"So...this is it?" her voice was anything but steady as she regarded the woman before her, "we're just giving up, just letting go of everything we built together?"
The brunette, to any other, would seem simply passive, cold even...but Emma knew her too well for that, could see the tinge of red in dark eyes, noticed the tremble to slender hands as she actively worked to keep herself from falling apart as she had been doing for the past few nights...she wouldn't do that now, not in front of the blonde, the woman didn't deserve her tears.
"Please...please don't Gina-"
"Don't call me that."
It was the first thing the older woman had said since Emma's arrival at the mansion, the first words to have been spoken in her presence since...that night.
A deep inhale was taken then to quell whatever emotion the nickname had stirred within Regina; she was broken, torn down by the one person supposed to build her up. "Don't call me that."
Emma could only stand mutely as she waited for anything else from the woman before her; the bile burning in her throat only increased the intense guilt rolling throughout her body as she noticed the sheer way in which Regina was inhaling, her face creasing slightly as though every breath caused her pain...
"I...I can't look at you anymore without..." her tears did fall then, the extent of the damage obvious to any who should look at the broken brunette. "I can't stop picturing you with her..." the sob was heartbreaking as the hand raised to cover her mouth did nothing to stop it from escaping. "You were supposed to be mine...my person-"
"I'm still your person," Emma didn't notice the tears burning down her cheeks as she moved forward, her arms raised of their own accord to touch the shaking woman before her. Her heart clenched though when Regina recoiled as if fire was coming from the blonde's hands.
"No," she breathed then, her voice heavy with despair, "no you're not because you're not her anymore...you're not my Emma"
Her knees gave out then, the reduction to begging was not shameful to her for she should be doing so much more but knew whatever she did do, it wouldn't change a thing.
"You're not her," she whispered once more as she looked into tear swollen eyes, "because she was the one person I knew would never ever hurt me but you...you did, you have and you still are"
"Regina please let me-"
As though a switch had been flipped the brunette straightened out, her hand lowering from her mouth as her arm moved to join the other wrapped tightly around her body. "It's time for you to go now Miss Swan"
Emma flinched at the name as she could do nothing more than gape at the woman before her, tears still stinging her eyes as she could only look on.
"You need to leave, you need to go" she could hear the cracking once more, Regina never could keep her walls up against Emma, it was how she had gotten in the first time...and as she allowed her dark gaze to lock onto the green of the blonde's, she could feel herself weakening again, yielding to the pull she had always, and most likely would continue, to feel for the woman.
Emma stood then, the sight of Regina's eyes squeezing closed, the heavily swallowing as the brunette attempted to regain some control and composure was enough to indicate her need for the blonde to go...for now.
"I'm going to fight for you Regina," she stated as she moved to the door she had left open upon bursting into the house when the Mayor had tried to run from her. "I'm going to fight for you because I can't lose you"
Her only response was a small headshake as brown eyes found hers once more, no wall, no pretence just the simple truth accompanied by 4 words she would never, and could never accept.
"You already lost me."