Author's Note: Hey guys. This is a story idea I got after watching the winter finale and being sorely disappointed in the ending. It's also partly inspired by Lana's comment that Regina would probably start drinking or smoking after that close call with her mother. Originally, I intended it to be a oneshot, but I ended up splitting it up into two parts, the second of which is still in progress. I hope you enjoy it, and as always, please review. Reviews make me as happy as puppies, and puppies make me pretty happy, so if you like this story, share the love and review!

Chapter 1: At the Diner

"See you later" Henry let his hand slip from Regina's, leaving it hanging by her side. He didn't see her dejected look as he walked out the door, leaving her standing in the middle of the room with her eyes glossed over by tears on the verge of falling.

Emma had been the first one out, but she had decided to wait up for Henry. She hung back by the door, obscured by the frame but able to watch the entire scene unfold. She greeted her son with a tousle of his hair and a "Hey, kid." He smiled at her, happy to see her again.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. She knew the answer, but wanted to hear him say it himself.

"Yeah, everything's fine." Henry said, tugging at Emma's arm to hurry her up.

Emma raised an eyebrow, but didn't press the matter. He could talk later. She wrapped her arm around him and they headed off towards Granny's diner.

The food at Granny's was just as good as Emma had remembered it to be. Of course, it helped that none of it contained chimera, but it had been so long since Emma had eaten one of Granny's cheeseburgers, and it tasted more delicious than ever. She bit into one, grease running down her chin, savoring the juicy burger. After she had sated her hunger with the burgers and indulgently crispy fries, she walked over to Henry. It was time.

"Hey kid, where's your mom? I didn't see her at all after we left for the diner." Emma asked him gently, knowing the answer but waiting for him to tell her. Henry looked at her.

"Um, I didn't invite her to come with us, so I guess she went home." He shrugged, then went back to picking at his half eaten fries. Unsatisfied with this answer, Emma pushed further.

"You didn't invite her? No wonder she isn't here. Kid, she's your mom, how could you not invite her?" Emma asked in shock, and slight disappointment.

"I don't know, I thought you guys wouldn't want her here with everyone after everything she's done. She's the Evil Queen, remember?" Henry looked puzzled, like a deer in headlights. He'd only wanted to do what he thought was best, but as ten year olds were wont to do, he had made the wrong call. Emma sighed, pulling Henry aside.

"Henry, how can you say that? She just saved our lives! I think that deserves a dinner invitation, don't you? Oh, if only I'd known that you didn't invite her, I would have done it myself!"

"Oops. Sorry, Emma." Henry looked down in shame. "I didn't even think about that. I thought you wanted it to be just your family." Emma let out a laugh. Half the town had shown up to Granny's in order to welcome Emma back. If she'd wanted it to be just her family, they would have met up at Mary Margaret's apartment, and only her, Snow, Charming, Henry, and Regina would have been there. Even in a "family only" celebration, Regina would have been invited. This was just ridiculous.

"She might not be my family, but she's yours, Henry! She's taken care of you all these years, and that deserves some appreciation." She reprimanded her son gently.

Henry's head hung even lower. "But I didn't think it would be such a big deal to her. It's not like you guys are her favorite people in the world." He was now desperately grasping for straws, trying to justify his actions.

"Oh, honey, of course it was a big deal to her. Everyone's here except for her, and seeing as she is the reason we're both back and having this little party to celebrate, she would have wanted to be here as well. Did you see the look on her face when you walked out the door and left here there?"

Henry thought back to that moment, then shook his head. "No. I was in a hurry to get here and catch up with you and Grandma. Why, was it bad?"

Emma laughed dryly. "Well, I saw it, and as to was it bad? Let's just say that the look on her face was the 'kicked puppy' look."

"Huh? What does that mean?" Henry looked at her in confusion.

"In one of my foster families when I was a kid, we had a dog. A little golden retriever puppy. It was the cutest thing you've ever seen, all soft fur and wagging tail. We all loved that dog, except for the youngest boy in that family. He would kick it for fun, enjoying the pain he caused that innocent creature. I remember once, he kicked that dog so hard, it flew across the room. It was a wonder it wasn't seriously hurt after that. But the look on that puppy's face, I'll never forget it. There was just so much hurt and sadness in that dog's eyes. If dogs could cry, it would have been sobbing. It broke my heart just looking at it. That look was the same one I saw on your mother's face when you walked out on her and left her all alone in Gold's shop."

Emma paused, letting Henry absorb all of the information she'd just thrown at him. His head drooped down guiltily. He hadn't even considered how much this would hurt his other mother, only caring about what the Charmings would think. Finally, he looked up and spoke.

"Hey, Emma? I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt her. I love her. She's my mom too. She did a really great and dangerous thing today, just for me, and I just left her. Do you think you could go check on her? Just to make sure she's okay?" Henry pleaded earnestly with her. She studied him with concern before answering.

"Sure kid. But make sure to stay here at Granny's. I'm sure Mary Margaret- I mean, Snow" She shook her head in frustration "would want to catch up with you, and I don't want you getting hurt in the streets. Promise?" Emma looked him squarely in the eye, making him see the gravity of the situation.

"Promise. Please make sure my mom's alright, Emma. Today was a really tough day on her. She went through a lot to get you back, and then I made it all worse by not even thanking her. Just go talk to her. I'm sure she'd appreciate it." Henry spoke seriously now. The ramifications of that day's events had finally hit him, and he looked genuinely worried about his mother. She gave him one last long look, before swallowing hard and consenting to his wishes.

"Of course, Henry. I'm worried about her too. Don't worry, I'll make sure she's doing okay." Emma gave him a small smile, but he still appeared unconvinced. He remembered all too well how interactions between the two women had gone in the past. It appeared Emma could read his thoughts because she answered his unspoken question.

"I promise. I know my track record with your mom isn't the best, but I still care about her. I'll go to your house to see how she's doing, and you'll stay here with everyone else. Do we have a deal?"

"Ugh, don't talk about deals! That's Rumpelstiltskin's territory." Henry's face scrunched up in disgust. Emma chuckled, and ruffled his hair.

"Okay kiddo. We got a plan, then?" Henry nodded. "Come here." Emma pulled her son in for a hug, relishing the opportunity after the amount of time she had been deprived of it. After a time, satisfied with the affection exchanged between her son and herself, she pulled her arms away and headed toward the door. She turned back, facing Henry.

"Stay here, don't go anywhere. I'll go visit your mom. I'll take good care of her, I promise." Emma walked out the door of the diner and started walking toward the mayoral mansion. It had become a bit chilly as night fell quickly around her, but Emma was too absorbed in her thoughts to notice. The mess that she and Henry had made of the whole situation weighed on her mind. She only hoped the mayor was okay.