A/N: This chapter is a bit short, but I'll post another one really soon, I promise!

Regina didn't go to Granny's after the funeral. She didn't want to risk Cora finding her there and doing something horrible. David promised to talk to him for her and let him know that she loved him very much.

Tears stung her eyes as she made her way home. She had just found happiness again. She had David, and Henry was coming around to loving her as his mother again. And suddenly there was the threat of everything being taken away from her again by the person who was supposed to love her most.

She took a breath and headed up the walkway to the front door, hoping with everything she had that Cora was not there, that she had time to rid the house of David's things. She just wanted to protect her family.

She collected herself, wiping the tears away before turning the key in the door and stepping into the house.

"Hello, mother."

David entered the diner to find the group lively. Geppetto had started telling stories about his friend from both the Enchanted Forest and Storybrooke. Everyone was gathered around, listening to the man talk about his best friend, including Henry.

"Hey, kid," David said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, David," Henry said. They'd decided it would be a little weird for the boy to call him grandpa, given the situation. "Where's mom?"

"I was hoping I could talk to you about that." The pair moved outside and sat on the stoop. David took a deep breath. "Henry, your mom is really worried that her mother is in Storybrooke."

"My other grandma is here?"

"We don't know. But the only logical explanation for why it looks like your mom did this to Archie is that someone shapeshifted to become her. Cora is the only person we can think of that could have done it." He placed his hand on Henry's knee. "You're going to have to stay with Emma and Snow for a while."

"Why?"

David was confused. "I thought you'd be happy to spend more time with them."

"I mean, I am, but my room is there. All my stuff is there. And I really like living with you and mom. It's almost like we're a normal family."

David chuckled. Nothing about their situation seemed normal to him. "Well, Henry, I won't be living there either."

"You're breaking up?!" Henry's eyes had teared up at the thought.

"No, no, no!" David pulled the boy into a hug. "I love your mother very much, and I will always love her. She just wants to protect us."

Henry pulled out of the hug. "She's afraid her mom will rip out your heart like her other true love, isn't she?" David nodded, the thought making him sick. "But what if she hurts her? What if she rips out mom's heart and I never see her again?" Henry was completely frantic now. He'd just lost a father figure in his life, and now he felt he was about to lose his mom.

David took a deep breath. "Henry, you know how your mom loves you so much that sometimes she does really horrible things because she thinks they'll make your life better?"

"You mean like when she tried to make Emma leave town?"

"Yeah, like that. Well, I think that's how Cora works, too. She loves your mom and thinks that she knows what's best for her, but she's extremely misguided in her ways."

"So, is that why my mom is the way she is?"

"I think your mother is raising you the best way she knows how, considering her own upbringing. And I think she's done an awesome job of it. You turned out to be a pretty great kid."

Henry formed a weak smile. "I just hope she's okay."

David hugged the boy again. "She will be, Henry." But the truth was that he was trying to ease his own mind as much as he was Henry's.

"Regina," Cora smiled at her daughter. "Just look at you."

Regina closed the door behind her. "So, you've been here for a day and you've already framed me for murder and invaded my home? You're quite efficient." She dropped her keys in the bowl by the door and moved to the kitchen, where she poured herself a glass of chardonnay. "What object did you use?"

"A hairbrush," Cora stated simply. "So," she said, moving to the opposite side of the counter. "I've looked over your house. I see signs of your son, Henry, of course. Do I get to meet my grandson?" Regina stared at her mother icily. "I also see signs that a man lives here with you."

"Efficient and observant."

"You've created quite the family for yourself, haven't you? Tell me, who is the new man who has… taken my daughter's heart?"

"Oh, clever play on words, mother." Regina snarled, completely unamused by Cora. "Do you really think I'm going to tell you the name of the man I'm living with so you can go rip his heart out like you did Daniel's?"

"Oh, please don't tell me you're still hung up on that stable boy—"

"I loved him!" Regina suddenly cried violently. "He was my true love, and you ripped his heart out in front of me!"

"And you exacted your revenge on me when you sent me through that portal. And you seem to have found someone to replace your stable boy." She smirked in a way Regina realized resembled her own sarcastic smile. "We're even."

"Not even close." Regina moved to leave the kitchen.

"Regina, wait!" Cora stopped Regina, suddenly looking remorseful. "This is not how I wanted this to happen," she said.

"It's exactly how you wanted it to happen, mother. You never do anything that you haven't carefully calculated first."

"No, Regina. Not this time." She moved toward her daughter. "I wanted to apologize. I never should have made you marry the king."

Regina cringed at the mention of her ex-husband, her eyes threatening to tear. "You're right about that."

"I can never take that back. But I want to prove to you that I am capable of being a better mother. I want to redeem myself."

The queen remembered back to the day she had said those exact words to Henry. But this was different. It had to be. Regina wasn't her mother.

"I want to be a part of your life," Cora said. "And if this man is important to you, he is important to me, too."

"Mother, I'm giving you another chance, but we're starting with something smaller than that." Regina's phone started ringing in her pocket. David. "I'll be just a minute." She went outside and answered the call. "I told you not to contact me. My mother is here."

"Archie's alive."

Regina's eyes widened. "What? Well then who did she kill?"

"I have no idea, but Archie just showed up at Emma and Snow's apartment. We're trying to figure out what is going on."

"Okay, I'll keep Cora busy. I'll call you tomorrow morning."

"Regina?"

"Yes, dear?"

"I love you."

She smiled involuntarily. He could still make her blush like a teenager when he wanted to. She turned to make sure her mother wasn't eavesdropping. "I love you, too," she whispered before ending the call.