When Emma walked back into the room, Regina stood with her back to her, rummaging through her things.
"Regina?" Emma began cautiously, approaching the brunette. Regina swung around, fixing Emma with an old, but painfully familiar look of annoyance.
"Where are my clothes?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips and managing to look intimidating even in a hospital gown and robe.
"Regina, maybe you should sit down, you need to take it easy." She was speaking calmly, approaching her like she might a wild animal.
"What I need to do, Miss Swan, is get my clothes and get home. How long have I been in the hospital?" Emma scratched her head, realizing just how difficult this was going to be.
"Well, you've been unconscious for two and a half weeks." She began slowly, but Regina jerked her head up, alarmed.
"Two and a half weeks?! Where is my son? Has he been with you? Where is he?!" Regina stopped in front of Emma, looking panicked. Emma nodded and looked down at her watch.
"Yes and umm, well, he's actually probably on his way here now. Look Regina, I really need you to sit down and listen for a few minutes. There are some things I need to explain to you. I need to um…prepare you." Emma was trying to appear as non threatening as possible, knowing very well the possible reactions of the woman before her.
"I swear Miss Swan, if there is a single hair misplaced on his head—"
"Regina—"
"I can't believe he's been with you for two and a half weeks—"
"Regina! Stop!"
Regina did stop, looking startled and then angry. "What?"
"Look, he's…well…okay it's been longer than two and a half weeks." She began slowly and carefully. "You're not here because of the fire. Regina, you were in a car accident and you hit your head—"
"What exactly are you telling me?" She had steel in her eyes and Emma tried hard not to react. She was used to Regina's personality and therefore her occasional anger but this was different.
"You were in a car accident and you hit your head. You hit it so hard, it seems you've lost a part of your memory—"
"My memory is just fine thank you, I remember everything quite well—"
"Regina, the fire was….a long time ago…"
"How long?" She asked, still with anger, but a hint of fear. Emma noticed immediately though. She knew her Regina much more than the brunette could possibly imagine.
Emma opened her mouth to respond but saw Regina's own jaw drop as her gaze had drifted over the blonde's shoulder.
"Mom?" Henry choked out the word, walking in with a huge smile before wrapping Regina up in a bear hug. A legitimate one considering the boy was now taller than his mother. Regina hadn't budged and as Henry pulled back, he noticed the look on her face. "Mom, are you okay?" He looked from Regina to Emma, giving his blonde mother a questioning look. Emma fought to calm her own nerves.
"Henry…uh…mom has some amnesia. She um…she can't remember—"
"Henry?" Regina interrupted, slowly lifting her hands to her son. She placed them on either side of his face and for a moment, everyone was silent as she took in the form in front of her.
No longer was this the small boy with his eyes glued to a book. He was tall and strong, she noticed. Very strong. His hair was shorter and obviously taken care of. He wore jeans and a t-shirt with Storybrook Highschool Athletic Dept written across the front. He still looked like her boy, but now, he looked like a man. Despite the obvious physical differences and the shocking drop in the tone of the boy's voice, still he was undoubtedly her son.
"I need to sit down." She said suddenly and Henry kept a caring hand on her, leading her back to the bed.
How long? Henry mouthed the words to Emma, afraid to scare his mother. Regina however, noticed the question.
"Yes, how long has it been? How many years have I forgotten?" Both looked to Emma who sat on the chair across from them before answering.
"Well, if the last thing you remember is the fire at city hall, then its been over six years." She stopped to gauge her wife's reaction. Regina looked over to Henry and touched his face again.
"You're sixteen?" She asked in disbelief, taking in the boy's size again. Henry laughed lightly while nodding.
"Yeah, I uh, hit a bit of a growth spurt a few years ago."
"Yes, I'd say so." She smiled back and for just a moment, Emma relaxed a bit. That was until the brunette's next words.
"So what else has changed? I see they made you sheriff," she said, indicating the golden badge on Emma's hip, "I assume I'm still the mayor." She smiled, sounding like she did in fact completely assume that hadn't changed. Emma and Henry met each other's eyes again and Regina noticed. "I am still the mayor, correct?"
"Actually—"
"Who is it?! How did someone take my office, from me?!" She demanded, making the other two occupants jump slightly. It was Henry that spoke up first.
"Well…I mean it's just that after the curse broke—"
"Henry!" Emma yelled suddenly and the boy's eyes widened in realization. They had become so casual about the curse over the years that it came up in conversation normally and Henry hadn't thought twice. But now, seeing the pale, almost sick color on his brunette mother's face, he realized his mistake.
"Mom, its okay, everything's okay now." He said quickly, putting his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort the shocked women. She didn't respond, just kept looking back and forth from Henry to Emma. The blonde stood again and walked towards Regina.
"Regina, he's right. I know this is a lot for you right now. I've been trying to figure out how to tell you everything, but it's going to be hard. A lot has changed but believe me when I say that things have worked out. Really well, actually…for all of us."
"My curse.." Regina muttered under her breath, looking more lost than she had since she had awoken. Then out of nowhere she stood abruptly and glared at Emma. "You, you broke my curse!"
Emma stepped back, startled at the outburst. "Regina I—"
"You destroyed everything I have worked for!" Regina took another step forward but this time Henry stepped in, placing himself between the women.
"Mom, stop." He put his hands on her shoulders, hoping to stop her from any physical outburst.
"Get out!" She yelled, practically snarling at Emma.
"Mom!"
"Henry, it's okay." Emma said quietly, taking a few steps backwards.
"Ma—"
"I think we all just need to take a minute. It's been quite a day for everyone. Your mom needs some space to process." Emma turned and walked out the door, quickly making her way down the hall and around the corner. It took everything she had to keep the tears from falling. Two and a half weeks ago she had been celebrating her fifth anniversary with this woman. Now she looked like she might actually cause her physical harm. A few seconds later, Henry came running up to her.
"Ma, you can't leave, what about you and her? And Jamie?"
"Do not tell her about us or your brother, okay? This was too much for her, she wasn't ready. We can't throw all this on her in one day." She paused, again trying to keep control of herself. "Look, I know this is a lot for you too, and I'm sorry but—"
"It's okay, Ma. She trusts me, I'll talk to her. It's going to be okay, you know that right?"
Emma smiled at her forever hopeful son and wrapped her arms around him, needing the comfort. A few seconds later, her mother jogged around the corner, Nathan on her hip.
"Emma, oh good. I'm sorry he got away from me." Emma and Henry pulled apart with matching looks of confusion.
"Jamie? Where is he?" She asked, spinning in a slow circle, looking for her son.
"Yes, I'm sorry, we were checking in and he was so anxious. I told him to wait but he knows where her room is—"
"Oh shit!" Emma turned and started running back to the room, her family in tow. As she turned around the corner, she saw the boy running on his little legs at full speed, aimed straight at Regina's room.
"Jamie!" Emma and Henry yelled simultaneously. He looked at Emma but when he looked back into the room, he caught sight of Regina. The boy gave a huge, open mouthed smile.
"Mommy! Mommy!" He ran and so did Emma.
"Shit shit shit shit shit!" Emma repeated, rushing to the room. When she got there, it was just in time to see Regina whirl around, surprise and confusion written clearly on her features. She barely had time to see the boy before he ran straight into her, wrapping his arms tightly around her legs.
"Mommy, you all better now?" He asked excitedly, staring straight up to her and not loosening his grip. Regina stood stunned. Her arms stayed out to either side, not moving a muscle as she stared, mouth agape at her young son.
Emma ran in breathless and the women made eye contact. Regina was taking deep, slow breaths and raised an eyebrow, giving Emma the silent question. Emma gulped audibly and closed her eyes momentarily before slowly opening them to meet Regina's hard gaze again. She nodded in confirmation.
Regina looked back down at the boy, not able to wipe the stunned expression from her features. Henry walked up to the pair and knelt down to Jamie's level, helping to pry open his grip.
"Hey little man. Mommy's still a little sick, okay. So we gotta be super careful. We should let her rest a little longer, don't ya think?"
Jamie looked from Henry to Regina and back. "But I wanna stay with Mommy." He said looking at Regina again, sticking his bottom lip out, but he wasn't just pouting because his eyes became red rimmed.
Regina relaxed her arms and then her face showed a more concerned sad look. She glanced up and noticed Snow and the other child.
"Mama, can I stay, please?"
Even with the discovery of her aged son, the curse breaking and the existence of another child, nothing measured up to the total shock when she realized that that child, her child, had just addressed Emma Swan.
