Disclaimer in chapter 1

Chapter 11

Evie was sitting on Emma's bed as she drew more pictures of Super Gigi. Her big sister was running nervously around the room trying to decide what to wear for her date with Regina. No, it wasn't a date she kept telling herself. It was a catch up that's all. She was just going to meet Regina and talk. Regina said she wanted to talk to her, but Emma wasn't sure what she was going to say back to Regina. She did want to do one thing. She really wanted to make sure Regina knew that she hadn't cheated on her. It killed her after she went away to know that Regina thought this about her. That she never got a chance to explain. She would never have hurt Regina and it was devastating to think that all those things Regina said is how she thought of Emma.

Emma heads over to her wardrobe and pulls out a shoebox from the top. She opens it and takes out the photo that ruined her life. It is battered a bit now from years of Emma looking at it and folding it back up. She slipped it into her bag so at least she could have it. If the opportunity comes up to say anything to clear her name, she was going to take it. She had been battling with herself about Mal's threat to send Ingrid's details to her ex-husband. Ingrid had moved since and Emma wasn't sure that Mal knew her new address, but she wasn't sure it was a risk she could take. Allensville was not that big of a place so he could easily find them with just that information. And now Evie was here too. She would never forgive herself if something happened to them.

"Emmy," Evie says, breaking Emma from her thoughts.

"Yes Evie," Emma says turning to look at her sister on the bed.

"Are you going to kiss Gina?" she asks

"What?" Emma chokes, "what makes you say that?"

"I saw the photos in your book. It fell out of your book earlier when I sat down," Evie says handing Emma that photo.

It was their prom photo. Emma smiles as she runs her fingers over it. Emma is in a grey tuxedo and Regina in a dark purple gown. They are looking right into each other's eyes and have smiles to light the world on their faces. It is one of her favourite photos of them. She used it as a bookmark. This is the woman she loves more than anything. Looking at this and their smiles, realising that Regina still had the same look in her eyes that she had when she saw Emma a few days ago. Emma wants her back. She's having to deal with Mal. But she's going to fight for Regina.

"I don't know what's going to happen Evie," Emma says truthfully.

"Do you love her?" Evie asks

"Yes. I always have but it's not that simple," Emma answers.

"Ok, but maybe if you tell her it will be that simple," Evie says as Ingrid calls her for her dinner.

Emma takes a deep breath in and out. She looks at her watch. She is going to be late if she doesn't get a move on. She decides on a little black dress to wear. It's got lace design over the chiffon material and comes to just above her knees. She didn't often wear dresses, but she wanted to wow Regina. She finishes getting ready and heads to the kitchen to say goodbye to her Mom and Evie.

"You look so pretty Emmy," Evie says. Ingrid looks up and raises an eyebrow when she sees Emma. She knows Emma doesn't normally wear dresses. And has been listening to Emma all week telling her it wasn't a date.

"Thanks Evie. Don't say a word Mom," she says as she bends to kiss the top of Evie's head. She heads out to grab her jacket. Ingrid has followed her into the hall.

"Hey Em," she calls as Emma is about to walk out the door. Emma turns.

"Don't come home here pregnant," Ingrid laughs. Emma rolls her eyes, but her mother's joke did break the tension she had been feeling. She gets in the cab she had ordered and tries to settle herself. It's just Regina she is going to see.

Meanwhile a while earlier in Storybrooke Regina is also preparing herself. She has on a red dress that brings out all her curves. She had bought it while shopping the day before. It reminded her slightly of the dress that she had worn on her 18th birthday so she thought it would be perfect for her "Its not a date date" with Emma. She was nervous and excited. Her mother who had come over earlier wanders into her room.

"Mio cuore you look amazing," Cora says. Cora was thrilled when Regina excitedly rang and told her she had met Emma a few days previously. Cora wasn't too surprised given that it had been Cora who had "helped" Elsa pick places for Regina to visit on her trip to Allensville. She knew that Emma had started working there a couple of months ago. That's why Ingrid had moved over there to be closer to her daughter. Emma had been gone for much of the last 5 years that Ingrid wanted to spend more time with her, so she moved. It's not too far for her to go to Storybrooke for her job so she kept that. While Emma had been away, she had decided to adopt again. She was still young enough and getting Emma had been the best thing she had ever done. Evie had come into her life two years ago and the fireball 2-year-old reminded her so much of her older sister. Cora had been in her daughter's office waiting for her to finish a meeting with Mal when a panicked Elsa had asked for Cora's help. So, Cora helped. She smiles to herself smugly as she thinks how she delicately suggested visiting the homework club in Allensville.

"Thanks Mom," replied Regina. Her mother often popped over to the mayoral mansion most days in fact. Regina was happy that her parents were nearby. She always took great advice from them.

"I am really nervous," she admitted to Cora.

"Don't be my dear. Its just Emma," Cora says while taking her daughter into a hug.

"You know as well as I do, she was never just Emma," Regina replied.

"I know sweetheart. But if I know Emma like I do she is probably going to be just as nervous as you," Cora said.

"Mom can I ask you something before I go?" Regina questions.

"Sure, my darling, Always," Cora responds looking her daughter in the eyes.

"When we were younger did you ever notice or hear of anything happening between Emma and Mal?" Regina asks.

"Why do you ask?" Cora responds. She has never told Regina about that day and the things Mal said to Emma. For some reason Regina had taken to Mal and her mother wanted to let her make up her own mind about Mal.

"When we visited the homework club, I caught Mal a few times glaring at Emma," Regina says.

"Well you know they didn't exactly get on when they were in high school," Cora responds.

"No there was more to it than that. Emma was more relaxed around me when Mal wasn't in the room. It was like she was afraid to speak to me when Mal was there. She wouldn't make eye contact with me and Emma always made eye contact with me. She got up and left the table as well. When I spoke to Emma in private and Mal didn't see us Emma kept checking over her shoulder to see where Mal was. Then she begged me not to ask her to dinner and looked over at Mal again when I did. It was like she was going to burst into tears. But when Mal wasn't there it was the old Emma. Smart comments with loads of eye contact and her little smile," Regina says, and Cora can feel the frustration coming off Regina.

"Sweetheart remember a few days after you came home from the hospital when the doctors removed your tumour and Emma had fallen off her bike?" Cora asks.

"Yes," Regina confirms "she told me she fell because a cat had jumped out in front of her and she swerved to avoid hitting it and hit a branch and then she fell."

Cora smiles, ever the gallant hero Emma wouldn't say a bad word against anyone. She never even said anything bad about Mal that day. She just told Cora the story. Never even said Mal was a bitch, which she was.

"Sweetheart that isn't what happened. That my dear was the first time I saw Emma Swan cry. I was watching for her as like you I was worried as she was late. I saw her coming, so I went to open the door. When I opened the door, she was a mess. I could see that she had been crying. She told me that she had met Mal after school and Mal had said some horrible things to her about being adopted and not being good enough to be around you. And that eventually you would see that you were better than Emma and toss her aside," Cora says. Regina has a heartbroken expression on her face. She can't believe that Mal said these things.

"Emma just walked away but then when she got down the road she started crying and that's why she fell. Because she was trying to wipe the tears from her eyes," Cora finishes.

"Oh my God. How did I not know this? What is Mal's problem with Emma?" Regina says.

"That is all I know sweetheart, maybe this is something you need to ask Emma about and maybe a word to Mal wouldn't be a bad idea either," Cora mentions.

"Now that's enough of that talk if you don't leave soon you are going to be late," Cora says "I want you to enjoy this night. You haven't been out with anyone worth while since Emma so go get you love back."

Regina smiles at Cora. She doesn't know where she would be with out Cora. She had been truly devastated when she found out Emma was gone. What made it even worse was she knew Emma didn't cheat….

FLASHBACK

Cora came rushing into Regina's apartment after getting a frantic phone call from her 20 minutes earlier. When she saw her daughter's, name pop up as an incoming call she was expecting an ecstatic Regina ringing to tell her she was engaged. Not a devastated Regina saying Emma had cheated and she had broken up with her.

"Regina honey where are you?" Cora called out.

"In here," she heard a sob from the sitting room. Cora moved quickly towards her daughter.

"What happened sweetheart?" Cora asked.

"She cheated," Regina slurs, Cora now sees the whiskey bottle beside her daughter. Regina goes to pour another glass and Cora takes it off her.

"That's not a solution my dear. I am getting you coffee," Cora declares. She quickly goes to the kitchen and starts the coffee maker. While she is waiting for the coffee, she cleans up the lasagne that is on the floor still. She goes back to Regina and gets her to sit up and drink the coffee. Then she waits. Regina hands her a photo and Cora looks at it.

"What is this supposed to be?" Cora asks, "is this supposed to be some joke. Is Emma hiding here somewhere."

"No mother," Regina grits, "that is the woman I love with her tongue stuck down some sluts throat." Regina wishes she had the whiskey back to take the taste out of her mouth. Cora laughs. Regina looks at her like she is insane.

"Regina sweetie that is not Emma," Cora says.

"What do you mean?" Regina says, "Sure looks like her to me."

"Regina look at the photo for a minute please," Cora says as she hands back the photo to Regina.

Regina is looking at it, but she hates it. It kills her every time she sees it. She is looking at it and now getting angry with her mother.

"What mother? What?" Regina says.

"Look at fake Emma's right wrist," Cora says. Regina looks. She realises Emma's tattoo isn't there.

"Oh my god. Who the hell did this? I must go find Emma. I said some terrible things to her," Regina says as she gets up to go. She grabs her car keys.

"Regina you cannot drive. You have been drinking," Cora says stopping her daughter.

"Mother I need to find her. I have to fix this," Regina says.

"I will drive you," Cora says. When they reach Ingrid's house Regina is out of the car before Cora can make it completely stop. She runs for the door and knocks frantically. Ingrid swings the door open.

"Ingrid hey is Emma here I really need to talk to her," Regina gasps out.

"Regina I am so sorry she left. She came here and packed her bags and left. She said you had broken up and that she needed to leave," Ingrid sorrowfully tells her.

"No, this can't be happening," Regina says as she falls to her knees. Cora comes running up.

"Regina what happened?" Cora asks.

"She's gone. I drove her away," Regina cries. Cora and Ingrid pick Regina up and bring her into the house.

A little while later Cora drove Regina back to her apartment. She rang Henry and told him she would be staying here with Regina. Regina wouldn't go to her parent's house in case Emma changed her mind and came back. As they were getting out of the car Mal appeared out of nowhere almost like she had been waiting there Cora thought. Mal ran to Regina's side.

"Regina what happened?" Mal says.

"Emma's gone," she whispers out.

"Oh, darling I am so sorry. I can take care of her Cora," Mal says turning to look at Cora.

"That's Mrs. Mills to you. I can take care of my daughter," Cora sternly replies.

"Its ok Mom. Go home to Dad. He needs you there to make sure he is eating right and taking his tablets. I will be alright with Mal," Regina says. Mal smirks but Cora spotted her.

"Ok darling. I will see you in the morning," Cora says and leaves. She didn't want to, but Henry was on strict diet and tablet routine that needed to be followed carefully to ensure his recovery keeps going the way it had.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Regina is about to leave but before she does Cora calls her.

"Did you ever find it strange sweetheart that the night you and Emma broke up Mal magically appeared at your house even though it was your anniversary?" Cora says as she raises an eyebrow.

Regina scrunches up her face. How did Mal know?

"Just something to ponder on your drive to Allenville. Enjoy sweetheart," Cora says.