Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT or it's characters.
WARNINGS: Scenes including spousal abuse and implications of spousal rape.
AN: Other than asking if anyone would like to beta this for me I'll leave the longer AN for the bottom. Please read it :) Enjoy!
The next morning found Emma in a surprisingly good mood. Despite the stressful events that had occurred before arriving at Granny's she had slept pretty well. The bed had been one of the more comfortable ones she had slept on in her life and the town was quiet. Much different from the constantly bustling city of Boston. 'Don't get attached' Emma silently warned herself as she headed across the lawn to Granny's diner. The door jingled when she entered and she saw Ruby behind the counter. The girl winked at the blonde as she moved further in to the diner and Emma smiled.
"Emma!" 70 pounds of ten year old boy suddenly slammed into her, almost knocking her over. "You stayed!" Henry beamed up at her.
"Just to make sure you're ok."
"Why wouldn't he be alright, Ms. Swan?" A husky voice asked her. Emma looked up and saw Regina standing in front of her with a cup of coffee in one hand and a glare on her beautiful features.
"Mom," Henry whined.
"I just meant...I...uh-"
"I think we both know what you meant and I don't appreciate the insinuations you're making," Regina sneered. "Come on, Henry, let's get you to school."
"Bye, Emma," The kid muttered, taking Regina's outstretched hand and following her out of the diner.
"Yikes," Ruby chuckled from behind the counter. Emma sat on one of the stools with a heavy sigh.
"That went well."
"Don't take it personally. She's not an easy woman to get along with."
"Huh! That's an understatement," Granny grumbled as she walked by them and into the kitchen. Ruby and Emma shared a look and a small laugh.
"Any idea on how I can get on her good side?"
"Not really. The only person who holds that secret knowledge is Henry. I can't entirely blame her though."
"What do you mean?"
"The Mayor treats her like some fashion accessory he clips to his arm whenever he needs to parade her around during formal events."
"Not a fan of the guy?" Emma asked. Ruby shook her head.
"No one really is."
"Then why is he the Mayor?"
"No one has the guts to run against him I guess. He's been the Mayor for as long as I can remember."
Emma frowned. "How long have you lived here?"
"My whole life."
"So who was the Mayor before him," Emma asked her suspicion growing. She wasn't ready to jump on Henry's cursed train, but there was something going on in this town.
"I don't remember," Ruby replied and even though Emma had expected that answer it still floored her. "What were we talking about?" The younger woman's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Oh right, Mayor and Mrs. Mills. I wouldn't let her get to you. I think being married to that man could make anyone a little bitchy."
"You really know how to make an ocean look like a puddle," Granny huffed, returning from the kitchen and placing a plate of french toast in front of Emma. Emma chuckled and looked down at the food deciding to let the subject drop.
"I didn't order this."
Granny shot an accusing look at Ruby. "I ordered it for you," The young woman replied. "I told you Granny makes a mean french toast," She smirked.
"Thanks," Emma replied with a smile. "Can I get a hot coco with cinnamon on top to go with this?"
"That's kinda interesting," Ruby commented as Granny went to get Emma her drink. "I only know one other person who likes it that way."
"Who?"
"Henry. How do you know him anyway?"
Emma hesitated, the knowledge that she shared something with her son, even something as meaningless as how they took their coco was enough to warm her heart.
"He's my son."
After walking around town and getting more acquainted with the place her son called home, Emma decided to try and see him for a quick second after he got out of school. She did a drive by...well walk by first to make sure Regina wasn't already there. She did not want another confrontation with the beautiful woman. She was supposed to be helping after all not pissing people off. How she was going to help exactly was beyond her. In her walk around the town she hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. Well, except that the library was sealed and the clock tower didn't work, but that hardly qualified as proof of a curse.
The bell rang jarring Emma from her thoughts and she watched as kids poured from the school excitedly. Henry came out of the building at a much more sedated pace than his classmates. He was talking with a tiny woman with a pixie hair cut, who Emma assumed was probably his teacher. When Henry caught sight of her, his face lit up. He scanned the road, presumably for Regina, and his smile dimmed slightly. A crease of worry appeared in his forehead as Emma walked towards him.
"Hey, kid," She greeted.
"Hey, Emma. Ms. Blanchard this is my biological mom, Emma," Henry told the brunette beside him. Emma shot the kid a look, surprised how easily he had explained a very complicated situation.
"You can call me Mary Margaret. Nice to meet you, Emma," The woman replied, shaking Emma's hand.
"Likewise," Emma smiled. There was something about this woman she liked. She had a very nurturing aura about her. It was easy to see her being a wonderful teacher.
"Henry, are you ok with Emma while you wait for your mom?" Henry nodded. "If you don't mind waiting with him of course."
Emma opened her mouth to object, figuring Regina wouldn't be happy to find Emma and Henry together after their tense meeting at Granny's this morning, but Henry cut her off and before Emma could stop her Mary Margaret was already back inside the school.
"Kid, your mom is going to be here any minute and she probably won't be too happy when she sees us together."
"She won't be here for at least a little while longer," Henry explained sadly.
"Why not?"
"If she's this late it means they got into a fight," Henry replied, his voice soft. He didn't offer any further explanation, but Emma could read between the lines. She watched as his eyes continuously scanned the road for his mother's black Mercedes. Emma's heart went out to him and a prick of anger flared within her. Logically, she knew that domestic abuse wasn't as simple as 'hey lady you have a kid, leave the bastard' but it still angered her that her son had that kind of home life. A thought struck her and though her gut told her she already knew the answer she felt the need to ask it.
"Hey, kid has he ever..."
"No, mom would never let him," Henry informed her quickly. Emma inwardly sighed in relief when her suspicions were confirmed. Regina hadn't struck her as the kind of mother that would tolerate anyone hurting her child. "He's gotten mad at me before," Henry continued, his voice pained. "But mom makes me go to my room and she... calms him down. This is why you have to break the curse!"
"Kid-"
"I have a name," Henry snapped sounding a lot like his brunette mother.
"Ok, sorry, Henry, how will breaking the curse help?"
"Mom will get her powers back and she can stop him."
"Your mom could go to the police," Emma suggested weakly.
"He's the mayor, Emma. He owns this town."
"Right." Henry scanned the road again and started fidgeting nervously. "Your teacher seems nice," Emma commented in an attempt to distract him.
"She's your mom."
"What?" Emma squeaked.
"From the book, she's your mother."
"That's..." Crazy probably wasn't a good thing to call a kid. "Look, my parents left me on the side of a freeway when I was born."
"No! They put you on a cloud to save you from the curse. So you could break it!"
"Henry, Mary Margaret is my age."
"Because time doesn't move here! That's why the clock tower doesn't work."
"You grew up."
"I wasn't born when my mom enacted the curse. Ask somebody about their past. It's gets fuzzy," Memories of her conversation with Ruby slammed into Emma with enough force to make her stomach roll, but she pushed them away. That didn't prove anything. "They won't be able to tell you anything specific about anything before a year ago. Mom!" Henry suddenly shouted, launching himself off the stairs and running to his mother's car. He had reached it before she had even put it in park and he was in her arms a minute later. Emma noticed sadly that he was gentle, like he knew he couldn't hug her too hard or he'd hurt her. Anger flared in the pit of her belly again, only this time it was aimed at the right person.
Mother and son were talking quietly and then brown eyes bore into blue. Emma smiled meekly, but it did nothing to quiet the fire in Regina's eyes. Henry nodded at something Regina said and then waved at Emma before climbing into the back seat. Regina reached Emma in seconds, but Emma could see she was favoring her ribs.
"What the hell are you still doing here, Ms. Swan?"
"You saw me this morning."
"I assumed you had been too tired to drive last night and stayed at Granny's. I thought you were grabbing breakfast before hitting the road."
"You know what they say when you assume."
"You are such a child," Regina spat her face taking on a bewildered look that Emma found incredibly cute.
"I thought I'd hang around for a little while longer."
"Care to be more specific?"
"At least a week."
Regina's eyes narrowed. "If you think you can come into my town and take away my son-"
"I promised you last night I wasn't here to take him and I meant it. I just want to make sure he's ok," And you, Emma added silently.
"That isn't necessary," Regina snapped, clearly still feeling threatened.
"I think it is," Emma challenged. Regina's eyes darkened and her nostrils flared as she pushed into Emma's personal space.
"I will not be judged by a woman who got pregnant as a teenager and gave birth in prison-"
"Hey!"
"No! He is my son! You gave him up. I have been here to change every diaper, soothe every fever, quiet every tantrum, and sing away every bad dream. You don't get to waltz in here ten years later and act like you have any kind of claim over my son!"
"I'm not here to fight with you, Regina and I'm not here to take Henry!"
"You say that, dear, but what other reason could you possibly have for staying in a town where you know no one, have no job?"
Emma meant to spit back a sarcastic response, but as she looked at Regina she noticed something on Regina's cheekbone that softened her. "I can help you-"
"Excuse me?"
"How'd you get that bruise?" Emma asked, her eyes looking at the soft purple coloring on Regina's cheek that was quickly turning into a painful looking bruise and then back into the woman's eyes.
"I don't know what Henry told you-"
"He hasn't told me anything. Except that you're a really good mom. Who protects him," Emma added, hoping Regina caught on to her hidden meaning. Emma wanted her to know that she was here to help her son and his mother. "He asked me to help you, Regina. That kid loves you so much-"
"Are you insinuating that I don't love him back?"
"Of course not. I just...how can you stay with a man that hurts you?"
"You do not get to judge me, Ms. Swan-"
"That's not what I'm doing!" Emma argued. "God, you are so frustrating. I can't say anything without you instantly going on the defensive. I'm not a threat to you, Regina," Regina took a deep breath and backed off a couple of feet.
"Leave town today, Ms. Swan."
"You can't kick me out of a town," Emma scoffed.
"You're right I can't, but my husband can. And when he decides you're more than an amusing way to torture me, when he decides you're more trouble than you're worth, you'll wish you left when I asked nicely."
"That was nicely?" Emma rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "You didn't even say please."
"I don't ever say please," Regina snapped as something Emma couldn't read flashed across her face. "Begging gets you nothing in life, Ms. Swan. Taking action does," And with that, Regina spun on her heel and walked back to her car. Emma watched the Mercedes pull away from the curb and sighed.
"Are you alright?" A soft voice asked from behind her.
"Whoa," Emma gasped. "You scared me."
"I'm sorry," Mary Margaret said looking slightly embarrassed. "I heard you fighting with Mrs. Mills. That was very brave of you."
"Not a person people usually challenge?"
"No," Mary Margaret chuckled.
"Any idea how to get on her good side?" Emma asked, figuring Mary Margaret's answer would be similar to Ruby's.
"I've known Mrs. Mills for many years and have yet to discover that secret," The teacher chuckled.
"How long have you known her?"
"I...I don't remember. A long time," The small brunette frowned. "What were we talking about?" She shook her head. "Would you like to come in? I have some hot coco I can make in my classroom. It's a great way to calm a kid whose fallen on the playground or keep me sane while I plan my lessons," She explained at Emma's raised eyebrows.
"You wouldn't happen to have any cinnamon would you?" Emma laughed pushing away the gnawing suspicion in her gut. So Mary Margaret and Ruby both had bad memories, that didn't prove anything.
"Of course," The teacher beamed. "It's the only way I drink it."
Emma stopped walking, stunned. It couldn't be. Could it? There was no way this woman was her mother who had sent her to earth on a cloud after her birth to break a curse her son's adoptive mother cast that kept everyone from aging. Right?
What the hell had she gotten herself into?
Regina silently followed Henry into the house and hung up her coat, Emma Swan's words still ringing in her ears. She hung up Henry's when he gave it to her and then proceeded into the kitchen needing the familiar routine of making dinner to settle her nerves.
"Go start your homework while I make dinner."
"Can I do it in here with you?" Henry asked tentatively. Regina sighed and bent to stare into Henry's eyes.
"I'm ok and your father isn't going to be home until after dinner," She promised him, while gently stroking his cheek.
"I want to spend time with you."
Regina smiled warmly and pulled him into an embrace. "I love you."
"I love you too, Mom," Henry returned. Regina released him and he settled onto one of the chairs at the island and flipped open his math book.
"So how was school today?"
"Fine. We have a science fair coming up. Maybe you and Emma could help me build something really cool."
"Henry, Ms. Swan isn't staying."
"Why can't she?" Henry whined earning him a sharp glare from his mother.
"She doesn't belong here."
"Yes, she does. She has to break the curse-"
"There is no curse!" Regina argued.
"Yes there is! Emma is going to break it and then-"
"Ms. Swan is leaving and I don't want to hear another word about this curse! Life can be incredibly cruel sometimes Henry, but that doesn't mean everyone is cursed."
"But Mom!"
"I said not another word!" Regina yelled, as she spun to face her child. Her ribs screamed in protest and she couldn't help the grimace that crossed her features as she bent slightly in pain.
"Why won't you do anything? Help me break the curse so he can't hurt you anymore. Why can't you do that for me?" Henry asked, sounding as much like an adult in that moment as he did a child. He ran from the room then, the slamming of his door echoing off the walls of the large mansion.
Regina finished making dinner and then headed towards Henry's room to fetch him. She felt incredibly guilty for losing her temper with him. It rarely ever happened. Of course, Henry had never pushed quite that hard about the curse before either. He was completely convinced that Emma Swan, his birth mother, was here to save them all. If Regina was being honest with herself it stung. Clearly she had failed in some way in Henry's eyes and he had gone to find someone else to make up for it. The fact that that person was his birth mother, someone Regina had secretly feared from the moment Henry was placed in her arms, made it all that much harder and more painful. It was still no excuse to take it out on the only good thing in her life.
"Henry, it's time for dinner," Regina called softly as she knocked on his bedroom door. When no response came from inside the room she opened the door. "Damn it, Henry!" Regina cursed as she took in the empty room and open window. It wasn't the first time he had run off when upset and she knew where he would be, but it still scared the hell out of her every time he did this. The front door slammed shut and Regina walked to the top of the stairs quickly. Her heart sank when she was met with her husband and not her son.
"You're home early."
"My last appointment canceled. Is dinner ready?" He asked gruffly.
"Yes, I'll be down in a moment."
"You have 5 minutes, Regina," He warned sending an involuntary shiver down her spine. She nodded and hurried into their bedroom. She went into her closet and shoved her shoe rack out of the way. She then slammed her fist onto one edge of a floorboard so that it came loose. Reaching inside she pulled out a disposable phone. Her husband traced every call she made from the Blackberry he had given her, so Regina had purchased this pay as you go phone from Mr. Gold with cash to use in case of an emergency. Regina dialed the number she had only learned today, but had thankfully already memorized after torturing herself with it for hours, and waited for the other line to pick up.
"Hello?"
"Ms. Swan, it's Mrs. Mills."
"How did you get this number?" The blonde asked sounding surprised and a little annoyed.
"It doesn't matter. Look, Henry and I got into an argument and he took off-"
"What?!"
"Calm down, Ms. Swan. Henry is a very mature little boy at times, but when it comes to dealing with unwelcome feelings he doesn't exactly have the healthiest of habits. He's gone to his castle, its down by the docks, a playground."
"Whoa, slow down-"
"I don't have time for your improperly educated brain to catch up. Get Henry and drop him off. Come to the door with him. My husband will be so pleased that he ran away from me to see you he won't be upset that Henry wasn't there for dinner. Do you understand?"
"No, but I'll do it. I didn't appreciate that improperly educated brain crack by the way."
"Well, I don't appreciate that you didn't take my advice to get out of town."
"If I had who would go after Henry? Wait, why aren't you going to get him?"
"Regina!" Regina flinched so violently she almost dropped the phone. Emma must have heard Leopold's shout and Regina's slight intake of breath, because her next question was both concerned and gentle.
"Regina, is he going to-"
"Find Henry and drop him off," With that Regina hung up. She placed everything back in it's place and hurried back downstairs. As she reached the foyer a rough hand grabbed her elbow and slammed her into the wall. Regina bit back a cry of pain and stared defiantly into her husbands angry eyes.
"What were you doing up there?"
"Freshening up."
"You don't look very freshened up. Is it too much to ask that you look nice when I come home from a long day of staring at paperwork? I didn't marry you for your brains, Regina."
"And what would you suggest I wear since a Chanel dress doesn't seem to cut it?" Regina sneered. "Would you prefer I traipse around here in my underwear in front of my son and any neighbors that happen to walk by?" The backhanded smack she got to the face wasn't entirely surprising, but since he had hit that side of her face already today it had definitely hurt.
"I hope you spent more time on dinner than you did your appearance. You and I are going to need all the nourishment we can get before we have dessert," Leopold replied, a smirk on his face as his eyes hungrily devoured her. One hand raked the hem of her dress up, his nails biting into the soft flesh of her inner thigh. Regina tensed, but made no move to pull away. "I'll expect you to make up for your poor attitude later tonight," He let go of her then and disappeared into the dining room where everything was already waiting for him.
Regina took a deep breath and thought about having Henry stay at Emma's tonight. Usually, she would wait for him to go to sleep before she would slip headphones that were connected to an ipod over his ears. The soothing classical music had yet to fail in keeping Henry asleep on the nights when the pain became to much for Regina to remain completely silent. Even if her usual methods worked it still weighed heavily on her soul every time. In fact, any time Henry was forced to face the monstrosity that was his father and the cold truth of what his father did to his mother Regina felt guilty. Perhaps, if she allowed him to spend more time with Ms. Swan he could be shielded from more of the horrors of Regina's life as a married woman. Could Regina risk it? Emma might decide to just disappear with Henry and then where would Regina be? Could she trust this woman?
"Regina!"
The matter of trusting Ms. Swan would need to be further examined at a later date. For now, it was time to square her shoulders and face her husband.
It took a few minutes, but Emma eventually found the castle playground Regina had told her about. Thank God this town was small. Henry was exactly where Regina said he would be and Emma sighed in relief. She exited her car and walked over to him slowly. He turned when he heard her approaching and tried to wipe away his tears.
"Hey, Kid. Your mom called me. She's really worried about you."
"Why didn't she come herself?"
Emma paused wondering how much to tell the kid. Her gut twisted as she remembered hearing the Mayor's angry voice. She looked up and saw more tears stream down her son's face.
"Henry-"
"He came home early didn't he?"
"I don't know. Your mom just asked me to pick you up. Maybe she's warming up to me," Emma teased. Henry sniffled and turned away. "Do you want to talk about what your fight with your mom was about?"
"She won't believe me about the curse."
"Henry, if someone else had found that book and tried to tell you this whole town was cursed, would you believe them?"
Henry took a minute to really think about it causing a wave of pride to wash over the blonde. "Probably not at first, but I think I would eventually."
"Maybe your mom just needs more time."
"She might not have more time! He could really hurt her one day and-" Henry's sobs swallowed whatever he was about to say, but Emma had an idea. He threw his arms around her then. Startled, Emma slowly put her arms around him.
"It's gonna be ok."
"Why won't she stop him? For me?"
Emma's heart broke. "It's not that simple, kid. She's probably scared and feels like she's got no one to help her. She probably feels pretty helpless, but I know she loves you. You know that too, don't you?" Henry nodded into her stomach.
"Please help her, Emma."
"I'm gonna try my best, kid. Come on, let's get you home."
Henry nodded and followed her into the car. "Will you come in with me? He won't hurt her if you're there."
"Sure, kid. It's gonna be alright." Henry nodded as she pulled away from the park and drove towards his house, but she could see in his eyes he didn't believe her. Hell, she didn't believe herself either.
Regina finished loading the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and dried her hands. When she turned around Leopold was leaning against the island behind her.
"Why wasn't Henry here for dinner?" he asked, his voice calm.
"He's at a classmates house working on a project," Regina lied.
"His math book is on the counter and his backpack is in the hall closet."
"It's a science fair project. All the materials are at his classmates house."
"Why didn't they work on it here?"
"They could have, but the other mother offered first and I thought it would be rude to refuse her."
Leopold stared at her for a minute before grabbing her around the neck and slamming her into the fridge. Regina's head hit hard and she cried out as she saw stars.
"I sincerely hope you aren't lying to me, Regina."
"I'm not," Regina managed to choke out as his grip on her neck tightened. Just as she felt like she might pass out there was a knock on the door and he released her. She coughed in attempt to relieve some of the pain in her throat.
"Get the door," Leopold snarled. Regina walked to the foyer, her movements shaky at first, but completely calm and collected by the time she opened the door.
"Ms. Swan," Regina greeted, her voice slightly scratchy. Leopold entered the foyer and smiled viciously.
"Run away to your real mother again, did you son?"
Henry looked at his brunette mother and she placed her finger to her heart. Their secret code for yes. Guilt and anger for running away and causing this in the first place welled up in his small body, but he nodded.
"Yes, sir."
"Go upstairs, Henry," Regina instructed him. Henry obeyed and Emma stood awkwardly on the front porch.
"Come in for a drink," Leopold more ordered than offered. Regina shot her husband a nasty look, but stepped aside to allow Emma to enter. Emma did nervously and she glanced at Regina. Her blood boiled when she saw blossoming red marks on the older woman's neck. They had gotten pretty up close and personal back at the school and those marks had not been there. "Regina, go and fix Henry some supper," Regina nodded and disappeared further into the house. Emma watched her go and then let her eyes absorb everything she could see of her son's home.
It was as beautifully decorated and as perfect inside as it was outside. There was no clutter and every surface was sparkling clean. The style was chic contemporary and Emma decided it suited Regina. If not for the pictures of Henry on every wall Emma would have thought she was on a set for a home decorating magazine shoot and not a real house. The photographs warmed Emma's heart. When they entered the Mayor's study, however, the photographs disappeared.
"Regina's not good at very many things, but she does make an excellent apple cider," Leopold said offering Emma a glass. Emma took it, biting her tongue at the disrespectful comment. She sipped at the alcohol and almost moaned. It was the most delicious glass of alcohol she had ever tasted. "So what are your intentions here, Ms. Swan?"
"I don't have any intentions."
"Please don't lie to me," Leopold replied, smiling dangerously. "If you truly had no intentions you would have left town last night or this morning."
"I'm just here to make sure Henry is ok," Emma admitted. Leopold rubbed his chin, seemingly deep in thought.
"Although I do believe Henry would rather be with you-"
"That's not true-"
"He's run away from Regina to be with you twice now in 48 hours. Regardless, he's an excellent way to keep Regina under control. She can become quite...spirited if allowed too much freedom, so I'm afraid I can't let you have him."
"Are you serious?" Emma asked. She was stunned that he was admitting to using her son as a tool to keep his wife under his thumb. "Henry is not some bargaining chip to use against Regina and your wife isn't your property."
Leopold smirked. "I don't know how things work in the big city, but as Mayor of a town this small I might as well be King. And I'll treat my family in whatever way I see fit. Now, as much fun as it's been seeing the devastated look on Regina's face every time she sees you with Henry, I believe it's time you left town."
"I think I might actually stick around awhile," Emma replied setting her glass on the desk and standing up to leave.
"That really isn't a wise decision," Leopold replied, remaining in his chair.
"Goodnight, your Majesty," Emma spat before exiting the study and heading to the foyer. Regina and Henry were sitting on the stairs, Henry snuggled as close to his mother as he could get. Regina was rubbing his back and whispering something in his ear. Regina noticed her first and nudged Henry. The boy stood up and hugged Emma who recovered quicker than last time and hugged him back tightly.
"Thank you for picking him up, Ms. Swan," Regina said, her voice sincere. Emma nodded. She had so much to say to Regina, but none of it was appropriate for Henry's ears so she remained silent. She didn't want to upset Henry by all but begging Regina to skip town with her and Henry. She knew the brunette would refuse.
"If you ever need anything, Regina all you have to do is call."
Regina nodded and Emma swore she saw tears glistening in her eyes. Emma thought back to earlier when she had told Henry that Regina probably thought she didn't have anyone that would help her if she left Leopold. Emma truly believed that and she planned on showing her son's other mother that that was no longer true.
"Thank you, Miss. Swan," Regina replied.
"Thanks, Emma," Henry said stepping out of her arms and reattaching himself to his brunette mother's side.
"Anytime, Kid. Will you be at Granny's diner tomorrow morning?"
"We always go for Saturday morning pancakes," Henry replied excitedly. Emma looked to Regina for permission.
"We'll see you there, Ms. Swan."
"You can call me Emma, you know," Emma teased. Regina smiled almost taking Emma's breath away.
"We'll see, dear," The brunette replied.
"Fair enough. See you two tomorrow," Emma said before exiting the manor. Henry turned to his mother.
"He did it, didn't he?"
Regina stared at the door that Emma had just disappeared through and nodded. "We'll make sure she's safe. First it's bed time. I'll wake you when it's time to leave," Regina assured him as they climbed the stairs.
"She'll be ok until then?" Henry asked nervously.
"She'll be fine," Regina replied. They reached Henry's room and he slipped beneath his blankets. Regina bent down to kiss him on the forehead and his fingertips traced the red marks on her neck.
"I'm sorry I ran away."
"I know, Henry. It's ok. I'm sorry I lost my temper."
"It's ok. I love you, mom," Henry told her sleepily. Regina smiled and touched her forehead gently to her son's.
"I love you, too, my little Hercules."
AN2: First I just want to thank everyone for the amazing response to this story. I'm so happy you are all as excited as I am. I promised a better explanation for this chapter so here it is. Unlike the show I would like the readers to be in the dark as to who everyone is at first. Once the curse breaks there will be plenty of flashbacks and interactions that will explain who everyone is and their complicated relationships. I've used as many characters as possible, but there are a lot and only one of me. I will be dropping hints in each chapter as to who everyone is and how they know each other and if anyone ever wants to try to guess a character or relationship and you get it right you can send me a prompt on my tumblr (freedomfoundonahorsesback). Leave your guess in the review or in my inbox on tumblr. Just to warn you not all relationships will be the same as one the show, but I hope to make as many people happy as possible. My inbox on tumblr and are always open so if you have questions let me know. Thanks for reading this long AN (hopefully the longest there will ever be) and thanks for reading the next chapter. I hope to have the next one up before the next episode!