I'm back! Sorry for the delay, I've been quite busy. Here's the next chapter..it was both fun and hard to write. I do want to ask you readers, you fans out there if you're enjoying the story. I am at a point where I can either end it soon, or continue with whatever ideas come to me. But I don't want to drag something out if you're all going to get bored. Let me know what you think.

Enjoy

Chapter 20

Regina hated thinking of Emma alone in the hospital. Sure, it was nice to not have someone checking on her every half hour, and not getting pushed out of the bed when Emma would have a nightmare. But that's what made her feel guilty; she wouldn't be there if Emma had a nightmare. The brunette tossed and turned before getting up and moving to a chair, giving up on sleep. She had no idea how all this happened; how did she fall so deeply in love with someone? When did she drop her walls? Oh who was she kidding, the moment she set eyes on Emma, she felt her walls drop. But the savior? Snow White's daughter?

Part of Regina wanted the curse to stay, to let them live this fantasy life forever. But the other part of her, the part that has heard Emma's whimpers in her sleep, seen her eyes full of so much hurt - that...good...part of her wanted to give Emma the mother and father she so desperately longed for. She only hoped their love would stay true. She wasn't dumb - she knew she'd need Emma to protect her from the town.

Regina would by lying if she said she wasn't scared - she was terrified to be truthful. Facing everyone was not something she looked forward to, but at least she could say she took care of them. She didn't let them starve or really punish them that harshly. Well, most of them.

"They'll still hate me." She sighed. Her phone went off and made her jump.

"Emma? Are you okay?"

Emma somehow fell asleep, her mind reeling with everything.

Then she was in the woods, but not the woods here - they felt different. Emma looked different too, she was in a fancy dress and had a small tiara on her head. She looked around and saw Mary Margaret and David. They smiled at her.

"Emma, you found us."

"What? Where are we?"

"We're home, princess. You brought us home. You're the savior just as he said you would be."

Emma was confused. She looked around, feeling panicked.

"Where's Regina?"

Both Snow and David frowned.

"She's set to be hung for her crimes."

"No!"

"Emma, she's the Evil Queen, the reason we weren't with you."

Emma felt like she was punched in the gut.

"That can't be true. I love her."

Snow came over and put her hand on Emma's back. She and David told Emma the story, well their side.

"So you see, we had no choice, Emma." Snow tried to brush Emma's hair back, but Emma moved away.

"You had a choice! You sacrificed me for yourself, for your friends!"

Emma ran, needing to get out, needing to get away. She soon found herself at the palace and came up to a guard. She stood tall, knowing she could use her princess title.

"Take me to Regina!"

The guard looked at her and nodded.

"Yes, Princess Emma."

He lead her down to the dungeons and Emma gasped seeing both Regina and Mal. They looked ragged and weary.

"Let them out. Now!"

The guard looked down.

"I can't, your majesty. Your parents out rank you."

"They're not my parents!"

"I'm sorry."

"Leave us."

The guard left and Emma went to the bars.

"What is going on? Why are you here?" Emma was in tears, she was terrified and confused.

Regina cupped Emma's cheek, her eyes watering.

"My love, don't cry. I'm being punished for what I've done, as it should be."

"No! You and Mal...you both took me in, you both did so much for me. More than anyone ever had."

"And I'm trying to get your parents to let Mal go. She didn't know what I was doing and if they let her go, you'll still have her."

"That's not exactly true. I just couldn't stop you from what you had planned."

Mal was standing next to Regina. She leaned over and kissed Emma's forehead.

"And I'm glad I couldn't. Look what you found." She smiled at Emma. "Call me Maleficent."

Maleficent smiled at Emma before going to the corner to give the two as much privacy as she could.

Emma wiped her eyes and looked at Regina.

"Why did you do it?"

"Emma, I promise I didn't know they would send you away."

"No, no I mean the curse. What was your reason?"

Regina looked into those green eyes - those eyes still so full of pain. Pain she wanted so badly to take away.

"To be happy. I was always a Queen, they added evil to my name. If I wanted to change, which I did, they wouldn't let me. All heros need a villain."

Emma held Regina the best she could, she hated the bars between them.

"I understand. I had many times when I wished I could have a different life. If I had the ability, I'd have done the same thing. We can try as hard as we want, but sometimes, we can't fight what they want us to be."

Regina looked at Emma, seeing the understanding and it warmed her heart.

"Princess, I promise you that I didn't know their plan for you. I would have done something...something to stop it."

Emma kissed Regina's cheek. "I believe you. I forgive you. They did this, not you. Evil is made, and they made you."

Before Regina could reply, the doors swung open and Snow and David came in.

"I knew you'd be here. Emma step away."

Emma held on tighter and glared at David.

"You sent me away in a box! You don't get to tell me what to do!"

Snow sighed and nodded to David who pulled Emma away.

"Don't touch me! Let me go! Get your hands off me!"

Emma kicked and screamed as the guards took her away and Regina was angry.

"You can't let them treat her like that! You have no idea what she's been through. You're traumatizing her!"

"I don't think that's any of your concern, Regina." David nodded to the other guards who put cuffs on Regina and Maleficent and started getting them ready for their punishment.

Emma was taken to her room where Henry sat crying in a crib. The doors closed behind her and Emma looked at him, wiping her tears as she tried to calm down, for his sake.

"Em! Where mommy?"

Emma rushed to Henry who had stopped crying once he saw Emma. She held him close, soothing him as much as herself.

"Mommy will be back."

After getting Henry to fall asleep, Emma slipped out of her room, surprised that her door was not only unlocked, but unguarded. She needed to talk to...her parents. There was no one around, and Emma found that odd. She then noticed a crowd outside and she went to the balcony seeing Regina in the middle of the crowd. Regina saw Emma on the balcony, a beautiful sight in a crowd of such hate. When they asked Regina if she had any last words, she kept her eyes on her princess.

"I do. To my princess, my swan, my Emma."

Everyone followed where Regina's eyes were and saw Emma; the princess crying for her love.

"I didn't know, or even wonder what would happen to you. I promise you that I would have done things differently if I did. You're an amazing woman, Emma, and even if I only got a few months with you, it was enough. Don't stay mad at your parents, you need them, you deserve to have them. I just hope they are everything you ever wanted, my love. Let them in, let them love you. I'm sorry that my curse caused them to send you away. I'm not sorry I met you, and I'm not sorry I love you. Forgive your parents, raise our son, love so much. Never hold back. Never forget my love."

Emma's tears were flowing, as were many spectators who had no idea how Regina had changed.

"I love you, Regina! Please don't let them make you feel Evil! You're misunderstood because no one gave you a chance! No one allowed you to lean on them. Evil isn't born, it's made, and when backed into a corner people lash out. No one will love me like you, and I won't love anyone as much as I..."

Snow gave the signal and Regina hung from the rope. Emma screamed as her heart broke into a thousand pieces.

After a few moments, the blonde realized she was in the hospital. She picked up the phone and called Regina. One ring was all it took.

"Emma? Are you okay?"

Regina listened to the heavy breathing and cradled the phone.

"Baby, just breathe. I'll call Mal to come watch Henry, and I'll be right there."

"No...Just...is it true?"

"Is what true?" Regina had gotten up and was getting dressed.

"That story you told me...when I was...gone...in my coma. Are you the...a...Queen?"

Regina sat. She was in shock. She swallowed and took a breath.

"Emma I...I'm on my way."