Chapter 6

"Mom are you ok?"

"Yes." Regina said putting her hand back up to her head and rubbing her throbbing temple. She slid to the floor and crossed her arms over her knees, pulling them up to her chest. She sat there for several minutes not moving just staring off into space lost in her own head. Mack tried to shake her out of the trance but nothing she did was working. She yelled her name, and waved her hand in front of her face. Nothing, Regina would not respond to her at all. Emma was still outside pounding on the door.

Tears where streaming down Mack's face, at seeing her mother so broken. She stood up, marched over to the door and dragged Emma inside. Mack's adrenaline was rushing and she slammed Emma into a wall with all her strength. Mack was holding Emma by her shoulders. Emma had her arms in the air showing she had surrendered.

"Kid I'm not going to fight you."

"Fix her." Mack said screaming into the older woman's face.

"I can't, she did a lot of horrible things, now she is going have to come to terms with them."

"Look at her she's broken."

"She was broken before she left."

"Who do you think you are coming here destroying her like this? I believed in you, I trusted you."

"I needed her to remember her son. I am running out of time. Beside she did this to a whole town. She is just reaping what she sowed."

"I can't believe you did this." Mack said, barely able to get the words out, she was crying and shaking Emma.

"I didn't know she would react like this is. No one else did, sure they were shocked but no one shut down."

"Why?"

"I don't know maybe the new Regina can't handle the things that old Regina did. Maybe she could not take reliving everything that happens. She was a very bad person kid. "

"No she isn't, she is a good person. Nothing you will ever say can change my mind."

"You don't know her like I do. You never saw what was capable of, the things she did to people. She tried to kill my parents and me. She almost killed Henry once."

"No matter what she did in the past, she is still a good person. She isn't the person you knew. She was loving and caring. Everyone in this town loves her. No, she is a good person. Bad people don't take care of sick kids all day. Then come home and take care of another one. Bad people don't adopt a kid with a zillion medical problems. Bad people don't stay up all night making sure you're ok. " Mack said getting angry and shaking Emma. She raised her hand and was about to punch Emma.

"I'm ok, Mackenzie let her go." Regina said getting up to stand behind her daughter. Mack let Emma go and turned around to hug Regina.

"I'm ok, baby." Regina said wrapping her arms around her daughter, she kissed her on the forehead, and looked up at Emma.

"Emma please leave, I can't help you. I am sorry but I have a life here. I have a daughter to think about. You have upset her enough for a lifetime. "

"What about your old life? What about your son?"

"As you pointed out multiple times, on multiple occasions, he isn't my son. You're his hero and the savior I think you can handle saving Story Brook. It is your town now, I no longer have any desire to go back to that place. I found my happy ending here. I have the life I always wanted and no longer have any desire for revenge, or Henry's love. Trying to get him to love me was just as unhealthy as wanting my mother's love."

"Please." Emma dropped to her knees. "I can't do this without you."

"Have his father help you. You don't need me. He has his real family what does he need his fake mother for. "

"He's dead, Neal's dead." Emma, said looking up to a stunned wide-eyed Regina.

"Then what about Gold, I am sure he will help."

"Dead."

"That's not possible he is immortal." Regina shook head unable to comprehend what she had just heard. For the first time a look of true fear passed over her eyes but it was gone a moment after it appeared.

"Please I wouldn't have come here and asked you, but you're my last hope."

"If it killed Gold, what do you think I am going to be able to do? Take Henry and the two idiots and leave."

"I can't, things aren't that simple."

"The idiots are dead too." Regina said with a raised eyebrow and she almost seemed sad by the news.

"No my parents aren't dead yet."

"So just run away."

"People can't always run away from their problems sometimes you just need to face them."

"I didn't run away, I moved on there is a difference."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Mack wiped the tears off her face and Regina let her go to answer the door. It was the sheriff; he was concerned and tried to come. Regina stopped him and assured him that the intruder had left and that she and Mack were fine. The sheriff did not seem satisfied but he left anyway. When Regina came back inside Emma looked confused.

"Why did you call him and then just send him away."

"You need to get home to your family. If there in as much danger as you say they are, getting you arrested isn't the right thing to do. Now leave because I can call him back at any time."

"You do care."

"I never said I didn't, I just I won't help you. There is a difference." Regina said opening the door for Emma to leave.

"Henry is the Dark One. It's why we can't just leave. " Emma finally blurted out.

"What?"