Emma

Emma stood at the door of the cabin and watched her mother. The woman talked with Regina, and in the silent night Emma could hear everything they said. She was still unable to think about anything else but Henry, yet this conversation caught her eye. It surprised her. Not so long ago Mary Margaret had accused Regina; she hadn't believed her innocence even when Emma had told her to trust the ex-mayor. And now she was comforting her? Offering her a truce?

But before Emma could ponder these thoughts any further Mary Margaret began to walk back to the cabins. Oddly, when she reached the blonde, she smiled.

"What?" Emma asked quietly. They moved farther from Regina, so she couldn't hear them. "What the hell was that?"

"You of all people should know I'm right." Mary Margaret stated and looked back at the woman's dark silhouette. "She deserves another chance… We all do." She added sadly.

"After hearing the horrible things she's done I'm not so sure… I mean… I did believe her once. But that was one occasion. Yes, she didn't commit one homicide. But what about all those things she did back in the Enchanted Forest?"

Mary Margaret rubbed her arm and in a sweet, motherly tone she whispered. "We can't keep punishing her for that. There's no point in doing so. And I think you know that too." The cold wind started to blow again, so the other's warm hand felt good on Emma's arm. "Yes, she did terrible things. She killed people, entire villages, just because they helped me. Yes, she tortured people, took their hearts and made bad choices. But in the end… haven't we all?"

"Yeah, but we didn't kill anyone in the process…" Emma said without thinking.

"Speak for yourself." Mary Margaret responded, looking straight into Emma's eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" The blonde looked away, embarrassed.

"No, it's okay. What's done is done. And though it was a horrible thing to do and it will probably haunt me for the rest of my life, I did learn something. Perspective."

"But, Regina, she…" Emma didn't even know what she wanted to say. Somehow she blamed Regina for not saving Henry in time. She knew the woman had used all her magic to save the town, but still. Not having her son next to her made her start to blame people, and since blaming herself wasn't enough, she began to blame Regina unwittingly. "She's…"

"She's lost. And we have to help her find the right path this time." Mary Margaret sighed. "You know, the things she's done weren't all evil. Once she did good things, too."

"Does that make up for everything else? How many good decisions could have she possibly have made?"

"A few." The brunette opened the cabin's door. „But if we give her the chance… there will be more."

Emma wanted to believe her, but after her mother went inside and she looked at the dark figure of the Evil Queen, she had doubts.

In the end she decided to have a conversation with the woman as well. She didn't know what she would think, but Regina was Henry's adoptive mother. She and Emma must have been sort of in the same boat.

"This is the new Charming family business?" Regina said instead of greeting her. "You had enough of the Sheriff station and now you became therapists? I already told your mother – I don't need babysitters to make sure I don't blow up anything. I'm fine."

Emma stopped a few steps away from the woman and took a deep breath. Getting into Regina's game wasn't going to accomplish anything. "No, you're not." She said simply, drawing the other's look to her. "I'm not fine, that's for sure. And I won't be until we get my son back."

"Don't worry dear, my son will be back with us in no time. They won't be able to fight back against me." She added darkly.

Emma decided she wouldn't bother fighting with her, she just stepped to the gunwale and looked down at the waving water. "Why did they take him in the first place? What do they need him for?"

Regina must've sensed the seriousness in her voice, because she didn't snap back with her usual sass. Instead she stayed silent for minutes, then answered with a strong voice, but Emma could hear the worry – her own worry mirrored in it. "I have no idea. I've been thinking about it since we got onboard the ship, but I can't think of any reason why they would want to take Henry to Neverland…"

Emma waited for a few seconds, wondering whether she should really have this conversation or not. But she needed answers, she wanted something that would distract her thoughts for a while at least.

"What is your answer?" She sputtered quietly, not looking at Regina, but she knew she heard her.

"Excuse me?" Regina turned to her, surprised.

"Mary Margaret asked you a question." Emma still examined the wild water. "If you're not the Evil Queen anymore, if you are not… evil, anymore, then who are you?" She made a few, big gestures, not knowing exactly how to express herself without making Regina hide behind her usual sass-mask again. "I'm not a therapist or anything, but you're important to Henry. And we're… family. And I need to know if I can trust you."

She finished, taking a deep breath, looking at the other woman as she waited for her answer. She kind of felt like an idiot, but given the present circumstances, talking with a fairytale character, onboard a fairytale ship, going to Neverland… Emma decided this whole madness owed her at least a few moments like this.

"Trust... I've always had problems with trust, dear. It's a delicate thing. I misplaced it once and it cost me... well, everything. I suggest you don't trust anyone, especially not me." Regina's words made the otherwise chilly air cold as ice. Emma knew she was talking about Snow and how she had told Cora about Regina's true love. But even now she couldn't understand how that one act of naivety could create a person as soulless as the Evil Queen.

"Trusting people is what I do now." Emma continued with a small shrug. "Back then I thought the same. Before I knew fairy tales are real and before I had a family whom I can actually put my trust in. But that's not what I asked."

Regina waited for a moment, taking one last look at the dark water. The moon reflected on its surface, giving it a slight silver glow. She stepped back from the gunwale. "Everyone expects me to have an answer. For every damn question they have. No, I don't know why they took Henry. No, I don't know if we will ever see him again. And no! I don't know who I am anymore! Is that what you wanted to hear, Miss Swan?" The venom in her voice cut into Emma like the icy wind that blew. "I've lost everything I held dear and now I have no idea what I'm supposed to do next! So spare me the pity and the questions because I don't need them. The one thing you can do is help me find my son!"

On that note she turned around, spookily reminding Emma of the Evil Queen she once had seen on TV as a child. She took a step toward the cabins. "Hey!"

Regina turned, her face full of anger, but she stopped. Emma spoke quietly. "You're not the only one allowed to be angry here! Or confused. We all have the same problem. But if there's one thing that I've learned from all this goddam madness it's that we don't have to face it all alone. That's what family means."

The blonde passed a motionless Regina and opened her cabin's door. Before entering, she spoke back over her shoulder. "And we will find Henry. We'll get our son back. So you better pull your act together, because we'll need you for that."

Emma closed the cabin's door, not bothering with waiting for an answer, dropped herself onto her bed and stared at the ceiling.

Maybe Mary Margaret was right. Perhaps Regina did deserve another chance. But Emma decided she wouldn't give it to her on a silver platter. If she wanted to change, she'd have to prove it this time.

It was all entirely up to Regina.

As always - huge thank you for oldmcpiper for being the best beta ever:)

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