The next morning, Regina helped Emma get ready for school. The mayor took her time going down the stairs. Emma walked in step with her mother to make sure the woman was alright.
Regina had been working from home the past two days. She wasn't able to drive and her body was just uncooperative. It was now Saturday, and Regina had made the decision to tell Emma the truth. She had called Snow to tell her. Regina knew her daughter didn't like being stuck in the house. "Emma, let's go outside."
Emma looked up at her mother from her spot on the floor. "We can stay in today."
"I know, but I want to go outside. Let's go to the woods for a walk. Go get your camera."
Emma hesitated before running up to get her camera. Regina and Emma walked to the woods. As they made their way through, Emma took pictures of everything. "Mommy," Emma turned to find her mother was far behind her. The little girl waited for her mother to catch up.
"Emma, dear, let's sit for a moment."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, but we have to talk." Regina clumsily sat on the ground and Emma joined her.
"Am I in trouble?"
"Of course not. You know how I adopted you?"
"Yeah," she said with a smile, "gave me my best chance."
Regina smiled, "right. The thing is, I took you from your parents. They didn't want to give you up, but I took you anyway. That's the best way I can explain things right now. Anyway, Mary Margaret and David are your parents."
"Am I going to visit them?"
Regina looked down, "well, I don't know what's going to happen. We're trying to work everything out and do what's best for you."
"Will I have to leave you?"
Regina looked up at her daughter, "I wish I could answer that for you. Just know that no matter what, I love you more than anything. That will never change."
"I know, mommy. I love you too."
When Emma and Regina got home, Regina called Snow and went to make dinner. She was utterly exhausted, but her daughter needed to eat. Emma helped her mother cook. She loved doing everything with her mother. After dinner, Regina cleaned up before lying down on the couch to rest. She was now having trouble getting her words out.
The doorbell rang, "I'll get it!" Emma said.
"Make sure...you..."
"Know who it is first. I know, mommy."
Emma opened the door to see Snow and David. "Hey, Emma," Snow said, "is your mom around?"
Emma's face dropped, "yeah." She led them to the living room where Regina was lying down. "Mommy, my daddy and other mommy are here."
"Emma, please go...upstairs for...a bit."
"Yes, mommy," Emma left the room but didn't listen to her mother.
"You don't...have to fight...me."
"What do you mean?" Snow asked.
"I can't...care for her...anymore. I was...going to...take the...curse off...both of you...so you could take her. You...beat me to...it. Emma!" the little girl came around the corner. Regina knew that her daughter hadn't gone to her room, "come here." Regina slowly and shakily sat up. She patted a spot by her feet and Emma climbed up.
"I have to leave, don't I?" she said sadly.
"Yes," Regina was trying very hard to keep her emotions inside. "I can't...take care of...you."
"Who's gonna take care of you?"
"I'll figure...something out. I...always do. Besides, it's not...your job to take...care of me."
"Emma, why don't you pack a bag and we can figure out everything else later," Snow said.
"Okay," Emma hugged her mother and kissed her cheek, "I love you, mommy." The little girl got down and went to her room. Regina made sure to hold it together. When Emma came back down, David took her bag from her and took his daughter to the car. Regina broke down. Snow bowed her head before turning and leaving.
That night, Regina got in her car and drove out of Storybrooke. She had sent Snow and David a letter explaining things to them and apologizing. Regina was scheduled to check into an assisted living facility outside of Storybrooke. After a couple of weeks, it was clear that she needed to be transferred to the long-term care part of the facility. She couldn't walk anymore and a part of her didn't care. To Regina, her life was meaningless without her daughter.
One day, two weeks after leaving Storybrooke, Regina was lying in her bed, "hi, mommy!"
She slowly turned her head, "Emma? What..."
"I ran away."
A nurse was with the little girl, "Regina, if you can give me a phone number, I can call someone to pick her up."
Regina gave the nurse David's number. The young woman called and told the man that his daughter showed up at the nursing home. He told the woman that he was at work and as soon as he found someone to take over, he'd leave. David then spoke to Emma and made her promise to stay in Regina's room. "Mommy, why can't I stay with you?"
"You can't live here...with me."
"We can go home."
"Emma," Regina sighed, "I can't go...home."
"Why?"
"I can't walk...anymore."
David knocked on the door. It had been almost an hour since the nurse had called him. He needed to figure out if he could leave Storybrooke. Since he didn't have a cursed identity, he could. Emma looked sadly at her dad, "do I have to go?"
Regina looked at her daughter, "yes," she said.
Emma hugged her mother tightly, "I love you, mommy."
"I love you too, dear."
"I go potty first," Emma got down and went into the bathroom.
"Thank you for having them call me," David said.
"You're welcome, but it's not...as if I had a choice."
"How have you been?"
"I can't walk, but...I'm fine.
"You seem to be able to speak more easily."
"I'm not as tired. This is what I pretty much do all day."
"You can't walk at all?"
"Not a step."
"Listen, I'm sorry for how I acted in the woods that day. Why don't you come home and stay with us?"
"I appreciate the offer, but I can't leave."
"Sure you can."
"David, I'm not going to get better." Regina saw the look of shock on David's face, "once the curse is broken, it will only be a matter of time before I die."
Before David could inquire more, Emma walked out. She hugged her mother and told her she loved her one more time before leaving with David. Regina felt tears begin to fall.
Thirteen years later, Emma gave birth to a baby boy she named Henry Daniel Mills. She decided to call her mother to tell her the news. "Regina," a nurse walked into her room, "you have a phone call. Would you like to try and talk to them?" Regina's body was constantly trembling and she could hardly speak. "It's Emma," the nurse told her. That was a mistake because Regina began sobbing, grunting, and shaking harder. "Regina," the nurse took the woman's hands, "you don't have to. Regina, I need you to calm down." The nurse paged someone to bring her a tranquilizer. She gave Regina the shot and sat there until she had calmed down. Regina never took the call. The nurse couldn't provide Emma with any details regarding her mother's health or what had just happened. Regina made it clear that she didn't want Emma to know anything.