Things were even more tense now and Regina grew more and more desperate to see Henry. Showing up at school, only to be shooed out. Trying to approach him after his sessions with Dr. Hopper, only to have him whisked away by Emma. Showing up at Emma's door, only to have it slammed in her face. All of these efforts only made Regina more angry at Emma for keeping her own son from her, again. The avoidance extended professionally as well Emma just ignoring asking Regina for anything. Emma wanted nothing more than to pretend Regina didn't exist and the whole town seemed on board.
Regina felt even more alone than ever. Citizens no longer paid any attention to her. She was snubbed at Granny's. Cut off in traffic. She felt like she was going insane. People crossed the street to avoid her. No one would even talk to her. It was like she was the Evil Queen all over again, but this time no one even feared her to the point of respect.
She sees Dr. Hopper up ahead. He tries to scurry down an alley as she calls after him. She catches up and confronts him. He squirms and then confesses to her that he doesn't think the plan of ignoring the mayor was really the best course of action and then rambles on about what that kind of isolation can do to a person ending his tangent with the question: "Madam Mayor, would you like to talk?"
"To Henry," is all she replies, full of vulnerability.
And eventually Regina was able to do just that. She finally caught up with Henry one day as he was walking home from school.
"Henry! Henry!" she called out. He kept walking with increasing determination, not unmatched by Regina who practically ran after him, her heels clacking on the sidewalk. "Henry! Henry can we talk? Please! Henry, I'm your mother!" she begs on the verge of tears.
"A mother wouldn't act like this!" He blasts into her face the intensity causing her to take a step back. "You just want to lock me up in a tower and keep me all to yourself, so dependent that I can't see - don't notice all the bad things you do!"
"That's not true," she defends.
"You lied to me! You made me think I was crazy!" He retorts, to which Regina has no response. He continues less mad and more hurt, "You tried to hurt Emma to keep her away." Henry stares wide eyed at his mother, giving her the chance to explain, to make him understand her choices.
Regina suddenly feels very small, smaller than the small boy before her. She has no response, no excuse for her actions. She was simply scared. Scared of Henry reacting just as he is now. Scared of Henry hating her and leaving her alone just like everyone has. She wanted a child so bad, someone to love her unconditionally, but it turns out even she can break that unconditional bond in her efforts to protect it. She corrupts love, in her efforts to preserve it she perverses it.
"Henry- I - I'm sorry," she chokes out, feeling defeated and worthless of his redemption.
He turns and walks away unable to deal with all the emotions swimming inside him, leaving Regina standing stunned to the spot, tears trailing her face as she watches him leave, her body unwilling to follow a boy who doesn't want to be followed any longer.
"You know your little stunt at the diner didn't fool everyone," Gold says over the counter in his Pawn Shop, not even bothering to look up from the piece he is cleaning at the guest who just entered. "The Regina I know doesn't fire warning shots. You. carry a torch for Miss Emma Swan, The Savior."
Regina shifts her weight uncomfortably from foot to foot.
"If you didn't -well- you have blown her off the map by now and I'd have no idea who we're talking about. Yes Dearie, I've known of your proclivities for quite some time now. My charms had no affect on you."
"I didn't come here to talk about this," Regina quips plainly, seeming unfazed by Gold's brashness and accurate assessment.
"Fair enough. And what can I do for you today, Madam Mayor?" he asks with a grin.
"I want Henry back," she pleads.
"Ya see, I already told ya how to just that. How bout you try it and come back later," he says magically pushing her out the door.
"Gold, let me in!" she bangs on the door.
He approaches the now locked door with a smile as he turns the open sign to closed.
Regina storms off.
Emma's boots click across the marble floor as she strides into the mayor's office file folder in hand. Unable to professionally avoid the dark haired woman any longer.
Slamming the folder down on the desk in front of Regina attempting to startle or anger her, Emma's not sure her intentions, but Regina doesn't even blink or look up from the document that she is reading. "The papers you asked for. Here you go, Madam Mayor," Emma spits words like venom.
"Thank you, Emma," Regina replies seemingly absent minded without taking a beat to look up from what she is reading so intently.
"Yeah, okay Regina," Emma sneers turning on her heel. From a few steps away she half turns back, "What's your game?" Emma questions obvious confusion shows on her face.
"Game? no Game, dear," Regina replies innocently hints of darkness lingering under the tone of her words. "Now if you kindly would leave me to my work. I have work to do as I'm sure you do as well, Sheriff Swan." Regina finally looking up from her paper to raise an eyebrow, emphasizing the other woman's title.
Emma storms off.
When Emma arrives home that evening it is with a slam of the door and huff followed by a concerned look from Mary Margaret. "Aww honey," she comforts pulling Emma in for a hug. "Bad day?" she questions gingerly guiding Emma over to sofa.
"She's insufferable!" Emma declaims her body stiffening at the thought.
"Who, dear?" Mary Margaret asks, petting the back of an increasingly irritated Emma.
"You know damn well who," Emma replies darker than meaning to.
Mary Margaret sighs, "Well what did she do this time? Henry seems to have accepted it now."
"She called me Emma!" she shrieks. "Who does that?"
"Well, most people sweetie," Mary Margaret comforts gingerly.
"Yeah, well not her. It's always Miss Swan this, Sheriff Swan that!" Emma's mocks in her best Regina impression. "I'm the mother of her kid for God sake!" Emma sinks into her mother in a huff ending her tirade. Mary Margaret strokes her hair lightly.
They stay like that silent for a few moments.
"I will figure out what she's up to," Emma grumbles.
"Why does it bother you so much that she called you Emma? Would you be this mad if ANYONE else called you by your name?" Mary Margaret prods trying to help Emma uncover her own motives, a hint of irritation present in her words.
Emma's brow furrows and she concentrates hard testing different theories in her mind. "I guess, it just does," she comes to the conclusion finally. "I don't know," she adds rushed.
"I see," Mary Margaret replies remaining calm in the face of Emma's stubbornness and avoidance of true introspection. "What was going when she said your name?" Mary Margaret asks earnestly trying to help Emma figure it out.
"Nothing, I was just handing her papers," Emma huffs frustrated at the enigma that is Regina.
"Maybe she's just trying to turn over a new leaf?" Mary Margaret suggests helpfully.
"Yeah, I don't know," Emma replies skeptically.
"Well she is a very guarded person," Snow's words drift off. "Maybe she is just trying to better the relationship between you two, so Henry isn't caught in the middle?" Emma continues to look skeptical of Mary Margaret's optimism in the face of Regina.
"I don't know whenever does something that seems nice or appreciative it just feels like she's mocking me or it's all a facade, a game used to exploit my generous nature." Emma explains to a rapturous listener of plight one day as she stabs her eggs with a fork at Granny's.
Mary Margaret's and Emma's conversations now focused on Regina often. Emma desperately wanted to figure the covert brunette out. Emma claimed it was to make sure Henry was safe, and that was all.
"I mean she has feelings for Henry. That's clear. I don't know about love per-say, but some kind of possessive obsession," Emma says aggressively taking a bite from her toast.
"I don't know. I think she probably does love Henry," Mary Margaret muses. "She just has a hard time knowing what to do with her feelings. She hasn't had much practice. You didn't know how bad her mother was..." Snow's words trail off as she feels internal regret at what had happened to Regina's love because of her.
"So now you're trying to make me feel bad for the Evil Queen?" Emma postulates poling her fork in her mother's direction.
"No, I don't think so," Mary Margaret considers the possibility, "just trying to help you understand that maybe she's coping the best she can with what's been thrust upon her."
"She wanted to kill you." Emma counters.
"That may be so, but I *did* cause Regina to experience a lot of true pain, even if not meaning to," Mary Margaret gazes off. "Another reason why she's not good with emotions and hides behind power," she adds placing her silverware back upon her now empty plate neatly.
Emma just smiles at how kind a person her mother is. Emma doesn't think she could ever be so forgiving and understanding, but she will try. For Henry.
"Miss Swan, to what do I owe the displeasure?" Regina greets with a fake cheerful tone.
Emma pauses and debates heading straight back out the door, but decides to continue anyway. "I'm- I'm gunna be the bigger person here and well- I'm sorry about what I said before." Emma instinctively fumbles her hands in the pockets of her red leather jacket. "You may have been a bad person before, but- er- that doesn't mean you are now or always will be. People change. Hell, I've changed. I'm still here. And it doesn't mean you can't be a good mother. Even lions I bet are good mothers and they kill loads of stuff. That's not helping, but the point is I'm sorry. And if you want to spend time with Henry it's all fine by me, him- that's another story. You took good care of him before I got here. He's a good kid thanks to you. I know you care about him, maybe even love him in your own twisted way. Okay, well I've said my peace I'm gunna go, before you -like- turn me into a toad or something."
Emma tries leave before Regina can respond but sure enough comes the ever-present call of "Miss Swan," rings through the office and Emma stops.
"Please don't compare me to wild animals again," Regina warns, ruining whatever nice moment they may have been having. Emma just smirks to herself as she leaves. Typical Regina. "Besides, Miss Swan, you're much too riveting to spend the rest of your life as a toad," Regina comments offhandedly as Emma's half way out the door. Regina smirks down at her lap, mildly embarrassed at her own words. Leaving Emma unsure if she really heard them at all.