Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing.

Author's Note: This story is unlikely to have a happy ending. The finale bugged the ever living crap out of me, so much so that I have been inspired to write for the first time in years.

Also, I'm Australian, I type using British English though the one exception I make is "Mom" because Henry saying "Mum" looks weird.

I'll try and post once a week, though I am overseas for 10 days from Friday so I'll try and get another chapter up before I go.

"You did this?" she whispered, her voice catching.

"I just… wanted to save her life," Emma stammered.

Regina's face flicked with her emotions as they overcame her; rage, hurt, disbelief, despair. "You're just like your mother…" She stopped and giggled, slapping a hand over her mouth at the unwelcome sound, her eyes widening in shock. A beat followed as Emma looked at her with a slightly shocked expression, laughter being the last thing she expected. Regina couldn't help herself, the inappropriate reaction seemed to want to explode out of her as she giggled again. And then she laughed, a half stifled cackle as she tried desperately to contain herself. Regina drew a deep breath, trying to reign herself in but lost the battle on her exhale as she broke out into waves of full on belly laughs.

The diner fell silent at the unusual sight of the Evil Queen bent over in a paroxysm of laughter, tears streaming down her face as she laughed wildly, maniacally. Emma reached over to touch Regina's shoulder but was shrugged off.

"You couldn't…" Regina tried to catch her breath between her laughter. "You couldn't make this stuff up!"

She keeled over laughing again, as Henry ran up, concern written on his face.

"Mom? Mom, what's going on?"

Regina wiped the tears from eyes and still laughing tried to explain, "Snow… my mother… Daniel's heart… Emma and… Robin's dead wife… it's like…"

"What did you do?" Henry asked, turning to face Emma and trying to make sense of Regina's disjointed explanation.

"I should've… should've listened," Regina gasped as her hysterical laughter finally seemed to be winding down.

"Listened to what?" Henry asked, looking back and forth between his mothers. "Villains," Regina gasped out though her hysterics. "We don't get happy endings."

"Kid, I…" Emma began at the same time Robin softly whispered, "Regina…" raising his head from his family huddle.

Regina took a step back, still chuckling slightly at the whole scenario. She knew her reaction was unconventional, irrational and possibly borderline crazy. She could feel the inevitable emotional crash coming and she definitely wanted to be alone when it came. Turning, she walked out of the silent diner, breathing deeply in an effort to contain herself. The laughter had stopped but the unreal sense of what had just occurred stayed with her. Regina moved more quickly, wanting to be well away from the people that were causing her mental anguish and heartbreak.

As soon as she was out of the diner, she magicked herself to her apple tree. She collapsed at its roots and leant back against the trunk, watching the shadows of night flicker across the garden. She felt an unseasonal chill blowing gently across her face and wondered if this was the moment she was finally going to crack.

Alone with her thoughts, suddenly Marian's return didn't seem so funny. She felt foolish for hoping for more from life than just the freedom to live it, to be more than the damaged daughter of a monster. All she had succeeded in doing was becoming an even bigger and more devastating monster than her mother had ever been. What right did she have to expect anything other than exactly what she got?

She woke the next morning, still against her apple tree and stiff with the morning cold. Dragging herself up, she went inside the house, intent on a hot shower and a cup of coffee. 'The villagers are probably sharpening their stakes and lighting their torches to come after the clearly unhinged Evil Queen,' she thought caustically. She'd begin damage control once she had cleaned herself up. She'd put on a power suit, march into Granny's and get her morning coffee as she always did. This was her town and her mother had taught her to always hold her head up high.

Her mind replayed the events in diner, pausing over Emma's guilty and shamefaced reaction, Robin's concerned eyes and Henry's confused ones. She thought about her perfect afternoon with Robin and Roland and waited for the heart crushing grief to come, for the hot tears and gut wrenching sobs to overcome her.

She waited a beat and then continued her shower perfunctory. Maybe she was in shock, she thought. Or maybe she wasn't really in love with Robin. Maybe she was just numb to pain and disappointment. She pushed the unhelpful thoughts aside and carried on getting ready for her day.

She surprised the people in Storybrook, she knew, by showing up at Granny's for her usual coffee on her way to work but what else could she do? Life went on and if she wasn't planning to enact a new curse to destroy Emma (she wasn't) then she decided there was nothing to be done but hold her head high and try and live out her remaining years with as much peace and dignity as her past would allow.

Regina had not factored her bout of hysterical laughter into her rationale, and the customers at Granny's were duly cautious of the perfectly put together and seemingly calm Mayor. Adding to her discomfort was the realisation that Robin and his perfectly reunited family were breakfasting in one of the booths. After ordering her coffee, she straightened up, took a deep breath and strolled over to the Locksleys.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your breakfast but I'd like to apologise for my behaviour yesterday. It was remarkably untoward and I cannot imagine what came over me." She looked Robin in the eye as she said this, refusing to flinch at his sorrowful gaze.

Before anyone else could speak, Regina continued, addressing Marian directly, "I am sure Emma would have explained to you that several decades have passed for the rest of us since she rescued you from my dungeons and that many things have changed during these years. I am no longer the Evil Queen but I understand that you may have trouble believing that. I hope in time you will no longer be fearful of me." She smiled at Roland and nodded slightly to Marian. "I'll leave you to your breakfast. Welcome to Storybrook."

Marian just nodded her head slightly, still fearful and unable to speak. Regina waited a beat to see if Robin would say anything but he just stared at her, his expression blank. Regina could feel the mad laughter welling up in her again so she turned and walked back to the counter. As she paid for her coffee she felt her sanity slip away another notch. 'Why had he not said anything to her? Anything at all? Not even a thank you for welcoming my wife to town?' She cursed herself for her naïve hope and left the diner, trying to quash the hysterics she could feel rising inside her. She could hear the sighs of relief from the other diners as she left. Frowning slightly, she tried to shrug it off and not let the suspicions and mistrust of the townsfolk bother her but it stung. After everything she had done for them recently, she thought she might be granted a little grace, if not a little sympathy.

As she turned this over in her head, she noticed Emma walking up towards her. Regina nodded, acknowledging her, "Miss Swan."

"Regina," Emma said. "Can we talk?"

"I am on my way to the office, you may walk with me if you wish," Regina assented graciously, though without any warmth.

"Look, I just wanted to say I am sorry. I am sorry my actions have hurt you. I did what I thought was right but I never wanted this. I never meant to cause you pain. I never meant to ruin your happy ending," Emma spoke quietly and solemnly. "If my little trip to the past taught me anything, it is how much you really have changed, Regina. You deserve so much better than this."

"On the contrary, I think we both know that this is exactly what I deserve."

"Henry doesn't think that and neither do I. Nor do Snow or David or countless others you have saved and proven yourself to in this town."

"It's a nice sentiment, Miss Swan, but you know as well as I that Henry will continue to believe whatever he chooses to believe. You forget that he has never really seen the past me. He doesn't really know the depths I have sunk to," Regina offered quietly but firmly.

Emma sighed, unwilling to argue the point further. Instead, she chose a different approach. "I will do whatever I can to help you fix this," she said resolutely.

Regina stopped and looked at her strangely. "What on earth makes you think I want to 'fix' this? You've just given the man I love his true love back. You've given Roland his mother back. They can be a family again, they can be happy again. You've given him the most wonderful gift of all, a second chance with his first love. I would never want to take that away from him."

It was Emma's turn to stop and stare at Regina strangely. "How can you be so calm? How can you give up on him like this?"

Regina stepped closer to Emma and whispered very gently, "In what world would he choose an evil, damaged, horrible queen over his first love, wife and mother of his child?" Emma winced at the raw and naked pain in Regina's voice.

She stepped back and straightened her coat. "Besides, I am not giving up on him, as you put it. But I am letting him go. Now, if you will excuse me, I have work to get on with and a town to fix. Zelena did a real number on this place and I intend to see it righted." She continued walking to her office, leaving Emma staring after her dejected.

Ok, folks, let me know what you think...