A/N: Happy Sunday peeps!

The nerves were back. But they were different this time. When she was meeting Regina, it was a nervous excitement. She hadn't been sure what to expect from their RJP session but a part of her couldn't wait to see the brunette again. The nerves for this meeting, however, were far more ominous.

"Are you ok?"

Jolted from her thoughts, Emma turned to her counsellor and saw a supportive smile on Ruby's face. "I don't know if I can do this," she gritted out.

"Yes, you can, Emma," Ruby reassured. "It's going to be ok. All you need to do is listen, remember?"

"Yeah, I know. And I know the family deserves this. But, to be honest, I'm not sure I'm ready to hear what they have to say."

"Well, I'm afraid this isn't all about you. It's important for them to have this opportunity."

Emma sighed. "I know. I get that. But I just feel like I'm taking the rap for something Lily did. Why isn't she meeting with them? Why do I have to speak to them?"

"Because you're the bigger person. Lily has declined to take part in the RJP. You're the one who is mature enough to take responsibility. Yes, you didn't pull the trigger but you were there that day. This meeting can offer the family the chance to begin to heal, or at least move forwards. What you're doing is amazing, Emma. And yes it's going to be hard to hear but I'm very proud of you for doing this."

Emma said nothing. She just drew her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed on it, eyes fixed on the door of the meeting room, waiting for it to open. Which it did, just a couple of minutes later.

"Hi Emma," August said as he entered the room. "How are you?"

"I'm ok," Emma replied, not looking at the case coordinator and instead focused on the three people behind him. An elderly couple and a woman who looked like she was in her early thirties followed August into the meeting room. She recognised them. They had been in court the week before, sat in the row behind the prosecutor, listening to her testimony against the woman accused of murder.

"Welcome," Ruby said, getting to her feet and prompting Emma to do the same. "I'm Ruby, Emma's counsellor."

"Patrick and Rita Dawson," the elderly man introduced, holding out his hand towards Ruby. "And this is our daughter, Lisa Wright."

"Lovely to meet you all," Ruby said. "This is Emma Swan."

"Hi," Emma muttered quietly, ducking her head as she felt three pairs of eyes burning into her face.

"Take a seat," August said, gesturing to the far side of the table.

The family did so, positioning themselves opposite Ruby and Emma who also sat back down. August glanced at Ruby who gave a reassuring nod to him, indicating that he could take the lead and start the session.

"Ok, well, let's jump right in. Emma, Patrick and Rita are the parents of Mark Wright, and Lisa is his widow. As you know, this is a session designed to allow everyone involved to discuss the events of that day. We'll start with Mark's family first and they will have some questions which we'd like you to try and answer. However, everyone in this room is aware that you were not responsible for the act which led to Mark's death and that you also weren't present in that moment. No one is blaming you, but this is an opportunity for his family to speak with someone who was involved in the events of that day."

"I understand," Emma nodded.

"Great. Patrick, would you like to start?"

August turned to the elderly man and offered a brief smile. Patrick's pale blue eyes had been unwaveringly on Emma since they entered the room but now they dropped to his lap. His wife's hand was clasped in his own; he could feel her trembling.

"Mark was our only child," he began, looking back up at Emma whose face was white. "He went to the bank that day to deposit a cheque which my brother had given him for his thirty-fifth birthday. It was just a normal day. He wasn't doing anything wrong. He wasn't doing anything to hurt anyone or provoke anyone. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And now he's gone. We've lost our son," a tear slid down his cheek, "and Lisa has lost the love of her life."

Emma's fingernails dug into her palm, trying to force herself to keep focused and not cry. This wasn't about her sadness or regret or guilt. This was about the bereaved family of a man who became an innocent victim of the biggest mistake of her life.

"Mark was the kindest, sweetest, gentlest man," the mother continued, her voice shaking slightly. "He loved art and classical music and had the most amazing capacity for compassion, especially for animals. I don't think he'd even kill a mosquito. He and Lisa were about to start a family and now he'll never get to be a father. He'll never know the joy of having children and raising them and growing old with someone he loves. And Lisa, she's lost her soulmate."

"I've never loved anyone the way I love Mark," Lisa said, her voice thick with emotions. Emma's eyes snapped over to the widow who was already crying. "And I never will again. I know people say I'll get over this in time and I'll find someone new but I won't. Mark was it for me. And he was taken. Because of you."

Emma didn't reply. She didn't even try and defend herself against the accusation, despite its false nature. If the family needed someone to blame, and if that person couldn't be Lily, she would take it. If it made them, in any way, begin to come to terms with their loss, then she'd be that person. Ruby, however, had other ideas.

"Now, we all know that Emma was not directly responsible for what happened to Mark. In order for this to be a productive meeting for both sides, it's important we stick to the facts."

"She might not have shot him but she was there," Lisa spat.

Emma visibly shrank at the venom behind those words. There was no comeback; she was there. Perhaps if she had been in the room when Lily shot she could have stopped it from happening. But wondering 'what ifs' wasn't going to help anyone now.

"Emma also testified in court and helped secure the sentence which Lily was handed yesterday," August pointed out.

"What?" both Emma and Ruby said together.

"No one told you?" August asked. Both women shook their heads. "The jury came back after a few hours. She was found guilty of murder. Sentenced to twenty-five years."

"It's not enough," Lisa said. "She gets twenty-five years in prison and my husband's life is ended. My life is ended."

"I'm sorry," Emma blurted out, unable to hold back any more. "I'm so sorry for what happened that day. I didn't know Lily was going to do that. I didn't know she was that … unhinged And had I known, had I been there, I would have tried to stop her. When I saw," she swallowed, "Mark, I wanted to help him. But Neal wouldn't let any of us do anything. The last time I saw him, he was still alive. But … Sorry isn't enough, is it?"

"No," Patrick said quietly. "Sorry will never be enough. Nothing will ever be enough because nothing can bring our son back."

Emma nodded her understanding at that and said no more. Neither did anyone else. August and Ruby waited for a moment but when the conversation didn't naturally restart, August spoke, taking on his role as mediator in their meeting.

"Patrick, Rita, Lisa, is there anything you want to ask Emma?"

Another long pause and then Rita spoke, her voice quiet. "Did he say anything? Mark, when he was hurt, did he say anything to you?"

Emma shook her head. "By the time I saw him, he was unconscious. I'm sorry."

Rita nodded and seemed to accept the answer. Lisa seemed less convinced.

"Where were you?"

"Pardon?"

"When my husband was shot, where were you?"

"In another room," Emma replied. "Only Lily was in the main part of the bank. If I could go back in time, I wouldn't have left her alone. I knew she was flighty but I had no idea how unpredictable she was."

"Do you think you could have stopped her?" Patrick asked.

Emma considered the question for a moment. "I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe. I wish I could have. I regret every single day what happened in the bank. I regret walking inside at all." Except for meeting Regina, her brain unhelpfully supplied. She pushed the thought out of her mind and continued. "If I could turn back time, I would never have gone in. I might not have been responsible directly for what happened to Mark but I carry the guilt with me. Lily was my friend; I brought her into the group. It's my fault, I suppose, if you trace it back that far. And while testifying against her was hard, I know she deserves her prison time. The fact that she'll be locked up is hardly compensation for your loss. But I hope you feel some element of closure knowing she's paying for what she did."

"And what about you?" Lisa asked. "Are you paying?"

"I'm locked up in here," Emma pointed out. "And I'm doing this program. I know what I did was wrong. I know I've made mistakes and I'm working really hard to try and turn my life around."

"So you get a second chance and Mark doesn't?" Lisa's eyes were red with crying by now.

"I don't deserve it," Emma agreed. "I think everyone in this room can agree that Mark was a better person that I am. But I'm trying. I want to be better. I want to become a productive member of society. I had a crummy start to life and while that isn't an excuse, I'm committed to making a change. What happened that day was terrible and I will carry the weight of my involvement for all of my life. But I want to learn from it, learn from my mistakes and become a better version of myself."

Mark's family said nothing. Emma could feel her gut clench uncomfortably, wondering what the next question would be. But none came. There was nothing more to say, on either side. After almost thirty seconds, Ruby steered the conversation towards the end of the session. And then they were gone, disappearing back into the corridor and leaving Emma and Ruby alone. As soon as the door clicked closed, Emma let out a whoosh of breath.

"Are you ok?" Ruby asked, reaching out and patting Emma's shoulder.

"I think so. That was intense, right?"

"Yes," Ruby nodded. "You did really well. I'm very proud of you."

"Really?" No adult had ever said those words to Emma before and, despite the situation, she felt a little glimmer of warmth deep inside her.

"You owned your mistakes," Ruby continued. "You accepted responsibility, perhaps more than you actually ought to, might I add. And you gave a grieving family the chance to get some answers. It's going to take some time for both sides but this is part of the healing process. Be patient with yourself, Emma. Eventually, the weight of this will lift."

"Do I deserve that? Do I deserve to move on and be happy?"

"Of course you do, sweetie. Everyone deserves to be happy."

Emma wanted to believe that. And sometimes she did. When she was with Regina, for example, she could foresee some sort of future where the darkness of that day didn't follow her. But there were other times, like when she lay awake late into the night, where she couldn't stop the thoughts chasing around her mind, the regrets, the mistakes, the guilt. Would she ever be able to let go of that?

Regina was used to dress shopping for her mother's charity events. It was an obligation, Cora insisted, for Regina to attend. And therefore, once every few months, she found herself in a boutique shop with an overeager sales assistant trying on the latest designs. It wasn't her idea of a fun night out but given her family, she was unable to wriggle out of the invitations. Luckily, she was usually permitted to drag Zelena along too which made the evenings far more bearable.

"What do you think?" Regina asked, stepping out of the changing room and spreading her arms wide.

"Nope," Zelena said at once, glancing up from her cell for just a second to cast an appraising eye over her best friend.

"Why not?"

"Too 2018," came the response.

Regina sighed but retreated back into the small space and drew the curtain before trying on the next dress which they had selected as an option. Zelena had already found the dress she wanted to wear and was now somewhat patiently helping Regina make her choice. She slipped into a black, knee-length dress next and twisted around to try and reach the zip.

"Zee, can you zip me up?" Regina asked, backing out of the cubicle towards her friend. Zelena got to her feet and completed the request. "Thanks," Regina said, turning around. "What do you – Mrs Gold."

"Good afternoon Regina," Milah Gold said, standing frozen in the doorway to the changing room area beside a shopping assistant whose arms were laden with dresses.

"Um, hi," Regina said. "How are you?"

Worst question ever? The brunette mused, kicking herself the moment the words were out of her mouth. How was the woman supposed to be? Her son had been shot dead by the police only a few months earlier. Unsurprisingly, the woman ignored the question.

"I've been meaning to call you. Robert too. We wanted to apologise for … our son."

Zelena let out a quiet 'oooh,' as she realised who the woman was. Regina and Milah both ignored her.

"No, you don't need to apologise," Regina said, her manners kicking in even if there had been no etiquette lesson which quite encompassed this scenario.

"Of course I do," Milah said, crossing the space and cupping Regina's face in her hands. "Look at what he did to you."

Regina froze, feeling Milah's eyes on the white scar which trailed down from below her nose and sliced through her upper lip.

"Regina, my darling, I am so sorry. For this, for everything that happened that day. You have no idea how bad Robert and I feel. We'll never forgive ourselves for what Neal did."

"No, Mrs Gold," Regina said, reaching up and placing her hands over Milah's and gently puling them away but keeping them clasped in her own. "You don't need to apologise for anything. What happened that day was Neal's fault and no one else. But, that said, I am sorry for your loss."

Dark brown eyes sparkled. "It's for the best," she said, the words catching in her throat. "The Neal who was in the bank that day wasn't our son. I don't know what had happened in those seven years when he was lost to us but he changed. We didn't raise our son to be like that but we also can't wash our hands of his mistakes. Regina, please, tell your parents I'm sorry, Robert also."

"Mrs Gold, please, it's ok."

Milah shook her head. "It's not ok, Regina. Nothing about what happened that day was ok."

"No, it wasn't but I don't blame you. Neither do my parents. Neal was a grown man. He made those choices on his own. You can't take responsibility for that."

"Well, it's easier to say that than to action it. I'll always be responsible for my son. That's what it means to be a parent. And when something like this happens, you're always going to wonder if it was because of something you did, or didn't do. So yes, Regina, I do need to apologise. And please, tell your parents for me."

"You should call them yourself," Regina offered gently. "I'm sure they'd like to speak with you. They're your friends."

"I doubt that very much, dear," Milah said. "Not after what Neal did to you."

"Call them," Regina said, a little more firmly. "They care about you and Robert. They don't blame you for that day, just like I don't."

Milah looked as if she didn't believe Regina but wanted to end the conversation so she nodded shortly. "You look beautiful," she offered, taking in what Regina was wearing.

"Thank you," the brunette smiled. "It's for the education charity gala next week. Mom is on the board so I have to go."

Milah's face fell. "Oh, you're going to that? Your parents too?"

Glancing past Milah to where the shop assistant was loitering, pretending not to be listening to the conversation, Regina put two and two together. "You're dress shopping for the same event?"

"I was," Milah nodded. "But I don't think we'll go now."

"No, don't be silly. Of course you can come. You should come. It's a great cause, after all. And I'm sure my parents would be disappointed if you chose not to attend because of … recent events."

Milah hesitated. "Maybe," she conceded. "I'll talk to Robert. It'll depend on him too. I'm not sure either of us are ready to face society yet. I only suggested we go to this gala because I thought your mother wasn't involved."

"She's newly appointed. This is her first year," Regina explained. "But you don't need to avoid my parents. Nor anyone else. Come, have a good time, see your friends."

"Maybe," Milah repeated. "Thank you, Regina. You've been incredibly gracious. I don't deserve this kindness."

"Yes, you do," Regina said softly. "Stop being so hard on yourself."

Milah offered a watery smile. "Right, well, I'll leave you and your friend," she turned and acknowledged Zelena's presence for the first time, "to finish your shopping. I suppose I've got a dress to choose."

"Lovely to see you, Milah. I'll look forward to seeing you again at the gala next week."

Milah nodded once before beckoning the assistant to follow her further into the changing rooms until she found an empty cubicle.

"Was that -"

"Unzip me?" Regina said loudly before Zelena could say anything inappropriate within earshot of Milah Gold. "Let's pay for this and then go for lunch. What are you feeling for food? How about sushi?"

Zelena, for once in her life, got the hint and unzipped Regina before sitting down to wait in silence until her friend re-emerged, dressed in her own clothes with the chosen gown slung over her forearm.

"Right, sushi," Regina said. "Let's go."

It wasn't until they were sat down over lunch that Regina finally filled Zelena in on all the gossip she knew about Neal and his parents. Zelena listened with awe until Regina had finished.

"Oh my God you were so nice to her!" Zelena exclaimed.

"Yeah, well, it's not her fault. Just like it wasn't Emma's fault that she was given up for adoption and then most of her foster parents were crappy. We can't choose our families, right? Neal had two loving parents and yes, his dad made a mistake but that doesn't justify what he did in the bank. Milah shouldn't feel guilty for what happened."

"And you really think your parents would want to hear from them? Would want them to come to this gala?"

"Yeah, I do," Regina nodded. "Daddy is close to Mr Gold. And Mr Gold was very protective of me that day. Actually, I haven't spoken to him since. Maybe I should call him. Offer my condolences. I know my parents have done that."

"You want to say sorry for your loss for that scumbag's death?" Zelena asked, astounded.

"He didn't deserve to die," Regina said quietly.

"Yeah, he did. For what he did to you, he deserved that and so much more. If the cops hadn't shot him, I would have."

Regina barked out a laugh. "Yeah, cos you know how to use a gun."

"I'd learn, for you."

"Aw, how sweet. You're such a good friend."

Zelena grinned widely. "Yep. I'm awesome. Anyway, can we order, this awesome friend of yours is starving."

Life in Storybrooke Juvenile Centre carried on, the rhythms and schedules now predictable and easy. Emma and MM spent most of their free time together and the blonde realised she was glad to have a friend in there. Already she was wondering what she would do once MM was released, months before she herself would be transferred to the adult prison. In addition to her classes, during which she applied herself as much as possible, she also attended weekly group and individual counselling sessions. And it was in one of these with Ruby that she remembered a conversation she and MM had had about future careers.

"Is there anything else you want to talk about?" Ruby asked after they had finished running through their schedule for the day's meeting.

"Um, I have one question," Emma nodded. "It's not really about me."

"Well, ask it and I'll let you know if I can answer," Ruby encouraged. She wanted all of the teens who visited her to feel comfortable enough in her presence to talk about any subject.

"How did you get this job?"

Ruby frowned slightly. "Excuse me?"

"As a counsellor, I mean. What did you do? Do you have a college degree? How did you train and lear what to do?"

"Emma, you know these conversations are about you, not me, right?" Ruby said, closing the file she had been making notes in and folding her arms.

"Yeah, I know," Emma replied. "I'm just curious, I guess."

Ruby had attended countless training sessions which pertained to building a respected barrier between herself and her patients, including not sharing too much personal information. She had constructed a persona which enabled her to share details of her life to develop a connection with the teens whom she counselled without oversharing. For example, she freely mentioned that she had a wife but never divulged her name. She would never mention which borough she lived in but would reference her home. When it came to her education, she would discuss, if necessary, the academic qualifications she had achieved but never where she had attended school.

"I have a Bachelor's degree in psychology," Ruby said after a moment. "And I did a Masters in counselling psychology."

"So, college and then more college, right?"

"Pretty much," Ruby nodded. "May I ask why you're curious?"

Emma shrugged. "Just thinking. You know, future stuff."

"Future stuff?"

The blonde nodded and said nothing more. She didn't want to voice her idea, not to Ruby. Surely the counsellor would think it laughable that someone locked up in juvie wanted to help other kids who had made similar, criminal mistakes.

"Emma?" the counsellor said gently, waiting for Emma to meet her gaze. "Are you interested in pursuing a career as a counsellor?"

"I dunno," Emma said defensively. "MM said something. But it's a stupid idea, right? I mean, even if I could get into college and find the money to finish a degree and go to post grad school, it's not like any prison or juvie centre would ever hire anyone with a criminal record. I'm just going to be a pot washer for the rest of my life, aren't I?"

"Woah, Emma," Ruby said, seeing the blonde getting more and more agitated. "No, what are you talking about? You have options, opportunities. You don't have to write yourself off so suddenly. And as for becoming a counsellor, I think it's a fantastic idea."

"You do?"

Ruby smiled kindly. "You'd be amazing as a counsellor. And if that's something you're genuinely interested in, I'd like to help you pursue that dream."

"You think I could do it? I mean, you really think I could have a job where I could help kids like me?"

"I think you'd be an ideal candidate to do exactly that," Ruby nodded. "If you like, next week, we can look together at some of the training options and start putting together a plan for your future."

"Really?" Emma asked, suddenly brightening.

"Truly," Ruby nodded. "But right now, we're out of time. We can get started in our next session. Thinking about your future and options after Storybrooke is an important part of coming to terms with your past actions and putting a plan in place to make sure you don't make the same mistakes again."

"Ok, thanks Ruby," Emma grinned, feeling more optimistic than she had in weeks.

"You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow for your session with Regina, right?"

If possible, Emma grinned even more widely at the realisation that she'd get to see the brunette in less than twenty four hours. Ruby couldn't help but smile broadly back as Emma turned and all but skipped out of the counsellor's office.