CHAPTER 21

Wednesday's therapy session couldn't come fast enough for Emma. Apparently Regina took their meeting at the principal's office as her scheduled time with Henry. Emma texted Regina to ask if she was going to come over and get Henry or if she wanted her to bring him to her. Regina took forever to get back to her. When she finally did she said she thought they all had better things to do right now.

Emma threw her phone across the room at that. What was better than spending time with the family? Especially since they had had such a great time this weekend. Emma loved every second she spent with Regina and the kids and was hurt that Regina didn't seem to feel the same way. Her being hurt she could handle. But she noticed Henry's eyes look at the clock on the wall and then at the phone and door. His hurt just ripped her to shreds inside.

As a special treat, she took Henry with her to get some take out before they came home and crashed in front of the tv with a movie Henry had been dying to watch.

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They got to Archie's and had to wait for Regina and the girls to show up. Regina looked flustered and apologized but Emma was still heated about last night.

"We all know what time our appointment is, I should think you've learned how a clock works by now," she accused.

Regina returned from placing Brissa in the corner with the toys and Pongo and was just sitting down. "I'm well aware how a clock works Ms. Swan but I also know how traffic works when I have to drive to two different places to pick up my children."

"Well – you should leave earlier next time." Emma muttered.

Regina just glowered at her and then turned to Archie. "Good afternoon Archie."

Archie inclined his head. "Regina, how have you been since last week?"

"She had plenty of free time yesterday since she decided she needed to do something else besides take Henry for their time together." Emma bit out.

Regina's mouth was still hanging open with whatever she was going to say dying on her lips. She closed it and blinked over in Archie's direction. She was starting to get angry herself. "I thought you could use the time to try and do some parenting since there's still nothing but problems with Henry," she snapped.

"Okay," Archie sat up. "Jana, Henry, could you two take Brissa into the waiting area while I speak with your Moms?"

Jana shrugged and got her sister and Pongo and pulled them into the waiting area.

Archie turned back to the women who were now sitting and glaring at one another just as Henry and Jana had the week before. "So I take it something went wrong with Henry recently?"

"What isn't going on with Henry?" Regina laughed bitterly.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Emma shouted at her.

Regina shouted right back. "It means that since he's been living with you things have gone from bad to worse with my son."

"Oh, he's your son now. Amazing how he was my son just yesterday when you left us to fend for ourselves while you ran off because you were too busy to be bothered!" Emma and Regina were practically nose to nose now and Archie was sure that the kids could hear everything.

"Ladies!" Archie broke it up. "I'm going to need the two of you to return to your seats and lower your voices. Your children are right outside. Now one at a time, could you please tell me what has happened? Last week you two seemed to be on pretty good terms."

Emma and Regina both crossed their arms and legs in opposite directions. Emma finally decided to break her silence first.

"We got called to the school because Henry's been bullying the kids and bragging about being the savior's son and that his Mom could use magic and take out anyone at anytime. Apparently the kids thought that it was okay to start teasing him after last week's episode where they saw his cartoon underwear and I guess with Jana's magic they just felt it was payback." Emma started to calm down as she spoke and heard the situation out loud. "Anyway, we got called to the principal's office who told us what had been going on. And that Jana had stood and pointed and laughed while Henry cried."

Emma began to cry and she wiped angrily at her tears. "But then she told us to handle the situation at home and talk to Henry and make sure that he understood the consequences. Regina just ran back to work and left us there. Then she didn't even bother with Henry at all. I had to text her and ask her if she was coming over to get him and she said we all had more important things to do."

Archie handed her a box of Kleenex and asked if she was okay. When she nodded he continued, "Well what I hear is that you're concerned about Henry's behavior toward you, Regina, and now with his classmates and even with Jana. And that was initially part of your reasoning for bringing him here yes?"

Emma wiped her face and blew her nose. Regina rolled her eyes at how loudly it came out before handing her over some hand sanitizer. "How is Henry supposed to get better when Regina keeps treating him like he's not important?" She turned to Regina, "Since you didn't bother to notice, she told both of us to have a talk with him."

Archie turned to Regina. "Regina?"

"I have nothing to say."

"That's the problem!" Emma shouted.

Regina glared at her and took a breath.

"I'm afraid I'd have to agree with Emma. That's part of the reason why we're all here," Archie pushed gently. "What happened at the school when the principal told you about Jana and Henry?"

"Nothing," Regina shrugged. "Jana went back to class and Henry went home with Ms. Swan."

"Did you speak with Emma about a plan for dealing with the kid's behaviors?"

"I spoke with Jana when we got home. She's aware that her behavior was uncalled for."

Archie was aware that his question had been deflected, "And how did that conversation go?"

"I told her that it was rude to point and laugh at Henry especially when he was crying and she said that he was getting back what he deserved for all the times he's done it to other kids. It's pretty hard to argue with her logic."

"Except the children are siblings. So her laughing with the other kids had to have been hurtful to him."

Regina was getting miffed with being put on the spot. "I don't think she sees it that way."

"Do you see it that way?" When he got no answer but Regina blowing out a big breath he pushed gently again, "When I asked a second ago did you and Emma speak about the situation as two parents did that happen?"

Regina began tapping her foot furiously. "Emma wanted to parent Henry and that's what she's supposed to be doing. I don't see that it matters whether both of us said anything to him or not. He lives with her. And the issue was with him and her. I figured she could handle the situation."

"Well having two parents means that he's lucky enough to have two perspectives. Do you still see yourself as Henry's parent?"

"It's just not the same anymore," Regina said quietly after a long pause.

Emma had held her breath waiting for the answer and every second that ticked made her cringe more inside. This was never what she meant to have happen when she came to this town. She just wanted to get to know her son. Emma knew that part of Henry's problem was his estrangement from Regina. But to hear Regina say that things had changed just broke her. She began crying again and this time she couldn't stop the flood.

When she quieted down and could look up, she saw Regina staring out the window with Archie looking at her sympathetically. He nudged the Kleenex over to her again.

"Regina? Would you care to elaborate?" Archie asked gently.

"I never asked to co-parent. I didn't want an open adoption. I had plenty of options, you know? I could've had my own baby, or a surrogate, or none. I chose a closed adoption because it was supposed to be just that. And if she wanted an open adoption she could've chosen that at the time she gave Henry up. But she didn't. I understand Henry broke the confidentiality part of the agreement by bringing her here but she broke the entire contract by stealing him from me. And right now I'm just – I don't want to do it," with that Regina rose and walked out the door.

Emma stared at the closed door in shock. She turned to Archie who had an equal look of complete shock on his face.