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Chapter 2: The Letter

Present day

Emma tapped her fingers on the table, wondering why Henry was taking so long to find that note. How on earth could he not have read it before? And how did he get it anyway? She bit her lip as she realized that Regina must have come by their apartment at some point and she had missed her.

"Henry!" she yelled when she couldn't curb her impatience any longer.

"I'm here," her son replied as he came downstairs. He sounded a little subdued.

"There you are," Emma greeted him. "What took you so long?"

Henry held up the note which turned out to be more of a letter. "Sorry it took so long," he mumbled. "I read mom's letter."

Emma nodded. "And?" She held out her hand. "What does it say?" She tried to take the letter, but Henry pulled it out of reach. "What?"

Henry sat down across from his mother. "You're not supposed to read it," he explained. "It says so specifically." Emma watched as Henry seemed to fight with himself. "Mom, she's gone," he suddenly blurted. "She left."

"She what?" Emma's eyes widened in surprise. She needed to see that letter for herself. "Henry, please let me read that," she asked. "I'm pretty sure your mom sort of expects you to let me read it." Henry didn't look convinced. "Can you at least give me the gist of what it says? A bit more than that she's gone?"

Henry frowned. "Isn't that the most important part?" he asked plaintively. "She left me, and she didn't even say goodbye."

Emma walked over to her son and pulled him into her arms. "Henry, I'm sure she's not really gone. I can't believe she would ever leave you without good reason. Your mom loves you so very much," she said into his hair.

"Then why did she write that she has to leave so I can enjoy my happy ending with you and dad and my family?" Henry sounded a little angry now.

Now it was Emma's turn to frown. "Why does she think that ...?" Regina thought she and Neal and Henry would be a family? And even if, it really didn't sound like the fierce ex-mayor to just accept that and leave ... Why would she feel the need to leave?

Emma needed to read that letter, hoping that Regina's words would provide some sort of explanation. "Henry, let me see that," she repeated. "I need to read what she said, so I can go and find her."

Henry straightened immediately. "You want to go and find her?"

"Yes, of course," Emma said. "You want her back, don't you?"

Her son nodded fervently and handed over the letter. "I really want her here, mom," he said quietly.

You and me both, kid. Emma took the letter and started to read.

o o o

Four days earlier

Regina awoke with a headache. She took a few deep breaths before trying to stand, knowing that she was likely still exhausted after all the magic the day before. She got to her feet with only a slight wobble and slowly walked into the kitchen. She definitely needed a shower and coffee, not necessarily in that order.

She felt a whole lot better after her shower and several cups of strong coffee. She sipped from her cup once more, enjoying the silky-smooth, dark taste, trying to avoid the inevitable for just a little longer. With a small sigh she finally pulled over a stack of stationary and a pen, and began to write.

My dear Henry,

When you're reading these lines, I'll be long gone, and I would like you to know why I've decided to leave. You have no idea how happy I am that we managed to get you back safely from Neverland, or how much I love you, but now it is time for me to let you enjoy the happy ending you have always dreamed of.

I know that ever since you found out about the curse I cast on the Enchanted Forest — the curse that brought me you and the happiness that came with your presence in my life — you have dreamed of being with what you call your real family. And now you can have it.

Regina angrily wiped at a tear on her cheek, but not quickly enough to stop it from landing on the page. I must still be exhausted, she thought defiantly. She sniffled a little as she continued to write. Her thoughts turned to Emma.

I do not know what your other mother's plans for the future are, but I'm assuming they include your father and your grandparents, and thus are exactly what you want. I would only be in the way. There is just too much history between me and everyone else, too much bad blood, too much hate. We would always fight over you, and I don't want you to have to experience that. I want you to be happy, and therefore I have to leave.

Don't try to find me. No secret mission, no grand, heroic quest. Please. And please tell your mother to accept my wishes as well, and leave me be. Chances are I might be back one day to visit you, so please tell Ms. Swan not to try and find me. I made sure she won't be able to anyway, and she now needs to focus on you. I would ask you to tell her to feed you better, but I simply have to hope that I taught you well enough to know that some things are healthier for you than others. One hint: a diet of burgers and hot cocoa is NOT a good thing.

I have to go now, literally and figuratively. Be happy, my little prince.

I love you, always and forever,

Your mom,

Regina

P.S. Please don't show this letter to anyone; especially not your mother. Just tell her to make sure you're happy.

Regina smiled a little as she added the final bit, knowing full well that Henry would not listen. And she didn't really mind; parts of the letter had been written with Emma in her heart and on her mind anyway. She sealed the letter in an envelope and put it to the side to wait for nightfall, so she could deliver it.

o o o

Present Day

Emma's finger traced the spot where the ink was a little blurred. Regina had cried when she had written the letter and Emma wondered if writing this had been the hardest thing the other woman had ever had to do. She assumed it was, maybe even harder than admitting that she was, in fact, the Evil Queen.

Don't try to find me. Emma read it again with a growl and tossed the letter on the kitchen counter. It had provided far less explanation than she had hoped, but she had learned long ago to read between the lines where Regina was concerned. And what she got from the letter was that the other woman hadn't just left to give Henry his happy ending.

Don't try to find me. Yeah, right. Emma gave her son a half-grin. "You know I've never done anything she told me to do, right?"

Henry nodded with a smile. "Where do you think she went?" he asked.

"I honestly don't know," Emma said. "It sounds like she left town, but ... I don't know." She couldn't shake the feeling that Regina was still somewhere close. Part of that, she knew, was the fact that she simply could not imagine a Storybrooke without Regina in it, and another part was that she couldn't see a world where Regina wouldn't be keeping an eye on her son, no matter what she said.

"I could come up with a new code name," Henry said suddenly.

Emma chuckled. "A code name? For what?" she asked, but then shook her head. "I don't think that's necessary, kid. Remember, your mom specifically said no heroic missions." She grinned to take the sting out of her words.

Henry's shoulders still slumped a little. "I just thought ..."

He was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Emma went to open it, but stopped halfway there and turned back to Henry. "Let's keep the letter between us, okay?" She waited to see Henry nod before she continued to the door, where the knocking was getting a little more insistent.

"Emma, what took you so long?" Snow shook her head with an aggrieved sigh as she stormed past Emma and into the apartment. "Hello, Henry."

Emma was surprised Snow had even knocked and waited instead of simply coming inside. Until Neverland, this had been her apartment after all. It was only after their return that she and David had decided to leave the loft to Emma and move into a house of their own, not too far away from their old apartment. So they could have a new family, Emma thought a little bitterly. She made a mental note to get all of the keys to her apartment back.

She watched as Henry hugged Snow, but moved quickly when she remembered the letter resting openly on the kitchen counter. She grabbed it as casually as she could and stuffed it into the back pocket of her jeans. Snow shot her a questioning look, but didn't say anything.

"What brings you here, Snow?" Emma tried to divert Snow's attention. "Did we have plans?"

Snow shook her head. "No, I just thought I'd treat you two to a late breakfast at Granny's this morning."

Henry jumped up, sadness momentarily forgotten. "Cool."

Emma wasn't all that enthusiastic, but she couldn't bring herself to disappoint Henry. "Yeah, okay," she said. "Gimme a minute to get ready."

When Emma had disappeared upstairs, Snow turned to Henry. "What's up with you two this morning?" she asked. "Did something happen?"

Henry shook his head. "Nope."

"Un-huh." Snow let it go for now. She'd get it out of one of them sooner or later. "Emma, come on," she yelled upstairs.

"Coming," Emma yelled back. She was busy finding a good hiding spot for Regina's letter. In the end she slipped it into a tattered paperback novel and stuffed it into her bedside table. She ran her fingers through her hair, grabbed her leather jacket and ran downstairs. "We're not in any hurry, are we?" she asked Snow as she pulled on her boots.

Snow blushed a little. "Well, I told Neal to meet us at 11," she admitted.

Emma groaned. "Neal is coming," she stated tonelessly. There was no escaping him.

Her mother nodded with enthusiasm, which was mirrored by Henry's wide grin. "You three need to spend more time together, now that you're going to be a real family," Snow said happily. She wrapped a scarf around Henry's neck and ran her hand through his hair. "Ready?"

Not really, Emma thought. Not for breakfast, and certainly not for playing happy families with Neal. Snow's words brought back Regina's words in her letter and realization hit her in the heart.

This is why you left.

o o o

Four days earlier

Regina waited as long as she possibly could, knowing that Henry was probably not keeping to his established bedtimes now that he was living with Emma. She spent hours just watching the clock ticking away minute after minute, until she decided it was safe to go.

She transported herself to a side alley close to Emma's apartment and checked her surrounding. Everything was quiet as she moved closer to the apartment door. She tried the door and found it unlocked. She would have to have words with Emma about this lack of security. Then she remembered that she probably wouldn't be speaking to Emma any time soon. She closed the door quietly behind herself and weaved a spell that made sure that every occupant of the apartment would stay in a deep, dreamless sleep.

Silently she moved up the stairs to where she assumed her son would be sleeping. She found him deeply asleep, but she also found Emma Swan, curled up next to her son. For a few minutes she could do nothing but stare at the bed and the two people in it. How she wished she could watch them all night. How she wished she could take them both and disappear with them.

How she wished she could just crawl under the blanket and curl herself around them both.

Instead, she looked around for a safe spot to leave the letter so that Henry would find it, but not his mother. She finally spotted his school bag and one of his favorite comics inside it. She pressed the letter between two pages, letting it stick out a little, and put the comic back where she had found it.

She knew she should leave but it took another few minutes for her to bring herself to do it. With careful steps she crept closer to the bed and ran her hand lovingly through Henry's hair. She watched him smile in his sleep and she imagined it was because he knew she was here. Before she knew what she was doing she walked around to the other side of the bed and stood over Emma. Her hand reached out without her conscious consent and she watched in fascination as her fingers pushed a few blond hairs out of Emma's relaxed face.

Then she leaned down and pressed her lips to Emma's cheek, heart thudding heavily in her chest. And before she could change her mind about leaving it all behind, she waved her hand and transported back to her cabin.

Emma smiled in her sleep.