Imagination

Henry stopped watching his mother and the brunette mayor talking beside a counter at Granny's and turned to Mary Margaret. That other brunette was strange, he'd never met anyone like her before; she was so nice and often said a word 'hope' which was really annoying. She was like some fairy tale character.

"So this mayor…" he started and watched the woman carefully, "and my mom… How long are they friends?"

Mary Margaret looked up at him from book and softly smiled. "Not for too long. They are quite complicated. No one can understand that… relationship they have. But now I think they are friends, indeed."

Henry deeply sighed. That was ridiculous. Why couldn't she just tell him the truth? It was so obvious that hiding it from his was pointless. But he should have known that asking Miss Blanchard was not exactly the right idea to succeed. She didn't seem much like a gossip type. And if he really wanted to know – or more like get a confirmation – he should go right to his mother.

And he was going to.

Emma was just washing the dishes at their apartment, lost in her thoughts when she noticed her son's curious gaze. "What's up, kid?"

"I've been thinking about Miss Mills. She is really kind and I had lots of fun with her when she took me for a walk around this town."

Blonde smiled at him. "I'm glad you like her."

Henry slowly nodded. "Yeah, she was actually like my other mom."

Emma froze and watched him for a while. "You… Do you remember something?"

Her son put totally innocent look on his face. "Something like what? What am I supposed to remember, mom?"

"I… nothing. Sorry."

A silence fell between them and while Henry was thinking his strategy through, Emma was trying to calm down, well aware of that slip off.

"How long had you guys been together?" he asked, not going to give it up so easily. He received a confused look from his mother. "I mean, before you had me."

"I'm sorry, what exactly are you talking about?"

"Look, I know the truth. You don't have to keep it away from me anymore. I noticed the way you look at each other and come on, everyone knows you here and you know everyone and I really doubt this is some part of your case. I think actually that we lived her when I was younger."

Emma shook her head. "Henry, between me and Regina – "

"Don't lie to me," he begged. "When we met her, she was staring at us so shockingly and you took her away to talk – alone. I am pretty sure I know what you were talking about. And we were on this tour around Storybrooke and she was acting like a mother to me. I know you've always been saying about my dad who wasn't a good guy, but I actually think that my dad was only a sperm donor and I am yours and Regina's child!"

Emma's mouth was opened and her eyes were wide as she stared at her thirteen year old son so completely unbelievably. All she could think about was how amazing his imagination was and how proud Regina would be if she heard him saying "my dad was only a sperm donor". After a moment her mind was filled by other things he had said.

She was going to prove him wrong but he was faster than her.

"I didn't understand why you were all the time like 'go say hi to Regina', 'maybe Regina could go with us' and inviting her to sit at our table… But now I really understand why you tried to get me some time with her."

"Henry, you have no idea what you're talking about," Emma said quietly, finally able to speak.

"You don't want to talk about it, I get it, but can we please talk tomorrow? I need to know the whole story. Why you kept me, not her. Why we left her."

Emma left a quick hysterical laugh. "Henry, we were not together."

Henry rolled his eyes. "You can't expect me to believe that anymore. Thank you for hear me out. Goodnight." He kissed her cheek and went to his room, leaving his surprised mother alone.

Henry checked up his mother in the morning and finding her in deep sleep, he dialed Regina's number. She was very happy to meet him and he couldn't be more proud that his plan was going well. If Emma isn't able to confirm the truth, Regina maybe will.

Granny's seemed to be amazing place to talk although it was the first place Emma would go and he wasn't sure how much time they have. Fortunately Regina was already sitting at the table when he walked in.

Her face immediately lightened up. "Hello Henry." He was very aware of her wince and that look of despair as she wanted to hug him. But he couldn't allow it yet.

"Hello."

He ordered breakfast and she joined him. After a while he knew he couldn't prolong it anymore.

"I know the truth."

Regina gasped. "What? You remember?"

Henry shook his head. "Of course not, I was only a baby back then but I talked to Emma last night and even though she didn't say much I know the truth about you two."

"I'm sorry," she said and watched him insecurely. "You know the truth about who?"

"About you and my mom. And I know you are my mom, too. I just need to know something – how long had you been married before you had me? And why did we leave you? Why didn't you keep me?" Stream of question was unstoppable. "And you guys are back together, right?"

He would probably continue and didn't even notice of Regina's shocked and confused face but Emma walked in diner and instantly went to their table.

"Henry, what do you think you're doing here? What the note you've left me meant? 'I'm going to have a breakfast with my mom. She needs to know I know the truth about us.'? The truth isn't what you think it is."

Neither of them noticed looks that customers of the bistro were giving to them. They drew everyone's attention to them and as if it hadn't been enough, Mary Margaret and David opened the door and went in.

"What is going on here?" Mary Margaret asked and looked at her daughter.

"Nothing. Henry, please we can talk later, just don't do that anymore. You don't know anything." Then Emma turned to Regina. "Can we talk outside?"

The brunette silently nodded and rose up. She was about to join Emma so they could leave the room but before she could do any step, Henry rose up as well and furiously hugged her. And Regina officially lost her control; she fell on her knees and firmly wrapped her arms around him, feeling tears streaming down her face.

"I'm glad I found you, mom," Henry whispered and Emma who had been watching them fighting her own tears was surprised. He usually acted so grown up and all this hugging was very rare.

"So am I, my boy, so am I," Regina muttered.

Emma exchanged glances with her parents who were trying to understand what was happening. "He remembers?" Mary Margaret indicated by lips. Emma gave her a short shake of her head.

"Regina, we need to talk," the blonde insisted.

Brunette forcibly pulled away from her son, stood up, and wiped her tears off. "I know." She smiled at Henry, and not giving much thought to people around her who were watching them the whole time she followed Emma outside of the room.

They went to the corner of diner's yard because they didn't want anyone to watch their interaction and there were no windows that could be seen through at them from the diner.

"We should tell him the truth. We will find a solution and he will remember you. We don't have to do this and keep him in this thought."

Regina shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Excuse me?" Emma blinked, frowning.

"I don't want to tell him anything."

Emma pursed her lips and lifted one eyebrow. "W-what? You don't –"

"No," Regina stated. "Look, if we tell him I'm not his mother he will keep a distance from me, because in that way it would mean I lied to him, when I let him believe that he was my son. And I don't know how long it will take to bring his memories back."

"You want him to believe you are his mother," Emma said assuring herself.

"First, I am. And second, that story he made about us is the only way for me to be his mom. There is no other explanation. We cannot tell him that you are his birth mother and I adopted him, because he only remembers growing up with you. And we cannot tell him that I am his birth mother because he would know I'd keep him if he were truly mine."

Emma stared at her. "You want him to believe that he is our son."

Regina nodded. "Yes, and he is, by the way."

"You want him to believe that we were a couple."

Now Regina hesitated but agreed in the end. "Yes."

Emma ran her hand over her face, and tried to accept what the brunette was saying. "Oh my god, do you actually know he thinks we are back together?"

The other woman froze for a while. "Emma, I can't lose him again and if that is the only chance to be with him like mother again, I will take it. I'm willing to do it."

"You want to pretend we love each other in front of everyone in this town who knows the real truth?" blonde asked unconvinced.

"Who said I was going to pretend?" Regina requested and no silence could have been more intensive than the one that fell between the two of them.

Then Emma grabbed lapels of Regina's coat and pressed her to herself, pulling her into deep passionate kiss while Regina tangled her hands into Emma's hair. They were capturing each other's lips and it felt so... right.

When they pulled away in order to catch a breath, they leaned their forehead on one another. "I've wanted to do it for so long," Emma muttered.

Regina looked up at her and Emma saw how watery brunette's eyes were. "Did I do something wrong?" blonde trembled.

"It was true love's kiss," Regina whispered.

"What?" Emma asked and lifted her head.

"I remember everything. The whole year, who cursed us, that idiot Robin Hood who was so persistent and annoying – everything is back."

Emma smiled and quickly kissed her again. "But that means that Henry…" They both looked at the door of the diner and ran there at the same time. They didn't even open the door, it opened itself when Henry pushed to it, widely smiling at his mothers and jumping into their embrace.

"How did you do it?" he asked when they straightened up again.

"We…" Emma started but saw her parents walking out of the door.

"Dammit, and you couldn't even pretend being couple," Henry reported, obviously sad.

Emma quickly laughed and before Regina could say something educational about his language, she grabbed her hand and smiled at their son. "Actually…"

Although people maybe weren't going to like it and they were going to face Hook and Robin and they had to defeat their great enemy, there was nothing that could stop them from doing it together. And they could handle it somehow, there was always a way.