Title: Operation: How to lose a Dad

Pairing: Emma/Regina, starts with Emma/Neal, but only briefly

Rating: T

Summary: Regina left Storybrooke after the curse was broken, only Henry knows where she went. Emma married Neal and Neal's not as good a husband as it seems. So Henry persuades Emma to take a vacation. Not knowing that her son has ulterior motives Emma agrees.

Prologue

Henry should have been happy. He had everything. He had his mother – his real mother, at least in his eyes – and he had his father. He had a real family, with a grandpa who liked to teach him sword fighting and a grandma who fussed over him and taught him everything about the woods and the animals which lived there. He had friends at school and a puppy at home. He should have been happy. But he wasn't.

He knew something wasn't right when his Dad showed up late at Rubys and Belles barbecue. And he definitely knew that something wasn't right when he saw his Dad kissing one of the Fairies – Henry was sure it was Blue – behind one of the parked cars at said barbecue. He didn't want to hurt Emma – his Mom – so he kept quiet, hoping that it was just this once, that maybe his Dad just had had a big disagreement with his Mom and that they would resolve their differences and his Dad would go back to kissing Emma.

But after two weeks of Neal – he called him Neal know, because someone who cheats on his Mom can't be a good Dad, right – coming home late and hearing his Mom cry herself to sleep, Henry knew that things would never be right anymore.

Henry hoped that Emma would get herself together – she was the Savior – and confront Neal. And she did, but afterwards Henry wished she hadn't, because he had heard the resounding slaps Neal had placed on his mothers cheek. The next day she had applied as much make up as possible, but Henry knew what to look for and saw the red and blue marks under Emmas eyes.

He tried to talk to his Grandma – Snow White – who looked shocked and gasped "But they are each other's true love!" Henry was not so sure about that anymore. Snow told him to give it a little time, that maybe he had misinterpreted something and Henry wondered if Regina – his other mother – had been right with calling Snow White a naïve idiot.

The young boy decided to talk to David, he would help. Henry was sure of it. The charming prince believed his grandson and confronted both Emma and Neal. Neal assured that it would never happen again and for a few months everything seemed alright. Neal came home early each day and Henry started calling him Dad again.

But then the late nights started again, but Emma didn't cry this time. She said that Neal worked at night to buy a present for Henry. Snow thought it would be a horse. Henry hoped it would be a one-way-ticket to Siberia. He tried to talk to Emma, tell her that he had a hunch that Neal was not working those late nights. But Emma believed in her husband and Henry grew frustrated. The boy started another of his operations and started looking around for evidence that his Dad was not faithful to Emma.

One day he found a small chest in Neals wardrobe. It took a little time to open it, but after he had, he found a few letters in it. He looked at them. A few of them were from Blue and he dared not to open them, in fear of what he would have to read. Others were from Emma and then … then he found one with his name on it. Why would Neal have a letter in this box with Henrys name on it?

Curious as the boy was, he opened the letter and immediately recognized the writing. "Regina" he murmured and started to read. It was a short letter, telling him how sorry Regina was for everything that had happened and for leaving him. Telling him that it was the hardest thing she had ever done, and that she hoped that he would be happy with his family. It also told him where she went and that he could always contact her if he needed something. It told him that she loved him so much, this sentence was a little blurred, Regina had probably cried while writing it.

Henry looked at the date of the letter. Two years, it had been two years. Neal had kept this letter form him for two years. That was unacceptable. Angrily he looked at the box again and found another letter addressed to him.

"Dear Henry,

it has been two years since I wrote you a letter in hope that I would hear from you. I still have that hope, although I have never heard from you since the day I left Storybrooke.

Are you well? How are you doing in school? Is Ms Swan feeding you well? I hope she serves you vegetables from time to time.

Not much happened for me since I last wrote you. I changed address and now live in Orlando, Florida. Maybe you want to come visit me some time? I miss you terribly. It is not the same with out you and I even started to read some of your favourite comics, in hope that I feel closer to you.

I hope someday you can find it in yourself to forgive me and visit me.

I miss you!

Love,

Mom"

There was a post scrip tum with Regina's new address and even a picture of her in Disneyland with the evil Queen. Henry had to laugh, of course his Mom would want a picture of herself and an actress dressed as the Evil Queen.

He read the letters again. If he had known where his mother was he would have contacted her. Yes, he was happy with his family, or rather had been happy, but he had also missed Regina and not a day had gone by when he had not thought of her. Not always in good ways, but that didn't matter now.

Should he confront Neal? Or should he first talk to his grandfather? Henry decided to go to David first and ask him for advice. The charming prince told him to follow his heart and to not confront Neal, for now. But he also told Henry that he should maybe ask Emma to take a little vacation.

"But Neal would surely try to come with us."

His grandfather laughed "I'll sort this one out. I'm sure Neal won't get any vacation time soon."

Henry grinned, but then grew very serious. "Why are you helping me?"

"What do you mean?"

"She's the evil queen. She is your enemy, or was your enemy."

David clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, she's still your Mom and she loves you, that's what counts."

The young boy smiled at his grandfather. Now he only had to pursue Emma to take a vacation to Orlando, Florida. That couldn't be that hard right? And when they finally arrived they would find Regina and she would know what to do about Neal.