Author's note: I have now received full permission from the original user (Flawed Fallacy) to use and change this idea. They have been absolutely lovely and sent a lovely message to me about this story. Thank you for giving me permission Flawed Fallacy, I hope I do you proud

Emma texted Regina about the spare key at half past one, being as that was when she took her lunch break and wished her the best for the remainder of the day.

Regina let herself into the flat at three thirty, put down her bag and plugged her laptop charger in to let it regain some of its lost power. Regina had continued to watch FRIENDS until she had fallen asleep, waking up in a blind panic at quarter past three. Hopping in her car with her already packed bag and climbing the stairs had given her less than fifteen minutes until she had to collect Henry from his afterschool club. Just enough time to get her laptop plugged in and put down her bag. Picking up her phone, Regina made her way back to the front door to start the trek to get the little boy.

Walking along the balcony, Regina bumped into a pixie-haired woman whom she recognised as Emma's mother Mary, making her Henry's grandmother. After exchanging a polite hello and Mary wishing both Regina and her mother the best, Regina began the slow decent down the steep stairs towards the school gates. Feeling slightly out of place among the throngs of parents that were collecting their own youngsters, Regina shuffled from one foot to another, smiling timidly at some of the parents who looked at her with raised eyebrows and questioning eyes, she was silently begging Henry to hurry up as the sky was a dull shade of concrete grey, the threat of a downpour was imminent.

"Regina! You came!" Henry shouted, running up and giving her a cuddle. Regina was used to her niece Robyn giving her timid hugs, but Henry threw his arms around her without care or warning, nearly sending them both toppling backwards.

"Henry! How are you doing? How was school?" Regina smiled, taking his hand in her own, and walking back towards the tower block of flats.

"School was okay. I didn't like maths very much, we were learning about something called multiplication. It was awful." Henry exclaimed, rolling his eyes and giving her a cheeky smile.

"Ahh multiplication might be dull but it is absolutely needed. You'll thank yourself that you learnt it one day" Regina reasoned, raising her eyebrows at the boy who grinned cheekily and ran ahead to his front door.

"did mama tell you about the spare key? It was under the doormat" Henry asked a now slightly out of breath Regina when she eventually caught up to him.

"Yes she did, it's in my pocket since I got here a little early and left my bag inside" Regina said, fumbling in her coat pocket to retrieve the key, unlocked the flat, and swung the door wide open.

Henry went and changed out of his school clothes and into his favourite set of jogging trousers and matching sweatshirt, went into the kitchen and set about making himself something to eat. Regina offered and he asked for a jam sandwich with a side of cookies and a glass of orange juice. Dishing it up with a smile, Henry pulled out his schoolbooks and began his homework. After watching the boy out of the corner of her eye struggle for a few minutes, Regina offered to help.

"Henry? Can I help?"

"It's just this question for my history project. We have to write about our parents and why they're special to us. It's meant to lead on to our grandparents and then our great grandparents and as far back as we can remember." Henry sighed, his pencil resting at the side of his nose.

"Well that sounds remarkably interesting. What have you written so far?" Regina asked, sitting down next to him, and picking up his book. What she read next broke her heart.

"My name is Henry Nolan, and I am six years old. I live with my mama. Her name is Emma, and we live in a cosy little flat in a town called Storybrooke.
We used to live with my nanny and grandpa, but Mama and I saved all our money to move into this flat when I was a little boy. Mama says that we've always done it on our own but I am very glad that Mama had nanny and grandpa to help her.
My mum and dad don't see each other anymore. He doesn't know I am alive. Mama told me that he loves me, but I don't think he does. How can he love me if he chose to leave me? Mama always tells me that she loves me enough for a mama and a dad. I don't want to be anywhere but with her. Mama doesn't love my dad anymore, I think she did once but not now. Mama's different, but I love her whatever."

Regina swallowed the lump in her throat. This little boy was six years old and he knew effectively that he was the product of a failed relationship. That was humbling, but not as humbling as when he said that he loved her whatever. Whatever? Did that mean that Emma was different but not in the way that Henry thought?
Deciding that the best idea was the reassure the child that what he was writing was good, Regina said simply:

"Well Henry, I wouldn't change a word of that. You are a very perceptive little boy." And she patted his shoulder and looked at his sad, green eyes.

"do you think Mama will be okay with that?" Henry asked anxiously, his front teeth nibbling at his bottom lip.

"I think your Mama will be very proud of you Henry"

"Thank you Regina. Can I go watch some TV now that my homework is done?" he asked, looking at her hopefully

"Of course you can" she smiled as the pair of them sat to watch SpongeBob SquarePants until it was time for Henry to go to bed.

Regina expected Henry to be angry or upset when she announced that it was bedtime, but he jumped up quite happily and went to start brushing his teeth and washing his face. He asked for a quick shower instead of a bath and Regina allowed him an extra ten minutes. She also made sure that he had clean towels and soap before leaving him to get himself clean and sorted for bed.
Regina read to him for another fifteen minutes or so until he began to look sleepy, read him one more story to be absolutely sure and then tucked him in, give him a gentle hug, and left his bedroom, leaving the door open just a crack behind her.

Emma was on her break during a fairly busy shift which was great because that meant that time was passing faster and faster and meant that she could soon be home to Henry. She missed him so much when they were apart, being that it was just the two of them, she was bound to. Emma picked up her phone and checked the time, noting it was almost a half an hour past Henry's bedtime, so she texted Regina just to make sure that everything was okay and that she was managing all right. Regina texted back almost immediately saying that everything was absolutely fine, and that Henry was fast asleep. She was watching an old episode of Parks and Rec on the television and had made both herself and Henry sandwiches when they came in from school.
Emma smiled, it was rare for her to feel so comfortable with someone so quickly. Emma didn't trust easily and had many walls that people had to break down before she would even think about trusting them. With Regina though, all that was different. Emma felt as though she had known the brunette for years. Maybe they had spoken at one of the club meetings that Cora was chair of, that would explain it.

Regina put down her book and rubbed at her eyes, she wasn't used to feeling so tired even though she often stayed up until two in the morning to get her coursework done. The time was quarter past nine and Emma was due home any minute. Henry was fast asleep, utterly dead to the world. Regina had checked in on him a few times, but he was sound asleep and cuddling a tiny little teddy that had obviously been a present to him when he was a baby as it said "Hello little man" across the chest of the bear. Instead of mindlessly watching reruns of old shows, she had switched off the television and picked up her book on old law cases for her next year at law school. Hearing some footsteps along the landing, Regina waited and sure enough, there was a key in the lock and in came Emma. Her hair was loose, falling down her back in a torrent of curls and her green eyes looked exhausted, pulling off her leather jacket and hanging it over the coat stand, Emma smiled at Regina before offering her a small coffee to keep her awake on the drive home. Regina politely accepted and asked Emma how work had been.

"It was okay. Pretty busy actually which made for a quick shift but I'm exhausted! How was the kid?" She smiled, making herself a hot cocoa and brewing Regina a coffee.

"He was a delight Emma. You've raised an amazing young man. He left his homework book out for you to look over and sign but he's been sleeping since before eight." Regina replied, taking the now proffered coffee gratefully.

"Oh that's perfect, I'll have a read of it before I go to bed. You've been amazing too Regina, its been so difficult for me to find someone who can work around my shift pattern and for the little I can pay. That reminds me, why don't you keep the spare key? You'll be needing it to let yourself in. if I need you tomorrow, I'll try to let you know as soon as I can." Emma grinned, and Regina felt her heart rate speed up

"Thanks for having me Emma, you're an amazing mother and Henry is very lucky to have you" Regina smiled back and Emma swore she felt something somewhere inside her click.

Regina left after a few more minutes of small talk and went home to her furious mother. Cora was in a particularly foul mood that day as she had lost her game of golf and somehow that was all Regina's fault. Regina stood still, silently seething and waiting for an opportunity to escape to her bedroom when Cora slapped her across her face, stunning Regina to tears. Running into her bathroom, Regina saw the light bruise that was already forming and Cora had obviously had long nails and been wearing a ring as there were scratch and scape marks accompanying the ugly bruising that Regina knew would only get worse during the night. Regina cried herself to sleep, stopping only to dream about Henry and Emma and how happy they are together.