A shooting pain in his leg woke Henry with a gasp. He clenched his fists and teeth against the pain, refusing to cry.

"Henry," said Regina's voice on his right. Turning his head, he caught her pushing blankets off herself onto the floor. She stood up from a white plastic chair he was sure hadn't been there the night before. She placed a hand against his forehead, brushing his sweat soaked bangs from his forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"It hurts," he said through clenched teeth. "Make it stop."

Tears filled her eyes. He was tired of seeing her cry.

"I can't. Magical and cursed wounds can be tricky to heal with magic. I could make it worse." She stroked his cheek. "I'm so sorry." She looked up at the large windows, eyes scanning the hallway. "Let me go find a nurse - "

Henry squeezed his eyes shut and grasped her hand. "Stay." He swallowed. "Please."

She was quiet for a few seconds. Then she said, "Of course", the tears obvious in her voice. The chair scraped against the floor, and it creaked as she sat back down.

Keeping his eyes closed, he asked, "What's going to happen to me?"

"Nothing," Regina said vehemently. "No one will lay a finger on you."

"That's not what I... You think someone will hurt me?" His eyes widened, and he lifted his head off his pillow. Moving jarred his arm, and he winced. Glancing down, he saw his skin sewn together with stitches. The sight made his stomach turn.

"No." Regina shook her head. "No one will hurt you. I promise."

"But you think they'll try? Don't lie to me. I'm tired of being lied to."

Regina frowned. "There may be some people who will try to harm you. But I won't let that happen to you. Everything will be fine. I promise."

"Okay," Henry said softly. "Everything will be okay. I believe you." He wasn't sure he did, but if she detected any uncertainty, she didn't show it. Looking around the room, he asked, "Where's Emma? Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Regina said. She placed her hand over his and squeezed gently. "Emma is at the police station with David and Mary Margaret trying to figure out where my mother might be hiding."

"Are they going after her?"

"Not yet. We don't know where she is. In the meantime, you'll be coming home with me for the next few nights while Ruby and I help you adjust to living with your...condition."

Henry let his head fall back on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling, eyebrows furrowed. "What does that mean?"

"It means..." Regina trailed off. The chair scraped across the floor as she scooted it closer to the bed. "It means people who are werewolves have certain abilities - abilities that others do not have. You'll become much stronger and faster over the next few days as the...magic takes hold."

He perked up. "You mean I'll have superpowers?"

Regina smiled at him, her face lighting up with so much love that for a moment it threw him. "Yes. You'll have super powers."

"That doesn't sound so bad," he said.

Her expression grew sad. "Henry, you have to promise me that until everything settles you won't go wandering around town alone. Can you promise me that?"

He frowned. Despite his mother's worry, he couldn't believe that anyone in town would attack him. He hadn't done anything wrong. Besides with his leg aching as badly as it was, he doubted he would be up for walking anywhere for a while. Still, he nodded for her sake. "I promise."

"Thank you, Henry." She squeezed his hand and gave him a small sad smile.

. . .

Henry limped up the stairs in the mansion, trying to ignore the soreness in his leg and arm. The previous night had been the first night of the full moon, and no one knew whether he would transform that night or next month. He tossed his backpack on the floor and closed the door behind him, shutting out the sounds of Regina and Ruby's hushed conversation. They were probably trying to decide what to do with him like he was some kind of feral animal. Or - and the thought made Henry sick to his stomach - were they planning how to protect people from him?

Feeling nauseous, he climbed into bed and layed on his back, staring at the ceiling. A few minutes later, the door opened. Footsteps approached his bed: Ruby didn't wear heels so it must have been Regina.

His guess was confirmed when he felt the edge of the bed dip and his mother asked, "How are you feeling?"

Henry thought about lying. Then he remembered how much it hurt when she lied to him and how hard she was trying to be good. "I feel sick." He turned his head to stare up at her. "Am I going to kill someone?" His vision blurred.

"No." Her voice was firm. "I will not let any harm come to you. And I swear to you I will not let you hurt anyone else." She brushed his bangs back from his forehead. "Everything is going to be fine. I promise." She hesitated, and Henry thought she looked scared. "But I may have to use magic to keep that promise."

Henry bolted into a sitting position. "What? No! You can't use magic. You promised!"

"Henry," she said soothingly, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder, "I may have to. Let me finish, please. The best way to keep everyone safe is if I can either paralyze or put the wolf to sleep. I won't be doing anything bad, I assure you. Magic can be used for good. But I swear to you that I will only use it when it's absolutely necessary."

Henry frowned, thinking it over. "Okay. I trust you."

He wasn't prepared for the tears that sprang to Regina's eyes. "Thank you," she said. She seemed to be studying him. Then she turned her head away, ducking it, and left the room. He figured she wanted to hide that she was crying.

He went downstairs later in the afternoon to find Ruby and Regina sipping coffee at the kitchen table in silence. The atmosphere was tense. Henry peered outside the window; the sun hung low in the sky.

"How long until...until it happens," he asked, unable to keep the tremor of fear out of his voice.

"About two hours." Ruby took a sip of her coffee. "Come on, Henry. Sit down. We need to talk." She waited until he was seated before continuing. "When you transform, it's like a wolf is trying to invade your mind. If you try to keep the wolf out, you black out and lose control. But if you accept the wolf, accept it as a part of you, you can keep control." She smiled. "When you accept the wolf, it's amazing. You might not be able to do it the first time, but when you can... I can't wait to take you running through the forest at night. It's incredible."

Henry tried to imagine running on all fours and couldn't. But soon he wouldn't have to imagine it. He would actually do it. With Ruby. He nodded his head. "I think I can do that."

They moved into the living room and watched a movie. Henry wasn't sure which one because he couldn't concentrate. He kept staring out the window at the setting sun. When it was over, Regina turned off the tv, and she and Ruby pushed the furniture against the walls and into the dining room and removed everything valuable from the room.

Only a few minutes were left.

"Are you ready?" Ruby asked.

Henry swallowed, trembling. "I think so."

. . .

Regina wasn't sure what she had expected from Henry's first transformation, but the seamless transition from boy to beast threw her. Glazed amber eyes stared at her unseeingly. The wolf swayed on its feet.

"Henry?" she asked, lowering her hands. She took a step forward, glancing at Ruby, now a wolf, before reaching forward. "Everything's okay."

The wolf snarled and lunged. Regina stumbled back, raising her hands, but she wasn't fast enough. Ruby slammed into the wolf, knocking it into the wall with a crash. It crumpled to the ground.

"Henry!" Regina gasped. She raised her hands, focusing on her magic. As the wolf struggled to its feet, Ruby placed herself firmly between it and Regina. Ruby lowered her head, snarling. The wolf growled, hackles raised and stalked toward Ruby.

"Ruby, move," Regina said.

Ruby hesitated. In a flash, the wolf fell upon her. Her head cracked against the floor, and Regina winced. The wolf turned its head toward her, baring its teeth. Regina focused on Henry, fixed his image in her mind - he was her son; she had to protect him - and thrust her hands forward.

The wolf froze, a gleam of purple magic rippling over its body. It swayed, head drooping. With one last half-hearted growl, it lay down on the ground and fell asleep.

Regina knelt beside the wolf, beside Henry, and tentatively touched its head. Its leg twitched. "Sweet dreams, Henry," she murmured. She heard Ruby snort. She looked up. Ruby struggled to her feet, slunk across the room to where her cloak lay pooled on the floor and crawled underneath it.

Regina blinked, and Ruby stood up, draping the cloak around her shoulders. Ruby touched the back of her skull gingerly and hissed.

"That's going to leave a bump," Ruby said. "It hurts like hell."

Regina almost offered to heal the wound through magic. Then she caught herself. No more magic unless strictly necessary. Whatever she owed Ruby Lucas, her magical services for mundane bumps and bruises was not it.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah," Ruby said. "But I'll have a headache for the rest of the day. He got me good."

"What went wrong? It appeared as though he had kept his mind at first."

Ruby shrugged. "I don't remember my first time. I guess the wolf was disoriented at first. That's the only thing I can think of. You'll need to be quicker tomorrow."

Regina frowned. She sat down and stretched her legs out in front of her. Carefully, she lifted the wolf's head, placed it on her lap, and stroked its soft fur. "Thank you, Ruby," she murmured.

"You're welcome." Ruby sat down beside her and watched Henry sleep for a moment. "He'll get it eventually. He's a smart kid. You won't have to use magic on him forever."

"Let's hope not."

A furious knocking on the door made them both crane their heads around to stare at the foyer. Frowning, Ruby pushed herself to her feet.

"You stay with Henry," she said. "Someone might have heard the noise and figured it out." She disappeared into the foyer.

Regina heard the door open. She didn't expect to hear Snow's agitated voice demanded, "Where's Henry?"

"He's fine. He's asleep. Why?"

"We came to see - we heard the noise and then it stopped. What happened?"

"Henry and I had a little scuffle. Regina put him to sleep. He's fine. I didn't expect him to get it the first time - "

"Are you telling me she used magic on him?"

"Didn't Emma tell you? That's why we're here - No, Snow, I'm not letting you in there."

"Let me in, Ruby. We can't leave Henry here."

"Mary Margaret - "

"How could you let her do this, Emma?"

"Snow, I'm not letting you in there - David, wait, come back!"

Regina tensed. David rounded the corner, stopping short when he saw the huge wolf with its head in Regina's lap.

"Get away from him," David growled.

"No," Regina said. "He's my son, and I will protect him by any means necessary." Snow entered the room with Ruby and Emma right behind her. Regina frowned at the glare Snow pinned her with. "Unless you'd rather stop him with a sword to the throat?" She tensed, leaning over Henry slightly.

"What are you talking about?" David demanded. His hands curled into fists. "Are you suggesting I would hurt my grandson?"

"Are you suggesting I would hurt my son?" Regina asked, barely keeping the snarl from her voice.

Emma forced herself between David and Regina. She held out her arms, pushing David back a step. "Look. How about we all just calm down."

She met Regina's gaze steadily. Regina grabbed fistfuls of Henry's fur, focusing on its texture, on the weight of his head in her lap, on the way his body moved slightly as he breathed in and out. Charming had just insinuated she would hurt her son, and Emma wanted her to calm down?

"I know we have our differences," Emma said, turning back to her parents. "I'm not a huge fan of Regina either, but we all know she would never hurt Henry. She's his best bet right now. She can subdue him without hurting him."

"We could lock him up," Snow said. "That way he wouldn't be able to hurt anyone. We wouldn't have to use magic."

"That doesn't work," Ruby said. "Granny and I tried that. I got out anyway. It's a miracle I didn't kill anyone." She gestured to Regina. "Besides, she can protect him for anyone who would try to hurt him."

"Who would want to hurt Henry?" Snow asked. Regina could see the fear and anger in her eyes.

David groaned. He tilted his head back, running his hands over his face. "King George." He and Ruby shared a solemn look. "If he finds out about this, he could try to use this as leverage like he did with Ruby."

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked.

"King George killed Billy and made everyone think Ruby did it," David said. "He used it to turn the town against me. He almost murdered Ruby."

"What else went on here while we were gone?" Snow demanded.

Daniel disintegrating into dust flashed through Regina's mind. "Where is George now?" David shrugged. Regina grit her teeth together and then forced herself to relax. "We need to find him and keep an eye on him. We can't let him know."

Ruby's eyes widened. She strode toward the window, peeked through the curtains and frowned. She sniffed.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked.

"I thought I smelled..." Her brow furrowed. "Someone was outside."

"I'll go check," Emma said, heading for the foyer. She stopped just before she disappeared around the corner and turned back to Snow and David. "David, you should head back to the police station and keep looking over the maps. There might be something we missed. Mary Margaret, you should find out where George is, what he's up to, and what he knows. Okay?"

David shot Regina another glare. Snow whispered something to Ruby who rolled her eyes but nodded. They followed Emma out of the house. Regina felt her tension slip away when she heard the front door close.

. . .

Exhausted. He was exhausted. That was the first thing Henry noticed upon waking. His limbs felt like lead, and it took a great effort to pry open his eyes. The next thing he noticed was that he was laying on the couch which was still in the dining room. His head hurt. Groaning, he sat up.

"Henry?" Regina rushed to him and started looking him over. "How do you feel?"

"Tired. Really tired." He peered up at her blearily. "What happened? Did I do it?"

Regina shook her head. "You tried your best, I know you did. But you lost control."

Dread crept up his spine. "Did I hurt anyone? Be honest."

"No. Ruby is a little sore from fighting with you, but she's fine."

"We fought? Why?" He swallowed hard, shivering, and asked in a small voice, "Did I attack you?" Regina hesitated in answering, and tears sprang to his eyes. "I'm so sorry." His voice cracked.

Regina pulled him into a tight hug. "Don't be. It's not your fault. You didn't hurt me. You couldn't have hurt me. Ruby just reacted first. Once you were asleep, you slept the rest of the night." She smiled at him. "You had your head in my lap. You're as cute a wolf as you are a young man."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not cute."

"You're right. You're very handsome." She chuckled.

Henry realized - with something like shock - that she was teasing him. The last time she had done that was before... He suppressed a sigh. It was before he had gotten the book, back when everything had been great between them, and she hadn't been the Evil Queen, only his mother.

"Let's get some breakfast," Regina said. "I'm making pancakes."

Henry nodded, swallowing hard, and followed her into the kitchen. Ruby leaned against the kitchen island, nursing a cup of coffee. Regina moved to the counter where a plate of pancakes sat. The sound of boots scuffing against the floor made him turn to toward the coffee pot. Emma was there, making herself a cup of coffee.

"Emma," Henry said. He hesitated. "What are you doing here? Did..." He trailed off. What had he done last night?

"I'm here to see how you're doing. That's all." Emma leaned against the counter.

Henry turned to Ruby. She tossed back a couple of aspirin and took a long sip of her coffee. "Last night was rough," she said in response to Henry's questioning look, "but tonight will be better. Then we don't have to worry about it for another month."

He didn't find that comforting.