A/N: and now the turning point begins. Don't worry. There will be more flash backs now. But, the story is finally coming together. You'll see what I mean at the end, but by no means is this the end of the ride. No, there will be more. Please read and review, let me know what you think. Thanks.

Chapter 40

Regina watched the landscape change. She, for once, didn't care that Emma was driving. Her hands still hurt and the burning sensation lay just beneath the surface, but at least she wasn't on fire. She could only hope that Emma wasn't mad at her for everything that happened the night before. She had been quiet all morning.

She silently woke Regina and urged her into the bathroom. They showered together, quickly, but with a reverence that Regina was sure she hadn't felt from Emma in years. It was like she didn't want to stop touching Regina for fear that something would happen to her. She knew that Emma was always afraid that she would leave her. And, last night, those fear reared again.

She knew it by the way that Emma touched her. She knew it by the look in her eyes. She knew it by her silence. Emma was preparing herself for Regina's absence. It didn't matter that they had staved off the problem for a few hours and had found bliss in each other's bodies. It really didn't. Regina knew that deep in the recesses of Emma's brain she would always be the unloved orphan...the lost girl. No matter how much she and Snow, (yes, Regina partnered with Snow on this, willingly), tried to not make her feel that way, Emma couldn't shake it. It had become ingrained...just like Regina's magic. In a way she understood how Emma felt. She floundered in the months after her first binding.

She knew that if Emma hadn't been there for her, she would have destroyed something...maybe even herself. Regina had always been searching for love and she found it in the most unlikely place in Emma. Earning Emma's friendship gave her back Henry's. But, still in the dark, Regina wondered how long she would keep it. Everything that she loved always left her, usually violently, but they left.

It had taken years for Emma to destroy that wall. Henry was in high school when Regina realized how deeply Emma actually loved her. She remembered sitting at the table for breakfast with them and everything hitting her. They had fought for so long against each other, for the town, for Henry, for love and then they both found their happy ending in each other. Regina remembered how a smile slowly crept across her face and the look that Emma gave her. She couldn't forget Emma tossing the keys to the Bug to Henry to take himself to school. He didn't question it and left them alone at the table.

"What?" Emma finally asked once Henry was gone.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"I love you so much, Emma."

"I love you more, Regina. What's wrong? What's gotten into you?"

"I just realized something," Regina told her.

"What's that?"

"You really are my happy ending "

"I am," Emma replied with a slight chuckle.

"No, I mean it. I just realized if completely. I had to curse myself to get my happy ending."

"No, you didn't. You just had to realize who you really were. You aren't a villain, Regina. You had a bad streak, yeah, and it could be considered villainous. But, you were guided to that point by the Imp. It wasn't you and when you realized it, you started the change within yourself, Babe," Emma stated.

"You give me too much credit."

"You don't give yourself enough. "

"Stay home."

"Excuse me?"

"Stay home today."

"Well, Madame Mayor, you want the Sheriff to call out of work?"

"I do."

"Okay," Emma stated, giggling as she pulled her Cell plume out to call David in early.

Regina felt the same smile slowly creeping across her face. It was amazing, now even years later that Emma could still make her smile like that. She needed to give that back to Emma. She needed to give her back her peace. They loved each other completely and without reservation. She owed Emma the truth about what had really happened. She needed to make her understand. And, she hoped that True Love would still prevail when she was through.

"Emma?"

"Yeah?"

"How much further?"

"We are just coming up on Charlotte. I think we should be there in like an hour and a half or so. Did you need to stop? Do you need something?" Emma asked her with the concern growing in her voice.

"No, I don't need anything. I need to tell you something. I need to make you understand."

"Understand what'?"

"What I did," Regina replied.

"What are you talking about'?" Emma asked, stealing a glance at the regal brunette.

"Last night, I need to tell you about last night."

"I was there, remember? There isn't much to tell me. By the way, what language were you speaking?"

"Rhiannon and I were speaking Elvish. That isn't the point, though. I need to tell you what she was referring to when she was talking about Resurrection Burn or Mana Burn. They are similar and usually occur together, but not to the extent in which mine did. If you hadn't called Rhiannon, I...I didn't know how to stop it. Thank you," Regina told her.

"You don't need to thank me, Regina. It is what we do. We save each other regardless of the situation. You know that, right? I would do whatever it took to bring you back home to me. And, I do mean anything."

"I know that, Emma. I would do the same for you. I have done the same for you. That is what I want to talk about. It is why I went to Rumple."

"I am seriously going to kill the Imp when I see him next, Dark One or not," Emma replied angrily.

Regina smiled at her. She knew that Emma meant every word of it. She knew that Emma would try to kill him if she could. Of that, Regina had no doubt.

"I have no doubt that you would try, Dear. But, like so many others, you would fail, too. He is too strong, even for me. You should know that I even tried once and failed."

"You tried?"

"It was back in the Enchanted Forest, but yes, I did."

"How'd that go?"

"Not well, I can tell you that much."

"Then, why?...Never mind. I know that isn't what you really had to tell me about him. What is it?"

"I need to tell you what really happened after you bound me."

"I'm listening. And, don't forget that I know when you are lying to me. We'll get to the fact that you haven't already told me about this, later."

"I should have, I know, but...that doesn't matter right now. You're right though. I should have already told you about this. It happened the day after you bound me, though. I woke that morning like it was any other morning in Storybrooke. You were by my side that morning. You looked so peaceful, but I knew that you weren't. I could feel it coming off of you. You didn't have your normal confidence. The binding changed you, too, and I could feel it."

"You could?" Emma asked.

"Yes, but that is the thing. I shouldn't have been able to feel you at all. My powers were weaker but they weren't completely bound. I couldn't explain it. It didn't make any sense. The spell that you performed and have since then should have completely bound me and all my powers. I could sense things that I shouldn't be able to, and I further proved it at breakfast that morning."

"How?" Emma questioned.

"With Henry. I didn't mean to, but I had to see if it was just with you. I waited until you had gone back upstairs to get ready for work. I spoke with Henry about getting my powers bound. He seemed to understand what I was saying. He was happy about it, but then again, he wasn't. I didn't understand why all of the sudden I was becoming empathic. I should not have been able to feel the feelings that others were having. I figured it was just because I loved you both. So, I decided to test it further," Regina told her.

"And'?"

"I went to Granny's after we both left for work. I knew that it would be the perfect place to try it out. I ordered a cup of coffee like I normally would before work. I found that if I concentrated on one person I could feel their feelings. At first it was interesting to tap into that, but then I felt a stirring for the Evil Queen inside me. I realized that the reason I liked doing it so much was because I found a new way to manipulate people because I knew what they were feeling. It started to disgust me. I didn't want it."

"So, you went to Gold?"

"I didn't say that it was a good idea, but it worked. I made a deal with him. One, I regret, now."

"You regret it? Now, you regret it? Tell me something. Do I even want to know what the price was?" Emma asked as she desperately wanted to look into Regina's eyes to see the answer, but she kept her eyes on the road as they were barreling down the Interstate doing eighty.

"I'll get to that."

"Please do."

"Emma…"

"Regina, just tell me everything."

"I didn't want to feel anything. I wanted to feel nothing. I wasn't sure that you were going to stay with me. I wasn't sure how long I was going to be able to keep Henry happy enough to stay with me if you left. I was always looking for a way out. It wasn't something that I wanted to do, trust me. It was because of…"

"Your mother," Emma finished her sentence.

"Yes, a lot of my issues concerning love have to do with my mother. I'll have you know that Archie and I have figured that out, Dear, but that isn't my point. The point is that I went to Gold because I didn't want to feel anything. I offered him my heart and he didn't take it."

"You did what?!"

"I asked him to take my heart," Regina replied, again.

"Without talking to me first."

"Like I said, I wasn't exactly thinking clearly."

"I…you…but…gah…I don't even know what to say to that. Wait, he didn't take it. I would think that the Imp would love to have your heart above everyone else's in town. Why didn't he take it? Did he tell you?"

"Yes, he did."

"And?"

"It seems it no longer had value for him. He corrupted me just enough to cast the curse. He knew that you would come to break it. He knew that you would heal my heart. He knew all of that, but he never told me that I would get my happy ending by casting the curse. It was all too surreal. He needed me in the moment because he didn't have anything to cast the curse with. I had already taken Belle from him. And, at the time, their love was only one sided. No, he needed me broken and desperate to cast it. This is why he helped your insufferable parents so much, in finding each other all the damn time and getting me banished."

"He got you banished?"

"Long story…but yes, he did. He cast a spell over you parents. I can never actually physically hurt them. I can verbally and mentally, but never can I harm their precious bodies."

"Whoa!"

"Yes, yes, I know that this is probably information that they should have shared with you, but it doesn't matter. What matters now is that I went to him to try to stop the pain inside my heart that was growing deeper and stronger each day that I was bound. He brushed it off thinking that you had misspoken or done something wrong. I knew that you hadn't. I was there. I taught you the words. You spoke them true."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because there was nothing you could do. Rumple was the only one strong enough to stop the pain and he wouldn't do it. I offered him anything and still he wouldn't take the offer."

"But, you said…"

"Three days later, he came to the office and told me that he had a deal for me. I looked at him in wonder. He was going to let me suffer to see how bad it really was to actually feel and then he would take it away. He was an evil genius. I was used to the feelings and their depths by then. I am sure that he knew that when he came to me."

"What did he propose?"

"He asked me if I love you. I told him I did. He then told me that he saw your death, in the future. He said that he could prevent it, but it would cost me and it would cost me dearly."

"What was it, Regina?"

"It seemed that he owed a friend a child."

"You gave him HENRY!?"

"No, I would never do that."

"Then, what the Hell are you talking about?"

"Turn in here, darling. I think they live in this complex. Should be right down there," Regina told her without missing a beat.

"Excuse me."

"Just listen to what I am saying. Rhiannon's daughter lives over there. Park here. It'll be fine."

"It will not be fine. What the fuck aren't you telling me? Who was the mutual friend? And, why aren't you still telling me everything?"

"I don't know who the friend was, because he never told me. All he told me was that he would bind my powers fully and even take them away if I wished as long as I promised to uphold a debt that I owed him. I agreed. I didn't know the debt was one that I already owed. He pawned his debt in with mine, the slimy bastard."

"He wanted you to save Rhiannon's child?"

"It would seem that way. He has seen something and he wouldn't tell me what it was. He knew that I would go to Snow to break the bonds. He knew it, the Imp, and he didn't me. He set me up again for this, but I just haven't figured out why. Why go through the trouble of taking my powers and keeping me in Storybrooke just so I would get them back?"

"Maybe, he still needs something and it is just another means to an end," Emma stated as he parked the car in front of a normally very nondescript apartment building.

"They are going to be in apartment three."

"How do you know that?"

"Because they are waiting for us."

"How? Never mind. Come on, let's go."

They walked into the building and found the apartment. Regina shook herself and raised her hand to knock. Emma pushed her jacket back, hand on her pistol, just in case. Regina finally knocked on the door.

A young woman in her twenties opened the door and stared at them. Regina looked her up and down. There was something familiar about her face, her smile, and her eyes. This wasn't Rhiannon's daughter, Shannon. The woman before her was Birgit, Rhiannon's younger warrior sister. If she was Birgit, then where was Shannon?

"You must be the two women that Bevin was telling me about. Please come in. I'll go get her. She has been expecting you."

The girl walked off after letting them in, shutting the door and locking it. When she came back, Emma and Regina both gasped as the taller flaming red haired and very tattooed girl coming back with her. She sat the flaming haired girl on the couch and bid them to take a seat.

"I know it isn't what you are used to, Majesty, but it is all I have here," Bevin addressed them.

"You're Shannon?" Regina asked.

"I was once called that, yes."

"And, you know who I am?"

"I know that you are the Dark Queen that has come to save me."

"And, you're friend?"

"She is just my roommate, nothing more. She has been by my side through this whole process. I would like her to accompany us back to your village. She has become a great asset for me and I would hate to lose her now. I hope that won't be a problem," Bevin replied.

"You don't know who she really is, do you?"

"I am not sure what you mean. Her name is Bridget. Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please," Emma interjected.

"Bridget, will you please pour two cups of the tea and then bring me my own brew."

"Yeah, just a second," Bridget said, making her way into the kitchen.

"If you haven't already guessed, the transformation back into the fabled Sorcha is almost complete. Unfortunately, I have developed an undesirable side effect. I have gone blind."

"I could try to help with that," Regina told her.

"I know that you will. Please drink this. It will curb the fire within and heal your magic. And, you, young one, it will help you begin to understand and believe in the power of love, again."

"I don't…"

"Just drink," Bevin told them.

"Thank you," Regina said after she finished her cup.

She looked around for a suitable place to set it. Bridget seemed to realize the darker woman's predicament and stood up to take the cup from her. Their fingers brushed each other's and Regina felt the spark travel between them. She saw the girl look at her with wide eyes and recognition. She knew she hadn't been wrong. Emma watched the girl and the emotions flying across her face. She knew the look that fell across her face as years of memories flooded her mind. Regina just took Emma's hand in a silent command, telling her to wait.

"Regina? You're Queen Regina of the Enchanted Forest? What the Hell are you doing here?"

"Hello, Birgit. It looks like your Queen has asked me to save you again. Up for another adventure, Dear. Rhiannon is waiting for you both," Regina replied.

"Birgit…" Bevin stated softy as the Bridget's future ended and Birgit's just began.