***A/N: We're almost at the home stretch. There's another chapter or 2 left and then we're done! **** :D

CHAPTER 18

They unloaded the car and Emma put her things away while Regina and Angel went to see if Henry needed help before giving Angel her bath.

Henry was sitting on his bed looking around his room. He hadn't even started to unpack anything.

"Hi Henry," Regina says as she enters his room with Angelica in tow.

"Hi Henry," Angelica mimics her Mommy then goes over to Henry and gives him a hug.

Regina smiled at the two. "We're really glad you're home." She begins taking things out of the boxes and putting them away for him. Angel begins inspecting the boxes and their contents while chatting away to her brother.

"Guess what Henry, Pinocchio's coming tomorrow. And guess what Henry, we're going to get us a playhouse tomorrow. And guess what Henry – "

Henry jumps up and snatches the box away from her. "Stop touching my stuff."

Regina's head snaps around. She turns completely and faces Henry with her hands on her hips, "You don't speak to your sister like that."

Henry hung his head and shifted from foot to foot. "She was just touching everything," he accuses.

"Then, you can politely ask her not to. But, you will not speak to anyone that way. Understood?"

Henry shifts his gaze away from his mother and over to his sister. "Yes," he says while glaring at her.

Regina is troubled. Her son coming home was supposed to be a time for celebration. She bends over and puts her hands on his shoulders, "We're glad you're home Henry. But, a lot has changed. And we're not going to be moving backwards. I'm sorry things are hard for you. But, I promise, you'll be happier learning to appreciate them instead of finding ways of fighting them."

Henry avoids her eyes and pulls himself out of her arms. "Can I be alone now? I can unpack myself. Please."

Regina looks at him with sorrow in her eyes. She smiles over at Angel, "Come on Angel. It's bathtime."

"Wahoo! Yes!" Angel leaps off the bed and runs to the masterbath.

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Henry watches aghast from a crack in his door as Emma leads Regina out of her bedroom after putting Angel to sleep. She pushes her against the wall and kisses her. "Are you okay? I'm sorry I couldn't ask you sooner. I wanted to wait until we got the kids to bed."

"Yes," Regina smiled at her and kissed her nose. "I'm fine. Really," at Emma's probing look.

Emma kisses her softly again and ends the kiss with their foreheads pressed together. Gazing into chocolate eyes she says, "You know I love you right?"

"I do. And I love you too," Regina tightens her around her waist.

"I'll never get tired of hearing that," Emma purrs. "Let's check on our son and get to bed."

Henry raced back to his bed and flew underneath the blankets. He pulls them up under his chin and turns his back to the door. He pretends to be asleep.

They both stand on either side of him. Regina leans in and kisses him while she runs a finger along his jaw. "My little prince."

Emma chuckles. "He's been the prince of darkness lately."

Regina scoffs at her. "Don't call my son dark. He's just having a hard time adjusting."

"Well, he'd better figure it out fast. I've had to tell him multiple times that he doesn't get to tell us what to do or how we have to behave. He's still not getting it."

"And he'll only make himself sick in the meantime. I wish we could do more to help him."

Emma held up her hand, "Hey, we've given him what he needs. He's 12 now. It's up to him to start making some right decisions. He's going to hate himself for everything he's missing out on if he doesn't start soon. But, that's on him. We're not going to do the guilting ourselves into the grave. It serves no purpose."

Emma ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead, "He sure is cute when he's asleep though."

Regina chuckled and turned to leave. Emma followed her as they made their way into the guest room and closed the door.

Neither saw the tears in his eyes before he fell asleep.

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The next morning, Angelica flung herself at her still sleeping Mommies.

Emma lifted her head sleepily, "What the – Oh." She drops her head and falls back to sleep.

Regina grabs her up and kisses her repeatedly. "Morning Angel." She looks over at the clock. It's only 5:30 am.

"Morning Mommy." The two stay cuddled together for a few minutes. Then, Angel pulls back, "Mommy Pinocchio's coming. We have to get ready."

"That's not until after your naptime princess. We've got hours and hours and hours to go until then."

"I can't take a nap. What if I miss him?"

"Mommy would never let that happen. I promise you. Come on," she wraps Angelica inside the blankets with the two of them. "Let's get just a little more sleep."

Angelica snuggles up to her Mommy and the two of them drift off again.

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Henry took a few minutes to remember where he was once he woke up. He had gotten used to being with at his grandparent's apartment and now his own room that he had grown up in his entire life seemed foreign to him.

He walked out his door on the way to the bathroom and saw the guest room door open. His Mom, the Savior was lying there with her arm around the Evil Queen and that little girl. He still wasn't too clear about what exactly she was. But, he was certain the Evil Queen was behind all of this.

He finished his morning routine and went downstairs. He had remembered that his Mother kept some of her spell books in her study. He checked again to make sure that he was the only one awake and he ran into the study.

He tore through it looking for Regina's spell books. Finally, he found one. He flipped through it and found a spell. This was exactly what he needed!

Now, all he had to do was figure out a way to get to Gold's so that he could gather the ingredients.