Chapter Nine.

Emma spent most of that night watching Regina sleep; they had talked for hours before Regina finally fell asleep in Emma's arms. They had talked about the future, talked about giving Henry a baby brother or sister. Apparently if two magical people love each other, truly love each other, the baby thing is possible. Emma knew it had all been for her benefit.

She'd never done the baby thing with Henry, never done the nappy changes, late night feeds, screaming at all hours. Now that she had really got to know her son it's one thing she really regretted. Given the chance to do it all again though, she knew she wouldn't do it differently, because if she did she'd never have met Regina.

There was a soft knock at the door. She quietly got out of bed and opened the door.

"Henry…" she said.

"I had a nightmare…" he said.

"Want to sleep in here tonight?" Emma asked.

He nodded. She let him in the room, and he climbed in bed next to Regina, leaving room for Emma. She got in bed next to him, putting her arm around him; he rested his head on her shoulder.

"It'll be okay tomorrow won't it?" he said.

"Of course it will kid," Emma said, "one way or another it'll be okay."

"You have a plan?" he asked.

"I always have a plan…" Emma replied, kissing him on the head, "try and get some sleep…"

x-x-x-x

When she was sure Henry was asleep she made her way downstairs, what she wanted to do couldn't be done in her room. She made her way to one of the smaller meeting rooms.

"Here goes nothing…" she said taking a deep breath, "Rumpelstiltskin, I summon thee…"

"What can I do for you Miss Swan?" he asked with a laugh, "the life of a Princess not what you hoped for? Mummy dearest still not come round to the idea of you being in love with the Evil Regal?"

"I need your help." Emma said.

"I'd say," he said, "but just what kind of help do you want dearie?"

"This vote tomorrow…" she said, "if it goes badly…"

"Regina dies." He said with a smile.

"Yeah…" Emma said, "and I can't let that happen…"

"What's it worth to you?" he asked.

"Everything…" Emma said.

"Was afraid you were going to say that," he replied, "I can help, but…"

"All magic comes with a price, I know." She said.

"Can't really ask for your first born," he said, walking around her, "bit late for that…"

"What do you want?" she asked.

He laughed.

"Nothing," he said, "if I stand by and let this happen my grandson will be heartbroken, and that I won't stand for. Now, you have two choices…"

"Nothing?" she asked.

"Nothing," he repeated, "one time only deal."

"Okay…" she said.

"Choice one, I can influence everyone's minds during the vote tomorrow and all will be well," he said, "choice two, you can use this spell if it goes badly, and you can teleport yourself and your family away from here."

"Where would we end up?" Emma asked him.

"Therein lies the risk." He said.

"You don't know where we'd end up?" Emma asked.

"Like I said dearie, all magic comes with a price." He said, "on the other hand, you can trust them to do the right thing and you'll never have to use the spell."

"What do you think will happen?" Emma asked.

"Personally," he said, "I'd like to see her hang, but I'm a twisted person dearie."

"Get out…" Emma said.

"You summoned me remember." He said.

"And now I'm telling you to leave," Emma said, "get out."

With a laugh he was gone.

"You really thought he could help you?" Snow asked, walking into the room.

"How long have you been there?" Emma asked in reply.

"Long enough…" Snow said, "Emma, it was your idea to put it to a vote."

"Because you don't have balls big enough to make the decision yourself…" Emma said.

"That hurt…" Snow said.

"What happened to the Snow White I've been reading about, the one who was willing to die for true love?" Emma said, "What happened to her?"

"She's still here…" Snow said.

"I don't think she is…" Emma said, walking away.

x-x-x-x

With the spell safely hidden away Emma sat on the chair next to the window, looking out as the sun started to come up.

"Have you been awake all night?" Regina asked, walking over to her.

"No…" Emma said, "Yes… I couldn't sleep…"

"What have you done?" Regina asked.

"Nothing," Emma said, "I went to someone for help, but it turns out he wasn't that much help anyway."

"You summoned him?" Regina asked.

"I was out of ideas." Emma said.

"Obviously, because that is probably the stupidest thing you've ever done." Regina said, "You don't go making deals with someone like him lightly Emma…"

"He didn't want anything…" Emma said, "He'd do it for Henry…"

"He never does something for nothing Emma," Regina said, "what were you thinking?"

"Keep your voice down…" Emma said, looking at Henry sleeping in the bed, "he had a nightmare last night, couldn't sleep… he wanted to sleep in here…"

x-x-x-x

Emma was sitting next to her mother in the Great Hall as the discussion started.

"Well," Red said, standing up, "I for one think that option four is the only one we can take. There's too much at risk for anything else. I know a lot of you liked your lives here, I can understand why you're pissed off. But I didn't. I was quite happy that I couldn't remember. Regina gave me a second chance, the least we can do is do the same for her."

"I agree," said Granny standing up, "if I'm being honest, part of me misses the lives we had in Storybrooke. Indoor toilets, electricity, my diner… I say we give her another chance."

"Where do the fairies stand on this?" Snow asked the Blue Fairy.

"We have witnessed a change, for the better, within Regina," The Blue Fairy said, "she has changed…"

"She changed before though," someone else said, "that didn't last too long did it."

"One at a time," Emma said, "everyone will have their chance to say their piece."

"The change we have witnessed," The Blue Fairy continued, "is not one that is can be undone easily. She has the one thing she always wanted, to find love, and to be loved. We will be voting for option four."

"The dwarves?" Snow asked.

"We can't agree." Doc said looking at Grumpy.

"Leroy," Emma said, "please… you know people can change, you have. I know you remember what it was like to feel love… please don't take that away from me…"

"I'm not saying we hang her," Leroy said, "or even lock her up. Binding her powers seems like a…"

"Terrible idea," Rumpelstiltskin said, standing up at the back, "binding Regina's powers will kill her, eventually, it will be slow and it will be painful."

"What is he doing here?" Someone asked.

"Oh I'm sorry," he said, "I thought the notice said everyone who had been in Storybrooke was welcome to vote."

"So your vote would be option four?" Snow asked.

"No," Emma said, "his vote would be to hang…"

The hall filled with gasps and Rumpelstiltskin laughed before sitting down.

"Mine wouldn't." Belle said, standing up, "all my life people have called me a silly girl, for always having my head stuck in a book. But one thing that reading always taught me is that people can change. Some people more slowly than others. Monsters always become less scary when you realise they have a heart, and they can love. She deserves a second chance."

"Thank you…" Emma said.

"What about me," Henry said, walking in the room, "don't I get a vote?"

"Technically you weren't really affected by the curse kid," Emma said, "Me and you don't get a vote…"

"Can I have my say anyway?" Henry asked.

Emma looked at Snow.

"I don't see why not." She said.

"She's my mom," Henry said, turning around and facing everyone, Emma was glad she couldn't see his face because she had a feeling this was about to get emotional, "maybe I haven't liked her, hated what she did. But she's my mom. Before I couldn't wait to get away from her, now that's different. Maybe she was bad; she was the Evil Queen… But in every fairy tale the hero always wins… and my hero can't win, without my mom. Please don't make her try."

With that Henry ran in tears from the room.

"Kid makes a point…" Red said.

"Think we're ready to vote…" Grumpy said.

x-x-x-x

Emma knew that all the votes would be anonymous, she was thankful for that in a way. Pacing up and down outside the room where they were being counted was making her want to punch something.

"We're finished…" Snow said, opening the door and letting her in.

"And…?" she said.

"You may want to sit down." Charming said.

"Just tell me…" Emma said.

"Binding her powers took it, by one vote…" Snow said.

Emma fell to her knees and let out the most heartrenching scream Snow had ever heard.