Regina worked endlessly to put as much distance between herself and Henry and Emma. She spent most of her days either in her room, in the library with the doors locked, or gathering her belongings. There wasn't much she owned that she truly cared about, which made it easy to prepare herself to leave.

There were times when she could hear the voices of her guests talking or laughing, and her desire to know what it was about almost took control. Although she'd be invited, in a way, she remained in her chambers. Her last encounter with Elphaba had been both an eye-opener, and somewhat jarring in terms of identity. Although, her inner self knew that on some level, Elphaba was right. She was the Dark One- a side of herself she often discounted. On top of that, she was the Queen, ruler of the Enchanted Forest. She couldn't afford to show weakness.

When the evening of the sixth day arrived, and the laughter from the others rang in her ears, Regina made a snap decision. It was an easy solution to such a trivial problem, she wondered she why hadn't gone through with it before. She was sure her mother would be proud- for once.

Regina's pacing slowed to a complete stop as she held out her arms. In one hand, a box appeared; it's labyrinthine design mirrored that of a vine and spun around its entire body. It was subtle, yet elegant and it provided the one service Regina needed most: a safe home for her heart.

In her other hand, a pink glow transmitted through her palm and up to her fingers, ready to recover the small vessel from her chest. She wasn't thinking of the longterm ramifications. There was no room for error or unnecessary feelings, it had to be done. It was the only way.

Regina stood facing her balcony as she prepped herself for the extraction. The early evening sunset flooded her room with orange and pink beams of light. The indigo sky lit up the entire forest. For a second, it sent Regina back to when she was younger and would watch the sun set completely with Daniel, her first love.

The Queen shook off the foolish nostalgia and focused on the matter at hand. With the box open and her magic ready, Regina began to reach for her chest, her eyes shut tight. Her own organ pounded in her ears louder than ever before. She was almost there, too, when her door flew open. Instant humiliation washed over her as she froze like ice, too disgraced to move.

"Hey, Regina we were..." Emma cut herself off. She only had a view of Regina's back, but it was obvious something was going on. "Uh, are you-"

"What?!" Regina snapped in a splintering tone. She felt her cheeks fill with heat as she refused to turn around.

Emma wanted to move forward, but something held her back. "I'm sorry I didn't knock, we just- sorry, are you ok?" She couldn't finish her thought without knowing if Regina was truly all right. There was an odd vibe coming from her, something Emma couldn't quite pinpoint. While Regina stayed unmoving, Emma took a chance and approached the brunette cautiously.

Regina heard Emma's footsteps behind her and suddenly felt trapped. She was about get caught in the most hideous act of cowardice. "Stay where you are!" Regina cried anxiously.

"Reg- Your Majesty?"

"State your business and leave!"

Much like Regina, Emma halted her movements. Unsure of what to do, she wrung her hands together and tried to sound as normal as possible. "I- we- do you wanna join us?" she spit out. Her inhibitions were gone, and boldness had taken its place. "There's cookies and cider," she enticed.

"No," Regina replied without missing a beat. "Now go!"

The frantic tone in Regina's voice made Emma cringe slightly, as it was something completely different. Then again, she didn't know the woman very well; she hardly knew her at all. "Are you sure you're-"

Without warning, Regina dropped the box and spun around to face Emma; steam came out of her ears and Emma started back tracking. Another fireball swayed in Regina's hand. "Are you really such an imbecile? I told you to get out, now leave!" she pointed to the door.

Although scared out of her mind, Emma caught her footing and stood tall. "You know, a simple 'No thank you' would have been cool. You don't have to do all that," she commented, her eyes on the wild flames. "Now come on, I know it's not fun being locked in here by yourself. It's ok, we're not gonna bite." Regina had nothing to say, but she had plenty to do. With Emma's back to the door, Regina magically opened it and sent the blonde flying through. She never looked back, and the last thing she heard was her evicted guest shouting through the dense walls, "I'll take that as a 'no thank you!'"

Although she was jarred, Emma returned to the rest of the group with a simple shrug. "She said no," she informed the expectant gallery. They'd moved in several chairs to accompany their members; Henry sat to Charming's right, and Snow to his left. Hook positioned a chair across from the boy, and Emma somehow ended up at the tip of their bizarre pentagon.

The light in Henry's eyes faded as he learned his mother didn't want to be with them. Back in Storybrooke, Regina would have jumped at the chance to be with Henry; she would have fought to be with him, but now... Now she avoided him like the plague. The congeniality he'd received on their first two days vanished. "Maybe I could try?" Henry offered half-heartedly. "She'd listen to me."

"That might not be the best idea," Charming said before Emma could respond. The Prince hung his head low and his voice fell into his shirt as he sighed loudly. "If she wishes to remain in her room, then so be it. For your safety, I'd recommend you stay here."

"Charming," Snow tried to cut in.

But he didn't budge. Charming didn't want to see anyone get hurt. "No, Snow. You know she's dangerous."

"No she's not!" Henry shot angrily. He knew these weren't the same people from Storybrooke, the ones who'd seen how much Regina had changed, but that didn't matter. They didn't know Regina like he did; they didn't know his mother. "She won't hurt me!" he protested.

Charming shook his head patronizingly, "With all do respect, you're new here. The Queen is not to be antagonized. It's best if you maintain space between yourselves."

Henry leapt out of his chair at the contempt in Charming's voice. He's breathing was shallow and his face was red; a reaction he wasn't used to. Henry never got mad, and the few times he did, it never lasted long. But this was different. His own grandfather- Prince Charming- was calling Regina a hazard.

Henry wanted to say something in response, but he couldn't formulate the words that bounced off the walls of his mind. It was Emma who stepped in and supported her son. "Look, he's just a kid, ok? I doubt she'll try anything on him." Her hand rested on Henry's shoulder in a calming manner, and soon, his breathing returned to normal.

"Of course," Snow nodded. "I'm sure if you take him, he'll be all right."

While she wasn't sure if it was a compliment of her parenting or just a general sentiment, Emma felt a wave of gratitude towards the long haired-woman. She'd often imagined what it would have been like to bond with her mother. Was this what it was?

"You'd risk your safety for a woman you barely know?" Charming asked incredulously.

With his chest puffed out, Henry clenched his jaw. "You did it for my mom."

All the way through the castle, Henry walked with Emma in near silence. The mother and son hardly uttered two words, but not out of frustration or anger, mostly because neither knew what to say. Emma had just witnessed her only child stand up for someone she'd never met- someone she didn't remember. The pure confidence that emitted from Henry's small form, that somehow convinced a Prince, astounded the blonde. She'd learned many things during her trip to this world, including that it existed, but nothing measured up to what she'd learned from Henry.

When she finally formed some motherly advice, Emma released it in a whisper. "Remember, it's no big deal if she says no. We can try again tomorrow."

Henry's shoes scuffling on the concrete floors was the only thing he'd been focused on. He really wasn't listening to Emma. "Ok."

"And, uh, if she starts to throw fire at you, just run, ok?"

"She won't," Henry mumbled confidently.

Finally, after trailing through the large palace, they arrived at Regina's door. This time, there were two more guards in front of her room. All three of them peered down at the boy through their black masks. "Can I see the Queen?" Henry asked virtuously.

"State your reason," one of the soldiers growled.

Slightly startled, Henry answered in a meek voice. "I wanted to invite her over to eat."

The trio of metal-clad men all glanced at each other before the one closest to the door knocked. After a few awkward seconds, the only thing separating them and the Queen flew open; sure enough, Regina was on the other end. With one distasteful look at Emma, the brunette rolled her eyes. "I thought I made myself clear-" Regina stopped when she saw Henry on the blonde's arm.

Putting on a brave front, Henry boldly addressed the rigid woman. "Hey," he smiled. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was hoping you'd want to come with us? We're in the library. There's cider; I made it," he beamed proudly. Regina's fingers curled around her dress collar as she listened to the soft-spoken teenager. He had manners, that was for sure, much unlike his mother. He wasn't arrogant or presumptuous like Emma was. He was kind and respectful.

With her guards watching, Regina couldn't buckle. She either refused Henry's tempting offer, or she created a good enough lie to maintain her dignity- what little she had left. "The library? You're occupying my library without permission? Oh, that won't do. Not at all. You three," she said to the guards, "you stand watch. I'm going to clean up whatever mess they've made."

"Yes, Your Majesty," her men obliged.

"All right," Regina miffed. "Let's see the damage."

Elated that he was able to get Regina to come, Henry didn't care what he reasons were, though he knew she was bluffing. Regina always made an excuse to look tougher when she was afraid of seeming powerless. Henry saw right through her thinly-veiled persona.

When the three of them returned to the library, Hook, Charming, and Snow all stood up immediately, collectively shocked at Regina's appearance. "Your Majesty," Hook tilted his head.

"No need for a sycophant, it's not attractive," Regina jested. The woman's frayed purple gown caught the attention of Snow, who couldn't take her gaze off of it.

"I see he persuaded you to join us," the pirate ascertained, his bottle of rum just centimeters from his lips. His leather jacket crinkled together as his body swayed with the container.

"No one 'persuaded' me to do anything, dear. I am here of my own accord, to see that my precious room hasn't been defaced," Regina retorted. She even went so far as to examine the shelves of books and the carpet beneath them. She scoured the room for the tiniest bit of displacement or mistreatment, but she came up with nothing, sadly. There was no way she could punish them for something that wasn't there, not in good conscience- whatever that was.

"Up to your standards?" Hook asked; he tried his hardest to hide his sarcasm, but it was heard by everyone.

Regina folded her arms across her chest to reiterate her authority, but only the Charmings seemed to abide by her scowl. The others were unimpressed. Never one to disappoint, the accommodating host grimaced at her guests. "The next time you wish to converge in one of my rooms, I suggest you request my permission before doing so." That was the last remark made before she teleported out of the room, an intoxicating plum-colored vapor replaced her.

Emma waved a hand in front of her face in an attempt to clear the haze from her airway. "Well," she coughed as she scanned the group. "That went ok."

As the rest of the castle drifted off into a peaceful slumber that night, Henry laid awake and stared through the blackness at, what he presumed to be, the ceiling. The luxurious mattress was much more appealing than his single bed back in the apartment; the blankets were heavier, but not constricting. And the view, man, that was the best part of all. He could see the twinkling stars from the edge of his bunk. That night, the moon was full and shimmered brighter than ever.

With his other mother in the room next to theirs, it took all the self-control Henry had not to knock on her door every five minutes just to see her, to hear her husky voice. It was no secret that he missed Regina, but he tried to play it down around Emma. He remembered the tension between the two women back in Storybrooke very clearly, the way they fought over who got more time with Henry and who was his "true" mother. The last thing he wanted to do was reignite that flame.

Henry was assimilating well into his grandparent's imagined life; they enjoyed his company, and vice versa. Except for Charming's moments of doubt and sorrow, he was much like the grandfather Henry had known. And, except for Snow's mild-mannered personality, she sounded just like his grandmother.

It was clear that Henry missed his other grandfather, Gold. Hook had told the boy that Gold never came back with them, and Henry understood. His grandfather was gone; he sacrificed his life for theirs- a true hero.

And then there was Neal, Henry's father. He hadn't gotten to see him yet, and he was beginning to think he never would. When Emma told him that the kiss didn't work, Henry refused to believe that was true. He was aware of the fact that both Hook and Neal had feelings for his mom, but seeing Hook's affections weren't enough, he was sure Neal's would be. To make matters worse, Henry couldn't find another solution. Supposing Emma couldn't locate her True Love in the Forest, then how would the curse break? How would they get back to Storybrooke?

Amidst his own thoughts, Henry listened to the rhythmic sounds of Emma's breathing; it was slow, balanced, and undisturbed. She was really out of it. As a test, Henry fixed himself into an upright position, tangled in the sheets and comforter. Still, Emma was asleep. Being the adventure-seeking boy that he was, Henry took this as his chance to sneak out of the room and look for Neal. If everyone else was asleep, what harm could it do?

Always light on his toes, Henry snatched his jacket on his way out the door. Emma never stirred once. Phase One of Operation: Baelfire was complete. Now, all Henry had to do was find the spiral staircase in the dark, without a flashlight, and find Neal. That should be easy enough.

After nearly 20 minutes of his journey, Henry started to think he miscalculated a bit. In fact, he started to think he'd just been going in circles. Everything that he could make out with the little light that the torches provided looked the same: same brick walls, same metal candle sticks, same never-ending corridors. He was getting nowhere.

"Are you lost?" a throaty voice asked.

As if Henry'd just been caught with his hand in a cookie jar, he turned around slowly and calmly. Regina was waiting for him at the end of the hallway, her own chamber stick out before her. She was in the same dress she was wearing earlier, but her hair was let down. It was much longer than it had been in Storybrooke. "I was just looking for the... for the..."

Regina started walking towards Henry, her high heels clacked on the floors and resounded off of the walls. For reasons he couldn't explain, the young boy stiffened in alarm. "You have a washroom in your chambers, the kitchen is just a floor below us, and the library is close to your own room. What exactly would you be looking for? And at this late hour?"

Henry picked his jaw off the ground and resorted to the manners he'd been raised with- the ones Regina had instilled in him. "I'm sorry, I didn't wake you did I?"

The Queen eyed the boy quizzically as the flame glowed over his face. "I see you have the respect your mother lacks."

"Wh- oh, my mom. No, she's not mean or anything. She just says stuff sometimes," Henry tried to defend. It was a weak argument, he was aware.

"Yes, that's an understatement. Now, Henry, what is you're trying to find exactly?"

If there was any way he'd get to the dungeons without Emma worrying about him, it would be with Regina's help. "I'm looking for my dad. His name was- is Baelfire."

"There is nobody here with that name, dear. I'm afraid you've mistaken his whereabouts," Regina said blandly.

Henry never heard Regina speak for formally, and it gave him chills. He'd never truly been able to picture her as the Evil Queen, not even when he was being a brat- he'd admit it- and called her such. But now, with her towering over him, inciting fear he didn't recognize, the puzzle was completed. "Actually, I think he's in your basement. I mean, the dungeons or whatever," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

Regina recalled the few prisoners she'd held captive in the cells, and only one man came to mind. "You said his name is Baelfire?"

"Yeah. He's got dark brown hair, lines on his cheeks when he smiles, a beard," Henry described. "I heard he was here."

"By who's mouth?"

"Uh, that doesn't matter," Henry dismissed. He didn't want anyone getting in trouble for his big mouth. If he could prevent any fireballs from being launched, he would do it.

"I'm sorry, did you say he was your father?" Regina inquired. She suddenly had flashbacks to her conversation with Emma the other day. If Baelfire was Henry's father, then that must mean Emma was from their land, contrary to what her attire would suggest.

Henry's big, green eyes transformed into his puppy-dog look as he nodded. "Yeah, he's my dad."

Without another moment of painful hesitation, Regina allowed herself this one extra moment of kindness, though it felt off. "All right, I'll lead you to him, but you musn't tell anyone I did so."

The young man lit up in excitement at Regina's surrender. "Got it! Thanks!"

Regina said no more as she strolled through the sleeping castle, Henry followed at her side. She couldn't quite explain it, but as she chaperoned the eager boy, there was a strange sensation of morbid curiosity. After days of avoiding him, the truth was, she wanted to get to know Henry. Her yearning to learn more about him was in escapable. "Henry? May I ask you something?"

"Shoot," the boy squeaked.

"The other day, when we first met, why did you, erm, hug me?" Regina had never been so desperate for an answer to a question.

Henry's hands went cold as he tried to form a good enough lie. Regina didn't have Emma's power, at least. "I'm sorry. It was an accident," he said when he couldn't create a believable fib.

Neither of them even noticed where they were going. After so many years in this construction, Regina knew it like the back of her hand, if not better. "I'm not so sure that type of... act is accidental. Surely there's some reason."

"You, uh..." Henry scratched his neck. "You just reminded me of someone."

"Who would that be?" By now, they were descending the coiled staircase. They were more than halfway there.

"Um, someone I care a lot about. I haven't seen her in a while." That was as far as Henry could stretch the truth. Any more, and he was sure Regina would turn on him. "Can I ask you something?"

"I suppose so."

"Why is my dad in the dungeons?"

A piece of Regina's heart sank as she heard Henry's question. What seemed like a good reason at the time was now so trivial, she didn't want to admit the truth. Thankfully for her, they'd arrived in the lower quarters where Baelfire was. And, suddenly, Regina felt rush of guilt as she realized Henry would see his father in a comprising state. So, before they got too close, Regina waved her hand under her robe and did her magic on the prisoner.

Finally, they'd reached Balefire's temporary home. Regina had relinquished the guard of duty and let him take the rest of the night off, a rare act on her part. She opened the gate and let Henry slink by her. "Take your time," she offered.

Henry mumbled a "thank you," slightly zoned out. He hadn't seen Neal in over a year, there was so much he missed. He understood that the man wouldn't know who he was, but all Henry wanted was a mental picture of him. He didn't need some heartfelt conversation with Neal, just one look. That's all he asked for.

As he neared the sleeping man, Henry was able to see Neal's face, thanks to Regina's light. Unlike when Emma saw him, Neal was clean-shaven, his hair was shorter, the cut on his lip was healed, and his clothes were clean. His cheeks were less sunken in, and the color returned. He looked peaceful, unharmed.

"Dad?" Henry breathed in disbelief. He put a shaky hand on Neal's chest and felt his heart pump loyally. "I missed you... I love you..." Everything Henry'd been wanting to say, he finally got the opportunity to do so. With a kiss on Neal's head, Henry pushed himself up and left his father's side.

"That's it?" Regina cocked her head. "You don't want to spend more time with him?"

"I do, but not if- not like this," Henry admitted. "Soon." He gave Regina an assuring nod, and his maturity rose in her perspective. "Do you think, uh, maybe, you could let him go? I mean, my dad doesn't usually hurt anyone. As a favor... could he, you know, get out of here?" Henry knew he was teetering on the edge of Regina's tolerance, but he couldn't stand seeing Neal in a prison cell. Whatever he'd done couldn't have been that bad. "I know it's a lot to ask-"

"He'll be released in the morning," Regina decided fiercely. "And that it is that."