No More Happy Endings

Ugly Duckling

Regina

Snow and David sadly left the house, giving in to their fatigue and lack of willpower, not that I could blame them, if I had to watch Henry suffer I would go mad.

"Emma?" I called softly, I could hear her crying coming from upstairs so I knew she was in bad shape. I climbed the wooden staircase and entered into the room where I saw her sitting in the middle of her bed cuddled in his shirts and clothes, grasping them until her knuckles were white and her long "Dark One" nails dug into her palms, leaving her hands cut and bloody.

"Emma! Dear god Swan! What the hell!" I yelled tossing my coat on the chair, she continued sobbing as I tried to pry her nails out of her flesh, this only making her more irate and loud.

"EMMA SWAN LISTEN TO ME!" I yelled, I held her arms tightly and gave her a hard look. "It is not the end of the world." I said sternly, she looked furious and started to protest but I cut her off.

"Emma Swan, I understand. Believe me, I had to kill Daniel, after my mother crushed his heart." I said trying to keep my emotions in tow, she calmed down a bit and looked at me in confusion. "Whale brought him back and he was on a killing rampage, and soon enough he got to Henry, and I realized that he was no longer safe to have around, and my son came first, but that didn't mean that I stopped loving him. At that time I had no one, not even Henry. He was all I had and I had to undo him, and it hurt. Emma it hurt like a bitch. I couldn't even describe what it felt like, but I had to go on, I couldn't let myself slip into that pit, I had Henry, you have him too, and your family. They need you, we all do." I said placing a towel on her palms, she looked up at me and sniffled finally calming down.

"When Daniel died again, who helped you?" Emma asked in a small and frail voice, I sighed and looked at her for a while. "No one, I was still a villain at that time, and nobody trusted me." I said flatly, Emma's eyes widened and I saw guilt fill her face.

"Regina... I am so sorry! I can't believe that you had to deal with this on your own! I just..." She tried to apologize but her crying started up again, making her reach into her chest and pull out her heart.

"EMMA NO!" I screamed leaping over the little bench that sat in front of her bed, tackling her aside and ripping the organ from her fingers. "NO REGINA! I WANT TO DIE!! PLEASE!! JUST LET ME DIE!!" She wailed, I carefully tucked the heart into my jacket and brought the blonde into my embrace.

"Emma, listen to me, you're not alone, we all hate seeing you like this, you're scaring your parents and Henry half to death! I will help you but you can't be doing anything reckless! It will get better, I promise, you will find love again." I said sternly, she whimpered and collapsed in my arms, something she never would do, the most affection shown to people besides her family was extremely limited.

I eventually set her down on her mattress, tossing the soft blanket over her when she finally fell asleep. I took out her heart and waved my hand over it, so it couldn't be ripped out again, and then shoved it back into her chest. She was so sleep deprived that it didn't even phase her. I took one last look at the blonde before I quietly walked down the stairs and into the kitchen where I found Robin juggling Christina in his arms who was crying profusely.

"She won't stop crying! What do I do! She doesn't like me, she knows Regina! She knows what I did to Zelena and she doesn't like me!" He exclaimed, clearly stressed over his crying infant, I sighed and rubbed his face with my thumb. "Relax, take a deep breath." I said slowly, he did as he was told and then looked at me with frightened eyes. "Do you love her?" I asked, he immediately gave me a strange look and raised his eyebrows.

"Of course!" He said almost offended, I raised my own eyebrows and stared at him. "Don't tell me, tell her." I said looking down at the screaming baby in his arms, he took another deep breath and looked at his child. "Okay little girl, daddy has you, he's never going to leave you, ever. I love you so much, you make me smile when I see your eyes, and your mouth, oh and your lips! Wow darling look at your beautiful brown hair, and your button nose!" He exclaimed, she was already passed out in his arms but he kept going on, pointing out every feature of his daughter. I felt a tinge of disappointment when I looked at her, she could be mine, and I knew that genetics didn't make a family, I love Henry more than anything, but it was never an option for me, and now that it is, I wanted it.

"You don't by chance have any formula with you?" Robin asked digging through his bag frantically, while his baby screamed for milk, I shook my head and opened the refrigerator, pulling out the carton of whole milk. "Now she is too little to be drinking this but it should hold her over until I can buy some proper formula." I said filling her bottle and handing it to him, he took it and immediately stuck it in her mouth, her content moans proving that she would be fine for the time being.

"No Regina, I can buy the formula." Robin said trying to get the car seat out from under the counter, I started to protest but he shook his head and gave me a look telling me not to argue.

"Fine, but I can watch her, it's quiet and I need something to do." I said holding my arms out, he gave me a half hearted smile and handed her over to me, still adjusting to her size, she was small when she was born and I hadn't gotten use to the small baby that Robin had been carting around.

"Hi baby, it's me, Auntie Regina, we are going to get to know each other really well, because your mama needs some help, and I don't know how to get that for her, but I will so you can grow up with a mommy." I said sadly rocking the little girl who already had so many issues in her life, and she was barely a couple days old, but I found the ability to love this child, and I found myself slowly lifting her and placing a kiss on her, I pulled her away and felt the baby's hand wrap around my finger, a large smile forming on my face as I stared at her.

"Wow Regina, you look happy." Emma said sulking into the kitchen, I hoisted Christina into my elbow and walked over to her. "Oh, she's sweet, how are you feeling after your nap?" I asked grabbing the pacifier and lightly tapping it on her lips, pressing it into her mouth. "I miss him, and it hurts, but I wanted some water so I guess I couldn't just stay up there, so..." She grabbed a water bottle and sat down, running her fingers through her hair.

"Regina what if I could go and get him?"