Emma couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Regina in Storybrooke. She walked past her mother who discretely shoved a note in her hand. After reading the note, Emma ran home. "Look what Regina handed me," she said before handing the note to her father.

David read the note out loud, "Emma, you and Henry need to go into hiding and stay away from me. My mother found me in the Enchanted Forest and took my heart before making me bring her here. She's controlling me and there's nothing I can do to stop her. Leave town if you have to, but go somewhere I can't find you. I'd tell you to take your parents but their hero mentality will stop them from hiding." David looked up, "she's not wrong. You need to hide and we won't."

"Will you watch Henry while I go find a place?"

"Sure, let us know where and we'll bring him to you."

Emma went to City Hall and to her mother's office, "what are you doing here?" Regina asked in a panicked tone.

"This must be my granddaughter," Cora said.

"Whatever evil you came here to do, forget it," Emma said.

Cora waved her hand and threw Emma out of the office, "Emma!"

"If you hadn't made yourself barren then you'd be able to replace her," Cora said.

"At least let me make sure she's not hurt."

Cora sighed, "fine, but leave the door open."

Regina rushed out, "Emma, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Regina hugged her daughter, "in my vault you'll find my mother's things," she whispered, "get her heart and bring it to me. That's how to stop her."

Regina released her daughter and walked back into the office. Emma ran past Snow and David on her way to the vault. She found Cora's heart and ran back. Emma passed her parents again who had turned to follow her to the cemetery. Now, they had to turn back. Emma snuck up on Cora and shoved the heart in. She quickly grabbed her mother's heart and handed it to her. Cora made amends to Regina and decided to leave for a while. Her daughter needed space and Cora needed to figure some things out.

That night, Emma, Snow, David, and Henry went to Regina's for dinner. "Can I ask you something?" Snow asked at dinner that night.

"What?"

"Why did you ask me to be your caretaker?"

"I needed help with Emma when I had an episode."

"But why ask me?"

"After I adopted Emma, I began to feel guilty about everything. I loved her so much, but I never felt that I deserved her."

"You didn't," David said.

Regina put her hand on Emma's to stop her from saying something, "I know. Anyway, I needed help from time to time and decided to ask you."

"Why?"

"There was nothing I could do to break the curse. This was my way of making sure you were in her life."

"Why should we believe you?" David asked.

"You don't have to believe me. Your wife asked me a question and I answered it."

"Look," Emma had had enough, "I know that you're angry and I get that. Regardless, this woman raised me. She never mistreated me even though I'm the daughter of the woman she spent a good portion of her life trying to destroy. Whenever Mary Margaret came over, I got excited and I think my mom did too. I really want the two of you in my life, but you have to respect the fact that Regina raised me. She may have taken me, but I never felt unloved or unwanted. If you can't respect her or my relationship with her, then we can't be in each other's lives."

"Emma, it's okay," Regina said.

"No, it's not."

"Emma, listen to me. I have done some awful things. I'm a monster and don't deserve you."

"You're not a monster."

"I tortured and killed people who were trying to protect your mother from me because I wanted to cut her heart out. Not rip it out. I wanted her to feel more pain by having it cut out. I'm a villain and villains don't get happy endings. The time I've had with you has been the happiest time of my life, but you need to let me go."

"What?"

"Emma, I'm kicking you and Henry out. It's time for you to be with your parents. Actually, it's past time."

"You're my mother."

"No, I'm not. Just because I raised you the way that I did, doesn't mean I'm your mother. I could have given you to your mother. I could have brought her memory back so the two of you could be together. I could have let everything go and moved on instead of casting the curse. Snow was never given the chance to be your mother because I wanted to punish her."

"I can't believe this," Emma stood and left the house.

"I'll pack their things and call you when I'm done," Regina said to Snow and David.

"Why did you do that?" Snow asked.

"I needed to right a wrong and that's the only way I could."