Regina stared down at her son as he slept in his crib beside her bed. She envied him. She hadn't been able to sleep for weeks. Every time she closed her eyes she was haunted by images of Leo and her mother and Daniel. Ever since that night at the charity ball her life had become hell. As soon as her weekend with Henry was over her mother told her she'd be marrying Leopold Blanchard. She'd cried and screamed that she wouldn't go through with it but Cora calmly reminded her of how thoroughly she'd managed to sweep Henry's birth under the rug and how easy that made it for him to be taken from her. Regina knew she couldn't lose her son. She wouldn't survive that.

Since that day she'd been on Leo's arm almost every night. They attended fundraisers, shows and dinners. He showed her off every chance he got. Every time he touched her she felt a ball of disgust swell up in the pit of her stomach but years of training with her mother prevented her from showing it. On the outside she smiled and laughed like the perfect girlfriend he'd paid for. She supposed she should say fiancé. Just last night they'd announced their engagement at a dinner party. Tonight would be her and Henry's last night at the country house. Tomorrow they would be moved to the penthouse in the city for a week until Leo made room for them in his home. This was the last night she'd ever feel safe with her baby.

She never should've sewed up Snow's dress. She should've let her cry that night. Now she and her son would be trapped in the marriage with that perverted bastard. She felt a tear roll down her face as she rubbed her thumb over Henry's tiny hand. She'd failed him. She'd failed Daniel. Their child was doomed because of her. She should've given him up when he was born, she should've given him a chance to find happiness without her. But instead she'd selfishly kept him for herself because she was too weak to let him go. Now he was stuck with her… and Leopold.

She heard her door creak open and she knew her father had come to check on her. She didn't turn to greet him. She felt guilty for alienating her father like she had these past few weeks. She knew that he'd tried his best to save her but she still couldn't help but blame him for not being more successful. It made it hard to look at him.

She kept her eyes on Henry as her father moved to stand next to her. "I'm so sorry Regina."

She remained silent, her eyes focused on her son.

Henry Sr. sighed before continuing. "I have something for you. I suppose you could call it an engagement present."

She angrily turned to him. "I don't want anything that celebrates this…atrocity."

He frowned at her with sad eyes and looked down at his hands. It was then that she noticed what he was carrying. It was a wooden keepsake box. Rather large, about a square foot. And it was monogrammed with the initial L.M. in fancy lettering with a golden lock.

"This was your grandmother's," her father said solemnly. "She was given it at her wedding by her mother. She told me that her mother gave it to her as a reminder that whether she was a wife or not a woman is always entitled to her secrets."

Regina just stared at her father as he continued his story. Regina didn't know that much about her grandparents because they both had died when she was just a child. She only knew that her grandfather, Xavier, was responsible for most of the company's success and that her grandmother, Luisa, had always been a great beauty. Nothing more.

Henry Sr. ran his hand over the top of the box. "My mother said that she chose not to use this for storing secrets but rather for storing memories. She used this box to hold everything that reminded her of the things she held dear. Photographs, letters, some jewelry. I want you to have this box and I hope you will use it hold whatever you deem special close."

He held out the box to her but she only glared at it. He reluctantly set it on her bed. "I'm sorry Regina. I truly am."

He took one last look at her before leaving the room. When she heard the door click she let out a trembling breath and tried to blink back her tears. A box? She and her son were being sold off as place holders and he gives her a box? She glanced at the offending item on her bed and felt a flash of rage. She angrily grabbed it and threw it against the wall as hard as she could. It hit the wall and clattered as it fell to the floor. She ran her fingers through her hair as tears fell down her cheeks. She plopped down at the foot of her bed and cried. How could he let this happen to her?

As she wiped her tears away from her face she looked at box where it lay dejectedly on the floor, its top lifted revealing its velvet interior. She narrowed her eyes as she saw a break in the bottom of its lining. She crawled over to the box and ran her fingers along its interior. She felt along the break of the lining and felt the bottom panel move against her fingers. She grunted as she ripped up the velvet lining to reveal a false bottom. She lifted up the panel to find various pieces of paper and three laminated cards hidden beneath it. She picked up one of the cards and narrowed her eyes at it. It was an id for her. Or at least it looked like it. It had her picture on it but the information was all wrong. The name read Regina Gardiner. She dropped the card and began looking through the rest of the stuff. There were two social security cards, two birth certificates along with matching passports. They all read Regina Caroline Gardiner or Henry Daniel Gardiner. Two whole new identities. One for her and one for her son. She looked back into the box and found a thick stack of 20 dollar bills. According to the band around it, it came up to $2000 dollars. It wasn't enough to live off of but it was enough to get away with. The stack of bills rested atop a folded piece of stationary. She opened it and found a letter from her father.

My dearest Regina,

I am so sorry that it has come to this. As you know I have never been a strong man. I thought it was something that I could live with but now I see it has lead me to fail you. I wish I was strong enough to protect you from your mother, like a father should but I'm not. I'm afraid the only one who can rescue you from this situation is yourself. In this box I've included everything you should need to start a life far away from here. You'll have to wait for the right moment to escape with Henry. I will do my best to buy you time once you've left. I know how frightening this must seem but I know you'll succeed because all the strength I lack in myself I have always seen in you. Be brave, my dear. Have courage and know that I will love you and Henry always.

Love,

Your father.

Regina's chin trembled as she read through the letter. She read it over and over. He wanted her to escape. He was actually helping her. Could she do it though? Could she actually take her son and run away from this misery?

She looked up from the letter when she heard Henry cry from his crib. As she walked over and scooped him up into her arms she decided that she could. She had to for his sake.

Regina didn't sleep a wink that night. She was too worried about what was going to happen the next day. She knew that if she wanted the best chance of leaving with Henry she would have to make her escape during her time in the penthouse. Once they were moved into Leopold's home she wouldn't know what to expect in terms of security. That was too big of a risk. She would take her chances with her mother's guards. At least she knew their habits.

When she got dressed that morning she made sure to put on a pair of diamond earrings and match it with an equally expensive diamond bracelet. Her father had given her a decent amount of money but she knew it wouldn't last long once she and Henry were on the run. If she pawned the jewelry it would give her an extra cushion until she was able to find a job.

The ride to the penthouse with her father and son was the longest that it had ever been. The closer they got the more afraid she felt. Her heart felt like it was about to explode out of her chest. She tried to catch her father's eye on the ride over but his gaze remained fixed out of the window. She focused her attention on Henry instead. He gurgled happily at her. He seemed to be enjoying his first car ride. She smiled down at him. He was totally oblivious of the risk she would soon be taking.

To her surprise Cora greeted them as they arrived at the penthouse. She didn't expect her to be there and she had to admit her mother's presence made her that much more frightened. She couldn't help but remember the last time she'd tried to escape her and how horribly that night had turned out.

Cora smiled at Regina before dropping her gaze to the car seat in her hand where Henry remained strapped. She frowned. "So that's him?"

"This is him," Regina replied dryly.

Cora regarded her grandson coolly. "I suppose he could've ended up worse."

And with that she turned on her heels and left. Regina let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She took Henry to her room and placed him on the bed. She had to leave today. She couldn't stand the tension in her chest any longer. She just needed an excuse to leave the penthouse. She couldn't do it immediately. That would raise too much suspicion from her mother. She eyed her son as he lay on her bed. She realized she would have to do something involving Henry, something that gave her reason to take him with her instead of going alone. Maybe she could fake that he's sick? No that won't work, she thought to herself. Her mother would just call a doctor up here. Maybe a trip to the park? No her mother would never allow that. She would if she was irritated enough, she thought to herself. She waited until the afternoon and then looked at her son guiltily.

"I'm so sorry for this baby," she whispered.

She gave him a tiny pinch on his arm. He instantly began to cry out. And she let him. It broke her heart but she needed to do this if she wanted to save him. Henry's wails quickly filled the penthouse and it wasn't long before her mother angrily barged in her room.

"Is it too much to ask that you control your child?" she growled at her daughter.

"I'm sorry mother," said Regina, innocently lifting Henry into her arms. "He's just restless. He's not used to being so cooped up."

"He misses being at the country house," said Henry Sr., appearing in the doorway. He locked eyes with Regina and she felt a wave of sorrow wash over her. Her father cleared his throat before continuing. "He just needs to spend some time outside in the sun."

"There's a park not far from here," suggested Regina, as Henry continued to cry into her ear. "If I took him there for an hour or two he'd probably sleep until his night time feeding."

Cora scoffed at her daughter's suggestion. "I'm not letting you go the park. There's too big a risk that someone would see you. If he misses the sun so much he can play on the balcony."

"You want to put a six-month old out on a thirty-floor up balcony?" Henry said incredulously. "Not the safest idea you've had is it dear?"

Cora only glared at him in response.

"Let them go to the park," said Henry practically. "The fresh air will do him some good and we need happy photos of Regina and Henry together. She and Leopold will be announcing Henry's false adoption in a few days and we need something to show the press."

Regina saw her mother thinking over her father's and stealthily gave Henry a tiny pinch on the back of his leg. Cora cringed as his wails grew louder. "Fine but you're taking two of my personal security guards with you. Just get him out of here."

"Thank you," said Regina gratefully.

As soon as her mother left the room Regina quickly prepared to leave. She loaded Henry's diaper bag with the documents and money her father had given her, a shirt for her to change into once she escaped the guards, and of course extra food and clothes for Henry. By the time she was through the bag looked positively stuffed. She slipped it over her shoulder and loaded Henry's car seat onto its compatible stroller. She pushed him toward the door nervously. She nearly jumped out of her skin as she heard her father's footsteps behind her.

He gave her a pat on the shoulder and bended down to smile at his grandson. He gently placed Henry's brown bear, the one he'd given him the day he was born, with him in the stroller. "We wouldn't want to forget this now would we Henry?"

He forced a chuckle to his lips and placed a quick kiss on the top of his grandson's head. He righted himself and looked at his daughter. Regina gripped the handle on Henry's stroller tighter as she looked into her father's sad eyes. It was the only thing keeping her from throwing her arms around him. She couldn't do that. It would look too suspicious. This was quite possibly the last time she would see her father. There was so much that she wanted to say to him. And she could tell there was so much that he wanted to say to her. Instead he just placed his hand on top of hers.

"Make sure to be careful at park," he said softly. Stay safe please.

"I will," she replied, nodding her head earnestly. Thank you so much.

He gave her hand one last squeeze before letting her go. She didn't let herself look back at him as she walked out the door her two guards trailing behind her.

Regina felt she could breathe easier as she pushed Henry on the swing set at the park. He giggled happily as he swung back in forth in his seat. Her heart felt lighter seeing him enjoy himself. Hurting him like she did earlier was the hardest thing she'd ever had to do but it had gotten them out of the penthouse and that was half the battle. The other half was ditching the security her mother had assigned to her. She eyed the two men warily. They'd hardly taken their eyes off of her. They were both pretty tall and in very good shape. She doubted that she could outrun them. Not with Henry. She'd have to give them the slip some other way.

She took in her surroundings as stealthily as she could. There were a couple of shops close by. A clothing store on the corner, a pottery store next to that and a coffee shop across the street. The coffee shop was probably her best bet. If she feigned thirst and they'd have to let her get something to drink. She lifted Henry from the swing and walked over to the men.

"I want to go to the coffee shop," she said putting as much authority in her voice as she could muster.

The two men looked at each other nervously. The taller man spoke first. "Miss were told only to let you go to the park and nowhere else."

"It's right across the street," she said exasperatedly. "I'm thirsty so I don't care if you have to follow me in there I will be getting something to drink."

The shorter of the two men shrugged his shoulders and looked at his partner. "It is just across the street."

The taller man rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated breath. "Fine but we keep eyes on her the entire time."

As she walked into the coffee shop with Henry and her guards she tried to take in as much as she could to form an escape plan. She couldn't exactly run out the front door. There didn't seem to be another exit though. As she ordered an iced tea for herself she spotted a door that she guessed would lead to a back storage room. Useless. As she sat down at a table, the guards on either side of her, she began to think that she maybe she'd picked the wrong location for her daring escape. Then she noticed one of the waitresses come out of the bathroom. As she walked passed one of the baristas he wrinkled his nose at her.

"Really Kelly? Smoking in the bathroom again?" he criticized in a hushed tone.

The waitress turned and smirked at him deviously. "I'll stop doing it when they start giving me longer breaks. Besides as long as I lean out the window it doesn't stink up the room."

Window, thought Regina perking up. Maybe it was big enough for her to slip through with Henry.

She reached over and pretended to check Henry's diaper. "It looks like he needs to be changed. I'm taking him to the bathroom."

She moved to stand when the taller guard firmly gripped her arm and pulled her back into the seat. "I don't think so."

She felt her heart race and she took a deep breath. All the strength I lack in myself I have always seen in you. She looked down at his hand and then back into his eyes and glared. "I need to change my son," she seethed. "Get your hands off me and let me take care of him."

The shorter guard cleared his throat. "Public place Jon," he whispered. "Public place."

The taller guard reluctantly released his grip and stared down at her. "Fine but you have ten minutes then we leave."

"Fine," Regina bit out. She hoped to god those ten minutes would be enough.

She unclipped Henry's car seat from the stroller and carried him into the bathroom with his diaper bag on her shoulder. As soon as she was in the bathroom she locked the door behind her and fell against it. She let out a relieved breath when she spotted the window and realized that it was indeed big enough for her and Henry to fit through.

She quickly took off her red maxi dress, revealing the leggings she'd been wearing underneath it and put on the t-shirt she'd packed into Henry's diaper bag. She walked over to the window and tried to open it. It was jammed. She banged against the handle as hard as she could until it finally gave way and slid open. She leaned out the window and looked down. It was only a four or five-foot drop to the ground in the alley. Certainly less daunting than a thirty-floor up balcony. She sat on the edge of the window and threw the diaper bag out first before placing Henry's car seat in her lap and swinging her legs over. She looked down at her baby boy and he smiled up at her. "Here we go baby," she whispered before jumping down to the alley.

She stumbled as she landed and she nearly ended up dropping Henry's car seat but the minute her feet touched the ground Regina felt a weight lift off her chest. She let out a breathy laugh as she made checked to make sure that Henry hadn't been hurt.

"We're okay," she said grinning down at him.

She quickly grabbed the diaper bag and slipped it over her shoulder as she hung the car seat from the crook of her arm. By her estimate she still had five minutes left before the guards came looking for her. She ran. She ran as fast as she could down the alleyway and onto the street behind the coffee house. The diaper bag dug into her shoulder and car seat handle dug into her arm as she turned corner after corner, trying to take the most confusing route as possible. She must've run at least ten blocks before her burning lungs forced her to stop and catch her breath. Henry had begun to squirm and whimper in his car seat. He didn't seem to care for being jostled around like he had during her run.

As she took a moment to soothe him Regina looked around her surroundings and realized that they were actually quite familiar. She gasped as she realized just where she was. She was a block away from the bus station. She quickly turned the corner and there it stood, just as rundown and grimy as it had been the night of Daniel's death. She felt a lump form in her throat as the memory of the hit-and-run flashed in her mind. Just 14 months ago she'd come to this very place with the hopes of escaping with the person she loved the most and it had ended horribly for her. They'd never even made it on the bus. As she looked down at Henry she decided that this time they would.

She crossed the street as carefully as possible and headed toward the ticket station. An older woman with dark skin and peppery gray hair looked up at her with boredom as she approached the desk.

"May I help you?" she drawled.

"Yes," replied Regina uncertainly. "When is the next bus leaving and where is it headed?"

The woman lazily dragged her eyes over the schedule. "A bus to Santa Barbara leaves in thirty minutes."

Santa Barbara, thought Regina. It wasn't as far as she would like but it was as good a place as any for her to disappear. "How much would a ticket be?"

The woman frowned at her through the bulletproof glass. Her eyes flickered down to Henry and back up to Regina. "Is it husband or boyfriend?"

Regina furrowed her brow in confusion. "Sorry?"

The ticket handler sighed. "You show up here with no idea where to go asking for a ticket on a random bus. You have a baby, a diaper bag but no other luggage. You're sweating like your heart is racing and you've looked over your shoulder twice in ten seconds. I have worked at this station for ten years. I know a runner when I see one. So I ask again, boyfriend or husband?"

Regina swallowed before answering. "Fiancé," she choked out sadly.

The older woman nodded her head understandingly before digging through her drawer. "Then I suppose this ticket to Santa Barbara will be on the house."

Regina stared at her with grateful eyes as she slid the paper through the ticket slip. "Thank you," she said in a trembling voice.

"Take care of yourself sweetheart," said the ticket handler in a wise voice.

The thirty minutes she waited on the bus were the longest of Regina's life. As she and Henry were in their seats at the back of the bus she felt every torturous minute go by. She kept thinking that at any second she would be caught. That the guards would arrive and drag her back to her mother. That she would steal Henry from her as punishment for her defiance. Every awful scenario played on a loop in her mind. Only when she felt the vibrations of the engine and heard the last call from the driver did she finally start to believe in her heart that she was safe. A smile broke out across her face as the bus began to pull away from the station. Tears of relief rolled down her cheeks as she pressed her forehead against Henry's.

"We made it," she whispered.

Yay! Regina escaped but what will she do now? Next Chapter: Regina meets someone who will change her life

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