It has been days since the darkness has taken Emma. And she has not been seen since. Regina lies awake, tossing and turning. She seems to have forgotten how to fall into slumber. The dagger glints in the faint moonlight through her window. She has yet to muster the courage the summon Emma Swan.

"You have worked too hard..." The voice still echoes in her head.

It is a maddening sound that almost makes her want to tear chunks of her hair out. Yes, she has worked hard, but she has worked hard with Swan and without her a certain kind of emptiness has settled into her gut. One which has made her lock herself in her mansion and shun away everyone else since the blonde disappeared in the gust of darkness in the middle of the night.

Henry comes by every now and then. Robin even dared to climb up the apple tree in her backyard. Snow and Charming swing by a few times. Nothing makes her want to leave her bed. Is this what happy endings are supposed to feel like? It doesn't seem right. She can't quite place why the disappearance of one woman makes her insides feel raw and achy, but it does so she turns away from the dagger and pulls the sheet over her head.

How can she ever face her? What was she supposed to say to her? Sorry you had to take in the darkness to save my happiness at the cost of your own? That didn't seem right. A mere sorry could not cover the sacrifice Emma had made and yet Regina cannot find any other words to voice what she feels. She isn't altogether sure she understands what she feels. But she does know this, it is not a feeling she likes swarming at the pit of her gut.

She curses at the light coming through from the window and finally gets up to close the blinds. She jerks them close and heads back to bed. Before she does fall back down she pauses. Regina stares at the messy sheets, the weariness weighing down on her along with all her other emotions make it difficult to do anything and right now she wonders if she could just stand there frozen. Before she knows what is happening she finds her hand curling around the hilt of the sliver blade etched with the name of a woman who with forever confound her.

"I summon you Dark One." The words leave her lips of their own accord.

So I'm finally all caught up on Once Upon a Time. This is my first SwanQueen fic so be kind.

Haven't decided if I will continue, but had to get it out on paper.