Snow was so happy she almost cried. Soft candles and soft music set the mood, and the booth tucked in a corner offered the appearance of seclusion. The wine was rich and the food superb. She and James had needed this. Henry was a such a sweet boy.

Snow had sobbed and sobbed when she thought that they would have to cancel the reservations to "The Rose & Ring", one of the most exclusive restaurants in Storybrook. Then James had come in and mentioned getting Henry, so that Emma would have someone to keep her company tonight. Snow had formed the plan almost instantly. Henry was thirteen going on fourteen, practically a young man.

Snow had told James to call Regina, and she would go pick him up, after all she needed more diapers for Neil. James had made the call, and while Henry was in the car, Snow had told Henry of their plight, and how his mom had needed some time to herself too. Henry eager to be helpful volunteered to watch the baby for a few hours, and Snow happily agreed.

"Now you grandfather has some old fashioned notions, so we are just going to tell him, your mom will be right back, which she should be back soon. Hey, if you want we'll leave you some money and you can order some pizza from, 'Tony's'!"

Henry had agree enthusiastically.

Snow, to her credit, had not lied. She had taken for granted that Emma would be back within an hour. If she had any idea that at nearly twelve o'clock Emma was still gone; she and James would have already been back at the house long before now. However, perfectly clueless, she was ensconced in her happiness, and so at the thin wail, that she recognized instantly as her very unhappy son, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

James looked beyond her, eyes wide with worry and anger, and eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

Snow turned.

The image would be forever burned in Snow's brain.

Emma clad in the same red dress she had left in, feet not in the classy heels, but a beat-up pair of clogs, her eyes were narrowed her lips taught as she scanned the crowd. Behind her was a sullen Henry, and beside her clad in a black trench coat, scanning the room as well was a very livid evil queen holding their son's car sear.

Regina spied the couple first, and nodded towards Emma, both women locked their gazes on them. The air around the two women alive with their barely contained magic. As one unit; the blonde and brunette marched forward, to meet the reigning monarchs.

They were enraged.

They wanted answers.

The time had come to chew gum or kickass, and, unfortunately for the Charmings, both women were all out of gum.

James prided himself on being a level headed man. While he was fair and compassionate, he was also the less emotional of he and Snow. It was this level headedness that saved the evening for becoming a complete clusterfuck.

Snow was not rational by any means of the word. She was led by her emotions. She had become paranoid. She was, not only, terrified that someone would take her infant son from her, but also just afraid because she was a new mother. Everything suddenly seemed all the more threatening.

So, she did not think or reason, when she saw Regina who, in her mind, had snatched her first born away from her holding her second born. She acted. Snow grabbed her steak knife. She began to move towards the woman, intent on removing the threat to her family.

Regina could not believe the turn of events this evening had taken. She had decided to go to the "Snuggly Duckling" for a demonstration that she had been interested in watching, only to have Emma Swan collapse in her arms, have an emotional breakdown with the woman, go rescue the woman's brother and her mortal enemies child from their inept son, and now Snow White, her step-daughter, Mrs. Sweetness and Sunshine incarnate, was stalking towards her with a steak knife of all things. This was, she could safely say, the strangest night of her life.

Still Regina had never been one to back down from a challenge, especially from upstart brat before her. She thrust the car seat back towards Emma, who miraculously caught it, and picked up speed, flames licking along her fingertips. This insipid twit was about to learn her lesson once and for all.

Emma hadn't even really wanted to go out tonight. Ruby had made her. This was all Ruby's fault, and when Emma saw Ruby again she was going to beat the hell out of the she-wolf. Emma saw the flames along Regina's finger tips and quickly deposited the wee baby Neal on the nearest table, and ran to catch up with Regina, stumbling over the clogs, for such a little woman, Regina had big feet.

Thanks to his long legs and Snow's short ones, James reached his wife first. He caught her by the waist. He didn't think Regina was here to hurt them, nor did he think that she was going to take the baby. He however guessed in Snow's mind that could always be a possibility. However he highly doubted Emma would go along with the kidnapping of her little brother. Regina might have put both Emma and Henry under a spell, but Henry didn't look enchanted, he looked sulky, and Emma's livid look was now mingled with alarm and worry.

'Snow hey, hey, calm down!" He whispered urgently in her ear.

" .go." Snow said staring the advancing Regina down.

Emma caught up to Regina, by kicking the clogs off, and running after her.

"Hey Regina stop, ok, look Dad's got her," Emma said trying to get up enough speed to actually get in front of her.

Regina grunted.

Snow continued to struggle against James. This was going to end, right now. She was sick of Regina threatening her family. While she was most at home with a bow and arrow she was no slouch at throwing daggers. She drew the steak knife back at the same time Regina drew an arm back to launch a fire ball that would singe both Emma's parents.

"STOP IT" Three voices bellowed at once.

The sound of the three voices combined and the sheer panic in all of them, did just what it was meant to do. The women stopped.

There was a foot between them.

Snow White collapsed against James bursting into hysterical tears.

Emma placed a hand on Regina's shoulder, helping to ground the former queen the same way she had helped Emma.

"Come on," She murmured to Regina,"Let's go check on the kid and the baby."

Regina felt stricken. Henry. Surely all the good work that she had done these past few years would now be undone. She felt lost and bleak, hopeless. She had let her rage destroy what she had loved most, as usual.

Henry had been sulking since his parents had picked him up and gave him a sound verbal lashing complete with punishment. However, seeing his grandmother with the steak knife stalking towards his mom, had shaken him. He ran over to Regina.

"Are you ok?" he asked his eyes wide.

Regina was taken aback. He didn't seem to be frightened by her, more frightened for her, nor was he looking at her with mistrustful eyes or accusing her of anything, instead, he hugged her tightly.

"Henry," She said her voice both cautious and comforting,"I'm fine."

"I thought...I'm sorry this was all my fault," He said his voice shaking.

"No no it's not your fault at all," Regina said. She was tempted to lay the blame completely at Snow's feet and she certainly wasn't going to let the woman get away from her part in this fiasco, but she also knew that she had helped,"You're grandmother and I have...problems."

She heard Emma snort behind her, and glared at the blonde.

"What I'm sorry that was the understatement of the year," Emma said.

"As I was saying," Regina said gritting her teeth.

"Henry you did nothing wrong, we are adults, and as such we are called to act like adults not little children. However, we aren't perfect so sometimes.."She trailed off and gestured to the situation.

She noticed with amusement that the place was empty save for a small man huddled in the corner nearest the kitchen. Apparently, people had decided it was in their best interest to leave when the cutlery and fireballs came out. No doubt not the type of table-side flambe' they had expected.

James walked up to Regina and Emma, he looked irritated, but Regina could tell there was no threat to him.

"What the hell is going on?" He said his voice holding the self-righteous tone that never failed to set Regina's teeth on edge.

She was about to speak when Emma cut in, stepping between her father and Regina.

"What the hell going on is you two left our son in the care of an infant for nearly four damn hours! At night! THEN your wife tried to kill Regina with a damn steak knife," Emma said trying not to smile at that last part. It was just so absurd.

James tried to keep a straight face as well. However looking into Emma's mirth filled eyes proved to be his undoing, and soon both father and daughter were snorting with laughter.

"It's not funny!" Came the twin voices of outrage behind both parties.

Emma and James turned looking sheepishly at Snow and Regina.

"Alright," James said,"Let's all go back to the house, and talk this out."

The adults all nodded and the group made there way out of the restaurant, pretty sure they were never going to be allowed in it's doors again.

They all met up at the apartment. Emma told Henry to go to bed once they got there, and he reluctantly did, murmuring about missing all the good stuff. Snow settled Neil, and then the four adults sat around the table.

"Alright," James said electing himself the leader of this meeting,"What's going on?"

He looked over at Emma and Regina.

Emma told her dad what had happened between her and Snow, about the conversation she and Regina had, and about how they had found Henry by himself. To give the kid credit he was doing just fine, but that was not the point. It was neither Snow or Charmings place to choose when Henry was old enough to stay by himself especially with an infant.

James listened to what Emma said his jaw began to knot and his mouth grew thinner. Emma worried that James was angry with her. It made her uncomfortable. When she had finished, James sat stone faced eyes cold. Emma longed to press up against Regina for comfort, to bury her nose aghast the woman's shoulder and not come out again.

"Well, Emma," He said looked down at his crossed arms,"That is a very different take on things, than what I have heard. Don't you think, Snow, darling."

He turned and looked at his wife, hurt and betrayal shown on his face. His wife had lied to him, putting their son in danger, and possibly jeopardizing their chances at seeing their grandson.

Snow sat with her head bowed her fingers twisting nervously.

"I am sorry," She said,"I just-we had planned this night out for so long, and well, I just, well Emma was going out, and I didn't think she would be out that long, so I figured it wouldn't hurt. I mean Henry's our grandson, and very responsible, and he knows the house. He even had money for pizza!"

Regina turned at looked at Snow. She tried to see past all her prejudices and to the woman, whom she had become amicable with.

"Snow," Regina said drawing a breath,"I understand your intent, but I do not excuse your actions. You gave Henry money for pizza, so you are right, he didn't have to cook, but he did have to answer the door, alone in this house by himself. We live in a small town yes, but we also have a very real and very unique set of dangers here. You put our children in danger and that's the bottom line."

Snow began to cry quietly. Never had Regina's voice hurt so badly, this was not the sarcastic ranting evil queen. This woman was calm, reasonable, and completely right.

"Oh my god I am a bad mother," She said holding her hand to her mouth.

James put his arm around her.

"Save it Snow!" Regina snapped, earning a shocked look from Emma and shit look from James.

"I have had to put up with that nonsense since you first came into my life, and it is probably your worst attribute. You are not a horrible mother, you are not a monster, you are not a...well you are a murderer, but regardless, you know as well as all of us that there is more than black and white, By painting yourself as one extreme you overlook all the smaller more irritating flaws you have. If you are truly a horrible mother, something within you is so broke you cannot and should not care for your child, then nothing can save you. However something, like being a selfish child you can fix. Instead, you bite your knuckles and say how you are horrible and people rush to assure you that you aren't, and you agree because the only time you have ever said how horrible you are is when you are in trouble in some way, and it gets old."

Emma, Snow, and David all three looked at Regina mouths agape and eyes as round as saucers.

Regina let out a long satisfied sigh,"I have wanted to say that for ages!"