Thank you everyone for all of the reviews, follows and favourites! You guys are all wonderful, and I love you! Bear with me just a little longer; the Kiss is coming! Enjoy!

Henry was walking back from school without Mary Margaret, because he insisted on having some time to himself. That little bubble of hope that formed in his chest when Mr Gold told him that Emma could be saved swelled into a fiercely-burning flame after his conversation with Regina. He did as he had promised to Emma: He found her True Love. Now, all he had to do was get his adoptive mother to act on it.

She told him she would think about it, and Henry desperately wanted to believe that she truly would; however, he could see the doubt in her eyes. He knew why; he had read the book. He knew about her first love and the way that Snow had betrayed Regina. He knew how cruel Cora was in killing the Stable Boy in front of her daughter. Henry couldn't fathom that kind of loss, having never felt it before, but he was able to understand how it would prevent someone from letting others in.

It was why Regina hadn't done so for many, many years. She thought Daniel was the only light in her life, and when his glow was extinguished, she didn't just sink into the darkness. The young Queen threw herself forcefully into it. She used that blackness to build the strongest of walls around her heart. Never again would she be betrayed by Love. It just hurt too much.

So when Henry decided to stop by the hospital on his way home, the presence of Regina's Mercedes in the parking lot immediately caught his attention. It was the middle of the day, and he knew that the private brunette only ever visited Emma in the dead of night. Maybe she was starting to embrace her feelings, just like she had promised to Henry. Maybe, just maybe, she was thinking about kissing Emma as he walked. If Henry could be there, he might be able to discourage her from chickening out, but why would she? Emma was her True Love after all. He broke into a run.

After bodily slamming through the glass door, Henry saw a brunette sitting beside his mother. Ruby looked up, startled by Henry's frantic arrival. She looked even more confused when his hopeful smile slid into a crestfallen frown.

"Henry? What's up?"

"Have you seen my mom?"

"Wha- Oh! You mean Regina, no. Why?"

"Her car is here. I thought maybe..."

"Maybe what?"

"I talked to my mom; she's Emma's True Love! But... She's afraid. Love is..."

"Scary," Ruby finished for him.

"Exactly. I saw her car here, and I thought that may she was here to, you know, kiss Emma."

"I'm sorry, Kiddo. I haven't seen Regina anywhere."

"Can you call her office?"

Ruby quickly dialed the number to the Town Hall. When she asked for the mayor, a little crease appeared between her eyebrows. She said a brief goodbye before hanging up. "Her secretary said that she never came in today. She didn't call or anything."

"Call her cell phone! Here, I know her number." He punched the keys and put the phone to his ear. It rang, and rang, and rang. Finally, the voicemail picked up. That's when Henry knew something was up. No matter what phone he was calling from, Regina had a sixth sense for when it was Henry calling. It must have been a mom thing. She never failed to answer the phone for her beloved son.

"Ruby, something's wrong."

"Don't jump to conclusions, Kiddo."

"I'm serious! We gotta find her! I know you can feel it. I know you can tell that something's not right. C'mon! Let's go!" He turned a left.

Ruby jogged a little to catch up to the boy. "How are we supposed to find her? We don't know where she went, or how long she's been gone for."

"You're gonna find her," he stated simply.

"I don't have a Regina Radar or anything. I'm not-"

"Ruby, I know you can find her, just like you found David in the woods."

"That was different..."

"No, it wasn't. Trust yourself. You just gotta believe."

"I..." She saw his hard face. "Will try my best."

Ruby once again astonished herself with instincts she didn't think she had. As long as she didn't concentrate too much on how bizarre it all was, she was able to hand her mind over to a different part of herself. That part followed signs she didn't even know were there. It guided her feet without hesitance, and the feeling in her gut told her that she was on the right path.

Henry kept unusually silent, and Ruby guessed that he had known to let her do her thing, and not distract her. She thought that they were headed toward the woods, but the young woman knew that wasn't right. They took a turn, going in the direction of the flat, open fields near the edge of town. When they started trudging through high weeds, grasses, and soft ground, she found herself grateful that she chose to wear pants and sneakers instead of her usual short skirt and heels.

"Are we almost there?" Henry questioned after a long time of silence. The sudden sound startled her slightly.

"I...don't know."

"Just listen and feel, Ruby."

She rolled her eyes, but heeded him. That same gut feeling settled into her stomach. "She's out here...in this field. She's here!"

Henry looked across the many acres, bare but for yellowed weeds and tangled, overgrown grass. He should have been able to see her erect figure standing among the scrubby overgrowth, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Something's happened to her! C'mon, we have to find her! She could be hurt!" He tugged the woman's hand, urging her to lead the way.

They barreled into the heart of the open field, expecting to see the mayor at any moment. The longer she remained hidden from view, the more distressed Henry became. His jaw was clenched tight, and his brown eyes were narrowed, searching for his mother.

Ruby halted him, something different catching her. She closed her eyes, trying to feel. The sounds around them hadn't changed. The chirping of the birds, rustling of small rodents, all of it stayed constant. She inhaled deeply, filling her lungs as much as she could. That was when she caught it. She breathed in again, trying to sort through the assault on her senses. It smelled like damp earth, decaying plants, horse shit and...something that didn't fit with the earthy smells.

It smelled kind of sweet. It smelled feminine. Underneath that, she caught just the tiniest hint of girl-sweat. She was smelling Regina's perfume. Ruby's eyes snapped open with realization. She spun slowly, trying to discern the direction the scent was coming from.

"What is it?"

"We're so close," she murmured. "Henry, I can smell her. She's close. Just give me a minute." He nodded wordlessly, backing away a few paces. She found the point where the perfume was strongest, heading in its direction, against the wind, without a word to the boy. He followed, not daring to say a word.

It didn't take much longer before a dark mound among the pale grasses came into view. Henry broke into a run, Ruby hot on his tail. Regina was curled up on the ground, unmoving, eyes closed, and her body cold as hell.

"MOM!" Henry rolled her onto her back. He clothes were dirty, torn in a few spots and there were cuts and bruises all over her exposed skin. The boy pressed his ear to her chest, and sighed with relief. He heard her heart fluttering in her chest.

"Is she okay?" Ruby asked, kneeling down next to the unconscious mayor.

"She's alive, if that's what you mean. She needs a doctor; she's really cold! Give me your jacket!"

Ruby immediately shed the garment. She told Henry to try and keep Regina warm while she went for help. Henry wrapped the coat around his mother, taking off his own and draping it over her lower legs and bare feet.

"I'm going to keep you safe, Mom. I don't know what you're doing out here, but I'm here now."

"H-Henry?" The croak from the woman's mouth was so quiet, he wasn't sure he'd heard anything at all.

"Mom?"

"Henry? Where are you?" Her eyes still hadn't opened, but she was trying to lift her arm that was hampered by the coat over her.

"I'm right here!" He held her closer.

The brunette's eyes fluttered open. They were red, puffy, and looked wild. They rolled around in their sockets, flying in frantic circles until they finally focused on the boy's face above hers. The moment she saw her son, tears sprung up, running hot down her skin, stinging in the scratches all over her face.

"Henry... I'm so sorry. I... I tried. I tried," she croaked. "I'm so sorry."

"Shh, don't talk. Ruby's going to get you help. I'm not leaving right now, I promise. I'm here, Mom." She smiled weakly up at him before losing her strength again, closing her eyes, content in her son's lap.

Regina felt warm and heavy. Exhaustion still coursed through her like poison, and she tried to lift her arm to rub over her eyes, but it seemed to be made of lead. She wanted to pry her eyelids open to try and figure out where she was, but they too were weights much too heavy for her.

She took a deep breath. It smelled sterile. A steady beeping reached her ears. The tiniest of smiles tugged at the corners of her dry lips. She was with Emma. She could hear those heartbeats. If she just rolled over, she could wrap herself around the blonde, and everything would be better.

She lifted her hand, to at least grab Emma's. The sound of her heightened heart rate would soothe all of the aches that were slowly becoming more apparent to the brunette. She groped around, but her hand bumped into a cold little railing. She frowned. She moved the other hand, and it also knocked against the same. She was in her own hospital bed. That new realization made her crack open her heavy lids.

Everything was fuzzy and dark. She rubbed her eyes, blinking them to clear her blurry vision. The room she was in was dark. The blinds were drawn, but she could see light peeking around the edges. She groaned, trying to sit up, but she was relatively unsuccessful in her endeavor.

She peered around a little more, and noticed a small, snoring lump curled up like a cat in a chair beside her bed. She looked a little closer and saw that it was Henry. She smiled, happiness warming her heart.

She leaned over, resting her hand on the boy and giving him a gentle shake. He lifted his head, looking around for the source of disturbance. His eyes fell on his smiling mother, and it took him a moment to realize what he was seeing. His face split into a wide grin, leaping out of the chair to hug her.

"Mom! You're awake!" She let out a soft Oof! when he bent over the railing to give her an awkwardly-placed hug.

"How long was I out?" she croaked.

"Uhhh...Almost two days?"

"What? What happened?"

"I d'know. You were gone, and I had Ruby help me to find you. You were passed out or something in the middle of a field. Does that sound familiar to you?"

Regina frowned, wracking her memory. "No...It doesn't."

"You said something to me. You said you were sorry and that you tried."

"I don't remember..."

"Okay, well I'm gonna dash for a moment, and give you a little time to think about it. I'm gonna get Dr Whale. He has a few things to tell you. Don't go anywhere!"

Regina smiled at his little joke, resting her head back against the pillows. What she wouldn't give for a hot cup of coffee. Everything felt achy, her muscles, her head, her...feet? She noticed the deep throbbing aches in her feet. When the brunette attempted to wiggle them around a bit, she winced, hissing in pain. Something was definitely wrong with them. That was probably one of the things Whale had to talk about with her.

As if on cue, the doctor knocked lightly on the door before entering, Henry following closely. He wore a polite smile, flipping through the pages on the clipboard clenched in his hand.

"Good morning, Madame Mayor. Glad to see you're awake."

"Wish I felt that way," she sighed, foregoing her usual curt banter. "So, what's the damage?"

"When you arrived, you were unconscious, slightly hypothermic, and a little dehydrated. Your boy here did his best to keep you warm while Miss Lucas got aid. That was easy to take care of, but the physical damage to your body was another story."

"Physical damage?"

"I don't know what was happening with you, Madame Mayor, but you were wandering around for God knows how long completely barefoot. The scrapes and bruises on the rest of your body will heal just fine, but your feet..."

"Yes?"

"We had to do some minor surgery. Just stitches, after extracting some small debris from the wounds, but you'll be off of your feet for a couple of weeks."

"Great. That's just fantastic. Anything else?" Her annoyance came through as a mask for how upset and disturbed she felt.

"I faxed a prescription for Vicodin to the pharmacy. That should help with any pain or discomfort you experience. And you'll need to apply a disinfecting ointment to your stitches twice daily, and come in twice this week so we can monitor your initial healing process."

"How much longer do I have to be hospitalized for?"

"Just for the remainder of the day. We can discharge you this afternoon if you're feeling up to it."

"Good. I'm hungry."

"I'll have a nurse bring you some breakfast right away, Madame Mayor." He nodded and left.

"Henry?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you do a favor for me?"

"Sure!"

"Would you..." She glanced at the wheelchair placed nearby. "Wheel me," she cringed at that word. "To Emma's room?"

"Are you gonna kiss her?"

"Henry..."

"Sorry, I just, uh... Have you been thinking about it, like you promised?"

Regina stared down at her eager son. "Yes, I have been thinking about it. I won't say any more on the matter. Come on, help me into the wheelchair."

Henry pushed his mother down the hallways toward his other mother's room. Regina wasn't quite so used to the building being so alive. She was used to the dead quiet of the place as she slunk her way to the Savior's room. Henry hummed happily behind her, and his renewed joy was oddly infectious. She felt the weight of her current condition lessen lightly.

He pushed her through the glass door, parking her right beside Emma's bed. Regina leaned over and whispered to her son. He nodded and left, turning back to smile at the two women one more time before he sat in one of the chairs in the little waiting area.

The brunette looked at the woman beside her. She felt her chest weigh down with guilt. Regina took Emma's hand between her own. It was cold as ever, and she palmed the flesh gently, coaxing heat back into it.

"I failed you, Emma Swan. I will always fail you." She fought back fresh tears that were threatening to overflow. "Just like I failed Daniel. I'm not supposed to have love, or a happy ending. Just look at what I did to try and get one.

"Even if you do love me, or want me in some way, I will never be what you need. I'll always be wrong for you. It's just my destiny." Regina smiled to herself.

"Then again, you were always there for me. You were the one to save me, and even defend me on the rare occasion. Maybe you're supposed to chase my scared heart. Maybe you're supposed to find me, no matter how far I run...

"Emma, this is the most terrifying thing that I have ever done. I've left you waiting, disappointed Henry, my beloved son, all because I was so selfish and afraid to face the truth. Even now, I can't do this. I am... I hope you forgive me in the future." Regina pressed her lips to the newly-warmed fingers of the Savior, rejoicing in the softness of Emma's skin.

Emma's heart jumped, as usual. But when Regina's lips grazed the other woman's knuckles, her index finger rose slowly to brush along the brunette's scratched cheek. She gasped softly at the gentle contact. She brought Emma's hand up to her face, cupping her cheek into the blonde's palm. She inhaled deeply as the Savior's thumb involuntarily stroked over her own warm skin.

"Emma... Even now, I can't. I feel you, and I want more. If I give in to that, I'll never be able to stop. I don't take things kindly, or gently. I take with pain, violence, and misery. Look, just look, at what I did to try and keep Henry from you. Even after you told me you were leaving. I just couldn't let it go. The simple reason being that I am the Evil Queen." She peered intently at the sleeping woman's blank face.

"Everything in me right now is screaming to kiss you. To kiss you, Emma. I want to take you, and make you mine. But..." She glanced over her shoulder at Henry, who was thumbing through a magazine. "It's all a dream. It's all a fantasy. Dreams don't come true for the wicked." She set Emma's hand back down, turning herself away from her Savior.