I apologize for the long wait on this chapter! I've been caught up in life's currents, dealing with travels, car troubles, sickness and everything in between. I hope this chapter makes up for it. It's the last step before the Big one. The moment we've all been waiting for. Enjoy!

Regina pulled the bubbling casserole dish from the oven, carefully placing it on a cooling rack. Henry was still upset from the previous night's discussion, but she tried not to let it bother her too much. She understood that he needed time to process his feelings. After all, everything he thought he knew about this place and what was supposed to happen had just been turned upside-down.

It was true that he hadn't lost faith in the town's origins, and his birthmother's destiny; however, the events that took place were far from what he originally anticipated. It was always his assumption that Emma was his ally, the one he needed to convince, and the one who would be rightfully earning the title of Savior. But this reality? The one where it was the Evil Queen taking the hardest of steps? It went against his beliefs. It went against his story.

Regina stared at the oven after turning it off. The last time she used it to make something for the blonde, it was a turnover that ultimately changed just about everything in her life. The lasagna's scent permeated the kitchen, and she caught herself wondering if Emma would even trust to eat the dish. She smiled, though, thinking that the half-starved woman's stomach would trump any trust issues she might have.

Ruby's intentions were kind and genuine, aiding a friend despite all that had transpired. But it was clear that even if the wolf had thought to bring her friend some real food - instead of instant macaroni and cheese, ramen noodles, and oatmeal packets - Emma wouldn't have even known how to cook it anyway. The Savior may be able to break the curse to end all curses, but the brunette knew through Henry that Emma couldn't even prepare a simple meat sauce.

As much as Regina would have liked to think that she was bringing the blonde a hearty meal out of the goodness of her heart, she knew that the food was mostly a cover. She didn't know why she was still coming up with excuses for her visits to the cabin. Perhaps it was the fact that simply dropping by was almost too intimate, too familiar, for her comfort.

Her real intentions for seeing the sheriff again were closely related to what she talked to Henry about the night before: The Curse. More specifically, breaking it. It was a reality she resisted for far too long. Rumple never designed the Curse to last forever. He created it with the intention that it would be broken. She could try and keep it intact, but with Emma's presence, it had become unstable. As much as she hated to admit it, Regina knew that the sooner the Curse broke, the better off things would be. At least...that's what she hoped.

Regina rapped sharply on the weathered door, standing rather rigidly from a combination of nerves and the cold. She gripped the handles of her insulated food bag tightly, her gloved fingers clenching when she heard the telltale thump of Emma's irregular gait.

"Who is it?" came the cautious, muffled voice.

"Regina, dear." The door swung open, and the two women stared at each other. Emma was leaning casually on her cane, decked out in a pair of track pants and a thick, lumpy cardigan. Her hair was scraped back into a ponytail, and it made the thin, red lines down her face more visible.

"I didn't expect to see you back so soon," the blonde remarked, not moving aside to allow Regina entry.

"I can leave, if you so desire." Emma stared at the other woman for a long moment, and then she stepped to the side. The brunette nodded and entered. A fire crackled warmly, filling the air with a satisfying, smoky scent, but there was still a definite chill that stubbornly remained.

Regina set her bag down, and took off her trench coat, revealing a graphite-gray turtleneck underneath and crisply-pressed slacks. She loosened the scarf adorning her neck, but did not remove it. Emma simply stood awkwardly nearby, watching silently. The mayor could feel the pressure of those green eyes on her, and she suppressed a shudder.

"What's in the bag?" the Savior decided to break the ice, and Regina turned around to face her.

"Miss Swan, I do have eyes. You're wasting away, and I've heard that scurvy is quite an unpleasant way to die. I've brought you some real food." She stooped, picking up the bag and heading to the kitchenette.

"Real food, huh? What's this stuff gonna do? Turn me into a goat? Make me mute?"

Regina sighed, closing her eyes. "No. The only thing this will do," she said, pulling the dish from the bag. "Is give you a full stomach." She looked at the blonde, and saw her gaze lingering longingly on the food.

"And your turnover was supposed to be a gesture of good will, and peaceful parting. Look how that turned out," she shot back, wincing. She didn't mean to be so confrontational, but it was like something had control of her mouth.

"You're right. And I have no right to hold your suspicion against you, but I'm not trying to hurt you anymore. Would you be more willing to eat if you were to see me eat it first?"

Emma faltered. "What is it? That you brought?"

"My specialty, dear. It's lasagna." She smiled when the younger woman's eyes flitted down to the dish again.

"Is it still warm?"

"Quite." Regina heard a tiny moan in response. Without waiting for any further response, she pulled out a plate and serving utensils from the bag. She peeled back the foil, and the savory scent of lasagna filled the air. She cut out a healthy helping, plopping the steaming stack of noodles, sauce, cheese and meat onto the plate. She put a fork and knife on it, then held it out to the blonde.

Emma looked at the offering, biting her lip in uncertainty. Regina just smiled softly, holding the dish steady. The moment of indecision stretched on for a moment longer, and then the brunette felt the plate being whisked away. The blonde didn't even bother to sit herself down before digging into the lasagna. A very audible groan of satisfaction slipped out around her mouthful of food.

"There. Nothing bad has happened to you," Regina said with the tone one uses when saying 'I told you so.' Emma rolled her eyes, and made her way to the spindly table, still shoveling food into her mouth. The meal was gone in record time. In fact, Regina had never seen anyone eat that fast before, not even Henry.

"That was...really fucking good, Regina."

"A full stomach makes everything better. How do you feel?"

"Tired," the blonde sighed.

"Is that bad?"

"No, actually. It's kinda nice feeling sleepy for once."

"I take it that you're still sleeping poorly?"

Emma shrugged, not meeting the brunette's eyes. "Yes and no..."

"Meaning?" Regina pressed.

"Meaning that I'm still sleeping like shit most nights...except the nights you're in my fucking dreams." The blonde glanced at her guest, looking for a reaction. However, the mayor just blinked and nodded once.

"I thought as much," she said calmly.

"The fuck does that even mean?" Emma snapped.

"You've mentioned this phenomenon to me before, dear. What happens when I'm in your dreams?"

"You're seriously asking me that right now?"

"Yes."

"I don't understand you," the blonde said, crossing her arms in frustration.

"The feeling is mutual, but it still doesn't answer my question. What happens?"

Emma crossed her arms over her middle more tightly, scowling at a spot on the floor. "Things get...calmer. The people go away, and it's just us. And...and I feel warm again. Why? What's it to you?" she asked defensively.

"And I say nothing in these dreams?"

"No. I mean, before I knew it was you, you used to talk all the time. But nothing I could understand. Just...muffled words. Now you're just kinda there."

"Meaning your subconscious doesn't know what I would say."

"Why would it? I don't really even know you."

"That is, perhaps, for the better."

"Okay, you're just getting more and more cryptic. Care to stop?"

"Miss Swan...Emma...you don't believe in Henry's theory about the curse, do you?" Regina watched the blonde's lips part, and her eyes narrow.

"No. It's total hogwash. I mean, how could I possibly believe in something as ridiculous as that?"

"Indeed. No sane person would. But one finds belief often takes a bit of distance from sanity. That's beside the point, though."

"There's a point?" Emma asked. Regina shot her a look.

"May I ask you a hypothetical question?"

"I suppose," the blonde shrugged.

"What if Henry's idea about the curse was actually real?" the brunette questioned cautiously. "How would you react?"

"I d'know. I guess I'd be kinda shocked."

"No, beyond just the entity of the curse itself. If Henry's right, it would mean that you've found your family. It would mean that you have a higher calling than just a small town sheriff," Regina said intensely.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Emma, what would you do if you found out that you really were the Savior?"

"Uhhh." Emma blinked, completely dumbfounded. "I'd have to break the curse, right? But...I don't want any of that. I don't want to be anybody's hero. More than anything, I just want my life to go back to normal. It's all fucking wrong right now. The last thing I need is to find out I'm some savior."

"Do you never read books? Haven't you ever noticed that the hero rarely wants to be the hero? They are thrust into extraordinary situations, and they either sink or swim. However, a benefit of being the hero means you usually get to swim."

"I'm no hero. I'd sink so fast. Why does any of this even matter to you?"

"And your family?"

"I'm sorry...what?"

"I read his book, and I've heard him talk about this curse, dear. If, hypothetically speaking, it's real, you'd have your family right here. Your parents...they're within spitting distance of you."

"That's nice and all, but again, not real. So there's no point in me fantasizing about parents of mine who aren't real. Seriously, Regina. What the fuck is-"

"What about me?" Regina cut in. Silence fell between them. "What if...what if I really was the Evil Queen?" Mahogany eyes bored into Emma's, and the blonde heard the slight catch in the older woman's voice.

"...I don't know."

"You don't know what, Emma? You don't know if you would hate me? Want to kill me? You don't know if you would do everything in your power to keep Henry from the villain?"

"Regina, I...I don't know. It just...doesn't seem real."

"What, Emma. What doesn't seem real?" There was genuine pleading in Regina's voice, and the blonde found herself squirming with discomfort. Something was wrong, but she couldn't tell what. And the worst part if the entire situation was that she wanted to somehow comfort the woman. She didn't know why it seemed so important, or why the urge felt so strong, but she was determined to quell it.

"You? The Evil Queen?" She drew air quotes around the moniker. "Regina, you know how to throw a punch, and you're definitely no stranger to fighting dirty...but the villain? The woman who tried to kill a girl 'cause she was prettier? It just doesn't seem like...you."

"I thought you didn't know me," Regina pointed out.

"I don't, but that doesn't mean I can't make out your character. You've done some really sketchy shit, like poison me. But...that was 'cause you were trying to hold on to Henry. It wasn't about looks or anything. You were a mother fighting for her child. As fucked up as it all is, that's more human than anything. The bad guy doesn't do that...well, minus the poisoning bit." She looked up at Regina, and was surprised to see tears shining in the woman's eyes.

"You're such a beautiful idiot, Emma!"

Emma's jaw dropped. "I-what, wait? That was kinda mean. I mean...I'm not the brightest, but I'm not a moron. Did you call me beautiful? Why are you crying? Regina, what's going on?" she gibbered, stumbling over her words.

"How can you be so blind, but still see so much?" the older woman said with a fond incredulity. "I will never understand you."

"Regina...seriously. Have you gone crazy or something? You're talking like you kinda believe the kid, and did you really call me beautiful?"

"What if you did believe, Emma? Me aside, what if you did believe in the Curse? You said you would break it. Why?"

"I don't know, Regina! Why the fuck is this so important to you? How would I even break the stupid curse anyway? It's not like there's a manual or anything!"

A deep sigh escaped the mayor's lips. "You read Henry's book." Emma nodded. "Do you remember what the most powerful magic is?"

"Something sappy. Love, right?"

"True Love, Emma. According to the book, True Love can break any curse. It can transcend realms...even time. That's how you would break the Curse, dear."

"That's all well and good, but even if were real, I don't have True Love, or anything. So yeah, it's a good thing it the curse thingy doesn't exist, 'cause then I'd be really screwed."

"Emma Swan," Regina sighed, standing up, and the Savior stood in response, looking unsure at her guest. "You truly are an idiot." She stepped up close to the blonde, right into her personal space. The soft scent of jasmine invaded the sheriff's nostrils, and it actually helped to calm her jangling nerves.

"It's not about who you think your True Love might be," she whispered, placing her hand against the blonde's temple. Emma inhaled sharply, feeling that warmth blossoming from the contact. "It's about what your heart knows." She pressed her palm over the Savior's thudding heart.

Emma literally stopped breathing for a very long moment. The second Regina's hand came in contact with her chest, the most blissful heat tore through her body. The brunette offered a small, knowing smile, and left without another word, carrying her coat out with her. Emma touched her fingers to where Regina's had been mere moments prior, feeling the heat lingering in her skin.

That was pretty good, huh? As always, a heap of credit goes out to my most beloved Beta, Jasmine.