A/N: This is set before 2x10 and the whole debacle with Archie and Cora. Basically I'm taking a few creative liberties with some of the events of the second season and I hope you will all just enjoy the ride.

Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT. I just have an overactive imagination. That goes for the rest of the chapters.

Chapter One

Snow White sat on a bench outside the school building and watched as the children poured out of the front door bundled in scarves and large jackets to fend off the chilly breeze that autumn had brought with it. Obviously, it was unnecessary. It would still be a while before the cold stab of winter truly settled in. But overprotectiveness seemed synonymous with parenthood. More so now than ever before.

The children talked, laughed, wrestled seemingly unaffected by all of the major changes that had occurred in Storybrooke. As she wrapped her arms around herself, Snow mused at how much her own life had changed. She had gone from a lonely school teacher to a queen with a husband, an adult daughter and a grandson. She smiled at the image of Henry's face beaming up at her and calling her 'grandma'. It warmed her instantly. The happy ending she had always dreamed of was just within her reach. If she could just get her daughter Emma to accept her new life and get rid of Regina and find a way back home to the Enchanted Forest then all would be right again in her world. She sighed at the thought of the magical world she missed so dearly. Being back, even for such a short time had been wonderful. She had felt like herself- strong, decisive and completely unlike Mary Margaret. But for now, Storybrooke was her home. Her family was here and that was all that she needed.

The parade of children was reduced to a few stragglers. She scanned their faces. None of them was Henry. With a prick of anxiety, she stood and walked over to one of the children. They had not seen Henry since the final bell hand rung. That was almost fifteen minutes ago. She thanked the child and briskly walked past him to Henry's classroom. His teacher thought he had already left. He had been in such a rush to leave the classroom. The teacher had thought it odd initially but did not question it.

Snow's niggling anxiety spread. The two women searched classroom after deserted classroom, bathrooms, the sports field, every corner where he could be nestled with a book- there was nothing. No sign of Henry.

Snow took a deep breath as she pulled out her cell phone. Her fingers shook as she dialled and placed it against her ear.

"Yup" Emma's preoccupied voice responded on the other end of the line.

"Emma," Snow began tentatively. "Is Henry with you?"

"No, I thought he was coming home with you."

Snow sighed resting her forehead in her hand.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked attempting to control her panic.

"Henry's missing."

Regina Mills scrubbed her marble kitchen counter with all of the aggression and precision one would expect from an evil queen. Not that a queen would be doing her own housework. And not that the house could possibly get any cleaner. Henry's absence meant there were no scuff marks on her tiles, or dirty dishes in the sink or sneakers to trip over on the staircase. She had always been immaculate about her own belongings and so now the house truly looked like no one lived in it. Nothing was out of place and there wasn't a dust mite in sight.

She no longer cooked dinner as the image of eating it alone only depressed her. She just sat in front of the fire with glass after glass of her apple cider praying that there would be a knock at the door heralding Henry's return. But no one knocked on her door. Soon cider became bourbon.

And so, completely by default, housework had suddenly become Regina's only occupation. Now that she was no longer mayor, there was nothing else for her to do. She was incapable of sleeping-in, relaxing and enjoying her recent unemployment. There was a reason she had never taken a vacation. The silence made her anxious. She could hear the ticking of the clocks and the distant sound of cars reminding her that life was continuing without her. The world that she created was not hers anymore. The inability to scheme and plot mad her fists clench from the infuriating boredom her life had been reduced to. So she'd get up, get dressed and pace her house desperate for something to do. She could not practise magic thanks to her promise to Henry, she could barely leave her house for fear one the village idiots would demand her head on a stick and the very last thing she wanted was to run into one of those damn Charmings.

So she stayed indoors and cleaned. She scrubbed and dusted and vacuumed until her muscles tensed and ached from the physical exertion. It was the masochist in her enjoying the pain.

Angry cleaning.

It was not perfect but it would have to do. Anything to stop her from blowing everything in the pathetic town to bits. And everyone in it too.

Except Henry.

Just as the smell of cleaning agents was starting to get to her, Regina's head snapped up at the sound of banging on her front door. She frowned- this hadn't happened in a while. A part of her was not in the mood for whoever decided to stomp over to her house just to give her grief about how she had ruined their life. It was not exactly like her life was going so well either. The other part of her was looking forward to some human interaction even if it was sub-par company. She had not put someone in their place in a long time.

She craned her neck to one side to loosen a kink in her muscle, straightened her back and strode to the front door following the sound of the incessant banging. She unlocked and opened the door and audibly groaned at the sight of Snow White, David and Emma. So much for avoiding the Charmings. She stepped forward and stood in her doorway while placing her hands on her hips exuding all the evil queen attitude she could muster.

An evil queen in jeans and trainers.

"Where is he?" David barked. The veins along his neck looked ready to explode.

"I can't imagine I know what you're talking about." Regina responded glibly.

"Just tell us the truth, Regina." Snow was considerably calmer than her husband. However, Regina registered the fear in her eyes and it was mirrored in Emma's. It made her blood turn cold.

"What's happened?"

"We can't find Henry." Emma replied.

"What?! You lost him?!" Regina leaned toward Emma. The blonde dropped her gaze beneath Regina's glare for a moment. She then looked up with a hopeless shrug.

Before Regina could register this new information, David pushed past her and marched into the house bellowing out Henry's name. Snow quickly slipped in behind him leaving Emma and Regina staring at each other in the doorway.

"We've called everyone, looked everywhere. Nothing." Emma explained. Her voice was brittle as she ran her fingers through her blonde curls. Regina had never seen the younger woman, the Saviour, so lost and… scared. It unnerved her. The same fear began to bubble within the pit of Regina's stomach. She thought about the first time Henry had run away and the horror that seized her. Little did she know that she had more than his safety to fear. In Emma Swan, he had brought with him the end of her happiness. She had to keep her wits about her this time. Now that magic had returned, who knew what disaster could befall them this second time?

"Henry!" David's voice boomed again.

Regina turned on her heel and took a step toward him, "Would you stop that! He isn't here."

"You… have him. I know you do. You're using… your magic again." He accused as he pointed at her. His face was bright red with anger and frustration. His breathing was erratic.

"I've barely seen him. And I promised Henry that I wouldn't use magic."

"Right, and you're such an… honest… person."

Snow White reached out and touched David's elbow in an attempt to calm him. He was hyperventilating. He had been running on adrenalin and desperation.

Emma stepped into the house. She stopped, caught in the space between her distraught parents and the only person who could truly understand her own distress- her son's other mother.

"I don't think he's here." Emma sighed helplessly.

"You can't be sure." Snow argued; her arm around her husband as he tried to regulate his breathing.

"If she used her magic to take him, they'd be long gone by now. I mean, why would she still be here for us to catch her?" Emma reasoned.

David and Snow both looked from their daughter to each other in resignation. At least they were not completely devoid of common sense.

In the brief moment of silence, Regina's mind started working. She had to find her son and she could not leave it to these fools. If something magical was at play here, she was her son's best chance. As she looked up, she caught Emma's eyes focused on her. She instantly felt uncomfortable beneath the gaze as though Emma could read her thoughts. Without breaking the eye contact, Emma walked over to Regina.

"What are you thinking?" Emma's voice was low.

"Nothi-" Regina started.

"Don't bullshit me, Regina. I can tell when you're planning something and if it helps find Henry, I want in."

Regina stole a glance at Snow who led David to the bottom of the long staircase and sat him down to help him calm himself. If she found Henry on her own, she could take him away. They could go into hiding until she found a way to get back to the Enchanted Forest. They could be happy- just the two of them. There was nothing keeping her in Storybrooke. They could just start again.

She turned back to Emma's green eyes which looked at her with a hint of desperation. "Please, Regina. Help me find our son."

Regina recognised the terror that no doubt wracked Emma's body. She had felt it too when Henry had run away from her and when he had been trapped in the mine. In both instances, Emma had brought him back to Regina. She supposed that if he somehow made his way out of Storybrooke, the sheriff was the only one who could possibly bring him back.

"It involves…" Regina dropped her voice even lower so that only Emma could hear her.

"Magic?" Emma guessed.

Regina nodded. "But Henry..."

"He ran away. That makes that promise null and void." Emma checked herself. "For now."

"Okay. But you have to get rid of them. And they can't know."

Emma looked back at her parents who were staring at the two women and, no doubt, trying to figure what the Evil Queen and White Knight could possibly be whispering about. Emma turned back to Regina clearly torn between trusting her enemy and being honest with her parents. Finally, she nodded slightly and walked over to Snow and David. They were clearly upset with Emma's plan: they needed to go back and help the rest of the townsfolk look for Henry. Emma would stay with Regina in case David was right about her. It took a great deal of arguing and cajoling on Emma's part but eventually her parents begrudgingly left with a final warning look at Regina.

As she closed the door behind them, Emma turned to Regina. "Alright, get to it."

So this is my very first attempt at fanfiction! If you're at least slightly interested, let me know so I can keep on keeping on.