Love, Fate And Magic

A/N: Welcome back Kids! To those who have read the first part of this story, I know how the mean cliff hanger was so I got right on with writing the new story. To any new readers, welcome! This is a sequel to my first story, True Love, but you can read this story on its own. There may be flashbacks to things in the first story but I'm sure you'll catch up.

Quick summary on this story. It's 10 years after the events of the final chapter of True Love, and will vaguely follow canon, but it will have its own changes along the way, and in later chapters will abandon canon completely. So yeah, let's get right on with it then.

I do not own Ouat or any of its canon dialog used.

Runners were the worst! No matter how hopeful Emma was that her next target wouldn't run, they always did, and she stupidly always wore heels. It was late when the blonde finally pushed through her apartment door, carrying her traditional paper bag, with the same birthday cupcake in it.

Setting the box down on the counter and pulling out a single blue star candle, Emma plucked the small cupcake from the box and placed the candle in it. Lighting a match, she lit the candle, and sank down against the counter, staring at the flame, as it flickered gently.

"Another banner year" she muttered, closing her eyes tightly and making a wish, before blowing out the candle. Her eyes snapped open at the sound of the doorbell and she glanced down at the cupcake before moving to open the door.

Swinging the door open, Emma was confused to find a small boy, beaming up at her.

"Uh, can I help you?" she asked, taking in the boy's appearance. He was very young, nine or ten perhaps?

"Are you Emma Swan?" She frowned down at him.

"Yeah. Who are you?"

"My name's Henry, I'm your son." Emma felt lost for words as she stared at the boy before her. Son? What! No…he couldn't be, that just isn't possible. Henry seemed unfazed by Emma's reaction and pushed past her into the apartment.

"Hey, kid? Kid? Kid? I don't have a son!" he continued to walk through the apartment "Where are you parents?"

"Ten years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption?" Emma didn't answer, and he smiled knowingly at her. "That was me."

"Give me a minute." Emma whisked off into the bathroom, shutting the door. She steadied herself against it, trying to wrap her head around what happened. That was a closed adoption; there was no way he could have found her. But yet there he was, in her apartment. Emma took several deep breaths in, unable to accept what was going on.

"You have any juice?" His voice called through the door and Emma was pulled from her thoughts as she realised she had to deal with this, and not hide in the bathroom. "Never mind, found some."

Emma reappeared from the bathroom, looking upon the small boy who had suddenly burst into her life.

"You know, we should probably get going." He said, and Emma crossed her arms.

"Going where?" she asked, frowning at him.

"I want you to come home with me." Emma shook her head walked around the counter towards the phone.

"Okay, kid. I'm called the cops."

"Then I'll tell them you kidnapped me." Emma huffed, hanging up the phone.

"And they'll believe you because I'm your birthmother."

"Yep."

"You're not gunna do that." She smirked.

"Try me." She nodded, clearly seeing they were related.

"You're pretty good. But here's the thing." She said, smirking again. "There's not a lot I'm great at in life. But I have one skill. Let's call it a super power, I can tell when anyone is lying. And you kid, are." Emma began dialling the number but stopped at his small voice.

"Wait. Please don't call the cops. Please, come home with me?" Emma sighed, seeing there was no getting out of this.

"Where's home?"

"Storybrooke, Maine."

"Storybrooke? Seriously?" he nodded at her, and the blonde rolled her eyes at him. "All righty then. Let's get you back to Storybrooke."

Xxxxxxxx

The car journey remained pretty quiet at first, Emma keeping her eyes fixed on the road ahead, while Henry looking around, with a smug look on his face. The blonde looked over at him, when she felt eyes on her, but he quickly turned away again.

Emma glanced out of the review mirror, watching the city disappear behind her as they drove along the bridge in her pride and joy.

"I'm hungry. You wanna stop somewhere?" he asked, breaking the silence Emma had been enjoying.

"This is not a road trip. We're not stopping for snacks."

"Why not?" he asked, and Emma frowned.

"Quit complaining, kid. Remember, I could have put your butt on a bus, Still could." He pulled open a large book from his bag, setting it down in his lap.

"You know I have a name. It's Henry." The blonde looked over at the book.

"What's that?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I'm not sure you're ready." She scoffed at him, shaking her head.

"Ready for some fairy tales?"

"They're not fairy tales. They're true." Emma looked over it him, quickly reminding herself she was dealing with a kid. "Every story in this book actually happened."

"Of course they did." She sighed, turning back to the road.

"Use your super power, see if I'm lying." Emma wasn't sure how to answer, he seemed so determined.

"Just because you believe something doesn't make it true." She inwardly smiled; proud of the way she handled that.

"That's exactly what makes it true." Damn this kid. "You should know more than anyone."

"Why is that?"

"Because you're in this book." Yep the kid is crazy.

"Oh kid, you've got problems."

"Yup, and you're gonna fix them."

Xxxxxxxx

The blonde breathed a sigh of relief when they passed the welcome sign to Storybrooke. It was bizarre, she had never heard of Storybrooke, and she had been in Maine plenty of times to know about the large towns there. The streets were empty as Emma pulled up along the road.

"Okay kid, how about an address?"

"44, Not-Telling-You Street." Emma stamped her foot on the break, bringing the car to a complete stop. She jumped out, slamming the door of the bug, taking deep calming breaths as Henry hopped out to join her.

"Look, it's been a long night and it's almost…" she looked up at the large clock and scrunched up her face at the time. "8:15?"

"That clock hasn't moved in my whole life." He turned back to face her. "Time is frozen here."

"Excuse me?" Emma didn't think she could handle any more of the weird thing this kid said.

"The Evil Queen did it with her curse. She sent everyone from the enchanted forest here." Emma squirmed at his words. The Evil Queen? That sounded strangely familiar.

"Hang on, An evil queen sent a bunch of fairy tale characters here?" Emma asked sceptically, ignoring the strange feeling stirring in her stomach.

"Yeah, and now they're trapped."

"Frozen in time. Stuck in Storybrooke, Maine." She raised her eyebrow at him. "That's what you're going with?"

"It's true." He insisted.

"Then why doesn't everyone just leave?" Emma pointed out, but he shook his head.

"They can't. If they try, bad things happen."

"Henry?" said a voice and they both turned to see a man rushing over to them. "What are you doing here? Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, Archie." Henry said, and Emma took in the man before her.

"Who's this?" he asked, turning his gaze to Emma.

"Just someone trying to give him a ride home." She smiled at him, but Henry cut in.

"She's my mum, Archie." Emma blew out a puff of air as she looked away from Archie.

"Oh…I see." Emma toed the floor awkwardly for a moment.

"You know where he lives?"

"Yeah, sure. Just right up on Mifflin Street." Emma nodded. "The mayor's house is the biggest one on the block."

"You're the mayor's kid?" Henry stared at the floor sheepishly.

"Maybe." Emma groaned.

"Hey where were you today, Henry? Cause you missed our session." Archie asked, looking at Henry.

"I forgot to tell you. I went on a field trip." Emma rolled her eyes at his lie, glancing at Archie who clearly didn't believe him.

"Henry. What did I tell you about lying?" Henry didn't answer. "Giving into one's dark side never accomplishes anything."

"Oookay. Well, I really should be getting him home." Archie nodded, straightening up.

"Yeah, sure. Well, listen, have a good night, and you be good, Henry." Archie wandered away, leading his Dalmatian away with him.

"So that's your shrink?"

"I'm not crazy."

"Didn't say that." Emma said, shrugging. "Just…he doesn't seem cursed to me. Maybe he's just trying to help you."

"He's the one who needs help. Because he doesn't know."

"That he's a fairy tale character." Emma felt her patients with this wavering dramatically. She wanted to go home, she never even got to eat her cupcake.

"None of them do. They don't remember who they are." Emma threw her head back.

"Convenient. All right, I'll play. Who's he supposed to be?"

"Jiminy Cricket."

"Right. The lying thing. I thought your nose grew a little bit."

"I'm not Pinocchio." Emma shook her head, climbing back into the bug.

"Of course you're not. Because that would be ridiculous."

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

Emma couldn't believe the size of the mayor's house as she pulled up outside. Clearly running a town paid off. She climbed out of the bug, and opened the gate, Henry's small voice following after her as she did.

"Please don't take me back there." He whined, but Emma kept pushing forward, determined to return him home.

"I have to. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you."

"I don't have parents. Just a mum, and she's evil." Emma stopped and turned to the small boy.

"Evil?" Emma couldn't understand Henry. Was his home life so bad he hides in a made up world? "That's a bit extreme, isn't it?"

"She is. She doesn't love me. She only pretends to." Emma looked sadly at the young brunette, crouching down to his level.

"Kid, I'm sure that's not true." Emma turned at the sound of the door opening, revealing a brunette woman in a grey dress.

"Henry!" She ran out of the house towards them, pulling the kid into a tight hug. "Are you okay? Where have you been?"

"I found my real mum!" he snapped before rushing off into the house, leaving Emma alone with this new woman. They locked eyes for the first time and the older woman stumbled back, looking shocked. Emma didn't say anything as she stared at the mayor. She was beautiful, there was no denying that. Emma couldn't help but let her eyes graze over the brunette's body, taking in the tight dress as she did.

"You're Henry's birth mother?" she spluttered out, gawking at Emma who smiled sheepishly.

"Hi."

"I'll just go check on the lad. Make sure he's alright." Said a man behind them, Emma glanced at him, noticing a sheriffs badge on his jacket.

"I'm Emma, Emma Swan." The blonde said, holding out her hand. The brunette frowned for a moment, as if she had expected a different answer. The older woman gingerly took the offered hand, shaking it lightly, their hands lingering together longer than Emma expected.

"I'm Regina Mills." Emma titled her head, she couldn't help but think she'd seen this woman before.

"Regina…" she muttered. There was a long pause, and the two women continued to stare at each other. Regina looked like she was trying to work out the hardest math question in the world, while Emma forced herself not to look at the brunette's body again.

"How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?" Regina said, breaking the silence.

"Got anything stronger?"

Xxxxxxxx

Regina led Emma into the house, her mind exploding with question she had no idea how to even try to begin to answer. Ten years! It had been ten years since she cast the curse! Ten years since Emma went through that portal abandoning her. Regina can still remember the moment like it had only happened seconds ago.

Flashback

Everyone stood in silence, starring at the crater in the ground which had engulfed Emma only seconds ago. Snow was first to break away from her shock, throwing herself into the crater, screaming for Emma. Regina continued to stare opened mouthed at the spot Emma had been in. Her eyes then travelled down to the gently beating heart in her hands, Emma's heart. It was so small, but seemed to be weighing her down.

"Your majesty?" said someone behind her, but she ignored them. A faint whining could be heard and she looked over to see Max crawling towards the crater, crying after his friend. Graham moved forward, picking the grief stricken wolf up in his arms, holding him close.

"My Queen?" he said, walking towards her, still holding the wolf. "What do we do?" Regina didn't answer at first, and instead looked down at the heart in her hands again, it had begun beating much faster now, as if something was happening to Emma.

"Go back." She whispered.

"Back?"

"All of you are to return the castle immediately!" she yelled, making Graham and several others flinch.

"Regina!" Her eyes snapped towards an angry Snow now barrelling towards her. "Bring her back! MAKE HER COME BACK!" Snow screamed, tears streaming down her face.

"I can't!" she shouted back, holding the heart to close to her.

"Give me her heart!" Snow growled, stretching out her hand to take it, but Regina flicked her wrist, sending her step-daughter flying through the air.

"Don't you dare touch it!"

"She's my daughter!" Snow snapped, climbing back up.

"And you drove her away." The Queen fumed, turning the blame on Snow.

"Me? She was trying to get away from you too! She left you because she was afraid of you!" Regina roared hurling a fireball the younger woman. Charming knocked Snow out of the way and drew his sword, pointing it at Regina.

"Don't be foolish Charming! This is over." She gestured around them. "Now pick up you pathetic excuse of a wife and go before I do something you won't like." Charming gathered up a now weeping Snow and guided her away leaving Regina to address her Graham.

"Return the men to castle, I'll meet you there." Before he could speak, the Queen disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind her army to make their own way back.

Regina reappeared in her chambers by the fireplace, collapsing into a chair heavily. She screamed loudly as tears streamed down her face, her body shaking as she rocked back and forth. Emma's heart was still beating frantically and Regina cradled it in her arms, hoping to sooth it somehow.

"Clearly the new world is scarier than the Princess was expecting." Said a high voice, but Regina ignored it, running her fingers along the heart. She roared when it disappeared from her arms and shot from her seat, advancing on the imp.

"Give it back!" Rumple merely giggled, examining the heart.

"Oh look, it has a crack." Regina tried snatching it back, but he held out of her reach. Her eyes fixed on the spot where his finger pointed and sure enough, a long crack lay upon its surface. "The mark of a broken heart dearie."

"Where did she go? Where did you send her!?"

"Me? I didn't do anything dearie, it was all her. I merely offered some advice here and there." He handed Emma's heart back and Regina hugged it close, fearing he would take it again.

"Where did that portal send her?" she snapped at him, but Rumple remained unfazed by her evil demeanour.

"A land without magic of course." He giggled.

"But that's where…" she trailed off staring down at the heart once more. "I have to go after her, give me that spell!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, it requires a special ingredient, however your true love isn't here for you to use is she?" he giggled.

"Then I'll have to find another way." She began to pace up and down, running her fingers over the heart as she did. It had returned to a normal pace, perhaps Emma was no longer in any kind of trouble.

"There is a way." Said Rumple, appearing before the frantic Queen. "But it didn't work out the last time you tried doing it." Regina's eyes widened and she gazed at the Dark One.

"You mean?"

"The Dark Curse of course."

Flashback End

The curse had only half worked, it had brought her to this land, and she had gotten her revenge of Snow. But it had failed to provide her with her true love like Rumple said it would. When she had woken up all those years ago, Emma had not been by her side.

But now here she was, or was she? Perhaps this wasn't her, maybe a look alike. Even as she thought it, Regina doubted it immediately, this had to be Emma. The mayor guided Emma into her study, closing the door behind them and moving to pour their drinks. She watched the blonde out of the corner of her eye, and internally fought with herself on how to handle this. Did she still love Emma? Of course, there was no doubt about that. Emma was her true love, her soul mate. But yet she had abandoned Regina, leaving her to wallow in her grief for the younger woman. Anger rose in Regina as she looked at the nervous blonde once more. It was clear Emma had no idea who Regina was, how that had come to be the mayor wasn't sure, but perhaps this was a good way for her to avoid any more pain over the blonde.

Setting the drink down in front of Emma, and sitting herself down, Regina stared at the blonde, wondering if she would say something.

"How did he find me?" Emma finally asked, frowning at Regina.

"No idea." She replied. "When I adopted him. He was only three weeks old. Records were sealed, and I was told the birth mother didn't want any contact."

"You were told right." Emma huffed.

"And the father?"

"There was one." Emma said dismissively.

"Do I need to be worried about him?" Regina watched Emma's facial expressions, and it dawned her that perhaps Emma had found someone else, even without her heart she may still have fallen for someone. Jealousy roared through the mayor, but she kept her face expressionless.

"No. He doesn't even know." Regina nodded, feeling the flame inside her die down a little.

"Do I need to be worried about. Ms Swan?" Swan? Where had that come from, perhaps she picked it for herself.

"Absolutely not." Regina nodded.

"I'm sorry he dragged you out of your life. I really don't know has gotten into him."

"Kid's having a rough time. It happens." The mayor frowned, fidgeting in her seat.

"Look, I don't want to intrude any longer than I should. Plus it's a long drive back to Boston so I should get going." Regina felt a flurry of emotions pass through her as Emma stood up. Should she make her stay? The mayor felt more conflicted than ever before. She had gone to so much trouble to try and get back to Emma, and now here she was, and Regina didn't know if she wanted her back.

"Of course." The older woman walked Emma to the door, still battling with herself.

"Look whatever Henry is going through, I'm sure it's just a faze." Regina smiled.

"I know he thinks I'm evil, but I only want the best for him."

"I'm sure he's just saying that because of his book." Emma shrugged.

"What book?" Regina looked at the blonde with a puzzled expression.

"The one of fairy tales. He thinks you're all characters from it." Emma chuckled, but Regina continued frown.

"I'm sorry, I really have no idea what you're talking about."

"You know what. It's none of my business. He's your kid. And I really should be heading back."

"Yes." Regina nodded, opening the door for Emma to leave. The blonde nodded to her and slipped away into the night.

She closed the door and leant against it for a moment, collecting herself. Maybe it's for the best, Emma doesn't remember her, perhaps she wouldn't even love her again. Regina shook her head, knowing whatever was coming wasn't going to be easy.

"Emma…"

A/N: Don't worry, Regina isn't just going to let her walk away, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to let Emma fall right back into her arms just like that. Wouldn't be much of a story if I did. Please review and tell me what you think of the story. I'm still mapping the chapters out and what direction this is going, but I've known how this chapter would go since I started righting the first story and I just had to get it up. Hopefully updates will be almost daily like the last story, but you never know. Till next time Kids.