Emma and Regina were outside with the kids. Emma and the children took every possible chance to make Regina smile. They knew she was going through a tough time and wanted to cheer her up. "Okay, I need to sit for a moment," Regina told her children. They had been playing different ball games the girls made up. Emma took her wife's free arm and helped her to a chair. Then she returned to play with the girls.

"Room for one more?!" a voice asked.

Everyone turned to see who the voice belonged to, "gigi!" The girls ran to their grandmother and nearly knocked her to the ground.

"Oh my God," Emma said softly. She turned and saw her wife motion for her. Emma walked over.

"Help me up, please."

"Mommy, look," the two women noticed that Cora and the girls were right there.

"Cora," Emma smiled and hugged the woman tightly. "I don't know how you got here, but I'm glad you're back."

"Thank you," Cora returned the smile, "I bet you never thought you'd say that."

"Probably not nine years ago." Emma felt a tug on her sleeve. She turned and bent to help her wife.

"Regina, darling, you don't have to get up," Cora said. She bent down and took her daughter into her arms. The mayor broke down and cried. "Sweetheart, it's okay. I'm here and I'm okay. Zeus rewarded me by allowing me to return to you all."

"I missed you so much," Regina choked out. "Please, don't ever do that again."

"Darling, I had to or you wouldn't have gone. I lived my life. I raised you and I knew that your family needed you more than me."

"It hurt so much."

"I'm sorry it hurt you, but I'm not sorry I did it."

"I love you, mommy," Regina said tearfully.

"I love you too."

The two hugged for a while before Cora went to play with her granddaughters. "I really owe your mother," Emma said.

"I doubt she thinks that."

"Still, I'm gonna find a way to show her how much I appreciate her sacrifice."

"I would have done it too."

"Done what?"

"If one of our kids was trapped in the Underworld, I would have done the same thing my mother did."

"So would I. The kids would feel the same way you felt. Parents always want to protect their children, and children always want to protect their parents."

"Not all of them."

"Just go with me on this."

"Yes, dear."

"Good, you remembered who's boss up here."

Regina glared at her wife, "and who would that be?"

"To avoid being charred, I'm gonna say you."

Regina laughed and took her wife's hand, "I'd say we both are."

Henry's birthday rolled around and his moms decided to throw him a party at the mansion. The only thing he had wanted was to be with the people he loved the most. There were gifts and he loved them, but it was the time spent with others that really made him happy. Snow gifted him an archery set, David gave him a sword and shield, Cora gave him a magic hat from Wonderland to take him anywhere, and Granny gave him a crossbow.

"These gifts are awesome and a bit scary at the same time. Did anyone else bring weapons?" he joked.

"Here," Red handed Henry a flat box.

Henry unwrapped the gift and opened the box. "Alright," he said with a smile as he pulled the item out, "my own red cloak. This is so cool. Thanks, Red."

Remy and Oliver gave Henry new camping equipment for their adventures. Ella gave her fiance a journal to write their story and had something for him later. The girls got their brother a gift set that had enough hot cocoa and cinnamon to last at least a year.

"Alright, it's time for our gift," Emma said. She and Regina had gifted Henry and Ella a townhouse for their engagement. They were paying to have it decorated as a wedding present. Emma handed her son a hatbox.

"This is something we never let you have growing up," Regina explained.

Henry took the lid off of the box, "a puppy!"

"What?" his siblings all yelled.

"It's one of Pongo's puppies," Emma explained.

"This is Lucky," Regina told her son.

"This is so cool," Henry was really excited. He hugged and kissed his moms.

"Now that I think about it," Emma began, "we probably should have talked to Ella first."

"It's okay," she said with a smile, "I've always wanted a dog too."

It was truly a special birthday for Henry, but not the only special day he was going to have that year. His special, royal wedding was quickly approaching and he was almost as excited for that as he was when he got his puppy.