All for One

by StarvingLunatic

After returning from Neverland, Regina and Emma part ways with Henry going with Emma. Regina has to cope with losing both of them, along with other things, and deal with the usual madness that is Storybrooke. A friend from her past shows up to help her. Meanwhile, Emma's struggling not to drown as her parents and Henry ignore her to push her to be with Neal. For SQ Supernova.

2. Settling In

I don't own these characters; Disney/ABC does.

A/N: for mental image purposes, imagine D'Artagnan being played by Adrianne Palicki. For even more fun, think of her character Bobbi Morse from Agents of Shield.

2: Settling In

Regina had never been to D'Artagnan's condo. She didn't even know it was on the good side of town. After all, she had no reason to do so, but she was pleased that the Curse had done right by D'Artagnan as she wanted it to. It was a split-level modern home with hardwood floors and state of the art appliances, but there was a welcoming atmosphere. A swell of pride rose in Regina's chest at the sight of the warm home.

"Welcome to my humble abode." D'Artagnan smiled as she gestured around.

They entered into what was essentially the dining room with the kitchen ahead of them with a row of walnut cabinets set against cream-colored walls, divided by a long island in the kitchen. Off to the left was sunken living room space, but it was difficult to see the entire area with a partial wall separating the areas. The whole place smelled subtly of coconut.

"It's lovely," Regina replied, as she took in the home.

"Mom?" a small voice called, but it was hard to tell where it was from.

"You can come out, Mikey."

Regina expected to see D'Artagnan's daughter charge down from upstairs or from the living room. Instead, a bottom cabinet in the kitchen opened and the little girl crawled. As she stood her full height, taller than Henry, it was incredible to see she even fit under there. Regina turned to D'Artagnan for an explanation, but she did not speak until her daughter was by her side.

"When the Curse broke and people realized I was D'Artagnan, they remembered the rumors and came after her. Thankfully, she was home when the magic came and stripped away her disguise. But, now people come by, demanding to see her. So, she has to hide when I leave."

Regina frowned. It had taken these self-righteous hypocrites no time at all to go after an innocent child, more than likely labeling her a monster. Regina crouched down and the girl hid her face in D'Artagnan's side, even though she was almost up to D'Artagnan's shoulder. Hell, she was almost Regina's height. Regina smiled as D'Artagnan ran her hand through thick, dark hair. Cautious yellow eyes peaked out of the dark locks.

"Hi, I'm Regina. I'm a friend of your mom's."

"Yeah, Mikey. This is mom's friend from a long time ago. Say hi," D'Artagnan said.

Mikey barely looked at Regina. "Hi."

"You know I have a son about your age," Regina replied.

Mikey shook her head, giving Regina a brief flash of most of her face. Everything about the poor child betrayed her lineage. Yellow eyes, fangs poking out into her top lip, and her off-color, pale green skin. It was clear she was part goblin, but none of the idiots took into account Mikey could not help that any more than D'Artagnan could.

"I'm older than Henry by a year," Mikey said.

Regina nodded. "Well, my mistake. Do you know Henry from school?"

Mikey shrugged. "I've seen him around."

Regina nodded. "That's good. So, you know I'm Henry's mom and your mom's friend, but did you also know I'm a witch?"

Mikey turned enough to stare at her with interested golden eyes. "You are?"

"Yes, and if you could step away from your mom for a second, I could cast a spell to help you." A twelve-year-old girl should not have to worry about mob violence against her because her mother decided she should have a chance at life.

Mikey glanced up at D'Artagnan, who nodded. Mikey took a deep breath and stepped away. Regina smiled at her. Mikey stood tall, head held high in her dark sleeveless hoodie and matching shorts. She even squared her shoulders, body as powerful as her mother's lean frame.

"You're very brave, Mikey, like your mom," Regina said.

D'Artagnan scoffed. "Too much like me for my liking sometimes." She ran her hand through her shoulder length, honey blonde hair. It was somewhat different from her look in the Enchanted Forest where she wore her hair long and wavy down her back, which was part of the fashion for Leopold's Court. Beyond that, she was softer in this world than the Old World. It suited her.

Regina laughed. "I'm sure many parents feel that way." She turned back to Mikey. "Do you remember how you looked before the Curse broke?"

"Uh-huh."

"Did you like it?"

"Uh-huh."

"So, for this spell to work, I need you to close your eyes and think about what you liked like under the Curse. Can you do that for me?"

Mikey nodded and closed her eyes. Regina glanced at D'Artagnan. "Do you have a picture of her? It'll help hold the spell together if I see what she looked like while she holds the image in her mind." It would be best to use an image also in case Mikey was conflicted. She understood her Cursed appearance was not her natural look and she did not want to be ashamed.

D'Artagnan rushed to the fridge and pulled down a school photo. Mikey was adorable, as a full human or as a halfling. In her human form, she favored D'Artagnan heavily, except for the long, dark hair. Regina was able to put a glamor on Mikey with no problem. D'Artagnan gasped.

Mikey opened her eyes, a bluish-grey with flecks of gold. She gasped as soon as she noticed her mother. "Mom, are you okay?" D'Artagnan glanced away, blinking pointedly. There was a quick swipe with her thumb. Regina's eyes widened, D'Artagnan was crying.

"You can go to school tomorrow!" D'Artagnan grinned.

Mikey squealed and then latched onto Regina, hugging her around the waist. Regina gasped, not used to loving hugs anymore. She could not recall the last time Henry hugged her. It took all her willpower not to burst into tears. What a weird day.

"Do you mind if I sit down?" Regina asked D'Artagnan.

"Please." D'Artagnan hurried to pull a seat out from the dining room table. Mikey moved with her mother, but was not as fast as D'Artagnan.

Regina was too tired to tell D'Artagnan that was unnecessary. This was who D'Artagnan was, though. If chivalry was a person, it would be her. Regina would not scold her over that.

"I need to call Emma," Regina said for no real reason, beyond the fact that D'Artagnan sat across from her, expecting conversation, apparently. She could check on Henry and make Emma aware that it was actually good Henry was with her.

"I'm gonna go." Mikey pointed to the stairs.

"Good idea." D'Artagnan reached behind her, giving her a one-armed hug. Mikey sighed and wrapped both of her arms around her mother. She locked eyes with Regina. "Again, thank you so much."

Regina waved the matter off. "It's not a problem. I'll work on something a little more permanent for you eventually." There had to be a potion or something that would allow Mikey to transform at will. She just needed time to research it.

Mikey gasped. "You could do that?"

"I can, and will eventually." It could be another good deed. Maybe somewhere along the way, she might even find the old Regina. The good Regina.

Mikey giggled and ran off. As soon as she was gone, D'Artagnan blew out a long breath and focused on Regina. "Do you still have your phone or was that in the house?"

The house that was no more. "I have my phone." Regina dug into her jacket pocket. It was a small miracle it survived, but she was thankful for the little things right now. She found the phone to be quite dead, though. She conjured a charger and plugged it in with her magic. Her phone came to life, showing several recent missed calls from Emma. She wasted no time calling back.

"Regina! I've been trying to call you," Emma said. She sounded both panicked and relieved.

"My phone died."

Emma let loose a long breath right into the phone. "I thought something happened to you. I saw your house…"

Regina gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. "Was Henry with you?" Her heart was in her throat. He did not need to see their home as a smoking lot. Oh, come off of it. He won't care. That thought hurt almost as much as the one of him seeing the house gone. It was at that point D'Artagnan got up and walked upstairs.

"No, no, no. He doesn't know yet. I'll tell him tomorrow. He should get a chance to relax and catch his breath."

"Yes, good thinking." Regina was a little relieved to not have to bear that burden. She did not want to witness Henry's indifference to losing their home, but then show emotion when he realized all of his worldly possessions were gone. I really raised me. Which meant that she was her mother despite trying not to be. You're everything that hurt you. It was disgusting really.

Emma's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm with a friend."

"A friend?" Emma sounded skeptical.

"Yes, I do have them, you know." Except she did not. Emma was the closest thing she had to a friend based on interactions and time spent. D'Artagnan had wanted to get to know Regina as a friend a lifetime ago, but it was not appropriate. Still, D'Artagnan tried to do right by her and that was enough to be rewarded under the Curse. Apparently, that worked in her favor for just this moment.

Emma snickered. "Of course you do. Is this friend Satan?"

Regina's mouth twitched despite it all. Do not give into her. She betrayed the moment she didn't need you any more just like everyone else. "Mock my new magic all you want." It had been no laughing matter when she realized Neverland had ripped her lineage magic right from her very bones. It was the only reason Pan had not slaughtered them all.

"I probably will. Look, something's gone down here since we left."

"Oh, was the vacant lot that used to be my home a clue, Sheriff?"

"Okay, I can see why you don't like the mocking. Anyway, something's definitely up. We should check it out."

Regina was not sure she had the energy. "I'll have my friend catch me up and then let you know. But, I need you to do something for me."

"What do you need?"

"I'm assuming Tinker Bell is with you or at the very least you'll be able to find her if she's not. Can you please get her a room at the B and B and tell her I'll be by to collect her in the morning. It's not up for discussion." She would do her one good deed for the day, just in case the town wanted to get ugly. Beyond that, she needed to do some self-reflection. I can't possibly be every horrible person I've ever met. Except, she knew she was, had tried to discuss it in therapy, and she did not want to be that. She just wanted to be Regina.

"Got it."

Regina took a breath and found herself asking about Henry, even though the thought of him put a hot ball of dread in her stomach. "Is Henry okay?"

Emma sighed. "Seems okay. He's spending more time with Neal than I like, but I guess it could be worse."

"How so?"

"He could actually like Hook."

Regina winced. "That would be tragic." Except she was partially convinced Emma liked Hook. She did not dare bring that up right now, though. She had enough to deal with. "Well, send Henry my love."

"I will. It'll be okay, you know? He just has to settle a bit."

Regina doubted that. This was her worst fear come true. Henry had his birth parents, his "real" parents according to him. With those parents, he gained grandparents. He had a family, all ready and willing to love him properly, except for Rumple anyway. Regardless of that, he did not want her and he had not wanted her for a while. She had to accept that.

"I should go," Regina said into the phone. Go and work on myself as best I can. Maybe she would be able to at least get Emma back. Yeah, right. She's got her real family, too. All of their bonding in Neverland was for naught. Somehow, her heart sank deeper into her chest, as if it had not already fallen into an endless abyss.

"Yeah, me too. See you tomorrow? Maybe we could talk a little. I kinda owe you an apology." There was a quiver in her voice that caused a flicker of warmth in Regina.

"I'll come by the sheriff's station."

"See you then."

"Yeah." There was an awkward silence before Regina hung up and tossed her phone on the table with a groan.

D'Artagnan poked her head from upstairs. "The sheriff?"

"Yes." Regina waved her back to the table. She needed something to keep from her living in her head at the moment. It's the only place you have to live.

D'Artagnan sat across from her again with concern in her grey eyes. "She has Henry?"

"Yes. He wanted to go with her and his birth father and Emma's parents." Regina could not hold back her sneer. "His real family."

D'Artagnan frowned. "And you're not real family?"

"Not by his calculations." Regina rubbed the side of her head, trying and failing to catch up to a headache that had been chasing her for weeks. Or maybe it just felt like weeks.

D'Artagnan nodded. "A lot of that is going around."

Regina took a moment to examine the apartment and she knew what D'Artagnan meant. "Your wife?"

D'Artagnan looked away. "Left hours after the Curse broke." She shook her head. "I don't know why I expected otherwise." She tapped the table.

Regina chuckled and offered a small smile. "Because you love her and you hoped she loved you and you have a family together."

D'Artagnan frowned. "Yeah, well, none of that was real. It was all the Curse." She scoffed. "I don't even think she told Mikey goodbye. And kept calling her Michela. We never did that. She's Mikey. That's what she wants you to call her."

Regina nodded, but did not add anything. Michela was a nice name, strong and noble, like her mother. So, of course she would want to be called something shorter, like her mother. For D'Artagnan's wife to use her full name was a way to distance herself from Mikey, as if she had disowned her.

"Left me to tell our daughter that our family, our lives weren't real. I had to tell that precious twelve year old who was already scared out of her mind because her skin was fucking green and she knows what comes with that, that her mama fucking left us." D'Artagnan's voice shook and she blew out a ragged breath as her eyes misted over.

"I'm so sorry, D'Artagnan," Regina said. She never wanted to hurt D'Artagnan. She wanted D'Artagnan to have everything she deserved and desired in this world because D'Artagnan had been touched by the same evil that blackened her heart and no one deserved that.

D'Artagnan shook her head. "You're not responsible for Nanette. She made her decisions." Still, she trembled with fury. Maybe even grief.

"She went back to her prince?"

"And her parents."

Regina frowned. "They practically sold her to him."

D'Artagnan shrugged. "Apparently that was preferred to being with a defect and a monster halfling."

Regina straightened. "Did she call you those things?" Well, so much for being good. She would go hunt that bitch down right now. D'Artagnan and her child were too sweet for such harsh words. Maybe it would count as being good as I'm trying to defend good people. Somewhere deep inside of her a teenage-Regina scoffed.

"Not in so many words." D'Artagnan rubbed her face with both hands. "It's been a rough week. I'm frustrated."

"With the Curse? With me?" Regina would not be surprised if D'Artagnan was just as upset with her as everyone else. Look at what happened to her and her child.

D'Artagnan blinked. "Of course not with you. I wouldn't have invited you here if I was frustrated with you."

"But, it was my curse."

D'Artagnan smiled. "Your Curse that plucked me out of the caves and gave my Mikey a chance. She knows people here. She has a best friend, who keeps calling to check on her. She even had a second parent who adored her."

"And now that's gone."

"It's more than I could've hoped for, though. My life, I don't care about. But, that kid…" Her lip wobbled. "That kid is fucking everything and you gave her something she never would've had in the Old World. I'm forever in your debt."

Regina shook her head. "No. This was my reward to you. You earned this. I only wish it was real."

"It feels real." D'Artagnan pressed her hand to her chest. "Tomorrow, when Mikey can go back to school, that's real. It's real from now on."

"What happened in the past week?" The town had been weird before they left, but there had been some order to the chaos after the Curse broke thanks to some leadership on her part.

"Well, with you gone, people seemed to think that meant it was time to rebel, against any and everything. Anyone you seemed to favor was harassed in some fashion." D'Artagnan motioned to herself. "Everyone in the neighborhood has a story."

Regina frowned. None of the people in D'Artagnan's neighborhood was particularly loyal to Regina or even favored by her. They were just people she met in life who she believed deserved better or people she knew of that deserved better. The Old World had screwed them all, but the new place should give them the respect and care the Old World lacked.

"I'll take care of that," Regina said. She might need to make a list.

"The Blue Fairy has given this all her stamp of approval. She's almost like the de facto head-honcho," D'Artagnan replied.

Regina shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I have a meeting with her tomorrow. She'll get to see how Neverland changed me."

D'Artagnan's head tilted to the side. "Changed how?"

"It's changed me." Regina shook her head. It was so hard to explain. "Made my magic more powerful. I can stand against her. She's not going to condone people harming you and then pretend to be some ultimate force for good."

"You sure?"

"I am. Beyond that, we're here and people like you…" Like Tinker Bell. "They deserve peace of mind."

"And you don't?"

Regina sighed. Maybe she did not. Maybe she was marked, branded to be without love, affection, family. She would accept it for herself, two dead parents and a wayward son made sure of that, but she could not let that be the fate of others now. No, not after facing the sacrifice Tink made for her and seeing the havoc of Peter Pan's selfishness. There was still an ember of a young Regina in her and she would let that grow to fight her enemies. I will become Regina, even if they still think of me as the Evil Queen.

"So, tell me more about the changes around town," Regina said, D'Artagnan's face darkened as she went into detail.

-8-8-8-8-

The party wound down, which was good. Henry was practically asleep in his seat. Neal was still in his company, sitting across from him in a booth, talking his ear off. Emma slid in next to Henry.

"You ready to go?" Emma asked, tapping Henry's knee.

Henry yawned, having the good manners to cover his mouth. "Can Dad come, too?"

Emma could not control her face, scowling at the term of endearment. She glared at Neal, who gave her that stupid smile he thought was cute. She used to think it was cute. Now, it made her want to punch him in his stupid face.

"And where's he going to fit? One more person at the loft and we'll be spilling out the door," Emma replied. She did not want to bad mouth Neal to Henry. Henry needed to find out on his own that his father was scum. Just like she found out on her own that her parents did not care for her. And yet you're going home with them, like an idiot. Maybe I should talk to him. Try to soften the inevitable blow.

Henry yawned again. "We can figure it out."

Emma rubbed his back. "Maybe tomorrow. Right now, you need to go to bed. It's been a long, exciting few days."

"I can walk you out," Neal said, hope glittering in his eyes.

"That's not necessary. We'll see you later." Not that I want to.

Emma stood up and helped Henry to his feet. He leaned into her and she rubbed his shoulder as she wrapped her arm around him to keep him steady. They barely took a few steps before Hook was in her face. I don't have time or really the patience for this. This would definitely teach her to stop impulsively kissing strange men in times of stress.

"Does the lady need an escort?" Hook asked with one of his sleazy smiles.

"The lady needs you to move or be moved." She looked him dead in the eyes for him to see how serious she was.

He chuckled. "Feisty tonight, Swan."

Emma frowned. "Somewhere along the line, you got the wrong idea about me. I don't know why or how, but you should know I'm not the darling little princess you want me to be. Now, move or be moved."

The smirk remained and he had the nerve to run his fingers through her hair. Emma decided to show what he forgot about her. She put her knee in his crotch and he howled in pain as his body buckled. She stepped by him.

"Henry, violence is only the answer sometimes," Emma said. Well, most of the time.

"Don't you like him?" Henry asked.

"Like is a strong word and very inaccurate in this case." She had a type and Hook fit the bill, but she also recognized her type was toxic as hell. She would stay away from Hook and Neal alike. Next, I have to figure out how to break this hold my parents have on me since I know they don't want me the way I need to be wanted.

"Emma, is everything all right?" Mary Margaret asked as Emma's parents fell to her side. She held in a groan, not wanting to deal with them any more than she wanted to deal with Neal and Hook.

"Yeah, it's all good. I just want to get Henry home. It's a school night and all." That was true. She was not sure if she should send Henry to school. She would text Regina to figure it out. We should make a plan.

"Oh, you're right. We should go," Mary Margaret replied with a quick nod to David.

"You both can stay. Enjoy the party." It was not like Emma was not accustomed to them leaving her to her own devices.

"No, we should get Henry home," David replied with the familiar self-righteous smirk that irked her to this day.

Ah, so it was Henry they were actually concerned with. That made sense. Instead of being jealous, Emma was fine with that. Kids needed as much support as possible, especially ones that almost died at the hands of their god-like great-grandfather.

They piled into Emma's car. Her father sat next to her while Mary Margaret sat in the back with Henry. Henry leaned against Mary Margaret, who wrapped an arm around him and held him close. She might never really love me, but at least she loves the kid. The ride back to the loft was quiet and quick.

Emma pointed Henry in the direction of the shower as soon as they stepped inside and hoped he had clean clothes there. When he did not complain, she breathed a sigh of relief. She dropped onto the couch and her parents followed. She held in a groan. She did not have time for more of their benign neglect. Why not? You walked off with them, so obviously you're a glutton for punishment. But, then again, what was she supposed to do? She still lived at the loft, regardless of how they felt about her or what she realized about them.

"So, everything okay between you and Hook?" David asked.

Emma curled her lip. They did not have enough time in the day for her to go through that one. She just wanted to forget Hook existed.

"I'm not feeling Hook anymore," Emma replied with the hope that would be the end of it.

"Really? Why? He's so in love with you," David said, like he had something invested in the non-relationship.

Emma snorted. "He's playing it up like he's in love with me, but he's infatuated with some idea of me, which I'm not playing with." I'm tired of playing. Can't I just be me and it be worth it? It had been worth it to one person as they went through the worst time of their lives. Well, one of many of the worst times of their lives if their reminiscing meant anything.

"Didn't you kiss him in Neverland?" Mary Margaret asked.

Emma rolled her eyes. "So? I've kissed a lot of guys that I shouldn't have." And Hook was like all of them, a bad idea. She was not interested in making that mistake in life again. Neal reminded her of that. She had to do things differently. So, why does this feel the same? Chasing something that's always going to be out of reach? Her stomach crunched in itself. It should not be a pipe dream to have a real relationship with her parents, who liked to claim they gave her up for a noble reason, yet here they were.

"Are you sure? I was thinking it could be True Love," David said.

Emma scoffed. "I'm not that brain-damaged to fall for him and I damn sure ain't sixteen anymore." She might make the same mistake a bunch of times, but she would not make it as hard as what her parents thought.

Mary Margaret actually smiled. "So, you'd be more likely to date Neal?"

Emma laughed. "Fuck, no. I just said I'm not sixteen anymore. I can't stand his little grubby ass. I'll put up with him for Henry, but that's it. Why the hell would you even think I'd go back to him?"

"Because he's your True Love?" Mary Margaret stated as if the prospect was obvious.

Emma could not keep the sneer off of her face. "No, he is not and don't tell anyone that. I'm putting up with him for Henry, even though I don't even want to do that." Emma's face scrunched up. "Wait, do you guys want me to go out with them?"

"Well, Hook does love you," David replied with a firm nod.

Mary Margaret frowned at David. "She has a son with Neal. They're a family already."

"Are you two out of your minds?" Emma asked, her voice rising slightly and she meant that question. Why would they want her to date either of those nimrods? Of course, you were about to date Hook, so what do you know?

"Is it out of your mind to want the best for your child?" Mary Margaret countered.

Emma fought down the urge to throw up. "And you think Neal is the best?" What the actual hell is wrong with these people?

"You have a beautiful son together," Mary Margaret replied.

"My son. The son I share with Regina? That son?" The son Regina had slain a demon-god for and watched said son reject her. Emma could not imagine how that felt, but she wanted to keep Henry safe until he could sit down and have a proper conversation with his mother rather than screw his head up more by worrying over two idiots who wanted in on her life. Why the hell did I leave with them?

"Oh, Emma. He clearly wants to stay with you, with us." David motioned to them all. "As real family."

"And that's okay because…?" They did not consider Regina Henry's real mother, but Emma was not sure if that was because it was Regina or because they looked down on adoption altogether. Both were a bit troubling, but the latter was more important to her than the former. If they looked down on adoption altogether, then they never intended for her to have a family growing up. They never intended for her to feel love and security as a child. And, they damn sure did not provide it now.

"You're better for Henry. It's best for Henry to have his family," Mary Margaret said.

Emma leaned forward in her seat and stared at them. "I'm not sure you two understand that just having any random dude in Henry's life is not the best."

"Emma." Mary Margaret wagged her finger. "Neal is not some random dude. He's Henry's father."

"He's a sperm donor at best. You really think he gives a flying fuck about Henry?" Emma could not believe they were actually rooting for Neal and Hook.

"He's Henry's father," David replied, like that was supposed to mean something. He was ready to stay on Neverland without a thought in her direction.

Emma did not understand these people and she might never understand them. She was not sure if they truly cared about her or not. She was not sure if Hook truly cared about her or not. She was sure that Neal was a pain in the ass and had betrayed her in every way possible. Was this family? Didn't you betray Regina, pretending this would somehow be better?

"Look, I just want to focus on Henry and being a sheriff or whatever… and making this town better," Emma replied. She also wanted to focus on Regina, who did so much and got her house burned down for… well, doing too much. She had to let go of this idea that somehow she might have a relationship with her parents. They were just too different.

"We want you to have your Happy Ending," Mary Margaret said.

Emma shook her head. "By throwing me at the first two idiots who wander by. One who tried to kill me and one who let me take the wrap for him on a jewel heist and give birth in prison. Such awesome choices."

"You never know where or who your Happy Ending could be," David said.

Emma blew out a breath. "Our definitions of Happy Endings obviously differ and I think I'm going to go talk to my own kid." She pointed to Henry, who came out of the bathroom in his pajamas and went to her room. She groaned. They did not have the space for this.

Emma got up before her parents could say another weird thing. She rushed to her room where Henry was sitting on the bed. She sighed and sat down next to him. Her stomach flipped a little as she sat down with him.

"How you doing, kid?" Emma asked.

Henry smiled at her, but his face was a little tense. "I'm glad to be home."

Emma winced. Of all the things to say. "Do you mean home as in the loft or home as in Storybrooke?"

He shrugged. "Both, I guess."

Emma nodded. "Well, it is nice to be back in Storybrooke." Even if Ruby implied things might be weird. This was home, despite everything. The loft being home was another matter. She tried. It was not a good fit, like every other home she ever had.

"It is."

Emma took a deep breath. How do you tell a kid his house burned to the ground? Do you do it before bed? That did not seem like a good plan. Right, so I'll hold off on that.

"So, what's the next step, kid? Gonna go back to school tomorrow?" Emma asked.

He threw his shoulders back, as if somehow the idea of school powered him on. "Yeah, I think I am. You gonna go to work?"

"Yeah." She needed some place to get her thoughts together without people breathing down her neck. She could only hope David would not go in. "Anything you wanna talk about?" Maybe how you treated your mom.

Henry shrugged. "Dad's kinda cool."

Emma's stomach twisted. She would never use those words to describe him and she really did not want to hear anyone else describe that asshole as anything beyond an asshole. But, she should not impose her feelings on Henry.

"Anything else you want to talk about?" Emma asked. So much had gone down and they had not had a chance to talk any of it out. How his mother almost destroyed the town, then almost killed herself to save the town until Emma stepped up, and then how he ended up kidnapped and almost died. She and Regina had talked about it a lot in their search for Henry, but he did not get a chance to process or debrief. He had to need it.

"No. I'm just kinda ready to go to sleep."

Emma nodded. "Right. Right. Good. Good night."

Henry made himself comfortable, lying down in her bed. Guess it's the couch for me. Emma stood up and made her way to the door. Just as her hand touched the doorknob, Henry made a noise. She turned to him.

"Yeah?" Emma asked.

"Will you… stay?" His voice was small, scared.

Emma smiled. "Of course, kid. Let me get an extra blanket and I'll sleep right here on the floor. I'm not going anywhere."

He smiled back. Emma made camp on the floor. She would definitely need to talk to Regina tomorrow, but for now, she was glad her presence gave Henry enough security to go to sleep.

-8-8-8-8-

Next time: Regina and Emma have a face-to-face.