Chapter 10

Regina hung her towel on the hook next to the shower and stepped inside. Placing both of her palms flat against the wall on either side of the cascading waterfall, she bent head down, letting the water beat over the back of her neck and shoulders. The hot water felt amazing against her skin.

The brunette's mind kept drifting to Emma Nolan. The tabloids painted her as a rich and immature party girl. She flashed her family's money and drank enough alcohol to make many clubs in New York rich off of her patronage alone. Every picture she had seen of the blonde when she was out in public was with a different girl on her arm. She recalled the anniversary dinner when her husband was called away because he had to stop the youngest Nolan from going to jail and ruining daddy's reputation.

Regina lathered the shampoo in her hands before massaging it into her scalp. The Emma she had recently met wasn't the same girl. She still had some growing up to do, but she seemed to be more of a victim rather than the villain she had been portrayed as. After hearing the story her father had told, her heart went out to the other woman.

She grabbed her loofah and poured some body wash on it. As she lathered herself, her friend's words rang in her head. 'You like her.' Regina wanted to laugh. She no longer hated the other woman, but she wouldn't say she likes her.

Her mind went back to the morning she had woken up in the cheap motel. Emma stood only in her underwear. The image still made her stomach do somersaults. Seeing the blonde in her favorite t-shirt was enough to make her mind wander to places it shouldn't. Regina let out a shaky breath as she rinsed herself.

This was ridiculous. It was ridiculous because the doctor couldn't think of a time she had been strongly drawn to another woman before. Hell, she and Kathryn had taken many showers together growing up and she had never looked twice at her. What was it about Emma Nolan?

Just as she was rinsing the conditioner from her hair, she heard faint arguing that seemed to grow closer. Before she could actually make out who or what it was about, the bathroom door flung open, causing her to jump.

"Regina, we have to talk now!" Robin shouted.

The brunette pulled the curtain open and quickly grabbed her towel, wrapping it around herself.

"I tried to make him wait downstairs." Kathryn said glaring at the man, "But the asshat wouldn't listen."

Robin clenched his jaw as he narrowed his eyes at the blonde.

"It's all right, Kathryn." She said with a tight smile. She avoided eye contact as she pushed past him to go into her bedroom, "What do you want Robin?"

"What have you been telling my son?" Robin hissed.

Regina pulled a pair of underwear and a matching bra from the drawer of her antique chest of drawers, "What are you talking about?"

She was able to slip the underwear on without removing the towel, but unfortunately, she would have to expose herself to slip her bra on.

"I took him out today. We went to see that stupid Star Wars movie, then I took him to that damn nasty ass burger place, and what thanks do I get?" Robin was still yelling.

She clasped her bra and headed for the closet to grab her clothes, "Henry would be thrilled that you spent the day with him." She said, not sure what the man was fuming about.

"Oh, he acted like he had the time of his life, but then when I ask him if he wants me to come home and for us to be a family, the little shit tells me that he doesn't want me to." He said walking into the closet behind Regina and grabbed her arm. She gasped at the unexpected move, "What did you say to him?"

Jerking her arm away she marched out of the closet, "Keep your fucking hands off me." She turned to face him, "I haven't said anything to 'our' son. I would never say anything like that to him. Unlike you, I keep my opinions to myself."

Robin followed her toward the bed, "Then, why would he say that?"

"I don't know Robin, did you ask him?" Her blood was boiling and she wanted to be fully dressed when she was forced to be in the same room as this man. She slipped her legs into her pinstriped dress pants and pulled them up.

"Yeah, I did. He said because you weren't happy being with me." He clenched his jaw.

Regina pulled on her silver button up shirt and paused for a second, letting his words sink in. She would never have told Henry any of that, but he was a very observant child and had always been able to figure things out on his own.

"The ungrateful shit had the nerve to tell me I didn't deserve you." He snorted in disbelief, "He told me to stay away from you before he ran out of the restaurant.

Regina was tucking in her shirt when she turned back, "When he ran out? Robin where is Henry?"

"I don't fucking know!" He spat.

Her temper got the better of her and she shoved the man making him stumble back toward the door. Her heart began to pound, "What do you mean you don't know? You just let him wander around in Houston by himself? He's nine-years-old for God's sake!"

Robin gritted his teeth and stood straighter, "He thinks he's a big boy, so let him find his own way home."

Tears were welling up in Regina's eyes. Not only was she scared not knowing where her child was, but she was absolutely dumbfounded by his father's behavior, "Did you at least call the cops?"

"We are not calling the cops. The last thing Mr. Nolan needs is to hear how his lawyer's kid can't behave." He said as his phone started ringing in his pocket.

Regina could see Kathryn standing in the doorway. She was texting on her phone and she assumed she was trying to reach Henry.

The brunette looked back at her soon-to-be-ex-husband who was pulling his phone from his breast pocket. He had assigned a specific ringtone for David Nolan. It had been the same annoying one he has had for ten years, "Don't answer that phone, Robin. Our son needs you."

The man ignored her, "What can I do for you, Mr. Nolan?"

Regina was furious. Her son was out somewhere in downtown Houston alone and here he was answering that stupid phone. She glanced out the window and could see the sun was fading fast. She was supposed to be heading into the clinic to help her dad with paperwork, but all she could think about was Henry out there somewhere, alone and afraid.

"No sir, it's not a problem at all. I will head straight to the airport." Robin said before ending his call.

"Robin Locksley, you can't leave without finding our son," Regina said crossing her arms over her chest.

Robin slipped the phone back into his coat pocket, "He's your problem now. I have to catch a flight to London. I'll be back sometime next week." He turned and started out the door.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She was flabbergasted. This man had been fighting her tooth and nail in court for his parental rights to Henry and now he was leaving for a work trip with no clue where their only child was.

He ignored her and walked down the hallway, passing Kathryn on his way out. She shook her head and looked at him with sheer disgust.

Regina screamed, "I FUCKING HATE YOU!"

He slammed the front door as he left. The brunette dropped down on the bed as she started to cry. How could she have ever married that asshole? How had she not seen that this is who he had always been? Because she was blind and stupid, that's how. She thought she had actually been in love with the creep. Now the thought of him made her physically ill.

Kathryn was at her side with her arm wrapped around her best friend, "We'll find him, okay?"

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Killian walked into the office with a smirk on his face, "Hey boss. I heard you and that hottie, Dr. Locksley have been spending some time together."

Emma rushed over to him, curling her fist over his shirt's collar and slammed him up against the brick wall, "So, you're the one who's been fucking spying on me."

Confusion washed over the man's face, "What are you talking about?"

"Somebody has been telling my father and Robin my every fucking move." She was angry. She hated not being able to trust anyone. She hated that she cared that she couldn't trust anyone. Before, she wouldn't give two shits what people told her father or what they thought of her, but now she did and it was aggravating.

Killian put his hand up in defeat but his befuddled expression remained, "I would never betray you like that, love."

"Am I'm just supposed to believe you?" She asked pushing him harder against the brick wall.

"Yeah, you are. Look, I would never ever go against Will and if I betrayed you, I betray him. You know me better than that. And why the hell would I tell David Nolan a damn thing?"

Emma was finding it hard to read him, she desperately wanted to believe him, "Because he could have promised you something or have some dirt on you."

The bearded man stared at her for a second and then let a chuckle rumble from his throat, "I can promise you that David Nolan has nothing that I want, and even if he had something on me, I wouldn't sink that low. I have done tons of bad things in my life Em, but I would rather sell my soul to Satan himself before I ever strike a deal with your father."

The blonde's glare remained, but she slowly released him. Her ribs were now throbbing, but she didn't care, "Someone inside is leaking information to him."

Killian straightened his shirt and cleared his throat, "I'll get to the bottom of it."

She frustratingly rubbed her hand down her face. Emma was finding her decision to come back to be a stupid move. Nothing had been going right and it felt like everything was falling apart around her. She felt paranoid to a certain degree because she had no clue who was trustworthy and who wasn't. Anton was the only one she trusted and she knew he wasn't the mole.

"Look Em, I will do whatever I need to prove to you that I wouldn't go behind your back. Shit has been heavy around here lately." Killian scratched the back of his neck, "There are a few things I've wanted to talk to you about concerning Will's death, but things haven't slowed down for me to get the chance and to tell you the truth, I wasn't sure how serious you were about taking over this place."

Emma turned to look at him. She wasn't sure she could deal with anything else right now, "What about it?" No one had discussed any details of how Will died, other than when August told her he had been shot. With everything else that has been going on, she hadn't thought about it much.

"Not now, Em. I promise we will discuss it, but right now we need to deal with this leak. I promise I'll find it and handle it." Killian moved towards the door.

Emma didn't look at him as he exited the room. She still didn't know if she could fully trust him. Not because she thought he was lying, but because she didn't know him anymore. Ten years is a long time to be away and people can change a lot in that time.

She leaned her shoulder into the metal support beam of the glass wall and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. She discovered that the power had been turned off. Well, that would explain why no one has called her. She pressed the power button and waited for the phone to come on.

Emma watched Killian walked towards the bar. She probably put him in a bad mood for the evening, but this wasn't something that could be taken lightly. She saw Tink moving towards him and he stopped her. By the look on her face, she didn't take it well.

Suddenly her phone pinged, alerting her of a text message. A second later, several more pings rang out and she looked down at her phone. She had three missed text messages and two voicemails. She checked her texts first and saw they were from Henry. The time stamps were after midnight and she was at the warehouse at that time. His messages all said the same thing. He needed to talk to her about something important.

She heard quick taps on her door. Anton walked in looking panicked, "We have a problem." She watched him rushed over to her desk and grabbed the TV remote, turning on the flat screen that was mounted in the corner of the room where the glass met the brick.

A picture of the dark-haired man she had killed was on the screen, "If you have any information on the where about of Albert Blackwell, please contact the Houston PD." The new report said.

The blonde's eyes grew wide. How could this day possibly get any worse?

Anton paused the screen, "Not only is this going to stir up some unwanted heat around here, but you do know who that boy is?"

Emma stared at the image. He didn't look like much of a boy to her, but then again she was closer to the man's age than the rest of the people she was around, "No, but I'm sure you're going to give me more bad news."

"Robert Gold's nephew." He said.

The blonde closed her eyes, "Fuck." Her words came out as a whisper, but the feeling behind them might as well have been screaming.

Robert Gold was a big business tycoon, like her father. As a matter of fact, Mr. Gold and her father were constantly competing with one another. But it felt like a war. He was equally rich and powerful. Some might even say he is more ruthless than her own father.

"I fucking killed a Gold." She said.

"Shhhh!" Anton hissed out. "Don't ever say those words again. I'll figure this out, but for the time being, you have to stay clear of the warehouse or anything else that would tie you to this, do you understand?" He insisted.

The blonde wasn't sure what he meant by that, but she would heed his advice. She had no interest in returning to that warehouse anytime soon, "I hear you."

He nodded, put the remote back down on the desk and walked out the door. Her heart was racing and she felt like she was going to pass out. She should have stayed in New York. She didn't ask for this life. Emma found herself wanting to curse her brother for dying on her, but she quickly let the thought go.

Emma clicked the voicemail icon on her phone and put it to her ear.

"You have two new messages. First message: Hey Em, it's Henry. I really, really need to talk to you about something. Call me back when you get this."

Emma smiled to herself. She didn't know what was so important, but she liked hearing the kid's voice. So far, it seemed meeting the little boy had been the only happy thing about her return.

She was expecting the next message to be the boy again, "Next message: Hi, Miss Nolan, I mean Emma." It was Regina and she sounded nervous and as if she might have been crying, "Um, I didn't know who else to call." There was a pause and Emma found herself holding her breath as she waited, "Henry's missing…"

The blonde didn't wait to hear the rest of the message. She ended the call and went to her missed call log and dialed the number Regina called her from.

"Henry?" Regina asked. Emma could hear the desperation in her voice.

"No, it's Emma." She replied softly.

"I didn't mean to bother you, I just didn't..." Regina started as she sniffled.

"Hey, it's no problem. I'm sorry I didn't call back sooner, but I realize my phone was off," she explained.

"I only called you less than 10 minutes ago." The brunette said.

"Did you call the police?" Emma asked.

What sounded like a sob mixed with a choked out laugh came across the line, "Robin doesn't want me to."

Emma closed her eyes. Everything about the Nolan lifestyle was getting old fast. Yep, her father must truly be proud of what he created with Robin Locksley, "Okay. Where does he like to hang out or somewhere he might like to go to be alone?"

"Do you think I would be calling you if I knew that?" Regina snapped. Emma flinched, but she knew the woman was drowning in worry.

"Where was he last seen?" She asked.

"Some burger joint off of Fannin. He was with Robin." Emma could hear the annoyance when the older woman said his name.

Emma wondered how Robin could lose his kid, but she let the thought go. It wouldn't help them now. She tried to see a map of that part of Houston in her head. There wasn't much around that would interest a nine-year-old…wait, "Regina, I think I know where he might be, but I don't know for sure. Let me run down there and check it out, if he's there I'll let you know."

"Please hurry." Emma could hear the woman was losing the fight with her tears and it made her heart clench.

"I'll find him. I promise." She said before hanging up the phone.

The blonde grabbed her jacket and rushed down the stairs. All the other stress in her life had completely disappeared and her only thought was finding Henry and safely returning him to his mother.

She tapped Killian on the shoulder as she passed, "I have something I have to go and take care of."

The man looked as though he wanted to argue, but he could see the look in his boss' eyes, "Not a problem. I can handle things here."

"Anton, Mulan, and Graham are the only three that know about the leak, let's keep it that way." She whispered.

"Aye Aye." The man said. Yep, he definitely reminded her of a pirate.

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Henry kicked at the small gravel that littered the sidewalk. The zoo was closed before he got there so he just walked around the entrance, looking at the flyers that were plastered to the gates. He had read the rules and guidelines so many times he could recite them by heart.

Being here alone was better than being at his dad's house. He was pretty sure his dad was going to blow up at him when he did finally make it back, but he didn't want to leave. Henry didn't even want to look at his dad's face. He had had so much fun when he came here with the blonde, but now he felt like she was avoiding him like the plague.

Why didn't anyone want him? He worked hard to get good grades, and he tried to be on his best behavior—respectful, obedient and polite. He had met lots of other kids who were way worse. This one kid his age, tells his mother to shut up and he doesn't get in trouble for it. This little girl named Ava hits her dad when she gets mad, and he laughs about it. Henry could've been like them.

He plopped down on a bench that sat a few yards from the gates. The rain had stopped, but the pavement still glistened with the aftermath. He heard a howler monkey calling from somewhere behind the gates and he smiled. He remembered the monkey faces that he and Emma had made when they were watching them. Emma was silly, and he liked it.

Headlights bounced off him as a car turned into the empty parking lot. He didn't bother looking up. No one knew he was here, besides there was no one to care. He closed his eyes, fighting the tears. He knew his mom cared, but he didn't want her to worry about him and he didn't want to cry in front of her. That would only make her sad and he couldn't take that right now.

"Hey, kid?" A familiar voice called to him.

Henry opened his eye in time to see Emma sit down on the bench next to him, "Emma? What are you doing here?"

She gently leaned back against the bench and looked up at the evening sky, "I was looking for you."

Henry looked down at the wet concrete and sighed, "How did you know I would be here?"

He could see the blonde shrug out of the corner of her eye, "It's where I would go if I wanted to get away."

Henry looked up at her, "Really? Why?"

She kept her gaze upwards, "Because it feels safe here and the animals won't share any of my secrets."

The boy nodded, "Yeah." He chewed his bottom lip before asking, "Are you mad at me or something?"

Emma's eyes shot in his direction, "No, why would I be?"

"Because you didn't answer my texts or my call." He said with watery eyes.

"I'm sorry about that. I wasn't ignoring you. I was just crazy busy last night and I didn't realize my phone was turned off. I didn't get your messages until a while ago." She nudged him with her elbow, "When I gave you my number and said you could call, I meant it, okay?"

The boy nodded his head and genuinely smiled at her. He mirrored the way the blonde was sitting and looked up at the sky, "I don't want to go back to my dad's."

"So we won't go back to your dad's." She said nonchalantly.

Henry turned his head to look at her, "Where will you take me?"

Emma turned to look back at him, "There is this beautiful woman I know who has been worried sick about you."

Henry frowned. He had hoped she didn't know he was gone, "Oh."

The blonde furrowed her brows, "Oh? Don't you want to see your mom?"

Henry sat up straight in his seat, "Yeah, but dad will only give her problems if I go there."

"Not this time kid. He is hopping on a flight to London in 15 minutes. The time you were supposed to stay with him will be over by the time he gets back." She said with a small smile.

Henry sighed, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure kid, what is it?" She asked still looking up at the sky.

He hesitated. He didn't want his question to upset her, but he did want to know, "Is it hard not having anyone?"

The blonde turned to look at him, "What do you mean?"

Henry bit lightly at his bottom lip, "Well, I mean not having anyone who loves you?" He grimaced at how the question sounded out loud and tried to reword it, "What I mean to ask is, is it hard not having your mom around?"

He watched the woman with caution. It took her a minute to reply and he could tell she was struggling with her thoughts, "Umm, well, my mom's been gone for a long time." She swallowed again, "But yeah, it's still hard."

Henry could see the way her eyes had become glossy and he looked down, "I saw a picture of your mom in a magazine once. She was very pretty."

He saw the blonde turn her head and he knew she must be wiping her eyes, "Yeah, well, I wouldn't know anything about that." She stood up from the bench and let out a breath of air.

Henry knitted his eyebrows together, "What do you mean?"

She gave him a sad smile, "I don't remember what she looked like." She cleared her throat and held out her hand, "Come on kid, let's get you home. Your mom's been waiting long enough."

The boy saw that the taxi was still waiting for her to return. He smiled up at the blonde and took her hand. He frowned at the thought that she didn't remember what her mom looked like. That had to be horrible. He found it hard to believe that he could ever forget what his mom looked like.

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Regina paced the front entryway, chewing on her bottom lip. Emma had texted her to let her know that she had found Henry and was bringing him home, but that was nearly an hour ago. Her stomach was in knots and she didn't know if she wanted to cry or throw up.

Kathryn sat cross-legged in the armchair, chewing her fingernail and watching her best friend wearing down the hardwood floor. Regina was well aware that her friend was equally stressed out, but she had no comfort to offer, she didn't even have the comfort to offer herself. Between worrying about her son and wishing her husband a slow and painful death, she hadn't had much time for anything else.

Headlights shone through the window, alerting her that a car had arrived. She felt the knots tightening in her stomach as she reached for the door. Emma was coming up the steps with her son on the blonde's hip and his head resting on her shoulder. By the way, his head bobbed, she could tell Henry was asleep.

"Oh thank God!" She said as a relieved tear escaped.

Emma stopped briefly to let her see her son, "I'm sorry, the traffic is horrible. The rodeo is going on."

Regina ushered the younger blonde into the house. Kathryn hurried over and kissed the boy's head. Her baby was home, that was all the brunette cared about.

She reached to take her son from Emma, and he slowly began to rouse.

"Hey, sweetheart." She whispered, pulling his small lanky body into her arms.

He opened his sleepy eyes, "Hey."

"Hey, kiddo," Kathryn said smiling.

Regina held him tightly as she kissed his forehead. More tears were threatening to spill, but she forced them back. She looked over at Emma who was watching them with a curious expression, "Thank you."

Emma gave tight smile, "Anytime."

"Why don't we get you to bed?" Regina whispered to her son.

The boy's head popped up and he grabbed Emma's shirt, "Will you come up too?"

Regina was surprised, but not as surprised as the younger woman. She could see her tensed up and not knowing what to say. The brunette knew that Emma was waiting for her permission, "It's okay."

Regina climbed up the stairs with her son still in her arms. He was getting a little too big to be carried, but right now she didn't care. He was home and he was safe, it's all she wanted.

She walked into his dark bedroom and flipped the light switch on. Regina sat her son down on the bed and walked over to the dresser to get his pajamas ready.

"What do you think of my room?" He asked his voice laced with excitement.

She knew he was talking to the blonde and she noticed the way Emma held her side, "It's pretty cool kid."

Regina pulled out the Sponge Bob pajamas her father had gotten for him as she watched Emma walk around the room looking at everything. She smiled to herself at how the blonde pretended that this room was new to her.

"So you like dinosaurs?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, they're awesome. Come to think of it, I like anything that has to do with science." Henry said.

Regina walked over to her son and pointed at his shirt, "Off."

He did as he was told, but continued talking to the blonde, "I did a science project once on gravity, I won first place." His last word was muffled slightly as Regina pulled the Sponge Bob top down over his head.

"That's awesome, but I wouldn't expect any less. You're a smart kid." Emma said looking at all of the boy's dinosaurs up close.

Pride filled Regina's chest. Her son was very smart. She wasn't saying it just because she was his mother, but she had witnessed the things he was capable of.

"Pants," Regina said.

Henry stood up and shuffled out of his jeans, "Were you bad at school?"

Emma's laughter caught her attention. The brunette didn't expect her to laugh to sound so sweet, "Um, no. I actually did pretty well in school."

"Really?" Her son asked pulling up his pajama pants.

"Don't act so shocked. It was the only thing I had to take my mind off…" Regina didn't miss the trail off, "Anyways, yes I had good grades."

The brunette pulled the covers back and Henry settled underneath, "Could I have a glass of water please?"

Regina knew it was just his way of wanting more time with Emma, but instead of arguing with him, she smiled, "Of course."

She stepped out of his bedroom and walked the short distance to the small bathroom. Henry had his own personal cup on the counter for when he got thirsty in the middle of the night. She turned on the faucet and filled the glass hallway before turning it off.

As she started back towards the bedroom she could hear her son's voice, "Emma?"

"Yeah, kid?" She heard Emma reply.

"Why do our dads hate us?" Regina stopped just short of the doorway and pressed her back to the wall. A lump formed in her throat. That was the worst question any child should ever think about let alone ask.

"I don't know. Maybe dads just suck." The blonde said.

"I don't think all dads do. Grandpa was an awesome dad to my mom." She smiled at Henry's defense of her father.

"I'm sure he was. When I was a little girl I used to wish he was my dad too." She could hear the longing in the other woman's voice.

There was a moment of silence and she started to move towards the room when Henry spoke again, "My dad tried to trick me today."

"Oh?" Emma said.

"Yeah. He spent the whole day with me just so I would go and beg mom to take him back." Henry's tone was a little cold.

"How did that work out for him?" Emma voice got closer, but then stopped so she could only assume the blonde had sat down on the bed.

"It didn't. I told him to stay away from her. He told me I was an ungrateful little shit because I want my mom to be happy." Henry hissed.

There was another sweet laugh from the blonde and Regina had to close her eyes, "Well, you know what I say? I say your mom is too good for him. She is far too pretty to be stuck with his ass anyways. As far as him calling you an ungrateful little shit, fuck him. What does he know? You're the greatest nine-year-old I've met and if he can't see that then fuck him. You don't need him."

Regina wanted to scold the blonde for using that kind of language around her child, but Henry was now laughing, "You're right, I don't need him. All I need is Mom, Grandpa, Aunt Kathryn and you." He paused for a second and then said, "I came to see you last night."

"What? Henry, you have to stop running around this town alone. It's not safe." Concern was evident in the blonde's voice.

"My dad knows about what happens to my mom and Aunt Kathryn." He said, making Regina's stomach dropped.

"Uh, I'm not sure what you're talking about?" She didn't know Emma that well but she would have been able to tell she was lying.

"I'm not stupid Em. I saw a file on my dad's computer that said that some men did bad things to my Aunt Kathryn and they would have hurt my mom too, but you saved her." Her son's voice was low.

There was another pause before Emma answered, "Yeah, well I should have saved your Aunt too, but I couldn't."

"Why not?" The boy asked.

She heard the blonde take a deep breath, "I didn't know she was there."

"That man the other day? The one who beat you up? He was talking about my mom wasn't he?" He asked.

"I shouldn't be talking to you about this, kid." She heard the other woman say uncomfortably.

"Come on Em. I can't talk to my mom about this." He whined.

There was another sigh from the blonde, "Yes, he was talking about your mom and he was mad that I had embarrassed him and ruined his plans."

The brunette took that as her cue to enter. She didn't think Emma would share any real detail with her son, but she couldn't risk it. The blonde was lying on top of the covers next to the boy with her feet crossed at the ankles and her finger laced together over her stomach. They were sharing a pillow. Henry was under the covers but his hands copied Emma's. It was an adorable sight and Regina had to force herself to interrupt them, "Okay, drink this and then it's time for bed."

Emma rolled over on her side to face the kid as he groans, "Can't Emma stay a little longer?"

Emerald eyes met brown ones, rendering her momentarily speechless. So Emma answered, "We will see each other later kid. Right now you need to listen to your mom and get some sleep."

Henry nodded his head, "Okay."

That had been a little easier than she thought it should have been, but at least he agreed. She walked over leaning in to kiss his head, "Sweet dreams my prince."

"Goodnight mom. Goodnight Emma." He said.

"Goodnight kid." The blonde said climbing out of the bed and moving towards the door.

Regina turned off the light and closed the door. She felt even more exhausted than she had this morning. Her stress level was through the roof. She wasn't sure she would survive one more thing going wrong.

Silently she led the blonde down the stairs. Her intentions were to thank her again and bid her a good evening, but as they passed the kitchen Kathryn called out, "In here, you two."

Regina and Emma both stopped, giving each other a quick glance and then turning into the kitchen. Kathryn had three mugs of coffee made and sitting on the island.

"You might as well have a nightcap before you go, right?" The older blonde asked.

Emma smiled shyly but picked up a mug. The brunette eyed her friend with suspicion, but Kathryn pretended not to notice.

Everyone pulled up a stool and sat down as Kathryn's eyes drifted over to the youngest Nolan, "Where did you find Henry?"

Emma lowered the steaming cup from her mouth, "Uh, the zoo."

Regina tilted her head, "The zoo? It closes at seven."

"He knows. He was hanging around the gates." The youngest woman replied.

"That's a strange place to go when you're angry," Kathryn said into her cup.

"Not really." Emma said, both women now staring at her, "I mean, sometimes you go where you feel the happiest."

Kathryn knitted her brows together, "Why would that be where he is the happiest?"

Regina closed her eyes for a second and then answered, "I used to take Henry there a lot when he was smaller. Every time he was upset about Robin, that's where he would want to go. I told him once that it was where my happiest memories of my mom were." She turned her head to wipe a tear before anyone could see it, but emerald eyes were on her and she knew the younger blonde had seen everything.

"Mine too," Emma said quietly. Regina was sure she hadn't meant to say it out loud so she didn't ask her to elaborate. It was sometimes hard for her to talk about her own mother so she could just imagine how Emma felt when it came to talking about hers.

"I'm just glad you found him," Regina said, changing the subject.

"I'm just glad I was right." She said, taking another sip of her coffee.

Regina chewed on her bottom lip as she tried to think of something else to say. Kathryn caught her eye and she looked up at the woman smirking at her, "So, Emma, you seeing anyone?"

Regina jaw fell open but quickly shut it.

The younger blonde cleared her throat, "No, I'm not. I'm sort of taking a break from the dating world, you could say."

Regina glared at the older blonde for asking, "Well, that makes two of us. I would rather concentrate on my son," She said to her friend before looking back down at her coffee, "Instead of worrying about dating."

She watched Emma wet her lips as if she were nervous, "I should probably get going. The club opened a little while ago and…"

"Don't you have people running it for you?" Kathryn interrupted.

"Well, yeah, but…" She started.

"Then, they can do without you for a little longer." The older blonde smiled over the mug. Regina knew that tone. She liked to use it as an intimidation tactic. The brunette was sure her friend should have been a car dealer or a lawyer.

Emma didn't answer, instead, she smiled tightly and stared down into her mug. Regina could tell she was uncomfortable. There was a heavy awkward silence in the air and of course, Kathryn felt the need to fill it, "So, Emma?"

Regina shot her eyes over to her friend. Trepidation weighing on her as she waited to see what would pour from her mouth next.

"What nights are you free from the club?" She asked with a glint in her eye.

The brunette chewed lightly at her lower lip as she let her eyes move to younger blonde.

"I'm not sure. I haven't really had time to discuss a proper schedule with Killian yet, I mean with everything that's been going on." The green eyes met Regina's but then looked away.

Kathryn smiled a brilliant smile, "As soon as you find out, you should let me know. You could swing by for dinner on one of your night off."

Regina's eyes widened and she noticed that the youngest woman's eyes did too, "Kathryn." She warned.

"What?" The older blonde asked innocently.

Emma stood up from the stool, "Umm, I don't know. I probably shouldn't."

"Oh, come on. Henry would love for you to come, and we could invite Dr. Mills. You two seemed close." Kathryn's smile remained.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Regina said. She didn't want the other woman to feel obligated to hang out with her son.

"I think that would be an excellent idea, Regina." Her father's voice called from the doorway.

"Daddy. I suppose you were stuck in traffic too?" Regina asked as she went over to her father and hugged him.

"Yep. Sorry about that. How's Henry doing?" He said, sounding tired.

Regina let go of her father and smiled lightly, "He's safe, thanks to Emma." She glanced over at the younger blonde who gave a modest smile. "He's asleep now."

"Would you like some coffee Dr. Mills?" Kathryn asked.

"No, thank you, dear. If I drink coffee this late in the evening I will never go to sleep." He replied as he made his way over to the island.

Regina watched as her father placed a hand on the younger woman's shoulder, "Hey there ugly duckling, how are you doing?"

"I'm better sir. I was just getting ready to leave so you can spend time with your family." Emma said. Her smile didn't reach her eyes and it made Regina frown.

"We are all family here, Emma. You should stay. We owe you a great deal for finding Henry and returning him safely." Regina agreed full heartedly with her father's words. Well, the last part anyways.

"No, I really have to go, but thank you." A sad smile played at her mouth as she glanced around at everyone and started for the door. She turned around, "And you don't owe me anything." Her eyes moved around to each person in the room until they stopped at Regina's, "If anything, I owe you." She said before she turned to leave.

Regina was speechless. The sincere look that was in Emma's eyes was evident. This was not the girl she read about in the tabloids. Before her brain could comprehend what her body was doing she hurried after the other woman, catching her at the front door.

She found her hand lightly grabbing the blonde's elbow and the younger woman turned around. For a moment, the brunette searched the green eyes for words. She dropped her hand and cleared her throat lightly, "Thank you again, for finding Henry."

Emma nodded her head and smiled, "It's no problem, I'm just glad he's safe."

The blonde turned to open the door and Regina touched her arm again, "Umm, what Kathryn said, about dinner. Maybe one day, this week you can come by." She wanted to roll her eyes at herself as she felt a blush creep up her neck to her ears, "Henry would be thrilled."

Another smile came across the other woman's face, but this time it was genuine, "Of course, I'd love to. Just tell me when."

Regina could only smile back as she let the blonde leave. As soon as she closed the door, she leaned back into it and sighed. What was the hell it with this woman? Her brain seemed to malfunction and she had to shake her head.

Once she was able to calm her heart rate, she pushed herself away from the door and walked back towards the kitchen. She could desperately use a glass of wine. She knew where an unopened bottle was located.

As she walked into the kitchen she looked up to see two sets of eyes on her. Her friend's gleamed to match the smirk she wore while her father was more of curiosity.

"What?" She couldn't stop the pink that now colored her cheeks.

"So, which night should I make myself scarce?" Kathryn asked her lips still curled up.

Regina rolled her eyes, "You're not leaving me alone. This was your idea, remember?"