Emma walked into the living room where the family had gathered per her request. She was nervous and she hoped they would understand. More than anything she didn't want them to turn on Regina. If that happened she didn't know what she would do with herself. She sat down on the coffee table, facing her parents and grandparent.

"Emma, what is this about?" Grace asked.

"This is about what I told you yesterday." She answered.

"What, about you being some savior?"

"All I am asking is for you to listen. Listen until the end and please don't judge. Can you do that?" Her parents started to look concerned. "Regina!" She called. A cloud of purple smoke appeared next to her, dispersing to reveal Regina dressed in one of her most famous Evil Queen outfits.

"What the hell?"

Grace looked at Emma. "How-"

"I'm the Evil Queen." Regina answered simply. "What Emma tried to tell you is true. However the story isn't exactly as you think it is." She waved her hand, conjuring Henry's storybook. "This is the story most people know, but the one you told Emma and Evie and the others, is the real one."

"Your mom was the Queen of Hearts?" Evie asked.

"Yes." Regina nodded.

"Then…" All eyes turned to Maleficent. The dragoness let out a soft grunt as she removed the spell on her head, revealing the great spiraling horns that arose from her head. Lily did the same. Hers were smaller and dark red, just like her scales.

"Meet Maleficent, the Dragon Queen." Regina said. Mal breathed fire onto the fireplace, lighting the sweet smelling wood. Regina sat down next to Emma, the blonde taking her hand to give her a little confidence. Depending on how the Swans reacted to this, she could lose everything. Again... Regina began to tell them her story. They seemed to already know it but there were parts only she knew. Emma's siblings asked questions, but Xander, Grace and Rose didn't speak at all as she talked, only to quiet Henry or Emma when they tried to leap in and defend Regina's actions. They preferred to hear her side from her own mouth. "And Emma broke the curse and saved the town and since, everything has been...a lot better than I thought it would be." Regina swallowed, looking around at all the stunned faces. "I'm not asking for forgiveness or even acceptance. I just want a chance to prove myself of being worthy to be with your daughter."

"So you have magic…" Dianah said. "Can you make people just, like…. appear?"

"I would have to had contact with them at some point for it to be successful." Regina answered.

"I'm guessing you haven't met Beyonce or Scarlett Johansson before, have you?"

"No."

"Damn."

Emma glared at her sister before looking at her parents. "We're having the wedding in Storybrooke most likely and we want you guys to be there, but it's a very crazy town. Monsters and villains have a habit of showing up and we wanted to tell you the truth just in case one does show up while you're there. We wanted you guys to know the truth because it would be better than lying or trying to keep it a secret. Besides, all of you would've noticed the whispers, the glares..."

"This Rumplestiltskin son of a bitch is still alive?" Jacob asked.

"Unfortunately." Regina muttered. A bit of a silence followed as the Swans pondered all she had told them. She kept a firm grip on Emma's hand, almost trembling with fear at this point. She expected anger, disgust, even hatred after finding out who she used to be. What if they kicked her out? What if they turned against her too? What if they turned against Emma? "I-I know that after everything I've done, I don't expect anything more than contempt at the very least, but I am trying to make up for it, to be better for Emma and for Henry. I'm not that person anymore." She said, hoping they would understand.

Evie was the first to come forward and surprised her with a hug. "I couldn't imagine going through any of that. You're pretty strong, my friend."

"Thank you." Regina whispered.

"Yeah, Gina, you're too fine to hate." Dianah added, making Emma glare at her again. One by one the others agreed with the sisters.

Xander stood up and approached and she stood up to face him. "I approved of you before, Miss Mills." He said. "Nothing's changed." He held out his hand. "Besides a new respect for you. Granted, I don't like the fact that you're a murderer, or that you hurt innocents, but after hearing all of that in its entirety, I have only one question." Regina shook his hand, frowning in confusion. "How have you not lost your mind yet?"

"I did once." Regina answered softly.

Rose came forward this time, looking at Regina with new eyes. She smiled. "My mother told me your story when I was a child. You were always my favorite character." Regina beamed at her words. "Except it always bothered me that you could snap a man's neck with a flick of your wrist but you could never kill Snow White."

"Death wasn't enough." Regina replied, her smile falling almost instantly. "I wanted to hurt her as badly as I was, but I shouldn't have blamed a child for the unfortunate things that happened to me. May I ask who your mother is?"

"Her name was Fiona." Rose said. "Did you know her?"

"I'm afraid not, but I could ask when I get back to Storybrooke."

Rose touched her shoulder. "Let it go, Regina. Forgive yourself. Wasting your life on the past is not going to help you have a future."

Regina nodded. "I'm trying, believe me."

Grace stood up abruptly. "Get up." She commanded to Emma. Emma obeyed, slightly moving Regina behind her. "Look me in the eyes right now. If I told her to leave right now and never come back, what would you do?"

"Walk out that door with her." Emma answered without hesitation.

"And if I told you that in order to be with her, you would have to leave this family, what would you do?"

"Grace." Xander tried to intervene, but he was ignored.

"I would feel sorry for you." Emma said. "That you wouldn't get the chance to have her in your family. And I would miss you all...because I am not letting this woman go." Her voice did not waver she met Grace's eyes evenly.

"You would tear a hole in this family for her?" Grace asked.

"I would do what I had to do. I don't care about the Evil Queen or some feud that happened before I was even thought of. I don't care about any of that. Some people look at Regina and see darkness, others see light, well fuck all of that. I see Regina and that's all I need to see. If that isn't good enough for you, well then I feel sorry for you."

"Emma, no." Regina shook her head. Both blondes looked at her and she shook her head again. "Don't."

Grace stepped over, forcing Regina to meet her gaze. "After everything you told me, why the hell do you think I should let you marry my daughter?"

"Mom-"

"Shut up, Emma! Let the queen speak for herself." Grace commanded.

Regina scowled at the tone she used when addressing her fiancee. "First of all: Emma's 31. She's not a child. Second: I could give you a long speech of the things I would do to protect and love your daughter, but I know you don't want that. I would do anything to make Emma happy. Period."

"Including let her go?"

Regina nodded. "If it's what she wants. Yes."

Grace looked between them. Emma squeezed Regina's hand tightly. She could feel her lover tense up, as if preparing for physical confrontation, but the smirk that flickered across Grace's face made them both frown in confusion. "Well it's a good thing for you that when swans find their mate, they mate for life." A broad smile broke out on Grace's face as she pulled Regina in for a hug. Regina burst into tears. "It's okay, love. You're one of us now, no need for tear." Grace said softly. It took a few minutes for Regina to calm down and move back so Emma could hug her mother.

"Thanks, Mom." She looked at the rest of her family. "Thanks, guys." She quickly grabbed Regina and crushed her to her chest. "Told you nothing would change."

"So, you gonna show us some magic or what?" Jacob asked.

Regina smiled as she wiped her eyes. "You should ask the expert." She gestured to Mal. The dragon was busy scratching at her horns.

"Well, Mal, what happened to you?" Rose asked. "How did you lose Lily?"

Maleficent let out a deep growl. Lily quickly touched her shoulder to calm her down as Mal told them what happened. The Swans had listened to Regina's story with curiosity, but by the end of Mal's she could sense the barely concealed rage from all of them, especially from Max. He and Dianah immediately got up and stormed out of the room. Lily followed her father and Grace moved to go after Dianah, but Mal stopped her. "Allow me."

Eventually Xander managed to take everyone's mind off things momentarily by introducing the idea of dinner. They decided on tacos and quesadillas. Regina helped of course and she was surprised to find how easily they took the latest news about her. They continued to ask some questions but for the most part they didn't bother her too much about it. Dianah and Max were quiet when they returned until Emma rolled out the big guns to help cheer everyone up. 10 minutes later Regina and Mal were watching in stunned silence as all of them sang Don't Stop Believing by Journey, at the top of their lungs. It should also be noted that only half the Swans could sing.

Regina stepped outside on the back patio for a moment, taking in a deep breath of the fresh air. She was shaking with a joy she had never felt before. She felt like she was home. Finally being accepted for every part of her, finally being treated like she wasn't a ticking bomb. Granted, they were probably wary of her and they had every right to be. But this felt like a real happy ending for once and she couldn't help but bask in this wonderful sensation.

"Regina?" Jackson stepped out onto the porch. "Is everything okay? Is my tone deaf family too much? I completely understand."

Regina smiled. "No, I just needed a moment to process this."

"Process what?" He inquired.

"That everything is going right for once. Everything is actually...perfect, and I fear when it'll all blow up in my face." She scoffed. "Evil Queen with a happy ending, sounds like a bad joke. Villains don't get happy endings."

"You're not a villain." Jackson said. "Based on what I know. Your mother was a villain, Rumpelstiltskin is a villain. You've proven that you're better than them in so many ways. You're still proving it. We all can evolve, Regina, become better."

Regina drew her arms around herself. "Sometimes I look in the mirror and I see no difference between me and her." She shuddered, remembering all the mistakes she had made that were so similar to her mother's.

"Can I tell you a story?" Jackson asked.

"Of course."

"Before Grace adopted me, I never knew what love was. By age 10 I was working on trigonometric equations, but I didn't know what love was because my birth mother told me everyday that I was worthless. And everyday I sought to make her proud of me." He looked down, his fingers moving rapidly as he pressed his thumb to each of his other fingers in the habit of his. "My mother was a prostitute and a drug addict ...who enjoyed being a prostitute and a drug addict. She never physically hurt me but...the other kids at school did enough for her."

"I'm so sorry." Regina said.

Jackson shrugged, looking back up. "I met Grace on my 13th birthday. I was in the halls getting jumped by 7 or so kids and then...there she was." He smiled to himself and she could see him replaying the memory in his head. "She took me to the doctor, talked to the school, basically gave me more attention than they ever had. After I described to her my home life, she went to my mother, to see for herself and I still remember her face when she came to the house that day. She was horrified. A day later I was a Swan. She and Alexander took me in and treated me like their own son. Dad didn't even mind that I wasn't very athletic or interested in sports and girls at the time." He laughed. "He even helped me build a model of the Higgs Boson. He has no idea what that is." Regina smiled. Jackson nodded slowly. "I knew all of these facts, how to complete equations, but I was still confused. I asked Grace what love was, what family was. She told me that family isn't necessarily who you were born with. Family is the people that make you feel happy and accepted, where there is no fear of being judged or hurt. She once described family as being a part of a very wonderful thing. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life. What I'm getting at with all this is...you're a part of our family now... and you will love and be loved for the rest of your life." Regina swallowed as he stopped his nervous tapping and offered her a smile. "It's a lesson I hope that you learn, one I hope to teach Elias one day."

"Thank you, Jackson."

He dipped his head and walked with her back into the house.

"Regina!" Emma called from the living room. She walked in, narrowly catching the dart that Jacob had thrown at her.

"Told you. Isn't she just the most badass woman ever?" Emma grinned.

"No." Mal said from where she was stretched out on the couch with Lily. Regina tossed the dart back to Jacob and flipped off the dragon.

"That was pretty hot but not why I called you." Emma said, waving her over to the coffee table. Regina sat down next to her and looked at where the blonde was making a list of what they would need for the wedding. "Okay, I've been thinking of some color schemes." Emma pulled out her electronic tablet and pulled up some pictures and color swatches. "So I thought you might not want white as a main color. You know, because of Snow White. What do you think of emerald, cream and gold?"

"You hate the color green." Regina said.

"Yeah, but on this website it doesn't look that gross." Regina smirked. "How about navy, eggplant and gold? What the hell is eggplant?"

"I believe it's purple." Regina pressed the button on the tablet, cutting it off. "Emma-"

"How about gold and ivory? That's elegant and queenly, right?" Emma continued. "We'll come back to that. What kind of venue do you want? Town Hall? Forest? Beach- nah, it's too cold for that…" Regina arched an eyebrow, listening to her fiancee ramble off suggestions left and right. All of it was too extravagant for Regina's tastes and she knew Emma was only doing it because she thought Regina deserved this. "So you'll ride up in a silver carriage." Emma said, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Then we can release the doves-"

"Miss Swan, I specifically requested a small ceremony." Regina interrupted. Emma opened her mouth to speak but Regina held up a finger for silence. "I don't need all of this, I don't want it. I want you and our family and that's it, dear. The carriage, the doves, the fireworks, all of that is not necessary."

"But Regina, I want it to be a day you will never forget." Emma said softly. "Something worthy of you. I just want it to be perfect for you."

Regina pulled the blonde in for a kiss. "As long as you're there, it will be perfect. Okay? Stop worrying and stressing, please."

"You sure?" Emma asked.

"Positive." Regina looked at her list. "Do you even want half this stuff?"

"We can get rid of the doves and the carriage, but we're keeping the fireworks. Do you want a reception?"

"No. As soon as we're wife and wife I want to be on the road to our hotel room so I can rip your dress off."

Emma grinned. "Yes ma'am. By the way, I decided we can go to all the places we suggested. Hawaii, Morocco, Indonesia, Havana, Jamaica and Italy. Let's do it all."

"What about Henry?" Regina asked. "We can't leave him for that long. A trip like that would take at least a month or two. I thought a honeymoon was only a couple weeks."

"It's however long we want it to be." Emma replied. "And besides, we can get my parents to watch him for the first couple weeks, if they're comfortable of course, and then they can bring him to wherever we are at the moment."

"You forget school, Miss Swan."

"He's the mayor's son, he'll be fine. And Jackson can set it up where he can do his work on the computer if necessary. It'll be fine, Regina. Trust me."

She sighed. "If you say so."

"Dinner!" Xander yelled. He walked to Henry and Elias who were too focused on their games to hear his call. Regina arched an eyebrow and Emma snickered next to her as he took a deep breath. "I said hup two, boys!" He yelled, startling both boys who quickly got to their feet. "In the kitchen, marines! NOW!" The boys all but ran into the kitchen and Xander started laughing to himself. "Sometimes, I miss being a drill sergeant."

"Xander!" Grace yelled from the kitchen.

"Yeah baby?" He asked sweetly.

"Stop pestering the children and come eat."

"Yes ma'am."

Regina smiled as he practically skipped into the kitchen. "They're made for each other."

"Yep." Emma agreed. She got up and offered her hand to help Regina up as well. She pulled the former queen in for a quick hug and kissed her forehead.

"What was that for?"

"For being you." Emma smiled, pecking her lips. "For everything."

Regina felt her cheeks burn and took Emma's hand, leading her into the kitchen where the family was gathering.

"Gina, pick a song. All girl groups." Dianah said, handing her a phone that was connected to her speakers.

Regina had no idea who any of these people were, so she did eeny meeny miney mo and picked a group called Fifth Harmony. Bass started flooding from the speakers and Dianah and Lily started dancing as everyone moved around the room fixing their tables. The table had been laid out like a buffet where you could pick what you wanted. Regina picked up a couple quesadillas and made herself a taco. After getting their food, they made their way to the living room and put on a movie. Since there were kids they decided to do an animated movie and Emma got to pick which one after winning a game of rock paper scissors with Jacob. She chose Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron because of Regina's love of horses, and she was pretty sure the former queen hadn't seen it before. Regina hadn't and she enjoyed every moment of it.

"Regina, I know you like riding and stuff but have you ever transformed into a horse?" Elias asked.

"Actually no, but I might try it now." She replied.

That evening was their last night at the lakehouse. Regina almost didn't want to leave, knowing what awaited her in Storybrooke. "I think I do want to move." She said softly to Emma as they lay in bed together that night.

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm tired of that town, that house, those people…I want something different. Something fresh."

"We could move back to my hometown." Emma suggested. "It's a good place to raise a family. We wouldn't be so far from the others either and Henry could visit as often as he wanted."

"I like the sound of that." Regina sighed contently, snuggling against the blonde, already drifting off with dreams of a new life.

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