Ok since it turned out to be about about the same length as my other chapters at the split I'm posting an update today. We are getting close to the end and I really want to thank everyone who read this and enjoyed it I love all the reviews, so thank you again and enjoy.


Regina knew it had been intentional. Somehow Cora had planned for Henry to hear only that part of the conversation. Had Regina herself not done the same thing when the blonde had first arrived and she had gotten Henry to overhear Emma saying his ideas about fairytales were crazy? She now felt foolish for having so brashly announced she'd taken another heart.

"Henry, its not what you think." Regina reached out to her son but he ran to Cora instead. "I did it to protect her."

"You're lying!" He yelled. "You always lie!"

"Its true kid, I asked her to take my heart." Emma tried to assure the boy.

"Emma, you're only saying that because she has your heart, but Cora has magic she can fix it." Henry told her.

"Henry please, we're here to rescue you."

"He doesn't need to be rescued. Henry is here by choice." Cora told them.

"Henry…" Regina looked horrified.

"Regina, dear, I know you're unhappy, but please we can be a family again." Cora's tone was soft but the words cut like a knife. Regina knew a game of manipulation when it was played and unfortunately she was loosing.

"Mother you are a cruel deceptive woman. We will never be a family with you."

"Regina, don't say things like that, it hurts me." Cora sounded genuine but Regina knew it was an act.

Cora lied she always lied.

That's when she realized it, how Henry really saw her. She had done what she thought was best for him regardless of how he felt. She knew when had used magic to try and trap him she had become too much like her mother and it made her sick. The realization that the way he felt about her was the same as how she felt about her own mother, which both horrified and saddened her. The difference was though, Regina loved her son, Cora loved no one, to her love was a weakness.

"Henry, please, I'm sorry." Regina's eyes started to tear. "For everything I did I'm sorry, because I know I've done horrible things but I do love you."

Henry fidgeted but did not move and it broke Regina's heart. Cora walked over to her daughter as if to comfort her but Regina recoiled.

Cora leaned in, "I'm your mother and I know what's best, for you and my grandson."

Anger flared inside Regina, her mother had never known what was best for her and she wouldn't let her destroy Henry. Regina used magic to force her mother backward with enough power to send the woman flying into the air.

"No!" Henry yelled and charged at Regina with his sword.

Emma who had been standing to the side watching the interactions of the three finally intervened, blocking Henry's attack. The boy looked shocked by Emma's actions.

It's because Regina had Emma heart, that's why she was protecting her, he told himself. He swung the sword wildly and Emma blocked it again. The two were of equally low skill level in the sword, and Emma's advantage of strength amounted to nothing since she could not hurt the kid, so he continued to attack while she blocked, hoping that he'd either see reason or just tire himself out.

"Henry listen, Cora's tricked you, and she is using you."

"No, it's the Evil Queen who tricked you just like she tricks everybody." He pleaded.

Across the room another fight was being held my mother and child. The physicality their battle was more subdued than the clashing of swords, each trying to use their magic to keep the other bound both failing to do so. It angered them both that they were so evenly matched.

Cora glared, "Henry's perfect, ambitious and he's so desperate to please. He wants to be a hero, and heroes know that the Evil Queen must be conquered"

"Even if you kill me she'll stop you." Regina spared a glance toward Emma and Henry who were still fighting. "Believe me Miss Swan is not so easily defeated."

"Please," Cora was not impressed. "Just because you protected her heart doesn't mean I can't rid myself of the so called savior."

The cold threating tone caused Regina to falter and allowed Cora to gain the upper hand. She magically lifted her daughter off the ground.

"Mother!" Regina felt like a child again.

Cora shook her head and used her magic to bring Regina closer to her but did not loosen her grip.

"When will you learn," she asked sounded exasperated, "love is weakness Regina."

"Love?" Regina asked confused.

"I saw the way you looked at her, the same pathetic fear in your eyes as when I crushed that stable boy's heart."

"I don't care for her." Regina lied unconvincingly.

"Is that so?" Cora released the magic holding her daughter and let her fall to the ground. "Very well, kill her. It would be easy, you have her heart."

"But Henry…"

"Henry will be King, all we have do is get rid of Emma, Snow and Charming. Isn't that what you wanted dear?"

"It was," Regina stood firmly, "but not anymore!"

Meanwhile Emma continued to counter Henry's attacks each one pushing him closer to an emotional breakdown.

"Kid you have to stop this." Emma threw down her sword refusing to fight him anymore.

"No!" He all but cried, no longer attacking but not giving up his weapon either.

"Henry I know you're upset –"

"Of course I'm upset she took your heart!" He finally threw down his sword as well.

"That's not the only reason though is it?" He didn't answer so Emma continued. "You love your mom –"

"Of course I love you –"

"Not me, I mean your real mom. Kid I may have given birth to you but that doesn't make me your mom." He tried to object but Emma didn't let him. "You asked me to protect her and not just because that's what good people do but because she was still your mom. You love her and it scares you. You're afraid that if you love someone who has done those things then what does that say about you? But Henry she loves you more than anything and that makes her want to change."

"But she's the Evil Queen."

"She wasn't always…" Emma was thinking of the Regina she met in the dream world, the one who never wanted harm to come to Snow White and loved a simple stable boy. Henry just needed to know that. Then Emma remember how Archie told her once how fairytales were Henry's language and that's how she figured was the best way to get Henry to understand. "Kid, in your book was there anything about a stable boy?"

Henry thought for a minute. "Umm yeah, there was a Lady who loved a stable boy but an evil witch had other plans and killed the boy. The Lady disappeared consumed by her broken heart. But what does that have to do with -"

"That's the story about your mom."

"She was the witch?" he assumed.

"No, she was the Lady."

"But the story said she disappeared…"

"Disappearing doesn't just mean vanishing into thin air. When her love died the Kind Lady people knew disappeared in becoming the Evil Queen." Emma could see the gears turning in the kid's head. "Henry, evil isn't born its made..."

"So if my mom was…then... then who…" He didn't really have to ask he knew the answer.

Emma merely nodded as the realization set in.

Cora.