Emma had conveniently placed herself in the backseat, giving Regina and Robin at least a little privacy in what was definitely a delicate situation for both of them. The first half hour was the most painful. Robin had thrown an abundance of questions at her and though Regina had given him minimal information and not gone into any detail about what had occurred, Robin's anger showed in the way his knuckles were turning white as he held the steering wheel in a death grip. It was evident that he still cared a great deal for Regina, but Regina was well aware of the hopelessness of what may not may not be between them and she refused to show any kind of emotion while speaking to him, instead giving one-word answers and tight-lipped responses.

The half hour after that wasn't much better. They spent it in silence, Robin clearly annoyed at the way Regina was closing herself off from him. Regina stared straight out of the window, seemingly content with the silence and Emma closed her eyes for a moment, processing everything that had happened and allowing herself a moment to rest in the quiet, considering there may not be much more of it. She doubted that the two of them staying in Robin's apartment with his wife was going to be a pleasant time.

After a while longer, Robin finally broke the silence, "Will you at least tell me how you've been? Since I- Since we left?"

Emma kept her eyes closed when she heard Regina shuffle around in her seat to look at her, she knew Robin wouldn't calm down until they'd had something of a meaningful conversation, so she pretended to be asleep until Regina turned back around.

"How do you think?" She questioned.

A pause, Robin tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, "Probably about as well as I've been."

"Don't." Regina said simply.

"Don't, what?"

"Just don't." Regina spat, "Don't pretend this has been as hard for you as it has been for me. It was your choice to leave. Yours. While you've been cosying up with your wife, I've had no one, Robin, no one."

Her outburst surprised Emma, it sounded as though Regina might be close to tears. Gold hadn't even elicited that from her during torture and Robin had caused it in just a few sentences of conversation. The thought made Emma seethe with anger.

"It's not like that." Robin said at last.

"Not like what?"

"I can't force myself to love her, Regina. I can't force myself to be with her."

"It seems to me that that's exactly what you've done."

Robin angrily slammed a hand on the steering wheel.

"Shh! You'll wake Emma!" Regina whispered angrily at him. "You made your choice, Robin, it's as simple as that."

"There is nothing simple about this situation."

Regina didn't respond. Emma stayed still, eyes closed.

A little later, Robin spoke again, "Marian has changed. She's not the woman I fell in love with."

Regina didn't even offer him a glance, eyes staring out the window, watching the world rush by.

"I don't think she loves me, either."

Through half-opened eyes, Emma watched Regina spin around sharply to face him. She felt her own stomach drop at his words and with it came a heavy feeling of dread. She prayed silently that Regina would shout at him, call him names or continue with her silent treatment. Why she felt that way, she wasn't sure at first. If Regina could work it out with Robin, that should be great. But she didn't want that to happen. She shook her head a little, clearing her thoughts. She was just being protective, that was all. Protective of a woman who had slowly become a friend. Robin had hurt her. She just didn't want to see her get hurt again.

"Um, why-" Regina stumbled over her words, "Why do you think that?"

She sounded hopeful, Emma realised, and the feeling of dread intensified.

"Ever since she first came back, she hasn't been herself. I don't know if maybe what happened changed her… But the values that we used to share… Well, we don't anymore. If I still felt connected to her in any way, if she was still the woman I married, I would be fighting to make it work, to do the honourable thing, but I don't, she's not… Shes-" Robin sighed in exasperation. "I don't know who she is anymore."

"Maybe you should have figured that out before running back to her." Regina said, before turning back to face the window, seemingly unaffected by his admission. But Emma could see her face in the side mirror and her eyes were glistening with tears, her brow knitted. Regina just didn't want Robin to see how she felt. Emma wanted nothing more than to grab ahold of her hand or embrace her in a fierce hug, to make her forget Robin. When Regina glanced up and almost caught her eye in the mirror, however, she quickly shut her eyes, hoping she hadn't seen her awake.

The rest of the drive passed in silence.