After a conversation that Regina had kept as brief as possible, promising to answer his questions when she saw him, Robin told them that it would take about seven hours for him to reach them by car. He was also still unsure of his driving skills, having only been in this world for a matter of months, but he would do his best, he'd assured them.

Unfortunately, given the sleeping spells they'd both so recently been under, napping away the time while they waited wasn't an option. Instead they began walking, putting distance between Gold and themselves, if anything just to feel a little safer. Regina refused to let Emma treat her wounds on account of her unstable emotional state, not to mention her lack of experience. If she was going to be magically healed, it was going to be done right, with no lasting scars, she'd said.

After walking along the side of an empty highway for hours, Emma's blisters had finally had enough. "Stop," She pleaded, reaching down to remove her boots, freeing her feet and wriggling her toes. "How in the hell have you been keeping up in those things?" She asked, gesturing to Regina's heels.

"These? These are nothing, Miss Swan. You wouldn't have lasted a day in my shoes in the Enchanted Forest. Or my outfits, for that matter." Regina stated. "Walking isn't exactly going to get us to Robin much quicker though, if you wanted to stop so badly, you should have just asked."

Emma rolled her eyes as she collapsed onto her ass on the grass, sighing in relief as her feet were freed from her weight. "God, that feels good."

"You would have made quite the princess." Regina said, dripping with sarcasm. It was only when Emma didn't respond that she realised she'd just made a joke about the way she'd ripped her from her family and she quickly met Emma's gaze with a spark of worry.

Emma didn't look hurt, though. Instead, she was still looking ahead, one eyebrow raised and an amused smile on her lips. "True that." She chuckled, then quietened, musing, "Man, I really would have been awful. Those people should be thankful they were spared having me as their future Queen."

"You'd have made a better knight." Regina said, suddenly realising how true it was. It was the reason Emma had succeeded at her role as the Saviour, her desperate need to protect. She thought back to that day Emma had half-carried her through smoke and flames and, God, she'd been such a bitch, she knew it, even at the time she knew it and yet Emma had saved her and told her she'd do it again and again. And again, she had. This time the last of many, hopefully the last of all.

"That sounds more like it." Emma agreed.

"Henry gets that from you. His longing to help people, to fight for what's right."

"He gets that from both of us." Emma said, prompting Regina to look at her questioningly. "Come on, Regina. If anything, you're the fighter out of the two of us. Look at all you've been through and you still keep fighting, every day. What you said to Gold, that you want to be the girl you used to be again, that you refuse to be a monster. That takes balls, after over thirty years of darkness, to still grab at the light. Serious balls."

Regina swallowed the emotions that came with Emma's statements, "Not strength, just desperation."

"Sure." Emma laughed. "Whatever you say."

Regina looked to her feet before joining Emma on the ground and removing her shoes also. Just like Emma's, they were covered in multiple blisters, bleeding in some places.

Emma rolled her eyes. Regardless of what Regina believed, in Emma's eyes she was the strongest woman she knew.

"I think I'm calm enough to heal our feet, if you want? It won't use up any significant amount of the magic." Regina offered.

"Please!" Emma cried, shifting so her feet were closer to Regina's.

The older woman smiled and quickly waved her hands over them, Emma gasped at the tingling sensation of her skin smoothing itself out. Then Regina healed herself. It felt weird, different from her own magic, but still as easy as second nature. The magic coursed through her fingers just as her own did but she could tell it was not her own. They sat in silence for a moment and Emma noticed the strain on Regina's brow.

"Are you worried? About seeing Robin, I mean?" She asked, cautiously.

"No." Regina answered all too quickly, as obvious lie to Emma's trained ears. At Emma's frown she continued, "But, I'm not exactly looking forward to it, either."

"I don't blame you." Emma mumbled. She wanted to tell Regina how sorry she was again, about Marian, but she'd overdone the apologies and she knew another wouldn't be appreciated. So instead, she twiddled her thumbs.

"I don't blame you." Regina said.

For a moment Emma thought she was just repeating her for some reason and she looked up in confusion before realising what Regina meant. She startled visibly, wide eyes and a gaping mouth.

"For Marian. I don't blame you."

"Really?" Emma stuttered, unsure of what else to say. The statement was unexpected, to say the least.

"Really. I killed her, after all. How twisted is it that the only reason things were working out between my soul mate and I is that I murdered his wife?"

"You didn't know." Emma said, knowing how little she was helping.

"Little difference that makes. No, I know you did the right thing. She didn't deserve to die that way. None of the many I murdered did." Regina took a deep, unsteady breath. "Any way, if it was meant to work, he would have chosen me and he didn't. That was his choice, you didn't have any part in that."

Emma took a moment, grinding her teeth, unsure what to say. "Either way, I know you're hurting. Just know that if you need a friend, you have me." As she spoke she placed her hand gently over Regina's, her uncertainty vanishing as Regina entwined her fingers with her own.

Before Regina had a chance to answer, her phone rang, Robin's name on the screen.

"Robin?" She answered, her voice shaky.

Emma heard muffled, incomprehensible words on the other side.

"Great, we'll wave you down." Regina said, hanging up the phone and turning to Emma, "He's on this road, minutes away."

Emma nodded and stood with Regina to peer down the road. Minutes later, an old blue Corsa, as Robin had described over the phone, approached and the two women raised their arms to signal him.

He pulled over and rushed over to meet them. Emma saw his expression change as he took in Regina's appearance. The bruising around her neck was now livid, a myriad of deep reds and purples.

"Regina?" He gasped as he approached, placing his hands on her waist, "What happened?"

"We'll explain on the way." Regina said, simply and began walking toward the car.

Robin let out a strangled cry as he spotted the wounds on her back but Emma placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head at him. He got the hint and swallowed what must have been bile as he followed the two back to his car.