Regina had run as fast as she could; straight up the hill towards the only other place that had given her comfort in the weeks she'd spent without a clue who she was. She stumbled in through the door; shivering against the cold she hadn't even realized was hitting the bare skin of her arms.

"Regina," Rosy gasped, dropping the cloth she'd been wiping the bench with and dashing towards the younger woman. Who wasn't really younger at all, if Regina really gave her time in the Enchanted Forest any weight. "Sweetheart, what happened?" Rosy ushered her to a seat, grabbing her coat from the coat-rack and throwing it over Regina's shoulders.

She tried to shuffle away from the woman, but she wasn't having any of it. She considered forcing her to leave and she did raise her hand; her fingers curling up with the intent to push her back but she stopped herself. She gasped at the intent, terrified that she could have made such a change so quickly.

"I remember who I am." She sobbed and Rosy's arms wrapped around her, pulling her tightly into her side as she cried into the woman's shoulder.

"Is it that you don't like what you see?"

"It's frightening." Regina whispered. She leaned back to meet Rosy's eyes and her own were red and puffy, worried this woman would run away the moment she found out and terrified that Jack was going to come barging in after her, any moment.

"I don't see how that could possibly be, darling."

"Oh, you have no idea. Jack," She stopped herself and Rosy looked at her knowingly, nodding her head as she tucked Regina closer against her, wrapping her arm around her shoulders tighter.

"So it's Jack then?" She raised her chin. "I thought so."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm an old woman, Regina, but I'm not blind." Regina found herself blushing, averting her eyes from the woman that was clearly looking right through her.

"I'm just terrified that once he understands who I really am, he'll never want to see me again."

"Oh," Rosy rubbed Regina's shoulders, attempting to warm her as she spoke. "I don't think that'll be. That boy is smitten with you." She winked. "I haven't seen him this taken in since," She faltered, looking at Regina through the corner of her eye as she pondered what to say. "Did he tell you, about her?"

"That he lost someone?"

Rosy nodded. "She was his first love." Rosy nodded. "There was an accident, he's blamed himself for a long time – it's why he keeps himself so closed off; that was until you arrived." Rosy looked straight into Regina's eyes and studied her closely for a long moment. "You know what that feels like, don't you, dear?"

Regina swallowed. "His name was Daniel." She cleared her throat; the impassive expression of the Evil Queen reducing her features to a look of calm indifference. "He was killed."

"That's a terrible burden to carry on your heart."

"I've made do." Regina stated, her tears slowly drying and the bitter twang of the Queen's stoic tongue, biting back. Rosy noticed the change in her immediately, straightening herself up in the chair as she looked her in the eye.

"Oh you poor girl," Rosy reached up, touching the side of Regina's face with a gentle hand. "Who hurt you so?"

Regina's resolve faltered and she crumbled against the table-top, her tears returning full-force as her body shook with sobs. "I don't want to be this." She cried, holding her head in her hands as Rosy rubbed her back gently. "I tried to run away from this, for Henry, but I couldn't and then I wound up here. I don't even know how. I wasn't going to step over the line, I couldn't, he was all I had." Rosy furrowed her brow, unsure of what Regina was talking about.

"What do you mean, dear?"

"It's complicated."

The bell on the door chimed and Rosy noticed it, looking over her shoulder at the new visitors, but Regina didn't seem to notice, continuing to sob into the green and white flecked table-top.

"Mom?"

Regina's heart stopped. Rosy felt her whole body tense and looked between the little boy in the doorway and the woman in her arms. Regina slowly raised her head, turning to look over Rosy's shoulder at the two that had entered the diner so quietly. The boy stood there, almost afraid to enter and the woman behind him worried her bottom lip as she watched the pair, sharing with Rosy a concerned glance.

"Henry." She gasped, struggling out from the table as the boy broke into a run towards her.

Emma watched Henry nearly knock the wind right out of Regina, his arms wrapping so tightly around her as he pressed his face against her stomach. "I thought we'd never find you." He stated, clinging tighter as Regina hugged him back.

Regina dropped to a crouch before him, unable to stop herself from touching his face, from running her fingers through his hair; unable to stop herself from checking he was real. "You came looking for me." She breathed, smiling through her tears and Henry laughed, wrapping his arms around her neck from another hug.

"Of course," He grinned, hugging her tighter and Regina met Emma's eye over Henry's shoulder. They shared a look and Emma just nodded, shoving her hands in her pockets with a shrug of her shoulders.

To Be Continued.