Title: Home Is Where The Heart Is
Fandom: Once Upon a Time
Characters: Emma Swan, Regina Mills, Henry Mills, Captain Hook, Walsh, Snow White, Prince Charming, Granny, Zelena, Robin Hood
Category: Romance, Angst, Drama, Memory Loss (I mean, it's Once. According to canon it's not possible to write a story without memory loss.) Canon Divergence AU
Rating: M, for swearing and such
Word count: 57,406 (total)
Summary: Emma Swan is no one's fool. She's certainly not going to drink the strange liquid that the creepy Ren Faire Reject that's been stalking she and her son is offering her in the middle of the street - even if they are in front of a police station. So what's a girl to do? Nothing but go home and get engaged to the great guy in her life. And everything is pretty amazing until her son disappears without a trace. Then she has to go track him down in some tiny town in Maine populated by the strangest people she's ever met and a woman her son has unexpectedly bonded with.
Spoilers/Timeline: For Season 3, beginning with "Going Home"
Author's Note: Many thanks to Oparu for the beta and Race for the suggestions. This fic is better because of them.


Regina had intended to give Snow and David more warning the next time she need to teleport into their home. Showing up outside the door, perhaps, or just inside it with her back turned if she needed to be inside. Now, with Henry's life at stake from a sister she had never known she had, who had been driven insane by her need for vengeance and acknowledgement, there were no time for such courtesies. And with Henry there, they should damn well be fully clothed at any rate. When her vision cleared, it wasn't the quiet apartment she had hoped to find. The floor was littered with glass, splintered wood and a few crumpled bricks. It had all shattered inwards, if Regina was correct. There were a few dwarfs and Red milling around, while Snow sat next to David on the couch, one arm around his shoulders. Her cellphone was pressed to her ear with the other hand, and Regina could hear her muttering, "Come on, Regina. Come on. Pick up."

"I'm here, dear," Regina said, stepping forward. She knew even as she did why Snow would be calling her. Henry was gone. Regina felt it all with curious detachment. It was impossible to not think of Mother when Regina was like this, like her, heartless. The longer she spent without it, the better Regina understood why Mother had done it. There was a clarity that came with the loss of her heart that Regina hadn't ever felt before. Goals became clearer and inessentials fell away as the distractions that they were.

"They took Henry," Snow said as she tried to push herself up off the couch and fly toward Regina. It ended as a futile heave. Red was at her side with one quick step to help her best friend up.

"I know, dear," Regina said distractedly. She eyed David, who was still sitting on the couch. He hadn't moved, either to help Snow up or tell her about Henry. If anything, he had curled even further in upon himself. There had even been a whimper when Snow moved away from him. "What's wrong with the Charming idiot?" she asked, with an imperious tilt of her chin toward him.

Snow took a deep, shuddering breath. "I swear, Regina, we had no warning that they were coming. I was sitting up in bed, trying to find a comfortable position. David was sharpening his sword and Henry was hanging out on the couch playing a video game. The next thing we knew everything was exploding inwards. I ducked and David dropped his sword and dove on top of Henry." She looked back at her husband, noted his worsened state and reach back to slide her fingers through his short hair. "There were four of them. These...these winged beasts, with long tails and claws." Snow shook her head. "I've never seen anything like them. David tried to fight them, but he couldn't. They grabbed him and flung him up against the wall. I tried to grab Henry and run, but they blocked the door." Snow's hands were trembling Regina noted, more likely with unspent adrenaline than fear. Bandit Snow would hate being helpless in the face of attackers. "They tied me up in at the table and took Henry."

"Why didn't David keep fighting?" Not an angry question, but a practical one. For all her issues with the Shepherd, Regina had never once doubted his foolish courage or his dedication to his grandson. He wouldn't have let Henry go without putting up a fight and he didn't look bruised and beaten enough to have continued fighting.

"They did something with magic," Snow answered, her brow furrowing as she turned back to her husband. "I think they took something from him. He still doesn't seem right."

Regina dropped to one knee in front of David and bent down until she could catch his gaze. He flinched away from her, his chin trembling. "I'm sorry, Regina."

As well you should be, Regina managed not to say. He looked so frightened, almost like a child. Snapping at him wouldn't be practical. She laid a hand on his knee. "You did very good, David, but now I need help finding Henry."

Before Regina could even ask, David was shaking his head. "I can't. I can't do it. They'll kill me. Did you see them?" he asked, looking up at Snow with wild eyes.

"David," Regina said, before Snow could speak. "You don't have to do anything, dear. Can you tell what they took from you?"

He focused back on her with some effort. "Courage. That's...that's what they said. They needed it."

"Thank you, dear," Regina said, her mind already moving in a hundred different directions as she rose. Courage. It was useful, of course, to take the courage of a brave man, but from what she had said there were things Zelena needed for whatever she was trying to accomplish. Maybe Charming's courage were one those. She turned her attention on Snow. "Tell Belle they took David's courage. Perhaps for a spell. Ask her to research it."

"Hey, Sister," Grumpy snarled. "You're not the queen here anymore. You can't just go around giving orders."

The strange detachment that Regina had been feeling was still there, but then so was the urge to rip his lungs out through his nose. It was a dilemma, but ultimately more time consuming than she had to spare at the moment. Later. Perhaps. If it wouldn't upset Henry too badly.

Snow touched her hand to draw her attention away from Grumpy. Perhaps she had been able to read the look in Regina's eyes. "What about David?"

"He'll be fine," Regina said with a shrug. "If more cowardly than usual." Regina left with as little fanfare as she had come, ignoring Snow's shouts and protests in the seconds before she vanished. Snow was wrong. They couldn't help. There was no one that she needed to get Henry back besides Emma and she had needed to verify that he was really missing first. No running into traps without looking for Regina. Oh, no.


Regina's heart thudded wildly in Zelena's hand, like the wings of trapped bird fluttering futilely to escape its captor. Zelena raised it from beneath her cloak to examine it. It glowed with the same strange light that all hearts did and there was darkness there. Dark whirls of black dominated the outside of it, but beneath it glowed the brightest red Zelena had ever seen even as it continued to beat frantically against her palm. This was what vengeance and victory felt like. Zelena wanted to taste it. She brought the heart closer, breathing in the scent of it, the faint metallic tang of a heart ripped from its owner's chest and completely under her control. Her eyes fell closed as she savored every breath of it. She needed to taste Regina's defeat. Was it bitter? Rich? Full of anguish and pain and desperation? Zelena wanted to savor every nuance of flavor. She brought the heart closer, raising it to her lips, already imagining her tongue touching it. She would cherish every foul flavor and inscribe it in her memory to wrap around her like a warm cloak on cold nights. She would never forget what this tasted like.

"Come to get me out at last, witch?"

Zelena's eyes snapped open. She curled her free hand into a fist to keep from lashing out at the Captain with magic. "You ruined it," she hissed, stuffed the heart back into the bag that hung around her neck by silken strings and pushed it out of sight beneath her emerald cloak.

"Ruined what, lass?" Hook asked, a confused expression on his handsome features.

"Never mind," Zelena commanded airly. "It's none of your concern." There was no way a mere pirate captain like Hook would be able to understand the beauty of what she was creating. He was a simple man, with simple motives and even pettier revenges. "Do you wish to be free, Captain?"

"It does get a bit boring in here," Hook noted, using his hooked hand to gesture around his cell.

"Excellent," Zelena purred. "I have some use for you." A wave of her hand, a tiny burst of magic and the locked door was springing open. "My beautiful beasties have captured the boy, my dear nephew Henry. I need to keep him from my dear sister and his other mother for some time. I want you to... hold him hostage has such a nasty ring to it." She grinned. "Let's try keep him safe instead, because if you allow his dear mother or your beloved Savior to rescue him, I'll kill them all." She stroked one hand down his chest, letting her nails dig into skin. "Do you understand me, Captain?"

Hook stared at her, ignoring the way she was touching him. Hatred poured out of him as he glared at her. "Swan will never forgive me for this," he bit out between clenched teeth, a muscle in his jaw rippling with suppressed anger.

"Probably," Zelena agreed cheerily. "Regretting your bargain with me for her life and that of her family, Captain? More trouble than you thought? Or were you merely interested in the Savior's gratitude for saving her and her family?"

Hook lunged towards her, fury etched in the lines of face. Zelena's hand sank into his chest and clutched his heart. It only took a tiny squeeze to send him to his knees. "What will it be, Captain?"

A pained groan escaped his lips. "I'll be your sodding babysitter," his eyes still blazed with fury. "But know this, witch. You won't succeed. They'll stop you and one day Swan and I will be properly reunited."

Zelena shook her head. The man's stupidity was endless. The Savior had already turned him down twice. She squeezed his heart one last time as a reminder of what she could do and then shoved him back away from her. He stumbled but caught himself quickly. "Where is the lad?"

Zelena waved her hand instead of answering, sending him away from her in a cloud of green smoke. Hook and Henry taken care of, her sister running around with the knowledge of she and her son's soon to be non-existence. Her plan was shaping up nicely. It was delicious. One hand rose to stroke the bag that hung heavy around her neck. She could feel the heart's rapid thrumming through the soft material. Zelena wanted to take it out again, to hold it in her palm and savor it. But she couldn't. There were a few more details that needed to be attended to. She couldn't lose sight of goal now that she was so close. Distraction by a victory would be the same as defeat. Zelena let the bag go until it was a comforting weight against her chest once again and then swept her cloak over it. Best if it was out of sight.

"Rumplestiltskin." He didn't appear. Her hand flashed beneath to another object hidden beneath her cloak and came back out with the Dark One's dagger. "Rumplestiltskin."

The cursed imp appeared before her in a flash. "Yes, dearie?" There was nothing pleasant about the way he was staring at her either, but Zelena was beyond needing her former teacher's approval anymore. He had bowed to her the same way the rest of them would. She controlled the Dark One. Had anyone else achieved so much?

"I'm sending you on a little errand." Her grin turned feral. "Kill the Savior." Her light magic was the only thing that could stop Zelena. Her missing memories had kept that problem at bay for some time, but Zelena's plan was coming together. It would be time to perform the spell soon and Zelena wasn't going to take any chances that the Savior or her ridiculous band of friends and family might find a way to stop her.

"Now, now, dearie," Rumplestiltskin hissed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Didn't you promise the good Captain that you would spare his lady love?"

"Do you care?" Zelena asked, incredulous.

"Well, a deal's a deal, dearie," Rumplestiltskin said with a shrug.

"I don't care," Zelena snapped. The hilt of the dagger bit into her palm as she squeezed it tighter. "You will do what I say. Kill her!" She had hoped he would disappear in a flash of light to do what she had commanded, but instead there was a long moment as Rumplestiltskin stared at her. His gaze was steady and measuring. Zelena wanted to lash out at him again, to command him to tell her what he saw or was looking for, but she said nothing, holding it in until she couldn't take it any more. "Go!" she shrieked.

With a final laughing cackle at her expense, Rumplestiltskin was gone. Why were they all determined to ruin this day for her?


"Regina?" Emma blurted in disbelief as the last wisps of purple smoke faded into nothingness. "How did you-" Emma hated to admit it, but it was the best illusion she had ever seen. There was the distraction, of course, that burst of purple smoke, but how would Regina have known they would end up here to plant the device that made the smoke. Only the smoke had seem to come from mid-air, not the ground and it still left the question of where Regina had come from. There was nothing around them that she could have hidden behind to jump out behind the smoke… unless there was some kind of trap door in the floor? Not impossible, but- What Regina had said, processed through Emma's brain at last. "Henry? Where is he? What do you mean someone took him? Who took him? Where's the Sheriff?" One last futile thought. "...and how the hell did you get here?"

"We don't have time for this," Regina said. "It's magic, dear." She snapped her fingers and flame shot out of the palm of her hand.

Emma stepped forward and poked at it with one finger. She yanked it back just as quickly when heat bit into it. "Shit! That burns. How are you doing that?"

"Fire tends to do that," Regina murmured, glancing around wildly. "Emma, that isn't important."

"But your hand. How is there enough fuel on there to keep burning this long without it burning your hand?" Emma pressed as she stared at it with horrified fascination.

"Magic," Regina stressed the word. "Not an illusion, dear. Real magic, with real power." Regina shook her head at the blank look on Emma's face. "I can't believe Henry once had the patience to spend months try to convince you of this. He can't even remember to pick up his socks."

"What are you-" Emma frowned. "You said Henry was missing?" Magic and unexplainable fire was no longer of any of concern to her.

"Emma," Walsh said as he stepped forward and blocked Regina from her view. "What is this woman talking about? She sounds crazy." He touched her arm. "Let's just go back to the house. We can make sure Henry's safe and then go out for ice cream, the three of us. She's probably just trying to manipulate you for some reason. Henry's a smart kid. He wouldn't leave where was supposed to be without telling you."

Last week Emma would have believed it. This week... And that didn't include the possibility of someone taking Henry. It didn't make much sense, but then, nothing here did, and there had been all those disappearances. Neal had died and Regina had never lied to her before. No, if Regina said Henry was missing then Emma believed her, but... "Why are you showing me all this stuff if Henry's missing?" Emma asked, ducking around Walsh so she could see Regina.

"Because the people who took him have magic. I need you to understand that it's real before we face them," Regina said urgently. "It's our only chance."

"What about the authorities?" Walsh suggested, sounding concerned and doubtful. "Shouldn't the police be involved in this?"

Emma hesitated. She supposed he was right, but...

"David? No," Regina said dismissively. "He's useless. Emma and I can handle this. Emma," Regina repeated, pushing past Walsh to get to her.

Emma was staring at her. "I trusted you with him. I believed you, that he's missing but this is crazy. Literally. It makes no sense. Why would someone take Henry?" Her eyes narrowed and she took a step forward, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "What are you trying to distract me from?"

"Use your superpower," Regina snapped. "Nothing. I'm telling you the truth. Now stop blithering and let's go get our son. Or I'll do it myself!"

The "our" wasn't lost on Emma but it wasn't wrong either. That was what her gut was telling her and Emma had no explanation for it either. Or the fact that Regina at least believed she was telling the truth about having real magic as crazy as that sounded. It all sounded insane, but none of that mattered. She couldn't take a chance with Henry, not if there was the tiniest chance he was missing. "Okay," she said to Regina. "Let's go. My gun's locked up at the mansion. I need to get it first." There was no way she was going into this unarmed.

"Okay," Regina said and nodded as if something had been settled. "I can get us there faster, but I don't know where they've taken Henry. We'll have to figure it out after we pick up what you need."

"Fine," Emma said. Her fingers began to sing with adrenaline as determination settled over her.

"I can't take two," Regina said, with a jerk of her head in Walsh's direction. More of her crazy magic and it's crazy rules. Emma wasn't sure what Regina was about to do but what would happen when it didn't work at all.

She expected Walsh to protest but he didn't only smiled at her and said, "Kiss for luck?" Maybe he didn't think it would work either. It was a hell of a thing to ask for when he knew Henry was in danger and they were scrambling to go get him back. It would be quicker just to agree though. Walsh's lips were about to brush hers when the large plate glass windows that ran across the front of Granny's exploded inwards.

Not knowing what was coming for them, Emma whirled to face the sound and threw her arm up as she saw the impossible happen. Shards of glass converged into a cluster and arrowed toward her in a way no natural explosion could cause. Regina stepped up beside her nonplussed by any of it and threw her hands up in what Emma assumed would be a futile gesture. Regina wasn't even using them to cover her face or protect herself. But then the glass slowed and began to disintegrate, raining down on the floor as sand.

"Hello, dearie," crooned a strange little man, with a flourishing half-bow as he stepped through where the windows had been. His skin was scaly and glittery, almost reptilian looking. Just the way he moved made Emma think snake might be a good description for this one. And she recognized him. "You're Neal's father!" she exclaimed.

At the same time, Regina added, "Weren't you supposed to be dead?" She sounded more skeptical than concerned by that, but Regina also never took her eyes off him as the man began to move around them. Regina moved with him so that Emma was never between the two of them. She treated him as if he was dangerous and that was good enough for Emma.

He clapped his hand together and did a quick, capering jig. "It didn't take."

"I see that," Regina drawled. "What are you doing here, Rumplestiltskin?"

Emma couldn't help it her eyes flicked from him to Regina. "Seriously?" But Regina ignored her.

"Why I'm here to kill the Savior, dearie," Rumplestiltskin said, rubbing his hands together and eyeing Emma like she was what's for dinner.

"You're working for that witch, aren't you?" Regina spat. "She has Henry. Don't you care about that? The witch wants to kill him. He's the last piece of your precious Baelfire left."

Baelfire? Had that been Neal's real name? No wonder he had chosen Neal, and run as far and fast as he could. This guy was a piece of work.

"Of course I care," Rumplestiltskin snarled, his face transformed by rage. "I'll have my vengeance. The Dark One always does, but she has my dagger. For now I must obey. Let me finish up my little errand here," he nodded at Emma. "And I'll be going. Maybe I can even do something for the boy. Let him go perhaps?" His grin showed teeth. "She hasn't told me not to, after all."

Regina hesitated and Emma began to wonder if she need to worry, then Regina said, "Is Zelena really my sister?"

"Who the hell is Zelena?" Emma murmured but didn't ask too loudly. Anything that diverted the guy who was apparently trying to kill her right now was a good thing in her book.

Rumplestiltskin's eyes narrowed into slits of fury. "Oh yes," he breathed. "Your mother tricked me. Tricked me! Made me a deal and told me I could have her first born." He held an arm out toward Regina, his hand splaying open toward her like a model on "The Price Is Right" displaying a showcase. "When I came to collect, she told me I was too late. She'd long ago sent her first born away, abandoned it in the woods. She said it was surely dead." He shrugged. "Eventually I learned how wrong she was."

Regina's hands trembled at her sides. Emma wondered if she was the only one who saw it. This just kept getting worse and worse. Regina's mom had agreed to be involved in child trafficking with this sick fuck, but gotten out of the deal by promising a child that was already dead. "This is the guy you want on our side to free Henry?" she muttered to Regina. Grandfather or not, there was no way this guy was coming within a hundred miles of her kid.

Regina ignored her, however, her eyes still locked on Rumplestiltskin who was grinning at her in a way that made Emma's skin crawl. "Are we done with that now, dearie? Things to do. Places to go. Saviors to slaughter. You know."

Regina's hands stopped shaking. "No, I won't let you."

"How are you going to stop me?" Rumplestiltskin cackled. "You've never been a match for me." A dark burst of energy flared out of his hands straight towards Emma. Regina took one short step between them and blocked it, throwing the energy back at him. Sparks flew and energy shot out to the side. A table exploded in sharp, hot fragments that bit into Emma's skin.

"Fuck!" she cursed, ducking as she looked for something, anything to leap into the fray with. Walsh was crouched beneath the table of a booth, out of sight of the battle. Emma dismissed him just as quickly as she had seen him. He was safe and out of the line of fire. That was good enough. Emma snagged the first thing her hand found, which was the heavy glass salt and pepper shakers on top of the table and slung them at Rumplestiltskin. They hit him solidly in the arm and torso before the bounced off. He flinched but didn't look bothered by them. He didn't even try to duck.

"You may be the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin," Granny called out from where she had ducked down behind the counter. "But you're still the landlord. You'll be paying for all these damages!"

The battle continued to rage with Emma throwing anything she could get her hands on at Rumplestiltskin as he and Regina traded flashes of light and bursts of energy - among other things. Tables and silverware alike became projectiles, anything that wasn't nailed down. A fork almost lodged itself in Regina's thing, but Emma jerked her aside at the last instant.

"We'll see about that," Rumplestiltskin snapped back and redoubled his attack on Regina. It knocked her back a step and Rumplestiltskin lashed out, taking advantage of her distraction hurling sickly, dark energy toward her. Emma darted out from behind kicked a table toward him. It slammed into his thighs and he stumbled. His aim shifted and the burst of magic missed Regina at the last instant. Emma had a second to wish for her gun again and then shoved the table aside and lunged for Rumplestiltskin.

His arms came up to lash out at her with that strange energy. From over Emma's shoulder came another blast to meet it - Regina's work. The next instant Emma slammed into him and drove them both to the floor. She hit the ground hard, but he hit harder. Emma didn't wait to start punching him, hitting him as hard as she could. There was no holding back now. Not when this guy had been trying to kill her and he was stopping them both from getting to Henry. The first few blows were careless, but stunned him, or maybe it was the fall. The blows that followed were precise. One to his throat and then the jaw. Emma felt him go slack, his eyes rolling up in his head, but hit him again for good measure, to make sure he wasn't faking it. Pain flared in her hand and Emma winced. "Fuck!" A broken finger probably. She didn't have time for this.

Regina caught her arm as she stumbled to her feet and steadied her.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Emma kept swearing. "What was that? Why was he trying to kill me? And why was he calling me the Savior?" Emma demanded as she paced back and forth over him.

Ropes shot out of Regina's hands and encircled Rumplestiltskin, almost mummifying him. Regina sighed as she inspected her handiwork. "It won't last long once he wakes, but it will hold him for now." She looked at Emma as if just remembering she'd asked something. "I think it might have been a distraction to keep us away from Henry." Regina shook her head. "We need to go."

"Yeah," Emma agreed as she stared down at him. She nudged him with her toe to make sure he wasn't faking. "Let's go."

"You should go too, Mrs. Lucas," Regina added to the old woman behind the counter. Emma hadn't clocked the loaded crossbow in her hands until that moment. "The Dark One won't be in a good mood when he wakes."

"No," Granny agreed as she came out from behind the counter, righting a stool to get it out of her way.

"Emma," Walsh sounded shaky and scared. His cry dragged her attention away from Granny as he climbed out from beneath the booth. "Are you okay?"

Emma gave him a hand up and he wrapped his arms around her immediately. It no longer felt safe or comforting, just confining. She couldn't move with him hanging around her like this. "We have to go," Emma repeated. "Henry."

"Yeah," Walsh agreed. He leaned in and out of the corner of her eye saw Granny raised her crossbow.

Emma froze, her hands flying up in the air. "Whoa!"

"Mrs. Lucas?" Regina said her voice tight. Her hands came up too, but seeing what she had, Emma didn't mistake Regina's gesture for one of surrender. It was a threat, no question.

"That one isn't from around here." Emma realized then that it wasn't her Granny was pointing her bow at, but Walsh. "He keeps trying to kiss her."

"She's my fiance," Walsh protested. "I love her." Emma flushed. It felt strange to hear the words aloud in front of everyone.

"Maybe," Granny said, but it was noncommittal, not agreement. "But he doesn't smell right."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Walsh demanded, almost laughing in a mixture of disbelief and offended surprise. His good cheer was returning as the danger seemed to be fading.

Regina tensed though and reached out for Emma. "Step back. He's dangerous."

Emma laughed in disbelief. "No way. Walsh couldn't hurt a fly. He's harmless."

"He may not be the man you know," Regina bit out, wishing that just once Emma would do what she was asked.

"Emma, it's me," Walsh protested again, holding a hand out to her.

"We don't have time for this," Regina snapped and lashed out at Walsh. Energy flared and Walsh flew into the air. Just before he slammed into the wall, he writhed in mid-air and changed. Wings, a tail, feathers and claws and nasty looking fangs all shot out.

"The fuck," Emma hissed, scrambling back as Walsh hit the wall. He wasn't still even for an instant, nor did he lose any height in the air. Wings flared and he shot back at them as quickly as he had been flung away. He screamed, a high-pitched shriek that made Emma want to grab her head and cover her ears.

Regina hit him with a ball of fire and then another in a barrage that sent him ducking and dodging away from him. He kept shrieking as he hovered and began to circle higher and higher before he finally wheeled away and left them alone. Emma stared after him in disbelief. She had just seen... Her fiance had been right there and then he had just... Her hands were shaking and her legs felt like jelly.

"Believe in magic yet?" Regina asked from beside her.

Emma shook her head. No, she couldn't believe in anything yet. It all felt surreal. "No. Henry," Emma said. His name was becoming like a mantra now. A way to focus on what was important and push away all the extraneous, crazy shit until she could freak out and have a breakdown.

"We need a locator spell," Regina said, accepting the change of subject. "We can pick up what I need from the mansion with your gun." Regina didn't hold out her hand again, but took Emma's arm. It was an effort not to flinch away. Purple smoke flared around them and Emma hissed. All of this was insane but it didn't matter now. What mattered was getting Henry back and then getting the hell out of town. Nothing would stop her this time. As soon as she found her son, they were gone.


The locator spell was easy enough to do once Regina had retrieved the ingredients for it. She was still setting it up when Emma came down the stairs, wearing her red leather jacket and tucking her gun into her pants at the small of her back. Even with the gaping absence that was her lack of a heart, there was still something comforting about seeing Emma like that, a sense of rightness. She almost looked like Sheriff Swan again. Regina liked it, but she would never tell Emma that. Instead Regina gave her a skeptical glance. "Isn't that dangerous?" she said with a nod at the gun in Emma's pants. She expected Emma to snark back with something, but Emma looked sheepish instead.

"It is, okay? I knew a guy who shot a butt cheek off. But I don't have a holster for it with me. I wasn't exactly planning on using it this trip," Emma explained.

Regina rolled her eyes and held her hand out between them. Smoke whirled and when it cleared it had formed into a leather holster. "Use this instead. I won't have you endangering yourself. We have enough to deal with as it is, without you taking yourself out."

Emma's eyes were wide as she reached to take the holster from Regina's hands. She touched it hesitantly, as if she were waiting for it to disappear - or bite - when she picked it up. When nothing happened Emma lost her reluctance quickly, examining the holster for a moment for any flaws or protuberances that might hinder her at a critical moment. Finding none, she strapped it to her belt. "Thanks." Then she began to eye the pile of things on the table. She nudged them with one finger and gave Regina a hard look. "You swear this," she gestured at the table. "Will help us find Henry? Because it all looks like crap to me."

"This, as you call it, is magic, Ms. Swan, and unless this spell is being blocked, I promise you it will work. I need to find him just as much as you do."

Emma wanted to contradict her and tell Regina she was wrong, but she had a feeling that wasn't true. Emma nodded at her. "When this is done, you owe me an explanation about that."

"As soon as we have Henry safe, I'll tell you whatever you want," Regina agreed.

"Fine," Emma said. "Now, how does this work?"

"Very simply," Regina said. "It's like a recipe. You add the ingredients in a certain order, in certain amounts and then add magic." She looked over at Emma steadily. "You could do this, you know."

"Me?" Emma snorted, startled by Regina's statement. "Hardly. I don't have any whatever." She waved a hand at the things in front of them.

"You do," Regina insisted. "You have always have from the moment you were born." Funny how that was almost a fond thought now, not one of terror and dread as it had been for almost three decades. "Henry thought it was very cool," and he had. It had been infuriating when he was so frightened and mistrustful of Regina's own magic.

"You're not lying," Emma said. "How the hell do you know anything about when I was born?" She was starting to sound scared.

Then Regina's magic flared and swirled up between her hands in a column of light. Emma's eyes grew wider. "I need to concentrate," Regina said in hopes of stopping Emma's imminent freakout before it could begin. "Com one." Regina followed the magic through the halls to the front door. Emma darted ahead and yanked it open before Regina had to pause and Regina grinned. Even if she couldn't remember a thing about the past few years or who Regina or Henry really were, it was nice to have her practical Sheriff back, someone who would do whatever needed doing when everything around them was going insane.

There was a moment's confusion when they headed for the cars, Emma going toward the Beetle and Regina toward her Mercedes. The practicality of Emma driving made itself quickly apparent, but Regina's reluctance to get in the Beetle wasn't feigned.

"You gonna let me drive your Mercedes?" Emma asked with a quick jerk of her head toward the darker car. When Regina said nothing, Emma nodded. "That's what I thought. Get in." She waited for Regina though, holding the door open for her until she was in and then jogged around to the other side to get in herself.

Emma had no problem following the spell. After a few minutes of Regina passing along their directions, she almost seemed to be anticipating which direction it would tell them to go.

"How are you doing that?" Regina asked. She had her suspicions, but mostly wanted to know if Emma realized she was doing it.

Emma grimaced. "I can kind of feel it." She shook her head. "This is crazy."

"No," Regina corrected. "It's magic." Emma turned again and Regina realized where they were going. "The docks. There's nothing else out this way."

Emma took her eyes off the road for a moment to look over at Regina. "Does that mean anything to you?"

"No," Regina murmured. "Nothing special." Her hands clenched. If it was Zelena holding Henry, she would be a liability. All the rescuing would be up to Emma. That was why Regina was pushing. If Emma could believe again, she might have the strength to find her magic again and rescue Henry. Maybe it would even break the curse on Storybrooke for a second time.

They were drawing up to the side of a building now and couldn't go any further in the car. Emma held her door for her again and they piled out. When it was clear where they were being led, Regina waved her hands and dispelled the magic. She would need them free for what was coming.

"Come on, lad. Get on the boat!" They heard Hook before they saw either he or Henry.

Emma ducked behind a stack of pallets and Regina squeezed in beside her. Emma had more experience with this sort of rescue than she did. Regina would follow her lead. Emma put a hand on REgina's shoulder to keep her still and leaned in close. "Distraction," Emma whispered her breath puffing against Regina's ear. Regina shivered.

It took a moment to process what Emma had said, but she nodded. Oh, yes, she could do distractions. Regina raised her hands and let the magic flow from her. Just for good measure, Regina added just a fire. It hit the ceiling joist high above the boats docked several aisles over with explosive force and a deep resounding bang. The ceiling crumpled inward and Hook jerked around even as shrieks rent the air, coming from several different directions. Shrieks like the ones Walsh had made when he had transformed in the diner.

"Damn," they heard Hook swear. "Come on, lad. It's our last chance to get to safety."

"No," Henry yelled, backing further away from Hook as he shook his head in defiance. "Not without my moms!"

Emma mid-spring, flinched, but kept pushing forward. Regina was right beside her. "Henry!" Emma screamed. He whirled around at the sound of her voice and ran toward her.

Hook scrambled up out of the small yacht after him, his hook scraping on the wood as he leaped out. "Oh, no you don't," he snarled.

Regina stopped and put her back to Emma. Emma was more than capable of dealing with Hook. These flying beasts were another matter. Regina saw their shadows fall over the water an instant before the appeared beneath the overhang. She didn't wait until she could see them to start throwing fireballs. The first beast almost fell out of the air as they hit him, but Regina wasn't as lucky with the rest of them. They seemed immune to her fire; it only slowed them down, not stopping or injuring them.

"Emma, we need to get out of here," Regina called over her shoulder.

"Not sure how," came back Emma's clipped reply. "There's too many of them."

Something slammed into REgina's back and she whirled to face her attacked only to realize it was Henry. Emma had swung him behind her to safety as Hook charged toward them. Regina gave Henry a quick, feral grin and went back to slinging fireballs.

"Swan," Hook called. "You have to let me expl-" Regina heard the unmistakable meaty thunk of a fist against flesh and another thud as Hook hit the ground. He let out a laugh that sounded more scared than amused. THere was another thud - Regina wasn't sure what it was but it was followed by a low groan.

"Stay down," Emma snapped and Regina grinned. "Regina." Emma's voice sounded too loud and too close. "More flying monkeys over here."

"Take care of them," Regina snapped, having her hands full keeping her own back. The sharp sound of gunfire rang out almost deafening Regina. More shrieks followed.

"Can you use that poofing thing again?" Emma called over her shoulder.

Not the way Regina had been using magic today. "No, too many of us," Regina admitted through gritted teeth. Her lie to Walsh earlier was truth now.

But Emma wasn't deterred. "Then take Henry and go."

"No way, Mom," Henry snapped. "We're not leaving you."

"No," Regina couldn't help but agree, mostly because she wasn't certain she could transport both she and Henry. She hadn't realized how much heart went into her magic. She felt weak without it. Funny, Mother had always said love was weakness. Here its absence might just get her killed. But no, she wouldn't allow that to happen to Henry. If she could knock those ridiculous beasts back far enough, they could make a run for. If they made it to the car, they might have a chance.

Then there was a whirl of green smoke in front of Regina and Zelena stepped out of it. "Hello, sis," Zelena snarled. "Going somewhere?" Zelena threw a burst of dark green magic at her.

Regina tried to block it but after her fight with Rumplestiltskin she didn't have enough raw power left to contain it all. It flung Regina back into Henry and Emma. They slammed into the wooden deck in a tangle of limbs. Emma made it up first, pointing her gun at Zelena and taking careful steps until she was between them and Zelena. "Stop it," Emma commanded. "Or I'll stop you."

Zelena laughed and made a swatting motion. It slapped the gun from Emma's hand and sent it skidding away until it dropped into the water with a loud, hollow thunk. "Still trying to save everyone even without your precious memories," Zelena taunted, then knocked her aside and marched toward Regina and Henry.

The world was still swimming around Regina and her head throbbed painfully. She tried to push herself up and get between them, but the dock tilted treacherously beneath REgain. Henry stepped forward. "I won't let you hurt her."

"Brave, foolish little boy," Zelena sneered. "I don't need to touch her." She tapped his nose and Henry jerked back.

Regina managed to lever herself up to her knees even with her head spinning. "Don't touch him," Regina snarled as she pushed herself up to her feet. She swayed and Henry caught her with an arm around her waist.

Emma slammed into Zelena from behind, sending her to the ground with Emma sprawled on top of her. Emma seemed to be intending to beat her up the same way she had the Dark One, but Zelena had no such lack of interest in carrying out what she intended to do as Rumplestiltskin had, driven only by irresistible command not the desire to do something. Zelena rolled onto her back and her hands shot out, magic flying off her fingers towards Emma. Emma who acted on instinct and threw her hands out to stop it.

Light magic, pure and bright, spilled from Emma's hands. Zelena shrieked when it hit her and curled in on herself protectively. "You haven't heard the last of me, my pretties," Zelena hissed even as she disappeared in a whirl of green smoke.

"Mom!" Henry cried as he threw his free arm around Emma. "You did it. You got your magic back."

"Yeah," Emma staggered and leaned more heavily on Henry. "Yeah, kid, and more than that too." She met Regina's eyes. "I remember." She didn't look happy though and Regina could understand. The life she had given Henry and Emma had been happy, nearly perfect. The one Emm had remembered was far from it.

"Mom," Henry was staring up at Regina with an expression full of warmth and awe. "We did it. We got her back." Henry laid his head on her shoulder and squeezed her tight. "Thanks, Mom."

Regina raised her hand awkwardly to cup his cheek. "No, thank you, my little prince, for trusting me to do it." Emma wouldn't thank her, but Henry hadn't realized it yet, and he deserved the praise. He had been such a strong, brave boy.

"Mom," Henry sounded embarrassed. Regina ignored him and kissed his forehead. Light magic exploded out from between them, surging beyond them in a visible wave of magic. Emma and Regina both gasped, Emma in surprise and Regina because of the wave of memories that washed over her. She swayed as memories of the past year came back with abrupt clarity. She remembered Zelena hunting them all and Snow's desperate sacrifice to bring them all back here to Emma so that she could save them all. It was a lot of pressure for one woman to bear and a burden that could wait a bit longer. At least until Emma was on solid ground again.

"I remember too," Regina gasped. "We need to get back to Snow." She shot Emma a glance that pleaded for her to trust Regina a little longer. "I'll explain in the car."

"Hook can ride in the trunk," Emma said. It was as close to agreement as Regina needed.

Sandwiched between his moms, an arm around each of them, they walked away together, Henry supporting them both.


Once they were in the car, Regina had called Snow. Snow, who had answered it between sharp, panted breaths and told them she was in the hospital, in labor, the reason she hadn't been feeling well that morning now apparent. They had gone straight from the docks to the hospital, Emma's jaw clenched against the sudden knowledge that she was about to be a big sister. Her knuckles had been white on the steering wheel as she tried to focus on anything but the fact that her fiancé was a flying monkey, the wonderful life she had known with her son was nothing but a lie and she had also kissed the dread Evil Queen. Or at least that was what Regina assumed.

"You let me think Snow was a crazy stalker," Emma muttered at one point, low enough that Henry, in the backseat, wouldn't be able to hear.

Regina rolled her eyes. "It was the best I could come up with at the time, dear."

Emma snorted and retorted,"I'm telling Snow."

Regina resisted the ridiculous urge to stick her tongue out at Emma. "Fine." But she didn't really mind; Emma was smiling now. That was good enough.

They were in the small waiting room now. The drive over having been uneventful. With Emma's memories returned it was easy enough to throw Hook back in his cell at the sheriff's office on the way to the hospital. "You can't do this, Swan," he had protested. "You'll regret it. You need me. I did it all for you!"

Emma had slammed the cell door with a resounding clang. "Yeah, maybe. But I didn't ask you to. I told you to back off - more than once - and you didn't listen. Doesn't sound like you did any of it for me. Sounds like you did it for yourself.

"I helped the boy. He got his memories back and came back here to save you," Hook protested. "I made Zelena promise not to hurt him."

"I don't call kidnapping him and scaring the shit out of him, protecting him," Emma said. She curled her fingers around the bars and leaned in closer. "And I don't think you want to tell me that you somehow roofied our son," she snapped with a glance over her shoulder at Regina. "And sent him - a thirteen year old boy - out into the world alone where anything could happen to him, to come back to a town where there were literal monsters who were trying to kill him and you want me to thank you?" She shook the bars.

Henry's eyes were wide as he stared at her. Regina had moved forward, resting her hand tentatively on Emma's back at the base of her spine. "Emma. Henry made it. He's safe. We'll make certain he stays that way. I promise." A scary promise but they were the words Emma needed to hear. And perhaps Henry too, standing behind them in silence with shaky knees and a too stiff spine. Her son had come through too much on nerve alone lately.

Emma let go of the bars and took a step back. It pressed her against Regina's hand but it didn't seem to bother her so Regina didn't move it. "We'll decide what to do with you later after all this is over," Emma said. "But whatever we do, stay away from me and my family. If I see you again..." Her voice shook. "You'll regret it," Emma finished.

They had left then, getting back in Emma's Beetle for the short drive to the hospital. They had seen Snow and David briefly. David looked much better than he had when Regina had left the apartment but still a little wild-eyed. Of course that could also be new father jitters. It was nothing compared to the twin horrified looks that Emma and Henry had worn.

Regina had nudged Emma and whispered, "You've done this before. Why do you look so terrified?"

"I didn't have to see me do it," Emma exclaimed. It had sounded pitiful enough that Regina had taken mercy on them a moment later and they had decamped to the hallway. Regina didn't want to watch Snow experience the miracle of life either when it came down to it. She might do something unforgivable like attempting to hug Regina or blurt something out in an excess of family feeling that would make Regina strangle her. And then Henry would be upset. All in all the waiting room had seemed safer. Only it wasn't now that Henry had grown tired of waiting and jogged down to the vending machine at the end of the hall.

Regina had been adamantly against vending machine fare when Henry admitted he hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was now late in the day. She hadn't had a response though when Henry had reminded her it was probably more sanitary and nutritious than anything they had in the cafeteria.

"Bring me something back, kid," Emma had called after him and then they had been left in silence. For the first time since Emma had returned to Storybrooke, it was awkward. Regina wasn't sure it could be anything else with all their history between them. She suddenly found herself missing that ease though, as strange and hard as it had seemed at the time.

"I, uh, suppose I should thank you," Emma said. "For helping me get my memories back."

Regina sat down in a chair and crossed her legs at the ankle, folding her hand together in her lap. "Only if you mean it."

Even though Regina's head was bowed, she couldn't miss the way Emma's head shot up or the anger barely held in check. "What do you mean? Of course I'm happy to have my memories back." Emma held out her arms. "It's great."

Regina arched a brow. "Don't try the hard sell on me, Ms. Swan."

"Emma," the mutter sounded more like an automatic response than anything. Even Emma looked surprised she had said it.

"I won't hold you responsible for anything that happened when you didn't have your memories. It wouldn't be fair. Emma." Regina said it deliberately.

"Is that why-" Emma blurted and then bit the words off. "Doesn't matter," she muttered.

"That's your decision," Regina spoke quietly, ignoring the way her stomach churned, the conversation they were having beneath the conversation.

"I'm not sure what I want," Emma said, blunt and honest again. "There's all this stuff in my head. It's hard to figure out what's real in the overlap."

"It was like that for Henry at first," Regina admitted. "But it seems to have gotten better."

Emma looked up at her hesitantly, her foot tapping and jiggling against the floor like it had a life of its own and was about to run away. "Maybe we could talk after that."

Regina nodded. "I'd like that." She pressed her hand against her chest, needing something to hold in the swell of emotion welling up. There was nothing there, no familiar thumping beat to reassure her. She couldn't imagine what this would might feel like with her heart in her chest, huge and terrifying perhaps.

She should tell Emma about her heart, Regina knew. She opened her mouth and no words came out. Regina willed them, knew it was necessary to speak them and...nothing. Instead she smiled and said, "I'm going to check on Snow. Keep an eye on Henry and don't let him eat too much junk food?"

"Of course," Emma said. The glint in her eye suggested that prevention might come in the form of Emma eating the junk food before Henry could but Regina would take what she could get.

She walked into Snow's room in a daze. The simple act of putting one foot in front of the other was surreal. The door was open a crack and Regina entered, coming to a stop at the foot of the bed.

"Regina!" Snow seemed genuinely delighted to see her. Her face had a sheen of sweat and she looked exhausted but she was glowing with excitement. "It's a boy!"

"Congratulations," Regina said as she came around the side of the bed and bent to get a better look. When Snow didn't object, she pulled back the swaddling blankets to catch a glimpse of dark hair and puffy red cheeks. He wasn't quite the cherubic newborn he would be in a few days or weeks but he would do, Regina supposed. "He's beautiful," Regina murmured the expected. "What's his name?" she asked, glancing up at Snow, still bent over him.

"We haven't decided yet actually," David said. "But we have a couple of choices we've been tossing around."

"We wanted to have a naming ceremony for him," Snow added.

Regina wondered if they had considered how Emma would feel, having missed out on this ceremony herself but watching Neal have it as she would watch him have so many of the other things she had been denied. She hoped Snow would figure it out in time. The last thing Regina wanted to be was involved. "It sounds lovely, dear," Regina lied.

"David, why don't you go get Emma and Henry," Snow suggested.

"Good idea," David agreed and bent to give both Snow and his son a kiss, one on the lips and the other on the forehead. He hesitated and cupped Snow's cheek. "You're beautiful."

Snow laughed. "And you're a sweet liar. Go," she added with a shove to get him started toward the door. There was silence for a moment and then Snow said, "Do you want to hold him?" Her head sagged back against the pillows. "I'm so tired."

Regina didn't answer, wasn't sure what to say, but she bent to take the tightly swaddled bundle from Snow anyway. She smiled at the comforting, familiar weight of a baby in her arms and then frowned. This wasn't what she wanted at all. Not at all. Regina tried to put him down. She tried to back away. She couldn't. One hand supported the babe's head correctly, the other lifted and swished back down. They disappeared in a cloud of purple even as Regina tried to fight it, tried to lock her magic down, screw the spell up, anything to make it stop happening. Snow's screams echoed in her ears long after they were gone and Regina had placed the babe in Zelena's arms.