A/N - Here is a short epilogue, suggested by The Evil Queen's Pet :) That episode was so heart-breaking. I cried. Lots. :( Lana is so talented and it felt so real :(
Anyway please leave a review, if you can. I hope this ties up the loose ends 3
Regina forced herself to open her eyes, wincing at the harsh light. She attempted to move and groaned, memories flooding back to her. Terrified that she would find herself strapped down again, she threw herself up. Pain radiated from her shoulder but she knew that it wasn't broken, just twisted. As she pushed her legs out of the bed and stood up, she brought a hand to her forehead which she could feel was burning with a fever.
The large mirror on the wall seemed to mock her with her own appearance. Not that she could recognise herself very well. Her hair was a tangled mess, her face deathly pale, dark shadows under her eyes. She looked weak. She felt weak. Moving her hair away from her forehead, she felt a tear roll down her cheek as she saw the two red marks that would forever be engraved on her skin to remind her of the torture.
"Mom?" asked a timid voice.
Regina jumped, senses heightened by her ordeal before she recognised the voice.
"Henry?" she turned around slowly with overwhelming relief that he was safe and here with her.
"Thank you for saving me," he said, rather awkwardly but with all the emotion in the world.
"I will always save you, Henry. You mean so much to me."
"I'm sorry for everything. For leaving you and being so mean to you…"
"Don't apologise, Henry, never. It was my fault. I wasn't a good person then. But I promise I'm changing. For you. For everyone."
"I'm glad, mom. We can be a proper family now."
She knew she was crying now but she didn't care. As her son came and launched himself into her arms, she clung on tightly, as her tears slipped into his mussed hair. She felt safe with him there. And she could keep him safe.
"I love you, mom, always," he said, bringing his head up to smile at her, a true smile.
"Always," she replied, kissing him gently on the forehead "Nothing will change that."
"Don't cry, mom. You're safe now. We're all safe."
"Safe…" she mumbled, nodding against his small body "Safe."