It was late in the evening by the time Mr. Gold finally pulled into Regina's Mills' driveway; the setting sun was casting a warm reddish glow over the quiet town of Storybrooke. He switched off the car's engine and turned to check on the passenger in the backseat. The newborn baby boy was fast asleep in his carseat, with his head lolling to the side. Mr. Gold grinned at the cuteness and stepped out of the car. It felt nice to stretch his legs after that drive from Boston that seemed much longer than four hours. Opening the back door he unbuckled the car seat and picked up the carrier. The infant stirred and opened his eyes confusedly, stretching his tiny arms; he yawned. Gold arrived at the front of the house and reached up with the hand holding his cane to knock on the door, but it opened before he has the chance. Regina must have heard the car door shut and came out to meet them.

"Finally, I thought I was going to have to wait all night for you." She said with her signature disdain.

"Its' nice to see you too." Mr. Gold grumbled as he shifted his weight so he could hold the carrier more easily.

"I'm sorry, come in". Regina smiled and opened the door wider so Gold could enter the foyer. Regina gasped as she saw the baby for the first time, the back of the carrier had been facing her before so he had been blocked from her view. "Is that him?" She breathed, crouching to get a closer look. The baby just stared at her with big round green eyes. "He's beautiful!" She smiled. Her eyes lit up with emotion, and Mr. Gold suppressed a laugh at this uncharacteristic behaviour.

"He's all yours, the adoption is done and sealed. You're a mother," Mr. Gold wondered if it is really a good idea to be giving Regina a child to raise, he had never really seen her as the maternal type.

The woman stood up, still beaming at the baby. "Thank you for getting him for me." As she lifted her head to look at him he is surprised to see that her eyes were glistening with tears, and the smile on her face tells him that she was genuinely delighted.

"It was no problem at all." Gold said, slightly bewildered. "The boy was a very good passenger, he didn't cry too much. Although I did have to stop to change his diaper at one point; that is a task I am happy to leave to you from now on."

Regina's tilted her head and narrowed her eyes jokingly at his comment, and gestured to the sitting room, "Why don't we have a seat?"

"Certainly, and you can get better acquainted with this young fellow." Gold said as he followed her into the next room.

After placing the carrier on the sofa Mr. Gold moved over to the fireplace, he didn't feel like sitting again just yet. He watched as Regina undid the buckles and carefully lifted the baby up. At first the infant flailed his arms, but he stopped as soon as Regina began to cradle him. She slowly sat down and gazed at the tiny child, he smiled up at her and Mr. Gold could tell that Regina was overjoyed. He could practically feel the happiness radiating off of her. Mr. Gold was not unfamiliar with her past; he knew that ever since her heart had been broken all those years ago she had needed someone to fill the emptiness inside of her. He knew when he created this curse that it would not bring her happiness as she thought it would, and after eighteen years it seemed she couldn't bear the loneliness anymore. He knew she had always wanted a baby of her own, someone she could love who would love her in return; but it had been Mr. Gold who had given her that final push into believing that adopting a baby was what she really wanted. He knew her need for love would be her ultimate downfall. He was very good at predicting the future and he knew that this baby was the key to breaking the curse.

Regina was trying to hold back tears as she held her son for the first time. She gently tickled his tummy and he gurgled happily in response. The boy reached out with pudgy hands and grabbed hold of Regina's shirt, causing her to laugh as he pulled her closer.

As Mr. Gold watched the new mother he almost felt sorry for her. One day, this baby whom she would grow to love would abandon her. He would set out to find his birthmother, bring her back with him to Storybrooke, and shatter Regina's world. Her heart would be broken once again. He knew how hard it was to lose a child, but he needed to let this happen in order to find his own son. He had lost his Bae long ago, and destroying the curse was his only chance at finding him again. He couldn't just leave Storybrooke whenever he wanted; this little trip today was the only exception. He had let his son slip away, and every moment of his life since then he had lived with shame and regret. He wished that one day he would be able to find Baelfire, and that his son would forgive him. He knew it was a big thing to ask of his son, but he still had hope all the same.

The baby suddenly caughts hold of Regina's hair, "Ow! What are you doing?" She laughed, gently prying his fingers from her strands of brunette. The baby stared in fascination at her reaction and reached out to do it again but she lightly took hold of his hand and pressed his fingers to her lips. Mr. Gold chuckled slightly at the scene before him and Regina looked up in surprise, apparently she had forgotten he was there.

"You two seem to be getting off to a good start. I think he likes you," Mr. Gold smiled.

Regina smiled too and opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself and looked back down at the bundle in her arms.

"He's perfect, she murmured.

"Have you thought about what you're going to name him?" Gold asked.

Regina paused for a few seconds, and adjusted the baby in order to hold him closer to her chest. Nodding, she said softly, "Henry." She continued to focus on Henry as more tears welled up in her eyes. Mr. Gold knew these were not for the boy though; she had chosen her father's name. Mr. Gold thought this was an interesting choice, Regina's father was one of the few people who had ever truly loved her, and yet she had killed him in order to gain happiness in this world. When she realised she was still unhappy she had wanted to adopt a child. She was hoping this baby would fill the emptiness in her heart, the one where no one cared about her and no one loved her. She would receive his love for most of his childhood, but Mr. Gold hoped Regina will savour this short time because it would come to an end much too quickly.

"What a lovely name," he responded. "It suits him."

Regina looked happily up at him, not knowing that he knew the truth. She frowned as she noticed Henry sucking on her index finger. "I think I'd better feed him now. Thank you again... for bringing him to me." As it had earlier, her genuine smile surprised him, but also made him feel slightly guilty because once again her pain would be the cause of his doing. He made the murder of her father mandatory for the curse to succeed, and he encouraged her to adopt and very soon fall in love with a baby who was destined to break her heart.

A/N: Thank you for reading, reviews are also very much appreciated!