Regina turned her glare at Sam, who is still holding her daughter's hand. She could see how nervous he was by the way he shuffled his feet awkwardly. Sensing the tension growing in the apartment, Hook let out a cough and got to his feet.

"Well, if we are done here, I will just take my leave."

Emma, wanting to escape the awkwardness too, quickly got her jacket. "I'll walk you out. I still have questions for you."

Both adults happily and quickly left the apartment, quietly closing the door behind them.

Snow cleared her throat and gave her sister a look. She discreetly pointed her finger at Sam then at Regina. The teen grimaced, knowing that her mother would want to talk in private, and most likely get a long lecture.

Dahlia turned to look at Sam and gave his hand a comforting squeeze. He gave her a shy smile back before giving her a nod and letting go of her hand. He would have given her a kiss, if it wasn't for the glare that the mayor was still giving him.

"Um, mom?" Dahlia nervously asked her mother, "May we go back to the house to talk in private?"

Not a second later, Regina poofed herself and her two children back to the house, in her study room.

"I'm going to go and play with Ike for a while," Henry said. Before leaving the room, he gave Dahlia an encouraging smile and ran from the study.

"Sit," Regina pointed to the leather chair, as she began to pace in front of the fireplace.

The teen let out an annoyed huff but did as she was told. She crossed her arms and stared up at the ceiling, waiting for the lecture to happen. She didn't have to wait too long.

"You are not allowed to date that boy. You are not to date anyone at all."

Dahlia narrowed her dark eyes at her mother, who had stopped pacing and was staring at her. "I like him. And he likes me. We want to date. End of story."

"I'm your mother-"

"Is it because he's a werewolf? Just like his sister and grandmother?" The teen frowned. "Or is it because you don't trust him?"

"I'll admit that he is a nice young man," Regina gritted through her teeth, "but I don't like the idea of my daughter dating someone. You are still young to be dating-"

"I'm sixteen!" Dahlia interrupted her mother. "It's normal for people my age to start dating! At what age did you start dating?"

"That's not the point right now-"

The teen rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child anymore."

"You're not eighteen yet," Regina frowned at the teen, "that still makes you a child in my eyes." Seeing that her daughter was still being stubborn, the mayor let out a sigh. She leaned back against the wall. "I just worry about your safety and happiness," Regina murmured.

Dahlia unfolded her arms against her chest and her gaze softened at her mother's tone. "Sam is a good guy, mom. He won't hurt me in any way."

"He is a werewolf. What if he loses control one day and hurts you?"

The teen bit her lower lip. "He won't. He was always careful around us."

Regina glared at her daughter. "You have been around him when he was in werewolf form?!"

Dahlia winced at her mother's shout. "Not at first. Only when he knew he had it under control."

The mayor shook her head, not knowing what to say. Dahlia fidgeted with her hands, observing her mother. She knew her mother didn't like the idea of her dating anyone. Back in the Enchanted forest, her mother would always keep a close eye whenever boys her age would want to talk to her or dance with her whenever her mother was invited to balls. If they got too friendly, her mother would either personally scare them off or would send one of her guards to get them away from her.

"I understand that you are worried. But Sam isn't like most guys," Dahlia explained, giving her mom a small smile. "He's sweet and funny. Not to mention protective of those he really cares about. Maybe if I invite him for dinner, you will get a chance to know him better."

Her mother just stared at her.

"We can have dinner once this whole situation with my mother is over," Regina grimaced. "I don't like the idea of you and him dating. But I will give him the benefit of doubt and get to know him." Regina frowned. "For the meantime, I don't want to see any kissing or any inappropriate behavior, young lady. I mean it. I don't want the two of you rushing into something that-"

"Okay okay, I get it!" Dahlia's face turned to a pink shade, looking anywhere but at her mother. This was one conversation she did not want to have with her mother. Ever. "Can we skip this 'talk'," she winced at how her voice shook with embarrassment. "There is no need for it."

Regina let out a chuckle and opened her arms. Immediately, her daughter stood from the armchair and stepped into her arms. Regina closed her eyes and gave the teen a tight hug. She kissed the top of the teen's head and let out a sigh. "I will interrogate him during the dinner, if not sooner."

"Go easy on him."

"I won't make any promises."

Emma is anxiously chewing her bottom lip. Her and Charming were in the police station. They could receive a message from Snow any moment now. They all decided to go on their daily routine, pretending to just be a normal day. They had received a message from Henry that they were heading to the boardwalk right after school. That was twenty minutes ago and now they were anxiously waiting.

"This plan will work," Charming reassured Emma. "Everything will turn out okay and we will be able to get rid of Cora soon."

"And then what?" Emma shrugged. "After Cora is disposed of, what is the next step."

"We find a way back to the Enchanted Forest."

Emma gave him a confused look. "You miss it?"

"Some people do. I sometimes do," Charming chuckled. "But then I remember the plumbing and the technology that we have here."

Emma let out a snort. "We'll find a way for those that want to go back-"

Her phone started to vibrate, interrupting what she was going to say. She glanced down at her phone, and saw Snow's name blinking on the screen. Her and Charming glanced at each other and grabbed their jackets.

It had begun.

Regina is sitting on a bar stool in the kitchen, with a mug of coffee. She could hear the running water from upstairs, as her mother was taking a shower. She was clutching the mug hard, remembering how much she wanted to strangle her mother upon seeing her for the first time. It has been two days since she has seen her or heard from her children, and it was eating her up inside.

Her mother would hardly leave her side. She couldn't risk getting caught texting or calling them. She would wait at night, when she was in her bedroom alone to send a message to them. Dahlia had mentioned that Henry had left Storybrooke with Emma and Rumple. Regina was actually relieved that Henry wasn't in the same town as her mother. He would be away from her clutches for the moment. Dahlia had told her mother that she would tell her more in detail when they saw each other.

What surprised Regina is that her mother had barely mentioned Hook at all. She hadn't mentioned what she was planning to do to him or where his heart was. But then again she really shouldn't be. Her mother held on to people until they no longer were worth keeping around and disposed of them.

For the meantime, Regina had tried to find where her mother's heart was hidden and Hook's. But so far she couldn't figure out where exactly it could be. It wouldn't be on the ship since Hook would search around it.

She felt a nudge on her left knee, and glanced down. She smiled sadly upon hearing Ike let out a whine. She scratched the back of one of his ears. "I miss them too."

He let out another whine and rested his head on her lap. Regina closed her eyes. She pushed down the loneliness she was feeling like the one she felt in the Enchanted Forest when Dahlia was taken from her and the years before Henry was adopted. She was concentrating so much that she didn't hear her mother entering the kitchen.

She opened her eyes when she heard let out a growl. She noticed the protective stance next to her. Cora didn't seem faced from the fox. In fact, she sent a nasty smirk towards the fox and took a step closer to him. Regina's eyes widened in panic when Ike crouched and let out another growl at Cora.

"Ike stop!"

The fox grudgingly laid down but kept baring his teeth at Cora, not taking his eyes off her and keeping close to Regina.

"Leave him alone, mother," Regina flatly said to the older woman.

"It was a bad idea in the first place for letting Dahlia keep it as a pet," Cora sniffed dismissively at the fox. "Such a filthy animal."

Ike's right ear twitched and he let another growl.

"Just leave him be."

"You have grown soft," Cora glared at her daughter. "After the way your ungrateful children acted two days ago on the boardwalk, they deserve a punishment."

Regina bit down her tongue, her hold on her mug tightened. She tried to stay calm, pushing down the boiling anger that was rising up and not unleash her magic at her mother.

"It's not too late to teach them a lesson after-"

"Don't you dare put a hand on them!" Regina snarled at her mother. She felt the anger returning to her again, remembering what she had already done to her daughter. She took a deep breath and looked away from her mother, fighting the urge to hurt her like she had hurt her and her daughter. "I will handle it my own way."

Cora rolled her eyes. "I just wanted to help."

"I don't need your help with my children." She felt Ike nudging her hand with his nose. Slowly, she scratched the back of his ear, grateful that he was there with her.

Minutes of silence passed before the older spoke again. "I know that I haven't been the best mother or grandmother. But I want to make amends with you and Dahlia. And if you let me, get to know my grandson and be involved in his life."

Regina narrowed her eyes at her mother, wondering what exactly she had in mind for her future and her children.

"Fixing the damage between us won't be easy but it will be a process," Cora softly said." But they need to be home or else how can we all be family."

"They are still angry."

Cora glared at her daughter. "It's been two days already. Plenty of time for them to calm down and talk to them."

"They are stubborn," Regina quickly replied. She didn't know what her mother was planning. But the sinking feeling in her stomach was making her heart race, panic beginning to form inside her. She had to talk to Snow and Charming as soon as possible. "I will give them another day."

Cora kept staring at her from across the kitchen, unblinking and calculating. Regina kept her poker face on, not wanting to let her mother know just how scared she was for her children's safety and her own. Or that somehow she figured out their plan.

Suddenly, Cora let out a vacant smile and hummed. She pushed herself off the kitchen counter she was leaning on and began to walk out of the kitchen. "I will leave you to your thoughts. But remember what I said. It will be best the sooner the children are back to the house the faster everything will be."

Regina waited until the sound of her mother's footsteps to disappear before taking out her phone. She quickly sent a quick message to Snow that they needed to talk as soon as possible. She hoped that they would solve this quickly. She will keep her children safe, even if it meant killing her mother to save them.