Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a time or make any money from it, but I sometimes wish I did.
His mother
Regina slowly folded some of the tops and sweaters she had just ironed. Nothing was like housework to try to get your minds of things. Or at least trying to do so. She seemed to be so into her ironing and folding that she managed to ignore the world around her.
It was better that way, at least for now. At least for a little while. To try to ignore where she was. To try to ignore this stupid little town. She snarled throwing a sock ball against the walk seeing it fall. Sock balls and laundry was this what she had allowed herself to be reduced to. She that used to be a mighty queen and have people do this kind of stuff for her.
The weird thing that was that she didn't really mind to do it; it was just sometimes she missed the old days, the luxury at the castle. Plotting against other, punish those who did her wrong using her magic. She still had some magic, but only little.
Still she managed to get people to have people to fear her, still she was able to kill and get away with her. Still she was able to plot.
Another sock ball hit the wall as more anger escaped her. Those could back in the days have been fireballs. Then again she didn't want her house to burn down. To have the home she created for herself and Henry to burn into ashes.
Henry, her Henry, not Emma's.
She had been the one to feed him when he was a baby; she was the one to change his dirty diapers, to comfort him when he cried. She was the one to rock him to sleep every night. She was the one to burp him, to wash his dirty clothes.
She was the one he had called, "Mommy," when he had spoken his first word. She had been there to capture him when he had fallen from the apple tree in the garden when he had climbed to high and lost his grip. Had she not he could have gotten seriously injured.
She was the one that put band aids when he scrubbed his hands and knees when he scrubbed them. She was the one to make his meals, making sure he was healthy. She took him to the doctor and sat when he was ill. She was the one to dry his tears, to make him smile.
She had taken time off from work to be there for him those first defining years. She had taught him to walk, talk, read and write. She had even taught him what was right and what was wrong, both home and around others.
She had been the one that was trying to be a good role model for him, the one setting the example. She had been his only parents. She was the one that had been there for him all those years, not Emma.
She was the one that had taken him in and raised him as her and own. She had over the years came to care deeply for him and love him. In fact spite the fact she was the evil queen that wasn't supposed to love anyone she loved him more than she had loved anyone.
Having him bring his birth mother Emma Swan back one afternoon had been as a stab to the heart. Not only that but it had caused her to feel something she hadn't in ages. Her heart was starting to pound.
As she looked into her bright blue eyes she struggled to get her words out right. She never could have been prepared that moment would happen so soon.
That her son seemed to be attaching to this other woman more than herself cut through her heart like a knife.
Regina might not be a woman that easily showed her true emotions towards young Henry had hugged him upon his return. Mostly because she was terrified she had lost him, her heart had mind had been going like crazy when she found he was gone, no note, no nothing.
No one would ever know she had even cried with worry.
She knew of course Emma wouldn't leave as she said she would, that would have been too easy. For every battle they had it left Regina with even more conflicted emotions. She was becoming more and more unsure of herself as a mother and how she felt about Emma.
She sometimes wanted to slap her so hard and tell her to go to hell and other times kiss her and rip her clothes off.
It was a late night that it all got thrown out of proportions, Regina had went to put flowers on her father's grave like she always did once a week. Only to see Emma and Graham walking out of his mausoleum.
One thing was to tamper with Henry, after all Emma was her birth mother, but to be inside her father's resting place with the man she was involved with that was another. Regina couldn't control herself. Emma had gone to for. Hitting her leading her into a fist fight with the blonde, which was broken up by Graham, leaving her with a split lip.
As the two walked away she swore she was going to pay. Her blood was boiling and her heart was aching for the blonde. Why she honestly didn't know considering she hated her with all she had. At that very moment as she put the flowers on her father's grave all she wanted was to crush her, to make her pay for overstepping her boundaries.
And pay Emma would in the worst way as Regina would crush Graham's heart like her mother had crushed Daniel's. That was the price he had to pay for going after another woman and hers for stealing the man she was with.
She smiled by the thought of her pain, but sadly not for long. Walking back up the stairs she could hear Henry call out for her. She closed the door to the basement saying, "Yes, Henry, what is the matter?"
"Can you help me with my homework please," he said, he head leaning over the railing.
"Of course, what subject?" she asked, smiling at him.
"History, what were you doing in the basement?" he asked, looking at her with questioning eyes.
"Looking for something, so what is the problem?" she asked.
"Civil history," he said, opening his book to show her. Regina looked it over before she started to explain making it a lot clearer for him. Henry smiled at her, saying thanks. The storybooks may say a lot about her, but still she at least tried her best to be a good mother for him and that should count for something. She always helped with stuff like homework and school projects even at times when she was very busy. She also made sure no harm came to him and that he had all he would ever need. Until he found Emma she was the only mother he had ever known. She might not be great at showing him love, but he knew he cared a great deal about him.
Maybe he should try not to give her such a hard time and lean so much towards Emma. She knew she according to his book turned dark because of a broken heart. Maybe if she loved him it would get worse if he should happen to break it.
He had already started to walk towards the doorway to go back to his room, when he turned to go back to her. He stopped in front of her, making Regina look at him saying, "Yes, was there something else?"
He looked doubtful, before he bent to give her a kiss on the cheek, making her blush asking, "What was that for?"
"For caring and taking care of me," he simply answered, he doubted even more as he bent towards her ear whispering, "I love you, mommy."
Regina looked almost shocked as she could feel her heart growing inside her of pure happiness, letting her arms wrap around him, hugging him, whispering, "I love you too, Henry."
As she let him go and he again walked back to his room, tears of happiness was streaming down her cheek, feeling like she had accomplished something as he loved her. He hadn't said that to her in years and she couldn't help but wondering why now. In the end it didn't matter. He did love her after all.
If only Emma could feel the same way then maybe she could get her happy ending.
Happy ending, Regina had really stopped believing in that after she lost her Daniel. Her mother made sure to ruin it all for her. Letting her believe and then take it all away in front of her eyes. Then having her man that didn't really have eyes for anything but his daughter.
The daughter that made sure her own mother killed the one she did love, oh how Regina hated Snow or Mary Margaret that was her name here. She hated her and with good reason. She had ruined her happiness.
And the cruel irony was that the same woman was the mother of the woman she now felt so much attraction to. Regina growled as she yelled upstairs, "Henry, I'm going for a little walk, but I have my cell if there is anything."
"Okay," he yelled back.
She sighed slowly walking out the door, locking it behind her. Her heels clicked against the stairs and the concrete as she slowly walked towards town. Maybe some shopping would make her feel better; then again she didn't need anything or want anything. Maybe something for Henry she figured his favorite candy or a magazine of some kind. After all he could never get enough of those.
She walked into the store and started to pluck some chips and chocolate from the shelves when she heard Emma's voice say, "I didn't know you were a sweet tooth Madam Mayor."
"I'm not, it's for Henry, I felt like spoiling him," she answered in a dry tone.
"On a weekday, what's the occasion?" asked Emma with a frown, she would never have taken Regina for a person to spoil her son.
"Nothing, as I said I wanted to spoil him and as his mother I do have the right to do so," Regina said.
"Of course, it wasn't meant as critique I was just curious," Emma said, backing down a little.
"What about you, you seem to have a lot of candy as well," said Regina, looking into her basket.
"The only way I know of that can cure a broken heart," Emma admitted with a sigh.
"I'm…sorry," Regina said, looking away.
"Yeah, like you had nothing to do with it," Said Emma, but her voice didn't seem as harsh as she wanted it to.
"Are you implying something?" Regina wanted to know.
Emma shook her head, as Regina pushed her out of view against a shelf, leaning towards her ear whispering, "If I were you I would be careful coming with accusations I can't prove."
"Are you admitting to anything?" Emma whispered back.
"Not other than…"Regina stopped, realizing it was about to slip from her lips, 'that I love you.'
"Yes," Emma demanded, her face inches from Regina's now.
"It…it was nothing," Regina, looked the other way, still not letting Emma free.
"I thought so," said Emma, trying to get past her, but the other woman wasn't moving and she seemed to be stronger. Why was she doing this Emma wondered, what reason did she have for holding her.
"Why you be as kind as to let me go, Madam Mayor?" she asked polite, but her voice seemed tense.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot do that," said Regina, getting closer.
"Why on earth not?" Emma hissed against her, she being so close that she could feel Regina's breath against her own.
Before the mayor had really thought it through, she pressed her lips hard against Emma's. The blonde taking by surprise tried to back off, but there was no place to back off to. She could feel Regina's hot breath mingling with her own as the kiss continued. Emma closed her eyes trying to pretend it was someone else, a man maybe, only she had never been kissed by lips so soft or like this. She unwillingly let a moan escape her feeling she was slowly getting wet. Regina dared to part their lips a bit more with her tongue, letting it dip inside to meet with Emma's. Emma going feel one of Regina's hands press against her crouch, rubbing it.
Emma broke free, panting whispering, "Please stop, we can't do this, at least not here."
"My place or yours?" Regina whispered, kissing her neck.
"None, please, it's wrong," Emma said, struggling to get free.
"Please," Regina begged, looking at her with pleading eyes.
"What the hell has gotten into you, the other day you were slapping me, then you are snarling and fighting me verbally, then kissing me," Emma challenged her.
"I…I have to go," said Regina and hurried towards the checkout counter to pay, before she ran out. Very flushed and very wet, Emma came after, but not fast enough, also flushed, leaving people to wonder what they had been doing if anything.
Emma's milky white hand was trailing Regina's tanned backside. The mayor's eyes were closed, she was halfway dosing off as Emma said, "Your hair is almost as black as Snow's, if not blacker, your lips are fuller, but not so red, what is your original skin tone?"
"A little lighter than it is now, why?" Regina answered, the sun tended to make her rather tanned in the summer.
"Well in the stories the mirror says Snow White is the fairest of them all, meaning she's the most beautiful, but I don't see it. I think you are far more beautiful," Emma said with a sigh, continuing to stroke her.
"I do wish you could see me when I was younger, I was far more beautiful then," said Regina, thinking back.
"Would have if I had been alive," said Emma.
"Mmm, I sometimes forget how much younger you are," said Regina with a sigh.
"Well had time not been frozen here you would most likely have looked older than now," Emma pointed out.
"That is I do suppose true," said Regina.
"There is one thing I have been wondering about though," said Emma, looking at the other woman with wondering eyes.
"You say time is frozen, yet Henry has managed to grow up, how is that?" said Emma.
"Same way you have, my princess, you were brought here when you were very young, meaning that you most likely would have grown no matter where you are. Your parents may be fairytale characters, but you however are not. Neither is Henry. He bears the genetics, but I do believe his father is from this world that you have learned to grow into," said Regina.
"I told Henry that he was a firefighter, his name was Austen and he died on the job one late night. The truth is a bit different," Emma answered, sighing heavily.
"A hero," said Regina with a frown, wanting to know more.
"He saved many, he loved his job and me," said Emma.
"Did he know about Henry?" asked Regina.
"No," Emma answered.
"Were you going to tell him?" asked Regina.
"I planned to, but…Who is he named after?" Emma asked, to change the subject.
"My father," Regina answered, figuring she could find out more about Austen later.
"You must have loved him a great deal," said Emma in a sympathetic tone.
"I did, but he deserved what he got?" said Regina, her voice sounded filled with bitterness.
"What did he do for you to just tear out his heart to use for the curse?" Emma asked. She had read about it in the storybook, but not why.
"He did nothing," Regina said, getting out of her bed and walking over to window, sitting down on the bench right under it, looking out.
"What do you mean?" Emma wanted to know, sitting up in the bed. The bed that she had spent the week in after the kiss in the store. She had come to the major residence very late that night. She had just ended up crashing on Regina's bed after making out some more. Regina had slept by the window post. Emma had found on the second night there that she used to sit there thinking when she couldn't sleep. Emma never interrupted. On the third night they had watched a movie and ended up cuddling and falling asleep. The same went for the nights after that. They had only cuddled and nothing more. They hadn't really talked more either up to now.
"My mother…She was a very powerful witch. She loved to use her powers to punish me if I disobeyed. I learned that the first time when I was very young. I had been so into a book father had given me that I forgot my chorus. I was supposed to clean the fire and the floor and feed the horses as the servant that the day off. I planned to do just one chapter and then start but…Long story short I couldn't put it aside and before I knew she and daddy was home. I'd seen her furious before of course, but this was something different. She made my book come to her, glancing at it saying that stories like that would put ideas into my head. Then she burned it in front of me. She used her powers pushing me into the ashes telling me to clean now or the book would be the least of my worries. I…I cleaned, but not good enough as she made sure to punish me later, the scares on my body, all her," Regina answered with a sigh, looking out before continuing, "He never lifted a finger to come to my defense, he comforted me after, but by then it was too late. He might have been afraid, but he was my father he should have protected me."
"She taught you to kill didn't she?" Emma said.
"To take out heart, keep them and crush them if they disobeyed," said Regina without showing any form of emotion.
Emma didn't know how to respond to that. She instead nodded, sighing, asking, "Could you stop if I asked you to, the killing."
"I could try, besides I only have limited power here," said Regina honestly.
"Land without magic," Emma mouthed.
"There is more than one form of magic," said Regina wisely.
"I do suppose that is true," Emma agreed.
"Do you believe in magic?" Regina asked, looking at Emma with wondering eyes.
"The one in Henry's book I find hard to believe, but I do suppose it can be true, I just don't see it that's all," said Emma with a sigh.
Regina nodded, bending to kiss her lips very gently, making Emma wonder if she was as evil as she had just admitted when she could kiss her as gentle as that. In fact she couldn't understand why she was in bed with her at all, only that it felt right. She smiled kissing Regina's lips again, before she let her head rest, Regina's resting some inches below hers. She knew Regina were likely to fall asleep, she usually did. Emma never minded this much, as she loved watching over her while she slept.
She had felt weird sleeping alongside of what was considered her enemy. Still the two women seemed to work together in the bedroom. Outside was another matter. Emma sighed, wishing it didn't have to be this way, wondering how to break the curse if there was one, even with the knowledge she had she had doubts. Again watching over her sleeping queen she slowly found peace.
Regina sat on Henry's bed crying. It was never meant to go this way, he wasn't meant to get in harm's way ever. Yet that was what had happened. She as his mother should have known better.
She knew all the way how Henry tried to get Emma to break the curse to get them back to Fairytale land. She also knew the only way for that to happen was for Emma to die. But as Regina had fallen deeply in love with the blonde she couldn't kill her. She didn't have the heart to.
Instead she decided to put her into an eternal sleep that would only be broken by true loves first kiss. She was sure she could provide that or at least have Emma trapped with her. She knew all too well the blonde was missing her old life and this small town life was not for her.
It was not like she could blame her for that, the little town tended to be boring. The only problem or one of them at least was that was that she didn't want to go back anymore, knowing what her fate would be. She knew that after what she had done, no matter how much she missed her old life, she was most likely to be killed if she returned.
That was a risk she couldn't take, yet she didn't want her to leave, even if that would solve the custody of her son as he would stay with her. Emma had agreed to let him stay if she could see him when she wanted. She had even wanted them to come with her, but as both knew that wouldn't be a life for young Henry they didn't pull through with that.
Instead they had the day before Emma left made love like crazy, going on until they both couldn't go on due to exhaustion. In the end they did fall asleep not caring if Henry should happen to find them or not.
Emma had however ended up leaving before their son woke and Regina had been sitting on the son, thinking, trying to make the most difficult decision she ever made not wanting her to go.
She looked at the story book thinking about how she had poisoned Snow with an apple, it had been well deserved, and then again she wanted another way then to just have her eat an apple. Maybe if she baked her something…
How could she have been so very stupid as to not have thought of her darling Henry in the process? Of course he would have taken a bite to prove it was nothing wrong with it. As she saw him there in the hospital bed it had hit her how fragile she was, how close she was to losing him. She had Emma push her in anger telling her if something happened to her Henry she was dead.
But the thing was in the end she didn't care, not as long as she lost him. To her he would come before everything, including Emma and if he was no more then it didn't matter. It didn't matter that Emma wouldn't take her back, it didn't matter that the people killed her if they ever got back.
As she sat there on his bed crying her heart out, seeing the mist spread she knew the curse was broken because Emma had kissed her son. The love of her life, the one she would not be completely without. It was first of the point of losing him she knew how much he really meant to her. And now as she was sitting there holding onto his teddy bear seeing as to how the fog absorbed her she knew she might have lost both him and her.
As it was not her kiss that woken him but Emma. More tears came as they seemed unstoppable, her heart was aching. Was there no one that truly loved her, was she that hard to love? She could feel her heart hurting as she was absorbed by blackness thinking of him and her. The ones she would love until the end of time.
Emma gasped, looking around wondering where the heck she was. She was no longer in the hospital room she had been a moment earlier. Instead she was surrounded by tall trees and leafy grounds. She looked to see that Henry was resting against one of the huge three trunks.
Henry.
Emma ran over to him, stroking him gently whispering, "Henry, wake up."
He opened his eyes and looked as confused as his mother, then he smiled saying, "It worked, you broke the curse and sent everyone home."
"So you mean that…that we are in fairytale land?" She asked, trying to grasp it.
"I would assume so, let's look around," he said, getting up, hurrying to the nearest clearing before she could stop him.
"Hey, kid, wait up," she called after him, when something struck her, 'Regina." If they were in deed back it would mean the end of her. She knew she had to stop it, but she didn't know how when she didn't know where she or her castle was for that matter.
"Henry!" she called making him stop to turn, asking, "Yeah?"
"The evil queen's castle, do you know where that is?" asked Emma, her heart pounding like crazy.
"Should be on a hilltop somewhere, you're going to rescues mom aren't you?" he said with a frown.
"At least try, didn't the storybook say she had a winter and a summer palace, at which do you think she would be?" she asked, not knowing where either was only that she had to get there.
"Summer palace by the apple three, wherever that is, hey there's some people let's ask them," he said, pointing a little ahead.
They walked closer only to find it was Ruby and Snow White. Emma smiled wondering if they would remember her at all. As she came closer she could see Ruby still had her stripes, but Snow White's hair was longer.
"Snow, Ruby," she called out making the two women turn towards her. The seemed to be confused at first then Snow said, "Emma?"
"Yes, good you remember, I need to ask for a favor," said Emma looking at her mother.
"It's more like a vague memory, what do you need?" Snow wanted to know.
"Queen Regina's summer palace, where is it?" asked Emma.
"It's a couple of hours that way, but there would be no use going there, the men has set off to murder the queen and you would need a horse," said Snow.
"Where do I get one?" Emma asked, ignoring her comment.
"There is a stable thought there if you can ride," said Ruby and pointed.
"I can, can you stay with them Henry, I need to go," Emma said, nodding towards the two ladies.
He nodded and Emma ran as fast as she could to the stables, where she stole a brown stallion, thinking that this would have been much better if she did have a sword. She kicked in his side, making him run like the wind, jumping over every obstacle getting in his way.
Soon she could see what seemed to be the summer palace, she gasped by the dimension of it. She could also see a large group of men bearing weapons on the outside.
'Oh, no you don't,' she thought and slowly rode a little closer, then finding a way to get to the front steps before them.
"Back away and leave us alone," she said in a firm tone, crossing her arms above her chest, refusing to move from the front gate to the palace.
"Move aside or we will take you both," said an angry farmer. Emma didn't recognize him.
"I shall not and you will not harm either, in return I promise she will never hurt any of you ever again. You may find it hard to believe but she is not all evil," said Emma with a sigh.
"Why should we believe any of the things you are saying?" Prince Charming wanted to know.
"Because she raised my son as her own, she cares deeply for him and that shows she does have a heart. She cares for me, the curse was broken because of us. She didn't want any of you to have your happy ending as she was not granted hers. Now I'm asking you to leave her along so I can give her that," Emma pleaded; her voice wasn't as steady as she was afraid they would come at her.
"Okay maybe you do have a point, we'll leave you be for now, but if she even tries to use magic against her she's ours," said the farmer.
"Fine," said Emma annoyed, feeling the handle of the door. It opened and she went inside. She looked around, the colors seemed to be changing by themselves from dark to lighter shades. In the hallway was a huge portrait of Regina from she was younger standing between what Emma assumed to be her parents. She couldn't be more than ten tops. Her hair was hanging down and reached right below her shoulders, she was wearing a green dress and matching shoes. Her cheeks were rose red and her dark eyes seemed to be sparkling; her light red lips formed a line. Her mother's right hand was on her shoulder, she seemed tall, her hair was dark brown, and her eye shade seemed a bit lighter than Regina's. She too was wearing a green outfit. Her father's eyes seemed to be in the same shade as Regina's, his hair greying and his outfit matched those of his wife and daughter. He seemed to be the same height of his wife. Both as serious as Regina.
So that was what she and they looked like back then. Emma wondered if she hated her mother that much why would she keep the portrait. Maybe it was because she liked her father, Emma couldn't be sure. Her fingers stroked gently over the young Regina.
Emma walked into the living room, of a much grander scale than she was used to, seeing a picture of Regina on a horse above the fire place. She had to be in her late teens, her hair was shorter and she was wearing a green riding jacket, a green scarf and black riding pants, and of course proper boots. She was smiling and her dark eyes were shining with happiness.
"You were beautiful," Emma whispered, smiling back at the big portrait. She walked further and came to a dining room seeing two portraits there as well. One Emma assumed to be of Regina and her late husband, the other was of Regina and Snow from when she was young. You could see in Regina's eyes that she was troubled; still she smiled, holding the young girl close to her.
Then there was a ball room or what Emma assumed to be that and a bathroom. And a door that was closed, as Emma didn't have the key she let it be.
She slowly made her way up the stairs hoping to find Regina somewhere up there. She looked through the different rooms only to find her curled up on the bed in her bedroom. She seemed to be sleeping; her color was paler than it should be.
Emma at once sat down next to her, taking her hand in her own, letting her fingers feel her pulse, weak but still there. Tears fall from her eyes, afraid of losing her.
She bent down whispering, "I love you, please don't leave me, my queen." Then she carefully kissed her lips, before letting her head rest against Regina's chest, feeling her heart beats.
The queen slowly opened her eyes and looked around, seeing she was in her castle and that Emma was there. She smiled whispering, "Welcome home, my princess."
"Thank you, my queen, how are you feeling?" Emma asked.
"Better now that you are here, and our son?" she questioned.
"With his grandmother and Red," said Emma, not raising her head to look at her.
"So what do you think of this place?" Regina wanted to know.
"It will take some getting used to, but I think I can live here with you," Emma answered honestly.
"Good, wouldn't want my son to continue to grow up without his mother," said Regina in a soft tone, stroking through her hair.
"Neither would I, my queen, neither would I," Emma whispered, as in her eyes there would never come a time where she didn't consider Henry his mother. She might have given birth to him long ago, but Regina had raised him, it would seem only fair they did it together now.
Regina smiled, happy that she finally had found someone that loved her and could spend the rest of her life with. Not to mention accepted that she would be Henry's mother for as long as they both would live. And the townsmen would never bother her again as she would now lead them fair and to their wishes rather than her own.
Feedback always welcome and very much appreciated :o)