Hey there guys first of all I wanted to say I'm sorry for the delay but both me and my beta have been a hard time at finding available time to work on this story. Chapter 8 has been already sent for my beta and I'm currently working on chapter 9, so it probably won't take that long. Anyway, I have to thank you all for still sticking with it.

Also a big thanks to Veritax for being this amazing beta of mine.

Xxxxx...

Chapter 7 – Fallen Mines (Pt. II)

"Lower me down."

Regina ordered.

Less than an hour ago, they finally found a way to rescue Henry and Archie from the mines, but for that to happen someone had to go down through the hole. Feeling a kind of guilt she had never felt in her life, Regina soon voiced her determination to rescue her son, but Emma would not allow it.

"No way you're going down!"

The blonde said in a stern but gentle tone. She didn't even like the idea of Regina being near the hole.

"Then who will?'

Regina questioned.

"I will."

Emma answered, and by the determination in her voice Regina knew it would be useless to argue, so she didn't. Instead she took one step closer, invading Emma's personal space and said:

"Fine, just bring him back safely."

Regina wanted to add "to us" but stopped herself before the words escaped her mouth.

Emma nodded and turned to put the harness on. Stealing one last glance at Regina, once she was all set, she said:

"Send me down."

As Regina waited there, she felt her heart begin to race. She prayed for everything to end up all right, but that little voice in the back of her mind insisted on telling her that she would wind up losing both Henry and Emma, because that's how it had always been for her, she was always been meant to lose her chances to be happy.

After what it felt like an eternity Emma finally came up holding their precious little boy in her arms, and Archie holding on to her.

Regina ran towards the three of them. She knelt down and gathered Henry in her arms.

Emma stood nearby watching as mother and son hugged each other, the sight brought a small smile upon her face, and slowly she walked to them.

Regina stepped aside slightly so Emma could also have a moment with Henry. The blonde embraced him in a suffocating hug while whispering in his ear: "Never scare me and your mother like this again, got it?"

Releasing him Emma shot him a glare that asked if he had really understood what she had said, and he nodded his head in understatement.

SQSQ

After making sure she wasn't needed around the mines anymore, Emma decided to head towards the Mayor's house to make sure both Regina and Henry were okay.

She knocked lightly on the mayoral mansion's front door. It didn't take long before she could hear footsteps coming towards the door.

As Regina peered through the peephole she was both pleased and relieved to see the blonde standing in her porch.

As the door opened Emma was met by a vulnerable Regina, and it took everything within her not to hold the Mayor in her arms.

"Hey" Emma said softly, in the same way she had greeted Regina the night they had met.

"Hi" The brunette said and stepped aside so Emma could get in.

The tension of the day had finally begun to wear both of them down and words weren't quite needed nor wanted anymore. They stayed silent for what seemed to be hours.

"How is he?" Emma asked.

"Worn out and still thinking that the mines collapsed because I'm the Evil Queen"

Regina said bitterly.

Emma felt the hurt behind her words. She could tell Regina truly loved Henry, but she couldn't understand why he couldn't see it.

Silence fell upon them once again, though this time it wasn't as comfortable as before. Minutes passed and this time it was Regina who finally spoke:

"Thank you for saving him."

"You're welcome."

Emma said nodding lightly.

"I'm sorry."

She heard Regina say after a few seconds and scrunching up her face in confusion, she asked:

"What for?"

"For putting you and Henry in danger."

The Mayor answered, and Emma could tell she was ashamed, even though it wasn't her fault.

"You didn't. How could you know he would go down there? It's not your fault."

"It is."

"Regina it wasn't your fault."

Emma argued.

"Yes, it was."

Regina insisted, but she knew Emma couldn't understand. She couldn't see the truth. Emma couldn't see that she was indeed the Evil Queen, and acted as such.

"It wasn't. Stop blaming yourself, plus he is safe now."

As Regina's eyes began to water Emma just couldn't stop herself from embracing the brunette.

Having the the blonde's arms around her was overwhelming. The same feeling of safety and belonging took her over with greater force this time. It made her feel all of the walls she had so carefully built over the years, fall down. She could feel that force coursing through her entire body, reaching her soul, mending it, warming it up. Right then Regina finally acknowledged that she couldn't deny it anymore: she loved Emma. Regina Mills was in love. And that realization just made her hold on to the deputy tighter.

As Emma held the mayor in her arms she knew she was in trouble. Big trouble. Never in her life had she felt something so strong. She let the feeling wash over her, and it was clear to her: she loved Regina.

Feeling Regina's arms tighten around her, Emma tightened hers around the brunette as well. The need to protect the brunette was overwhelming. Even though a hug couldn't make everything that had happened a few hours ago go away, at least for that brief moment while holding the smaller woman in her arms she knew things were okay.

They stayed in each other's arms for a few minutes, before finally letting go.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Emma asked as she looked Regina in the eye.

"I will be."

The brunette answered, and even though she wasn't okay and all she wanted to do was to jump back into Emma's arms, she composed herself and tried to act normal.

"Now, go. It's late and it has been a long day, you should get some rest."

Regina told Emma, not caring about showing how worried she had felt and how much she cared about the blonde.

"Okay, I'll go, but you have to promise me you'll stop blaming yourself."

The deputy pleaded.

"I promise"

Regina said, and began walking Emma to the door.

As Emma was about to leave, she turned around and planted a soft kiss on Regina's head before whispering, "Good night, Regina".

"Good night, Emma"

The brunette said to herself while she watched the deputy leave. She stood there until Emma was out of sight before finally closing the door.

SQSQ

"Regina!"

Emma screamed as the mayor kept walking away from her, however the brunette didn't seem to be able to hear her. She didn't know what to do. She tried to move but her legs wouldn't obey. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she watched a helpless Regina getting closer to the edge of the mines.

"Regina!"

She tried once more, and this time the brunette heard her, but it was too late. When she finally came to a stop and began turning around to look at Emma, Regina lost her balance, and no matter how hard Emma tried she still couldn't move. She couldn't reach Regina; she couldn't save her and… She never got the chance to say 'I love you'.

She stumbled to the ground as tears began running down her face She laid there, in the cold hard ground, sobbing over the loss of the one person she had ever truly loved.