A/N: Whew. This chapter was a beast, and so fun and painful to write. The story is moving forward! Enjoy!

Regina was furious. Not with Emma Swan, however. She was furious with herself.

She had fallen for the Evil Queen's tricks last night. She should have known it wasn't Emma on the porch with her, and she definitely should have known it by the time she was being molested.

Regina had felt so weak, so stupid, so lost that she'd practically begged Emma to sleep in her room last night. And Emma had understood and done so.

Regina hadn't slept but an hour or so. The second she drifted off to sleep, she dreamed of Robin, his eyes, his body, his kisses. Before long his visage had been replaced with images of blonde hair, piercing green eyes, a softer body and pale hands in places they didn't belong, bringing her pleasure she sure as hell didn't deserve. She'd woken from the dream with a start, and instantly felt sticky from sweat and arousal, and had given up on trying to rest.

Regina had glanced over at the savior on her chaise lounge and, after making sure she was well and truly asleep, snuck off to the bathroom for a shower. She'd stepped into the warm spray, feeling her skin tingling and an ache deep in her core. She'd washed her hair and had run soapy hands down her breasts and belly before she was over trying to fight the feeling of tension. Making sure to keep her mind blank-because she sure as hell didn't want to think-she had let her hand descend to the soaked and swollen folds at the apex of her thighs, biting her lip to keep quiet because Emma was just beyond the closed door, as she worked out a quick, guilty, unsatisfying orgasm that had only made the tension worse. Giving up, she'd finished washing and hurried to dry and dress and go make coffee before the sunrise.

She had been lost in thought when Emma had startled her into spilling her coffee everywhere. She'd been staring into her garden, thinking about what the Queen had said. This is why Robin's death isn't affecting you like it should. You never wanted him, not really. You felt obligated to want him because of a ridiculous tattoo and some fairy dust. Regina had tried to dismiss it as mind games, but she knew, deep down, that the Queen was right. Robin had never challenged her, just accepted what little she'd had to offer. They'd had nothing in common, and his involvement with Regina had ruined his life and then ended it. Regina couldn't help but think that if they'd truly been soul mates, it wouldn't have been so hard and ended so tragically.

The Queen had also claimed that Regina wanted Emma. It was true, in the past Regina had felt a connection with the blonde, but she'd blamed it on their many times of sharing magic and saving the town and each other. They were friends, after a long and bumpy road. Did that mean she wanted her? Regina still wasn't sure if that part of the Queen's message was true, even after the dream she'd just had. It could have been just a vision brought up from the events of the night.

And that's when her coffee had gone flying at the sound of Emma's voice.

And then Emma had called her beautiful. Regina's heart had started to pound in her chest, and that was when she'd realized that yes, yes, for some unknown reason she wanted more than just friendship from Emma, and that realization threw her entire world upside down and made her instantly nauseous. The Queen had been right.

So, desperately, looking for some kind of answers, looking for some kind of sign, she'd asked again about Hook. Big mistake. Emma was still very much in love with the pirate, to the point she was excusing his behavior and blaming herself. That had enraged Regina into pressing the issue further, and then it had come out.

Emma knew what she'd done to Graham. Regina had never admitted it aloud, to anyone, until Emma's accusing statement. And after she'd done so, Regina knew their friendship had taken a huge step back. Regina had closed off, in a blind rage at herself and her past and the things she'd done to Emma and all the others that she now cared about. Emma had known what she'd done and had ignored it only to throw it in Regina's face when it was convenient. Regina felt betrayed and alone, and rather than show that weakness, she'd pulled up a part of her that was supposed to be no longer present and forced the blonde from her house.

Now she stood, alone, in her kitchen, breathing heavily and trembling from head to toe. The Queen was right. Regina had never loved Robin. She wanted Emma Swan, but it was so much more than that. That was why everything had felt weird for awhile now. That was why Emma's disgusted face at her earlier admission hurt so much. Regina felt too much for the savior, had wanted to save her and protect her and follow her to hell at the risk of her own happiness, because she loved her.

She was in love with Emma Swan, and that knowledge was turning her stomach and making her doubt every truth she thought she knew about herself.

She was in love with Emma, and her evil, split counterpart had driven her to realizing it. She collapsed to her knees in a fit of hysteric laughter.

Life was a bitch.

Regina had pulled herself together (at least on the outside) by the time Henry awoke, having dressed and made herself up and prepared breakfast, being the "Stepford mom" that Emma had teased her that she was. Now, she and Henry were making their way down main street, headed for the diner.

The second they entered Granny's, Regina's breath left her in a whoosh of air as her eyes fell on the scene before her. All of the regular patrons were frozen in their seats, staring at a booth that contained Snow, David, Zelena, their babies, and…The Evil Queen.

It should have been comical. Hell, it practically was. Snow and David were ashen-faced, holding their child tightly to them, and Zelena's face held a comically shocked expression as the Evil Queen held baby Robin, rocking her calmly and singing a lullaby. Granny, it appeared, had been literally frozen magically in place with her finger on the trigger of her crossbow.

Throwing on a stoic façade to hide the horror she felt, she moved between Henry and the scene in front of them before saying, "Now what is going on here?"

The Queen looked over her shoulder with a wide grin. "Regina! How nice to see you, dear. Hello, my prince," she added as she peered around to see Henry. "I just thought I'd join our nice little family for breakfast. Robin is really such a doll, and she loves her auntie, yes she does," she crooned to the baby in her arms.

"What do you want with us?" Snow cried, apparently finding her voice. The Queen turned to glare at her. "I want what I've always wanted, Snow White. Your head on a platter."

David stood from the booth immediately, drawing his gun and pointing it at the Queen's head, which resulted in Snow, Zelena and Regina all screaming, "David, no!"

"She's holding my baby, you absolute buffoon!" Zelena added hysterically, springing up from her seat to step between the gun and its intended victim. David looked guilty and lowered the gun, but looked no less ready to defend his family from the threat. The Queen was cackling loudly at the scene she'd caused with her simple words. Regina balled her fists and gritted her teeth. "I don't want that anymore. Not even when you were part of me did I want it."

Standing up, still holding the baby in her arms, the Queen faced her counterpart with a smirk. "Oh, I know," she purred. "But you ripped us apart and tried to throw me away like yesterday's garbage. Like I was nothing!"

Baby Robin began to cry, and Zelena reached for her helplessly. The Queen caved into her desperate look, handing the baby back before magicking away David's gun. Turning back to Regina, she growled, "I'm everything, Regina. You're the one who is nothing without me. I want to hurt you, like you hurt me. And if that means finally getting my revenge without my conscience in the way, well then, I call that a win-win. Wouldn't you say?" Regina grabbed her by the shoulders in a sudden show of strength blind rage and sent her sprawling to the floor of the diner. People were scurrying now, finally finding their feet and rushing out the door. David and Snow grabbed Henry ("Wait, no, we can't leave her alone!" he protested to deaf ears) and followed the rest. Zelena magicked herself and her baby away, probably back to their cabin in the woods, and soon the diner was empty, leaving no one but Granny (still unfortunately frozen), Regina, and an Evil Queen who was still lying on the floor, cackling maniacally. Regina snarled at her, throwing her own body on top of her, straddling her hips and wrapping her hands around her neck. "You stay the hell away from my family or I swear I will rip you to shreds!" She screamed. The Queen struggled for breath under the crushing weight of Regina's hands, though a grin was still plastered on her face. She reached up and grabbed Regina around the throat as well, squeezing just as hard. As Regina choked from the sudden lack of air, the Queen began to buck her hips against her, and her eyes started to roll. "Yesss," she ground out, "There you are, Reginaaa." She moved again, her hips connecting with Regina's center, and Regina growled and pressed harder on her throat. "Ohh," she grunted, her voice now barely escaping her crushed throat.

Regina felt the betraying coil of her still unspent lust begin to settle in her stomach from this strangely erotic display of hatred, and desperately she tried to tamp it down as her vision began to blur and her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. The harder she squeezed, the harder the Queen squeezed, and the only thing on Regina's mind was killing her counterpart before she passed out.

"Regina!"

Blood was roaring in her ears, but she distinctly heard the sound of Emma's frantic voice and then felt hands prying her off the Queen. "No!" she screamed as she felt her hands being pried away from the fragile throat beneath them and her own throat was released, allowing precious oxygen to flow again down her strained airways. "NO, EMMA, SHE HAS TO DIE!"

Strong, sure arms held her tight from behind and Regina saw the Queen, still lying on the ground, hands holding her own throat and massaging the damaged area. "Ohh, Regina," she wheezed. "We always did like it rougghhh, didn't we?" She laughed again, her voice hoarse, before she threw her hands up and magicked herself away.

Regina screamed and screamed, surging back against the body holding her tightly and then falling to the floor, bringing Emma down with her. She screamed all the rage, all the regret, all the frustration she felt over everything until she found her voice had left her, and as she came back to herself she registered the comforting body of Emma was still behind her, one arm crossed over her clavicle and the other around her stomach, cradling, holding, not backing off. The position was so similar to the way the Queen had held her that Regina's stomach pitched and her head swam, but she couldn't and didn't want to fight her off. Instead, she covered Emma's arms with her hands and began to wail hoarsely, burning tears falling from her eyes. Together they sat on their knees on the cold floor of Granny's diner, Emma murmuring, "It's okay. Regina, I've got you. I've got you. It's okay," over and over again in a soothing voice.

Eventually, the tears slowed and Regina pulled away, unable to bear the press of Emma's body behind her a second longer. Everything ached, her throat and emotions felt raw, and now they had an incredibly important job to do. Turning on her knees to face Emma, she tried to not let herself be rattled by the pale, worried face of the woman she fucking loved, and all that had transpired earlier that morning was gone from her mind. She had chased Emma from her home and yet here she was, running to Regina's aid once again without thought. Massaging her throat, she croaked, "We have to pay Hyde a visit. We have to figure out how to stop her."