Sitting under the large apple tree in her backyard, Regina looked up at the dark sky as heavy rain poured down. She was soaking wet, her clothes stuck to her body, and she was shaking from the cold but she didn't care. The clashing of the thunder didn't bother her as it roared overhead, nor did the cracking of the lightning as it hit a little too close.

Wiping her nose on her sleeve, Regina leaned back against the thick trunk and sighed. To say she had a bad day would have been an understatement. No matter where she went or what way she turned, something would happen. She felt as if people were talking about her, staring at her, and wishing she wasn't there. She felt like everything was her fault and she couldn't shake it.

If she thought hard enough, she could blame herself for everyone's problems and that's exactly what she felt like doing. She felt miserable and her thoughts were getting the best of her. She was the one who set the curse on everyone in the first place. She had brought them to this strange world, wiped their memories, made them live under a haze for many, many years, basically controlling their every move.

Regina knew that she wasn't a good person but she was trying her best to change, to learn, to become a better person. Out of everyone in town the one person she never expected to be there for her and give her a second chance was Ruby Lucas.

Over the last two years they had grown closer and closer. Ruby was always there, listened to her, offered her advice when she thought Regina needed to hear it, and gave her free coffee. When Henry decided he hated her, Ruby was the one that was there for her and offered her a shoulder to cry on.

Only recently they both realised that their feelings for one another were a little more than just friends and they had been seeing where it would go. Regina thought that once the curse had been lifted that she would die alone, either murdered by the townspeople or far far away from Storybrooke.

Regina knew that her feelings for Ruby were real, she had never felt this way before and the way she felt, it made her sometimes feel as if she could literally walk on water. She longed for Ruby when she wasn't there and she wanted nothing more than to hold her, to kiss her, to cherish her.

As the rain continued to pour down, she got lost in her thoughts, tears silently running down her face. The lightning and the thunder still filled the night sky, light dancing her over face whenever the lightning cracked nearby.

Hearing the back gate open, Regina ignored it, she knew it was either Ruby, Henry, or someone coming to vandalise her garden and in this moment she didn't care.

"Regina, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Ruby asked, rushing over to her.

"I'm a bad person and no matter what I do I can't fix it," Regina replied, not believing in herself.

"That's not true. Come on, let's go inside and get you warm," Ruby responded, offering Regina a hand up.

Not having it in her to fight, Regina accepted the help and let Ruby lead her into the house. Kicking off her heels, she felt the cold tiles under her feet.

"You're soaking, let's get you out of those clothes."

Allowing Ruby to help her peel off the wet clothing, Regina noticed she was shivering from the cold. She didn't know how long she had been shivering for but she would have guessed a while. Sighing in relief when Ruby wrapped a warm fluffy towel around her, she held it tight and didn't want to let go.

Feeling Ruby's warm fingers against her face, Regina leaned into her touch and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Do you want to try again and tell me what's wrong?" Ruby asked, wiping the remaining tears on Regina's face away.

"Everyone hates me, they look at me, whisper behind my back, snicker at me, and it's just gotten too much. I know I'm a bad person and ruined everyone's lives but I can't change what has already happened," Regina replied, starting to feel a little more human as the warmth from the towel began to seep into her skin.

"You are not a bad person, Regina. I love you because you are a warm, gentle, affectionate, and loving person. You are learning from your mistakes and every day I see you doing your best to become the best person you can be. It's never too late to apologise," Ruby responded, looking into Regina's eyes.

"I'm not proud of what I've done, I'm really not, but when I feel like everyone is turning on me, I just can't help but think the worst," Regina admitted, feeling safe with Ruby to feel vulnerable.

"It's okay to have days like that, we all do, but when you have them, please know that I'm always here for you. I love you, Regina."

"I love you too, Ruby, thank you."

Cupping Regina's face, Ruby softly kissed her and rested their foreheads together. "I really do love you."

"And I you."