Memories

You Don't Have to be Anyone

{Regina's POV}

How do I do this? Gold has gathered everyone in my office to reveal something we all had thought was over. Zelena might not have died in her cell like we all thought she did. While she's out somewhere plotting our doom, here I am in my car a block away from my office. I feel different. I feel like everything I know isn't what it seems to be.

Especially with Gold and Henry acting weird. Henry mentioned this heartbreaking event that has recently happened but I feel perfect to fine and have no memory. Gold was asking me questions about Zelena's defeat the first time as if he wasn't there.

The strange part is those memories aren't clear. They're blurry as something or someone was being blocked from it. Who or what it is, I don't know. But that's the least of my problems right now. Right now I have to focus on keeping Henry and the town safe. I've caused enough terror might as well help them instead.

While deep in my thoughts, I hear a tap on my window. I turn around to see who or what it is and am surprised to see who it is.

"You know it's not an ordinary sight to see a beautiful woman like yourself just sitting in a car parked along the sidewalk," he said.

I roll the window down and say,"You know it's not an ordinary sight to see a man talking to someone who's in a car parked along the sidewalk."

"You're probably right. It would probably be much better if you let me in or you come out. I would prefer the first," he said arrogantly.

"That's an interesting proposition. Why don't I sit on it for a bit and get back to you later," I reply. I don't know why but I seem to bump into the same person many times all just in one day.

He smiles, causing the sunlight to turn his eyes to a shade of green, and says,"Well I honestly have all day to hear your decision. You on the other hand, seem to be in a rush."

I take my gaze away from him and look out the window. "That transparent?" I ask.

"You just seem like you have a lot on your mind. And could use someone to talk to."

I pause a moment to take in what he just said. I take a deep breath, look at him for a moment, then look away again. I roll the window back up and unlock the door.

He comes in and sits in the passenger seat. "I'm glad you let me in. For a second I thought you were going to leave me standing out there," he said with a quick chuckle.

He turns around to look at me while I'm still looking through the windshield. "Now tell me what's going on in your mind," he says.

I take a deep breath and say,"You know what I've done back in the Enchanted Forest. Terrorizing villages. Killed thousands of innocent people for my own amusement. Cursed an entire population to a different land where they would stay for 28 years without their memories of their true selves," I say before taking another deep breath.

"All anyone ever saw was the Evil Queen. No one ever remembered the person I was before being the Evil Queen. No one remembered or even knew the innocent girl who was forced to marry the king. Even I didn't remember her. Now, after many years I'm trying to still prove myself. I'm still trying to prove that I'm not that person anymore. I'm still trying to prove that I'm no longer the Evil Queen. It seems that no matter what I do I will always be seen as the Evil Queen. Nothing I do is good enough. Everyone is waiting for me to turn back into that person. What if something comes along and it causes me to revert back into that person?" I say looking back at him.

When I turn around to face him I see he's already looking at me. His eyebrows are furrowed as if he's contemplating what to say next.

"When we were all still in the Enchanted Forest, the news about the king getting married spread through the village like wildfire. Everyone was wondering who this person was or what she looked like. Everyone had a different story of who this person was. As the years went by, of course, the Evil Queen overshadowed Regina Mills."

"You are Regina Mills. No one said you have to be someone else. You don't have to be anyone. Not the Evil Queen. Just be Regina Mills," he said still looking at me.

I stared into his eyes before looking away. 'You don't have to be anyone' kept ringing in my head.

"What makes you so sure I'm not the Evil Queen and being Regina is all a mask?" I ask.

He chuckles as he looks down at his feet. After a few seconds, he turns his gaze back as me.

"I don't think I would still be alive if that was true." he says smiling.

His response made me smile as I let his words soak in my brain.

"True," I say laughing.

"Why are you doing this?" I ask. He hasn't even known me for that long yet he knows what to tell me. He isn't afraid of everything I've done in the past.

He takes a deep breath then  answers,"You seemed like you were in a rush earlier. Maybe I should leave so you can go to where you need to be."

That's what he says? Completely dodging the question only makes me want to know his answer even more.

"Of course. I have to get to a meeting that should start soon." I reply.

"Right. Well again, it was nice bumping into you Regina." he says as he turns around, opens the door, and exits the car.

"We have been over this, it's Madame Mayor, Mr. Calloway."

He leans down to where I can see him through the crack of the open door and he says,"And we have been over this. Call me Jake."

"Goodbye Mr. Calloway."

He laughs when he stands up straight and closes the door. I wait until he is out of site before I get out of the car and head toward my office. The whole conversation from earlier still ringing in my head. I don't know what I'm going to do or say but I do know one thing; whatever I choose to do it will be because I want to. Not because it's what everyone expects me to do.

I go up the steps and reach for the doorknob. Knowing I'm probably late, I only open one door and go inside. Immediately I see everyone's gaze towards me: Emma, David, Mary Margaret, Gold, Mother Superior, Leroy, Granny, Ruby, Archie, and everyone else.

But there's some other guy whose face I can't seem to place. His look towards me seems sympathetic but at the same time with something that I can't quite put my finger on. He has eccentric blue eyes. If you look into them for long, you would believe you're in the ocean. He has light brown hair with brief streaks of grey hair of the sides.

"Regina, please take a seat," David says as he slightly turns in his chair.

"David, do you know why we're here" I reply. I place my hands on the armrests of my chair behind my desk as I slowly take a seat.

"Actually no Regina. Would you mind telling everyone what that is?"

"Alright," I say as I look at everyone before telling them all that the Wicked Witch of the West is back and that we are all in danger once again.

"I'm sure you are all familiar with our recent encounters with the Wicked Witch of the West, Zelena," I say.

"Yeah, she kicked your ass in front of the entire town," Leroy says.

I give him my signature Evil Queen look before continuing, "It seems that she may be back for round two. Similar to how we found out about her in the Enchanted Forest, she stole some powerful ingredients from me that were sealed with blood magic. What she is up to, we don't know yet, but we do know that we shouldn't let our guard down."

I look at everyone's reactions. At first they seem completely normal, but after it finally sank in they seemed to realize we're all once again in danger.