Regina POV

I stood frozen as Selena slammed the front door shut behind her, my mouth open in shock and my eyes filling with tears. "Just another bully." Her words echoed around my mind, reminding me of the villain I used to be. And would never stop being. I dropped to my knees then, burying my head in my hands as I let the tears fall.

"Regina." Emma said softly beside me. "Regina, it's okay."

"No, it's not." I sobbed. "She thinks I'm a monster."

"Aren't you?" Came a sneering voice. Gold. I growled, my features changing quickly into ones of anger as I looked slowly up at him.

"Get out." I snarled.

"Now, now, Regina, calm down. You've already lost one child, you don't need to lose another one too."

I felt the rage before I had acknowledged it. Before I knew it, I had pounced on him, my hands wrapped tightly around his neck as his face grew redder and redder as the seconds went on, his veins squirming under my fingers like worms in a grave.

"You're the monster." I growled as he choked beneath me, unable to use his magic as I had pinned him so securely down.

"Regina, stop!" Yelled several voices around me. I ignored them. Just then, strong arms wrapped tightly around my waist and pulled me away from him, Emma's pleas to stop echoing in my ears.

"YOU'RE THE MONSTER!" I screamed as David yanked me completely away from him, shouting at me to calm down as Mary Margaret and Emma rushed to Gold's aid, Killian rushed over to Henry and Henry himself sat shell shocked at the scene unfolding before him. I looked at him, saw the hurt and anxiety on his face. He had never himself seen me like this. I had never tried to kill his grandfather in front of him. Not literally, anyway. I stopped screaming. I thought of Selena and the horror in how she had looked at me. I stopped fighting David. I thought of Daniel and his beautiful smile, always reminding me of where I belonged. And Selena had his smile. I turned around then and buried my head in David's neck, tears slipping down my cheeks as I sobbed into his skin. He hesitated; I could feel his shock at my change in emotion. But soon, his arms had wrapped tightly around me as he held me while I cried for the monster I would always be. I couldn't bring myself to look at Gold. Couldn't bare to see his smug face. Through my tears all I could see was the faint outline of the door behind her. When I closed my eyes, however, flashes of my life as the Evil Queen swam before me and images of Selena and Henry, Daniel and Robin, Emma and my father, Mary Margaret and David, swam before me like fish being hunted by the shark that was the Evil Queen. The shark that would never change, no matter how hard she tried.

I heard the front door slam and knew Gold had been forced out, I heard murmurs and whispers from everyone else in the apartment but I concentrated on David's calming words. Finally, after I could cry no more, I released him but still couldn't bare to meet Henry's eyes. I heard Emma asking me if I was okay. Felt her rub my arm reassuringly as she lead me over to the sofa where she sat me down gently. I felt David's weight dropping down next to me and his arm wrapping tightly around my shoulders. I shook my head.

"Henry." I choked.

"It's okay, he's with Killian." Emma responded softly.

"No." I choked again. "He needs a mother."

I could feel Emma's penetrating gaze on my head, trying to figure out what kind of ugly thoughts were cutting down every stand of happiness I had, like a lawnmower cutting down grass. Finally, she stood up from her position on my left, gave my shoulder one last reassuring squeeze and left. David smiled softly at me and moved over to where Mary Margaret sat. Before I knew it, however, another strong arm had wrapped around my shoulders as I felt a weight larger than Emma's drop beside me.

"It's alright, love. He doesn't blame you." Killian whispered. I nodded, unable to respond. Henry would always understand. He had the upbringing of a villian but parents who were heroes. He would always be my son. But Selena...she barely knew me. I had to find her. I had to make things right.

"Selena." I croaked.

"She's gone." Killian said softly and I couldn't help but be slightly shocked at the kindness in his voice. Maybe we were friends after all.

"I need to find her, Hook." I said, finally looking up as I met his piercing blue eyes.

"Aye, that you do." He agreed. "I'll come with you." He added as I started to get up.

"No. I need to do this myself. I need to - I need to explain." I said, beginning to choke up again. He dipped his head in agreement, extending a hand to help me up. I released him as my eyes found Henry's and I started towards him. He smiled softly at me as I sat down and took one of his hands in my own.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"It's okay, Mom." He said before wrapping his arms around me. I smiled sadly as I looked over his head to see Emma giving me a small grin.

"Go to her." She mouthed. I nodded.

"Henry, honey, I need to find her." I said as I stroked his hair. He pulled away and nodded.

"She doesn't understand everything yet, Mom. But she will."

"I hope so." I sighed.

"Want me to come with?" Emma asked, although I knew she already knew the answer.

"No thanks, Swan." I sighed. "I got myself into this mess and now I've got to get myself out."

"Well, you better get a move on then, hadn't you, love?" Killian winked.

And I did.

Selena POV

I stuffed my hands angrily in my pockets as I marched down the quiet Storybrooke streets, my eyes brimming with tears and my cheeks red from the biting wind. My mother really was the Evil Queen. And not only that, she was ready to kill a man. Who can say that their mother, who've they've searched for their entire lives, is actually a fairytale character and on top of that, she's a killer? How was I meant to live with that? If we were going to have this relationship, I needed time to get used to this. All of this. I passed the usually busy Grannie's just as Ruby declared the shop 'CLOSED'. She smiled when she saw me and gave me a quick wave and as I returned it, all I could think about was what fairytale character she was. Ruby...as in Red...as in Red Riding Hood? I shook my head roughly. This was insane! I couldn't be going around wondering what fairytale character each town citizen was! I groaned. This was all too much. I needed some space. Somewhere Regina or anyone else wouldn't think to come and find me. Out of town.

I could see the sign that marked the edge of Storybrooke getting closer and closer with every step I took. I knew Regina would be out looking for me by now, especially as it was nearly dark, but I also knew the first place she'd check was her house or the forest as I knew Henry would tell her that's where I had gone before. And, of course, that's where she would have gone.

I was only a few metres away from the town line now. You'll be back, I told myself reassuringly. And I would be. I just needed some time with normal people. I sighed. How I had my life become so complicated so quickly?

Two metres away now. The sun had begun it's usual decent through the soft clouds and towering buildings, leaving an orange haze in it's wake. I remembered the small cafe not far from the edge of town and decided I would head their first, just to make sure I had warmth and light before the sun had completely set.

One metre away. I could hear the distant humming of cars and the muffled voices coming from the town behind me. I frowned. I thought I had heard the distinct sounds of wings cutting through the air. But how could that be possible? Birds don't have enough wind power in order to actually make me hear them. Then again, I do have pretty awesome hearing. I shook my head again. It wasn't possible, not unless Pterodactyls were still alive in this mental town. Then again, who knows?

I was at the town line. I stopped, just as I was about to step over it and glanced behind me, making sure there was no-one watching. They would run off and tell Regina as she was the mayor after all. Or the Evil Queen. I smacked myself on the head hard. I couldn't think like that! I had to push this mental fairytale stuff out of my already jam packed mind. I sighed and thrust my foot out again, ready to escape the nonsense.

I heard the monster before I saw it. The same sound of flapping wings and oppressed air filled my ears before my eyes found the monster behind the unrest. The first thing I thought of was a giant monkey, with its grubby black fur, shark like teeth and manic red eyes glowing in the darkness and the almost human like form of its body. But from his shoulders sprouted two wings the size of the thing's body, their bony structure making them look even more sinister and foreboding. I pushed out a scream, my legs already carrying me back towards the town but the flying monkey was close on my tail. I could hear it snarling as it approached it's prey and I could feel it's hot breath tickling my neck. I headed right, towards the forest, thinking I could trick the thing in there and make it out alive. Even in my own head it sounded stupid. But I had nothing else and so I made a sharp right, the wind cutting mercilessly through my raw skin. The monster shrieked at the sudden change in direction and couldn't change fast enough to follow me straight away, but as expected, it caught on pretty quickly. It re-asserted itself and flew towards me again, beating it's heavy wings with even more fury. I made it into the forest. I ran through the army of trees, dodging stray roots and leaping over logs. I knew the monster had caught it's wings on a branch as I heard a loud screech emitting from it. The sound was so awful I had to press my own hands over my ears as I carried on my escape.

As I began to believe I could make it, two claws pressed into the soft skin at my shoulders, pushing me down onto the muddy forest floor and causing me to scream in pain. I felt the blood from my wounds slip down my back, leaving me sticky with blood and aching for freedom. I felt the thing sit on me, its weight crushing my back and its claws still pressing into the wounds it had already made. I lay there in the mud gasping for air, the weight of the monster forcing the air to evade me. As I felt the dirt fly up my nose and into my mouth as I struggled to breathe, I caught sight of a jagged rock lying peacefully in front of me. Biting my tongue to stop myself from crying out as I felt the wound on my shoulder rip, I reached out and curled my hand around the rock, a small flicker of hope appearing inside of me when I did. Without hesitation, I flung my arm backwards with a scream of both pain and fury and felt the rock make contact with the creature's eye. It let out a howl so loud someone from miles outside town could hear it. I smiled faintly, hoping then someone from town would come to my aid. But my victory was short lived. The monster had forced me onto my back so now I felt the mud and dirt enter my wounds as I stared into those glowing red eyes that were so alive with anger and hunger. I let out one last scream and as I did so, I saw the monster lowering his head so fast I knew it was over. But just before I knew death was coming, I felt a sudden rush of warmth and adrenaline. A sort of fiery feeling erupting within me that was crashing towards my fingertips. I wanted to scream, to let loose a cry that would release this sudden burst of power, when, obscuring my vision, a ball of light smashed into the side of it's face, causing it to roll off me and into the dirt. His pain only continued as another sphere of victory crashed into its side and it howled in pain once more. I scrambled to my feet and limped towards the nearest tree, the wounds the claws had made in my leg only too fresh and the surge of strength I had felt just seconds before disappearing instantly. Before the third orb of flame had even hit it's target, the monster erupted into a pile of ash with an ear-piercing scream. If it hadn't had tried to kill me, I would almost have felt bad for it.

I looked around for my saviour, wincing as the rips in my back only opened further. I looked further into the darkness and saw a black figure running towards me, shouting words that I couldn't understand. My vision started to go blurry and the darkness and light began to merge into one while the figure got closer and closer, close enough for me to just make out who it was. I stumbled towards them, trying to stop myself from succumbing to the darkness but the floor was rising to meet me and before I could take another step, the awaiting darkness rolled over me, taking me to it's black abyss.