A/N: This is it. The last Missed SwanQueen Moment ever … well, depending on how Season 7, Ep 2 pans out, but I suspect this will be the end. Thank you so much for coming on this fun journey with me. Please read the note at the end of this. It's long but important. Love to you all. This chapter is NSFW.

"I'm not telling you to give up, you can't," Regina said. "Emma, you of all people should know there's always a third way." Leading Emma a little way from the group, Regina finally turned to the blonde, arms crossed against the cold of the night. "Remember when you first came to Storybrooke? We hated each other."

"Regina -" Emma tried to interrupt.

"No, it's true," Regina insisted. "I was Henry's mother but you said you were. And we fought." She chuckled. "And boy did we ever fight. But you found a third way. We were both his mother. Earlier today I saw my evil half be selfless. She saved us all. I never saw that coming, just like however you're going to get out of this, we haven't seen yet. But you will."

"Sounds like you're talking about hope," Emma sighed, hands forced deep into her pockets.

"Something you taught me all those years ago when you didn't give up on me."

"What should I do?"

"You'll know when the time comes," Regina assured her.

And she did. When she was battling Gideon, Emma looked past her attacker and caught sight of everyone standing behind, fear etched on each of their faces. She saw Hook, his eyes wide. She saw her parents, her father's arms wrapped protectively around her mother as they watched their first born fight desperately not for her life but for the lives of everyone in Storybrooke. She saw Henry; the internal torment visible as he forced himself not to run forwards and intervene. And she saw Regina.

The brunette was right, as always. They had hated each other. The had fought like anything and in doing so they had caused their son terrible pain. He had poisoned himself in the end, to put a stop to their battles. Even after that, it wasn't until Neverland that the two women had finally put aside their differences, accepted that they both loved Henry, that they could both be his mother, and worked together to get their son back. That had been the moment Emma had realised how thin the line really was between hate and love.

Her eyes locked with Regina's and she knew, instantly, what she had to do. Casting the sword aside, she saw the brunette's gaze widen in surprise as the metal clattered to the ground. Regina was right, again. She really hadn't seen how Emma was going to get out of it.

Stretching her arms wide, she wrenched her eyes from the brunette beauty's pained expression and looked back at Gideon. She could see the despair in his face too. She knew he didn't want to hurt her. She knew that were it not for the Black Fairy, he wouldn't be stood before her, poised to strike. And yet he was. Just before the blade was thrust into her body, Emma looked back towards Regina, taking in the sight of her son and his other mother, wanting theirs to be the last two faces she saw before her life was snuffed out, forever.

The moment Emma's body dropped to the floor and Gideon disappeared into thin air, the group charged forward, screaming the saviour's name. Gathering around her, they all dropped to their knees. Hook pushed past everyone, leaned down at once and pressed his lips against Emma's. Nothing happened. The blonde remained motionless on the ground.

"No," he whispered, voice hoarse. "It should have worked. True love's kiss can bring back the dead, right?" he said, turning to Snow and Charming.

"Ours does," Snow confessed.

"But you share a heart," Hook said. "Does that make it more powerful? Can I put my heart into Emma and then wake her?"

"No," Regina said, quietly but firmly. "Your heart is not the problem. Or rather, the fact that you don't share a heart isn't the problem."

"Then what is?" Hook asked, eyes shining with tears.

"True love can be unrequited," Regina said. "Your love for Emma may be true. She managed to save you from the Underworld because of it but that was because you wanted it badly enough. This, it seems, requires too great a power for whatever it is you share."

"Henry then," Hook said, turning to his new son-in-law. "Henry, your mom loves you and you love her. Can you wake her?"

Henry, whose own eyes were streaming, bent down at once to kiss his mother's forehead. He was shocked to feel how icy cold her skin was beneath his lips. It was like she had been dead for days, not mere minutes. But nothing happened. Her body remained lifeless on the damp street.

"That doesn't mean she didn't love you, Henry," Regina said at once. "You know your mom loved you more than anyone else in the world."

"Then why didn't it work?" Henry asked, turning to his mother.

"I don't know," Regina confessed. "True love isn't exactly my area of expertise, after all."

"It could be."

Hook, Henry and Regina turned to look at Snow, the woman's tear-filled eyes locked knowingly on Regina.

"No," Regina whispered. "It isn't."

"You don't know until you try," Charming pointed out, wiping his own eyes. "For Emma, Regina. Try for Emma."

Regina glanced between the two of them. How had they known? How long had they known? Her gaze slid over to Hook who looked thoroughly confused. Clearly he didn't know. Henry, however, gently reached out and placed his hand on Regina's shoulder.

"They're right, Ma," Henry said. "You don't know until you try."

Looking at her son, who had just watched his other mother sacrifice herself to save the town, she knew what she had to do. Henry shuffled backwards on his knees to make room for his mother who inched forward. She craned her neck, leaned down over the blonde's body. She looked peaceful, Regina thought.

Placing her hands on either side of Emma's head, she allowed her eyes to flutter close as she lowered her face towards the blonde. Their lips brushed together in the softest of kisses, the shock of Emma's cold skin making her pull back. But she knew what she needed to do. She had felt the tingle of magic as soon as there had been contact. She moved closer, pressed her lips more firmly against Emma's just as a pulse of brilliant, white magic shot from between the two women.

Emma's eyes flew open, her lungs sucking in great gulps of air as Regina pulled away, sitting back on her heels with an almost sheepish expression on her face.

"Regina," Emma breathed out, staring up at the woman above her.

"Emma?" Hook said, the hurt voice breaking the tender gaze the women were sharing.

"Killian," Emma said, pushing her aching body up so she was leaning on her hands. "I'm so sorry."

"We got married yesterday," he said, eyes teary again but for a whole different reason. "Why did you ever go through with it?"

"I do love you," Emma protested. "I do. It's just -"

"Regina is your true love," Hook finished, dully. "You're my true love but I'm not yours."

"I'm sorry," Emma said, reaching for the heartbroken man who was already getting to his feet. "Killian, I am sorry."

"No, Emma. Don't," Hook said, moving out of Emma's reach. "Please, just, give me some time, ok?"

The man looked once more at his wife, sat on the floor with Regina knelt close to her side before turning and walking off down the dark street of Storybrooke in the direction of the dock. Emma watched him go for a moment before turning to the woman who had brought her back from the dead.

"So," Emma said, a familiar cocky smile on her face, "finally ready to admit that we're true loves?"

"Seriously?" Regina sighs. "You almost die and you're still able to make a joke."

"I think I did actually die," Emma pointed out. "And isn't it my sense of humour that you love about me?"

"Among other things," Regina said, her eyes softening.

"Um, moms?" Henry said, reminding both women that he was still there.

"Hey kid," Emma said, leaning forward to hug her son. "Sorry for dying on you then. Didn't mean to scare you."

"Yeah, more interested in the other thing that just happened actually. Um, you guys are true loves?"

"Kinda," Emma said with a shrug.

"I knew it!" Henry exclaimed, punching the air as he jumped to his feet. "I totally knew it! The Evil Queen and the Saviour. It's perfect. It makes complete sense."

He launched himself towards the stunned women, wrapping an arm around each of them and causing the little family to tumble backwards onto the ground. Well, onto Emma. Regina didn't mind finding herself pressed once more against the blonde. It had been far too long since she had felt the younger woman's toned body beneath her own. Years, in fact.

"So, how long have you two known?" Regina asked when she had, reluctantly, pushed herself off Emma and stood up to face the Charmings. Henry pulled Emma to her feet as she did so.

"A while," Snow said, a wide grin on her face.

"Yeah, it was pretty obvious, to be honest," David added.

"When did you two work it out?" Henry asked his mothers.

"Neverland," Regina said. "When we moved the moon together with our magic."

"Yeah but she didn't tell me what that meant until we were back here," Emma said, moving to stand beside Regina and slinging an arm around her waist, pressing a soft kiss to the brunette's cheek.

"Well, I was processing," Regina defended. "And at least I told you in the end."

"If you can magically summoning me to your house where you're dressed in the sexiest lingerie I've ever seen telling me, then yeah, you did."

"Ma!" Henry exclaimed. "Did you really do that?"

"I hate you," Regina said to Emma.

The blonde just laughed, kissing Regina on the corner of the mouth and turned back to the group.

"So, where shall we go to celebrate this latest victory of good over evil?" she asked. "Granny's?"

Hours later, after the party had finally wound down, Regina and Emma said goodbye to Snow and David before turning and making their way towards the Mayoral mansion. Henry was ahead of them, head buried in his phone; no doubt texting his girlfriend. The trio entered the house within saying anything. Nothing more needed to be said. This was it now. This was their family. Henry wished his mothers goodnight and made his way to his bedroom.

"Nightcap?" Regina asked as she and Emma shed their coats.

"Sure," the blonde said, "but first."

She moved towards Regina, a predatory look in her eyes. Regina's tongue darted out to wet her lips just as Emma's hands landed on her hips and gently steered the brunette backwards until she bumped softly into the wall. Emma kept moving, pressing their bodies together until, at last, their lips met once more.

This kiss had none of the gentleness of Regina's life-saving one. It was full of hunger and lust and unadulterated desire for one another. Regina moaned as she felt Emma's tongue swipe against her lips, granting access at once as her fingers tangled themselves in Emma's windswept locks. Their hips rocked against one another, fires igniting low in their bellies.

"Let's skip the nightcap," Regina said breathlessly when they broke apart minutes later, her lips still tingling with the sensation of having Emma's mouth on her own. "I can't wait any longer."

Emma stepped back and allowed Regina to lead the way up the stairs. Since that first night, three years ago, it was always Regina who instigated whatever happened between them. Even when Emma had started seeing Hook, there were occasions when the desire had overcome her and the brunette had been unable to stay away. Regina had always known she and Emma were destined to end up together but that didn't make it any easier to commit.

As the two of them stepped into her bedroom, Regina remembered why she had finally plucked up the courage that first night to tell Emma what she believed was between them. She had seen Emma and Hook together, earlier that day. Seen the way the blonde had laughed at something the pirate had said and her gut clenched. She should have been the one to make Emma laugh. She should have been the one to be strolling down the street, hand in hand with the blonde. And she knew full well that she could have all that, if only she confessed to Emma how she felt.

The door closed as Regina's body was pushed against it once more, Emma's mouth hungrily against her own. That night, years ago, when Regina had summoned Emma, she had known the blonde desired her. Emma's attraction to Regina wasn't a secret to anyone. But the younger woman hadn't made a move, hadn't had the courage to tell Regina how she felt. She was waiting for Regina to accept it. Because Emma had felt Regina's eyes lingering on her, had seen the glazed over expression when she had bent down in front of the Mayor, her jeans stretched tight against her ass. Emma knew, she just waited.

They tumbled onto the bed, naked, within minutes. Just like they had done years before. Because the moment Emma had arrived, confused, in the centre of Regina's bedroom, it had taken her mere seconds to realise what was happening. Regina hadn't even needed to say anything, she had just waited for Emma to come to her, their lips finding one another's without words. They had never needed words. It had taken months for Regina to even tell the blonde what she had suspected was between us. And that was also the last night they had spent together, the last time Emma had been unfaithful to Hook.

Regina kissed her way down Emma's quivering body, lips and tongue tasting the familiar skin as she moved to where she knew Emma needed her. The moment she tasted the blonde again, she wondered why she had ever given this up. She knew Emma would have left Hook in a heartbeat back then. They could have had it all; they could have been together for years. Happy. A family. But Regina had got scared. When she had finally voiced her suspicions that the two of them were true loves, she was suddenly reminded of what had happened to everyone else who had ever become involved with her. She couldn't risk that. She couldn't risk Emma.

Her tongue dipped inside the blonde, Emma's back arching off the bed as Regina feasted on her core. She had been scared before, Regina would admit that. Scared of losing Emma, scared of having her heart broken. And so she had let her go, pushed her away, encouraged Emma to go back to Hook, even though it made her heart break a little bit more every time she saw them together. Robin distracted her for a while and then his death had cemented her belief that she was bad news. It had strengthened her resolve never to put Emma in danger. To never allow herself to care so deeply.

Emma's fingernails dug lightly into her scalp as she came, her hips rutting forwards against Regina's mouth as she rode out her orgasm. Lifting her head when the grip finally lessened, Regina knew it was too late. She cared. She cared more than she had ever cared before. She loved. She loved more than she had ever loved before. Except Henry.

Crawling up the panting woman's body, Regina lay atop the blonde, their sweat-slicked skin pressed against one another, Emma's arms coming up to wrap around the slender frame as their lips met, the taste of the blonde's bliss shared on their tongues.

"I love you," Emma mumbled softly.

"I love you too," Regina said. "But please don't die on me again."

"Why not?" Emma said, her fingers now raking up and down the bare skin of Regina's back. "You can just kiss me back to life."

"Because I don't want to live for a moment without you standing beside me," Regina said back. "This is it now, Emma. You and me. Together."

"Together," Emma agreed, kissing the woman softly.

A/N: As I was watching this episode again, in the final montage with that all too brief moment we get of the SwanMills Family I was overcome with a number of incredibly strong emotions. When the camera panned from Emma to Regina I felt not sadness, but a peculiar mixture of love, reverence and disappointment. The first two are easy to explain – I love these characters and am seeking this sort of connection in a relationship in my own life (without the curses, preferably). Onto disappointment. I know some Once fans never saw SwanQueen but I did and I think those of you reading this note will have done too. The writers, deliberately or otherwise, wrote two incredible, powerful and complimentary female characters and I think we were truly cheated out of our SwanQueen happy ending. I never believed ABC would give us what we wanted. A central lesbian storyline was just not on the cards. But the show teased us for six years. It's heart breaking really. Which is why I'm writing this and why I wrote what I did when Jen announced she was leaving the show. I love SwanQueen. I believe in these characters and in their relationship, even if it was never 'canon' on the screen. And so, as we enter the seventh season, without Emma but with Roni (thoughts?), I will continue to create these stories. SwanQueen is what made me start to write. SwanQueen made me believe in my own talent. SwanQueen has inspired me for over two years and will continue to inspire me. This may have been the last Missed SwanQueen Moment but those who create will never stop being inspired by this pairing. The relationship will endure: in fiction, in art, in our hearts. And isn't that what believing in something is all about?