Storybrooke; The Past
Regina's POV
"Graham you have to find him," I ordered as I paced Henry's bedroom. Graham closed the gap between us, pulling me towards his defined chest for a hug. I felt the tears burning my eyes, threatening to fall down my face. "He's all that I have," I confessed in a shaky breath. Graham pulled back just far enough to meet my red swollen eyes.
"You have me Regina," he smiled but I knew it wasn't heart felt. I pulled away abruptly and started stomping out of Henry's room. "Regina, wait!" The sheriff called out behind me as he rushed to catch up.
"Don't be so foolish to compare your love to my sons!" I snapped not looking back to see his reaction.
"That's not-" I held up my hand silencing the sheriff before me.
I saw headlights shine through my front windows as I heard the sound of a car rolling in front of my house. I stood perfectly still waiting to hear any type of noise. That's when I heard two car doors slam. I ran down the stairs, with the sound of my heels echoing through the mansion.
I flung open my door calling out for my son, "Henry?...Henry!" Relief washed over my body as I spotted my son. I ran towards him, wrapping him in a tight hug. His arms remained at his sides never hugging me back. My heart broke a little more. "Are you okay?" I pulled back slightly to check his physical appearance, making sure there was no harm. "Where have you been?" I glanced at the woman behind me and looked right back to my son, trying to figure out what was going on. "What happened?" I asked.
"I found my real mom!" He shouted and ran inside our house.
I was in shock as his words ripped right through me. I'm his real mom! I turned around slowly to meet this woman who has torn my son and I apart. That's when I felt my blood run cold, my heart colliding against my chest full force. She looked at me with those green doe eyes and my heart melted. It. Was. HER! I must be seeing things. I shook my head trying to formulate words to say to her, after all these years.
"You're Henry's birth mother?" I asked in pure shock.
She shrugged her shoulders shyly while smiling. "Hi," was all she muttered.
Graham said something behind me, but my mind was too focused on the blonde that stood before me. My heart raced as I scanned her body up and down. It's been well over thirty years since I saw this woman. She's more beautiful than I remembered. Her blonde hair had soft curls, nothing like the ponytail she always had it tucked away in, back in the Enchanted Forest. Her green eyes were still gorgeous as ever as they still seemed able to see right through me. I swallowed heavily trying to gain some composure.
"How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?" I asked with a forced smile trying to figure out how the hell this was possible.
"Got anything stronger?" She joked and I smiled in return.
I turned around to walk inside feeling like my legs were going to give out from under me. Emma. My Emma is following me inside my house. The girl I fell madly in love with. The girl I thought I'd never see again. She's the mother of my child! This has to be a dream!
Emma followed me inside as I prepared our drinks. She asked how Henry found her, but I honestly had no clue, since it was a closed adoption. I tried my hardest not to sound jealous as I asked about Henry's father but it seemed like she was done with him. Maybe I have a chance, I thought. I handed her a drink as we continue our small talk. I watched as she raised the glass to her lips. I just wanted to kiss those warm delicate lips again. I wanted to feel safe in her arms again. This was my second chance with her.
We continued our small talk as I explained my authority figure in town and at home. She started to explain something about Henry's fairytale book, which took me by surprise because I didn't know he had one. What really made me nervous was when she said Henry believed everyone from this town was a character from this book. My stomach dropped from under me as my worst fear became a reality. Maybe Henry knows about the curse, maybe he knows I'm the Evil Queen and that's why he's been pushing me away. Emma said she should be going and I quickly agreed, showing her out.
As I laid in bed that night, I thought about what Tinkerbell said to me the first time I saw Emma in the mirror. She told me that this woman would fill the hole in my heart and now I truly understand what it meant. Emma gave me my son. She filled the void that was eating me away from loneliness. She gave me something I could never have, a child. Emma gave me hope, love and a fresh start. She made me feel complete all over again when she gave me her son.
Except now, Henry wants nothing to do with me. He wants Emma as his mother, not me. Once again someone I love is being ripped away from me. Well I won't let that happen again. I will fight for Henry. I will fight Emma for Henry if I have to. I can't let her walk into my life again, only to be torn away like she was so many years ago. As much as I love her, I can't keep doing this to my heart. I won't lose her, not again. I won't open my heart up to her again. I will push her away until she is out of mine and Henry's life, if it's the last thing I do.
The Enchanted Forest; Present Time
Regina's POV
"Emma?" I called out as I saw the blonde approaching behind Robin and Mulan. She started to pick up her pace once our eyes locked.
"What, no more Miss Swan? She's Emma now?" The Queen questioned and I just rolled my eyes in response.
"Regina," Emma sighed in relief as she made her way towards me. The blonde stopped right in front of me, her shaky hand reached out and I thought maybe she will pull me into a hug. Instead she grabbed my bicep and gave it a squeeze, "You okay?" She asked nervously and dropped her hand, shoving both hands into her back pockets. She rocked from her heels to her toes, showing just how nervous she really was.
"Well this is awkward," The Queen spat with a look of disgust on her face as she glared at Emma. I shot her a dirty look, silently begging her to keep her mouth shut. Emma's eyebrows pulled together as she looked at the Queen confused.
"What's awkward?" Emma asked as she stood a little taller to face the Queen.
"Nothing," I rushed out before my other half had a chance to speak, "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you of course. We have a son who is missing his mother terribly," she smirked causing me to smile. My son misses me? That filled my heart with such joy. "Only thing is, I stumbled upon you. Looks like my sheriff skills are a little rusty," she acknowledges while pursing out her lips in a pout.
"What do you mean you stumbled upon me?"
"Well when Henry told me you were missing. I came back to Storybrooke to find you. I looked everywhere but kept coming up clueless. I went to your vault with my mom and didn't find anything. But something wasn't sitting right with me, so I went back, alone and this mirror appeared out of no where. Then it sucked me in and brought me here, to you," she mumbled the last part like she was nervous about something.
"Same thing happened to me, with the mirror."
"It's as if that mirror is trying to tell you two something," the Queen deadpanned. I wanted rip her heart out right here, but then again that's my heart so...
"We need to find that mirror, maybe it can take us home," Emma said with a hint of hope.
"Let's all split up and check the castle," Mulan suggested.
The Queen and Robin went off together. Mulan went her own way, while Emma followed me closely.
"Why do you think the mirror pulled us here? Why only us? How come it only pulled me when I was alone? Why did it wait for my mother to leave?" Emma was off on a rant and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at my friend. She can be exhausting at times, but god I still love her. I shook my head, clearing those thoughts. I can't go there right now.
"Emma!" I yelled, startling her a little bit, "I don't know any of those answers. Let's just hope we can find the damn thing first." It was silent for a few minutes as I lead us to my old secret chamber. Back when I lived here, I would hide all my important potions behind a wall in the library.
"So, um...how have you been Regina?" I could hear the break in her voice knowing she was uncomfortable. I wasn't sure why though, after our trip to Neverland we had become friends. Nothing ever felt awkward with her, I actually always felt safe and secure with her around.
"What's with the small talk Swan? Something you want to get off your chest? Are you and the pirate alright?"
"Oh ya, Killian and I are, um fine, thank you." I stopped dead in my tracks and turned around to face her.
"Alright Swan, what gives? You're acting strange. Well, more so than usual." She sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth as she thought about what she wanted to say. I had to force myself to look away, she's so adorable.
"When I was looking for clues to your disappearance, I found some invoices for Henry's school. Why didn't you tell me about the whole amount? Why did you lie to me about it?" I could tell she was nervous to ask because that statement confirmed her snooping around my office.
"I don't know how well you get paid as a bail bonds person and I know the handless wonder hasn't found a job, yet," I rolled my eyes knowing all too well he just doesn't want one.
I turned around, pushing against the heavy stone wall. The sound of stone scrapping together filled the awkward silence before I made my way down the staircase. Emma's heavy thumps from her boots echoed as she followed close behind. I smirked knowing she was stomping on each step out of anger. Just like our son did when he was little and was sent to his room.
"Well just for your information Madam Mayor, we do just fine!" She snapped after we reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Oh so I'm Madam Mayor, now? Okay Miss Swan, if you want to pay more of your son's tuition, to make yourself feel better about your life with the Pirate, then go ahead. I'll send you the bill!"
"What is your problem?" She asked as she stepped in front of me, barely leaving any space between us.
I hate being this close to her, I feel like I'm suffocating. I'm an addict and she's my drug. I know I can never have her because one taste and I would never be able to give her up again. I took a step back as if I spotted something in the distance. I walked towards my old potions pretending to find something interesting. Completely ignoring her question.
"Regina, how come you never put pictures around your house until after I moved to Boston?" Emma calmly asked as she walked over to my side. I closed my eyes not wanting to tell her the truth...not wanting to admit the truth to myself.
"Emma, I..." the words fell dead on my tongue. I couldn't speak, nothing would come out. I cleared my throat and sighed knowing I needed to tell her the truth.
"Emma, there's something I need to tell you..."
"Regina, is that the mirror?"
