Emma was usually the one who would get Odette ready for school in the morning. She was packing the little girl's lunch when Odette was looking for her. Odette walked into the living room, "do you know where mama is?"
"She's packing your lunch. I can probably help you," Regina said.
"I just wanted mama to take out my braid and put my hair in pigtails."
"Come here, princess, and I'll fix your hair," Regina said.
"That's okay," Odette replied, "mama can."
"Mama can what?" Emma asked when she walked into the living room.
"Odette wants pigtails instead of a braid today."
"Come on, princess, I'll help ya." Emma and Odette went off to the bathroom. Regina quietly followed. She was able to hear Odette and Emma's conversation. "You know your mommy is better at this."
"I like how you do my hair. Can you do it all the time?"
"If you want me to, but your mommy loves to do your hair."
"It just feels weird when she does it."
"Why?"
Odette had a guilty look on her face, "you'll be mad."
"No, I won't."
"Her hands shake sometimes and I don't like it."
Regina felt her heart begin to break. Then Emma spoke, "you know that mommy can't help that. It happened before you were born."
"I know," Odette said.
"Is that why you didn't want her to know about the breakfast at school?"
"That and her cane."
Regina felt a tear fall down her face. She heard her wife defend her, "that's something else mommy can't help. She needs it or she'll fall and get hurt."
"I'm sorry, mama."
"We can talk about it later. How's your hair?"
"I like it."
Regina made her way back to the living room and sat on the couch. Odette walked by and waved goodbye to her mom before leaving. Emma gave the woman an apologetic look.
Odette walked into the house after school, "hey, princess," Regina said, "where's mama?"
"She had to get to a meeting."
"Well, I was hoping to spend some time with you." Regina waved her daughter over to the couch. Odette sat down a cushion away from her mother. "I think we need to talk."
"About what?"
"I know about the mother's day breakfast and how you didn't want me to go." Odette looked like a deer in the headlights, "I know why you didn't want me to go and why you don't want me to do your hair."
"Did mama talk to you?"
"No," she answered, "I heard you this morning talking to mama."
"Am I grounded?"
"You can't help how you feel."
"I heard that you thought about giving me up."
"Where did you hear that?"
"Gigi," she answered.
Regina was furious with her mother, "I did consider that but it was only because I didn't think I was a good mother. Your mama changed everything."
"Without mama then you would have gotten rid of me?"
"No, I mean, I don't know."
"Do you know what it's like to be the daughter of the Evil Queen?"
It was Regina's turn to be shocked, "what?"
"I get called the Evil Princess because my mom is the Evil Queen. I'm called evil and I'm only in kindergarten."
"What makes you think I'm the Evil Queen?"
"Henry's storybook."
"Princess, I'm not that person anymore. I've apologized and been forgiven for what I did in the past."
"My friends are afraid to come over here."
"I can speak with their parents."
"I don't want them to come over anyway."
"Because I'm the Evil Queen?"
"You tried to kill mama and my grandparents."
"I told you that I apologized to them. They have forgiven me."
"Was that before or after karma got you. That's what I've heard. Karma caused your accident and stroke."
Regina felt hurt and that feeling was reflected on her face. "You think I deserve this?"
Odette stared at her mom for a moment, "yes and that's another reason I don't want my friends coming over. It's embarrassing," she answered softly.
"I love you and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make you happy."
"Leave," Odette said, "leave us all alone and never come back."
Regina couldn't believe her ears, "I can't do that. It would hurt your mama and Faline."
"I knew you were lying. You won't do what it takes to make me happy."
"I can't leave you all."
"Because you can't live on your own?"
"No, because I love you all too much."
"I wish you had just given me up," Odette yelled before running towards the door.
"Odette, wait," Regina yelled as she went after her daughter. Odette went out the front door knowing her mom would be unable to follow quickly that way. Against her better judgment, Regina went to her car and drove after her little girl. Snow was watching Faline for the day because Regina had wanted to have a conversation with Odette. She parked her car and got out before heading to the forest. Regina called Emma before she went in.
"Hey, what's up?" Emma asked.
"Odette ran away," Regina said emotionally.
"What?"
"I asked her about the breakfast and her hair. She said that she wished I had given her up and ran out the door."
"Did you see which way she went?"
"I think she went towards the forest."
"I'll let the others know so they can keep an eye out for her and I'll check around."
Regina made her way into the forest to look for her daughter. She came upon a lake she had never seen before. "Swan Lake," Regina read the sign aloud. She looked up and saw a small swan in the lake.
"Regina!" Emma yelled as she ran up to her wife, "what the hell?"
"I couldn't let her leave and not follow her."
"We'll find her, but I want you to head back to town."
"I think I've already found her."
Emma looked in the direction her wife was staring and noticed a tiny swan. "Where did this lake come from?"
"I have no idea."
"That can't be Odette."
"I'll move back some. She won't come over if I'm standing here."
"Careful," Emma said and held her arms out in the event Regina stumbled. Once Regina was a few feet away, Emma crouched down, "Odette, come here, princess." Emma was stunned when the little swan began to swim towards her. The baby swan snuggled into Emma the same way Odette would. "Don't worry," she whispered, "I'll figure this out. Stay here and I'll be back before it's really dark." The swan swam back to the middle of the lake and Emma walked towards Regina. "Do you have any idea how to break that spell?"
"We can go check my books at home. If it's not there then we can call Rumple."
"Let's go," Emma said and held her arm out for Regina. The woman took it and tried to hurry out of the forest. "Honey, slow down."
"We have to hurry."
"We have a few hours until nightfall. You need to be careful not to hurt yourself."
Regina slowed down a bit because she knew Emma was right. They arrived home, where Cora, David, Henry, Snow, and Henry Sr. met them to find a way to save Odette. They were determined to have the little girl in her bed that night.