Regina opened the door to find Emma standing there – at least the Dark Swan version of her. Regina had felt nothing but guilt ever since Emma let the Dark One overtake her to save Regina. She should have done something to stop Emma from doing it.

"I need your help," Emma said.

Ok, Regina thought, this isn't what I was expecting.

"What do you want?" Regina asked, crossing her arms.

Without waiting, Emma barged into her home and Regina knew she had to tread carefully. Emma was already a powerful magic user, but having that dagger made her even more dangerous. She took a breath and closed the door and turned to face her.
"I will repeat, what do you want?"

"What am I supposed to be doing with this?" Emma said holding up the dagger. "I mean I get it, like now I'm supposed to be like evil or whatever, but what am I supposed to do?"

"What?" Regina asked, completely confused. "What do you mean?"

"Like should I be rampaging or I don't know using the magic to make all the traffic lights in town go red to piss people off or steal children or something?" she asked. "How am I supposed to be … evil?"

Regina opened her mouth to speak but found she did not have the words at the moment.

"I think I need a drink," Regina said, moving past her into the kitchen where she pulled out a bottle of wine, opened it, and poured herself a drink as she considered what was happening.

"Aren't you going to get me a glass?" Emma asked. "Please."

Regina grabbed another glass and poured Emma a drink and handed it to her, and watched as Emma took a rather large drink.

"Ok, let me see if I have this straight," Regina said, after taking a sip. "You came here for me to tell you how you should be evil?"

"Yes."

"Because you don't know how to be evil?"

"Right."

"Do you feel like you have to be evil?"

"I am the Dark One."

"That's not what I asked," Regina said. "Do you feel like you have to be evil?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't feel evil, but as I said, I'm the Dark One so shouldn't I be doing evil stuff? You know plotting to overthrow Storybrooke or something. Or am I thinking too small? Should I be taking over the whole state? Or the East Coast? You were the Evil Queen, so I thought maybe you might have some pointers to get me started."

"Well, speaking from my own experience, I can tell you I never once thought of taking over Maine," Regina said, taking another drink.

"You did do a curse, should I do a curse?" Emma asked. "What kinds of curses are available for me to do? Or should I be more original? Find my own thing? Seriously, I've been the Dark One for like a day and I feel like I'm failing at this."

"Ok, let's take our drinks and go sit down in the living room," Regina said.

"Maybe you should bring the bottle," Emma said, taking another large drink.

"Sure," Regina said, thinking that might not be a bad idea.

They got into the living room and Regina took a seat on the couch and was surprised when Emma did so as well.

"First off, what is with the new look?" Regina asked.

Again, Emma shrugged. "I don't know. Guess I thought I should look intimidating. You know you had that whole look going on in the Enchanted Forest as Queen, and I thought I should have a look."

"I don't think this particular look is working for you."

"You don't like it?" Emma asked looking hurt.

"I think I preferred you the other way – you know blonde and maybe your more casual look with the red jacket."

"I knew it," Emma said, standing. "I knew I should have kept the jacket."

She used her magic and suddenly Emma was dressed more traditionally, and her hair was normal once more. She sat back down and looked at Regina. "Better?"

"Much better," Regina answered.

"Good. What next?"

"Had you considered that maybe, and I'm just throwing it out there, maybe you shouldn't do anything evil?" Regina asked.

"But I'm the Dark One," Emma said.

"I understand that, but just because you are the Dark One, doesn't necessarily mean you have to do evil, especially if you don't feel like it," Regina said. "I'm just saying, you don't have an evil agenda."

"An evil agenda, yeah, I should get one of those," Emma said, sounding excited. "Like a whole plan. Cause you had a plan, right? I should have started with a plan. No wonder I haven't done any evil yet, I don't have a plan in place."

"Maybe you shouldn't use me as a role model there. Technically, my plan failed," Regina said.

"Why wouldn't I use you as a role model? That's why I'm here. To learn."

Regina took another drink. "Alright, I'm going to ask, why do you feel like you have to do anything?"

"What do you mean? I can't carry around this dagger and not be the Dark One."

"Why can't you? Who says you have to do evil?"

"This dagger, it's evil. I have possession of it, so I should be evil," Emma said. "That's how it works."

"You aren't an evil person though," Regina said. "You don't know how to be evil because that's not your nature."

"You weren't always evil either. You aren't evil now."

"True," Regina responded. "But, I did what I did because I thought at the time I was justified in doing it. I convinced myself that I wasn't evil, I was merely seeking revenge for those who wronged me. You don't feel the need to do evil because you have no reason to be so. I don't think the dagger changes that."

"It must though."

"Why must it?"

"It just does."

Regina shook her head. "I don't believe that. I don't even think you believe that. If you wanted to be evil, if you wanted to embrace being the Dark One, you certainly wouldn't be here asking me for tips. You are a good person Emma and I don't think that dagger changes that. What we should be talking about is a way to break your connection to the dagger, to free you from it."

"No! We can't do that," Emma said, standing once more. "I can be evil. I can do this. I have to do this. I just need a little help getting started. Just give me something small, a starter task to get moving on."

"I won't do that," Regina said, standing to face her. "And if you insist on going down that path, I will do whatever I can to stop it. I'm going to find a way to fix this, to free you."

"No, you won't," Emma said. "Now if you aren't going to help me, maybe Maleficent or someone will have some tips for me. Sorry to bother you."

She started to walk toward the door.

"Emma, wait," Regina said, and she was a little surprised when Emma did stop. She moved closer to the other woman. "You don't want to do this. I can tell you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"Tell me why."

"I've told you already."

"Yes, you have told me you are the Dark One so you feel like you should be evil, but that doesn't mean you have to be evil. I can only guess that being a product of true love the dagger and its darkness isn't able to take complete hold of you and that is a good thing. It means maybe we can find a way to stop this."

"I don't want to stop this."

"Why not? Why do you want to be the Dark One if you don't feel like being evil?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I need to be this."

"Why?"

"Why can't you just tell me how to be evil?"

"I don't want you to be evil."

"Tough, I'm going to be evil."

"Fine," Regina said stepping away. "Leave. Go be evil. Go steal everyone's left shoes and right socks. Or whatever other thing you can think of that will be ridiculous because when it comes down to it, you don't have darkness in you. I know. I've seen it in myself and you … well … you will never be evil like me."

"But I have to," Emma said. "Please, help me."

"No," Regina said.

"Damn it, Regina," Emma said. "Can't you see, I have to do this?"

"I can see you seem fixated on doing it, what I don't understand is why. The darkness had me, you should have let it finish the job."

"That's why I have to do this," Emma said. "If I'm not evil, then maybe … maybe the darkness tries to take you again. I won't let that happen."

Regina took a step back. "Wait, you are trying to be evil so I don't have to."

Emma didn't say anything but she nodded her head.

"I didn't want you taking on that dagger. I didn't want this to happen to you," Regina said. "Of all of the foolish, dumb, idiotic things you could have done, you chose to become the Dark One to protect me."

"I don't know, I thought it was kind of a romantic gesture," Emma said. "Nothing else I've tried seemed to be working."

"Huh?"

"Come on Regina, you have to know that I'm in love with you," Emma said. "Since I came to this town, outside of Henry, who have I spent the most time with – you? I even dated Killian thinking it would make you jealous. When the darkness had you surrounded, I knew I had to do something to save you, but once I had the dagger, I didn't know what I should do to be evil so it wouldn't drop me like a lead balloon and try to come after you again. I came here for your help because well, who else would I trust to help me but you? From the moment I met you, I've been trying to get your attention. I thought taking the dagger to save you would be like a grand gesture."

"Did it ever occur to you that you could have simply asked me out on a date?" Regina said.

Emma paused.

"This is the part where you ask me out," Regina said when Emma continued to be silent.

"Oh, yeah," Emma said. "So, will you go out with me?"

"Yes," Regina said. "But not until we break your connection with the dagger. Is that enough motivation for you to be good?"

"I can be good," Emma said. "I mean if you are into that sort of thing."

"Much more than whatever that was when you showed up here," Regina said. "Seriously, did you think I would respond to whatever that look was you were going for?"

"I thought you didn't like the red jacket."

"You're an idiot."

"You just agreed to go out with this idiot, so what does that make you?"

Regina shook her head. "A bigger idiot, I guess."