Nope, Minorshan, I hadn't thought of the hide and seek thing, actually. It is a cute idea though. And most certainly a family trait... It was merely the ultimate act of redemption and growth, mostly for Jefferson. The man who wanted nothing more then to forget and start over, had to endure remembering once more, knowing he had go backwards to live a life already planned out and make the most of it. But this time he got his daughter, his saving Grace.

***
August stumbled up into the light and out of the mines. He fumbled reaching for his cell phone in his pocket. But his wooden fingers couldn't push the buttons. He swore.
"Henry, please open your eyes, I need you to push a few buttons." August pleaded.
Henry's eyes fluttered. He didn't say anything, but he took the phone.
"Just dial Regina's number, my fingers are made of wood." August requested. His voice was becoming harsh too, but he might last a phone call.
Henry's fingers ran over the buttons with ease, the number so ingrained into his mind over the years. August dropped to his knees with a thud. He fell forward with Henry as his lungs began to constrict.
The phone rang and a sharp, "Who is this?" from Regina met his ears.
"Help us..." August rasped. "Henry."
"Henry are you there?" Regina asked worried. "That didn't sound like you."
Henry shifted in August's wooden arms.
"Yes." Henry weakly muttered. "Release me...please."
"What?" Regina's voice cracked. "What's going on, where are you?"
"The mines." Henry whispered.

In a rush of wind, Regina was there, trails of dark magic leaving behind her. She took one look from a nearly wooden August to a very pale Henry and dropped to her knees in the dirt beside them.
Moments later, a tense looking Snow appeared in the spot Regina had dropped into.

"What happened?" Regina anxiously inquired.
"You did this." August muttered.
Regina was about to get defensive when Henry interrupted. "You told me not to swear." He coughed weakly. "And I forgot."
Regina paled. "Fairies...my command."
Henry had disobeyed her command. And now he was dying.
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry Henry, I release you from all of my commands." Regina sputtered.
A wind passed over them, but Henry didn't look any less pale.
It wasn't working. The deed was already done.
"Rumplestiltskin!" Regina yelled at the sky.
The manikin appeared quickly upon command.
He surveyed the scene and looked to Regina. "Yes?"
"Fix this. How do I fix this? I already tried releasing him from any commands." Regina demanded.
Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. "His allegiance was bought and he broke a command. This is what is supposed to happen."
Regina stood and grabbed Rumpelstiltskin by the neck. "I know how to kill you. Tell me how to reverse this." Regina reached into her inside jacket pocket and flashed him a glimpse of his dagger. "Or I will do it myself."
If Rumpelstiltskin had wondered how she got the knife, he didn't show it. Just a faint glimmer of fear passed before his eyes. "You aren't going to like it."
"Tell me." Regina growled touching the handle of the knife.
Rumpelstiltskin sighed. She had commanded him. "If you owe your allegiance to a duke or a lord, when are you released from their command?"
Regina frowned. "Never, your allegiance goes to his son, upon his death."
"Precisely." Rumpelstiltskin solemnly met her fierce gaze.

Snow understood first. "Henry is your son. He would be a free man upon your...demise."
Rumpelstiltskin would have cackled here, but he for once didn't feel like laughing. Here he had made what he hoped would be his last deal, ending in what looked to be redemption, but here just hours later, destruction was still upon them. "She's right. That is the only way. Unfortunately, so."

Regina gave a terrible scream. "There is never only one option." She reached in for the knife. Holding it entirely in her hand again a shiver came over her. Rumplestiltskin watched as a cold unfeeling harshness set in her eyes, one that had been missing for many years now, a look that with Henry around had never quite returned, until now. "You could die." Regina hissed and made to stab Rumpelstiltskin with the knife.
Snow gasped. "No!" She ran towards her, but Regina quickly shoved her back with magic.
But it was enough of a distraction.
"Drop the knife, Regina. Please." Rumpelstiltskin trembled as the knife came way too close for comfort.
Regina dropped the knife, since she was obligated to. He had said please.
The moment it left her hand, Regina shuddered. She kicked it and dropped to her knees. She covered her face with her hands, trying to compose herself.
Only the sounds of August's ragged breathing could be heard over the following tense silence. Henry was frozen in his arms, fear and shock in his eyes.

"And that was why I asked for that part of our deal from the beginning. I learned the hard way before, with your mother. Just holding that dagger, makes you think crazy. I should know." Rumpelstiltskin gave a grim smile, breaking the silence. "And no one deserves to be me."
Regina began to breath again, taking in quick, shallow breaths. "Oh, God." She paled realizing how close she had come to really losing everything. By becoming her enemy. By becoming the Dark One.
"Why did you bring dark magic back, you miserable little man? Why would you have wanted the Beast back?" Regina sobbed quietly. "What did I ever do, to deserve this? Why couldn't you have just let us be. My mother, me, Daniel." She pulled out the knight from her pocket.

Rumpelstiltskin shook his head. "As for the Beast, it has always been there and here. It exists as long as we do. It is the living representation of our collective darkness. And I didn't just bring back magic. I brought it back with the most powerful kind of all. True Love. The balance around here is heavily weighted in that direction now. The Beast is the weakest it has ever been, right now." He bent down and tenderly stroked Regina's face.
Regina refused to meet his eyes."But let us not forget, my dear, that you agreed to every deal I offered. You even sought me out for additional mischief." Regina glared coldly.
Rumpelstiltskin softened his approach. " But you are right. You didn't deserve any of this. You deserve so much more than this. But this is the best that someone like me could offer. An eternity of do-overs, chances to get it right." There was a sadness that Regina had never noticed before in his voice. "A perfect salvation or an endless hell of mistakes."

Henry reached out again, his eyes wide, but his gaze becoming blurry. "Mom?"
Regina's focus shifted back to him again, at the use of this word. The beautiful word that had been gone too long from his mouth. Regina pulled herself out of self pity. True Love. That is what everyone claimed was the strongest magic. Regina needed it so desperately to be true.
Regina sank down to her knees again, crawling towards him. She stroked his hair from his face. She hesitated for a moment and then with a gentle touch, she kissed his forehead.

Nothing.

Regina gave a heavy sigh, too empty to even cry at this point. "Guess you were right and I was wrong." She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry my best wasn't enough. I'm sorry I couldn't truly love you. I did after all know, that coming here would leave me with a void that could never be filled. The eternal price of magic."

Henry's eyes fluttered, but nothing came out of his open mouth, but the sound of forceful breathing.
Regina turned her face towards Snow. Tears were in Snow's eyes. And a magical apple was in her hand.
Regina stifled a bitter laugh. "You know. You know that you will go down with me and you come bearing the apple."
Snow met her eyes and gave a weak smile. "Guess you will have two victories for the effort of one. Henry is spared and you will get what you have always wanted, even if you won't be around to enjoy it. My death." She held out the apple.
Regina accepted it. It was a deep sleep of death. Peace and release. Much kinder than she had been to Snow. No nightmares, no tormented visions of the future or the past. Just death.
Snow then handed her another chess knight from her pocket. This one was a weak, pale shade of grey. David.
Regina gave a weak laugh. Everyone was a pawn. Everyone was a playing piece. She was no one special.

"Indeed. But ironically, at the moment that I no longer want it." Regina gave weak, dry laugh. "But the Beast has gotten what it wanted. A world where the only happy ending, is its happy ending."
"I'm... truly sorry, Snow." Regina's voice cracked. "You were just a stupid little girl."
Snow sadly smiled. "So were you."
Regina stared long and hard into Snow White's eyes. Finding only kindness and deep sorrow, she took a bite of the apple.
Instantly, pain took her and a deep sleep washed it away, her mind sinking into emptiness and darkness. Magic seeped out of her as quickly as air left her lungs. A weight was lifted and a slight smile graced her lips. Free!

And then nothing more.

There was a moan from Snow as the magic began to leave her too. And Henry gasped a deep breath of air and his eyes flew open. Color came back into his cheeks again. Just as slowly as it was leaving Snow's.

"No!" Henry began to sob. His head spun as his energy returned to him slowly. August's completely wooden form was still holding him. Regina was dead and her kiss hadn't worked. Emma was stuck in the mines, alone, and he had no memory of how to get to her. James was dead and Snow White was dying.

Snow crawled weakly over towards Henry and laid down beside him. "Shh... it's okay. You're okay. This is how it had to end between us."
Henry shook his head. "This can't be the end." He sobbed. "I have no one. No one. I'm all alone."

"No, your not." A familiar voice caused Henry to open his eyes.
Red and James stood bent over, trying to catch their breaths.
"I knew it. I didn't feel the old darkness in her heart. I knew she didn't kill you." Snow whispered softly.
"Oh, Snow. What have you done?" James sobbed. He dropped to his knees at her side.
"Saved Henry. Regina had to die to save Henry." Snow rasped. "And our fates have always been linked. This was how it had to end."
Her very image was fading away, like white snow melting away. "I'm just sorry that you really are alive. That you have to suffer alone, without me, now."
"Find Emma. And take care of her and Henry. And each other." Snow gasped softly, looking between them.
"Shut up." Red growled.
Snow smiled. She turned to James. And faded away.
"I love you." The wind seemed to whisper with the sound of her voice.
"Always." James choked.

When the image cleared away, there was nothing, but a magical beating heart where Snow White had once laid.

James stared at it, making no sound, his eyes glassy and unfocused.
Rumpelstiltskin silently handed Red a box.
Red picked up the heart and placed it in the box. Tenderly, she touched James' shoulder, trying to stir him to some sort of life.
"Henry." She whispered. "Henry needs you."
James's eyes fluttered in focus. He turned and grabbed Henry up from inside of the lifeless wooden August's arms.

Silently, he stood and carried the sobbing Henry away from the scene. Red followed behind him, holding the box.
Rumpelstiltskin used his magic to transport himself and Regina's body elsewhere. Laying her in own bed in her manor home, she looked every inch a bewitched princess. So broken and yet still so beautiful, when she was asleep. As though nothing was wrong, as though she was just waiting for her lover to rescue her.
Rumpelstiltskin sadly and somberly pulled the sheets up around her.
Except if she hadn't loved Henry, truly loved Henry, then there would be no one to save her. Rumpelstiltskin was so sure that she had. How could he have been so wrong?
About everything?