Warning! This chapter is also filled with SO MANY FEELS! Just a heads up! Also, I've had enough inquiries as to the outcome of this story, and I want you to know that there is a happy ending in store for our ladies! I PROMISE! It's just going to take a while. And wow, the response to my last chapter was great! I love all of you, and I'm sorry for making your amazing hearts bleed! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Regina spent part of the morning with Henry, neither saying much to the other. They just sat close up against each other on the lounge in her study. He tucked his head on a part of her shoulder that didn't hurt, while she kept her arm curled around him, slowly stroking his messy locks. The brunette didn't dare utter more than two words, afraid of ruining this precious moment with her son. It had been far too long since Henry allowed any sort of affection on this level to pass between them.

This might be the only good thing to come of that garish woman's assault, Regina thought bitterly to herself. I've got my son back...for now. She went to turn her head to place a soft kiss in the boy's hair, but she whipped it back into place, hissing in pain as the tender bruises flared with fresh aches.

"Mom? You okay?" Henry turned to face her, his brow knit in concern.

"I just moved the wrong way, Henry. I'll be okay." A pained smile tugged at her face, and it did no one any favors.

Henry pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, his eyes shifting from her own to her shirt. "Can...can you show me?" he mumbled quietly, averting his gaze again.

A weary sigh slipped from her lips. "Henry... I-I can't."

"You don't have to protect me from everything, Mom," he said warmly, taking one of her hands into his own. He could feel the way her fingers trembled, and the sweat on her palm. "I know what she did to you, but... I need to see it."

"Can't knowing just be enough for today, dear?" Regina's voice cracked slightly, and she mentally winced at the desperation bleeding through her words. She hated herself further for the tears that stung her already puffy eyes.

Henry immediately saw the deterioration his prying had caused, and was quick to regret asking. "Yeah, Mom. It's enough for me. Promise." He used the cuff of his sweater to dab away a fallen tear with feather-light presses. "Mom?" he questioned again.

"Yes, dear?" she brought her gaze to his face, and noticed that he was once again chewing on his lip. His eyes were darting from her face to the abandoned glass of cider on the coffee table in front of them.

"Did you leave that out overnight," he probed carefully, pointing to the glass.

Regina knew there was no point in beating around the bush with him, and a fresh wave of shame mingled with the snarled ball of cantankerous misery that was already wreaking havoc on her frayed state of mind. "No, Henry. I did not leave that out overnight. I was drinking it before you came back home." She didn't look him in the eye.

The boy leaned his head back against his mother. "Mom, that's not good." His bluntness brought the tiniest of smiles to her face.

"I know. I just... It's complicated, and the alcohol was the only thing that made sense. It kept me here, and not back in my office with..." Regina shuddered, her left hand tracing the edges of the collar on her turtleneck again. "It helped me feel more in control." she finished shortly.

"I thought that stuff made people lose control," he questioned quietly.

"I'm not sure how much of what I'm about to say will make sense to you, but I'm going to tell you anyway." She squeezed his hand firmly. "The cider...it burns. Kind of like how mouthwash burns, you know?" Henry nodded against her chest. He was listening to the frantic hammering of her heart, feeling the vibrations of her words against his face. It soothed him.

"Well, that burn, that...pain, was something I chose to endure. It's something I willingly consumed. What Emma did-"

"Was against your will," he murmured sadly.

"Yes. Very much so." She pressed him a little closer to her, resuming her gentle strokes across his hair, both content to remain silent for the time being. However, their companionable stillness was abruptly punctured by the shrill melody - if you could call it that - of Regina's cell phone, the grating noise blasting from her pocket.

Henry wordlessly scooted away, giving the brunette room to slip the device out, and when her eyes fell on the screen, she let out a terrified yelp, dropping the phone, almost flinging it, as though it had stung her suddenly. Her son sprung to his feet in alarm.

Regina had violently scrambled backwards so fast that she was practically perched on the back of the lounge, her hands clasped white-knuckled over her mouth, thick sobs pouring out between the digits, streams of hot tears plummeting from her eyes. He made to reach for her, but she shook her head no, still half on the back of the lounge. Henry had the nasty feeling that his mother was suppressing the urge to vomit really hard.

Unable to do anything for the brunette, he scooped up the cell, and his eyebrows shot straight into his hairline at the name on the caller ID: Sheriff Swan. What was Emma doing, calling Regina? Hot anger boiled in his chest immediately, stealing a glance at the woman he hardly knew in the room with him. Emma had no right to speak to his mother, and he'd give her one hell of an earful if she even dared utter Regina's name. He swallowed thickly, steeling his resolve before answering the phone.

"Hello?" His greeting was hard, and contained zero warmth.

"Henry?" The boy's jaw just about hit the floor.

"Mr Nolan?" His mouth continued to gape, and he heard a confused burble from the direction of his mother.

"I thought this was Mayor Mills' phone?" David's voice was politely perplexed.

"It is." Henry's mind was whirling with a million things, and speech seemed to be on the low end of the list.

"Can I speak to her, kiddo?"

"I'm not so sure you can. Mom's..." He paused, unsure as to how to politely tell the sheriff that Regina was in the middle of a full-blown panic attack. "She's... She's...busy," he finished lamely and entirely unconvincingly.

David, fortunately, was smart enough to know not to press the issue any further. The situation in Storybrooke was messed up enough already, especially regarding one Mayor Mills. He had no desire to do any more damage than was already done. He had an uncomfortable task ahead of him, and forcing it at the wrong time would only hurt Regina more. "I understand. Henry, can you tell your mom that I need her to phone me back at the sheriff's station at her earliest convenience? It's rather urgent."

"No problem, Mr Nolan." That was definitely a task he could handle, and the tight knot in his chest eased an infinitesimal amount.

"Oh, and Henry? Take care of your mom, okay? You're the man of the house, and she needs you now more than ever." David said the words tenderly, warmly, even though he had no idea what prompted his sudden outpouring of paternal advice.

"I'm all over that," Henry replied confidently, though he couldn't fight the slight waver in his voice. "Have a good day, Mr Nolan." With that, he hung up the phone, set it down, and moved to where Regina had sunk back into the lounge.

Her knees were pulled up to her chest, even though it caused her a fair amount of pain, and soft, watery sobs seeped out of her mouth, punctuated by the occasional hiccup. She was staring almost straight ahead of her, but Henry could tell that she wasn't really seeing. She wasn't there. And then he understood all of what she said earlier about being kept in the present. An idea struck him, and without a word, he dashed away upstairs, leaving Regina in a blubbering mess on the lounge.

He came back down barely a minute later, clutching something in his fists. He moved slowly back to his mother, as if approaching a wild, wounded animal. He stood facing her, and without a word, tucked the object he was holding into the space between Regina's knees and her chest.

Almost instinctively, like a child grasping for its safety blanket, his mother latched onto Stuffles, crushing him against her chest. Her eyes were pressed shut, and she buried her nose into the little lion's worn mane, inhaling his unique scent of toy and her own son. Tears leaked into his fur, and he absorbed them, quietly, calmly telling her it was time to come back.

"Mom..." Henry's voice came quietly, tenderly. She looked up, glassy, puffy brown eyes locking onto his, and he knew that she was seeing him. She was right there, right where she belonged. He gave her the tiniest of smiles, the reassurance radiating from his face, and he felt awfully proud of his mother in that moment.

"H-how did you know?" she croaked, never taking her eyes off of her son, her fingers gently stroking Stuffles' mane.

Henry knelt down in front of her, fixing her with the most serious and earnest look, setting his little hand on her bicep. "Stuffles will always protect you," he said with profound conviction. "He's never let me down before, Mom. He'll never leave you either. So long as you let him, Stuffles will keep you safe, and he will keep you right here."

Regina felt fresh tears in her eyes, but they were not born of panic and terror. They were tears of overwhelming love for the young man she was unbelievably proud to call her son. She unfurled her left arm, wringing it around his back, pulling him into a hug filled with tenderness, love, fear, and the kind of warmth that can only be passed between mother and son.

"Why was Emma's name on your phone when it was Mr Nolan calling?" His question was gentle, and held no obligation for the brunette to answer if she didn't feel able to.

Regina tensed momentarily, swallowing loudly. "Ms Swan's name was there because she was the sheriff. That number was from the station, and not her personal number. Things were so..."

"Messed up?" Henry supplied.

"Mhm. Things were so messed up and out of order, that when Mr Nolan took up the badge, I simply forgot to change the contact name in my phone." Regina let out a shaky sigh. "The same thing happened after Graham... It was his name I saw for weeks after Ms Swan had taken up his post. However, I believe I hesitated on changing his name for different reasons."

"Because it made it real?"

"Because it made it real," she echoed back.

"Does changing Emma's name make it real for you?"

Regina stayed quiet for a long moment. Her hand tightened around the little lion, and she uttered a single word so softly, Henry wasn't sure she had spoken at first, "Yes."

Henry went back to school once he made sure his mother was okay, and sufficiently calmed down. He made her promise to keep away from all of her liquor, and poured the remainder of the cider that she didn't finish down the drain. He said goodbye with a lingering hug before leaving the house.

Regina was quick to lock the door behind him, and while she called the school to notify them of her son's late arrival, she went through every room in the mansion again, checking all of the locks and doors. She found herself standing in the foyer once more, and as soon as she stopped to harness her thoughts, she realized that she was still holding onto the soft form of a stuffed lion.

She held him up, peering into his gently-worn face, the unmarred half of her mouth quirking into a small, affectionate smile. "Can I do this, Stuffles?" He held her watery gaze. She took out her phone and pressed the speed dial for the sheriff's station, hearing it ring a couple of times before David answered the call.

"Sheriff Nolan, is there an emergency?" he enquired politely.

"It's Regina," she said shortly.

"Regina! G-good! I was hoping to hear from you soon." She could practically see the mild man squirming in Em-the sheriff's chair.

"Sheriff Nolan, please drop the pleasantries. What did you need?"

He coughed uncomfortably. "Right. Listen, I'm going to need you to come down here so I can take a statement-"

"NO!" she shrieked, her whole posture going rigid, white-knuckling Stuffles and the phone. "No... Mr Nolan, I can't."

"Regina, this is necessary to the investigation-"

"No, David. Please, for the love of God don't make me go there," she pleaded, the smallest of whimpers snaking up from her throat. "I can't! I can't see... I am in so. Much. Pain."

"O-okay. Hang on a sec. You don't have to come to the station! You're under no obligation to do so."

"Then-"

"But I can't let this slide. Not for long, Regina." Neither seemed to care anymore that they had gone from their professional titles to first names. "I need a statement. If... If it would be better for you, I can come to your house. Wherever you're most comfortable. Hell, if you need to do this at Granny's or something, we can."

"You...you can't see me. Not like this. Not ever."

"Regina," he said softly into the phone. "I was there. I saw that atrocity myself. I promise you, I am not doing this to judge you, or to gossip. I am trying to do my job. The more information I have, and the sooner I can process the paperwork, the sooner I can catch her. That's all. I have no ulterior motives. I want to help you."

Regina could not deny that there was always something calming about his presence. His voice was gentle, warm, and no matter how deeply it sickened her, she knew he had a good and tender heart. Her hand unconsciously brought Stuffles up to her chest, and she rested her chin on top of his head.

"Regina?" David's voice jarred her for a second.

"Yes. Yes, you can come over, but there are conditions."

"Anything to make this easier." She could hear the calm, reassuring smile in his voice, and see the way the corners of his soft, blue eyes crinkled kindly.

"Firstly," she stated, assuming as business-like a tone as she could muster. "You cannot come here until nightfall. I need...time."

"Done," he agreed easily.

"Secondly, you are not to use...her name."

"I will do my best." She could hear a pen scratching in the background.

"Thirdly, if I ask you to stop, you will comply immediately. You will not ask if I am okay, nor will you try to comfort me in any way unless indicated by myself."

"Absolutely. Not a problem for me at all."

"Thank you," she whispered quietly.

"Just doing my job, Regina. What time would you like me to come over?"

"Can you arrive at 9pm sharp?"

"I'll be there. Thank you for agreeing. I know this is..."

"Save it," she said in clipped tones. Without warning, Regina hung up on the conversation, feeling significantly drained from that small amount of interaction alone. It was going to be a very, very long day.

Henry came home from school after a tediously-long day. The minutes couldn't have crept by any slower, even if they tried. He hardly heard a word anyone spoke to him, instead anxiously awaiting the moment he could leave and see his mother. What David said to him that morning stuck in his brain.

It never occurred to him in his short life that he should take care of Regina. He reasoned that it was because his mother was always so well put together, that she never gave off any air of needing help. She never got sick, she never got hurt, she never cried. She always took such good care of herself, that the only caretaking going on was her attending to his needs.

When she started showing signs of losing herself was when Emma rolled into town. That was when Henry couldn't even give a damn about her feelings, and, as such, felt no need to help the Evil Queen in the slightest. A wave of guilt washed over him when he realized that.

After leaving school, he expected himself to come crashing into the house, find his mother and give her another hug, but when he reached for the doorknob after sliding his key in the lock, he hesitated. Not because her was afraid, or doubtful, but because the boy remembered just how closely she walked the edge of the cliff. She wobbled and toppled at the slightest gust, and he was about to come whirling in like a hurricane.

He wrapped his fingers around the knob, letting himself in quietly. He dropped his backpack, shucking his coat on top of it and called out for Regina. He only heard the tight echo of his shout throughout the rooms. He frowned, moving to check the study first on the off chance that she might have simply remained there for the duration of the day. The room was empty, and he glanced at the decanter of cider at the mini bar. Earlier that day, they placed a piece of tape along the line of liquid to mark where it was so that Regina would be reminded of her promise not to drink. The tape still matched up with the level of liquor. A small smile quirked his features for a moment.

He checked the kitchen next, only to find it equally empty. The same went for the living room, laundry room, back yard, and his own room. He went to the master bedroom next. The sheets were all higgledy-piggledy, but Regina was not in them. He gazed around the space, and his eyes found the slumped form of his mother in front of the vanity. A shot of panic rocketed through him.

He rushed over to her, but refrained from touching her. She was sitting in the chair, her arms sloppily-folded in front of her, with her head resting on them. He watched her body closely for a second, and breathed a small sigh of relief when he saw her shoulders rising and falling gently. She was just sleeping. He noticed his toy sitting not far away from the brunette, and something clenched in his chest at the thought of Regina keeping Stuffles with her.

He debated waking her, but he had no idea how much sleep she got the night before, and he didn't want to disrupt her getting some much-needed rest. He left, closing the bedroom door quietly behind him. After that, he padded on down to the kitchen, making coffee for the first time in his life, but he had seen Regina use the machine countless times. He followed the steps exactly as he remembered, and soon the hot liquid was filling up the pot.

He poured the liquid into his mother's favorite mug, carrying it slowly and carefully up to the master bedroom. He snuck in, setting it down on the vanity near her. He was about to walk away when he paused, and looked down at his slumbering mother. Without a second thought, he leant over and placed the softest of kisses on her head.

The woman stirred slightly, and he mentally smacked himself in the head for waking her up. She sat up with a deep groan, and he felt rooted to the spot. She peered blearily up into his face, taking a moment to recognize him. He offered her a pained smile.

"Henry?" she croaked.

"I'm home," he offered lamely. "Here, I made you this." He slid the coffee her way.

"Oh, how sweet of you," she said softly, wasting no time in bringing the mug to her lips. A small moan rumbled in her throat, and she didn't even notice her left hand playing at the fabric around her neck again.

"How are you?" Henry asked quietly.

"I'm...tired." Regina drank deeply from the mug, relishing the burns forming in her mouth.

"So the coffee was a good idea!" Henry smiled at the brilliance of his idea, and the brunette nodded in the affirmative. "What did Mr Nolan want?" He did not notice the way Regina tensed at the question.

"He..." Her fingers tugged at the collar of her shirt again. "He needs to take a statement. For the case. He'll be coming here later this evening."

"Oh."

"Which is why you will be staying with Ms Blanchard tonight." She didn't meet his eyes.

"What? Why?" He looked suddenly alarmed.

"What I need to do for Sheriff Nolan..." Regina squeezed her eyes shut. "It's going to be-"

"Hard. I know, Mom. But why are you sending me away?" Henry's bottom lip jutted out slightly when he pouted from not understanding something.

"It's not that I don't trust you to handle this. But I also don't want you to hear any of what I have to say." Henry opened his mouth to cut in, but she held up a hand to stop him. "I know you have a certain way of eavesdropping on conversations you shouldn't hear, dear." Regina gave him a sly smile, oddly proud of her son. "But this... What happened is something I don't want you to hear. And more importantly, I don't know that I am strong enough to do this."

"Then I should be here to help you!" he responded hotly.

"Oh, Henry." Regina looked at him with a sad smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, and reached out a hand to tenderly stroke his cheek. "You have endured so much - too much - for a boy your age. You've had to grow so many years beyond your own, and I don't doubt that you would be strong enough for us, but there are some things that I really do need to protect you from."

"Mom..."

"No," she whispered up to him. "Please. Please do this for me."

Henry looked long and hard into her eyes, unsure what he was searching for. "Okay," he relented. "But you have to promise to call me when you're done!"

"It will be past your bedtime," she countered.

"I don't care. I want you to call me, Mom. I want to know that you're okay!"

"I will...text you. Okay?"

Henry's face split into a wide grin. "Works for me! Oh, and you should keep Stuffles with you when you do your thing with Mr Nolan."

"As much as I love Stuffles, I won't be taking a toy with me," she responded flatly.

"But he will-"

"Henry," she said heavily. "Not right now. Please. I already e-mailed Ms Blanchard, and she will be here at 5. You two will have dinner together at Granny's, okay?"

Henry nodded, showing that he understood. He placed a warm hand on her shoulder. "You can do this, Mom. You're a mom. And mom's are some of the strongest people in the world." He positively beamed at the brunette, hoping he could inspire some hope in her. David was right. He had to do everything he could to help her through the pain.

"My dear, your confidence is as strong and unwavering as the heart of a lion. For you, I will try to do my best." She paused, and frowned slightly, staring into her half-empty mug. "Henry? Why... Why are you defending me? Why aren't you on her side?"

"Because, what Emma did was wrong." Regina flinched slightly at the mention of the blonde's name. "I know you've done bad stuff in your past, but what she did... It's," he hesitated for a moment. "It's evil." His fists clenched into tight little balls. "Even a blind man could see that it was awful what she did to you. Besides," he said almost casually. "You're my mom. No one hurts my mom."

"She's your mother too. And did you forget that I tried to hurt her as well? On many occasions, in fact," Regina was quick but reluctant to point out.

"I didn't forget. But what you did... I d'know. It was just different somehow." The boy shrugged as if that statement explained everything.

Regina desperately wanted to protest. She wanted to beg him not to forgive the wicked quite so readily. She wanted to shake him by the shoulders and shout that she was not worthy, that she was Evil. And, as much as she hated Emma for all that she had done to her in that office, she couldn't fight the feeling that she almost deserved her punishment. However, she didn't do anything. It was another moment to cherish with her son. She had no idea how long his loyalty to her would last, and these displays of affection could be fleeting and finite.

She offered him another smile, this one warmer. "Some day, you will have to explain that difference. But for today, it's enough. Go get packed and start on your homework, okay?"

"Mkays. And, Mom? If you need me for anything-"

"I know how to find you," she finished with another smile.

As always, you can find me on Tumblr at writers-dilemma. tumblr. com And if any of you have questions, please feel free to message me. I love to hear from you guys!