Emma spent a week home with Henry, staying close, waiting for the other shoe to drop. She waited for Regina to strike, Emma knew it was bound to happen. Regina wouldn't stop just because Rumpelstiltskin had told her 'no', really it was the opposite. She'd come after them harder, and she'd be smarter.

But the days turned into a week and nothing happened. People were starting to ask questions gently, including Mary Margaret. Questions that Emma couldn't really answer but she knew that things would only get asked less politely.

"Yeah but why do I have to go to school?" Henry asked as they walked side by side that Monday.

"Because you've been home for a week and after all the school skipping, you'll be lucky you aren't held back," Emma told him. But her heart was racing in her chest. She didn't want Henry to be alone in the school. There were too many opportunities for Regina to come and take him. There was only one reason she agreed to this. Letting Henry skip too much might give Regina the legal opportunity she needed to get Henry back, Rumple had confirmed it. They were still playing here by her rules after all, and Emma was still pretending she didn't believe in the curse.

"Well everyone else has been held back 28 times," Henry muttered, "Once isn't so bad."

"You're smarter than that," Emma told him, "We both have to pretend everything is still normal."

"It's not normal!"

"Yeah, I got that, but you still need an education."

"People are going to be asking questions!" Henry told her, "About you and Regina, and the fact I die- over what happened when the turnover."

Emma went to stand in front of him and knelt down, "Hey…. the more you hide, the more questions they'll ask…and the more we have to answer things. We can't risk that, right? We can't give it away."

Henry hesitated, "But it'll pass, right?"

"Yeah Henry," Emma assured him, "They'll find another thing to focus on, and the curse will be broken and you'll be a hero, so all this stuff doesn't matter to them for very long. And you don't have to talk about what happened with the turnover if you don't want to, just tell them that."

Henry hadn't even told HER what he'd gone through yet. Emma let him know that she was there if he wanted to talk but his insomnia and avoidance of all things apple let Emma know that he was still trying to figure it out for himself.

"What if Regina comes to take me?"

"She won't. She can't legally, Rumple…Mr. Gold is still working on it."

"Yeah but that's the rules that heroes have to follow, I mean what if she cheats?"

Emma took his hands, "Okay, I didn't want to tell you this because I thought you'd feel even more awkward but when I talked to Rumpelstiltskin last night he told me that he was going to have his bodyguard watch you just in case something happens."

Henry blinked, "Why does he care so much?"

Emma shrugged, "I don't know, Henry. Maybe he realizes I'll cooperate with whatever plan he has better if I'm not worried about you living with Regina."

She still owed him that favor after all, and now that Emma had some idea of how long he'd been awake, she didn't think that was just because it was something his cursed mind would do.

There was some sort of agenda Rumple had; and on top of Regina's plans, she had to deal with trying to stay on the same level as Rumpelstiltskin and whatever he wanted.

They reached the school together just as the bell rang. Emma pulled him into a tight hug, "If you need me, I'll come and get you. I'll be at the sheriff's station, okay? I love you."

"I love you too"

Those words were so much easier to say now but the fact he returned it still took her by surprise. Why should he love her after she gave him up and then put him through what she did when they reunited?

But he still did and that always threw her, no matter how many times a day he told her he loved her.

"Learn something," Emma told him, "After all, the kids have had 28 years to memorize all this, right? You got to step up."

He smiled at the dark humor, Emma needed a bit of it in order to function after dealing with all this insanity.

Henry went inside with the other kids who immediately crowded around him. Emma felt a pang of guilt in her gut. It was her fault he was in this position, if she had just believed him-.

If she just believed him, she wouldn't have him now. No poison would have been found in the turnover, Emma would have no case in getting Henry away from Regina unless they were able to prove she set up Mary Margaret.

It was sick to remotely feel grateful it happened.

She saw Rumpelstiltskin in the distance standing next to his bodyguard. She saw him give that enigmatic smirk as they locked eyes.

He wanted her for some reason. Once her usefulness gave out, he'd turn on her. She wasn't stupid, she didn't believe he was helping her because he felt any sort of friendship towards her.

Emma needed a drink, but no bar would be open this early and Granny would be judging her if she asked.

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Emma worked until about 2 when the bar across town opened up and she went. Just for a drink or two, nothing more. Henry would be getting out soon, she needed to be there and sober to pick him up.

"Whiskey please," Emma told the bartender.

He put the drink in front of her and filled it up.

"Hard day already?" he asked.

"Hard life," Emma muttered, "Gotta keep my son from having the same and I don't even know how."

She downed it and winced, "This isn't top of the line, is it?"

"We get by. I prefer rum myself."

"Never held appeal."

"No one drinks it for the taste."

Emma looked up at the handsome man with blue eyes, and tried to place his face, "I'm not sure I've seen you before."

"I have one of those faces," he told her and smirked in a very self-assured way, "Killian Jones. And I've been here just as long as I can remember."