I had a thought. What if Mary Margaret adopted a child instead of Regina? And then this idea was born. Please send feedback, and I hope you enjoy! Don't worry, this is SnowQueen Endgame, and if there's any confusion, this isn't Henry, only renamed. This is a different child. I just thought it would make more sense. Stay safe, love you all!

Regina

Against all odds, Mary Margaret is happy. I miss seeing her miserable expression everywhere I looked, but instead of the permanent gaping hole in her eyes, someone filled that gap with joy.

His name was Leo. A living, breathing reminder of my past, the man that I hoped would burn in hell, along with his namesake and everything he lived for. An ancestor of the horrid man that never failed to make me feel hurt and disgusted as soon as I walked into a room. And now he lives on in her babbling, drooling child.

Even if Leo represented the worst man I've ever had the displeasure of knowing, he was adorable. Mary Margaret had talked to me many times about the adoption process, how much money it cost her, and how long she had to wait, and all I could think was, It sure costs a lot for happiness, now doesn't it? I learned that the hard way, so I took pride in thinking she had to work this hard for a child. A child that she would never have had to pay for, in the Enchanted Forest.

But I knew I had lost when my eyes swept over the newly-lit love filling her eyes, shining from across the street as she grinned down at the sleeping boy in his stroller. What kind of humour did the universe have? Was this some horrible nightmare concocted by my mind to make me pity herself more? I found myself terribly disappointed when I pinched my forearm and felt nothing but my sharp fingernails digging into my skin.

I could've adopted a child if I wanted, but she already did. I couldn't go about adopting a baby without her knowing that she was the one who showed me that being alone is an option. I wouldn't hear the end of it, constant chattering of when I was getting my child, names I had in mind, and I couldn't stand that insufferable woman any more than I can now.

Instead, I settled with passing them both on the street and stopping to say hello to the little guy. He would always babble on happily and laugh when I swept a thumb over his cheek, or scrunched my nose at him like a bunny, smiling gently. Then I would get off my knees in front of the stroller and mutter an ice-cold "Miss Blanchard," before passing her to get my coffee.

Somehow, Leo looked like a replica of Mary Margaret. He had deep emerald eyes that anyone could spend hours getting lost in, small wisps of jet-black hair, and milky white skin.

He was always the best part of my day. Even if it was one of my good days, or my bad, he would giggle and smile at me like my darkness or my loneliness didn't matter to him. It was a breath of fresh air from the other citizens burdening Storybrooke with their presences.

I nearly ran into Miss Blanchard and Leo on my way to work.

"Madame Mayor, just the person I was looking for," Mary Margaret greeted.

"Miss Blanchard," I offered coolly. "Leo," I cooed, much kinder to him than his mother. I crouched in front of his stroller and gently tickled him.

"Ruby asked me to go out with her for a ladies' night at The Rabbit Hole, and I really need a sitter for Leo. You're the only one he's been good with."

"Not even Granny," I asked skeptically.

"Nope. He really likes you." I tapped my chin like I was thinking about it, but my mind was made up when Leo giggled in front of me.

"Fine. What time should I arrive?"

"Ruby said she's picking me up at six." I grinned at Leo and stood up. "Thank you so much."

"I hope that in the future, you don't abandon your son for a cosmopolitan and the latest gossip with your friends." She froze and stuttered for a minute, but I didn't hear a response from her as I left.

"Just a moment," her shrill voice called to me. I rolled my eyes and tapped my foot impatiently. Mary Margaret pulled open the door, bouncing Leo on her hip and nearly dropped her purse.

"I can't thank you enough. He has a bottle in the fridge, but I just fed him so he should be fine. He has diapers in the changing table upstairs, and he only falls asleep when you bounce him for a bit before bed. I'll be back soon. Be good Leo," she cooed. She pressed a kiss to Leo's cheek and handed him over to me. He looked confused for a moment, but instantly clung to the collar of my pantsuit and smiled up at me in a toothless grin.

I sat down on her horrible green couch and watched him. His hands reached out and grabbed at the open air.

I held onto his tiny hand with my fingers and watched his face light up. He brought my fingers to his mouth and licked them.

"Hey now, mister Leo. This is only our first date. I don't let kind young gentlemen like you lick my fingers on the first date." He ran his tongue over my fingers before dropping them and replacing them with his own tiny hands. I laughed, but stopped myself. He is the first person to make me laugh without having to threaten anyone in years. I laughed again. He would be the only person to hear me laugh like this.

"I'm thinking it's almost bedtime, huh little man?" I hugged him to my chest and brought him upstairs, to his changing table. I set his suddenly squirming body on the table and held a hand over his belly, while looking in the cupboards for his diapers.

"Ha," I exclaimed, before his giggles filled the room once more. I put the diaper beside his head and pulled off his clothes. I changed his diaper and bounced him on my hip like Mary Margaret said. He smiled at me once more before I placed him in his crib and pulled his blanket over his legs.

"Goodnight, little prince." I tickled his belly before clicking off the lights and I headed back downstairs. I pulled out a book from my purse and laid the length of my body over her couch.

I was nearly asleep when her keys jingled in their lock. I sat up quickly and watched her stride into her apartment, slightly drunk.

"He's asleep?" I nodded. "How was he, not much trouble I hope?"

"He was an angel."

"Thank you so much. I don't have any cash on me, but can I take you out to dinner as thanks?" I thought for a moment, but I didn't have to for very long.

"No thanks."

"But-"

"Goodnight Miss Blanchard." She watched silently as I swung my purse onto my shoulder and left. Any more time spent with that intolerable schoolteacher and I just may vomit. I walked to my car and slammed the door shut angrily. Like always, she gets everything she wants, while I'm left with nothing.

I could admit that I was jealous. I always bragged to myself that this realm's version of the Evil Queen was much more jealous than me. At least I had ulterior motives to poisoning her, other than her being prettier than me, but at this point in time, I was jealous that she had a baby, when angels as pure as her only deserved death.

The next time I saw her, I didn't run into her in the streets. She was in a booth in the diner eating a cheeseburger, while trying to feed Leo at the same time.

"Well, it's good to see that just because you aren't breastfeeding, you're staying healthy anyway," I remarked. I almost saw a bit of a smile play at her lips, but she turned down to give Leo his bottle. "I can feed Leo." She shot me a kind smile before picking him and hefting him into my arms.

"Hey Leo, you've been getting heavier since I saw you," I said to him softly. I felt her eyes scan over my face as she found none of the malice I've thrown at her for uncountable years. She grinned before biting into her greasy lunch. Granny never fails at bringing diabetes to Storybrooke. I sat down beside her in the booth and held him in my arms like a dish of my lasagna in my favourite glass dish, draping an arm around his waist protectively, before lowering the bottle to his waiting lips

"Can you please let me take you out to dinner?"

"Why? Looking for a hot date?" I smiled at Leo as I heard her get flustered and stumble over her words. Leo laughed in my lap.

"No…um, you did something and…I should pay you back." I looked up at her face to see her eyes boring into mine. She is the exact same teenager that would do anything for my eyes to linger on her a second longer. I grinned slyly.

"I said it's fine. I should be paying you for being able to spend my night with this little bugger." I kissed the tip of his little round nose gently and he completely lost it in a fit of laughter that I couldn't help but take part in. Mary Margaret didn't take long to laugh along with him.

"Please let me, I feel like I scammed you." I sighed.

"Fine. But I expect you to bring Leo," I said. She was about to interrupt, but I stopped her with my hand. "This is the only way you can make me go." She smiled at me with clear adoration in her jade eyes.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow at seven."

"No, you won't. I'm not getting in that horrible chunk of metal you call a car."

"Leo's car seat is in there. I had enough trouble getting it into the car, I'm not taking it out." I huffed.

"Fine. I will let you pick me up." Mary Margaret wiped her hands on a napkin and reached out for Leo. I handed him over and got up from my seat.

"It's a date," I said, strutting out of the diner without the coffee I wanted. It was worth it to see Mary Margaret blushing lavishly from the confines of my car, before pulling out of the parking lot and driving to the town hall. Just because she deserves a painful death doesn't mean I can't go and visit the things she does have. I let the feeling of Leo's tiny fingers on mine linger, while grinning. He already has my black heart in the palm of his hands.