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Emma Swan was so tired. So, so tired. And yet, here she was, getting up barely after the sun, to try and determine once and for all what was the reason for the sudden appearance of an ice cave, just outside of town. At first, Emma and Regina had thought it was just some remnants of Elsa's magic, or Ingrid's, even. But after some very thorough magical analysis from Regina, Rumplestilskin and even Maleficent… Nope. It was just a random ice cave. A random magical ice cave. Because of course this fucking town could pop ice caves out of thin air. Did we mention already how tired Emma Swan was?One day, after they came back from that unnerving wish realm and Regina had sent her other half and fake Robin Hood on their merry way, the cave just… appeared. It was just there, its cold mouth taunting them, but… not doing much else. In fact, surprisingly, it even prevented any one from entering, as Charming found out after fucking around: the cave just spewed him back when he passed the threshold, and Emma could have sworn the mouth smirked briefly, in a frozen shimmer, before going back to being a normal entrance. The very normal entrance to a very normal magical ice cave. Ugh .So why was Emma Swan up so early to investigate said cave, if it was harmless?Well, as it turned out, it wasn't completely harmless. Somehow, the cave was siphoning... something, from both Emma and Regina. The Savior was affected the most, for some reason, but after a few weeks it became clear that they had to do something about it. With a prophecy of doom still looming over the town, they couldn’t afford to have an exhausted Savior and a weakened Queen now, could they?That's how Emma Swan, Savior extraordinaire and quite frankly, done-with-everything human-being, found herself getting up so early, in a cold winter morning: to investigate yet again some magical bullshit, magical bullshit that was probably dangerous bordering on deadly.Fuck tired, Emma Swan was exhausted .Regina Mills was used to getting up early, and yet, this morning, like many before in the previous weeks, she was tired, a deep weariness that had been creeping on her, slowly but surely, since that damn ice cave popped up out of nowhere. At first, everyone had been relieved when the only magical signatures detectable had been Emma and Regina's. But after several weeks of this incessant draining of their magic, into a cave that prevented anyone who wasn't them to even try to enter… Regina was way less relieved, and way more worried. Because what the fuck was that thing? How the fuck was that thing? Regina certainly didn't create it, and Emma didn't either; her magic could be a bit temperamental, but not to this extent. Could it be a simple magical anomaly? Or was it something else, a remnant of the Dark Swan, a trap laid there and forgotten by Emma? Maybe worse, it could also be a parting gift from her other half… The possibilities were endless, and whatever that thing was, Regina had absolutely no clue, and she hated that. Not knowing made her anxious, and her anxiety had already been off the chart since Emma started to have visions of her own death.So she had to know, and, honestly, Storybrooke couldn't really afford to keep a random magic siphoning, ice producing cave in the middle of the woods. Although admittedly, seeing the shepherd and the pirate repeatedly spat out like rotten food had been highly amusing and the highlight of several of her days. And so, even though she wanted to stay in bed, Regina was up, at dawn, getting ready to go spelunking in a cave. Made out of ice. Magical ice. Wonderful.At the cave, Regina was quite displeased to see the pirate, but a quick glance at Emma confirmed that the blonde was equally annoyed by his presence. She reigned in her biting comment, and chose to ignore him entirely. Instead, she focused on Emma, looking dead on her feet, smothered in wool: a woolen scarf, an oversized woolen beanie, a cable sweater, and a thick coat with woolen lining. Regina had a quick flashback at the sight, remembering the curse, and how cute Emma had looked in her oversized sheriff gear, when they were hit by that weather alert. She remembered how infuriated she had been, with this woman she loathed at the time, in front of her, joking about a curse she had no idea was actually real, while looking positively adorable . Finding her fated foe, her mortal enemy, adorable, was a warning she should have heeded. And yet… And yet.She smiled at the younger woman, who eyed her suspiciously in response."How are you smiling at the crack of dawn?"Regina's smile widened."Because you look like an overgrown child in all that wool. It's rather cute..."Emma just groaned in response, handing over one of the huge cups of coffee she was holding."Are we ready to do this?""I don't know, dear. Are you ready to do this?""Not really… And I don't mix well with ice caves, as you know. But I guess we don't really have a choice.”And no, they didn't really have a choice. They couldn't let that magical artifact run whatever course it had, and they couldn't really afford to let their magic be stolen that way, to gods know what end. With a heavy sigh, Regine took a sip of coffee."No, we don't.”Emma squared her jaws and her shoulders, with mixed results given the amount of fluffy wool she was drowned in, and seemed to remember her fiancé was still there, uselessly standing on the side. She squeezed his arm with a promise to be back "soon", and turned to Regina."Let's do this."They had been inside the cave before, but barely: they had crossed the threshold to verify Rumple's theory that the cave seemed to be made out of their combined magic, and therefore should let them pass, but didn't venture further.Now they had to."What do you think is inside?""I don't know, Miss Swan. Maybe our deepest, most secret desires""I’m serious, Regina!”"I am too, dear. Apparently this cave suddenly appeared out of nowhere, born out of our own magic… It stands to reason that whatever is inside is linked to us."Emma grumbled something unintelligible, before adding, more clearly: "You don't think it's some trick from the Black Fairy or something?""She's powerful, I’ll give her that, but not that powerful. And really, had she found a way to steal both our magics, do you think she would have been careful enough to not kill us? And then she would have used her hard won new powers to just… what? Create a frozen cave? It wouldn't make any sense.”Emma had to agree it would be convoluted but her years in nonsensical Storybrooke had taught her that villains from the Enchanted Forest are nothing if not convoluted and nonsensical. Ultimately, she didn't really care about who was behind that, or what were their reasons. She was exhausted, and still supposed to die because of some grand Destiny and Fate bullshit, an ice cave was really not that important in comparison. She was about to voice her thoughts when a very ominous crackling echoed behind them: the entrance of the cave was sealing itself up.“Want to rethink your theory about the Black Fairy not being behind this?”“Hmmm…”Taking a contemplative sip of her already cooling down coffee, Regina looked at the entryway. It was now completely sealed off, and a sharp knock on it confirmed her visual assessment: a thick, hard wall of ice was now standing between them and the exit. She could try a fireball, of course, but she already knew it would be a waste of her magic."Well. It appears the only way out is through. Or whatever that saying is."“What is it with villains using magic to trap us together?”“Would you rather be trapped with the pirate or one of your parents?”“...”Ready to make their journey into "the unknooown" – "Your Frozen jokes are hilarious, dear", they could barely hear the pirate screaming at the ice, probably hoping for some result. The imbecile.Following the frozen passageway, they couldn't help but admire it. Some sort of light was running through the ice, giving it a deceivingly soft and inviting color. Emma let her fingers run against the smooth wall. It was soothing, in a way, if a bit... Well. Cold."Is it me or is it getting colder by the minute?""Well, Miss Swan, taking into account the fact we're literally in an ice cave..."Whatever sarcasm was about to escape was cut short by Emma's very unamused look."... Yes, Emma. It seems the temperature is dropping rapidly.""At least we're dressed for the occasion."And they both were, with layers and wool and fur and leather, but they both knew it wouldn't be enough for long, especially if it kept getting colder.After a few more turns in the narrow corridor, they found themselves in a vaguely circular room. A dead end, apparently. A dead end with a little ice bench, conveniently placed against the back wall, and little lights disseminated all over the place. There was even a little decorative fountain in the center, spewing, not water, of course, but tiny ice crystals of various colors, and a bowl of apples on a pedestal, close to the bench."Seriously? What the holy fuck is this? An ice boudoir?"Regina snorted at the comment, but was as bemused as Emma. Why go through all that trouble to ultimately trap them in a cozy salon?"This is probably the weirdest magical artifact I've ever witnessed, and I've been to Wonderland .""So we're screwed, is what you're saying?""Let's take a closer look first, shall we?"But after exploring each square inch of the “fucking ice boudoir", it appeared they were, indeed, screwed. And cold. Very, very cold. They were shivering now, and Regina was trying to distract herself from their impending doom by studying the fountain, when she suddenly felt slightly warmer. As if a fuzzy blanket had been draped over her. She sighed, quite content to enjoy the feeling, before her brain caught up. It obviously wasn't a blanket. It was Emma's sweet, warm magic.“Miss Swan, whatever you’re doing, you’re going to stop right this instant.”Emma just shrugged and dropped on the bench, digging her hands into the pockets of her coat.“Why would I do that? You’re cold, I’m just helping a bit.”“Because you need to keep yourself warm first. And you’ll probably need all the magic you can muster to survive this…”, Regina waved her hands at the cold walls surrounding them, “... icy contraption.”But Emma just shrugged, again, which had a rather infuriating effect on Regina. She tried to push back on the Sheriff’s magic, but of course said magic was as stubborn as its owner. It wouldn’t even let her return the favor and try to warm Emma up.“You’re exasperating, you know that? What can you possibly hope to accomplish if you just freeze to death right there? And do not shrug at me again.”It took all of her self control for Emma to not shrug at that, and at Regina’s angry finger pointed at her. Instead, she offered a shy smile, before looking at her boots, sliding the points in turn on the ground.“Well. I’m supposed to die in some grand battle in a few days anyways. If I die here, keeping you alive? That’s a win in my book.”Regina was slightly taken aback, not expecting this kind of open admission from Emma. She knew the “Savior” was tired, and not just physically. She never realized just how tired she was, how deep it went.“Emma! Surely you don’t mean that?”“No? I don’t know?”And she really didn’t. She didn’t even know why she suddenly felt this urge to share, to talk. Was it the cold? The drain on her magic? The influence of the cave itself? Did it matter, in the end?“I… Just know it wouldn’t make a big difference for my parents if Emma Swan just vanished. They would be sad they lost their little Savior, that’s for sure, but Emma Swan? They stopped caring about her the moment that fucking troll wove me into the curse. Did you know…”She stopped then, trying to compose herself, and failing. So she stood up from the bench and started pacing in front of a baffled and slightly worried Regina. After taking a deep breath, she went on.“Did you know they woke up during your curse? My parents? I was ten at the time. They could have come to me, or taken me with them, but… Once more, they just decided that it was better to let things be. How bad could it be for a child to be on her own out in the wild, right? And then they blissfully forgot I even existed, and went back to sleep in your little curse. When I had to give Henry up for adoption, I literally had no choice. But the moment he came back into my life, I did everything I could to stay with him and make sure he was okay. And I… For people who always brag about finding each other, and about how True Love is such a powerful magical shit and whatnot, they’re not… very good at finding me or loving me or trusting the magic, you know what I mean?”And what can you say to that? Yes, Emma, your parents are entitled little shits who don’t deserve your time and energy?“Regina?”“I’m sorry, Emma. I’m sorry your parents are not what you expected, or what you deserve.”Emma just nodded, and continued her pacing, blowing into her hands to try and keep warm.“And the worst part is… I’m still trying and I can’t stop myself. I’m just losing myself trying to please them and they just… don’t care. Like it’s normal. Like it’s what I’m supposed to do. Who let their fucking daughter go down to fucking hell to save a fucking pirate who just tried to kill them all?”There was anger there. Frustration too. Regina had always suspected that Emma wasn’t really happy with the rum bag, but hearing the blonde being so crude about it was a bit surprising.“I take it that the engagement is not what you hoped for?”Emma laughed, a tired little laugh that sounded more like a cough.“Please, Regina. I know I’m an idiot, but I’m not that kind of idiot. I know he doesn’t love me, just, the idea of me, of possessing me. If I die tomorrow, he will be sad because he lost something shiny from his collection, he will get drunk, complain loudly about how his life is ruined, and then will sail away to another world, where he will find a new shiny person to obsess about.”“Then why marry him?”Regina was positively confused. She could understand Emma’s frustration and pain towards her parents. But Guyliner? Why inflict that to herself?“Ah. Why indeed. At first I dated him because I was lonely and he was there. Then things… Escalated, let’s say. And then he told me I was his happy ending. What kind of Savior would I be if I refused the man his happy ending?”“You can’t be serious! Who cares about this buffoon? How is his happy ending more important than yours ?”“I know. But then I became the Dark One, and made him one too and… I guess I just feel guilty? Again, I’m supposed to die soon, Regina. I marry him, I go out in a blaze of savior glory, he weeps and drinks, he moves on, and bam! Happy ending.”Emma turned her attention to the ridiculous little fountain, letting the weight of her words linger in the room, and honestly, in herself. Once voiced out loud, her rationale for playing along the social and familial and romantical and savior-al game she was expected to play was rather… Yeah. Fucked up. She suddenly missed New-York and Boston and their never ending supply of therapists who were not a. crickets and b. involved in the dynamics of her life.Anyone else would have been surprised, but Regina wasn’t. Not really. She knew all too well the tricks a mind could play on itself when a person desperately wants to belong, to be loved, to be protected and respected. How easy it can turn, or be turned, into very unhealthy, and, sometimes, murderous, coping mechanisms. She put her hands in her pockets, and sat on the bench.“What about Henry?”Emma turned away from the fountain, tears in her eyes.“Ah. Henry.”“Miss Swan…”“Relax, Mama Bear… I love Henry, you know that. And I know he loves me too but…”Emma looked unsure, debating with herself. Regina noted that there was no anger on her face anymore, just… Uncertainty. Sadness. Fear, even.“I know he loves me, but does he love Savior me, the bringer of happy endings? Or just me ? Would he still love me if I wasn’t the Savior nor the Sheriff?”“You don’t like being the Sheriff?”“Please, Regina. We both know I became the Sheriff just to spite you. I don’t like being Sheriff, and who needs a police force anyway? Certainly not Storybrooke…”“Is that so?”, Regina couldn’t help but ask, a bit amused despite the situation.“What Storybrooke needs, at best, is some kind of Tactical Magical Team for all the magical bullshit. As for the rest? People need to pull their fingers out of their asses and start actually working on their own happy endings and stop expecting us to do the work for them… Maybe some more theaters, and some sports complex. But. Would Henry still love me if I just made a living selling paintings?”“Emma…”On one hand, Regina had no doubt that Henry would love his blonde mother even if she was a stay at home artist. But on the other, she could relate to Emma’s insecurities, because she had the same, once upon a time, and they were still plaguing her mind. Their son, as much as they loved him, as much as he grew since he dragged Emma into town, was still in a “heroes and villains” mindset; you could be one or the other, you could even jump from one category to the other, but his world still held little place for “both”, or “neither”. “Emma… I know Henry is still very… binary in his views of the world but… He loves you, and nothing would ever change that. He would be devastated if you don’t come back from that fight, and if you ever choose to retire, for a lack of a better word, he would still love you. You’re enough as you are for him. And… He’s not the only one, I…”Regina stopped then. What compelled her to be this open, she didn’t know. But somehow, between the cold, the exhaustion, and the vulnerability written all over Emma’s face, she had to say something.“I would be devastated too, Emma. You’re enough for me. You always were.”She wasn’t expecting any reaction in particular, but the undignified snort and sad little laugh she got as an answer were very, very low on her list of possible reactions to her words.“Really, Regina? You want me to believe that? To believe you? I gave up my whole soul to protect you from the Darkness. Where was your tree hugger then? Oh yeah. Standing still. Doing nothing. Looking like he had trouble passing gas. And what did I get for my trouble? You asking me to risk my soul even further to save his miserable life?”The venom lacing every word of the tirade forced Regina to physically recoil against the icy wall behind her.“And then there was this weird… wish universe. You woke me up. You came for me and you actually woke me up, because the idea of losing you was too much for me, even in that cursed state. And I had hope, for a moment.”She had hoped then. So hard. Despite everything her mind had screamed at her. Regina had come, after all. Somehow she had overcome that weird wish thing, giving her her memories back. Looking at her so fondly. Teasing her on her singing persona, on that beach.And then. Emma closed her eyes, remembering. She had to lean on the fountain for support.“And then when we were about to come back home, to Henry… You chose him. Again. Not even him, but a pale imitation of an already… meh dude. You dragged him back with us. I was blissfully unaware of anything in that realm. It was fake, but I was happy , I had no responsibilities, and you came, and you took me back, and for what? For me to die? And you didn’t even keep your fake thief! So what was the point? How is that me being enough for you ?”Not expecting to be attacked when she was just trying to be supportive, Regina went back to what she knew best: very aggressive defense. She glared at Emma, with all the fury she could muster.“How dare you, Miss Swan, how. dare. you? I risked everything to…”But she couldn’t finish. Emma stumbled towards her, her face suddenly soft, her eyes filled with tears.Her angry tirade was interrupted by impossibly cold hands against her cheeks.“Here you are. You’re so beautiful when you’re angry. So formidable.”WIth a shy little smile, Emma slid down to sit beside Regina. And in a move that disarmed all the anger still radiating from the Queen, she dropped her head on her shoulder. “I don’t blame you, you know. I know how hard it is for you, too.”The Savior was fading, fast, and Regina could barely hear the next words.“You weren’t enough for them either. Or maybe you were too much… And you destroyed half of yourself for them. And I lost you… And I miss you.”Surely the girl was delirious at that point?“Emma…? Miss Swan!!?”But Miss Swan was done, unconscious. And Regina was left all alone with her anger, her sadness, and her confusion.Glaring at the freezing woman slumped against her shoulder, she still tried to ask : “How can you miss me, you idiot? I’m right here. I’ve been right here all along.”But there was no answer, and she just closed her eyes, and rested her head on top of Emma’s. Just five minutes, to gather her thoughts, and try to find a way out. Five little minutes. To rest. To deal with the storm of emotions inside her mind, inside her soul. Five minutes.But she couldn’t even get that, because as soon as she closed her eyes, a sinister rumble, not unlike the one that trapped them in the cave, echoed… somewhere. She was too tired to check. How worse could it get, really? They were already freezing to death.“I think the idiot in this case is not the usual suspect, dear. You’ve been here, but I was away. So, you couldn’t really be all here now, could you?”That voice… Regina sat up immediately, careful to keep Emma against her, and glared at the intruder.“You. How are you even here?”It had to be some delusion. A glamor of some sort? A dream spell? Because, lo and behold, bursting out of one the walls, was… The Evil Queen, swaggering towards them, flapping her ridiculously flamboyant cape behind her.“I’m here the same way you’re here, dear.” A pause, then a flourish. “Magic.”“How? Who? To what end?”The Queen rolled her eyes, taking off her cape with an exaggerated sigh.“I really kept the brain when you separated us, didn’t I, dear?”Regina snarled, but helped her… double? Twin? Doppelgänger? Who cared at this point? wrap a rapidly freezing Savior in the thick fur of the cape. Her eyes were so soft, under the hard and over dramatic make-up. Did she look like that, every day, beside Emma, fighting for the town? When they were having coffee at Granny’s? Walking Henry to school? Did she really look like an enamoured fool?Satisfied that Emma wasn’t going to die from hypothermia in the next twenty minutes or so, the Queen straightened up and glared at Regina, who answered with a raise of her eyebrow. This, she could do. This was familiar. Comforting. “So, why are we here, Madam Mayor?”“Do I look like I know, Queenie ? Do I look like the Snow Queen?”Queenie feigned offense at the nickname, but went on, unperturbed.“Please, Gina . You’re smarter than this. Or at least we used to be.”“Really? That’s how you want to play it? Be my guest then, Miss Smarty Pants. Please, do enlighten me on our current predicament!”With another roll of her eyes, The Queen grabbed an apple, and started pacing in front of the bench.“Well. In Act One of this little charade, I sent the Savior in a realm where she wasn’t the Savior. And something happened there. Something shifted. In both of you. Then, in Act Two, you sent me away, giving me a little bit of your heart. Metaphorically.”The Queen paused and took a bite of her apple, considering her next words, Regina still throwing daggers at her. Metaphorically .“This apple is delicious. Our favorite. Of course .”“What do you mean, of course?”“Tsk tsk tsk. Do not interrupt the demonstration, dear. Stay focused. So. You sent me away, which kicked off Act Three, in which something started to pull at my magic, slightly, and from what I could observe over here, it was the same for you both.”“What do you mean, observe?”Queenie stopped again, munching slowly on her fruit, looking at Regina like she was an utter buffoon.“Dear, did you really think that this tree hugger, as Miss Swan oh, so elegantly put it, would be enough for me? He entertained me for a grand total of two hours, before I got bored. So I used the various mirrors and reflective surfaces all over town to keep myself occupied, while trying to… plot my next course of action.”Regina nodded. She wasn’t surprised, because… Well. She would have done the same. Robin was never really enough for her , how could he have been enough for her most fiery half? Spying on the town was the next predictable step: it was home to her so it was only logical that it was home to… other her too.“But let’s not dwell on the unnecessary details, my dear. We’re in Act Three, our magic is being pulled away. To what end? Who knows. Until… Until Act Four: the Ice Cave. Why an Ice Cave, you might ask? We’ll get to that a bit later. So, we have an Ice Cave, which smells like our combined magic, and which doesn’t let anyone enter. And not only doesn’t it let anyone but you two enter, but it’s also rather peculiar about it, hmm? I admit I was thoroughly entertained by the incessant attempts of Charming and the pirate: the throws we got out of it were magnificent, and highly amusing. Rumple getting his ass handed to him was nice too. But then, Mal, our dear old dragon, tried to enter too, and she was just… gently pushed outside?”Regina, who had been absentmindedly stroking Emma’s shoulder, paused. Indeed, when Mal, Ruby, or even one of the dwarves had tried to pass the threshold, they had been denied, but not as violently as the others. Too preoccupied by the cave, and their magic being stolen, and by Emma's apparent death sentence, and by the pirate being back, and… Too incomplete to function properly, she hadn’t paid attention, not really… Did this mean…?“Are you implying that the cave is somehow sentient?”“I’m not implying, dear. Why else would this cozy little cave beat up the one-hand wonder and father dearest, but delicately shoo away the wolf and the dragon? Which leads me to the final act. Act Five, playing right now, in our little town of Storybrooke.”“Would you please cut the theatrics and get to the point? You’re worse than Zelena.”The Queen haughtily whipped her head back to Regina, affronted.“I will most definitely not. It is the best part. The grand finale… The half Queen and the exhausted Savior, trapped together in an ice coffin, slowly killing them. The other half Queen sucked in from another realm, forced to witness a… rather depressing declaration of love from behind an ice wall... The three pieces of the puzzle, coming together! Don’t you see, dear? Don’t you see that we are the key? That we did this to ourselves?”“You’ve gone mad. Emma doesn’t have the control to do that, and I would definitely remember doing it.”The Queen just scoffed, tenderly tucking a pale hand back under the warm fur of the cape.“Not us, dear. Our magic.”“Are… are you suggesting that our magic tried to parent trap us?”“Yes. Like an emotionally unstable and desperate toddler, admittedly, but yes.”Regina mulled over her counterpart’s theory. It did make some amount of sense. Magic is emotion, after all, and both her and Emma were at their lowest, both repressing their real feelings, their real selves, all the while trying to stop Emma from dying. Their combined magic had always been… powerful. Special. It moved a moon, after all: creating an ice cave to try and “talk some sense” into them… Child’s play in comparison. Even behind their backs. She sighed. The ice cave suddenly made much more sense, a probable remnant of Emma’s experience with Elsa. The boudoir? Definitely from her own subconscious. Throwing away the pearless oyster and the sheepless shepherd? Definitely a combination of both of them.“What do you suggest to solve this… situation?”“I…”The Queen turned away, wrapping her arms around herself. Vulnerable. Uncharacteristically so. “I think the logical first step is for us to get back together. I don’t know how you feel, without me, but I know how I feel, and I can’t live like that, with half of myself missing.”“Are you… crying?”A sniffle was her only answer. Reluctantly, she stood up from the bench, carefully laying Emma down, making sure the cape was still tightly wrapped around her. She walked toward herself, unsure, a tentative hand reaching out.She was crying, indeed. And it was not familiar. And it was not comfortable. She had no idea what to do.“Regina…”It felt weird to use her own name. Foreign, in a sense. But… she was using it on herself, after all. “What do you want me to say? Yes, yes I’m crying. I… don’t know what else to do. I have all this fire, all those emotions, all those urges inside of me… To fight, to protect, to survive… And they have nowhere to go. You’re not here anymore to use them”. She clutched at her chest for emphasis. “And I have no Henry… no Emma to… To fill me. And to be filled by me. I just… I can’t live like that anymore. I won’t live like that anymore.”And oh, how could Regina relate to that, if only in a reversed, twisted way. She felt as incomplete as her other half did. Cupping her cheeks and wiping away the tears and the make-up, she searched her own eyes, through the fear, the anger, the confusion, to find herself. The scared girl who just wanted to survive. To be free.“No. You’re right. We cannot go on like that.”Pressing their foreheads together, she continued.“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”“You did this to yourself, too.”“I know.”“Is this the moment where you passionately kiss me?”“Oh, you would like that now, wouldn’t you?”They both laughed, and the Queen closed her eyes. “Thank you, for everything”, was whispered, before Regina kissed her forehead.And just like that, she was whole again, in a little cloud of apple scented rainbows. Regina took a moment to compose herself, her thoughts, her feelings. She felt like herself again, and it was… right. Fresh. Alive. Bright, even. She tasted the magic around her, and she could already notice some changes. It was less cold, less biting, and the uncessant pull on her magic, that started all those weeks ago, had stopped. Now it was time to wake her Swan up. In more ways than one. She had been unable to stop Emma’s magic earlier, but now, she was Regina Mills again, not so Evil anymore, but still very much a Queen: the soft warmth around her recognized that, and retreated back into its owner.An owner who fought it, even though her skin was turning blue and her lips were already purple. And Regina wondered, not for the first time since Emma Swan unapologetically swaggered into her town… What was she supposed to do with this woman, really? The idiot. Brave, lovable, soft idiot.“Stop fighting it, you stubborn little bird! I’m trying to help you.” On the verge of consciousness, Emma barely registered what was said, but when she opened her eyes, recognition immediately filled them.“It’s you.”Regina could feel soft and deathly cold fingers on her cheek.“It’s really you. I’ve missed you so much.”And when she saw tears in those green eyes, so full of awe and love, Regina realized how much they’ve hurt each other while thinking they were doing the opposite, how broken they had been, by the very people who were supposed to build them.And when Emma just hid her face into her shoulder, she questioned her intelligence: how did she convince herself that this woman, who just realized in less than a second that she was whole again, this woman who was crying tears of joy at this mere idea, that this woman… could never love her?“And I still miss you, dear. I loathe to admit it, but… It seems I’ve failed in my promise to you.”A curious and still misty eye peaked at her.“What do you mean?”“When you were the Dark One, you asked me to save you. “I saved you, now you save me” were your exact words. And I was so focused on the Darkness, and so blinded by my own… Issues, that I didn’t see what you really needed saving from. And then I split myself, and my emotions were so dimmed, my sense of self so incomplete, I couldn’t act, I couldn’t push myself to really do what we both needed. And I’m sorry for letting you believe you were not enough, because you, Emma Swan, are enough, and more than enough. For those ungrateful peasants, but most importantly, for me .”Taking in the words that were like a soothing balm on her poor little heart, Emma took a deep breath, and reluctantly, sat a bit straighter, so she could see Regina. Face to face.“We’re both fucked up, huh? Do you think Archie will give us a group discount or something ?”Regina answered in a chuckle.“I don’t know, my dear. Maybe we could try to find someone a bit more up to date. And someone who is not a friend of your parents.”At the mention of her parents, Emma’s shoulders dropped, the heaviness of their situation coming back to her. Her visions. The Black Fairy. Her parents who didn’t really love her . Her fiancé whom she never really loved. Slowly freezing to death in an ice cave.She didn’t want to face them. She didn’t want to face any of that.“What do we do now?”“I think I know how to get out. But you need to promise me something, Emma.”And of course Emma looked at her like she would promise her anything. Everything. And Regina, once again, wondered how she never accepted before it was nearly too late, how much Emma loved her.“I need you to promise me that you will keep fighting. But not for Henry. Not for me. And certainly not for those undeserving heathens. But for yourself. For that fiery woman who walked into my town and chainsawed my apple tree, and deserves so much better than what she has now. Can you do that?”Could she do that? Certainly not on her own.“I… I don’t know if I can, Regina. I don’t think I know how to do that anymore.”And Regina was expecting that, really, but she wasn’t about to let it stop her.“I would be with you, every step of the way, dear.”Emma swallowed, fighting back tears.“I… I can promise you I will try.”And Regina could work with trying. Trying could be enough. Trying would be enough. It had to, because Regina refused to lose anything, the moment she just realized she could have everything .So she stood up, facing her tired, broken Savior, and bent over just enough so that their faces were at eye level. She gently cupped Emma’s face, lightly stroking her thumbs over her cheeks, now way warmer.“So tell me, Emma Swan. What do you need? What do you want ?”“I… I want…”Even the air stilled then. Not cold anymore, not warm yet either, in between, their magic suspended to Emma’s answer. And then the blonde broke into sobs, grabbing Regina’s wrists.“I want to live, Regina… I… I want to be me, not some doomed savior fighting other people’s fights. I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die because Rumple wrote my name into a spell decades ago… I…”She couldn’t go on, because her mind just couldn’t wrap itself around that simple fact: she was supposed to die, and she didn’t want to. She had been distancing herself so much from her own reality, it all had been such an abstraction, with nothing tethering her in. But now Regina was right there, cradling her against her chest, stroking her hair, asking her what she wanted, and she just couldn’t stop crying.“Then you will live, my love, and if I have to burn this whole town to ensure that, I will. Do you hear me? I will .”And there was the Queen she fell in love with, with steel in her voice, fire and love in her eyes. Emma didn’t doubt for a second she would actually burn. the whole. town. to protect her and Henry.“Do you really think you can just burn down the Black Fairy?”“Do you really think this Bitch Fairy stands a chance against both of us, together?”The air was getting warmer, and the walls of the cave were starting to melt. When Emma felt a drop on the back of her neck, she chanced a glance around. The “boudoir” looked softer, somehow, the lights dimmer and more diffused, and the ridiculously out of place fountain was now spitting water.“You called me my love”, Emma suddenly said, out of nowhere, standing to face Regina.“I did.”Letting her hands slide over Regina’s shoulders, Emma took a step forward, getting impossibly closer.“And what do you want, Regina Mills?”“You.”“Just me?”“Yes, just you. It was just you who fought me to make sure Henry was safe. It was just you who saved me from the fire, and then the mob when the curse broke, and then the wraith, and it was just you who believed me when no one else did. It was just you who saw me for what I was, what I am, and still chose me anyways, all of me. It is just you who makes me feel safe and understood. It was just you who strolled into my town, into my curse, and broke everything, stealing my heart while doing so, with your ridiculous little car and your awful little jacket, and your dimples, and your sweet little soul. It was never The Savior who did those things. It was Emma Swan. And I want Emma Swan, because she deserves to be wanted, and if she wants me, then I deserve to be wanted too.”“You deserve to be wanted, Regina. And so much more.”“Do I?”Emma didn’t answer. Instead, she leaned in and kissed the brunette.It was probably the softest kiss either of them had ever experienced. There was no yearning there, no longing anymore. It was just a kiss stating a fact, and making a promise. To let go of the past, of those already lost or won battles, to focus on the future. A future they could have, at last, together.And of course, while they were lost into each other, breathing each other's scent, tasting each other and feeling their combined magic intertwined, dancing around them and within their hearts, their very souls, the ice cave shattered in a myriad of crystals carried away on a rainbow wave of True Love Magic.Because of course, they were True Loves.And of course, when they opened their eyes, the pirate was still there, with a little crowd he probably rallied while they were trapped. Snow was here, looking like her wide-eyed self, if slightly appalled. Charming was just staring blankly. Henry and Mal were snickering to each other, while the pirate looked furious.And neither of them were ready for that, so when Emma turned her eyes to Regina again, and just whispered: “Please?”, the Queen whisked them both away in a cloud of purple smoke, Mal’s laughter over the pirate’s barking the last thing they heard. They reappeared in Regina’s living-room and Emma just dropped her head on the brunette shoulder with a loud groan. Regina just laughed.“For the record, I’m not ashamed of anything and I didn’t necessarily want to hide you, but…”“But you didn’t necessarily want your parents and now ex-fiancé to witness our first kiss and make any future conversations even more awkward than they’re already going to be?”“Yeah. That.”With another chuckle, Regina pecked Emma on the tip of her nose, before sliding her arms around her, pulling her in for a hug.“It’s going to be okay, my darling.”“Are you saying this for my sake, or yours?”“Maybe both?”“Hmm hmm.”Emma pulled back a little, looking at Regina. She was the same, but somehow it was different. They belonged together now, it changed them. Regina’s eyes were softer in a way, but with a determination behind them Emma only saw directed at Henry. And Emma’s eyes… Regina could get lost in them. Filled with so much love and such vulnerability, a vulnerability that seemed to be telling her: “I’m yours now, right? You can’t give me away anymore.”Coming down from their experience in the cave, the hypothermia, the kiss, the realization that they could have their happy ending, they sobered up a little, thinking of the long list of what was to come, the first item on that list undoubtedly being the pirate and the Charmings, marching over here and demanding answers.Groaning again at the thought, Emma detached herself from Regina, intent on shedding her coat off, and realized in that moment that she was wearing… a fur cape?“Why am I wearing a fur cape?”“A parting gift from the Queen, my dear.”“Hmmm. It’s… It sure is flamboyant .”“Did you ever doubt my sense of fashion? I’m hurt.”“Oh no. I’m sure you look… quite the vision with it.”“I do. And if you behave, after we crush that Black Moth, I could even wear it, just for you.”“... Okay?”“With nothing under it.”“Oh. Ooooh. Yeah. I would like that very much, I think.”And they both giggled, the cape thrown haphazardly over the couch, forgotten while they kissed again, taking their time. There was more yearning now, more passion. More fire. More promises of things to come. Good things, this time.And once again, they were interrupted. By something poking at the window? Regina hands in Emma’s hair, Emma’s hands on Regina’s back, they moved just enough to glance in the direction of the noise, only to find Diablo, Mal’s raven, looking at them. Rather unimpressed by the display of affection.With a flick of her wrist, Regina opened the window, and the bird came right to them, perching itself on Emma’s shoulder.“They’re coming! They’re coming!” He nibbled at Regina’s ear softly, before going on.“The pirate! The flake! They’re coming!”“Ugh. It’s been what? Twenty minutes since you poofed us away? Half an hour?”“Your mother is nothing if not persistent. And she can’t take a hint.”Sensing Emma’s discomfort, Diablo rubbed his head against her neck and her cheek.“You got this, kid! You got this! You got this!”“Thanks, D, you’re the best.”The raven puffed his feathers proudly, accepting the head rubs Emma gave him.“Go back to your mom now, and thanks for the heads up!”Watching Diablo fly away, Regina turned her attention to Emma, once more.“I didn’t know you were friends with Diablo.”“Heh. I bribed him with bear claws.”“Mal is going to kill you.”“Half the time he’s the one bringing the goods, Regina.”"You… eat food brought to you by a raven ?”“Why would I waste perfectly good pastries, Regina? Come on, you know me better than that!”And Regina laughed, draping her arm around Emma's shoulders, and kissing her temple.“That I do, my love. That I do.” Hearing footsteps in the driveway, both women realized their little moment was about to end. Emma grabbed Regina’s arm, still around her shoulders, and took a deep breath.“Are you ready, my Swan?”“With you by my side? Always, my Queen.”