Prompt: Do they ever break up? Why? Do they get back together? How long does it take? Does anyone need to intervene?

NOTE: Angst warning, but there will be a continuation of this for another prompt that fixes some things and answers some questions. :)


Déjà vu hit her like a ton of bricks as she slowly approached the house. It felt just like her second day in Storybrooke all over again, except a lot more had happened between her and Regina since then. A lot of hurt and anger and a few differences. Things had been rocky before it got worse and it hadn't helped that they'd been forced to spend an entire year apart in completely different realms just as they'd been at their best.

She took a deep breath in and heavily exhaled. Her shoulders dropped like weights with the action and stepped toward the door. With a bowed head and tightly gripped fist, she knocked and closed her eyes as she waited. When the door opened, her heart squeezed with uncontrollable pain. It happened every time she was around Regina, but that time she wasn't near the brunette. Instead, he had answered the door.

Roland laughed loudly in the background while Henry seemed to chase him around the house, but it was hard to tell with Robin standing in the doorway. He smiled at her like everything was fine, like there were no hard feelings between the two of them. Every time she saw that smile, she wanted to punch him in the face. But she couldn't. He didn't know her history with Regina and Regina clearly never wanted him to, so Robin smiled and welcomed her inside.

"No, thanks. I just came for Henry," she said and took a few steps back. She needed more distance from him than the porch could provide, but she wasn't going to run away. He wasn't a good enough reason for her to run. He wasn't good enough. Period.

"Henry," Robin called out over his shoulder. "Emma's here!"

There were a few hard and rushed footsteps, and a few more giggles from Roland, before Henry appeared behind Robin in the foyer. Robin placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him as he gave Henry a squeeze.

Emma glared at him. She only felt guilty about it when she realized Henry had seen her reaction and then immediately shrugged away from Robin.

"Um, my stuff's upstairs," Henry told her. "I'll be back in a minute."

Emma forced a smile and nodded before she watched him hurry up the staircase. She looked over her shoulder down the pathway and stared at her car where it sat, parked at the curb just outside the gate that she purposely left open for a quick escape.

"Daddy," Roland exclaimed.

Emma's focus was pulled back to the inside of the house and she watched as Roland leapt into Robin's arms. Robin's smile spread wider across his face as he hugged his son to his chest and then adjusted Roland's position so the boy sat more on Robin's hip. It was the picture perfect family. Two kids and a happy couple in a nice home. It looked like a fairytale happy ending. It was all Emma had dreamed of having when she was Roland's age. It was all Emma had hated that she didn't, and though she never would have, when she was Henry's age. And when she thought she was close to having it as an adult, everything fell apart.

The all too familiar click-clack of heels approached from another room and it wasn't long before Regina walked up to the door and took her place at Robin's side. Roland smiled at her and called out her name before he launched himself at her without any real warning.

Regina caught him in a hug before Robin handed him off to her. It was a truly picture perfect moment and Emma was mature enough to admit that she was bitter about it. What had happened between them wasn't all Regina's fault, but that didn't make seeing her playing happy family with some guy any less painful.

"Kisses," Roland said before he demonstrated by kissing Regina's cheek.

Regina chuckled and said, "Besos" before she then kissed Roland's cheek. The smile she'd directed at Roland, and Robin before that, vanished as soon as she locked eyes with Emma.

Despite the part of Emma that wanted to look away almost instantly, she held Regina's gaze. Neither of them looked happy and Regina actually looked pissed that Emma had even bothered to show up.

"Regina," she quietly greeted with a neutral tone.

"Have him back by Wednesday. Early enough for dinner," Regina coldly replied.

Emma felt a sharp stab to the heart. Everyone else saw the much softer side of Regina while she was with Robin, but Emma was the only one to get the Evil Queen. They didn't have to be enemies, but they'd long since been friends in the last three months.

"Yeah, I know the schedule. It's on my fridge and my phone. You can't even trust me to be a good parent? Even after everything—?" Emma didn't finish her question. She glanced at Robin just before she looked away and stuffed her hands further into her pockets.

It had been only a few months since Hook had brought her and Henry back from New York, but the way things between her and Regina had abruptly ended before they'd ever really begun made it seem like a lifetime ago.

"Okay, Mom. I'm ready," Henry said a little breathlessly as he ran down the stairs with his backpack and a large overnight bag slung over his shoulders. He wedged himself between Robin and Regina and said, "Bye, Mom. See you later."

"I love you," Regina told him.

Henry leaned in and hugged her and Roland, who was still in Regina's arms, before he replied, "Love you, too. Bye, Robin."

"See you, Henry," Robin happily said and waved goodbye.

Henry waved back, but hurried away from the house and gave Emma a reason to do the same. She quickened her pace to catch up to him and even called out for him to slow down before they reached the Bug. He opened the passenger door and pulled down the seat so he could toss his stuff in the back.

She put a hand on his upper back and gave him an apologetic look when he turned and acknowledged her. "Hey, you know you don't have to hate him just because I do, right?"

Henry swallowed and sadly looked down at the ground. "Yeah," he said so softly that Emma almost didn't hear him. "I know."

Emma sighed. "I'm really sorry. I know this is difficult, especially for you."

"What happened," he asked and looked up at her with sad but hopeful eyes.

She frowned and tried not to cry. Henry had asked her that question many times after things had ended. She wanted to be truthful, but she didn't want to put him in the middle. She never told him the full story and the fact that he still continued to ask meant Regina hadn't shared much with him either.

"It's not important."

"Yes, it is," he insisted. "I thought after New York things would be easier. You two were friends. And now you're not. Did you do something? Did she say something mean to you? Tell me what happened and maybe we can fix it?"

Emma squeezed her eyes shut and dropped her head to her chest as she swallowed the lump in her throat and fought back tears. She bent at the waist just the slightest bit to be at eye-level with him before she put her hands on his shoulders and explained what little she could share. "We had a fight, Henry. But it's not your fault and it's not your problem, so don't worry about fixing anything. Just worry about being you."

He shook his head. "It shouldn't be like this. We should be a family."

Emma gasped as she tried to form words and instead only managed to feel like she'd been kicked in the gut. She wasn't sure Henry meant 'family' in the same way Emma did, but it still hurt to hear that Henry was being denied something Emma had craved more than anything as well.

"Do you like Robin," she asked.

"I—"

"And don't say what you think I want to hear. Just be honest with me. Do you like him?"

Henry grimaced before he admitted, "Yeah. He's okay. He's not mean or anything, but I don't really feel a connection with him. I guess I don't mind him, but I don't think I really have an opinion on whether or not he should stick around. That doesn't make any sense, does it?"

Emma chuckled and let go of his shoulders as she stood at full height. "It makes sense. But...he's not a bad guy, right?"

"Right."

"And you get along with him and Roland."

"Yeah."

"And your Mom is happy?"

Henry pursed his lips and seemed to think about his answer for a moment. "I don't know," he said. "It's hard to tell. She smiles a lot and seems close to Robin and Roland, but sometimes...sometimes I wonder if she's faking it or if maybe she's comfortable, but not happy."

Emma sighed again and grabbed one of his shoulders before she gently shook it. "Come on. Let's go back to the apartment. Grandma and Grandpa are making one of your favorite dinners and they can't wait to see you."

"Grandma just saw me at school yesterday," he replied with a furrowed brow.

Emma laughed as she walked around the front of her car. "Yeah, they miss me even when I run out to the store for a few minutes. Get used to it."

Henry slid into the passenger's seat as Emma yanked open her door. When Henry shut his, Emma looked over the top of the Bug and saw that Regina stood alone in the doorway. Emma wasn't sure if Regina was staring at her or the car or Henry, but they looked in each other's direction for another moment before Regina finally turned away and shut the door.

Emma stared for a little while longer as she felt a sense of loneliness creep up inside her once again, something that usually happened after every brief visit with Regina.

"Mom?"

Emma snapped herself out of her trance and slid into the car at the sound of Henry's voice. She faked another smile at him, which he immediately saw right through, and then started the Bug.

"Whatever happened between the two of you," Henry started to say as they started to drive toward the loft, "I hope you're happy. Both of you."

Emma's knuckled turned white with the force she used to grip the steering wheel just to keep her emotions under control. Happiness was a fleeting thing and for the last three months, it had been non-existent.

"Are you happy," he asked.

Emma slowly exhaled and tried to relax her hands on the wheel before she said, "Not yet."

"Well, what would it take to make you happy?"

"Right now? I don't know. Probably a miracle."