A/N: I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I kind of lost my flare and that is why it's taken me awhile to update. I'm slowly starting to get back into it, and this chapter, in my opinion, is just ehhh. But it is an update and I hope you guys still enjoy it, even if it isn't up to par with the earlier chapters. Hopefully I can make it up to you in the next chapter.
Chapter 12
Emma walked into Granny's and her eyes immediately found her son. She took a deep breath before striding across the diner and sliding into the seat across from him. Henry narrowed his eyes at his blonde mother as he took in her appearance.
"What did you do?" he asked as he stared knowingly across the table at her
"What? Nothing. I didn't-" she began
"You did something. I can tell. You looked all funny when you walked in here and now you look nervous. So I am going to ask you again. What did you do?"
Bright green eyes met a dark green color as Emma tried her best to outstare her son, "Kid, you're like eleven. How are you able to read my body language and pick up on anything off?"
He arched an eyebrow at her in a very Regina-like way, "I am very observant"
"Obviously" she muttered still holding her stare
Emma knew it was a lost cause. This kid had been raised by Regina after all. The blonde finally sighed and gave in.
"Fine. Just stop staring at me like that. You look just like your mom" she told him
He smiled brightly at this before looking at her again with a questioning stare, "Soooo? What did you do?"
"Ummm…I may have…I don't know…kissed your mom" Emma told him as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat
Henry's mouth fell open for a moment before his face scrunched up in slight disgust as he thought about his moms…his parent's kissing.
"You kissed my mom?" he questioned, his face still scrunched up
Emma shrugged, "I couldn't help it?"
Henry's face shift to a disapproving glare, causing his blonde mother to shift again in her seat before finally blurting out.
"What do you want from me? Your mom is a beautiful woman and she is so much more than what everyone sees on the outside. I just wanted her to know that she is worth loving"
Henry's glare immediately faded as he took in his mother's flustered appearance and the truth behind her words.
"I already know that" Henry pointed out, "But I'm glad you noticed too"
There was silence for a moment as Henry looked down at the table in thought. He looked cautiously back up at Emma before finding his courage.
"Do you love her?" he asked, his eyes shining with hope
Emma smiled sweetly at the boy she had come to know since moving to Storybrooke, "Yeah, kid, I do"
This brought a wide smile to Henry's face as he gave her an approving nod. But just as quickly as it had appeared, the smile faded.
"She doesn't believe she's worthy of your love, does she?" he asked sadly
"Henry, your moms been through a lot. She doesn't trust very well…and no, she doesn't think she deserves to be loved. I just want her to see and understand that she is"
"I want her to also" he admitted
Emma reached across the table and covered one of Henry's hands with her own and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"We will kid"
Henry nodded before making eye contact with Emma again and speaking up.
"You can't force her, or push her too hard. It'll just upset her and she will push all of us away again and I don't want that to happen."
"I won't Henry. I promise I'll give her some space for awhile" she told her son
Henry nodded again, seemingly convinced before their food arrived and they changed to a lighter topic as they ate their dinner.
Once they were finished Emma walked Henry back home, but stopped outside the gate.
"I should probably stop here tonight kid" she told him with a sad smile
He nodded understandably before throwing his arms around her waist and hugging her tightly.
"I love you Ma" he told her as he gave her one last squeeze before looking up at her and pulling away
"I love you too" she replied with a smile
She slowly released her hold on him as she watched him walk through the gate before she called out to him.
"Henry"
"Yeah?" he answered, turning back around to look at the blonde
"If you have problems sleeping…will you…I mean you can…call me if you want" she told him
"I know" he told her with a nod and smile before turning back and continuing his walk up to the front door
Once he got inside he locked the door behind him and called out for his mom. When he got no answer he searched downstairs before heading up the stairs quietly. He passed his own room on the way to his mom's room. Her bedroom door was open only a crack. He took a deep breath as he opened it quietly, and slowly, as he peered into the room. His heart broke when he found his mother curled up under the covers in a fetal position. He could tell she had been crying, though it looked like she had finally fallen asleep. He didn't think twice before entering her bedroom completely and walking over to the bed. He climbed up onto it and crawled over to his mom, wrapping his arms around her from behind as he laid his head on her shoulder.
"It's okay mom. I love you. It will all be okay, you'll see" he whispered to her as he tightened his grip on her
Regina wasn't completely asleep when Henry crawled into bed with her, but she thought he would just kiss her goodnight and then leave. However, he didn't. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. She fought back more tears as he began to whisper in her ear. This is not the way things were supposed to work. She was the mom and she was supposed to be comforting her son, not the other way around. She closed her eyes tightly as Henry whispered one more thing to her.
"You deserve to be happy mom. Don't let other people make you forget that. You deserved to be loved by more than just me"
Regina couldn't help the sniffle that escaped her once Henry had uttered those words. Her son shifted slightly on top of her and she knew he was looking to see if she was awake.
"Mom?" he asked gently
The brunette sighed as she let a tear escape. Henry noticed and gently leaned over her to wipe it away with his hand. Regina opened her eyes and turned slightly to find dark green sad eyes looking down at her.
"Oh Henry" she said sadly
"It's okay mom. I've got you" he told her as he wrapped his arms back around her
Regina let a few more tears fall as Henry kept his arms around her and kept his body flush against her back. He felt his mother hold his arms around her, their hands interlocking as they both finally succumbed to sleep.
Sometime during the night Henry began to flail in his sleep effectively waking Regina up. She turned over quickly as she took in the sight of her son lying next to her. She scooted towards him and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him against her tightly. She kissed his cheek and his head as she tried to reassure him.
"It's okay baby. You're safe. You're home" she whispered into his ear
Henry slowly began to relax so Regina continued to hold him as she began to sing to him. As soon as her voice began to fill the room she felt her son relax even more. She continued to sing as she heard his breathing even out. She finished the song before kissing him one more time and slowly drifting back to sleep herself.
Meanwhile, across town, Emma was tossing and turning in her bed. She couldn't sleep because her mind was racing. She was worried about Henry and wondering if he was sleeping okay. And she was worried about Regina. She always thought that the Mayor was so strong, but she hid well behind that strong exterior and Emma had finally seen how broken she really was. Emma sighed and kicked the covers off of her, frustrated with how things were turning out. All she wanted to do was gather the brunette woman in her arms and hold her tight, promising to never let go. She wanted to hold both brunettes, her son and his mother, and promise both of them that she would never let anyone hurt them again.
The next morning Regina slowly opened her eyes to find Henry still curled against her, except he had turned and was laying on his right side, facing her. She was laying on her left side and had an arm draped over his shoulders as his head leaned against her chest. She picked her arm up off of his shoulders and reached up to run her fingers through his hair and kiss the top of his head. She felt his face squish up before his head tilted back slightly and sleepy green eyes looked up at her.
She smiled sweetly at him, "Morning sweetheart"
"Mornin mom" he mumbled before burying his face back into the pillow and her chest
She smiled as she continued to run her fingers through his hair. He pulled his face away from her chest and the pillow to look into her eyes again. They both stared at one another for awhile and Henry could detect the sadness still lingering behind the wall she had once again put up. He frowned to himself wanting to do something to take his mother's mind off of her sadness. His eyes sparkled slightly as he smiled, which in turn, caused his mom to smile also.
"Can we go to the park today? I want to do something fun"
"You want me to come with you?" she asked, slightly shocked
He nodded enthusiastically, "I want you to come have fun with me…like we used to…please"
Regina stared into her sons eyes and let a small laugh escape her as he stuck his bottom lip out to give her that all familiar pout that he used to when he was younger.
"No need to bring out the pouty lip Henry. I was ready to accept the moment you said you wanted me to join you" she told him with a smile as she ruffled his hair playfully
He giggled at her sign of affection before throwing his arms around her and planting a kiss on her cheek before he hopped up and jumped off of the bed.
"Awesome. Can we go after breakfast? I'll change now." he said quickly as he darted from her room
Regina smiled at his enthusiasm as she pushed herself up and out of bed. She thought about what she should make for breakfast and then decided she didn't really feel up to it. She walked out of her bedroom and stopped outside her son's room.
"Henry?" she questioned from outside the door
"Yeah?"
"Would you like to go to Granny's for breakfast and then head to the park afterwards?"
"Sure!" he answered in an excited tone from the other side of the door
The brunette woman smiled to herself before turning back to her bedroom so that she too could get dressed for the day.
Regina and Henry entered the diner together and while the brunette woman tried to hide her nervousness her son picked up on it. Henry slipped his hand into his mothers and smiled up at her before tugging her towards a booth. They sat down and a moment later Ruby approached them with a smile.
"Morning guys. What can I get you?" she asked looking from Henry to Regina
"I want the pancakes with a hot chocolate" the boy told the waitress with a smile
"Madam Mayor?" Ruby asked turning her attention to the brunette woman
"I'll have the same except with a coffee…please" she replied
"You got it" Ruby said before turning around, but before she could walk away the older woman had called her name again. She spun back around and was surprised to find a slight hint of worry etching the woman's features.
"Did you need something else?" Ruby asked walking back up to the table
"No, I just…I'm not really the Mayor anymore…since the whole curse broke…So there's no need to call me Madam Mayor…Regina will be just fine"
The waitress' eyes nearly bugged out of her head at the former Mayor's words. Not many people had the privilege of calling the older woman by her first name. Ruby then let a smile spread across her face. Maybe things were changing after all.
"Well all right then. I will go get your drinks and your food should be out shortly…Regina" the waitress said with a smile before turning and walking back over to the counter.
When Regina turned back towards her son she was met with a bright smile.
"What?" she asked with a shrug of her shoulders as she looked down at the table
"I love you mom and I'm proud of you" Henry told her sincerely
Regina looked back up at her son and saw the sincerity and love shining in his eyes. She returned the smile, forcing the tears away.
"I love you too Henry"
The boy simply nodded before looking up and waving at someone who had just entered the diner. Regina turned to see who it was and felt herself smiling as well as Tinkerbell walked in. The brunette motioned to the fairy who returned the smile and headed over to their booth.
"Hi Tink" Henry said with a smile
"Hello Henry" she said still smiling before turning to the older woman, "Good morning Regina"
"Good morning Tinkerbell. Would you like to join us for breakfast?" she asked
"Oh I wouldn't want to impose" the fairy told her as she held up her hands
"You wouldn't be imposing. Would she Henry" Regina said turning from the fairy to her son
Henry shook his head and smiled, "No. Come on Tink have breakfast with us, please"
Regina rolled her eyes lovingly at her son who was giving Tinkerbell is adorable pouty face.
"Well how can I say no to a face like that" the blonde fairy replied as she ruffled Henry's hair before sliding in next to him
"That's what I said" Regina told her with a smile
Tink turned her attention back to brunette across from her as she studied her carefully.
"So how are you doing?" the curly haired blonde asked
"I'm fine. Glad to be home, as I'm sure my son is as well" Regina answered as she turned to look at Henry
"Most definitely" he replied before turning and smiling at Ruby as she approached the booth with a cup of coffee and a cup of hot chocolate.
"Hey Tink" Ruby smiled at the fairy, "Can I get you something?"
"I think I will have what Henry is having"
"Hot chocolate coming right up. Can I get you anything to eat?"
"Some pancakes would be delicious" the fairy told her with a smile
"You got it" Ruby told her with a smile before turning and sauntering off
Tinkerbell turned her attention back to the brunette sitting across from her and she could tell by her demeanor that something was bothering her. Before she could say anything Henry was tapping her on the shoulder.
"Sorry" he told her with a slight blush, "I really have to go to the bathroom"
Tinkerbell let out a cute laugh before standing up and letting the boy out so that he could run to the restroom. When she sat back down she looked back across at the brunette and could tell she was thinking deeply about something.
"Regina?" Tink said, trying to the older woman's attention. She said her name two more times before brown eyes turned to look at her.
"I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"I just wanted to know if you are really okay? You seem a little…sad" the curly blonde stated
"I'm fine. It's just been a long couple of days…weeks really"
"Regina" the young blonde said in a firmer voice as she narrowed her eyes at the brunette
"It's nothing. Really"
"Did Emma do something?"
"What?" Regina tensed as she looked at the woman across from her, "What would give you that idea?"
Tinkerbell sighed, "Regina I'm not trying to pry. I just want you to be happy. I'm your friend, right? Friends like to see each other happy."
"Well my happiness does not revolve around Miss Swan"
The blonde fairy looked around before leaning across the table slightly, "I think part of it does. And I think that you're afraid to admit that because you think that you don't deserve to be loved. I can tell even by the way that you look at your son that it surprises you that he loves you. But you forget that I've seen your heart Regina. It's not completely black and I don't think it's just because of Henry. And I'm going to tell you that you do deserve to be loved. You have to see that you're worth it. You've always been worth it. You were just surrounded by the wrong people. But now you're surrounded by the right people. People who will support you because they care about you and love you. Why can't you see that?"
The brunette looked across the table into honest blue eyes, "Because no one has ever…cared"
Tinkerbell reached across the table and covered one of Regina's hands with her own, "I've always cared Regina. It's why I tried to help you so many years ago. And I know that you feel like if you open your heart it will only get broken and you will get hurt, but you and Emma have come a long way and I can see how much she cares about you. And I know you care about her. I think you two even love each other"
Regina looked slightly mortified as the fairy whispered the last part with a smile, so the curly blonde added, "I used to be a fairy. I pick up on these things"
It took a moment for the brunette to respond but when she did Tink could see the sadness in her brown eyes and in her voice.
"With everything I've done I don't see how someone like her could love someone like me"
"But that's just it Regina. She does know about your past. Maybe not everything, but she knows enough and she still cares"
"She told me she loved me" Regina whispered as she looked down at the table
Tinkerbell smiled but it faded as she realized that Regina probably hadn't responded well.
"And what did you say?"
Before Regina could respond Henry was back at the table and their food was arriving. Henry scooted back into the booth in his original spot as the three began to eat their meal and make small talk.
Just as they were finishing their breakfast Emma entered the diner. She spotted Henry right away in a booth with Regina and…was that Tinkerbell? She saw Henry wave to her and she returned the wave with a smile and took a deep breath as she walked over to the booth.
"Morning everyone" Emma said as she looked around the table, her eyes holding Regina's gaze a little longer
"Hey Ma you eating breakfast?" Henry asked
"Just picking up something to go. I have to get back to the station, duty calls now that I'm back" she answered her son
Henry nodded, "Mom and I are going to the park"
Emma raised her eyebrows as she looked from her son to his brunette mother, "Really? That sounds like fun…although, shouldn't you be back in school? I mean you already missed a lot"
Regina's eyes turned dark with anger as she snapped her head up to look at the blonde, "Are you accusing me of being an unfit parent again Sherriff?"
Emma internally cursed herself. She did not mean it the way it had sounded.
"That's not what I meant Regina and you know it"
"Oh really? How am I supposed to interpret it since you have accused me of being an unfit mother in the past. I am not a mind reader"
"Regina I said that out of anger and you know I don't believe that. I think you're an amazing mother. I just-"
"What? You want to make sure I don't revert back to my old ways and corrupt our son?"
"Regina, dammit. You are blowing this way out of proportion" the blonde said as she raised her voice
Henry's eyes darted from one mother to another in worry. Tinkerbell noticed and reached across the table again, covering the brunette's hand with her own.
"Regina. You and I both know that Emma didn't mean it the way it sounded. I think we all need to calm down"
Emma's eyes widened at the affection Tink was showing the brunette and that Regina was allowing. Then her feelings turned to sadness, thinking maybe she was wrong about the brunette reciprocating her feelings.
Regina took a deep breath before she pulled her hand away from the fairy's. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and looking back up at the blonde standing next to their table. She could see that Emma was trying to hide how hurt she was and the brunette immediately felt bad. Her anger and insecurities always had a way of getting the best of her and she hated it.
"I'm…I'm sorry Emma. I just…I'm still not used to some people…caring"
"Well I'm not just some people. It's me. Emma. And I do care and you know that"
Regina nodded her head, "I know. I'm sorry"
Emma could see that the brunette felt bad and the blonde couldn't be mad at her for what she had said.
"It's okay. I know you didn't really mean it" the blonde told her sincerely
Brown eyes looked up into green and found Emma smiling at her. Henry was watching the whole interchange very carefully and let a sigh of relief wash over him as his moms began to make up.
"I know he needs to get back to school. I just wanted him to get back into a routine first and make sure he was comfortable before I…we sent him back. I was thinking he could start on Monday? If you found that agreeable?" Regina questioned looking up at the blonde Sherriff
Emma nodded with a smile, "I think that sounds reasonable"
The two women smiled at each other before Emma cleared her throat and shuffled her feet back and forth.
"Well I should really get going. David's probably wondering where I am" Emma said as she looked around the table
"But you didn't order any food Ma" Henry pointed out
Emma's cheeks began to turn pink as she realized she had just been standing there talking to them the entire time she had been in the diner.
"Right. I'm just…ummm…I'm gonna go grab something right now" she said as she stuttered nervously before turning around and bumping into the table behind her. She let out s small curse word under her breath before continuing up to the bar to get her coffee and bear claw.
Regina couldn't help the smile that was tugging at her lips at the blonde's clumsiness and nervousness that had suddenly flared up. Tink turned her attention back to the brunette and raised her eyebrows at the smile that was on the older woman's face. Regina rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to Henry.
"You ready sweetheart?" she asked him
"Yep" he answered with a smile
As the three of them scooted out of the booth Henry looked up at Tinkerbell.
"Tink you want to come with us?" he asked
"Oh Henry I know you and your mom were going to spend some time together"
"Yeah I know. And I want to spend time with her too. But I think you guys should talk first" he said looking form one woman to the other
"What do you mean?" Regina questioned as she looked down at her son
"I saw you guys talking when I came out of the bathroom. I'm not an idiot. I know it was about something important and I would have let you guys continue talking but I saw Ruby bringing out our plates and I was really hungry. So I just figure Tink can come with us and you two can finish your conversation and then you and I can hang out" Henry told her
Regina smiled down at her son and shook her head, "You are an amazing young man"
"I know" he told her as he puffed out his chest
The brunette found herself letting out a small laugh as she wrapped her arms around Henry's shoulders and pulled him in for a slight hug which he reciprocated.
Emma was just getting her coffee and bear claw when she turned around at the sound of Regina's laugh. It wasn't incredibly loud but it was still loud enough for her to hear and when she turned towards the sound she couldn't help but smile at the sight of her son and his brunette mother hugging as she laughed at something he had obviously said. She stood and watched as Regina said something to Tinkerbell and the fairy nodded before the three of them turned and walked out of the diner.
"You better make a move before the fairy beats you to it" Ruby said, causing Emma to jump
The blonde turned towards the waitress who was smiling widely and nodding in the direction that the trio had just went.
"I don't know what you're talking about. And Regina's not interested in Tinkerbell"
"Yeah you don't sound jealous or anything" Ruby told her
"I'm not jealous"
Ruby merely raised a sculpted eyebrow at the blonde.
Emma sighed, "Is it that obvious?"
"Honey you've had it bad for Regina since I met you. But honestly I thought that was just a little crush because, you know, she's hot and you two loved to argue, and stuff, so I thought it was all just a little fantasy game but ever since you guys got back the other day I've seen the way you look at her and I've seen the way she looks at you. And both of you have got it bad"
Emma stared at Ruby in slight shock, "I don't…I…how"
"Sweetie I love you, but whatever happened in Neverland has made you drop some walls because the other night when we were celebrating your return you couldn't keep your eyes off of her. And you were looking at her like…you love her" Ruby said, whispering the last part
Emma took a moment to let her mind digest everything the waitress had just told her. Then she sighed and looked up at her friend.
"I do love her" the blonde admitted
"What?! Seriouysly?!" Ruby squealed, "This is awesome! You have to tell her!"
"I kinda did and it didn't go very well"
"Oh" Ruby replied slightly deflated
The waitress watched the blonde's shoulder sag slightly.
"I think you and I need to talk. I'll go with you to the station and you can kick David out for awhile" Ruby said as she took her apron off.
"Uh Ruby" Emma said looking around the diner
"Don't worry Granny isn't going to fire me. This is important" she said waving her hand before turning and shouting over her shoulder, "I'm taking my break, Granny, I'll be back later"
Then she shoved Emma hard as they both ran out of the diner before Granny could yell at the both of them.
Ruby was true to her word and kicked David out of the station as soon as she and Emma walked in. The blonde gave her father an apologetic look, but he merely shrugged his shoulders and told them he'd be back in an hour.
Both women made themselves comfortable as they leaned back in desk chairs and propped their feet up and Emma began to relay everything to her long legged friend. Once Emma had finished she watched for Ruby's reaction, but the tall brunette merely sat there for a few minutes before she sat up quickly, dropping her feet from the desk and turning to look at Emma.
"Ems you know Regina has trust issues. She always had. I wouldn't think too much about what happened. I can tell she feels the same way for you, it's just going to be harder for her to accept. I mean everyone she's ever cared about has either manipulated her or died. It might take her some time, but you can't give up, because if she feels like you've given up in just the slightest she's going to put her walls back up and think you were just saying those things to manipulate her into doing something. You have to tread lightly…maybe woo her"
The blonde just stared at the waitress, "Woo her?"
"Yeah, silly, show her some romantic gestures. Something that's going to clearly show her that you mean what you said and that she is worth it"
"Right. The problem with that is, I'm not the most romantic person ever"
"Oh please you have Charming blood running through you. I'm sure if you tapped into it you could figure out something"
The blonde began to drift off thinking about what she could do to prove to the older brunette that she really did love her. She was brought back to the present when she heard Ruby clearing her throat.
"Oh, right, sorry Rubes. Thanks for the…you know" the blonde said as she motioned between the two of them
"Anytime" the waitress said as she got up and began heading towards the door, before she stopped and turned to face the blonde one last time, "Oh and I was only joking about Tinkerbell making a move. She really just wants to be friends with Regina and I think the feeling is mutual"
"I know" Emma replied before catching Ruby's attention one more time, "Could you, maybe, not say anything…about this"
Ruby smiled at her friend, "My lips are sealed. Good luck Casanova"
Emma rolled her eyes at her friend as she walked out of the station.
Meanwhile, across town, Henry was playing on the playground while Regina and Tinkerbell sat on the bench watching him.
Finally the fairy broke the silence, "So Emma told you she loves you"
Regina sighed as she continued to watch Henry play on the fort before nodding at the woman next to her.
"And?"
"I told her to leave"
"Regina"
"Then she came back later and kissed me and told me she would wait for me…because I was worth it"
Tinkerbell couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at this information.
"Regina she really does love you. What did you do?"
"Nothing. She kissed me, said that, and then left to have dinner with our son"
The curly haired blonde frowned slightly as she watched the brunette next to her.
"Regina, has anyone ever told you that you worth it? Worth anything?"
The older woman sat in silence for a long moment before shaking her head, "No…not anything good at least…well except for Daniel"
"I don't want you to have any regrets and I think that if you don't follow your heart that you will always regret it. I think Emma is good for you and I think you are good for her"
Regina scoffed and the fairy shook her head, "I'm serious Regina. You are both more alike than I think you want to admit. You both share similar pasts, as far as feeling unloved and probably other things as well"
"Yes well she suffered through her past because of me. It's my fault that she had a horrible childhood and grew up without parents"
"But Regina have you ever asked her if she blames you? Or even if she did for a time, if she has forgiven you?"
"Sort of. She told me she didn't necessarily regret her past…actually I told her what happened between us and she said that she wanted to punch you for the way you treated me-"
"Well she accomplished that" the fairy stated
"Yes well, she also said she wanted to thank you for saving my life that day when I fell"
"Really?"
Regina nodded as she continued, "She said that if you hadn't saved my life then I wouldn't have been able to cast the curse. Therefore, she never would have been separated from her parents, which means she never would have had Henry"
Tink smiled slightly, "So she doesn't blame you"
"Maybe not in so many words"
"I think she's looking at the bigger picture. You wouldn't be alive and neither would Henry. I don't think she can ever be angry with you for Henry. I think he's the one thing she doesn't regret"
The brunette only nodded.
"Regina she might not know your entire past but I think she deserves to hear it. And I think you need to start at the beginning, tell her what you were like as a child. I think she knows enough about your mother and about how you were manipulated throughout your life, but I think she would like to hear it from you"
"I don't know"
"I'm not saying you have to tell her your whole story right now. But I think, eventually, you do need to tell her some of it"
"Maybe"
"I also think that you should consider for a moment that she knows about some of the things you did as the Evil Queen, but that she also understands that you were manipulated quite a bit in your life. And I think you need to realize that even though she knows both sides of you she still says she loves you. Because, Regina, a true relationship is when you have someone who loves all sides of you. Someone who accepts your past and present and who believes in your future, and it sounds like Emma is that person. So just promise me you'll think about it"
The brunette was thinking deeply about what the curly blonde had just told her and she knew the younger woman was right, but she didn't know if she was ready to accept that just yet.
"Well I think I am going to go and let you spend some time with your son. He won't be young forever" Tink said with a wink, which got Regina to roll her eyes
"Tinkerbell" the brunette called after her
The fairy stopped and turned back to the older woman, "Yes?"
"Thank you" Regina told her sincerely
Tink smiled, "You're welcome", before turning and walking back towards the town
Henry watched as Tinkerbell walked away before he began shouting for his mom to come join him. Regina looked up and smiled at her son, who seemed to be enjoying himself, as if he hadn't just returned from Neverland two days ago. She cleared her mind of what she and the fairy had just been discussing so that she could focus entirely on her son. She continued to smile as she got up from the bench and made her way across the grass towards the playground.
A couple hours later Regina and Henry finally returned to the mansion. When they got to the front door they both noticed an enveloped taped to the door with Regina's name on it. The brunette woman pulled the envelope off before opening the door so they could both go inside. She told Henry to go wash his hands and then come back to the kitchen so they could have some lunch. He looked from the envelope and back to his mom before sighing and heading off to wash up.
She watched her son disappear down the hall before she slowly opened the envelope. She pulled a small piece of paper out and found a simple poem scrawled on it.
ALWAYS
You were you,
And I was I;
We were two
Before our time.
I was yours
Before I knew,
And you have always,
Been mine too.
Love,
Emma
She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and before she could stop them Henry came running back down the hall, stopping short as soon as he took in her appearance.
"Mom?" he questioned as he walked up to her and placed a hand on her arm, "Are you okay?"
She took a deep breath and put a genuine smile on her face. She cupped his chin in her hands and looked into his dark green eyes.
"Yes, sweetheart, I think I am going to be just fine" she told him before kissing his forehead
She then turned and walked into the kitchen leaving her eleven year old son staring after her, wondering what had just happened.
A/N: Hope to get the next chapter up within the next two weeks! I promise it will be better than this one :)
