A/N: Okay! This is the last one for a while. May be a week or two before I can update again. But thank you all for the support. And as always, Please review, I love to hear your feedback!

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Chapter 19

When I first came looking for Ruby I never imagined that she would have any recollection of what happened in my other reality.

I only wanted someone to confide in, and I knew that she had been so understanding the first time that maybe she would be with me here as well.

But as we both sit on this park bench I just am at a loss for words.

If she could remember what happened then that had to mean that Emma did too.

Then there was Henry, and how he had mentioned the diner and that breakfast we had with Emma and I know that had never happened here. So it seemed to me that the alternate place I had been going to was somehow blending in with real time. But how was it possible?

Although I would believe that anything was possible after all that we had been through in the last couple of years.

But then again nothing should surprise me anymore.

Especially after figuring out that I had just been a pawn in Rumple grand scheme of things.

And mother had basically raised me to be someone that she could use and manipulate to gain power.

It seemed as though we were all just pawns and the author was just doing as he pleased and we had no choice in the matter.

If there was a proper order to how things were supposed to be then I had no clue what it was.

I turn to Ruby, "I'm not really sure… What do you know.. about .." I look down as I don't even know what I am asking her.

"Hey it's okay, I haven't said anything to anyone, and honestly like I said, I thought it was just me having these memories…" She says looking at me, still not really saying anything.

"Oh for heaven's sake Ruby, what do you remember or think you remember? I am just so tired of it all and I need to know that I am not somehow losing my mind." I tell her hastily.

"I remember you and I speaking at your house because you invited me over, but it was before the curse broke. It's a bit hazy like I just remembered it one day even though it happened so long ago. I didn't remember before but it just came to me, and then I was like.. oh yeah." She says to me and I honestly have no clue what she is saying.

"I have no clue what that means!" I tell her frustrated.

"Okay it's like when you suddenly remember something that happened in your childhood that you maybe didn't think about for a while, but then someone mentions it to you and you actually do remember it. Kind of like that, except I just woke up one morning and I could remember these things." She says and it is starting to make sense to me.

"Is there anything else that you remember?" I ask her, peering at her from the corner of her eye.

"Yes, but I don't want you to be upset with me." she says looking back at me, and actually sitting closer to me than she was before.

"Just tell me, I will not be upset, but I need to hear you say it." I tell her and there is a tremor to my voice as I whisper it out.

"I remember you and Emma, there was definitely something going on between the two of you." She says bringing her voice down to a whisper like mine had.

"I, how, I cannot believe it, I thought it was just me who had to live with those memories alone for the rest of my life." I say, tears springing to my eyes as I look away as to not show her my weakness.

"I don't understand what happened Regina, how did I not realize it before about you and Emma? It's like it just all clicked one day, and it makes so much sense." She says, slowly taking my hand.

"It does? How? How could any of this make sense to you, because it certainly does not to me?" I tell her honestly.

"I don't know, but it just does. Think about it; think about it from the beginning. There was always something there, always this pull, hell I felt it and I wasn't even involved. You can't tell me you never noticed it. You had to have. You were there, and I have the memories now to prove them." She says to me, slightly smiling.

"I need to tell you something Ruby, and I hope you can keep this between us as I am not even really sure what happened but I cannot keep it to myself any longer. And I am trusting you so please, just promise me this will only be between us." I tell her.

"I promise, if it will help things with you and Emma, if it will help Emma, then I am willing to do whatever it takes." She tells me and this time I squeeze her hand and smile at her, she really is such a good person.

"Hello you two, I thought it was you…" Snow says walking up to us and we immediately jump apart.

"Hello Snow." I say and try to hide the fact that my heart is pounding hard in my chest, I hope she did not hear any of what we had said to one another.

"What are you two doing here? Ruby I went to the diner because I thought we were having lunch together…" she says eyeing us suspiciously.

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry I totally forgot and then I saw Regina and I.. um.. I wanted to know how Emma was doing." She says looking from Snow to me, and winking at me and smiling.

The wink, although I know is playful, brings a flush to my face and I can already see the wheels turning in Snow's mind when I look up at her. She is trying to figure us both out, ever the inquisitive one.

"Yes, I was giving Emma some time with the pirate, and thought I could use some fresh air…" I say, "I saw Miss Lucas earlier and she inquired about your daughter so I asked her if she wanted perhaps to take a walk." As I finish what I am saying I realize that this sounds almost plausible, but also doesn't sound anything like me.

"You asked Ruby to go for a walk with you at the park." She says almost jealous, and then she seems to snap out of it, "How is Emma?" She asks, burrowing her brow in concern and taking a seat in front of us on the grass.

"She is actually doing quite well today. She was up, and in a pleasant mood most of the morning. I really think we are making progress, although I do not want to push her." I say and I can't help but smile a bit at the memory of our morning.

I see Ruby looking at me from the corner of my eye, and I quickly turn my face serious again.

"She wants to see Henry." I say, this time looking at Snow.

"Oh wow, that's wonderful news, I can't wait to tell Charming, he will be so delighted. Do you think we should arrange a dinner for her at our place, like a little homecoming, maybe I should contact Granny and do it at the diner instead…" she is talking a mile a minute and I have to cut her off.

"Snow! Listen to yourself, what is the matter with you. She said she thinks she would like to see her son for a few minutes. Not the entire town, and certainly not you and Charming. I do not mean to be crass, but just think for one minute about someone other than yourself. She is not ready for all of that, I am honestly not sure if she is really ready to even see our son yet." I say as I stand and start pacing around.

Snow has a way of getting me worked up so easily, and can irritate me like no one else.

I wonder if she will ever grow up, but then I guess if she was going to change it would have happened already. Snow, although sickeningly sweet, is the most selfish and narrow-minded person I have ever known. I love her, but Lord knows most days she is so hard to deal with.

I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see Ruby behind me, "Are you okay?" she asks and I can see the genuine concern on her face.

I nod yes, and she gestures back to the park bench for me to sit. As I sit I see that Snow is looking down.

She looks up to me and I see tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry Regina, I just want her to come back to us so badly. And when you said she was doing better I just got my hopes up." She sniffles out.

I know how she feels but I just cannot show it, I need to stay strong.

"Have any of you found out anything new? Are there any updates at all?" I ask looking between both of them.

"No, nothing new, although we have reached out to other lands for help. Ofcourse we haven't told anyone that it's Emma, but we have reached out in hopes of getting help." Snow says, and starts getting up.

"I have to head back to the office now, but I will keep you informed if I hear anything." Snow says and I nod to her.

"Ruby we need to talk later!" Snow gives her a pointed look.

"Bye Regina." Snow says as she comes over and squeezes my shoulder.

"Goodbye" I say, and wait until she is far enough before I turn to Ruby who is looking at me curiously again.

"What is it now?" I ask her.

"Nothing. But I have to go back to work now Regina." She says as she starts to get up.

"No, I know there is something that you are not telling me. Just tell me, I cannot take anymore liars in my life." I tell her honestly, and she must see the pleading in my eyes.

"It's just that Snow might think that there is something going on between us." She says, her cheeks tingeing red as she looks down.

"What?!" I shout loud enough for other to look in our direction.

"Why on earth would she think that? I knew I saw something cross her face when she first walked up. I swear that woman lives in a fairytale… uggh I meant she is just delusional." I whisper to Ruby.

"It's not exactly that farfetched since I have always found you attractive Regina, and she had asked me before who my girl crush was." she says, still looking down and tucking her bangs behind her ear.

"Girl crush? What are you? A bunch of teenagers?" I ask.

"Look we were drinking one day, and this was after the curse had broken and we were celebrating when you guys rescued Henry and she kept on talking about how you and Emma had saved Henry. Anyway we were drunk talking about girly stuff and when she saw me staring at you from across the room so I told her it was just a girl crush. After that it's been this ongoing thing between us, and she always teases me about it." she finishes I am just shocked.

"So do you have feeling for me?" I ask her, a little too bluntly.

"Look, I just think you are gorgeous and pretty amazing but I would never try anything. I mean you found Robin shortly after that so I figured that you two would be it for each other, you know?" she asks, and I nod yes.

"But then you guys broke up, and now you are with Emma… and I really just want to be here for you." She says in one breath.

"I am not with Emma. I don't know will happen with Robin, although I do not wish to be with him any longer. But I am looking for friendship right now. I am sorry that is all I can offer. There is just so much going on, and well… I still have things I need to tell you." I tell her as gently as I can because I don't want to lose this tentative friendship that we are building.

"No I totally get it, and I wasn't ever planning on telling you all of that, but I just thought you should know, especially since Snow has seen us together." She says and starts to walk towards the diner.

"I'm sorry but I have to run, but please call me later. I really do think we need to talk about what happened, and what is happening here now. Tell Em I said hi, and think about what I said. There was always something there with you two, think about it and I'm sure you'll see it too." She says as she winks at me again, and then runs off.

…..

I go home and start the laundry and pack the things I will need for the next few days with Emma.

But all the time I am doing this I am thinking about Ruby, and what she said.

If she could remember what happened then there had to be a link somewhere that I was missing. The only way that she could have any memory of what happened was if it was in fact real. It was the same with Henry, he had remembered that breakfast we had as if it was nothing out of the ordinary. There had to be a reason that I was sent back.

Maybe I was looking at it all wrong. Maybe being sent back was my second chance at a happy ending after all.

Maybe this was Operation Mongoose and I didn't even realize it.

Had I been asking the wrong questions all along, looking in the wrong places.

When Henry and I set out to find the author and have him give me my happy ending I had always imagined it to be with Robin but maybe I was wrong. Maybe that's why I was sent back, so that I could see what was in front of me all along.

"Oh my" I whisper to myself as I think back to everything that had taken place before that dreadful night when Emma saved my life and my soul.

I think back to the past, to the first time I met Emma, and how I treated her and I know now that if I had just been kind to her things would have been different.

Ruby was right, the signs were there but I was too absorbed in other thing, things that didn't matter once the curse broke.

But what did it matter now? Now I had knowledge of what could have been. Now I knew what it was like to have Emma want me, and now she wanted him. Now she was the Dark One and there was nothing I could do to save her.

All I could do was try to be there for her as she spent her days locked up in some hole and tried not to let the darkness take over, and murder us all.

But today had been a good day. And I should focus on the good, and not dwell on what could have been.

I had to focus on the fact that she wanted to see Henry, and that was definitely a good start.

From there, who knows what else will be possible.

….