As the flames grew larger and got closer to Regina's skin Mal pulled her back with force and held her as close as she could. It wasn't about saving her own life anymore, it was about saving the woman she secretly loved from dying in the worst way. She wasn't going to go down without a fight; all she needed to do was get through to this woman. To make her realize what she means to her.

"Regina please. Suicide is never the way out no matter what's going on in your life.", she said loudly atop the sound of roaring in the distance. "Even if you think you will never be able to escape your problems, I promise you that you will be happy again. You deserve to be here. Do you know what it was like for me when I seen your face again? I felt butterflies in my stomach in a way that I've never felt before. I couldn't stop looking at you. It's different now than it was before. We had so many nights of lust and passion but the emotions were lacking. Now all I want is you in my arms and I don't ever want to let go." With that she looked up and noticed the embers start to recede lower and away from them. She felt a pang of energy burst through her chest; she was saving her and what made it better was that her words contained no false statements.

"Regina…I love you. For who you are and for anything else you'll ever be. Nothing you could ever do would ever make me change my mind." Her eyes widened as the sky started throwing down shades of blue. She watched as the fire drifted upwards into the cool air, disappearing in a mist and turning into water which started raining down upon them. Lightning cracked through the sky and somehow gave off a feeling of comfort. The trees that were barren just moments ago started blossoming back to health. She noticed a tear run down Regina's cheek as she weakly smiled back at her. Her face was pale and she looked absolutely exhausted but that didn't matter. She was breathtaking.

"My god I thought I was about to turn into a piece of fucking Calamari.", Ursula said with relief as her and Cruella exited the small cabin and ran towards them. "Regina, this isn't easy for me but I'm sorry okay? We didn't know." Regina didn't want to forgive them for everything they've said to her in the past twenty-four hours but she needed to let it go. Let go of everything that was weighing her down and making her hurt. She didn't owe anyone anything. She didn't need to look for acceptance from other people; she needed to believe in herself. The road ahead would be tough and full of hardships and tears but it was time she accepted that and pushed ahead. Mal was right, she deserved to live.

Cruella and Ursula stared at the two women who were still locked in a tight embrace. The rain continued pouring down on them and soaking their clothes, their bodies warm against each other.

"Nothing like a hug between two old friends to fix a broken soul, I can't deny that. It takes me back." Ursula said, reminiscing to a time where she too found comfort in the arms of someone who cared about her. The four women stared into the sky in a few moments of silence, suddenly appreciating their lives that have been spared. The fact that they were villains was never going to change and they didn't mind that, but having each other felt comforting. They could accomplish anything together including finding their happy endings. Their feelings towards Regina changed; they noticed how broken she was and that it wasn't all an act. The weary trust they once secretly had for her wasn't the same.

"So Mal, what did you do to talk her out of this one?" Cruella asked in an almost sarcastic tone. Nothing would ever stop her from having sass backed behind her voice. It was just who she was. Instead of answering her, Maleficent wrapped her arms around Regina's neck and kissed her passionately, hoping that Regina wouldn't pull back. She didn't. The other queens stared in shock at what was happening right in from of them.

"Holy. Shit.", Ursula mumbled, looking over at Cruella with a small smile. "I don't know why I never seen this coming."

Far on the other side of town, Emma and Henry watched the storm outside of the window. They wondered where Regina was and if she was okay, but the blonde continued to tell her son that she could take care of herself. On the inside she was worried sick, thinking about Regina's behavior for the past few days. The way her hands shook and her complexion was as white as a ghost. The way everything she touched seemed to give off a spark. She couldn't tell if she was tired of being undercover or if she was changing being around her old friends. The thought of her going back to the dark side terrified her.

"Do you think she's okay?", Henry asked for probably the twentieth time in the last thirty minutes.

"She's fine kid. Promise."She had no idea of the surprise that would shortly be coming to all of them.

"Man this rain is crazy.", David said while entering the apartment drenched from head to toe. "Haven't had a storm like this in ages." The family continued to stare out of the window mesmerized by the sudden change in weather, Regina's whereabouts weighing heavily on their minds.

Regina and Mal walked closely together on their way back to the east side of Storybrooke. She didn't know what she could possibly say to everyone to make them hurt less, but it was time she did something to make herself happy. She didn't want to lie, knowing that lies didn't take long before they catch up to you. All she could think about was her son who was probably waiting for her and ready to hug her and tell her that he missed her. Her heart was torn in two but there just wasn't a way that she could have both. There was never a time where someone succeeded being a part of the both the dark and good side. Over a decade of memories flooded her mind and hit her all at once. The first time Henry smiled at her, the first time he said mom, all of the diaper changing, midnight feedings and rocking him in the middle of the night. She thought of the first time she sent him to school and the first time he hugged her and didn't want to let go. She felt extremely sick to her stomach at the though of leaving him behind, feeling like a monster.'But he's older now, he has to understand that he can go on without me', she tried to convince herself. 'He has Emma.'

Sneaking around the back, the four women finally entered the alley behind the apartment. Regina's anxiety was so high at this point that she was sure she was going to pass out before she even walked in the door.

"We're going to go undercover and try to find Gold wherever he is. He needs to know what you're doing." Cruella and Ursula disappeared as they walked sneakily away towards the wood. She was trying to stall as long as she could but this wasn't going to go away. She felt a hand rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her and somehow it did for a minute or two. For once the fire didn't come back to her palms, the darkness on her skin was completely gone and washed away by the rain.

"Please, wait around back and don't let yourself be seen. I need to do this right now before I change my mind", Regina said while choking back tears.

"You'll be alright darling." Mal gave her one last embrace and felt Regina's whole body trembling beneath her. "Be strong for me." She walked slowly up the stairs and through the doorway, seeing everyone in the apartment look at her and exhale a side of relief. She knew that she could never allow the dark side to make her hurt them and she had to convince the other women to feel the same way. There had to be a way that they could find happiness without hurting Emma or Henry. They could go conquer other realms, but this one needed to be left alone.

"Mom!"

"Oh my god Regina I'm so glad you're okay.", Snow said. She never thought she'd see the day where that response came to her.

"We were worried sick! Why didn't you call us!?" Emma practically yelled at her. She has grown severely protective of her over the past few months. Through all of the attempts to show the fact that they missed her, Regina stood as still as a statue and showed no expression.

"Please, all of you. Sit down. We need to talk."

—

"How could you do this Regina." Emma asked with the look of silent rage on her face. Henry had tears full of hurt running down his face and Snow was literally bawling as David held her in her arms. "How the fuck could you do this.", she raised her voice, no longer caring if she was swearing in front of her family.

"I….this is what I need to do. I need to let go."

"What about your son? Do you not see him crying for you? Do you not see the rest of us crying for you?"

"Mom…please don't do this. They're trying to brainwash you I know it. Please." Henry cried and begged to his mother. It took every ounce of strength in her not to break down for the second time today.

"Henry, you will be fine without me. All of you will. I am a villain, I can't deny it. I've tried being a hero and it left me with nothing but hurt and pain that almost cost me my life. I can make you all forget about me with the snap of a finger. I can give all of you a normal, happy life, you know I can. You've seen me do it before. You need to make a choice, either accept me for who I really am or forget I ever existed."

"No no Mom please.", Henry pleaded in the middle of an emotional breakdown. Everyone in the room besides Regina was crying and she knew she couldn't take it anymore. "I can't forget you. I'll never forget you mom. Please."

"Why are you doing this, please just tell us why Regina.", David said. He was trying to be the most rational and calm one in the room but he was losing his composure. "We've done nothing but take you in and try to help you find Robin so you can be happy. What could we have possibly done to hurt you?" She cringed at what her next sentence was going to sound like. The lies had to stop.

"Robin…Robin isn't my happy ending. Maleficent is." All of the eyes in the room widened but Emma was by far the worst looking one of the bunch.

"No, she had to have put a curse on you or something you can't feel this way you can't -"

"Enough Emma!", Regina yelled, startling them. "There is no curse on me. Contrary to what you believe her and I had a past that I never thought I'd have to share with you. This is what I wanted and now that she's come back I can't escape this. I love her." She felt sickness and panic run through her body after admitting the truth.

"I…I think I'm going to be sick." And with that she slammed the door behind her, walking outside and letting the cool air attempt to quell her nausea. She knew what she had to do before anyone came looking for her. Erasing this town would mean her and the others couldn't hurt the Charmings' or any of the other residents of the town. That the darkness in her heart that could take her and allow her to hurt her son was a chance she would never take. She wouldn't forget them, but they would forget her. All it would take was ten seconds. Her decisions were about to change her for the rest of her life. She walked towards Mal and the look of concern appeared on the other woman's face. Cruella and Ursula were back from their private meeting with Rumple, their conversation frozen by her sudden appearance.

"Regina? Are you alright dear?" The flash of green magic flew out of Regina's hands and the town began to fog. Remembering their location, she stopped for a moment and created a shield protecting the four of them so they wouldn't have the same fate as the others. Why not give themselves the same happy endings as everyone else? Why couldn't she have given herself Robin and the life she always dreamed of just weeks ago? Because she knew her heart wasn't in it. She was desperate and longing for anything that came to her but deep down she knew the truth. She knew she wouldn't be happy with him for long.

"What are you doing…." Cruella asked in fear.

"I'm erasing this town. After this, they won't ever remember my existence. We'll be okay but everyone else will disappear. You can find your happy ending somewhere other than here; this town never really held the key anyways."

"Regina you're not thinking straight you need to calm down and then decide your fate. "

"I can't. I'm letting go."