With the dawn of a new morning, Regina upheld her promise and freed Baelfire from his cell. No one else was awake yet when she did so, as she wanted it to be subtle, inconspicuous. If someone asked about him or mentioned his name, she would have answered truthfully, but she wasn't going to be the first to say anything. No, it was best for it to be a clean break. As a result, Regina gave one of her guards a potion for Baelfire to drink to take away his memories of his time in the castle. He would never get his revenge, and Regina would never know his true identity.

It was just about noon when Emma struck up a conversation with Henry, who'd been pretty quiet. The two of them sat cross-legged on their beds, daydreaming. Henry's eyes were glossed over as he wandered lightyears away, and Emma could see the man he was becoming. It seemed like just yesterday she was holding him for the first time.

"Henry?" she called his attention.

The young boy shook out of his daze. "Yeah?"

"We've been here about a week, and it's getting really hard to prove you wrong about all this," she started.

"Because I'm not," Henry chided; his positive attitude was starting to wear off on Emma- more than she realized.

"Yeah, I'm starting to get that. I'm just curious... what were we like? You know, before we forgot stuff..." Emma tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, though the whole concept gave her a migraine. If she wasn't who she thought she was, then who was that? That's what she really wanted to know. "Do I... live up to all the hype? Being the Savior?"

"I mean, you broke the first curse, so yeah, pretty much," Henry shrugged. The boy untucked his legs from under him and laid back on his bed, his arms behind his head- the picture of a teenager.

"So I didn't disappoint anyone? Like my parents... or you?" Now it was impossible to mask the trepidation that lurked behind her words, as Emma feared the answer.

"Why would you do that?" Henry asked honestly. "You gave everyone their memories back; you saved them."

Emma nodded to herself as she digested the information. At least she wasn't a total screw up. "Regina really adopted you? These... images I have us..."

Henry's whole composure shifted as he realized what Emma was asking. He'd completely embraced his old life, he hadn't given to much thought to what Emma would say when she realized theirs had been fake. And, soon, he felt inconsiderate of her feelings. He knew how much it meant to Emma to be a good mom, and now, she was finding out all those moments weren't real. "Yeah, she adopted me," Henry finally said.

"She's nice, then, huh? A good mom? Not as... dark?"

Henry let out a timely exhale. "My mom, she's complicated. I can't really explain it. She's been through a lot. But yeah, she was a good mom. Even when I didn't like her... She, uh... When we left Storybrooke, she gave us all the moments that happened with me and her.""

Emma snapped her head up and stared at Henry. "She did that for you?"

A quick smile slipped through Henry's pensive moment as he thought back to the town border that day. "No, Ma. She did if for you, too."

A little while after Emma and Henry's heart-to-heart, Emma assembled the spirit to talk to Regina again. She figured, if she kept at it, she'd eventually wear the Queen down. If there was anything her son had taught her, it was that no one actually wanted to be alone.

There was only one guard outside of Regina's room, and he must've been new, because he let Emma knock on the door without any hesitation. The blonde had an inkling that he wouldn't be around much longer.

While she waited for an answer, Emma started counting in her head. She usually only did it when she was nervous or angry, but this time, she was counting to see how long it would take for Queen to acknowledge a presence at her door. Emma got to 34 before she was face-to-face with Regina.

The other woman's eyes narrowed coldly. "I gather you haven't learned from your mistakes."

"Yeah, see, that's where you're wrong, Regina," Emma said her name purposefully. "I did learn, that's why I came back." She tapped on her thy nervously, but still, she upheld her tenacity. "I was hoping to hear more about the place, and I was wondering if you'd be willing to fill me in?"

Unamused by Emma's mundane request, Regina put her hands on her hips. "You're fully aware that there's a library stocked of informational texts."

"True, but I hate to read," Emma said in mock exasperation. "So, whaddu say? You can crawl outta your cage for a little while and we can talk like normal human beings, or you can stay in here by yourself like usual. Your choice."

Regina glared at the infuriating woman, while secretly hiding her slight delight at the prospect of being seen as actual person- not the Evil Queen. She examined the forward blonde with a skeptical eye; the way she was so informal and casual when interacting. Apart from it being extremely agitating, underneath it all, there was something... charming about it. After Regina mulled over the offer long enough to make Emma antsy, she peered over at the oblivious guard and then back at the woman in front of her. "What do you have in mind?"

It turns out, Regina's anxiety was slightly overdone. Emma had a feeling the Queen wouldn't want to go further than her property, and her only suggestion was to roam the grounds; not around the castle, but the woods she and the others had been in when Charming found them. They seemed like a calming place to be, and if Regina needed anything, it was to calm down.

The two women walked down the gravel path with at least five feet of space between them. The sun split through the trees and spread sporadically through the rest of the forest. Frogs croaked lazily in bushes, and flowers lit up with fairies hiding in them. There was a loud thrashing sound off in the distance, and Regina appeared undisturbed by them. Emma, however, was starting to grow paranoid of ogres lurking around every corner.

As always, Regina was dressed to impress; her shiny, black gown touched the ground beneath her and the collar reached up, past her neck. Her hair was pulled back in a tight up-do with not a strand out of place, and her dark, red lips were pressed in a tight line. She'd never, ever had so much contact with someone who wasn't Snow or Charming. It was quite the new experience.

Emma kicked up dirt as she dragged her feet across the trail. She had on the same Van Halen tee she'd worn at their last planned meeting, having washed it in a basin- definitely something new. She'd asked Henry only a few questions about Regina, as she wanted to get to know the woman on her own. There was something mysterious about the brunette. Emma could tell there was much more to the rest of the woman's story, and she was hoping to hear about it straight from the source.

With her hands in her back pockets, Emma was the first one to speak. "So, uh, you're from here?"

Regina had her own hands clasped together tightly behind her, just the way she'd been taught. "Yes," she said curtly.

Amazed at the efficiency of a one-word answer, Emma moved on. "Uh, so you like apples huh?" was the only question she could come up with.

"Yes," Regina responded easily.

"Kind've a cliche, isn't it?"

Regina pushed her eyebrows together, "I'm sorry?"

Emma waved her question away dismissively, having forgotten Regina wouldn't get the joke. "Nothing, sorry. Uh, anyway..." This was a lot more difficult that Emma had been anticipating. Conversations involved give and take, and Regina wasn't giving anything. If light questions weren't going to the trick. heavy questions might. "Lemme ask you, why exactly do people call you the Evil Queen?" Emma wondered bluntly.

Regina stopped dead in her tracks, but only temporarily. No one had ever questioned her title, as no one ever thought there was more to her than that. "Because I'm evil, dear. I'm sure you've heard."

The blonde scoffed at Regina's half-assed explanation. "You're joking, right? Ok, what exactly does evil look like?"

"What do you think? Dark magic, ripping out hearts, caring only for my own well-being," Regina recited as if it were a practiced line.

"Wait- ripping out hearts?" Emma choked. "That's a real thing?"

"Of course," Regina said briskly. "It's quite easy, too." She figured the less remorse she showed, the more Emma would be afraid. That's what she wanted most; someone to fear her so she didn't' have to care about them. For, if she truly cared, if she opened herself up to another person, she wouldn't be the Evil Queen anymore.

"I don't believe you."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't believe you," Emma repeated. "You're telling me, you go around and randomly tear out someone's life source?"

"If that's how you want to look it." Regina held a hand out and gracefully observed her nails in an effort to avoid seeing Emma's reaction.

"You know, I was wondering how long it would be before I caught you lying. I wasn't expecting a whole week to go by."

Regina's level of contempt for the woman rose in the blink of an eye as she glared at the daring stranger. "I beg your pardon?! What have I lied about?"

"For one thing, you sound too comfortable with all that... Dark magic and hearts stuff," Emma deciphered. "I don't think you're as callous as you want people to think. I think it's just a load of bull. So, yeah, that's a liar for you."

"How dare you?! How dare you come into my kingdom and defile my name?!" Regina's eyes were bulging out of her skull, and her voice rose several octaves; it rang through the empty forest and spread for miles.

If she was afraid, Emma didn't show it. She kept her cool as she watched Regina unravel again. "I didn't do anything, Your Majesty. You're the one who apparently likes to kill people."

"I never said that!" Regina roared fiercely. "Do not twist my words!"

"You just told me you rip out hearts for sport. How is that twisting your words?" Emma egged.

"I never said I liked it!"

"No, but it was implied." Regina's eyes flared and she felt the familiar heat in her hand. Emma saw it, too, but this time, she stayed where she was. From what she'd come to learn, this was a knee-jerk reaction for the Queen; nothing to be taken seriously. "Go ahead," Emma opened her arms. "You wanna throw that? I'm open." Regina snarled at the blonde woman and pulled her arm back, ready to hit her target. Emma still didn't flinch. "Almost there. Come on, I'm standing right here." The further Regina reached back, the funnier it seemed to Emma. The brunette's hand was ablaze, the flames danced wildly in her palm, ready to take orders from its leader. When Regina released her arm, Emma finally shuddered as the fireball flew right past her head and into the stream below them. Regina had missed on purpose. "There," Emma sighed, now slightly shaken. "Feel better?"

"What is the matter with you?! You could have just gotten yourself killed!" Regina shouted.

"Oh, so you do care?" Emma probed.

At the mention of the word "care," Regina shifted her weight onto her left leg and folded her arms. "I will not be held responsible for any harm that befalls you."

"How would that have been any different than taking my heart?" Emma challenged the woman. When Regina failed to create a sound argument, Emma accepted victory. "Ok, now, why do people really call you the Evil Queen?"

Regina recomposed herself in elegance and glowered at Emma. "I think I've had enough fresh air for today." With that, she was gone in a cloud of purple smoke. And Emma was left alone.

Back in the comfort of her room, with a new guard, Regina planted her body in front of her mirror. She forced herself to look at her reflection, no matter how much she didn't want to. She thought that she already knew what she'd see, the same cold eyes, the same unfeeling face. There was no need to revisit the sad woman she saw every morning.

However, after her walk with Emma, Regina noticed a change. As she analyzed the figure before her, she saw a shift in the way she carried herself. She was no longer stiff and distant, but relaxed and present. Her cold eyes had started to thaw, and her unfeeling face showed the remnants of what could only be described as amusement- and not the sadistic type, the kind she felt when she was truly in awe of something. This is what a tablespoon of kindness did to Regina: it made her feel like a human again, not just a label. Emma Swan did that for her.

Emma walked back to the castle with just her thoughts. There was something slightly rewarding about her dialogue with Regina. She had the faintest idea that she'd broken through whatever wall Regina had kept up. She felt it shatter around the woman when she pushed her to talk. It was evident that the Queen wasn't used to normal communication, and Emma knew she was going to have to be careful. But, she also knew the chance of another fireball was very slim.

As she trudged up the cleared walkway, the Savior began to consider telling Snow and Charming about the blanket. If they knew, wouldn't it make things easier? She wouldn't have to hide her identity from them, she wouldn't have to lie to them. She saw their despondent faces when no one else was around, she heard the longing in Snow's voice when she talked about her daughter. It was clear to Emma they didn't want to give her up, but it was the only way she could have what they couldn't provide: a good life. However much of this story was true, one thing was positive: Emma had to take charge of her own life from now on. She wasn't going to let anyone, for whatever reason, stop her from doing what she wanted. No matter what the repercussions would be. Emma was going to control her own fate; finally a concept she understood.

While the sun set over the Enchanted Forest, Snow and Charming occupied their own places in their room. Snow sat in the rocking chair of their child's nursery, and Charming laid spread out on their bed. Both of them were in two completely different worlds.

Snow swayed back and forth, one hand on her abdomen. Their child had been kicking like mad all day, and he was finally asleep- a luxury Snow missed. She'd hadn't gotten a full night's rest in days, her mind filled with thoughts of her daughter. Everyday, she concocted new theories of where their child was, who was taking care of her, and what she was doing. When Snow tried to tell Charming of her fantasies, she was answered with a muffled "Hm" from her husband. He'd had enough of "what ifs" running their lives, all he wanted was a fresh start.

"She's probably talking by now," Snow told the emptiness around her. Although she'd been distracted with Emma's presence, nightfall proved to be a tricky time for the mother-to-be. "I wonder what her first word was."

Charming listened from the other room as he held his sword out before him. It was the same one he'd fought with the day of the curse; the same one that allowed their daughter a chance for safety. "We'll have plenty of first words soon enough," he said. He still hadn't told Snow about Emma's "Savior" comment. He couldn't bring himself to watch Snow's eyes light up in false hope.

"Emma is a lovely person," Snow said abruptly. Her rocking stopped, though she continued to rub her swollen belly. "I'd love for our child to be as kind."

"He will be," Charming affirmed. The light from the candle reflected in his blade as he gripped tightly onto the hilt. Nearly a year later, and it was still in perfect condition.

"Do you think she looks like me? We've got similar chins."

Charming bit down on his bottom lip. There was no way he could survive another round of wistful desires. He slid his blade into its sheath and rested it against his bed stand. With a heavy groan, Charming lifted himself off of their mattress and joined his wife in the creche. He instantly noticed the tears that fell down the side of Snow's face and knelt down in front of her. "Please, Snow. You can't do this to yourself. You can't keep talking like this."

He reached for Snow's hand, but she pulled away. "What? Because you've given up hope, I have to as well?"

Charming balled his hands into closed fists at his side and shut his eyes closed. It was a mistake, however; whenever he closed his eyes, day or night, he saw their daughter in his arms again. "I haven't-" Charming started ferociously. The Prince jumped away from his bride, his head in his hands. "I haven't given up hope! I just... I don't see how we can bring another child into the world, if we can't let go of our other one. He will not be born into a family of hate."

"Hate?" Snow breathed incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

"This!" Charming kicked the wall. He spun with his arms open and motioned to the room around them. "This life! This land! It's cursed, Snow! You know just as well as I do, we can never be happy as long as Regina is over our heads! It's her fault this happened! And it's her fault we can't go on!"

Snow clenched her jaw in an effort to keep the rest of the waterworks at bay. Her hands were shaking and goosebumps rose up her spine. She couldn't bare to hear her husband speak so poorly of the Queen, and so freely at that. "What are we supposed to do?" she asked through gritted teeth. "Fight back? Reclaim our kingdom? There's nothing we can do, Charming! We lost a long time ago. It's time you accepted that."

"Do you even hear yourself?" Charming fell to his knees, desperate for Snow to hear him. "Do you hear what you're saying? What happened to my warrior? The woman who fought the strongest of guards and ugliest of ogres? The woman who was brave enough to steal from a man she didn't know and outrun him through his own land? What happened to the woman I married?"

Snow pushed her tired body out of the wooden chair and got down on her knees in front of Charming. She grabbed his wrists tightly and kissed the back of his hands. When she looked at him, there was no malice or rage, but concession and drear. "There is nothing that can be done to change what is. But that does not mean one can't hope for a better tomorrow. Because the minute I let go of the belief that things will get better, is the minute that I know they won't."