Disclaimer: I don't own Once or any characters. If I did there would be a lot less CS nonsense.

A/N: All mistakes are mine and there will probably be a few. I'm a terrible speller and grammar has never been my strong suite so be warned. Also reviews are greatly appreciated.

Regina eyes widened, what did that idiot pirate mean 'like mother like daughter'? It hadn't been Regina's intention to eavesdrop on their conversation but somehow her attention had been captured and now she needed to know what they were discussing.

"Actually I'd like to know what the pirate is talking about." Regina stepped up to the others.

"It's nothing." Emma lied, poorly.

"Are you planning on going back to New York?" Regina couldn't believe that after everything that had happened Emma was actually thinking of taking Henry away from Storybrooke, away from her.

"Why would we go back to New York?" Henry asked.

The fact that Henry couldn't understand why he and Emma would go back to New York brought a smile to Regina's face. "You're not. Right Ms. Swan?"

"Actually it's complicated." Emma mumbled.

"Why would we leave, this is our home?"

"Henry this isn't the time or the place."

Regina could see the tension in the blonde's shoulders as panic began to set in but at the moment Regina didn't really care. "I think it is."

"No its not." Emma shook her head walked out of the diner without another word.

Stunned, Regina's mouth hung open for a second before she started to follow but Henry's voice stopped her.

"Mom wait," Henry closed the storybook they had been reading and handed it to Regina. "It might help her remember where she belongs."

Regina couldn't help smiling at that. Her son really did have the heart of the truest believer. She gave him a kiss on the forehead, "Don't worry, I'll bring her back."

Once Regina stepped out of the diner she realized she should have left sooner, Emma had already managed to make it to her car and was on the move. Letting out an annoyed breath Regina walked over to the road and placed her hand to the point on ground where the yellow bug had driven away from and using the same spell she had cast to find the hidden bean field Regina waited for the glow then got in her Mercedes and followed after the blonde.

"I don't want to talk to you about this." Emma was sitting on a bench when Regina found her.

"Well at this moment I don't really care what you want as you seem to have no regard for my feeling." Regina sneered a bit.

"That's not true."

"Isn't it?" Regina laughed coldly. "Then I suppose you weren't planning on taking my son away from me? And even if you didn't care for me at all the least you can do is consider Henry."

"I am considering him! I'm taking him to New York so he'll be safe." Emma got up from the bench and in Regina's face.

It was a situation they had not been in for a while now, but it was familiar, they fell in the old roles so easily but being so close they couldn't help but look into the others' eyes and neither saw anger but fear. It took a great deal of self-control for Regina to deny her instinct to escalate the fight.

"Emma, you're scared, you're running believe it or not I understand what that feeling is like." Regina admitted. "But what I don't understand is what you're running from. You have your parents, Henry, right now there are more people in that diner that care about you than will ever care about me. What can you possibly be running from? What are you looking for?"

"Home."

"And that's how you felt about New York?"

Emma just looked at Regina, hoping that if anyone could understand it would be her. It was Regina after all who had given her that life, and Regina did understand, the memories she had given Emma were created from moments in her own life raising Henry.

"Emma, I… those…" Regina paused trying to figure out what to say. "Do you really thing think Henry would be happier in New York now that he has his memories back?"

"I know what we had in New York wasn't real… but we could make it real."

"But why can you do that here with your family?" Regina faltered a little when she said the last word. For Regina, there was nothing more important than family.

At that moment Emma noticed Regina was carrying Henry's storybook and grabbed it from the other woman. "Because of this. I don't see my family here. I see… Fairytales… I see princes and princesses… it's not me. I was never any part of this."

Regina was trying to keep calm but the blonde was testing her patience, perhaps Zelena's unwarranted jealously had rubbed off on the savior.

"Ms. Swan may I remind you that I was a part of this." Regina snapped as she flipped through the book to the page of her interrupting Snow and Charming's wedding. Her tone had been antagonistic at first but then she realized this was her fault. It was because of her that Emma didn't have her own story in the book.

"Em Emma I'm sorry." Regina apologized.

"Its fine." She shrugged not realizing the thought's that had passed through Regina's head, Emma didn't fully comprehend the apology thinking that the brunette was simply apologizing for snapping at her.

"No I mean." Regina took a breath, "You deserve to be a part of something."

"Look," Emma began to explain. "When I was a kid. I ran away its just what I did. And yeah the first time I wondered am I making a mistake? But I left and I didn't miss it, I learned long ago Home is the place when you leave you just miss it."

Regina did understand the sentiment but she but it was getting late and she felt like it was time for some tough love.

"Well Ms. Swan you're not a kid anymore and its time to grow up!" Regina began but Emma's attention seemed to be elsewhere. "Are you even listening to me?"

"What the hell is that?"

"Don't think you can just change the subject and I'll forget –"

"No, really Regina, look." Emma pointed to the glowing beam of light that was projecting into the sky.

The two made their way toward the light. Regina insisted it wasn't a god idea but refused to let Emma investigate by herself.

"David left a message, its Zelena's time portal. Somehow she died and opened it." Emma explained once they reached the barn.

Regina hesitated for a moment. How could this happen? Even though Zelena had tried to destroy her Regina really did want her half sister to have chance at redemption. The sound of the barn doors opening brought Regina out of her thought a second too late.

"Emma, don't!" But the magic was already pulling both of them toward the portal and in an instant there were both transported to the Enchanted Forest.

"No no no," Emma repeated as she pushed herself off the ground realizing where she was.

"Yes Ms. Swan it seems your idiocy had sent us back to the Enchanted Forest," Regina snapped then noticing a familiar poster on a tree. "And it seems you have transported us to some time in the middle of my reign."

"I should have left Storybrooke the second Zelena was defeated. This is exactly the kind of thing that doesn't happen in New York. As soon as we get back I'm getting Henry and we're leaving."

"If you think I would let you take my son you're even more of a fool than I thought you were." Regina growled.

"You could come with us." Emma blurted out stopping Regina's rage before it had a chance to build. At first she didn't even realize what she said let alone have any clue as to why she had said it. Was it just to shut Regina up or did she really mean it? Then after a moment she decided she had meant it. Regina was the one who had given them New York in the first place it was only fair that she come with them.

Regina believed Emma was being genuine but couldn't understand why. When Regina realized she hadn't responded she wondered if she was actually considering it. No, it wouldn't work, as wonderful as it would be to get to spend time with her son and be rid of her fairy tale past for good, she knew she would do something to ruin. It would be best to end that train of thought sooner rather than later.

"Well, I'm sure that would be lovely the three of us playing happy families," Regina voice was full of sarcastic false cheer, "but before we start picking out furniture I suggest we figure out a way to get to the present. Any ideas?"

"I have no idea how to get back to the future. Who do I look like Marty McFly?"

"I am sure that is some kind of clever pop culture reference, and while it may be hilarious to some it will not help us."

"And your sass is so much more useful? Can't you just use your magic to get us back?"

"Can I…?" Regina glared at Emma in disbelief. "Yes by all means let me just recreate a spell that has up until twenty minutes ago had never been successfully cast. Its not like I can wave a magic wand-"

"A simple no would have been enough."

"Actually," Regina paused trying to remember. "There is a wand that supposedly had the ability to do just that."

"Well that's great let's go get it." Emma was already ready to leave the Enchanted forest.

"It wouldn't be that simple. The wand is most likely in the possession of The Blue Fairy or you know who."

"Volermort?" Emma's question was met with a disbelieving stare. "Oh you mean Rump-"

She was cut off by a hand placed over her mouth. "You do not say his name here. The last thing we need right now is him showing up."

"Ok Regidfna" Emma started but at the sound of hoof beats Regina once again pressed her hand against the blonde's mouth and when she realized the horses approaching were those of her old guards Regina pushed Emma against a tree so they would be out of sight.

"What was that about?" Emma asked once the horses as carriage passed and Regina had taken away her hand.

"My knights and I are going to threaten those people to find out the whereabouts of Snow White. " Regina could just manage to see the guards rounding up the villagers.

"You remember that?" Emma asked as they made their way closer to get a better look.

"No, it's just what I always did." Regina admitted and Emma could hear the same remorse in the other woman's voice that she heard once before in Neverland when they had discussed Tinker Bell.

They were close enough now to hear the other Regina as she threatened the villagers.

Emma could tell Regina was feeling guilty so the blonde tried to lighten the mood. "You're even worse without the sensible pantsuits."

"You have no idea." Regina knew what Emma was trying to do but couldn't bring her self to smile at the joke.

The past Regina's voice caught their attention again"- If anyone in this village has helped the bandit Snow White they will suffer dearly. This is what helping Snow White looks like."

A woman with a burlap sack over her head who had gone unnoticed before was now calling for help as the other Regina laughed.

"Wait wait!" Regina whispered urgently and grabbed Emma's arm. "What are you doing?"

"I'm helping that woman. She's just an innocent –"

"I wouldn't let you get away with rescuing one of my prisoners, I'd kill you both before you could make it ten feet."

It took Emma a minute to understand Regina was using I for the past version. "That's not you."

"But it was, and I'm telling you Emma you're not going to help her because you didn't help her."

"So I'm just supposed to let her die?"

"Yes," Regina could not bring herself to look Emma in the eye. "She along with any others who have been accused of helping Snow White will be publicly executed and there's nothing we can do to change that if we want to get back to the world that we knew."

"Fine," Emma grumbled. "Let's go find that wand."