Wow! I'm flattered that the one-shot was so well received!

But I'm a little bit mystified as to why I didn't get requests, thought. I only got one so far, so send them in!

Now this is the sad fic I mentioned before, so be prepared for feels and all that jazz. But I'm a sucker for happy endings, so this one will also have a happy ending, you'll see how.

In the End, We're All Just Stories

Angst

Summary: Regina keeps staring at the place she used to call home. Now it was only an empty shell of what it used to be. But she still came here every year. It helped her to cope, ironically enough. Sometimes, if she closed her eyes, she could hear the sounds from 40 years ago whispering through the wind.

Prompted by: My evil mind that thinks up of terrible plots and won't let me forget about it until it's written.

Warnings/ Notes: Uhhhm character deaths. It's a future fic, so most people are gone from old age. But there is a happy ending! I promise! Also I apologize for the names, I know everyone has headcanons on what the childrens' names would be and whatnot, but I hope this is fine.

Regina was standing in the doorway, the chilly November air was really getting to her. It was snowing, and her son really needed to open the door, she didn't care how old he was, leaving his mother out in the cold was just asking for a serving of her patented Regina Mills glare. But it was Thanksgiving, she could forgive him for this one.

"Hey mom!" Finally, Henry had opened the door. He stepped aside to let her in, flashing a handsome grin at her. Even at 50 Henry had still kept his boyish charm. He gave her a side hug, careful to not knock the casserole out of her hands. She kissed him on the cheek in return, glad to be out of the cold.

"Hello dear, how is everyone?" Regina asked, handing the casserole of lasagna over to him so he could take it to the kitchen while she removed her jacket and boots.

"Pretty good, Timmy is taking Leia's kids tobogganing in the park. Meanwhile Leia and Amanda went to buy more apples for the pudding. And Nancy is right in the kitchen."

"Hey Regina!" Right on cue the brunette woman married to her son peeked out from the kitchen. In a pleasant twist of events, Nancy had gotten along quite fine with both Regina and Emma. They didn't have the typical in-law relationship, something that Regina was thankful for, after all the years she had to deal with the dysfunctional madness that were Snow and Charming, especially after she and Emma started dating. Nothing would ever compare to the Snow and Charming Third Degree she got.

"Hey Nancy, need any help preparing?" Regina entered the kitchen and went right over to the stove, letting its warmth heat her up.

"Nah, I think we've got it, you can go sit at the table. The kids should be back soon and I'm sure they'll love to see you!"

She nodded and sat down, watching how husband and wife worked in sync to prepare everything. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang again, and once Henry came back, he was accompanied by Leia and Amanda.

Once Leia saw Regina, she left her wife, bounded past Henry, and nearly toppled her in her chair. "Mom!"

"Hello dear, how have you been?" Regina returned the hug with as much force as she could muster. Once they broke apart, the older woman did a double take, and her breath caught in her throat. Leia looked more like Emma every day. Except for the eyes and the mouth, which she inherited from Regina, she was the spitting image of Emma.

Of course that was due to the fact that she was biologically both theirs. After finding out that they could have a child together due to their true love, they took the opportunity and had Leia, naming her after Emma's identity when she bungled the trip to the past. However, for the sake of both their children's lives, neither spouse nor their own children were told about the fairy tale or magical side of their family. It just made it easier than having to explain all about the Evil Queen who was no longer evil or a queen. Plus out in this world her powers were nulled, and she didn't really feel like driving all the way back to Storybrooke just to prove that once upon a time, she used to be a fairy tale villain. So the official story was that they used a sperm donor, accounting for Leia's likeness to Emma, even though it had been Regina who had carried the child.

"Pretty good, the kids are growing up so fast though, I'm sure they'll love to see you."

"Hey Regina." Amanda came up to stand behind her wife, flashing a nervous smile. She was the only one who knew who Regina used to be, finding out through a magical mishap. It happened some years ago when the entire family had gone over to Storybrooke to attend the Annual Celebration. Leia and her then newly-married wife were in the middle of an argument, and Leia's anger had magically manifested into a personal storm cloud over Amanda, spewing out rain, thunder and lightning. When the panicked woman went up to the Swan-Mills family not knowing what to do, Henry had burst out laughing, while Leia was near to having a heart attack over her wife finding out her magical capabilities. While Emma calmed her daughter down and chastised her son for rudeness, Regina removed the magical cloud, and they were forced to explain the truth. Thankfully Nancy had been out with the kids, so no one else found out about the incident.

Ever since then, the woman was still antsy around Regina, eager to please and prove that she could be a good wife to Leia. She was certain that she'd probably get a fireball headed her way should she disappoint, despite the fact that the older woman had tried to assuage her worries countless times.

"Hello Amanda," Regina was poised to ask a question, but the opening of another door and the screams of "Grandma!" effectively cut off any conversation. She turned around and saw the three children that brightened her world. Well, Timmy was already 21 and no longer a child, but Leia's were still children. Vincent and Renata both mimicked their mother as they rushed to give her a huge hug. Regina didn't even care that she was getting soaked to the bone from the melting snow that clung to their jackets, it made her happy to have them near her. Regina had always had a soft spot for children, and becoming a grandma was a blessing in that sense.

"Alright, everyone go clean up, dinner will be ready in a bit!" Nancy called out, seeing the mess the kids were making, and giving a pointed glare to Timmy. He'd be cleaning it up or so help her, she'd whoop his ass to next year.

"So grandma!" Renata, the ever curious 8-year old, looked up from where she was sitting beside her. "Can you tell me the story of the Queen and the Knight? I keep asking mommy for the story, but she never tells it like you do."

Regina looked up at her daughter, who sheepishly grinned at her. "Of course, Nat."

"Yay! Can you start now, please please?" Renata, who preferred to go by her nickname - Nat, latched onto her arm and pleaded her with big puppy eyes.

"Please grandma?" Little Vincent mimicked his older sister's actions, latching on to her other arm.

She looked around the room, and everyone was looking expectantly at her. She had become well-known as a storyteller in their family. When Emma had been around, she'd even help act out the scenes, looking like the most lovable goof. "Of course. Once upon a time, in the Enchanted Forest, there lived a queen. But she was not happy. You see, she was alone, with no one to love. Everyone either feared or hated her..."

Dinner went by at a slow pace. Everyone was entranced by the story. No matter how many times Regina told it, everyone always felt like it was the first time they were hearing it. Of course, she was also telling the G version of the story, which meant no heart ripping or forced marriages, and especially no death threats.

As they got to dessert, Regina had made quite a progress into the story. She took a deep breath and continued, not willing to let the tears fall. "Of course the valiant knight was also a very clumsy one. So clumsy that she tripped and crashed right into the Queen, toppling them both over..."

In a way, she was letting her grandchildren learn about Emma. Leia's children didn't remember their blonde grandmother, having been too young when they had last seen her. Although they'd never know it was her, she knew that the children loved the Knight. She was sure Emma would've given her a smug look for that fact.

By the time Regina was finishing the story, Vincent and Renata were tucked into the guest bedroom, eyes drooping but both powering through their fatigue to hear the end of the story they'd heard many times before.

"And they lived happily ever after?" Renata mumbled, a sleepy smile adorning her face.

"Yes." No, not really. Not ever after. But she supposed 35 years was as good as it was going to get. But the children needn't know that. To them the story ended in a vague ever after, that promised simplicity and happiness for the rest of the characters' lives. Regina knew better, and until she had gotten her own family with Emma, Henry and Leia, she herself didn't believe in Ever Afters. Now the belief was gone again, but the newer generation of her family made it worthwhile.

She kissed both children goodnight, and closed the door behind her, going back to the living room. On the way down she passed by Timmy, who was looking a bit tired himself, saying he was headed to bed.

"'Night grandma." Timmy tried to stifle a yawn with a grin, giving her a hug.

"Good night Timmy, and take care." It was startling to see that Timmy was now taller than her, but he was growing up, becoming quite a handsome man in the process.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay, Mom? We have an extra room ready for you." Henry saw the weather outside. It wasn't snowing anymore, but it was still chilly, and he didn't want his mom to brave the winter weather outside. Deep down he knew it was pointless. She and Emma had done it for years, and now Regina more than ever refused to break tradition.

"It's quite alright Henry, I'll be fine." Regina swatted the worry away.

"Well, call us when you get there okay?" Leia engulfed her in a hug once more. "We love you."

Henry and the two spouses also joined in, cocooning Regina. "And I love all of you."

A few minutes later, the four younger adults were standing on the porch, waving goodbye at Regina until they couldn't see her anymore. She had one last look at the rearview mirror and took a deep breath. Now to head to Storybrooke.

4 hours later and Regina knew she had crossed the town line. There were no signs to indicate it, the ancient 'Welcome to Storybrooke' sign was dilapidated beyond recognition, and with a mountain of snow around it, it was as if it didn't exist. But she could feel the magic around her. She stopped the car in the middle of the road, getting once more acclimated to having magic flowing through her veins.

She wasn't worried about anyone crashing into her, the town didn't exist to any normal human; only those from the Enchanted Forest, or those accompanied by someone from the Enchanted Forest, could actually visit Storybrooke. After the final curse broke some 30 odd years ago, they had discovered that they were no longer bound by the town's line. Magic was still bound to the limits, but the people of Storybrooke could travel the world they had been inhabiting for so long, and nearly everyone jumped at the chance.

They had become a diaspora after that, spread across the world. Most went to travel and discover, others just wanted a change of scenery. Some had stayed around, preferring the comfort the little town provided. The Swan-Mills family had been among the latter. Both women had had their fair share of travelling, and wanted to provide a stable home for their children.

Regina meanwhile, saw that flurries were beginning to fall, so she started the car again, making her way into town.

As a precaution, everyone's houses still remained in their possessions, assuring them that if anything ever failed in the outside world, they could still have a home in Storybrooke. Of course, as the years went by, people came and went, so the houses were always in use, until death stepped in. Granny was the first to go, and at that point Storybrooke had transformed.

No one saw it as a town anymore, it had become a reminder, a monument of what once was, like a monolith in a cemetery. Only the sense of nostalgia had kept people going to the town, but with the patron of their main hangout gone, it scared the denizens that had remained in Storybrooke. It was as if the plague had set in, everyone wanted to leave. They remembered their own mortality, already extended with the 28 years they had been granted due to the original curse.

Regina had finally reached Main Street, and stopped in front of the clock tower. She had already called Leia to let her know she had arrived safe and sound, so now she could disconnect from the world around her. She turned off the engine, got out of the car, and stood smack in the middle of the road, flurries beginning to gather along her jacket and wispy white hair. She took a deep breath, letting the smell of the seaside town call up memories from so long ago, trying for just a second to repopulate the town in her mind.

But this wasn't the same Storybrooke, no matter how much Regina tried. The town was abandoned, she was the only soul currently there. With so many decades that had passed, the younger generation had dispersed around the world, but they all kept in touch, Henry providing updates to her every now and then. But the people Regina had eventually become friends with, the original adult group from the Enchanted Forest, they were all gone, except for 3.

Gold, after Belle had passed away, decided to drop off from the Earth, choosing to spend the rest of his days closed off somewhere secluded and away from civilization. He had seen and done everything. He no longer had any family, apart from Henry perhaps, but Gold had given up on trying to forge or maintain a connection with anyone after his wife died. He was a recluse, though he had occasionally dropped by to visit Regina, implying that the sight of his old pupil provided him with some comfort. She wasn't sure if Gold retained some semblance of immortality in the outside world, but he looked nearly the same as 40 years ago, the only difference was the haggard worry lines on his face and deep shadows under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in years. She had once suggested that he try to return to the Enchanted Forest, but he denied, claiming that the pain would be even worse there.

Ruby had taken a similar path. She would live a longer life due to the wolf in her, and having lost most of her friends took a toll on her. Granny had been bad enough, but when Snow and Charming died, it had devastated her. Emma had been the sole reason for comfort as the two women grieved. Eventually Ruby got back on her feet, deciding that maybe it would be nice to travel the world, like Archie had done, his memoirs of his travels were an inspiring and vibrant piece.

By the time she came back from her trip some years later, Regina had to tell her the bad news. She didn't even manage to get it all out in one piece, racking sobs broke up her speech, unsure how to tell the wolf that her best friend was gone. Seeing the wolf crumble in her doorstep, letting out a pained howl as she clutched Regina, and Regina to her, realizing that their numbers were diminishing rapidly. After a couple of days, Ruby had made a decision. She went back to Storybrooke, changed into a wolf, deciding to live out her life with other wolves was less painful than wandering around aimlessly as a human.

And Regina. Her life was a whirlwind of emotions. On one hand, she's getting to see her grandchildren grow up, on the other hand, she no longer has her wife, her true love, to comfort her on the days she needs her the most. Sometimes she misses Emma so much she wishes Emma herself would be there to comfort her about it, how messed up is that?

Even Snow and Charming were lucky, they died at the same time, and in each other's arms. But no, Regina has to be living for 5 years now without her wife, going through life on auto-pilot, just waiting for the moments she got to spend time with her surviving family. Although she wouldn't mention this to anyone, she had been coming frequently to Storybrooke, not just for her annual visits.

After they moved out of Storybrooke 20 years ago, Regina and Emma had made it tradition to hold an Annual Celebration with the entire town in Storybrooke. Everyone would come from wherever they had dispersed to join in the festivities, usually in summer, and reconnect with everyone. They made sure to come in every year, but in the last 10 years before Emma died, more and more people were finding reasons to not go. They didn't want to face the past and all the people they lost. After Emma lost her parents, the summer celebrations came to an end, and the couple instead made it to Thanksgiving, so that way she could visit her parents' graves. After Emma died, Regina kept the tradition by herself, always leaving her wife's grave last, where she'd promise she wouldn't cry. Every year she failed, crumbling to the ground and wishing nothing more than to have her wife in her arms again.

But it didn't happen. It never again would, and Regina hated life for that.

She'd heard once that there existed a phenomenon, wherein stories always had one character who would have lost so much, have hell thrown at them, and they would end up living the longest, surviving against all odds. Regina never felt that applied to her more than now. But she wouldn't have changed a thing, her life had been perfect in so many ways, she didn't regret a moment.

She hadn't even realized that she was freezing. She conjured a spell to thaw herself, warming her body up immediately. It was time she got out of the cold. Regina got back into the car, and made her way to 108 Mifflin Street. Since no one lived here, the streets were unkempt, covered in snow, so her travel there was slow. She could just teleport herself there, but she wanted, no - needed to pass through town before heading to her old house. It prepared her for the onslaught of nostalgia she would get, memories coming at her in all directions.

The snow masked how decrepit the town really was. Windows were missing, paints were chipped, and most of the lights no longer worked, and those that did were working on some kind of miracle. It seemed incredible how 40 years ago, or hell 68 years ago when she first cast the curse, the town had been full of life, promising happiness to the once Evil Queen. And she did get her happy ending, until it was taken from her. But now she had no one to blame but time itself, and there was no way to argue with time. So Regina kept on living. She lived for her wife, who would insist she keep going, see their grandchildren grow up, no matter how hard it got for her. She wished she could shut herself out like Gold had, or be like Ruby, run wild to distract herself from the pain, but it'd never work, she loved her family too much to do that to them.

10 minutes later, she finally made her way to the big mansion that she had lived in for so many years. She once more shut the engine and got out of the car, tears already prickling her eyes. She trudged up to the front steps, remembering the first day Henry took Leia to school, Emma and Regina standing at the door beaming as a teenage Henry helped his little sister to carry her backpack that was too big for her body.

With a flick of her hand, the door opened. She no longer had the keys with her, not that she needed them. As she crossed the threshold, her heart clutched at her throat. Regina keeps staring at the place she used to call home. Now it was only an empty shell of what it used to be. But she still came here every year. It helped her to cope, ironically enough. Sometimes, if she closed her eyes, she could hear the sounds from 40 years ago whispering through the wind. So that's what she did, she closed her eyes, not paying attention to the fact that the door was open and snow was beginning to spill inside, wanting to hear.

"Come on Leia, walk to Mommy, can you do that?"

"Mama!"

"Yes I'm Mama, but can you go to Mommy?"

"No!"

Regina felt a smile split her face.

"Hey Ma, how's the speech recognition thing going?"

"Not good, your sister is ignoring me!" She could hear Emma's pout as she replied.

Henry chuckled. "Let me try."

"'Enwy!"

"Hey sis!"

Suddenly Emma's voice felt much closer, so much that presently, Regina shifted a bit.

"They're adorable huh?"

"Earth to Regina...Regina?"

"Babe?"

Regina's eyes shot open. Her heart was beating madly in her chest. For a second there, Emma's voice had sounded so close, so real. But there was no one here, she was alone, and snow was beginning to creep in. She closed the door and turned on the lights with her magic, looking around. The place looked so empty, but there were so many little things that still made it so much the Swan-Mills household.

There was the stain on the wall that looked like a rainbow puked there, as Emma had so colloquially put it. It had been from when Emma had been levitating crayons with magic to entertain Leia, but she somehow managed to make the crayons blow up against the wall, creating an explosion of colour that never went away. There were scuffs on the steps from all the times Henry had come bounding inside, eager to tell his moms about something or other. So many memories embedded into the structure of the house, so even without any furniture, she still felt at home.

She climbed upstairs, forgoing any pretense. She was going to cry, who was she kidding. There was no one to see her break down like this, and the memories, oh the memories, they made her happy and her heart ached to be taken back just one more time again, even for just a second, just so she could see and touch everything and everyone one more time.

It was incredible how much she missed everyone. Yes even Snow White. After Emma's mother had accepted Regina as Emma's girlfriend, and eventually her wife, the two managed to put aside their differences, and truly became family. Of course they still had their spats, but it was mostly for old time's sake rather than anything serious.

The hallway leading to her and Emma's room had never seemed longer, but once she got there, her hand trembled and faltered. She was going to stay the night in a deserted town in her old house that she hadn't lived in for 20 years.

Taking a deep breath, Regina opened the door. An empty room stared back at her, but not for long. With some spells and bringing of furniture, the room looked just like how it would've been 30 years ago. The smells were there, the clothes and trinkets adorning the place. She knew it probably wasn't healthy to try and trick herself that things were just fine, but she needed this. She needed this so much.

She changed into a camisole, painstakingly aware that the many wrinkles on her skin greatly contrasted the fact that she was imagining things as they were 30 years ago. Emma was working late, and she was heading to bed.

The bed smelled so much like her, and now the tears were flowing freely. She clutched the sheets around her, crying until she could cry no more. Crying for her dead wife, for how alone she was, and how much she missed just having her small children, running around and laughing.

"Don't you dare die on me, you idiot."

"You know I'd never do that to you. We've still got a lot to do."

"Yes plus you still owe me a dance, remember?"

"How can I forget?"

Oh where had the time gone?

A few hours later, Storybrooke was still once more, not a breathing soul in sight.

Regina screwed her eyes shut tighter, willing for that persistent knocking sound to stop. But it wouldn't stop, so she opened her eyes. The knocking wasn't part of her dreams...and the surroundings... What the hell?!

She scrambled to sit up on her bed - no, the bed, this wasn't hers - and tried to get a feeling for her surroundings. But the knocking was making it hard to think, so she growled and let out an angry, "What?!"

The knocking stopped, and a timid male voice on the other end said, "I'm sorry to bother you, your Majesty, but they're ready for you now. I shall be waiting outside to escort you to the ball."

Now in the silence, Regina had more questions than answers. Her heart sunk. Her Majesty? She hadn't been called that in years, except sarcastically by one Emma Swan. But no, she couldn't be back. She was in Storybrooke, she knew it. She pinched herself tightly, but the scene didn't change. She wasn't dreaming.

Looking around her, the place was a flashing neon sign that told her she wasn't in Storybrooke. She couldn't be-

Scrambling out of the bed, she made her way to the window and threw it open. Staring back at her was the summer landscape of the Enchanted Forest. No, this couldn't be happening, had she dreamed her life up? But she wasn't in Leopold's castle, and yet this wasn't the castle she and Emma had shared the last time they had been in here. Looking down at her hands, she saw that the wrinkles were missing, but her wedding ring was still there. So she was still married to Emma, perhaps?

She could only hope that was the case. But in any way, the man mentioned a ball that she was supposed to be attending for some unknown reason, and she looked around the spacious room for clues. There, on a high backed chair, a dress was laid out, and it was expertly decorated, sequins and jewels glinting in the light. She picked the dress up and a piece of parchment fell from where it had been perched on top of the dress. In the scrap, there was only a heart drawn on it. Clearly someone had come in and laid out the dress they wanted her to wear.

Regina supposed that she should play along for now, and try to get as much information as she could from this party. She called forth her magic and in a flash of purple smoke, the dress was now on her. She approached the mirror, and gasped. She looked just like how she had been more than 40 years ago. Her hair was back to being that rich brown, almost black colour, and her body just spectacular.

Well, it was time to face the music and attend a ball. she put on some heels that were by the chair where she found the dress. She wrenched the door open, startling the guard who had been standing there.

"Your Majesty," the man bowed as he spoke - she could hear the smallest tremors in his voice - and when he straightened, he held out his arm for her to take. She took the arm, and prepared herself. Balls were never a short event, she hoped she'd at least be able to inconspicuously get out of the party, or at least blend into the surroundings.

They walked downstairs in silence. Regina was just itching to force the man to tell her what was happening, threatening to crisp him into a fireball, but she didn't want to create a scene before knowing what was going on.

When they turned a corner, Regina saw that there were two double doors at the end, open and letting the sounds of a joyous ball to filter through. As the approached, she began to panic. What if she didn't want to find out the truth? What if perhaps her life in Storybrooke had all been made-up? She wouldn't bear it if it was the case.

Before she knew what was happening, the guard beside her snaked his arm out from where it had been linked to hers, and she was left at the doorway alone. She tried to look into the throngs of people for at least one friendly face, but it all looked like a blur to her.

Suddenly, a very familiar voice spoke from behind her. "I believe I still owed you a dance, your Majesty."

Regina didn't turn around, as much as she itched to. No, it couldn't be. She just needed to wake up, and she'd be back in Storybrooke, alone once more. Oh what the hell, she might as well indulge herself. She turned around, and a smile broke her face, tears began to fall, and she just stood there, looking.

Emma Swan was standing in front of her. A glorious blue dress to contrast Regina's red one, looking just as she had when she first came to Storybrooke. Her wife took a few steps forward, and cupped her cheek, wiping the tears with her thumb. "Hey, you okay?"

Regina just nodded, not knowing what to say. Emma was there, and she felt so real. A million questions ran through her head, but she didn't know which one to ask first.

Emma took matters into her own hands, literally. She brought Regina's face closer to hers and gave her a small peck on her lips. Regina put her arms around Emma's shoulders, hugging the blonde to her, never wanting this feeling of bliss and happiness to end.

Once they broke apart, Emma grinned. "Come on, I think people are expecting us to dance."

"Wha-" Regina could barely get a word out before Emma grabbed her hand and dragged her to the centre of the room. There they started dancing, and Regina had to fight the urge to neither cry nor panic. She was here, with her true love again. But this wasn't a dream, and Emma seemed to remember Regina's last words to her, so she clearly hadn't gone back in time.

"Hey, you hanging on in there?" Emma's left hand, previously on her hip, was now stroking her cheek.

"Yes, I'm just-"

"Lost, confused?" Emma supplied.

"Yes."

"Look around you."

Regina did as Emma requested, and then she saw. Hundreds of people, people she had known that she had lost, were all around her. Snow and Charming were smiling, standing off to a side as they watched their daughter and daughter in-law dance. She spotted Granny and Archie chatting with Tink.

"We're-"

"Yep. And we've got the rest of time to be with each other. So how about we just enjoy this. You know I won't put on a dress very often."

Regina laughed. Truly laughed like she hadn't in years. She then moved closer to the blonde, and put her hands on Emma's cheeks. "I love you."

"And I love you." Emma responded, and they then came together for a real kiss, making up for the years they hadn't been together, and promising many more together to come.

Please don't kill me!

So I'm pretty sure you can figure out what happened. Stories live on forever huh? I guess if you wanted to imagine a scene of how it'd look like, I was trying to make something like the end scene of Titanic.

I don't know, I guess a while back I started thinking about how Regina had gone through so much, and that line about those who have lost so much end up living the longest is just something I've found to appear in some books and popular media, if they show the characters aging far enough.

I feel like maybe I didn't do this justice with how I was feeling, I think I write a better comedy than tragedy, but this idea just wouldn't leave me alone!

So here it is, I hope everyone enjoyed it...or as much as an angsty fic with a semi-happy ending can be enjoyed. Or if you cried, I guess that also means it was good, right?

Let me know what you thought, and please send in requests!