A/N: Okay, here it is! The most awaited chapter. Emma's return! :) Thank you all for being so wonderful with your reviews. I am so eager to read all your reviews regarding this chapter.

Sunday morning, Henry rushed down the stairs of his mother's apartment, beating her to answer the door.

"Hi, dad!" He hugged his father.

"Hey, Hen!" Robin smiled, taking his son's suitcase. "You ready to get going? We have to rush to the airport."

"Yep!" Henry turned to his mother, giving her a quick hug. "Bye, mom."

"Bye, Henry. I love you." She smiled, standing up right to be at Robin's level.

Robin nodded, "He'll see you next Friday."

"Take care, Robin."

Robin turned to walk with Henry, his hand wrapped around his shoulder.

Regina waved goodbye to her son as he looked over his shoulder at her.

"Hey, Hen," Robin's brow furrowed as he kneeled down before the boy. "What's wrong? Didn't you have fun with mom?"

"A little," Henry frowned. "We went to Grandma Cora's and they baked me a birthday cake."

"Well, that's great!" He smiled. "What has you so down? You should be happy about that."

"I loved it. Grandma Cora gave me this story book that used to be mom's, but…"

"But what, son?"

Henry sighed. "I guess my wish didn't come true."

"What wish?" Robin's brow furrowed.

"Grandma Cora told me that mom used to have this childhood friend. And I know mom is sad all the time, she's lonely, so I… I sorta wished her friend would come back into her life. So mom would be happy like you are with Marian."

Robin pulled Henry into a tight hug, placing a kiss at the top of his head. "You have a big heart. And I'm sure your mother is fine." He walked along with Henry until they reached his car. "Mom just… loves her job way too much. But she will come around."

Every Sunday, Regina would find herself working on new future plans in her office. As she was now. Only this time, she was putting together a few of her blueprints and designs to have ready for August to see on Monday evening.

She had done her shopping early so she could cook something for her at home if she got hungry. Basically Saturday's were her only true day's with Henry, and since Sunday she was alone, she would rather be swamping herself with work.

The brunette moved along her kitchen, serving herself another cup of coffee before heading back into her office for the day. She stopped abruptly as her cellphone rang, vibrating against the kitchen bar.

"Hello, mother." She answered, after taking a quick sip of her drink.

"Regina, dear. Has Robin picked up Henry already?"

"Yes, just a few hours ago. Why?"

"Oh, good! I mean, I do hate that you are so alone in that apartment of yours, dear, which is why I'm calling."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, mother, I'm working."

"On your day off?"

"You know me. I'm working, even when I'm not working."

"Well, how about you stop what you're doing and come pay your dear mother a visit? I'll put on a pot of coffee and we can talk. Just the two of us."

The brunette's eyes moved to her steaming cup of coffee. "Coffee and a talk?" She chuckled, "Talk about what?"

"Oh, life and whatnot. I found some more of your things up in the attic that I want you to have. Old pictures."

Regina's brow furrowed. "Mother… What's going on?"

"Regina, I know you've been so busy and you have a lot going on, but… We still need to go."

"Go? Go where?"

"To visit your father, dear. Tomorrow will be his anniversary and your birthday."

Crap. Regina's eyes closed. With her housing projects she completely neglected to remember her own father's death anniversary. Then again, it wasn't something she liked to think about. She didn't even celebrate her birthday anymore.

"Regina?"

She blinked, fighting back the sting of her own tears. "I'm here," she cleared her throat.

"Look, I understand if you're too busy-"

"No." Regina shook her head. "No, I'll… I'll see you in about an hour."

Regina held onto a bouquet of her father's favorite flowers. Ironically enough- they were forget-me-nots. Her eyes remained focused on her father's grave stone, on the letters and curves of his name. Fighting back the tears that her mother found herself sobbing out as she was kneeled before her late husband's grave, placing a bouquet of roses. Roses were their anniversary flower, and Cora would always gift the man's grave with them.

Regina kneeled beside her mother, placing her forget-me-nots before his grave. She sniffed, blinking rapidly as a single tear rolled down her cheek. There wasn't a day she didn't wish for her father to be around and have him see all she has come to accomplish now as an adult. But that could never be.

"I miss him every day." Cora wiped away her tears, standing up with Regina's help. "He always promised us we would die together someday. But," she sighed. "Your father was always very competitive and loved beating me in things."

"I remember." Regina smiled a little, remembering that well about her father. "He loved being the best at everything."

"Just like you." Cora tapped her daughter's hand with affection. "Like father, like daughter."

Regina chuckled, shaking her head. "I don't come close to being Henry Mills, mother."

"You're right. You don't. You are Regina Mills. Our daughter, and I happen to know for a fact that if he were alive today…" Her hand cupped her daughter's cheek. "Regina, he would be so proud of you and the woman, and mother you have become."

Regina couldn't keep tears from streaming down her cheeks. "I don't know about that," she murmured. "I married, lied to myself about who I was, lied to Robin for a long time about who I was. My son hates being with me."

"Oh, darling," Cora's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about? Henry adores you. You're his light, just like your father was yours."

She chuckled.

"Listen to me, Regina…" Cora stood before her daughter. "Henry loves you. He has the same heart you did when you were around his age. He wants you to be happy. Just like I wish you worried more about yourself other than just work all the time."

"Mother-"

"I know," Cora held up her hand. "I know. You have to make a living. And I agree. But sweetheart, let me tell you something I learned." She paused, "If you don't stop and look around once in a while of what's around you. You could miss a lot of great things."

Regina's brow furrowed, "Where did you learn that?"

Cora turned to look down at her husband's grave stone before looking back at her daughter. "Your father was always so wise. And I'm sorry I made you come all this way to visit him, I know you don't like to, but-"

"No…" Regina shook her head, wiping away a fallen tear. "I actually needed to. I've been a stranger for so long, I know. I just… I hate to remember how he died and when."

"So do I, dear. Knowing him, he wouldn't want us crying over him." Cora wiped away another tear of her own. "Which is why I wanted us to come and pay our respects today, given that tomorrow is the official day and your birthday."

"Good thing I have work tomorrow." Said Regina.

"Well, I know you haven't celebrated your day since you turned twelve. But, just this once… I would celebrate with a good scotch." Cora smiled. "That was his-"

"His favorite. I know." Regina smiled.

Regina debated going to a bar that night. Emotionally, she needed a drink. Scotch did sound like a good idea.

She drove home, showered and changed into her best dress pants and purple buttoned up shirt, placed her favorite pearls around her neck and took a cab to the nearest bar.

Dido's Thank You played throughout the jukebox of the bar as Regina entered, eyeing the place and all of its residents before taking a seat at the bar. Heads turned to her as she walked past prying eyes, but they all went ignored by her.

"What's your poison, love?" A charming, blue eyed bartender asked her.

"Scotch on the rocks, please." She muttered.

"Coming up." The bartender reached for a crystal clear glass, putting it before the brunette before filling it up with ice and reaching for the bottle of scotch. His eyes fell on the picture of a little girl with an older man. "Cute photo." He mentioned.

Regina sighed, glancing down at the photograph her mother had given her. "That's my father." She reached for her drink once it was served. "He passed away a long time ago." She took a drink.

"Oh, I'm sorry." He frowned. "I know what you're going through. I lost a love one myself."

"Your father?"

"No, my fiancee. We had opened this bar together," he motioned around the bar. "Dreamed of running it together, but… Now it's just me."

Regina frowned. "I'm very sorry." She took another drink.

"It's alright." He smiled, holding out his hand. "I'm Killian."

"Regina," she shook the man's hand.

"Anything else you want, just shout for me."

"Can you- just keep them coming," she motioned toward the scotch, taking her last drink before Killian reached for her glass and refilled it.

As Killian walked away, Regina glanced around the bar once again, her eyes landing a beautiful blonde that sat across from her by one of the tables. And once the girl winked, holding up her glass in the air- that was it. Regina knew she would be taking her home.

They exchanged conversation for hours before deciding to head to Regina's apartment. Regina had one too many drinks, and was lonely. Better to end up with a total stranger in her bed than with Graham again just to get rid of that itch. Regina always knew what she liked and preferred and why not? Come tomorrow morning, she would be gone and going to work like nothing happened.

This would be sort of an early birthday present to herself.

The blonde from the bar helped herself to Regina's shirt as she was the first one up and cooking the brunette some breakfast, serving the scrambled eggs, bacon and toast onto a plate.

"Hey, are you up yet?" She shouted. "I made you breakfast!"

Regina groaned, her body gently moving around in her bed. "Oh…" Her head raised, feeling the effects of a hangover. Her eyes squinted due to the sunlight beaming in through her window. "Oh, God, what did I do?" She looked over her body, relieved to see that somehow, somewhere after her one nighter, she managed to get dressed in one of her nightgowns.

"Are you up?" Regina groaned, hearing the voice coming from downstairs.

The brunette dragged herself out of bed, feeling her entire world spin. Moving into her bathroom, she quickly brushed her teeth and her face. She reached for her bathrobe and quickly wrapped it around her body.

Her eyes looked through the mirror in her bathroom right at her bathtub which was covered over with her shower curtain. She couldn't help to think just how drunk she might still be, given that some faint snoring was coming from inside her bathtub.

Regina's head cocked to one side as she quickly turned to face her bathtub. What in the hell? Her hand reached out slowly until her fingers slowly snaked around the shower curtain.

And with one hard pull, she uncovered it, her eyes growing wide at the sight of a passed out Emma.

"Aaaahh!" Emma's eyes grew wide, startling her from her slumber. Her lungs let out a loud scream that matched Regina's.

Regina quickly shut her curtain, yanking it so hard it landed right on Emma, the curtain holder slamming against her head, while the brunette's back slammed against the bathroom door. Without waiting another second, Regina rushed downstairs, furious that this stranger would invite someone over without consulting her.

"Hey!" The blonde smiled, holding a glass of orange juice. "I made you breakfast-"

"Never mind that." Regina spoke over her, her chest heaving with anger. "Who the hell did you invite over last night?"

"What?" The woman's brow furrowed. "I didn't-"

"What did we do last night?" Regina asked, her eyes wide.

The blonde chuckled, "Well, honey, if you can't remember, it must have been that good of a night for you." She took a sip of her orange juice.

"Okay…" Regina sighed, rubbing away at her aching temple. "I may have had a few drinks at the bar last night, but I strictly remember telling you I didn't do threesoms."

A single brow arched, "Ooookay… And I agreed with you and said it was okay."

Regina blinked. "Wait- so you're saying… that only you and I came back here last night?"

The girl nodded, "Yeeeeah… I'm pretty sure we did."

"You're pretty sure? But just… Not a hundred percent sure?"

"Okay, maybe you should sit down and have some breakfast. And definitely no more drinks for you."

"No," Regina reached for the glass of orange juice, setting it down on the kitchen island before taking the girl's hand into her own. "Come with me." She dragged her up the stairs.

"Ooh, going for seconds?" The girl grinned. "Okay, but just let me brush my teeth first."

Regina stormed into her bedroom and into her bathroom, pointing to the bathtub. "Who is this, then?"

The girl's brow lifted, "Wow! What the hell did we do in here? I don't remember us being in the bathroom."

"Exactly," Regina placed her hands on her hips. "Now, would you mind explaining to me who your little friend is?"

"Um…" Blue eyes shifted between the brunette and the bathtub somewhere underneath the fallen shower curtain. "All I see is a shower curtain."

Regina groaned, bending down to pull off the shower curtain with one swift move. "Her!" She pointed, looking over and finding an empty bathtub.

The girl blinked, her brow arched as she turned back to Regina, noticing the lost look in her face. "I don't… See anyone."

"What?" Regina whispered more to herself, her head shaking. "No. No, no, there-" She pulled back the rest of the curtain, tossing it aside only to see it empty. "No, no, no! Where is she?"

"Who?" The girl asked.

"Her!" Regina snapped, turning back to the puzzled and frightened blonde. "The woman that was sleeping in my bathtub!" She looked back inside her bathtub. "There was someone in there."

"Okay…" The girl murmured, motioning toward the bedroom door. "I think I'm gonna go."

"No," Regina shook her head, reaching for the girl's arm. "No, don't, don't look at me like I'm crazy, okay? I know there was someone in there."

"I'm sure she was," she took her arm back. "And I bet she was pretty, too." She began to walk out the bedroom door. "Listen, I had fun last night, but uh… Yeah, let's just leave it at that, okay?" She smiled, waving goodbye to the confused brunette and shutting the door before racing out of the front door.

Regina was beyond confused, she glared back at the bathtub, finding it empty, mumbling words of reassurance to herself. Strangest thing to her was not only that a woman had been sleeping in her bathtub, but that that woman looked a lot like Emma.