Disclaimer: Still not my characters, and they're still happier with us than they are on that show they're forced to live on.

A/N: I apologize for the long delay in posting (much longer than anticipated) but I was unavoidably detained by life, work, and a horde of plotbunnies who demanded other stories first.

A/N 2: For those of you who like these little tidbits: all chapter titles of this story are movie titles.

Chapter 17: Resident Evil

Henry unlocked the door to the mansion and walked inside, followed closely by Neal. It felt strange to be there when he knew his mother hadn't been home in a while, but it was even stranger to be there with his father.

Neal looked around the foyer and into the study curiously. "What happened here?" he asked when he saw the remains of the coffee table Emma had crashed into when she had chased after Regina.

Henry followed his father's line of sight. "No idea." He wondered if it had something to do with why his mom had left or if it was rather the work of his other mother. He knew without a doubt that his mom would never have left things like that before leaving.

"Why don't you go sit in the kitchen or something while I run upstairs and grab my stuff?" Henry asked his father, pointing him towards the kitchen, knowing full well that his mom would not appreciate it if Neal snooped around the house. "I won't take long."

"Nah, I think I'll just wait right here," Neal replied, pointing at the floor of the foyer. "Here's good." He made a shooing motion with his hands. "Hurry up, will ya? I don't want a run in with the Evil Queen."

Henry just nodded without facing his father, unable to hide his grimace. Whenever someone said something like that about his mom, he felt bad for every time he had called her the Evil Queen. These days she was simply his mom, not some fairy tale super villain, and he promised himself, and not for the first time, to make it up to his mom by being the best son possible in the future.

He just hoped at least one of his mothers saw his text, and that he had managed to type something decipherable with his phone in his coat pocket. "I'll be right down," he muttered over his shoulder as he made his way upstairs.

The first thing he did as soon as he was out of sight was run into his room and look out the window. "Yes!" He pumped his fist when he saw the tell-tale plume of smoke that signaled the magical arrival of his mom. He watched as the smoke cleared and grinned when both his mothers were revealed, looking grim and determined, but holding hands.

With a small smile he realized that if he had learned one thing from being kidnapped to Neverland, it was that his mothers would always come for him. It was a warm feeling that he relished for a moment before focusing on his mothers again.

He watched as they talked intently before his mom squared her shoulders and walked towards the house. He wondered why Emma was staying behind, but he didn't have much time to think about the question if he wanted to follow what was going on.

When his mom entered the mansion, Henry made his way carefully out of his room and onto the landing, so he could witness everything. And for one fraction of a second he wondered if he should be scared for his father, but he realized he really, truly wasn't.

o o o

Regina barely waited for the smoke around them to clear before she started walking towards her home and her son.

"Regina, wait," Emma hissed softly.

Regina stopped. "What? Why?"

"How are we going to handle this?" Emma asked, voice tight with anger for the man who threatened her family. "Without ripping Neal to shreds in front of Henry? Without my magic suddenly exploding him or something? And without letting on that Henry called us here?"

Regina studied Emma's face, seeing for the first time how she barely managed to constrain her anger. "Let me go in first," she decided. "It's my home, it shouldn't be too much of an issue if I suddenly arrive. And it's much less temptation for your magic."

"And what do I do?"

Regina smiled at Emma. "You take a few deep breaths to try and settle your magic, dear." She squeezed Emma's hand that was clinging to her own in a death grip. "I'll go talk to the scruffy vagrant that tried to steal our son."

"Okay," Emma agreed. "But I'm coming in if he so much as breathes on you wrong."

"I know," Regina replied with a smile before opening the white door with the golden 108.

o o o

Neal whirled around at the sound of the door opening and involuntarily took a step back at the look on the face of the woman stalking towards him. "Regina," he mumbled.

"Mr. Cassidy," Regina greeted him silkily, pretending to be surprised at his presence in her home. She closed the door most of the way, but leaving it open a little for Emma's benefit. "May I ask what you're doing in my house? I can't recall giving you permission to come and go as you please. Or did I miss an appointment?"

"Erm … I was …"

"Articulate as always," Regina stopped his mutterings with an impatient hand through the air. She wondered if a fireball would be a nice effect but then decided that she really didn't need it with this sniveling idiot.

Neal straightened himself to his full height and tried to project an air of self-confidence, now that he was over the first shock of Regina's sudden appearance. "I am here for my son," he declared defiantly.

"You mean my son," Regina shot back. She could feel her magic rushing to the surface, just begging to be used. "Does Henry's other mother know that you're not even aware where he lives?"

Neal balled his hands into fists. "I know exactly where he lives, but he asked to come here for some of his things. We're going to leave Storybrooke, so we can finally be the family we were always supposed to be."

It didn't matter that Emma was just outside the door. It didn't matter that Henry had called them here to stop Neal from taking him away. It didn't even matter that Emma told her that she didn't want Neal. For one second, Regina's heart grew cold at the thought that she might have just imagined all of those things, might have just dreamed them up so she could survive being without Henry and Emma. For this one second her face fell, and that was the exact moment Neal decided to latch on to.

"You know I'm right," he crowed. "You know Emma and Henry are supposed to be with me. They don't want you … who in their right mind would want to be with you?"

Regina looked down and it was that move that reminded her that he was so very, very wrong. She was still wearing the casual shirt she had thrown on that morning after being with Emma, and she was still wearing the jeans she had magicked on in the sheriff's station. And, almost more importantly, she could feel Emma's anger about Neal boiling through their connection.

Regina looked up to meet his eyes, dropping the thin veneer of politeness she had kept up so far. "I think that's where you're wrong, Mr. Cassidy."

Neal swallowed when he saw the change and heard the venom in her voice, but he tried to stand his ground. "Emma belongs with me," he insisted.

"Oh?" Regina asked, sounding almost surprised. "I thought you were here for Henry? Tell me, was my son only an afterthought to you in your pursuit of Ms. Swan?"

Neal's face took on an alarming shade of red as his anger grew. "They both belong to me," he shouted. "They are mine."

"They really, really aren't," Regina stated calmly. "In fact, neither of them are things to be possessed, they're people to be cherished. And even if you were able to understand that with your minuscule brain, I doubt they'd want to leave Storybrooke with you. You, however, are very welcome to leave and never return."

"I will take my son and my … Emma with me when I leave." His voice was low and threatening. "And there's nothing you can do about it." He barked out a laugh, taunting her. "What are you going to do, Your Majesty? Kill me with your son in the house?"

"She won't have to. If you try to take Henry away from us, I will stop you by any means necessary."

Neal whirled around at the icy sound of Emma's voice. "Emma," he breathed. "What are you doing here?" He gave her what he thought was a disarming smile.

"I'm here to protect my family," Emma replied evenly despite the almost overwhelming anger she felt. Keep it in check, keep it controlled. You don't want to incinerate him. "And I would like you to leave now."

"I'm not leaving without you and Henry." Neal was obstinate.

Regina turned to Emma. "Has he always been this delusional?"

Emma shook her head, but didn't take her eyes off Neal. "Maybe whatever's going on with Snow is spreading?"

Regina pushed her shirt sleeves up. "I can always check," she said with a devilish little smirk.

"Last resort," Emma told her, but she did share Regina's smirk. She could see Regina's magic crackle around her hands, the only outward indication just how mad the former queen actually was. Emma silently applauded her self-control, and decided to reward her for it later. For now, she'd see to it that Neal left them alone. "If he doesn't leave within the next few minutes, I'll let you take his heart."

"Mom, no!" Henry stormed down the stairs with a yell and threw himslef at Regina, wrapping his whole body around her. "I don't want to go with dad, but that doesn't mean you can take his heart!"

"Shhh, kid," Emma soothed, quickly moving to Regina's side and putting a hand on Henry's shoulder. "We were kidding," she said softly. "Just scaring him a little."

Neal studied his son and the interaction between the two women and Henry, the way they all stood closely together. They looked like a family. The reason why Emma and Regina had suddenly appeared finally dawned on him. "You called them here," he said to Henry.

Henry pressed closer to his mothers. "I had to," he explained. "You were acting really strange, Dad."

"But I thought …" Neal stopped and took a strained breath. "I thought you wanted us to be a family."

Regina and Emma saw the emotions cross Henry's face but before they could step in, their son took a tentative step towards his father. "Dad, we can be a family," he said softly, but earnestly. "But my moms, they're … they're my moms." He shrugged. To him that said everything there was to say. "They love each other and they love me, and that's a really good thing."

"So you really do know about … that." Neal pointed at Emma and Regina who were holding hands behind Henry's back. "They used to hate each other." He sounded helpless.

"And now they don't," Henry replied simply. "I really like it so much better this way." Henry took another step towards Neal. "But I can still see you all the time," he said. "Right, moms?" he asked over his shoulder.

Regina really wanted to tell him no, but Emma squeezed her hand to stop her. "You can," Emma reassured him. "Under certain conditions."

Regina shot Emma a glare, and Henry's shoulders slumped a little, but Neal's face was expressionless. He suddenly looked much, much older. "I don't know how to deal with this," he mumbled after a few moments. "You and the Evil Queen … and my father sacrificing himself for me … I don't have a purpose here if it's not to be with you or be my dad's son. I should go back to my life in New York … but I don't even know if I can do that."

Emma was rendered speechless. She had never heard Neal sound so lost before, and she actually felt sorry for him until she remembered that he had just been about to kidnap her son. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Neal, I really am," she told him as gently as she could with her anger still so close to the surface. "But there's nothing much either of us can do about that."

Regina cleared her throat. "Maybe you'll need to find a new purpose then, Mr. Cassidy. One that doesn't include Emma as your main focus."

Neal looked at her in disdain while Emma groaned under her breath. "Regina," she hissed.

"What did you have in mind, Your Majesty?" Neal asked acidly. "School janitor?"

Regina took his tone in stride. "Our son would like to have you in his life, and I know better than to stand in the way of that, so you'll have to get your act together, Mr. Cassidy. Someone needs to watch over your father's house and shop," she pointed out. "And I can't think of a better person than his son to do it." She gave him a little half shrug. "There are quite a few artifacts and magical objects that were in your father's possession that shouldn't fall into the wrong hands, and you've been around magic and the Dark One long enough to know what to do and how to handle them. Or to call for assistance if you can't."

Emma's gaze changed to one of approval. "That's actually not a bad idea," she agreed. "You could see Henry, and we'd know that your father's … stuff was in good hands."

"I thought Belle was taking over my father's shop?" Neal asked.

"I think you'll find that Belle's interests lie elsewhere," Regina said. "She's much more at home in the library," she added, remembering what Ruby had told her. "The magic of books is much closer to her heart than actual magic."

"What do you say, Dad?" Henry asked, his voice betraying his hopeful excitement.

Neal shook his head slowly. "I'll have to think about it," he mumbled into his scarf. "I haven't been able to really sit down and just think ever since I've been sent through that portal with a bullet hole in my body."

"Take a few days," Emma immediately said. "It's not like there's any hurry."

"As long as you promise not to try and take Henry from us," Regina warned quickly. "I won't let you get off this easy a second time."

"And neither will I," Emma agreed. "I would love for Henry to be able to see his father whenever he wants to, but I won't hesitate to kick your ass out of town if you take a wrong step."

"Ms. Swan! Language!" Regina huffed and both Henry and Emma erupted in laughter which effectively broke the tension that had been stifling the air around them.

"It's not like I've never heard that word before, Mom," Henry said with a boyish giggle that curled around Regina's heart and warmed it to the point of almost unbearable.

Neal watched it all with sad eyes. Finally, he heaved a sigh. "You really are in love, aren't you?" he asked the air between Emma and Regina.

"We are," Emma confirmed.

Neal turned and left without another word.

o o o

David wished he were anywhere but standing there in front of Snow, knowing what he did about her heart and unable to say or do anything. Everything inside his heart pushed him to tell Snow that she was suffering from a bad case of bad magic but that they'd make it right. The only thing holding him back was the fact that he'd promised Emma not to mention anything. And then there was the doubt that he'd even be able to change anything. His kiss certainly hadn't worked, just like Regina had predicted.

"Well," Snow demanded, looking angry. "How are we going to get Emma away from Regina?"

David took a deep breath. "I'm not sure we should," he finally said with a sigh. He could at least stand up for his daughter.

"How can you say that?" Snow barked. "Neal said Regina has put Emma under a spell. We have to do something."

"Snow," David said, trying to stay strong in the face of his wife's anger. "I talked to Emma for quite a while before you came here and she didn't seem like she was bewitched." At least not in the way Snow thought, he added silently in his head.

"You're so gullible," Snow sneered. "I can see you won't be any help with this … I'll have to go talk to someone I can trust."

David reared back after that low blow. "What? Snow?" He didn't even have to act all that much to appear shocked by his wife's words. "What are you talking about?"

"Blue will know what to do," Snow muttered under her breath, ignoring David as she started pacing back and forth once more. "She'll break Regina's hold on Emma, and then Emma can have her happy ending with Neal … yes, yes … that's what we're going to do."

David looked on helplessly as Snow ranted and raved. "Snow, please, let's talk about this," he tried again. "Maybe you should speak to Emma and Regina first … give them a chance …"

Snow didn't seem to hear him. "We'll expose Regina for the threat she is during the town meeting tomorrow," she continued. "She won't ever be allowed to hurt anybody ever again."

"She just saved our lives in Neverland," David pointed out. He really wasn't Regina's biggest fan, but this was going too far. "She's changed so much, and Emma is in love with her."

That stopped Snow in her tracks, and in two steps she was right inside David's personal space. "She has bewitched you too," she gasped, eyes wide. "Now there's even more reason to take her down. Where did I put my bow? I need to talk to Blue …"

Snow turned and stormed out, right past Ruby who was just walking in.

"Hey," Ruby hissed when Snow pushed her out of the way. She walked inside and stopped in front of David. "What was that about?" she asked.

David looked up, eyes wet. "Snow is going dark, Red," he whispered in anguish. "She's going completely mad and I don't know what to do."

Ruby rested a hand on his arm for comfort. "Why was she looking for her bow, David?" she asked urgently.

"She's convinced Regina has put a spell on Emma and me because I dared defend her," David told her.

"So Emma told you about her and Regina?" Ruby asked. "And you're okay with it?"

"Okay is relative," David muttered, not even the least bit surprised that Ruby already knew. "But I can see that they love each other, and who am I to stand in their way?"

"There's nothing you can do against true love anyway," Ruby agreed. "That's never going to end well, especially not with those two."

"But Snow is going to try anyway," David stated. "I think she might be planning something for the town meeting tomorrow."

"Belle and I have been drumming up support for Regina as mayor," Ruby admitted softly, deciding to put her faith in David. "As much as I love Snow, what she's doing is just wrong."

"I agree." David could see the surprise on Ruby's face. "Tell me how I can help."

Ruby studied him for a moment, then nodded, apparently satisfied with what she was seeing. "Okay, this is what we've done so far …"

o o o

Hook followed Tink who was almost jogging down Main Street towards the sheriff's office. "Hey, what's the hurry, love?"

"I have a bad feeling," Tink threw over her shoulder, not slowing down the least bit.

Hook took a few running steps so he was by her side. "Bad feeling about what?"

Tink shook her head, curls flying. "I don't know … but I think it might have something to do with magic. Dark magic."

"I thought you were all out of magic." Hook sounded a little confused.

"It's been coming back a little lately," Tink replied vaguely.

"You used some of that fairy dust I stole for you, right?" Hook asked. "I'm almost proud of you, love, defying the rules like that."

"No need to be," Tink shot back. "But yes, I did. There was more than enough for …" She broke off, quite sure Emma would not be okay with her sharing her confidences. "As soon as I used some, my feeling … my sense for fairy magic came back."

"Wait a second," Hook grabbed Tink's arm and stopped her. "Are you saying there's dark fairy magic?"

Tink bit her lower lip. "There are old stories, so old they've passed into the realm of pure legend, about a dark fairy that once lived and ruled over all the fairies. I never put much stock in the stories, but now … I don't know."

"So where are we going?"

"I need to find Regina and Emma." She started walking again.

Hook ran after her. "Okay, but why?"

Tink ignored him as she raced down the street.

o o o

Blue smiled serenely as she watched Snow pace back and forth in front of her desk at the convent, babbling about Emma and the Evil Queen and spells and David being under Regina's influence as well. She silently applauded the young queen's determination to end the Evil Queen and to take everyone back to the Enchanted Forest, where they all belonged and where she and her fairies would reign supreme again. Snow was making this so easy for her.

If Snow really believed Regina had bewitched her husband and child … all the better. This would make her only more determined.

Blue dropped a hand into her lap, unseen by the raving Snow, and grabbed the dark wand tightly in her fingers, its point directed at Snow. She sent a thought through the wand, headed for Snow with a few mumbled words in a language as old as time.

Snow gasped suddenly and stopped pacing. "I have an idea!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, my child?" Blue asked gently, all concerned fairy godmother. "What is it?"

"I need a sleeping curse," Snow said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, as if the thought had no just been planted in her brain. "If I curse Regina, her hold on my family will stop, and she'll be out of our way."

"Do you really think that a curse is the right course of action?" Blue smiled inwardly as how easily Snow was influenced by the darkness wielded by her and the dark wand. "Isn't that a little … harsh?"

Snow shook her head. "No, no … it's better than killing her, isn't it? It's perfect! She'll be gone, but I won't darken my heart by killing her. I have to make sure my heart stays pure, after all."

Blue nodded as if considering Snow's words, then stood, dark wand hidden in the folds of her robes. "Well, if that's your decision, I think I can help you."

The smile Snow gave her was equal parts grateful and dark.

o o o

"I'm surprised you didn't fry Neal," Emma remarked casually. She and Regina were sitting in the mansion's kitchen, while Henry was upstairs in his room, no doubt thinking about what had happened with his father.

"Just as surprised as I am that your magic didn't just turn him into a toad or something like that," Regina said with a small smile.

Emma shrugged, "I guess our magic didn't consider him a real threat." She could see that Regina wasn't really listening anymore. "Hey, what are you thinking about?"

"I wish Henry would have talked to us after Mr. Cassidy left," Regina said, worriedly gnawing her lower lip.

"You know you could just call him Neal," Emma chided gently. "Henry needs time to process this … give him a little while and be glad he asked us for help and didn't just disappear with Neal."

Regina stared at Emma for a long moment. "Why do you think he would have left you behind?"

Emma studied her hands until Regina reached over and placed her own hand on top of them. "Don't know," she mumbled. "I just don't ever expect anybody to choose me." She closed her eyes in remembered pain. "I was always left behind. My own parents sent me off in a tree, no family kept me longer than a couple of years, Neal sold me down the river on the word of freaking Pinocchio, and now my mother tried to take my job …"

"I chose you," Regina reminded her in a whisper. "I will always choose you."

Emma turned her hands to grab Regina's. "And I'll be forever grateful for that."

Regina shook her head. "Don't be," she replied, voice a little strangled. "Just choose me, too."

"Always."

They drifted towards each other, lips meeting in a salty kiss, through which their breaths hitched and their hearts stuttered and sped up.

"Gross."

Regina jumped half a foot in her seat. "Henry!"

Henry and Emma laughed. "It's okay, Mom." Henry grinned cheekily. "Just try not to scar me for life, okay? I've had enough therapy to last me a lifetime already."

Regina's face fell, and Emma glared at Henry, telling him without words to zip it.

"Sorry, Mom," Henry immediately said, walking over and giving Regina a tight hug. "I didn't mean it like that."

"It's alright, my little prince," Regina said, words muffled against his head, but both Emma and Henry heard her just fine. "I'm sorry about everything."

"It's in the past," Henry said, and Emma could tell he was crying even though his face was pressed against Regina's body. "I forgive you."

That's when Emma couldn't hold back any more. With one large step she was wrapped around her family, a silent tear running down her face.

Henry was the first to pull away. "I love you guys, but please don't ever tell anyone about this cryfest, okay?" He winked to take any kind of sting out of his words.

Emma chuckled. "Yeah, we're pathetic, aren't we?" She nudged Regina.

"Absolutely," Regina agreed with a watery smile. "Absolutely."

"Hey, Mom," Henry suddenly said. "Where were you hiding all this time? Can I see it? Can we go there?"

Emma and Regina shared a look, then Regina nodded. "I'm afraid you have to hold both of our hands then … if you're not too grown up to do that."

"Are we going there by magic?" There was more awe than disdain in Henry's voice.

Emma nodded. "Only way to get there."

"Cool." Henry grinned as he grabbed both his mothers' hands. "Let's go."

Regina smiled in relief at Henry's reaction to the thought of her using magic, glad that their adventure in Neverland seemed to have changed his attitude. With a bright smile, she raised her free hand to transport them all to the cabin.

Only to lower it again at a loud knock on the door.