A/N: Thank you all for the follows and favorites. I am sorry for the delay in updates, but they should be coming out more frequently. I had hoped for more feedback on my first chapter, but I know that it was not very long or cohesive, so here's the next chapter. I hope you will enjoy it….

Chapter 2

As soon as my eyes open I am up and out of bed.

I immediately run to the mirror and look over myself and sigh as relief floods my entire system.

Other than looking sleep deprived and slightly bruised up, I can say that I finally recognize my clothing and hair length, although I would have to admit that I do not recognize much else.

I look much thinner and frail than I must have realized and as I lift my shirt I can see a clear definition of my ribs and my pants are definitely hanging more loosely than usual. What had I let myself become?

I try to think about what exactly had happened here before I was transported to another reality and that's when it hits me; I had been attacked by Emma.

It's like as soon as I remember what happened my body is hit with the same emotions I faced that day; the way I couldn't believe that she would do such a thing, and the fear I felt when she was laying over me.

I swallow and try to remember that she was not my Emma, she was the dark one, but I also remember seeing a moment of regret flash in her eyes right before I transported Ruby and I out of there.

I will not give up on her; I will not let what happened in our last meeting deter me in any way from getting her back. Now I just need to come up with a plan.

First things first though, I needed to clean myself up and eat something, because I know more than anyone that if I neglect myself now that it will only hinder me later. And I needed to see my Henry soon thereafter.

…

After my long shower I entered my bedroom to find something comfortable to wear when I could hear hushed voices outside of my door.

After quickly dressing I opened the door to find an angry Ruby and a flustered looking Tink.

"Ladies, what are you whispering about?" I ask, trying not to sound too accusingly as they were speaking in hushed tones in my house.

"Oh Regina, you're up. And showered, that's great. How are you feeling?" Ruby says a mouthful turning to look at me.

At first I am thrown off at how she is looking at me because it reminded me so much of how she was looking at me in the other reality.

How did I not see it before?

How long had she been in love with me? I try to push that aside as I look between the two again and realize that they were waiting for me to answer.

"I am fine.. dear. Thank you." I stammer out, feeling increasingly awkward with the way she is looking at me. It makes me feel guilty to know now what we could have been had Emma not been in the picture. But I have to push it aside, I need to remember that she is still my friend and I will have to tread this situation carefully.

"Oh that's great Regina, you really had me worried." She says, coming closer to me and pulling me into a gentle hug as I slowly pull her in as well and pat her back.

She pulls back quickly, maybe realizing that even in the circumstances we were in that I was not normally a very touchy person.

"Sorry… I just was so worried." She tells me looking away quickly and back to Tink.

"It's alright.. so… what were you ladies discussing?" I ask.

That's when Tink finally looks away from Ruby and towards me, and I see her flash a small smile.

I smile back and wait.

"Oh, um… Tink stopped by and said that you two had things to discuss, but I had told her that you were not feeling well…" Ruby says, clearly a little annoyed with the fairy.

"Regina, I'm sorry I don't mean to barge in, but there are some things that we had agreed to discuss, and the sooner we start the better." She tells me and she seems a little anxious to get started, as am I.

"Yes, of course, I am sorry I forgot that we had set up a meeting… a while ago." I tell her, trying to make it seem as though this was already planned.

"I just don't think it's the best time right now…" Ruby says, taking a protective step in front of me for a moment, and the gesture is not lost on Tink or myself.

She's getting defensive and I don't fully understand why, but then I think back to what she witnessed between dark Emma and I and it all makes sense.

I slowly bring my hand to Ruby's shoulder and turn her towards me.

"Tink, can you please give us a minute. I will meet you in the kitchen." I tell her, looking around Ruby for a second.

"Sure Regina." She says, and then nods her head to Ruby.

Ruby doesn't see her though as she is now fully standing towards me and looking me in the eyes.

"Why don't you just reschedule? You've been through so much." She says in a low meek voice.

"Thank you so much Ruby, for everything, but I am feeling much better today. And there is much work to do. And to be honest, you look like you haven't slept in a long time. Why don't you go home and get some rest, and I will call you later today" I tell her, taking the stance of my earlier Evil Queen days.

It seems as though she recognizes this as she stands a little straighter as well.

"If you're sure." She says one last time.

"Yes I am positive. I need to speak to Tink about Emma, and once we come up with a plan I will be sure to fill you in." I say and this seems to make her perk up a bit.

I think about how we had our own little dysfunctional family in that other reality and it makes me realize that I was lucky to have her and Henry looking out for me.

"Before you go… do you know where Henry is? I miss him so much, is he alright?" I ask, my voice trembling a bit when I remember the last time I had seen him.

"He's fine, he was worried about you but I took care of it, and got him off to school a couple of hours ago." She tells me as she gathers her things in my room and makes her way downstairs.

How did I go from being with Robin to falling in love with Emma, only to have Ruby thrust into the equation? It was all too much, but nothing that I could not handle.

…

After I make some coffee and eat something, I can tell that Tink will burst if we do not speak about the obvious elephant in the room.

Throughout our meal we speak about what had happened here while I had been in the other realities, more so she filled me in on the things happening around town with the other Fairy's as well as the other townsfolk.

She told me about how Robin had been to visit Blue on more than one occasion in hopes of getting her to let Zelena stay with him in a home instead of a cell.

That had upset me so much that I broke the cup I was holding at the time.

The fact that he felt the need to protect her angered me so much.

I knew she was having his child, but it's not as though they were torturing her, and she was given 3 healthy meals a day and regular doctors' visits to ensure that the baby's health was taken care of.

After all that we had been through she was still winning in my eyes.

It made me so upset that I didn't even realize that I had completely zoned out until Tink had laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Regina, hun, are you alright? I am sorry I don't want to upset you, but you should know… she's almost due. She's a little over 8 months." She told me, and I can't believe that it had been so long. She had concealed the fact for quite some time I guess, but it still stung to know she was carrying a child, something I would never have the pleasure of doing.

"And what about after the baby is born?" I ask her.

"Honestly I am not sure, but I know that Blue said that she would consider it since she had been on such good behavior throughout the time she's been here." Tink told me, and that only upset me more.

"Good behavior? She has killed people, she tricked all of us, cursed all of us..." I say, but even as I say it I realize that I have done the same. What makes me any better?

"What am I saying? Am I not just as Evil?" I ask in a moment of insecurity.

"Regina, you cannot think like that. You have changed so much. And you were manipulated practically from birth." She tries to reassure me but I can't help but feel guilty at that moment.

All this time I have acted as though I am so much better than my sister, but really we are so much alike.

It's this realization that forces me back upstairs.

"Regina where are you going?" she asks, quickly running after me.

"We have so much to discuss, what are we going to do about Emma, about the fact that Ruby is clearly already in love with you?" she asks and it has me stopping dead in my tracks.

"We don't know that yet…" I tell her unsurely.

"Yeah right, you can lie to yourself all you want, but she's got it bad. It will only make things harder, she's a good person Regina." She tells me as I start moving again, back into my room and into my closet.

"You think I do not know that Tink? I know, alright. But I cannot deal with that. I need to go see Emma, I need to see Zelena as well. I just cannot add anymore to my already full plate." I tell her turning to look at her fully for a moment.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to snap at you, but there's so much more to life than all of this… nonsense… there has to be." I tell her as I turn back and find my most confident looking outfit.

I'll need it if I'm going to confront my sister again, I need to make sure she understands that she cannot manipulate me like the others, I need her to see that I am strong. But I also need to figure out why she is doing all of this.

Maybe there is a way for her to redeem herself, a shred of humanity left within her that is worth giving another chance. Because I know Tink said she and I are nothing alike, but maybe she's wrong. I need to be sure.

The same goes for Emma unfortunately. Our last meeting ended terribly, and I don't know what state she will be in when I return. But I need her to see that I am strong, and that I will not give up on her; no matter how hard she pushes me away.

"Alright Regina, I won't push you, but please just let me know what the plan is once you've figured it out." She tells me and I can tell by her tone that she is upset.

"I really do appreciate what you tried to do Tink, and I am glad it helped me to realize how I feel towards Emma, but now I've got to do this next part on my own. I will be in contact with you shortly." I nod towards her and give her a gentle smile before turning back and changing my clothes.

Once I get my finishing touches on, and my hair in place I head out the door.

….

My first stop is to Henry's school.

I just wanted to see him and make sure that he was truly alright.

It was nice to see that he had made more friends lately, and seemed to be having a good day.

I stayed in the shadows for a bit and watched him speaking to a few friends in the yard, as it must be a nutritional break right now.

There was a moment when he looked curiously in my direction but I quickly turned my back and hid behind a tree.

I don't know why I cowered away, but I just felt as though I have not been the best parent to him lately.

I was so focused on other things that I did the one thing I never wanted to do; neglect my child.

Ruby shouldn't have been the one to make sure he made it to school safely.

The Charming's shouldn't have to make sure he gets his meals on time.

Those are all of my responsibilities, and I have been so consumed in my own life for too long.

"Mom?" he says from behind me, startling me.

I quickly turn around to see Henry a few feet behind me.

"What are you doing here, is everything okay?" he asks his breath hitching at the end.

"Oh honey, everything fine… well… as fine as can be." I say moving forward and pulling him into a tight hug.

He hugs me back just as tight.

"Then…?" he starts, but I cut him off.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I am sorry that I may have scared you yesterday and that I didn't get you to school today." I tell him, bringing his hand in mine and using my other hand to stroke his cheek.

"It's okay Mom, I was just worried about you. Plus, I am a teenager you know… I can get myself to school and stuff…" he says and I see his cheeks flush for a moment, and that's when I hear distinct giggling behind me.

I turn to my side and see a few girls who look to be Henry's age looking over at us and smiling.

I turn back to him, my eyebrow raised, "And who might they be?" I ask, although now that I see how I'm holding his hand and rubbing his cheek that I must have embarrassed him.

"Oh… just a few girls from my class." He says, still not pulling out of my touch, but I see him squirm a bit.

I quickly pull away, "Oh honey, I am sorry if I embarrassed you." I tell him and he pulls me closer to him, fully looking away from the girls and directly into my eyes.

"Mom, it's okay. They are just my friends, and plus, even though I'm older, I will never be embarrassed of you." He says so confidently, and it makes my heart melt.

I turn back to them for a moment and see them still looking, but realizing it's more wistful than judgmental, and turn back to him, "It seems as though you have a fan club, maybe some admirers?" I tell him teasingly.

He pulls away rolling his eyes, "Mom!"

"And how could they resist such a handsome boy." I say squeezing his cheek, which does cause the girls behind me to laugh louder, and effectively making Henry flush a deeper shade of pink.

"I think it's the fact that I was away for a year, and in a cool place like New York." He says winking at me, and the playfulness fades for a moment as I remember that time without him.

Before I even think I say, "Do you miss it? The big city? We never did give you a choice, and I never even asked you about it."

"No, this is my home, with you and Ma" he says, and that makes us even more somber for a minute.

I just look at him, standing there in front of me, now taller than me, and I know I will do anything to get her back, but not just for Henry; for the both of us.

We both hear a bell ring, and then the girls are calling him from behind us.

"I'm really glad you stopped by mom, will I see you later?" he asks.

"Of course dear, I will see you this evening, now go… your fan club awaits!" I tell him, and see him grin as he squeezes my shoulder and makes his way back into the school.

…

My next stop was a dreaded one, but I had to see her. I needed to know why she did all of this, other than for her own personal reasons.

I had been a mere player in Rumple's grand scheme of things, so maybe she was as well.

Maybe all of us could co-exist with one another, if not right now, then eventually.

She was after all the only blood relative that I still had, and I wanted to try and maybe make it work.

If Blue could give her another chance, then maybe I should as well.

I blocked out the fact that Blue had never even given me one chance, but I cannot dwell on such things. Dwelling on those things is what made me such a hateful person to begin with.

I think about Henry and our earlier conversation.

He reminded me so much of Emma, with his steel determination and optimistic outlook on life, and always seeing the good in others, maybe I could too.

Perhaps it was time that I tried to find the good in Zelena, instead of the obvious darkness that we had all witnessed.

As I draw closer to the room I hear laughter, and am surprised by it in such a confined area and as I reach the room I see that Roland is there as well as Robin.

Roland is playing around the room with an airplane, and both Zelena and Robin are watching him.

They actually look like a picture perfect family in that moment, but I do also see the distance between them and notice that Robin is looking more stressed than I had ever seen him.

I knew more than anyone that things were not always what they seemed.

I finally really look at Zelena to see her obviously protruding bump and then to the cot they are sitting on.

It really couldn't be comfortable to live in the cell, and maybe I should give them a chance to live in a home together for the child.

I didn't want to hate Robin forever; if I was being honest I didn't even hate him anymore now.

If anything I felt sad, and hurt by his actions. It hurt to know that I was always a second choice to him, and that even now he had more of a family than I did.

I wanted to be happy for him; for them, but I just could not. But that didn't mean that I had to be hateful towards them.

I make my presence know with a quick knock on the door before I square my shoulders and make my way in.

To say they looked shocked to see me would have been an understatement.

"Regina" Robin had whispered and immediately moved himself further away from Zelena like he had been caught doing something wrong.

As soon as Roland heard him though, he had looked up and had run to me immediately.

"Regina! I missed you so much!" he yelled as he jumped into my open arms.

I immediately hugged him close to me and took in his own unique smell.

I didn't realize how much I missed him as well, even though we didn't spend much time together, he had always loved me.

"I missed you too, little one." I told him as I tapped his nose and tickled his stomach.

He yelped and jumped out of my arms, only to grab onto my leg and look up at me.

"How come I don't see you no more?" he asked, becoming sad in an instant.

I bend down to his level, taking his face in my hand, "Oh sweet little Roland, I am sorry I have been busy dear. But you can come over and play with Henry or visit whenever you like, as long as it's ok with your daddy." I tell him, looking over to Robin, who seems to perk up.

He smiles and looks over to his dad questioningly.

"Of course, if it's no problem." He says, clearly treading the waters between us.

"Roland is always welcome in my home." I say rather flatly towards Robin and then tickle Roland's stomach again, and stand up.

Roland goes back to playing with his toy while Robin approaches me.

"I would have called… but I know you needed your space." He tries to bring his arms around me when he finishes approaching me, but I avert it quickly enough and step further away.

"Regina, dear, can we please just stop this… fighting or whatever it is. I love you… please." He says, approaching me again.

I keep stepping back until I am against the wall with him in front of me.

I don't know why I am retreating from him, cowering like he has any control over me.

So I stand taller and push him further away from me.

I see a glint in his eye, as he takes this as a challenge or to be a game.

Then I hear Zelena sigh behind him.

"Oh I think I'm going to be sick if I have to be subjected to this mating ritual of yours. Really it's nauseating." She spits out, and it makes me look towards Roland, who is not at all paying attention to us anymore.

She clearly has no regard or concern that there is a child in the room.

"As if I have to answer to you." I spit out in a more hushed tone.

"Oh is that right? Is this how desperate you have become, sweet sister? To have to come here and stake claim on him right in front of me…" she stands and starts to walk towards us.

"Well how is this for staking claim?" she says gesturing to her stomach, and then walks up towards Robin, pulling him closer to her.

"Tell her Robin. Tell her how many times we "tried" before you actually got me pregnant." She says, leaning closer into him, licking the shell of his ear.

This only disgusts me as I move further away from them and look back to Roland again. I would never let Henry stay in a room with that woman. Does she not even care that he is here?

"You are delusional if you think I am that pathetic." I spit out at her, as I make my way closer to the door.

"Regina wait, please, we need to talk." Robin says, seeming to snap out of whatever trance he was in.

"No you don't come any closer. I actually came here to speak to you Zelena, had I know he was here I would not have come." I say, grabbing the knob and turning it.

"I meant what I said earlier, Roland is always welcome, but you are I are over and I am not interested in seeing you anytime soon. And as for you… sweet sister, you have just proven what I already knew to be true. You will never change." I say and quickly exit the room and the building.

Rushing to my car I quickly sit down and try to slow my maddening heart and control my anger.

I could not believe her. She truly did not care for anyone but herself and I was foolish to believe she ever could.

…..

I mindlessly drove without thinking as I was too absorbed in my thoughts of what had just happened.

Robin had not even tried to stop her when she had come closer, even when she had taunted me.

If he had truly cared I think he would have at least put it to a stop sooner, but I was glad that I didn't need him in my life. All I needed was apparently what brought me to this very spot.

As I got out of the car and made my way into the cave I braced myself for whatever I was about to find.

No matter what state she was in I needed to see her, to finally make her see that I love her.

The next chapter will mostly be Emma and Regina : )