Chapter One- Give Your All to Me

"What would I do without your smart mouth

Drawing me in and you kicking me out

You got my head spinning, no kidding

I can't pin you down"

Emotion #1: Anguish

Maybe it was foolish to think that anything had changed on that Godforsaken island. To think that for a moment that they had let bygones be bygone and move forward into a cordial relationship for the sake of their son. Yet watching Emma cling to their son as she led them both off the boat simply snapped something in the brunette who had already been stewing for some time. However she wasn't going to give Emma Swan the satisfaction of playing the poor Savior being bullied by the Evil Queen by calling her out on it in front of their son. Her son! Henry's was her's, regardless of blood relations she was the one who had sacrificed everything for him while Emma ran around doing whatever for ten years.

"I think we should skip on Granny's tonight, kid. It's been a long couple of weeks and I'm sure everyone just wants a proper shower and to climb into a real bed." Emma grinned, nudging Henry with her shoulders as they walked down the street and towards Mifflin. Snow and Charming had stayed behind to get all of the Lost Boy's in order and find a place for them to stay.

"Yeah, you're right." Henry agreed, suppressing a yawn. Regina trailed behind them silently seething as she fought to keep her anger in check. The three of them finally reached 108 before Henry and Emma turned to look at Regina.

"Henry why do you run inside and wash up?" Regina smiled warmly at her son, whom nodded before scurrying off.

"Do you think he's going to be okay?" Emma asked once Henry was out of ear shot and that was all it took for Regina to light into the blonde.

"Of course he will. He's a Mills, strong and resilient." Regina replied tersely, grinding her teeth together. Emma didn't seem to notice Regina's deteriorating mood.

"How do you know? I mean he's been through a lot..." Emma scuffed her foot uncertainly, and Regina now knew where Henry had inherited that horrendous habit from.

"I know because I'm his mother. I've been there for well over eleven years now, I think I know my son." Regina snarked causing Emma to frown.

"He's our son, Regina." Emma shook her head as she replied.

"No! He's my son! I was just foolish enough to allow you around him when it's clear you can't even take care of yourself. How many times did I have to save you or your idiot parents when I could have been looking for Henry? I could have saved him some of the trauma he had went through if it wasn't for you!" Regina snapped, leaning forward as she hissed at the blonde woman.

"You can't seriously be blaming me for-" Emma was cut off by Regina's humorless laugh.

"Of course I'm blaming you! For everything! All you have ever done is hurt Henry, yet you claim to be his mother. You don't know how to be a mother because you never had one! Hopefully Snow won't make the same mistake this time. One damaged overgrown child is enough." The moment the words left her mouth she knew she went to far. Emma visibly flinched and her eyebrows furrowed together. Green eyes glistened with confusion and unshead tears as the younger woman stiffened her spine. Emma opened and closed her mouth several times, as if she wanted to say something but she simply couldn't find the words. The blonde stuffed her hands into that god awful red jacket before spinning on her heels and continuing up the street without another word. She wouldn't allow Regina to see the full extent of how her words stripped at her confidence and self esteem.

Three Weeks Later

Regina hadn't seen or spoken to Emma since the night they had came back. Which confused Henry, who thought they were finally getting along but he didn't ask too many questions. He was still dealing with his own issues to worry about if his mother's were friends or not this week. At least that's what he thought until he accidentally overheard a conversation between his blonde mother and Ruby.

"What's going on with you, Em? If Regina even come within five hundred feet of the room your in, you're flying out of here like a bat out of hell. Did something happen?" Ruby frowned, pushing a plate of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans in front of the solemn woman. Emma seemed hesitant to speak, before she exhaled deeply.

"We just exchanged words, and she let me know how she truly felt about me... I-I just wasn't expecting it and it caught me off guard and I'm still trying to process all of it.' Emma licked her lips as she spoke carefully, knowing Ruby was excellent at reading in between the lines and she didn't want to give away too much.

"Oh did she finally admit to having feeling's for you too?" Ruby squealed and Emma shot her a disapproving look. Henry's eyes widen from where he had been stowed away in the corner of the diner hiding behind a news paper. Emma had feelings for his Mom?

"Oh she has feelings for me alright, strong ones. She hates me and blames me for everything that happened to Henry. The crazy part is she's right." Emma pushed her food around on her plate. Her appetite had been nonexistent since coming back

"What?! You can't be serious!" Ruby exclaimed and it was followed by brief silence.

"The nerve of that Lint Licker! Isn't she the one who nearly killed Henry with that apple turnover?" Ruby emphasized killed causing Emma to wince as she remembered the time when her little boy was laying in a hospital bed fighting for his life

"That was meant for me. If I hadn't of made him feel like I didn't believe him I would have eaten it not him." Emma looked absolutely crestfallen.

"Emma don't let whatever she said get you down. We both know how Regina is, her people skills are lacking. She probably didn't even mean it, maybe she was stressed since coming back or maybe its that time of the month." Ruby offered watching Emma shrugged. She didn't have much more time to assure her friend before she was being called back by Granny.

Emma's stomach turned unpleasantly, and she threw down a twenty for her meal before booking it out of Granny's diner.

Spring was lovely in Storybrooke, the slight breeze pushed her curls over her shoulder as she walked. The temperature was perfect for a sweater and jeans, so she had forgone her trusted jacket and instead donned a cream cashmere sweater and a pair of dark blue skinny's paired with her boots. She was so caught up in repeating what Regina had spat at her, she nearly jumped out of her skin when something small ran full force into her legs. A little boy no older than four looked up at her with the deepest brown eyes so full of distrust already. She had immediately recognized him as a Lost Boy, the youngest they had brought back. He had already gone through a couple of temporary homes since being in Storybrooke but nobody wanted to keep him for very long.

"Hey kid! You have to pay for that?" Sneezy rushed over with Blue following close behind and that's when Emma took note of the candy bar clutched firmly into his little hand.

"Hey buddy, what's your name?" Emma squatted low to be eye level with him. His hair fell into his face, and it was long enough to fit into a decent sized ponytail. He scrunched up his nose just as the pharmacist and the Blue Fairy made it over.

"Princess, the boy doesn't speak. It seems all he can do is cause mischief wherever he goes." Blue shot the boy a scolding look and he grasped onto Emma's pant leg tightly.

"He's a kid, what do you expect?" Emma frowned.

"I expect him to make good choices, always keeping in mind how his actions affect others. Something you should probably work on too, Princess." Blue responded with her air of superiority.

"Says the woman who is really behind the reason Storybrooke exists. Everyone blames Regina and Rumple but if you hadn't gave Neal that stupid bean, Rumple would have never used Regina to cast the Dark Curse." Emma crossed her arms while glaring at the overgrown gnat. Blue look taken aback before she straightened out her pea coat.

"Regardless of how you choose to look at it, I must take the boy back to the convent now. He needs to be punished for stealing, Sheriff." Blue clicked her teeth, reminding Emma of yet another title that had been forced upon her.

"Ryder Matthews, lets go." Blue beckoned the boy who looked up at Emma. He squeezed her leg tightly before letting go and slowly walking over to the Blue Fairy. As soon as he was within arms reach the woman snatched the candy bar away before passing it to Sneezy.

Since coming back to Storybrooke from Neverland Emma had moved out of her parents place. Her mothers confession, about wanting a baby and her willingness to just leave everyone behind for David had clawed it's way through Emma's chest and sat nestled against her heart. Still she had promised to visit often, so that's how she found herself sitting at the island watching her mother bustled around the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Emma suppressed a chuckle when she saw that Mary Margret's hair was mused on just one side. She had begun to alternated between calling the woman Snow and Mary Margret, it all depended on the brunette's mood.

"Several of the Lost Boys have been hospitalized recently. Apparently since leaving the island time has begun to catch up with them, and some of them are malnourished. It was a mistake on my part to not get them all checked out in the hospital. I mean it couldn't have taken long with only six boys. I feel so guilty." Mary Margret rubbed her face roughly before turning to her daughter.

"How many are in the hospital now?" Emma frowned, remembering those big pleading brown eyes.

"Three. There's Thomas, who went to live with Kathryn and Fredrick. Xander who is with Ariel and Eric. And that little trouble maker Ryder." Snow sighed as she wrapped together little care packages.

"He isn't a trouble maker, he's just misunderstood. He was with Pan for God knows how long, and nobody ever looked out for him. He's still so young." Emma defended, as Snow studied her carefully.

"I suppose. I just don't see anything being a good fit right now." Snow shrugged, placing posted notes with the each child's name on a box.

"Lord only knows what you would have thought of me had you actually raised me." Emma scoffed before rising from her seat.

"Emma, did I say something to upset you?" Snow frowned, but it was her patronizing tone that set Emma off.

"No, Mother Dearest. You could never say anything to upset me." Emma replied sarcastically, snatching Ryder's package up.

"You know, don't even bother with this. I'll make him something myself, so you won't taint your oh so pure heart with the little trouble maker." The blonde threw the box back down, sure she broke the homemade cookies inside before grabbing her jacket and stalking out. She ignored Snow calling out to her as she huffed and rushed down the stairs and out of the stuffy building.

Maybe the problem was she saw to much of herself in Ryder. She could remember stealing candy bars when she was a few years older than him, but just because nobody ever offered to buy her one. She had been labeled as the kid that was too much trouble, she knew how that felt. She wouldn't wish that on her worst enemy let alone another child. And it was with this that she pulled out her phone and called Granny's Diner.

"Granny, I need a really big favor..." Emma waited for the older woman to respond, rolling her eyes as the woman yammered.

"See there's this kid, Ryder-"

"Yes from Neverland..."

"Well he's in the hospital right now and I want to give him a care package. I was hoping-" Emma was cut off again by Willow Lucas.

"Really? Just like that?" Emma's eyes widened.

"I owe you one. Anything you need..." Emma promised before hanging up. Walking towards the small children shop, she figured she'd take it a step further and get Ryder some nice things for his stay at the hospital. She had been in and out of there as a kid for the same thing, and it was never a short stay. Grabbing a couple of soft pajama set's along with a stuffed chameleon. It was green with wide eyes and a curly tail. On her way to the register, she walked past a book that she had read countless times. Horton Hatches the Egg. Shrugging, maybe Ryder would like the pictures. Placing everything onto the checkout stand, she pulled out her credit card.

"Isn't Henry a little old for all of that?" Kathryn smiled slightly from behind Emma causing the blonde to turn around.

"Oh this isn't for Henry." Emma responded.

"That will be sixty two twenty-seven." The cashier stated and Emma swiped her card.

"Have another child we don't know about?" Emma could tell Kathryn was just trying to make conversation but the fact that she was Regina's best friend and the comment itself rubbed Emma the wrong way.

"Pardon me for saying this, but what I do is none of your business. However with you being best friends with the Mayor, you probably already know she has limited my time with Henry to the bare minimum. So if you're here trying to scope out information, it's not going to happen." Emma grabbed the bag from the cashier.

"Actually I'm here to get some things for Thomas. We've had a rough couple of days." Kathryn frowned and Emma simply nodded before turning.

"You know, as his mother she just doesn't want to see him hurt." Kathryn called out to her.

"I'm only ever good enough to see him when it's convenient for her. I was a good enough mother when we had to move the freaking moon to save him. Just not now, That's bullshit and you know it." Emma scoffed.

"She didn't mean what she said to you. She feels really bad about it." Kathryn replied

"She's a coward, if she felt so bad she would have already apologized by now. But she's content knowing that someone is hurting more than her. So I hope that while she's revealing in the fact that she has Henry now, he's getting older. Eventually he's going to see her for who she truly is. Yes she loves him with everything that she is but she is a cold cruel person. And nothing or no one will ever change that." Emma hissed, her anger clouding her judgment.

"You don't mean that Emma. You're doing exactly what she did. Lashing out in anger, and you know that only causes more heartache." Kathryn shook her head, looking right through Emma's front.

"Maybe that's what makes me and her different. Regina never says something she doesn't mean. The woman who thrives on control? Yeah, excuse me but I'm not buying the crap both you and her try to sell. She's happy with the way things are right now, and maybe in a couple of months once everything cools down we can talk about Henry. But I don't ever want to talk about what she said to me." Emma turned on her heel before leaving.

These past few weeks everyone had been seeing her back more and more, but it no longer felt like she was simply running. More like she was growing up and stepping into her shoes. She was finally going to let people know that they would no longer walk all over her. Climbing into her bug she made her way down to Granny's to pick up the baked good's.

"Hey Ems." Ruby immediately skipped over to her with that lop sided grin she always seem to sport.

"Hey Rubes, is Granny around?" Emma quickly accepted the side hug.

"Yeah, she's just in the back getting together your package...You know it's a good thing you're doing. Nobody here wants anything to do with the kid. They all just sort of write him off. Even Regina did which is surprising since she loves kids and is always preaching about a second chance." Ruby shrugged.

"Regina met Ryder?" Emma's eyebrows rose to her hairline.

"Yeah, he flipped out on her though. Apparently she got his real name from another one of the lost boys, and when she called him it he went ballistic." Ruby whispered, knowing that people were listening all around them.

"His real name?" Emma's confusion was growing.

"Yeah Ryder is his Lost Boy name. They think it has to do with how he was taken though. The kid is absolutely infatuated with horses. All of the lost boys took back their original names if they could remember them. If not they chose something else when they got placed. Matthews is the last name that was given to all of them, at least until they get adopted." Ruby responded.

"Hey girl! I have those things you wanted." Granny grunted out, interrupting their gossip session. Emma rushed over to grab the Tupperware container.

"There's some sandwiches, carrots, celery, some crackers and cookies. When he runs out you just let me know. You hear me?" Granny passed over the container and Emma nodded her agreement.

"Thanks Granny." Emma replied sincerely. The slight quirk of the older woman's lips let her know that it had been received before she was shooed away. Back into the bug and on her way to the hospital. She sat in her car for a moment, licking her lips as she debated how she was going to go about doing this. She didn't want to just barge in and scare the kid, but she felt like that had connected during their first meeting. Even if it could be chalked up to her being the only person he seen when he was trying to run away. Clambering out of her car, she failed to notice the Mayor's sleek black Mercedes parked in the reserved section as she juggled the packages in her hands.

"Hello, how can I help you?" The nurse at the desk smiled warmly at her, watching Emma stammer to reply.

"Ahh yeah, um...I'm here to see Ryder Matthews." Emma chewed on her bottom lip thoughtfully as the nurse clicked away at her computer.

"You'd be the first." She exhaled sadly, as Emma furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"You mean to tell me, nobody's been here to see him yet? Not even Blue?" Emma questioned watching the nurse named- Miranda, shake her head.

"He is going to be on the third floor in pediatrics, room number 3-153. It's going to be on your left." Miranda informed her, watching Emma turn towards the elevator. She could admit that she walked far slower to room 3-153 than she had probably ever walked, she just wouldn't admit to it out loud. Taking one look at Ryder practically swimming in the hospital's gown and drowning in the too big bed, she picked up her pace just as he pushed away a bowl of some slop looking gunk.

"You have to eat if you want to go home!" Another nurse was at her wits end, probably a nurse without a child. Not that Emma had any experience raising a toddler, she had just been around enough of them in the system to know that the nurse was actually doing way more harm than good.

"Hey Ryder." Emma smiled from the doorway, watching the child's head snap up in her direction. His mouth opened in a little O, as he began to try to climb his way towards her. She quickly set down her items before meeting him at the edge of the bed. Emma didn't expect for him to immediately cling to her, but she couldn't stop herself from embracing him either.

"Hey Kid, so I brought some things to eat and a little birdy told me a certain someone needed some good stuff so he can grow big and strong, and ditch this Popsicle stick. You know him?" Emma gently nudged him, and was rewarded with a flash of slightly yellow teeth before he patted himself on the chest.

"You are that little someone? Well what are we waiting for? Let's get some grub!" Emma started to rise before she realized he wasn't going to let her go. Settling him on her hip, she walked over to the Tupperware container, and pulled out two small peanut butter and jelly triangles and a small container of apple juice. Unwrapping them from the plastic wrap, she handed one to Ryder and watched him stuff half of it into his mouth before chewing.

"You got him to eat?" The nurse gasped, having been glued to the same spot and watching the interaction the entire time.

"Yeah I guess I did. I have it from here if you want to go." Emma's statement wasn't a suggestion when she felt Ryder tense up in her arms at the sound of the nurse's voice.

"Yes, I have to make my other rounds. He is by far the most difficult patient I have had to deal with." The nurse grabbed her clipboard before stalking out.

"Kid don't listen to these people. They only judge what they have never experienced. I was just like you when I was younger. I had a family, and then another moment I didn't. I was just a lost little grab trying to grab some purchase in life and the people around me just kept kicking me down. Granted I may not be the most responsible person, I make loads of mistakes that I can never atone for. But I'm alive here today because again I'm like you. I fought to be here, and nothing or no one can ever take that from either of us." Emma sat down on the bed, and used her free hand to unwrap the second triangle before handing it to Ryder.

What she didn't know was that the Mayor was standing right outside the door looking through the window.

She could feel Ryder leaning heavy against her chest. Looking down at his tiny face smeared with remnants of his finished lunch, his big brown eyes looked up at her as he tapped her lips twice. His eyes fluttered closed as he tried to hum, before looking at her expectantly.

"You want to hear something?" Emma asked softly, grabbing a wet wipe and cleaning him up.

"hmm." Was the response she got from the toddler.

"Okay, fair warning singing was never my strong suit." Emma joked, wrapping him up in the fleece blanket that was on the bed before setting a rocking pattern with him in her arms.

'Now I heard there was a secret chord,

That David played and it pleased the lord.

But you don't really care for music, do you?

It goes like this.

The fourth , the fifth

The minor fall, the major lift

The baffled King composing Hallelujah."

A small smile played on Ryder's lips, as he tangled his tiny hand into Emma's hair. This was everything she gave away when she signed away her rights to Henry. One thing was for certain, Henry didn't miss out on moments like these. Even if it wasn't with her. That's what separated the two, and why she felt like this moment was in no way replacing her son's. She could vividly picture a little Henry snuggled up to Regina as she sang him a melody. This was something that neither she or Ryder had ever experienced before. It was different in a tangible way of two lost children finding comfort in one another. It almost felt as if a small sliver of herself was being pieced back together. Even if the other pieces where scattered from where every foster parent, ex, her parents and even Regina had left them.

'Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah'

'Your faith was strong but you needed proof,

you saw her bathing on the roof.

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you.

She tied you to a kitchen chair

She broke your throne, and cut your hair

and from your lips she drew the Hallelujah'

Ryder was softly snoring in her arms by now, but she continued on. Singing to nothing, and yet she had a captivated audience at her finger tips.

'Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah'

'You say I took the name in vain

I don't even know the name

But if I did, well really, what's it to you?

There's a blaze of light in every word

It doesn't matter what you've heard

The Holy or the broken Hallelujah'

'Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah'

'I did my best, it wasn't much

I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch

I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you

And even though it all went wrong

I'll stand before the Lord of Song

With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah'

It was only when the little boy in her arms scrunched up his face tightly, did she realize she was crying on her. Gently setting him back into the bed, she sniffled as she dried her face.

"Ms. Swan." Regina let her presence be known as she tried to school her features.

"My god, I can't catch a break." Emma mumbled before looking away from the brunette who had hurt her deeply.

"What do you want Regina?" She huffed.

"I would like to speak with you for a moment." Regina replied in her usual pompous tone.

"I have no desire to fight with you, Madame Mayor." Emma shook her head.

"I don't want to fight either, I simply have a matter in which I would like to discus with you." Regina refuted

"Excuse me for saying this, but you have no idea how to have a conversation Regina. You have this way about you, where you use you words to strip away every layer that a person has until they are nothing but bones. I don't want to talk to you, I don't even want to be in the same room as you. So unless this is about Henry, we truly have nothing to discus." Emma began to grind her teeth in frustration.

"Henry is a fraction of the reason I wished to speak with you. Henry and your visitations." Regina began but was cut of by Emma's snort.

"What visitation? You mean the thirty four seconds I get to see him when he gets off of school and walks to your car? Or the seven minutes I get at downtown every three days or so?" Emma questioned, she was more angry than hurt now.

"Ms. Swan, need I remind you that it was you who gave Henry up! In any normal circumstance , you wouldn't get to see Henry at all!" Regina shot back.

"No, I don't need a reminder that I gave up my child not even two minutes after he was born in a prison hospital. I have that dream every night Regina, so your help in not needed." Emma hissed back, catching the brunette off guard.

"This is not what I came here for." Regina could see the situation getting out of hand, so she started to back track

"What did you come here for?" Emma asked crossing her arms.

"Despite what you may believe, I am capable of remorse. I came here to apologize for the way I spoke to you and the things I said. I truly am sorry Emma. I didn't mean to hurt you that way." Regina apologized sincerely, as she watched green eyes narrow at her.

"What do you want?" Emma settled back into a blank expression.

"I- excuse me?" Regina furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"I've dealt with people like you all my life Regina. The type that are liked snakes. They strike without warning. People think that with the right touch and affection that they can be tamed, but they are wild creatures at heart. They never hesitate to hurt someone if it can benefit them in someways. But just as much as you are a snake, you are also a con artist. You manipulate peoples feelings to suit you and your mood because you want something. So again, I'm going to ask...What do you want?"Emma deadpanned, ignoring the very brief flicker of hurt that flashed into cognac eyes.

"What I want is for my son to be happy! That means he needs you in his life. I came down here to ask you if you would be willing to meet him for breakfast tomorrow morning." Regina composed herself, trying not to show the blonde how hurt she was by the analysis.

"I'm bringing Ryder his meals until he gets out of here." Emma replied, looking back at the sleeping child.

"So you're not going to meet your son because you are spending time with another child? I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, taking a page out of Snow's book, hmm?" Regina asked snarkily.

"Apple's? You really should talking about apples and Henry in the same sentence. It wasn't too long ago, that he was the kid in the hospital bed." Emma replied coolly, hearing the breath leave Regina's lungs.

"And like you said, Henry is your son. Stop flip flopping back and forth to suit your needs! I can't only be a good mother when it fits Regina Mills's schedule! Stop using our son as a pawn to hurt me, just because you hate me that much!" Emma hissed.

"I never said I hated you! And don't you dare ever throw that situation in my face again!" Regina stepped forward.

"So the queen doesn't like the taste of her own medicine? Hmm, interesting." Emma shrugged.

"I expect you to meet Henry after you finish delivering the lost boy his breakfast Ms. Swan. Or I will take that as you refusing the olive branch extended to you. Good day." Regina straightened herself out before stalking out of the room.

AN: This story will be around 10-12 chapters long. Updated once a week. Prompt by LittlePenguin93. check out her stories! They are all amazing!