a buzz of commotion once Regina had been revived. Granny had offered free drinks all around and no one had refused. Emma and Regina trailed behind the others as they left the castle.

"You know," Emma began "There are probably plenty of people still out to get you."

"Don't remind me."

"You may need a knight again soon enough."

"And you think it's going to be you?"

"Well I don't see too many other candidates lining up for the job."

"I suppose beggars can't be choosers."

"Really Regina" Emma laughed a little. "You need to learn how to be more appreciative. You could say, 'gee thanks Emma, I'm really glad you saved my life."

"This really isn't the time for a heart to –"

"Speaking of hearts, umm can I get mine back."

"I don't know what you're talking about Miss Swan". Regina feigned ignorance but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Regina…"

"Hey Mom, Emma, I'm really hungry can you please hurry up?" Henry ran back over to them.

"Of course dear," Regina began to walk off with Henry.

"I'm not forgetting about this heart thing, seriously your gonna give it back right?" Emma called.

"Miss Swan, we can discuss this later. It had been a long day and our son is hungry." Regina and Henry started walking again.

Emma stood for a moment before jogging after them, the fact that Regina had called Henry their son was not lost on her.

OUAT OUAT OUAT

"How dare you double cross me!" Cora fumed appearing in a puff of smoke accompanied by a sword which embedded itself in the wall.

"What ever do you mean?" Rumple replied in a tone that did nothing to hide his amusement.

"That was supposed curse her into an eternal sleep. "

"And that's exactly what it did." Rumplestiltskin smirked. "Of course, all curses can be broken. It's in the fine print."

The contract appeared and Rumple giggled it the eerie way he did. Cora waved her hand sending a fireball at him but it dissipated on the contract.

"All magic comes with a price and since you have a habit of trying to weasel your way out of our deals, " he snapped his fingers and Cora was magically transformed into an actual weasel. He then picked up the creature whispering in a sinister tone, "And besides the savior still owes me a favour."

A/N OK so that was it what did you guys think? I've got partial bits for three different epilogues to this story and I haven't decided if I should just do one or all since they don't contradict one another and they're set at different times. 1st one is set in like 10 minutes then next a couple months and then years later. I also was trying to think of a story where Emma repays her debt to Gold/Rumple.

Also just something I found interesting in North America, native Americans deemed the weasel to be a bad sign; crossing its path meant a "speedy death" and I think that fits for Cora.