A/N: It is Friday, and I am back to give you yet another chapter in this tale. All mistakes are my own, thanks to my muse for trying to catch as many of them as possible. I am aware it's a little jumpy, but this was the very best I could churn out.

"We can't just let her go, we have to go after her" Snow said as they watched Emma's conjured ford F-350 drive past the line, slowly disappearing in the distance. "We must, we can't do nothing. She belongs here"

"There isn't any way for her to trust me again Snow. While she may still love me, and the gods know I still love her, perhaps out there she can find someone who she can love enough to be happy. How could she be happy with me after everything I have done? I destroy everything I love, and as much as I wished it could be, Emma was no different" Spilled quietly, brokenly, from Regina's lips. This time it wasn't fate, there was no one to blame but herself.

The pain was clear in her voice. Even Henry gave his mother, as mad as he was at her, a squeeze on her arm for support. He stilled loved her, he couldn't change that, she smiled gratefully at him. Snow sighed, and David began to pace. While Belle turned to face her friend.

"Why did you do it Regina? Through all of this. The letter stated you have been doing it since you got married. If you truly loved Emma, which, it's completely undoubtable, why on earth did you sleep with someone else? With Ruby of all people?" Her words were not accusatory, if anything Belle's words were sad, confused even.

No one had really asked this question. At least, not when they'd truly been able to listen. But now everyone, including David, stopped to stare and listen. Wondering how someone such as Regina, who could love with every fiber of her being could do such a thing. Yes, she could hate with every fiber as well, but with the ability to hate like that came the ability to love.

"I tried to end things. But I am weak. I was never strong enough to resist for long. I was truly waiting for the day Emma left me. I believed that one day she would wake up and realize she didn't love me. I wanted to be able to pretend like I hadn't love her. To protect myself if I lost her" Regina stared out at the road with such longing it broke even Henry's hardened heart. "I can never take those mistakes back" Was added softly, barely audible, but yet, everyone heard it.

All of it was true. Regina, despite every wrong, and there were many, had done, loved Emma. She just had never learned how to love properly, and beyond that. Regina had only been taught to expect hatred, and pain. She had let her insecurities take full hold of her person. Allowed halfway decent sex and her own irrational thoughts of Emma one day leaving her to take over her thoughts, and actions.

When, if she had simply trusted in Emma. Trusted in their combined love, if she had ever voiced any of her concerns and fears with the blonde. Or even to Archie. Things could have been vastly different. They could had been happy, could have had children. Emma wouldn't be this. Different form of herself. They would have been together, rather than apart in a way that Regina doubted she could ever fix. All she could do was stare where the blondes truck had once been with a heavy broken heart.

The moment that the blonde was across the town she felt an overabundance of emotion. Refusing to let that stop her she kept going. Deep down she knew what she was doing was the right thing for not only her son, but for herself. Despite the pain, emptiness, fear, guilt, and even a small bit of relief she kept her mind on going forward. To keep moving on, to start a new life for the toddler sleeping beside the puppy in the backseat.

Everything was so new, yet, the same. It was confusing. As such Emma had to keep glancing in the rear-view mirror to make sure Rhydian really was there. To assure herself it wasn't some sort of hallucination. Everytime she saw the duo cuddled up together in his booster seat she couldn't help but smile.

He was her family, the only family she had ever needed before she'd been dragged to the town in Maine she was doing her damnedest to forget existed. Rhydian was all she had ever dreamed about. A son, maybe a dog, a little house. She'd never wanted a wife. Not until she had locked eyes with Regina.

Maybe a daughter to go alongside her son, but, when Rhydian was born she knew she was done. He was perfection, and that was how she knew this new journey of theirs would be fine in the end. As long as she had her son, she had hope. Right now, even though her heart would never heal, she knew that just having Rhydian would be enough. Eventually.

"Wow" Breathed out Rhydian as he slid down his mom's side. He stared up at the house with wide eyes. His new home. The biggest place he'd have ever lived. It was an actual house. "It's so big" He paused as he whipped around to look at his mom. "Can I has four puppies?" Emma could only chuckle as she ruffled his hair.

Since money was no object, Emma could fuck with the systems and fill her bank account at will, or she could conjure pure gold. So she had found the perfect house. It was a three story mansion with a wrap around deck two and a half hours outside of Seattle. Thirty minutes from the heart of Puyallup.

It sat on five thousand acres. Came with two barns, and a pond big enough to swim in if she cleaned it out a bit. Their own little forest in the back. It was close enough to the city for them to be active there, while also far enough away that they could basically blend into the background. The best of both worlds. Which was exactly what Emma had wanted.

This was a home where they could start their future. A place for Emma and Rhydian to live, to grow. To move on from their pasts. Emma hoped they could be happy here. Money was taken care of, but Emma wanted to procure a part time job. Something she would enjoy where she could also have Rhydian nearby, as she was pretty sure at this point that hell would likely freeze over before he was sent to daycare again. This was where they would be reborn.

Four months came through like a whirlwind. Emma was able to forget, for the most part, her time in the coastal town in Maine. Able to focus on her brilliant little boy. She was happier than she had been in ages, but that didn't mean that she didn't think of Regina often. Didn't mean that when she tucked in her energetic son at night she didn't wish the woman was beside her. Helping her raise him.

When Emma had gone job hunting she had decided she still wanted something physical. She was now a personal trainer at the YMCA. At first she kept Rhydian at her side, but then she had met a woman who became her new best friend, who now ran the daycare, and since she trusted her wholeheartedly she had grown to allow her son to hang out at the daycare that was on the first floor.

There were many wonderful things about working at the YMCA. One, free membership. Two, she really did truly love her job. Not to say she didn't love being sheriff, she had, but it wasn't a small enough town for her to join and be sure she could still come home to her son at night. Three she could meet other parents who homeschooled their children. So Rhydian had more friends then Emma had ever dreamed of having.

"I turned five today" Rhydian said as raced circles around his mother. He was far too excited, but his happiness and constant stream of energy made Emma laugh. The now six month old Apollo was keeping stride perfectly. He really was the perfect dog, just like Rhydian was the perfect son.

"Yes. You did. That is why we are having your birthday party today. All of your friends from the Y are gonna come" Emma replied, smile never wavering. They were at the park, in her arms was a giant cooler, on her back a duffel filled with all sorts of goodies. That wasn't even counting what her friend and her two kids were hauling behind them in little wagons.

Eagerly the little boy had helped set up the tables and watched with interest as his Momma set up the barbequer, as she had downright refused to use the shit ones they had cemented into the ground. People started to arrive right as they were finishing the tables up. And the smile on the boy's face as the children came into view was enough to make a thousand of these parties worth it to his mother.

Even Henry had showed up, right on time. He had, of course, posed as Emma's little brother. As how else would you explain a twenty-six year old and twenty-two year old? Henry had mostly sat back and watched everyone else interact. Not that Emma took notice of this, she was almost always at the grill or within six inches of her youngest son.

Really he couldn't blame her. Sure he had been extremely jealous, and even bitter, when this had all started but he had come to terms with everything. Well, he had come a long way to coming to terms with them. He still felt pangs of jealousy, but what child wouldn't? Especially a fully grown one of a much younger sibling?

It was as clear as day that Emma doted on her youngest. However, she didn't hover. Or at least not in a way that bothered the smaller boy. Rhydian was always smiling, always rushing back to his mom if she was at the grill. Showing her the new toy, or telling her about one of the games he had played with one of the many other children.

However there was one thing that Henry truly didn't like. He didn't like the way Emma's friend was looking at her. Didn't like the way she was at her side constantly, and when she wasn't she was with Rhydian. Absolutely detested it. So when Emma took his younger brother, and the woman's two children, towards the water with a few other kids and parents he decided it was time to get to the bottom of things.

"Hello there. I'm Henry Mills" He spoke politely, with a fake smile. "We haven't been properly introduced, not hard when the party is filled with five year olds" He even laughed a little, trying to keep this woman calm and appear friendly.

"Oh! Henry! Yes. I have heard so much about you! I'm Lucy. I'm Carver and Paris's mother" She said enthusiastically and with a bright smile. Under any other circumstance Henry would have genuinely liked his mother's friend. But that look. He knew the look she had been giving her. And he didn't like that.

"Those are the two chasing Emma right? Rhydian babbles on about them, they are his best friends as far as he is concerned." Henry spoke as if he didn't already know the answer. Lucy glanced back, giving Emma THAT look again before chuckling and nodding at him. "Very cute. Are they twins?" He asked.

"Might as well be, they are six months apart. My ex-wife and I both used a surrogate. We were aiming for nine months apart, but they had other plans. Carver was a few weeks late, and Paris came several weeks early." Lucy paused. "But I wouldn't change either of them for the world."

Quickly Henry's began to put together scenes in his head. Threading together the few times Emma had mentioned this woman, and the plethora of times Rhydian had mentioned her children. He knew that Emma trusted this woman completely, as she allowed Rhydian to stay at the daycare on her days.

"Ex-wife? Does that mean you are divorced?" He did his best to sound inquisitive rather than annoyed. He really didn't like this woman. His suspicions of her intentions with his mother was rising exponentially.

"Oh my yes. Since the children were just under two. I found Jenna cheating on me, with a man of all things. We divorced, and she allowed me to keep the house on the condition that her parental rights were revoked and she never had to see them again" Lucy let out a sigh as she thought about it.

The fact that story was familiar was not lost on Henry. Yes they were different, but in essence. The same. Lucy's wife had cheated on her. They had divorced. Lucy had kept the children. Regina had cheated on Emma. They had even gotten a legal divorce. Emma had kept Rhydian. Keeping contact with Henry.

"My deepest apologies. No one should have had to go through such a thing." Here he was actually legitimately sincere. Henry could see why Emma and this woman would bond. Could see why they would be drawn towards one another and strike a friendship. With that said Henry was not blind.

Sure as far as he had been able to observe the looks and glances were one sided. Lucy had a crush on Emma, a huge one. Henry would probably say she was in full blown love with his blonde parent. And maybe back when shit first went down he would have been okay with that, maybe even helped them get together.

Not now. As time had trickled by he had been able to get past his anger, his vision had unclouded. Even he could see that Emma belonged with Regina, and vice versa. So this woman and Emma getting together in a romantic sense just wouldn't do, no matter how much they clicked. And Henry would be damned if he sat by and watched it happen.

"Your sister went through something similar, as you know. I still can't believe it. Emma is such a wonderful, magnificent, caring person. I was in some real trouble when she showed up, nearly losing my house. She helped me fix up the place and even helped me get a steady job. I run the daycare at the Y six days a week." As she spoke she had sent another longing glance at Emma, who was busy splashing a bunch of children.

"Yes. I agreed. I still can't believe it either" Mused the young man. Able to speak another completely true sentence. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people, it's just the way our world works. People make mistakes, people screw things up. We, as humans, are messy fully imperfect creatures"

"That is true. Though. I guess I can at least be thankful that Jenna didn't sleep with my best friend. That kind of betrayal, to be truthful, I am surprised Emma is doing as well as she is. I don't think I could be where she is now if that was how it went for me. Emma is amazingly resistant and strong" Oh yeah, if Henry didn't already know Lucy was in love with the woman he would have certainly known now. He wondered how Emma could be so dense.

They spent a few more minutes talking alone before all the kids, and the handful of parents who had gone along, had come out of the water. Then there were presents to open, a second round of food, and then cake. Henry had even spent some time speaking to Emma alone while Lucy helped Rhydian and a few other kids paint the grass with special chalk.

By the time Henry climbed into his car to head home he was fully convinced that he had to act, more than that that he had to act immediately. Because while Emma had yet to notice that Lucy was beyond interested he was petrified of what would happen if she did. Lucy was a wonderful woman that would never cheat on Emma, a truly good person. Just not the right one for Emma.

If his mother could sleep with Ruby for all these years and not love her. Then Henry had no doubt that Emma could move on and love someone else thanks to the way Regina's actions had impacted her. The very thought of her moving on made him scowl and grip the steering wheel. His parents belonged together, he knew Regina had a whole helluva lot to make up for, but he was certain they could make it through anything. As long as they did it together.

A/N: As always please leave your thoughts about the story, dinos, or great danes. Catch you next friday!