Chapter 8 – All the Small Things

It was a quiet morning. Henry was at Emma's which only meant that Regina had the house to herself. It was quite lonely at the best of times. With its open concept and a rather cold, impersonal interior, Regina rarely if not ever truly felt what others called 'peace' in the silence of her home. The truth was, she simply never had enough people in her home to know the true meaning of peace and quiet. The empty house was always a loud reminder that she didn't really have a family to share it with. There was Henry of course, he would always be her entire world, but she'd just always imagined having large gatherings for things like birthdays, holidays and anything that caused for some sort of celebration. Regina wanted her walls to reflect the memories she'd have created with friends and family, the milestones of her life, instead they were completely vacant. She had hopes of changing that with Robin, but even with his presence, the rooms felt larger than they were. It was only on that one morning, with Henry and Emma, when Regina felt her house become more than the colonial showpiece that it was.

She thought about their last encounter over her now lukewarm coffee. She thought about how open her heart had been, about how fleeting waves of warmth flooded every inch of her. She remembered the permanent smile that stretched wide from cheek to cheek. It was all Regina had imagined it would be, but it was also everything she feared most. She panicked at the thought, all too aware of what might happen if she let Emma further into her heart. Happiness hadn't always been in the cards for Regina. And if it was, her past experiences would prove it to last only for a little while, that is until the universe stripped it away from her. In happiness lies pain; at least that's what her mother would always say.

Regina shuddered. The last thing she wanted was to have the same mindset as her mother. She poured herself another cup of coffee and made her way to the study. If she was going to distract herself, she may as well channel her energy toward finding a way to bring her memory back. It was her own denial and carelessness that caused the spell to backfire in the first place and seeing how much of her life she unintentionally erased, she was going to do everything in her power to set it right again.

She walked to her study in a quick step, eager to burry herself into one of her spell books. She wasn't sure how much research she would be able to do considering the little sleep she managed to get, but surely the coffee would give Regina the boost she needed. She reached for the door to her study and gave it a push. It wouldn't budge. What the hell was going on? She tried again, this time with more force. It opened only slightly, though not nearly wide enough for a person to fit through. It felt like the door had been obstructed by something, or maybe a few things rather. Regina set her coffee down and held the doorknob with both hands. She launched herself into the door with as much force as she could muster. Still nothing. She'd had enough. Regina composed herself, snapped her fingers and disappeared in purple smoke.

As it vanished, the study came into clear view. Regina froze. The room was in shambles. There were books all over the floor, the furniture had been shoved around in what seemed like a violent manner, her chair was toppled over and everything on her desk had been wiped clean off and thrown onto the ground. Regina clenched her fists. Her first thought was that she had been robbed, but everyone in Storybrooke knew her valuables were kept in her vault. There was also the fact that every other room in her house had been left in pristine condition. No, this was personal. Someone was looking for something and they knew right where to find it. Regina snapped her fingers and reappeared in her kitchen. She grabbed her phone and urgently looked through her contacts. And there it was, staring at her dead in the face. Emma's number. She closed her eyes and pressed the call button.

"Regina?" Emma answered quickly. "Everything okay?"

"Not quite. Someone broke into my study last night and completely ransacked the place."

"Just your study?" Emma asked.

"Yes. How fast can that bug of yours get you here?"

"I'll be there in five."

Regina sat on the bottom step of the staircase and watched the door intently. In just under five minutes, a grumbling engine sounded from her street and came to a halt at the front of the house. She waited. Emma's slim yet robust silhouette came into view through the frosted glass at the front entrance. Regina forced herself up and went toward the door. She swung it open.

"Hey, you okay?" Emma asked, approaching the front porch.

Regina sighed. "Honestly, I'm exhausted."

Emma looked at her. "I'm going to find out what happened here and then we'll find a way to get your memory back. You're not alone in this Regina."

It amazed her how Emma knew. She knew from just two words that Regina wasn't just referring to the mess in her study. And though they were nowhere near figuring any of it out, somehow every part of her believed Emma's words. Regina offered a tight smile and nodded. "Right, let's start with the study then. Give me your hand."

Emma gave her a curious look.

"What do you think I'm going to do? Put you in a sleeping curse? There's something in front of the door and it won't open. We need to send ourselves in there using magic and frankly I'm afraid that if we use your magic, you'll accidentally send us up into flames."

"Ha-ha very funny," she said rolling her eyes. "You do realize that everything I know is from what you've taught me, right?"

Regina smirked. She enjoyed the playful banter between them. Though she didn't like to admit it, if this was the kind of dynamic they shared before the memory potion fiasco, Regina could understand why she might have been so fond of her. She held out her hand and Emma's immediately fell into it, their fingers instinctively lacing together. A white glow radiated at the touch. It flickered like a flame that hadn't yet flourished into fire. She leaned in to study the bright light emitting from their hands as it grew.

"Regina, what's going on?"

"I—" Regina frowned and looked closer. "I'm not— "

The light exploded in size and rushed towards her. A sudden surge of warmth shot up Regina's arm, coursing through her entire body in every direction.

"Regina?"

Fleeting images of Emma flashed before her, each different than the last. Moments. She saw Emma holding up a shot with Regina at Granny's, Emma smiling at her in a grand library, Emma crying with her at the town line, the images of her kept changing. As one faded out, a new one faded in. It felt like her mind was going through a photo album, skipping only to the ones taken of Emma. Were these her memories?

"Regina!"

Her voice faded in the distance. The series of images stopped suddenly, this time landing on a specific moment. It played in her mind like a short scene in a film. This was a memory. She felt it burn into her thoughts as she recalled more and more details about the night. They were in front of the clock tower; darkness violently swirled around Regina, holding her captive. She stared at Emma on the other side. The sight of her had been obscured by the arms of evil ready to lure Regina in but from what she could see, Emma looked as though all hope had been stripped from her soul. Regina's chest fell heavier and heavier as the darkness continued to consume her; it was only a matter of time before she'd absorb it all. She forced her eyes open and caught Emma's gaze. She wanted hers to be the last face in her mind before she went completely dark. A final farewell to happiness. But Emma lurched forward, clutching The Dark One's dagger.

"Emma! No!" Regina yelled. "There has to be another way!"

"You've worked too hard to have your happiness destroyed!" Emma yelled back; her voice so thick it barely made it past her throat. She stared at Regina for a moment with teary, bloodshot eyes and nodded reassuringly. Without ever breaking the gaze, she launched herself into the darkness, claiming it for her own.

"Emma!"

Everything when black. Regina fell to the ground.

Her eyes fluttered open, Emma's panicked expression in full view. Regina squinted. Was she home? Or was this yet another memory? She felt Emma's hands slide beneath her, one supporting the back of her head and one at her lower back.

"I got you," Emma said. "Don't sit up just yet, try and relax."

Regina's eyelids grew heavy. She let them fall shut and subtly inched further into Emma's hold.

It was clear to her now. This wasn't a memory; this wasn't her imagination. She was home.


It was nearly lunch time when Regina woke up. She found herself laying on the couch wrapped in several blankets. The image of Emma sacrificing herself was still fresh in her mind, replaying over and over. Regina couldn't believe it. Nothing about the memory made sense. Why Emma? There were other people that night. Snow, David, Hook, Robin…anyone of them could have taken the plunge. Instead, they all stood and watched Regina fade into the darkness. It was Emma who took it upon herself to save her from the fate she had been victim to once before. No one is that selfless. Why had she done it?

Regina sat up and took a deep breath. She brushed her hair back and let her head fall into her arms. There was simply too much to understand.

"I thought I heard some movement in here."

When she looked up, Emma was standing by the entrance to the living room. She wore a light smile, seemingly pleased that Regina was awake.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, making her way towards the couch.

Regina ran her fingers through her hair. "Well rested actually."

And that was the truth. Despite all the questions swarming around her mind and all the confusion it arose, she felt refreshed, as though she had awakened from a deep slumber. Her hour-long nap left her feeling more rested than the seven hours she slept—or tried to at least—the night before.

Emma sat down beside her. "What happened? What was that light?"

"I'm not sure." Regina said. She looked at Emma in wonder, trying to piece together what she'd seen and why it came to her at the simple touch of her hand.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Emma asked.

Regina snapped herself out of her thoughts. She cleared her throat. "Like what?"

"Like you're trying to figure something out. What aren't you telling me?"

"It's nothing."

"Regina, I know you. I know when you're telling the truth and I know when you're lying. Now, what's going on?"

She almost hated Emma's intuition. Regina had spent a lifetime hiding away her thoughts and feelings from anyone and everyone, but Emma saw right through her. It was insufferable yet delightful all at once. No one ever bothered to decipher what truly went on in Regina's head. She looked at Emma with a half-smile, her initial feelings of frustration faded into ones of admiration. "I remembered something. About you."

Emma's eyes widened. "Regina that's amazing!"

"It's a start I suppose. Only, it wasn't a memory I'd have liked to remember."

"What was it?"

The moment played once more in Regina's mind. Tears flung to her eyes. "You…you saved me. Everyone just watched but you, you saved me."

"Saved you from?" Emma's face softened.

"The darkness. But what I can't understand is why." Regina gave Emma a hopeful look. She didn't have to explain further. Emma knew.

"Well…" She looked down, then back up again to meet Regina's gaze. "You worked so hard. Everything you've done to better yourself and those around you, it would've all been for nothing. I wanted you to finally have the happiness you were searching for. The darkness would have taken all that away from you."

The weight of Emma's confession made it hard for her breathe. She took a moment to process it all, her eyes never leaving Emma's. Regina couldn't for the life of her understand what made her deserve such a sacrifice. She never really thought herself as deserving of anything really, and yet here was this woman, sitting on her couch, ready to sacrifice everything for her. She leaned forward. "You stepped into a life altering—potentially life treating—position so that I can be happy?"

"Well, yea," Emma said softly.

Regina knew of no other way to respond than to just stare into Emma's eyes. She was at a loss for words. She thought of Robin. He had also sacrificed himself for Regina, and his heroic save cost him his life. She'd never undervalue his actions; in fact, nothing could describe the kind of gratitude she holds for him. But there was something different with Emma. Something she didn't feel with Robin. She couldn't pinpoint it just yet, but she knew, she felt it. All her life she'd pictured her knight in shinning armour to be a man. That's what she'd been told to expect. Never did she envision her saviour to be a woman, to be Emma. Regina smiled.

They sat in a comfortable silence. She couldn't speak, but from Emma's reassuring gaze, Regina understood that she didn't have to. She felt Emma's hand fall over Regina's thigh, sending small sparks of fire through her chest. Her heart raced, beating with such a pace, Regina was surprised it hadn't come to a complete halt. Her body disobeyed her in every possible way. Her shoulders fell, the barricades around her came crashing down. Everything she'd built to protect herself completely vanished as Emma looked at her. Regina was no longer in control. Her body took command. She felt herself drift towards Emma, as though she was being tugged by an invisible string, as though they both were, a force of gravity pulling them together. It was out of their hands. Regina fell into the pull until the tips of their noses met. Emma' s eyes radiated into hers. Her soft breath grazed over Regina's lips. She swallowed hard, trying to push down the desperate desire to immerse herself in everything that was Emma.

But was it so wrong to just give in? To let herself be steered by something other than herself? To ignore the incessant fear that came with the possibility of happiness? Maybe it was time for her to stop making such calculated decisions and finally let her heart take the reins. It was clear to her now that happiness hadn't been in the cards for her simply because she had never dealt them in the first place. She'd never been brave enough. Until today.

Without a second thought, Regina plunged into the unknown. She wrapped her arms around Emma's neck and pulled her in. Their lips met. The sparks in Regina's core erupted from a flicker to a flame. It consumed her. And suddenly the unknown hadn't felt so terrifying. For the first time, her body felt like it was right where it needed to be, the rest didn't matter. Regina found comfort in the unfamiliar, in the way Emma's lips tugged harder at her own. She moved into the kiss, pulling Regina closer as if the not existent gap between them hadn't been diminished enough. With thick, luscious curls now laced between her fingers, Regina kissed harder. She felt dizzy under Emma's touch, intoxicated by the sweet smell of sunrise on a cool, crisp morning that seemed to emanate from her skin. Everything about this was new, yet her body melted into Emma's as if it had found its way home.

Until home had escaped her and dissolved into hazy images of a past she couldn't remember. Regina became dizzy with another reel of memories that flashed before her, each one moving quicker than the last. Finally, she saw Emma. Not Emma as she was, there in her home, holding Regina with all her might, but a broken one. She saw an Emma with swollen eyes and tears running down her cheeks.

There was an urgency in the air as green clouds of smoke overruled the sky. Pan's curse roared in the distance, storming through the streets of Storybrooke. They didn't have much time. In a few minutes, the entire town and everyone in it would cease to exist. Countering the curse wasn't difficult, Regina could do that with ease, the problem was the price that came with it. She had to say goodbye to the thing she loved most.

They gathered at the town line. Regina walked over to Emma, pulling her aside. "Emma, there's something I haven't told you."

Emma sighed. "What now?"

"When the curse washes over us, it will send us all back. Nothing will be left behind…including your memories. It's just what the curse does." Regina paused, trying to contain the gravity of it all. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath before looking up at Emma. "Storybrooke will no longer exist, it won't ever have existed. So, these last years will be gone from both your memories, and we just go back to being stories again."

Emma's face fell. "What will happen to us?"

"I don't know."

"That doesn't sound much like a happy ending."

Regina swallowed the painful sobs balling up at the back of her throat. "It's not…but I can give you one."

"You can preserve our memories?"

"No." Regina shook her head. "I can do what I did to everyone else in this town and give you new ones."

"You cursed them," Emma pointed out. "They were miserable."

"They didn't have to be."

Regina looked into Emma's eyes. They reflected more than just affliction. In them she saw admiration, a devotion so strong that Regina knew this wouldn't be the end. Emma would find her way back and they'd be a family again. Though the pang in her chest made it hard for her to breathe, the gleam in Emma's eyes let her know that this wasn't goodbye. This would never be goodbye.

A tear rolled down Regina's cheek. She smiled lightly, taking Emma's hand into her own. "My gift to you is good memories, a good life for you and Henry. You'll have never given him up, you'll have always been together."

"You would do that?"

Regina nodded, holding Emma's hand tighter. "When I stop Pan's curse and you cross that town line, you will have the life you always wanted."

She watched Emma and Henry reluctantly drive over the town line as Pan's curse approached in a thundering rage. Regina's chest felt more vacant as they drove further away, as though they had ripped out her heart and taken it with them. Bits of her peeled away like petals falling from a dying rose. A hole had been shot through her with such blunt force, a pain so sharp it numbed her. She felt nothing. And she'd no longer feel anything until Emma and Henry returned.

Emma's yellow bug vanished into purple smoke. The town line and everyone around faded to black, lifting from Regina's mind like she had been coming out of a dream. She returned to reality, to Emma's lips which were still pressed firmly against hers.

There was a heavy banging at the front door. Regina's eyes shot open as they hastily broke from the kiss. She snapped her gaze towards the door in panic, frantically trying to control her rapid breathing. The banging got louder and sounded more urgent. Regina bolted to the door, leaving Emma frozen on the couch seemingly trying to process everything.

"Swan!" A man yelled from outside. "I know you're in there!"

Regina quickly turned towards Emma whose face had gone from mystified to apprehensive in a matter of seconds. She reluctantly rose from the couch.

The man outside knocked harder. Emma looked at Regina.

"I'm sorry," she mouthed.

Emma opened the door and Hook forced his way in, the strong stench of rum oozing from his clothes. Regina stepped forward. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Hook inched closer to Regina, pointing his hook in her face. He let out a sarcastic laugh before turning to Emma. "Well, well, well…"

Emma reached for him. "Hook, please. It's not—"

He whisked her arm away. "I've been home, sulking about the house, thinking about how I've let go of the one person who makes me feel whole. I've regretted every moment spent without you and yet here you are, finding solace in the arms of the Evil Queen."

Regina clenched her fists. "Watch it."

"This doesn't concern you," Hook warns.

"The hell it doesn't," Regina snaps. "Need I remind you that you're in my house?"

Emma stepped between them, facing Hook. "Hook look at me. I came to Regina's so that—"

Hook laughed. "Swan, in all the years I've known you, you've used up every possible excuse to be with Regina and I for one, am no longer interested in hearing more. You always find a reason for her, but when have you found a reason for me? For us?"

Hook's demeanor softened; the anger had washed away. Regina looked at Emma, who averted everyone's gaze. She looked defeated. Emma had briefly mentioned her relationship with Hook and their rocky path, but Regina never imagined that she was a key part of why they had split up. Emma had conveniently left that part out.

Emma finally looked up. "You're right. I've been so focused on Regina and her happiness, that I haven't been there for you or for us. I guess I kind of put our relationship on hold."

"The thing is Swan, I'm not some worthless rag you can just cast aside whenever you please."

"I know that."

"It doesn't seem like you do."

A tear fell down Emma's cheek. "Why did you come here?"

"My heart couldn't bare the absence of you any longer, so I came to the first place I knew you'd be. I was hoping I'd be wrong."

"I'm sorry, Killian."

He put on a smug smile. "No Swan, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ever let myself be a pawn in your silly game. I deserve more than this, whatever it is. And I think you deserve more than to keep lying to yourself."

Emma said nothing.

"I'll be out of the house by morning," he said. He turned to Regina and offered an insincere bow. "Your majesty."

He backed out of the doorway and stumbled off. Emma stared at the door, her face as blank as the space before her.

Regina stepped forward. She held her hand over Emma's shoulder, reluctant to set it down. She wasn't sure how to comfort Emma, or if Emma wanted her comfort in the first place. Regina retreated her hand, holding it down at her side. She brought her hand up again and tentatively reached or Emma's forearm. Regina's fingers barely grazed the surface of her skin before Emma turned around. Her glossy eyes fading into a pale shade of red.

"Emma, I—"

"I'm sorry,' Emma interrupted. Her tears escaped her bottom lids, dropping down to the top of her lips.

Regina studied her face, the redness in her eyes and cheeks, the shine from the streaks of her tears, her shaky breaths. She recognized Emma's attempts to hold back the severity of her emotions. A technique Regina knew all too well. Her pursed lips, clenched jaw, and the way she kept swallowing down the pain that threatened to make itself known. She saw herself in Emma, she saw the fear of letting anyone see her in a vulnerable state, the fear of breaking down her walls. She saw just how tormented Emma was, she felt it. And if Regina could have felt everything for her in that moment, she would. She'd feel for the both of them.

Regina held out her hand. "We can talk this over together if you'd like. I'll make you a cup of hot cocoa."

Emma's expression changed. She titled her head; her brows furrowed. "With—"

"Cinnamon," Regina said with a warm smile. "I know."

Emma's eyes widened, her lips parting at the slight drop of her jaw. "How did you know? I mean, the only way you'd know that is if you…remembered. Did your memories come back?"

"Not quite. I'm not exactly sure how I knew that or why, I just…did. It came out of me, as if from nowhere."

"Regina, you know what this means? Your memories are starting to filter back. This is a good thing!" Emma took Regina's hand and let herself be led into the kitchen.

When the cocoa was ready, Regina sprinkled some cinnamon at the top. Could Emma be right? Were her memories slowly making their way back? There was only one surefire way to break any spell or curse; true love's kiss. Was that what they had shared only moments ago? It couldn't have been. Her memories would have come flooding back if that was the case. So far, all she knew was that Emma's presence helped. Her touch, her kiss, they allowed fleeting glimpses into Regina's lost memories, but nothing more than that. She knew it would take a lot more than true love's kiss to bring them back. For now, she'd just have to embrace the little victories, the moments she did remember.

Regina handed Emma the cup of hot cocoa and sat next her at the dining table. "So…you and Hook…I'm sorry if I ever got in between you two. I don't exactly remember, but from what I know about you right now, I know I'd never want to ruin your chance at happiness."

Emma swirled the cinnamon into the cocoa with her spoon. "Regina, this isn't your fault. It's mine. I spent so much time worrying about you and your happiness that I never even noticed..."

"Noticed what?"

"Nothing," Emma shook her head. She kept her gaze on the steam coming out of her cup.

Regina inched closer, letting her fingers fall over the top of Emma's forearm. "You can talk to me, whatever it is."

Emma turned to her. "What did it feel like? Losing Robin…"

Regina closed her eyes. The thought of Robin fell heavily onto her chest. She took a deep breath before looking up at Emma. "It was devastating. I lost the person I was supposedly destined to be with, the one who saw the good and the bad in me but chose to love both. I guess it felt like I had lost my chance at happiness. What does this have to do with anything?"

"Because when you lost him, my heart broke with you. I still had my chance at happiness, but I didn't want it. Not if it meant you'd be miserable. A part of me thought it was guilt, but I know now it was never about guilt or pity, it was about my fear of losing you. The emptiness I'd feel if you weren't around. I never noticed…that I found my happiness in yours."

The compression in Regina's chest vanished. She felt lighter, as though Emma's words had sucked away all gravity around them. This was becoming all too real for her. She looked at Emma. "So, all this time, the sacrifices you've made, you weren't just being the Savior…"

"I guess being the Savior was more of a cover than anything else. Hook was right, I've been lying to myself for a long time."

"I suppose we both have," Regina said.

Emma laughed softly and sipped the last of her cocoa.

Regina noticed the change in Emma's expression. Given the fragility of the entire situation, she decided not to tell Emma about her newly discovered memory at the town line just yet. She reached for Emma's empty mug. "Will you be okay? About Hook I mean."

"Yea, I'll be fine. I just need some time I guess."

"Of course."

A silence hung over them. They settled in it like leaves in the soil after a heavy rain. And what would time do? If not mimic a festering wound? Regina never believed in the idea that time healed all. She knew it only brought on more pain, inflicted more self-misery. She lived it. People only fooled themselves into thinking time was on their side. Of course, pain faded, but only because people willed it to. Regina hoped Emma wouldn't let time suffocate her, but she understood the need to absorb it all. Losing someone was never easy.

"So, about my study," Regina said in hopes of changing the subject.

"Right." Emma stood up. "I managed to get myself in there while you were asleep and set up some hidden cameras in case this should happen again, but I wanted you to come inside and see if anything significant was missing."

"I suppose we can rely on your magic after all," Regina said with a smirk. "Where did you get the cameras?"

Emma rolled her eyes, seemingly content that she and Regina were able to return to a playful banter. "I called my dad, he brought them over. There was a break in at Gold's shop not too long ago, so we had some extra ones at the station."

"Do you think they're related?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out."

Regina took Emma's hand. "Well, Miss Swan, lead the way."

Emma smiled. A white cloud of magic swirled around them, transporting Emma and Regina into the study.

They'd searched the study for what felt like an hour. Regina checked through every nook and cranny, almost hoping that something had been taken so they'd be one step closer to finding out what this crook wanted. But everything valuable she knew to be in her study was still there. Her spell books, though thrown all over the floor, were all there, her mother's spell book was still locked up in a secret compartment behind her bookshelf, and her safe hadn't been tampered with. Nothing was taken, it had just been turned upside down.

"Was anything taken at Gold's shop?" Regina asked.

"No. You're sure everything is here?"

Regina paced around her study, trying to recall anything she'd have missed. She nodded.

"This doesn't make sense," Emma said, shaking her head. She walked over to the windows along Regina's study. "There's no sign of forced entry, nothing's been tampered with, and nothing's been taken. It's almost like they walked in here, trashed the place and left. Could someone have used magic to get themselves in here?"

"Not unless they were already inside my house. Everything on the outside is sealed with blood magic."

"So, either way, anyone trying to break in would be thrown to the curb," Emma stated as she continued to study her surroundings.

"Precisely," Regina said.

"Well, whoever did this, they're gonna be back."

"What makes you say that?"

"They clearly didn't find what they were looking for."

Regina rolled her eyes. "So, I'm just supposed to sit here and hope that the person who did this somehow breaks in again?"

"It's the only way we'll get closer to some answers. With the cameras I set up, we'll get a good look at who's behind this and then we'll make our next move."

"Fine," Regina said, her tone laced with every bit of annoyance gnawing at her gut.

She waived her hand in the air and with the flick of her wrist, everything in the study shuffled around until it found its rightful spot. Her books flew into the empty spaces on the bookshelf, pencils, picture frames and papers returned to her desk, and the chairs and lamps stood upright again and moved into their former positions. Within seconds, the study appeared as though it had never been touched.

Satisfied with the clean-up, Regina made her way out of the study. She turned around to Emma who still hadn't budged. "Will you need to readjust the placement of any cameras?"

Emma looked around the room. "Maybe one or two. I'll be out in a minute."

With a nod, Regina left the study and went to the kitchen. She couldn't figure out what to do with herself. Her body somehow felt like an outsider in her own home. She and Emma had uncovered more questions than answers today. The mysterious thief, the two very distinct memories that came back to her, the pirate boyfriend—or ex-boyfriend? —the kiss…all of it swirled around her in a jumbled mess. She couldn't think.

Emma came into the kitchen. "We're all set in the study."

One thing Regina did know was that she cared deeply for Emma. She couldn't deny it any longer, nor did she want to. Perhaps they didn't need to discover what all these unresolved feelings meant just yet, or decipher where they would bring them, but Regina found comfort in the idea that Emma held a special place in her heart despite her lost memories. Not remembering kept her from fully understanding her emotions towards Emma but Regina would do whatever it took to unlock the fuzzy part of her mind and feel again, with her entire soul.

Regina smiled. "Thank you, Emma, for everything."

Emma nodded with a smile. "It was my pleasure. I should get going."

She made her way into the foyer, grabbed her leather jacket that hung over the staircase railing and swung it over her shoulders.

Regina followed, unwilling to watch her leave but wary not to overstep and ask her to stay. She swallowed down the urge to bring up the offer and watched her in silence.

Emma turned around just as she reached for the doorknob. "Look, I know there's a lot going on right now, and we both have a lot to think about, but I don't want you spending the night here alone. How about we get dinner at Granny's and spend the night at my parents? I'd offer to go to my place, but my living situation is kind of a mess right now with me and Hook separating."

"I'd love that," Regina said, her excitement seeping through the childlike expression of joy plastered all over her face. "I'll pack a bag and be right out."

Emma's face lit up with a goofy smile that reminded Regina so much of Henry. "I'll wait in the car."

Regina made her way upstairs and quickly packed an overnight bag. On her way down she noticed her walls, their emptiness. The same emptiness she felt in her chest as she watched Emma and Henry leave the town line when Pan's curse swallowed up Storybrooke. That memory confirmed what she'd feared most since finding out she'd forgotten Emma instead of Robin. It confirmed Emma was just another vital piece of Regina's soul, a piece she couldn't live without. She took a deep breath. Love scared her. Because with love, Regina's only ever encountered loss. And although magic had already declared her love for Emma, Regina had begun to feel it. If that kiss had shown her anything, besides one of her memories, it showed her that Emma made Regina's heart feel less vacant. And even with all her warning sirens going off, even with all the flashing red lights, she wouldn't turn away from it this time. Without hesitation, she scurried into her study and took the picture frame from her desk. She looked at Henry's gleaming smile, her own genuine laughter, and Emma's radiant gaze and walked back up the staircase, stopping midway. She waved her hand over the frame and gestured towards the wall. The frame faded into purple smoke and reappeared in front of her, occupying a small space on her formerly blank wall. Regina felt warmth flood her entire body, right down to the tips of her fingers. She smiled at the picture, at the certainty of it. This was her milestone, the one she'd find her way back to at the end of it all.

Regina slipped into Emma's car and settled in her newfound self-assurance.

"Everything okay?" Emma asked, surely noticing the change in Regina's air.

"More than okay," she said.