Emma has never been so nervous, she is bouncing on the spot, fidgeting with her hands, considering knocking again. Oh god but what will she say if Regina answers, she hadn't thought that far ahead, damn instincts, before she could berate herself too much the door opened a crack.

'Emma'

'Regina' they say at the same time.

'I'm sorry' Emma said quickly. Regina opened the door a bit more. 'Did you get my message?' Regina nods 'I mean it Regina, Every word, I'm sorry I ran, running is what I do best but i was wrong to, I'm an idiot, I know, you have being saying that since the first time we met and you were right' she is looking all around, wildly trying to explain herself.

Emma's cute when she rambles, Regina thinks, maybe I should stop her before she forgets to breathe. 'Emma!' she says forcefully to get the blonde attention, it works and Emma eyes snap to hers 'would you like to come in, I have a fresh pot of coffee on' Regina offers.

'I'd, yeah, erm, I'd like that, thanks' Regina moves aside, allowing Emma to enter, closing the door before following Regina to the Kitchen. Watching as Regina moves around the kitchen with ease gathering mugs, creamer and sugar, gracefully pouring the coffee out, Emma has never been so turned on by coffee before, she tries to push that to the side, things are going to complicated and messy and someone, probably her, will have a lot of pain and hurt to deal with.

'Emma' Regina starts after they have sat down 'I know this is a lot to take in, trust me, there is so much more you will need to know to have the full picture, but I need to tell the truth about everything and I'm scared that's going to push you and Henry away, so I want to do this at your pace, you and Henry, I mean, I would like for you, both of you, to think about what you want to know, really carefully, there will be things you find out that you won't like and I need you both to be sure you want to know the answer before you ask me anything, and al5ough I do appreciate your gesture in the song it is going to be tested time and time again until you know everything, if we get that far'

I know this is going to take time and effort but I'm willing if she is, this is going to hurt her so much, when she finds out the truth, I hope she doesn't ask. . .

'I want to know about me, my parents' Emma says thoughtfully.

. . . That.

'Emma, are you sure that's where you want to start, I, searching for the right way to say this. 'I'm the reason you were abandoned, I have done some horrible things in my time but that is one of the things I regret the most'

Well this was over before it really began.

'Regina look at Me, I know this is going to get hard, so why start out soft, let's get something that will pain us both out of the way and then we know we can handle what's coming right, I believe in second chances, I have to give you yours, but I need you to know it's going to take time for me to adjust to all this'

She says it with such calm and clarity, she also said 'us' and 'we' a lot, that's a good sign, maybe, hopefully.

'I know it's early but I have a feeling we will need something stronger than coffee for this.' I take the cups to the kitchen and then head to the study to get the whiskey and a couple of glasses, taking a deep breath to steady myself for what's to come. I pour two generous glasses and sit, stealing my emotions and putting on the mayor's facade to protect myself from the inevitable reaction to this truth.

'Well, as you know there was a curse, rumple made it, I enacted it, It was supposed to provide my happy ending while ridding those dimwits of theirs' Emma flinched at that, 'sorry, again habit, at this point Snow was already pregnant and had found out about the curse some way or another, she and charming had formulated a plan to keep their baby, you Emma, safe from the effects of the curse, they had worked with a wood worker but the name, Jepeto and the blue fairy to create a magic wardrobe said to send the traveller somewhere safe, as I enacted the curse I was told of their plans and while the curse was washing over the lands I found myself in their castle, I saw you as you were born, saw the love in their eyes and to be honest I was jealous, I've never had that, that level of love, and you, well you were so small, so innocent, but I was Evil and they were happy, so I played a little game, scared them a little, Charming got you to the wardrobe and the magic worked just as the curse reached the castle, Before it could do its work I' I sighed this isn't going to be fun, 'well I stabbed your father, that's why in this world Charming was in a coma, when we got to storybrooke and there was no baby I assumed the wardrobe had dropped you in another realm and to be honest I forgot all about you, until Henry came here with you in tow, I could feel something shift they day you turned up on my door, but I wasn't sure what it was, until Henry started his theory' and with that I downed my drink and poured another one, downing that too.

Emma was just staring at the fireplace, drink in hand, not touched. She needs time. I know this and I know she would have follow up questions but I wasn't going to push, she will run whatever I do.

'So they sent me away, but if they hadn't, what would the curse have done to me?'

'It wasn't designed to do anything to you Emma, it would have brought you here with everyone else' I'm confused, this was not the reaction I was expecting at all. 'But they would have had to do anything if it wasn't for me you would have grown up with your parents, in a castle, a princess'

Emma scoffed at that 'come on Regina, look at me, I'm no princess, I would have liked being a princess, my point being, no harm would have come to me, if they hadn't put me in the magic box, you were going to take me or kill me?'

I laughed at this, 'Emma please, I was evil not a monster, I wouldn't have hurt an innocent child, I wouldn't have taken you either, I was in place to raise a child'

'So I wasn't in danger, they could have kept me and I would have been here the whole time' she seems lost, standing and running her hands through her hair.

'Emma, I'

'No regina, you said it yourself, they put me in a magic wardrobe with no idea where I was going all to protect me! Come on Regina both of us can see how fucked up that was, yes I gave up Henry to give him a better life but at least I knew he had a home lined up, at least I knew he was going somewhere he was wanted, they just abandoned me with no thought, I was found on the side of a road, in the middle of nowhere, I could have died right there' her emotions had started to overflow, tear making their way down her pale cheeks.

'Emma, They did what they thought was best, it was all my fault, I am the reason they chose to act at all' what am I saying, why am I defending them. I stay seated, knowing sooner or later he brain will hear the truth,

'Regina, you are not to blame for their actions' she comes to crouch in front of me, taking my hands in hers, they are so warm and smooth, I also missed that she was talking to me as I was staring at our joined hands. 'You do not need forgiveness from me, not for this, They do. You did not force their hand, they made a choice, they chose to abandon me, not you, I'm sure there is more to your story, to the reason behind wanting the curse but this part of it is not on you, Regina'