Standard Disclaimer: These lovely characters ain't mine, I just play with them gently. Please don't sue me. The mistakes are mine, though.

Chapter 40 – A Boy Lost, A Son Found

For once, Regina's tendency to assume the worst proves to be an overreaction.

"Ozma, something has come up that requires your attention," Dorothy says upon approach.

"What's the matter, my dearest tempest?" Ozma's response exudes her quintessential grace and seemingly infinite stores of patience.

"A young boy was just caught in the kitchens pilfering bread, amongst other things," Dorothy says, her words are clipped with an annoyance whose origin, Regina guesses, lies mainly in her unsatiated hunger. If she is anything like Red, coming between her and a meal is a dangerous proposition. Regina almost feels bad for the boy who was made to deal with the physically impressive woman's ire.

Ozma's brow arches nobly at hearing of this unusual development. "Other things such as?"

Dorothy's expression clouds over darkly. "A set of expensive silverware including a very sharp knife..."

Ozma's eyes enlarge and her mouth wraps into an o-shape as she digests the implication. She chews on the information quickly, then seems to dismiss any potential nefarious intent with a purse of her lips and a shake of her head.

"Well," she says, now completely recovered, "we can't have that, can we? Bring him here directly."

Uncertainty stalls Dorothy from prompt obedience. "In front of our guests? Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Just be discreet about it and everything will be fine." Ozma's countenance suddenly brightens as an idea flashes in her bright eyes. "For that matter, why don't you offer him your seat when you bring him in. He can sit with us while we question him. He's likely just a terrified, hungry child. I'd like to put him at ease if possible."

For a variety of reasons, Dorothy seems dubious about the plan to seat the young thief at a table chock full of royalty, all of whom are wearing ridiculously valuable jewelry. Regina echoes the sentiment. Were the setting less formal and foreign, she might inject her opinion of Ozma's unwise decision. But since it is neither, she abstains lest she risk disrespecting her hosts.

However Dorothy feels about the matter, she cannot resist Ozma's command. Especially not when the blonde has her mind made up, as is evidenced by the sharp glint to her blue eyes and the disapproving arch of a gold-trimmed brow. She heaves a frustrated sigh of submission.

"Alright. If that's what you want, I'll go get him," Dorothy says, still looking unconvinced. When Ozma nods curtly, she turns briskly and marches away.

Not much is said in the interim aside from a few idle speculations about the boy that Regina doesn't pay much heed to when they'll discover the particulars soon enough. The chatter ends abruptly when Dorothy returns, leading a scrappy, bedraggled boy with shaggy brown hair and dark eyes toward them by the shoulder. There is something familiar about him, Regina decides as Dorothy stops short of Ozma's seat and gently forces the boy to do the same.

"Queen Ozma, I present to you..." Trailing off, Dorothy ducks down and whispers to her charge, loud enough that Regina can hear, "Say, what's your name, kid?"

Wide eyed with terror, just as Ozma predicted, the boy nervously stutters out his response. "Uhh...Bae – I mean, N-Neal."

Sitting primly and tall without seeming overly intimidating, Ozma gestures toward the quivering boy. "Which is it, young man? Bae or N-Neal?"

"Neal, your Majesty," he says, and the words come out in a rush like a dam giving way after enduring too many years of unrelenting pressure. "I'm so sorry! I know it was wrong to steal, it's just...I'm so hungry and I have no family and I'm not from this land so I don't know anyone and..."

Ozma stops the verbal vomit with an elegantly raised hand. "So you are not native to Oz? How intriguing! May I ask from whence you hail?"

Neal ducks his head to avoid the Queen's friendly yet discerning gaze. "A land called the Ench – uhh, N-neverland, Your Majesty."

Regina's eyes narrow at the boy's second near slip. Had he been about to announce himself as being originally from the Enchanted Forest? If so, why the correction? Was it possible he recognized her and had done so out of fear? Or was there someone else living there that he wished to avoid being associated with? Many other questions and possibilities spring to mind, but she pushes them to the fringes in order to focus on Ozma's delicate interrogation.

"Is that so? How splendid!" Ozma claps with delight, which confuses the boy greatly. And Regina as well. If Ozma had caught the boy's near mistake, which surely she had, she chose not to pursue it. Strange. "Pray tell," Ozma then says, "what method of travel did you utilize to reach Oz?"

"We came by ship," he says, still staring bewildered at Ozma's mercurial shift from stern to giddy. "My captain swore he would get me out of Neverland and he did. Pirate's code: a promise made is a promise kept." A dark shadow passes over his face as he pauses, then shuffles his feet a few times and swallows thickly. "But when we got here, him and the crew all got captured by a witch with green skin. I haven't seen hide nor hair of 'em in a long time. I figure she killed 'em all, Your Grace."

Zelena, Regina thinks, seething internally. As if she needed more justification to feel no remorse for her actions at the Grove. If it were possible, she'd quite like to resurrect the crazy bitch just to kill her all over again. Perhaps she'll just have to settle for bringing Neal home to the Dark Palace so she can make sure no one ever hurts him again.

The rogue thought has Regina scrambling to explain why it had cropped up here and now. There is no rational justification she can come up with on short notice, which does little to assuage the frisson of panic lancing through her chest. For the sake of this innocent child, however, she masters her turbulent feelings quickly. There is something about Neal that she cannot put her finger on. His story is also compelling, and contains a spark of familiarity that restarts the wheels turning in her head. A pirate ship that traveled between worlds? Could it be?

"Not an unfounded assumption, young man," she says, voice a little more gruff than she'd have liked. "You say you came here by ship?"

"This is Queen Regina, young master Neal," Ozma says when Neal just stares at her dumbly. "She is my friend. Answer her as honestly as you would me and all will be well."

Neal gulps anxiously. "Yes, ma'am. I mean, Your Majesty. Sorry."

Deciding she likes this awkward boy already, Regina adopts a relaxed pose and smiles reassuringly. "That's quite alright. You may call me Regina if you wish."

"I couldn't do that, Your Highness. Not with you being royalty and all," he says, his stance loosing up just a bit even though he refuses the offer of informality. His swift adaptation from a Lost Boy with no manners whatsoever to practiced composure makes it clear that whatever world he hails from is one with a similar system as that of the Enchanted Forest. Again, her curiosity regarding that earlier slip is piqued.

"Well, the offer stands in any case," she says, then gestures idly. "But back to the topic at hand...was the ship's name The Jolly Roger by chance? And your captain a handsome rapscallion aptly named Hook?"

The way Neal's eyes narrow suspiciously confirm her guesses as accurate even before he audibly does so. "How'd you know that?" he asks pointedly, decorum dropping upon sensing a potential threat. Neverland, she thinks mournfully, has honed his survival skills to a fine edge.

There is nothing to be gained by revealing the sordid arrangement she made with Captain Hook to kill her mother, so she deftly deflects. "I have heard of him before is all. I give you my word, I am not a threat," she replies, keeping her tone even so as to potentially coax him out of the defensive stance he has now entered. When he nods and releases some of the tension in his muscles, she adds, "I have to say, though, your former captain has quite the reputation for being an untrustworthy scoundrel. It surprises me to hear he treated you so well."

"He isn't so bad, Your Majesty," Neal says, crossing his arms over his chest in disapproval at her criticism of a man for which he clearly harbors the utmost respect. "Or he wasn't to me, anyway. Like I said, I got no family left and didn't have any skills or valuables or anything, but he took me in anyway. He saw to it personally that I was taken care of, gave me the pick of the food and places to sleep, and made sure none of the crew picked on me too bad. I wouldn't have survived Neverland without him."

Regina gives him an encouraging smile. "I'm glad to hear that, Neal. Truly. No child should be left unattended in that land of superstitious heathens, raucous brats, and malevolent shadows. If Hook kept you safe, then he performed a commendable service." Neal nods his acceptance, so Regina decides to shift gears to safe waters. There will time for further inquiry later. And besides, the savory meal all ready to be devoured must seem an impossible temptation to a half-starved young lad like Neal. Perhaps with a full belly, he'll be more inclined to discuss his true origins. "Now tell me," she gives him a persuasive smile, "how would you like to dine with us this evening? Hmm? There is more than enough for all and I'm sure you're famished…."

Unfortunately, Neal doesn't take the gesture at face value.

"Is that a joke? Are you mocking me?" Arms at his sides, fists clenched tightly, fury radiates from his every pore.

Try as she might, Regina cannot rein in her reaction. Her eyes flash dangerously, causing the boy to startle back a step. She grits her teeth against rising fury. However understandable the boy's cynicism, it is unacceptable behavior. Her mother had ingrained in her the immutable law that children who speak with such impudence to their elders are to summarily punished. Oh, and how she wants to erupt, to let her temper fly loose and grab the boy by his arms and shake some sense into him along with a modicum of respect for his superiors.

But doing that would make her no better than her mother. So instead, she takes a deep breath and counts to ten before delivering an answer she hope will assuage his legitimate concerns.

"I have done many regrettable things, but I do not mistreat children," she says, more than a little proud of how composed she sounds when the rage demon she keeps locked inside her is going bonkers, threatening to compromise the integrity of its cage. "Especially those in such a vulnerable position as yourself. The offer is sincere. Furthermore, I think I speak for all of us here that we would be honored to have you at our table. Unless, of course, you have better plans?"

Looking chagrined, Neal toes the stone floors before shaking his head meekly. "If sharing my bread with the mice in the cellar doesn't count as plans, then no ma'am..."

Feeling emboldened by her successful navigation of the situation, Regina reaches out toward Neal. She's close enough to grasp his forearm, and it pleases her more than she would ever admit that he doesn't reject the gesture.

"Then by all means," she says, "go fill your plate. After you have filled your belly, perhaps you might tell us some more about Neverland. Does that sound acceptable?" Neal offers no response other than to nod, as if words are failing him to express his gratitude. She's glad of it, as she requires none. As Red would say, it's the right thing to do. "Excellent! Dorothy, would you be so kind as to escort our young guest to the buffet and lend him a hand?"

Dorothy perks up at the request. "I'd be happy to!"

"If it's alright, I think I'll go, too," Red says, and the look in her eyes is unmistakable from where Regina is sitting. She's already sprinting headlong down a path to mothering the boy without him – or even Red herself – being aware of it.

Strangely enough, Red's behavior doesn't fill Regina with the gnawing sense of panic she experienced no long ago. There is no blaring internal alarm sounding inside that has her wanting nothing more than to run for the hills. Quite the opposite, really. She has to bite her lip against the warmth that suffuses her chest as she watches her wife introduce herself to a starstruck Neal and lead him by the hand toward a feast that has his eyes bulging with unmitigated lust. The sight reminds her of the ephemeral vision she'd had of Red holding the hand of a young lad not terribly unlike Neal the night before everything fell apart.

"Makes for a lovely picture, does it not?" Ozma asks when it's just her, Snow and Regina left in the vicinity, with Charming having soon after joined Red and Dorothy with Neal. "I think he shall be a fine addition to the family."

"Excuse me?" Regina replies, brow furrowed. She'd heard well enough but feel unprepared to face the reality of what might be happening right now.

Ozma tuts a friendly reproof. "Oh, come now. You were thinking about asking Neal to come back home with you and Red within two minutes of meeting him. Am I wrong?"

Regina sighs, partially annoyed at her friend's perceptiveness but also a little grateful. Maybe talking about it will help.

"No. You're not," she says, pinching the bridge of her nose. "But I can't ask do that, however much I want to."

"Whyever not?"

"As you said, we just met him!"

"Yet even so, a bond is already forming. And not just with you. Your lovely Queen seems to have won him over in seconds. Or do starving, frightened young boys so openly trust every kindhearted lady who holds their hand?"

Regina scoffs, already knowing the answer. "If Red is the lady in question, then yes they do. No doubt he instinctively senses her goodness. He's not unique in that regard. She has that effect on everyone she comes into contact with, young or old. It's why I told her that she was born to be a mother. Me on the other hand..."

"Oh, pah! I'll not hear another word of self-loathing out of you, Regina! Whether or not you can see it, I believe you will make a most excellent mother."

"How can you be so sure?" Regina hates how insecure she sounds.

"Because I know you," Ozma says, and with so much kindness and compassion that Regina's self-loathing is tempered enough for hope to flare dangerously within her breast. "I knew you the moment I met you, and I am a keen judge of character if you'll recall. You certainly have your rough edges, as do we all, but your heart is big as the moon and your capacity for love more vast than any ocean. The way you love Red, the way you love me, and even the way you love Snow..."

Regina interrupts before things get out of hand. "Let's not venture too far into the land of absurdity here..."

"Don't even bother with denials, Regina," Snow injects, having observed the conversation quietly til now. The brat always picks the best moments to chime in. "I know how much you care. It's why I survived into adulthood. Love stayed your hand. You were just blinded to it by the hatred that kept you veiled. Now it has been lifted, and while you may not be the same young woman I first fell in love with, you are more like her than you are the woman you became after Daniel died. I'd think it was a crime if you didn't get the chance to be a mother on your own terms. So don't be so quick to dismiss what's happening right now. I choose to believe fate dropped Neal into your lap and you should, too. Don't throw away what might just be one of the greatest gifts you'll ever be given because you're scared. All parents are scared at first. That just means we're taking the responsibility as seriously as we should."

Ozma nods fervently as she shares a conspiratorial smile with Snow. "Wise words, my friend."

"Why, thank you, Ozma! I appreciate that. If only Regina here could stop being stubborn and recognize that, we'd be on the right track."

When they turn their attention onto her, pleading with her to give in, Regina unleashes a prolonged groan of frustration. Damn them both. "This isn't fair at all," she says. "You two are not allowed to gang up on me. It's bad enough that I have to deal with Red's puppy dog eyes..."

"We're just doing it because we love you!" Snow says, looking even more earnest that normal. "We just want you to be happy."

Taking that the wrong way, Regina furrows her brows. "I am happy." Could they not see that? Honestly, she has all she needs right now. Red alone is enough for her. That she's forged friendships on a level she'd never expected herself capable of is only icing on the cake. Trying to foist a poor, pitiable orphan upon her, however charmed by him she may be, is totally unnecessary.

"I know that, silly," Snow says, gently swatting at her shoulder, which elicits at death glare from Regina that she deftly ignores. "But can you honestly tell me that a part of you, however small it is, doesn't already want to take that boy home and give him the kind of life every child deserves but so few are fortunate enough to receive?" Regina has no answer for that, which Snow rightly takes as confirmation. "Well, then, there you have it. If nothing else, spend some more time with him. We'll be here a few more days. What can it hurt to get to know him a little better?"

Regina pulls a face then. With the way Red bonds with people, a day will be an eternity – a phenomenon with which Snow has personal experience. "What can it hurt? You know very well if Red is allowed to spend an entire day with him," she says, "she won't want to turn him loose. She'll fall head over heels in love and won't be able to bear leaving him behind. That means she'll unsheathe her weaponized pout against which I have no defense. Then I'll have no choice in the matter. I can't say no to her when she desperately wants something. How am I supposed to deny her the opportunity to be a mother? She's been yearning for the chance far longer than she should have been made to. For that matter, what the hell happened to me? Zelena was right. I have gone totally soft."

Snow reaches out with the same hand she'd swatted Regina with, only this time to rub her upper arm. To her shame, Regina allows the contact, further proving her point. Closing her eyes, she curses her weakness.

"You fell in love," Snow says, and when Regina opens her eyes, she's met with green eyes filled with unmistakable affection. "Don't worry. It happens to the best of us. That said, I don't think Red will be alone in feeling so strongly about Neal." When Regina scoffs an objection that is entirely fabricated, Snow sits back, arms smugly crossed over her chest with a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "Tell me I'm wrong. Go ahead. I'll wait."

Although she wants to do just that, she can't. Snow may be acting like the annoying gremlin she is, but there is no point in denying the truth. Especially when Ozma is awaiting her response every bit as eagerly as Snow.

"Oh...for pity's sake. Must you always be so insufferable? Fine. We'll see how it goes. That's the best I can do at present."

Snow's joy is over the top. Practically bouncing in her seat, she claps her hands like a five year old who's just seen fireworks for the first time. Meanwhile, Ozma appears equally fit to burst, only she restrains her exuberance much better. Because she's an actual adult with impulse control.

"Oh, wonderful!" Ozma says, so happy that her effervescent glow spreads into Regina's chest. "We will take it. Won't we, Snow?"

"Damn straight we will!" Snow says, and they all laugh, buoyed by the gaiety of the moment which, wonder of all wonders, only extends on to the rest of the evening.

To Regina's eternal shame, she doesn't even make it a day before Snow is proven right. There is an indefinable quality to Neal that endears him to her – and to Red, of course, not that that was ever in doubt. From the moment the boy held Red's hand, Regina subconsciously recognized the inevitability of Neal's adoption.

The only surprising aspect is how long it takes them to get Neal to agree to their taking custody of him even on a provisional basis. Whatever had happened to the boy in his past left scars that made him reticent to trust any adult save his beloved Captain Hook. The rat bastard. All of Regina's good will toward the piratical scoundrel is eradicated in an instant upon discovering that right after escaping the prison he was tossed in, he reclaimed The Jolly Roger and left Oz without sparing so much as a second thought for his young charge – or for the rest of his crew for that matter, who all perished in Zelena's barbaric dungeons. When she carefully breaks this information Neal, he refuses to accept that version of events as truth. It takes Red confirming the story for him to believe his beloved Captain had abandoned him. Understandably, he is devastated. Powerless to help, Regina has to watch the boy's hopes crumble to dust right in front of her. Seeing someone so young come undone makes her so angry that she swears if she ever lays eyes on the pirate again, she'll give him a need for several more false appendages.

Their stay extends from days to weeks just because of how fragile Neal is in aftermath of the news. Thankfully the kingdom is in capable hands with them having left Mulan, Aurora, and Philip in charge. She isn't sure she could have gone home with the boy in such a pitiful state. The only silver lining to Neal's crushing disappointment is that his bond with Red only deepens. He almost continually hovers around her for comfort rather than running away entirely. It isn't easy by any means for Regina to watch Neal hang on to Red like a monkey dangling precariously from a half-broken limb, but there isn't much she can say or do about it when it's as if Red is his sole harbor in the midst of a catastrophic tempest.

Time and again, she tries to be motherly, if only to alleviate some of the pressure on Red, just to fail spectacularly. Mostly her attempts at reaching out just push Neal further into Red's orbit. Of course, Red eats up the attention, and is so focused on being what Neal needs that Regina feels even worse about her mounting frustration at her perpetual inadequacy. Eventually, as it tends to, the crescendo reaches critical mass.

The breaking point happens one afternoon when she goes to the trouble of making Neal lunch only to have the gesture spurned.

"I'm not hungry," he says, glaring at her as if her very existence is an unforgivable nuisance.

"Well, I'll leave it here just in case," she says, sitting the plated meal upon a nearby table. When he turns away from her scowling, tears prick at her eyes unannounced. She has to hastily dismiss herself to keep from breaking down in front of him. Or losing her cool altogether. The last thing she can abide right now is to further damage his low opinion of her. Once sequestered inside the Royal Guest chambers, though, she succumbs to heartbreak and disappointment that has slowly accumulated to the point she can no longer hold it at bay.

Can't he tell I'm trying? She thinks as she slides down the nearest wall, already sobbing bitterly. Feeling wretched, she hugs her knees to her chest. Can't he see that I care? That I want to be there for him every bit as much as Red does? The rhetorical only makes her feel more miserable. She wouldn't begrudge Red's closeness with the boy for anything, and yet she feels so irrationally jealous that she can hardly see straight whenever Neal avoids her presence or ignores her questions so that he can hide, tucked securely into Red's side. Rationally, she knows it's his coping mechanism and would not dream of begrudging her wife the development of such a lovely maternal bond. But she's not being rational right now.

Hating herself for too many things to name, Regina just cries harder. So hard that even using both hands to cover her mouth, she can barely stifle the sounds of her anguish. A mountainous volume of self-pity inundates her, dulling her senses and fogging her mind. Coming unraveled, she does not notice someone else enter the room until a body slides down next to hers. A much smaller body, at that.

"I used to have a family. A long time ago," Neal says, so softly she barely hears. She curbs her hysterics into pitiful sniffles and stuttering hiccups so that she can listen. "It was just my Papa and me, 'cause my mother ran off on us. But that was all I needed. He loved me enough for both of 'em. Then one day the Ogre Wars came calling for any boys old enough to hold a spear or a sword. My Papa was so desperate to save me that he made a terrible mistake. He struck a deal with the wrong person trying to stop the wars and got magical powers he didn't really understand. After that he was never the same. I tried to help him, to keep him from becoming bad, but no matter what I did he just kept slipping away. Wasn't too long before I lost him for good. It's why I have a hard time trusting people. Especially people with magic."

Regina blanches when his eyes find hers at that last statement. She'd thought she'd been so careful not to use her magic around him, knowing how uncomfortable it makes most children. Her dark magic is especially repugnant to the innocent.

"I saw you use it a couple times that first day," he clarifies without judgment.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Regina asks, then winces regretfully upon realizing not only had she already answered herself but Neal had as well. "I'm sorry. That's a stupid question considering what you just told me."

He shrugs off her apology, looking repentant himself. "That's okay. I'm sorry I made you cry."

"Well, then I'm sorry my magic scared you."

Neal chuckles at her insistence she must be allowed to apologize for something. "Don't sweat it. At least I know you aren't like Papa, so I'm pretty sure I can trust you."

The statement shocks Regina. The last thing she expected was for him to extend her any amount of trust having just heard the reason behind his hatred of magic.

"Not that I'm complaining, but how do you know that?" she asks, needing to know how he came to such a conclusion.

Neal shrugs as if it should be obvious. "You wouldn't have cried if you didn't care a whole lot about how I feel. You want me to like you that much. Bad people don't do that. When Papa got his magic, he didn't stop caring but he stopped crying."

It is, without a doubt, one of the most profound things Regina has ever heard – and one of the most consoling. She breathes out a huge sigh of relief. Over the past several years she has been told so often that she's not a monster anymore, and while she believes Red and her father and Ozma and even Snow, hearing it from an objective source makes all the difference. Neal has every reason to be afraid of her, to shun her, fearing she'd mistreat him the way his father had. But he's not. Instead, he's sitting here beside her, offering her comfort when she should be the one offering comfort to him.

"I...I don't know what to say to that except thank you, although that seems terribly insufficient," she says, overwhelmed by the unexpected and incredibly precious gesture.

For the first time, Neal smiles at her. And not just a fake smile for Red's benefit, but a real one that reaches his eyes and touches his heart. One that means he thinks she's worth his investment, that in spite of her flaws there is something in her worth liking.

"You're welcome," he says, then turns serious a heartbeat later. "Just promise me you won't use magic on me or to get me things or anything like that. Ever. Okay?"

Regina nods emphatically. To keep his approval, she'd consider giving up magic altogether. Which is sort of scary. The only other person she's ever felt that way about is Red.

"Got it," she says. "No using magic on you or for your direct benefit. I promise I will try my absolute best."

"Thanks for that."

It's clear he's not talking about the promise, which confuses Regina. She scrunches her brows together. "There's no need to thank me."

"Sure there is," Neal says. "You could have lied and said you'd never do it all. Instead you told the truth, even if it might not have been what I wanted to hear."

Regina averts her eyes, feeling ashamed. Should she have lied? Would that have been a better way to handle the situation?

"That doesn't change your opinion of me?" she asks, insecurity drawing her shoulders in.

"Nope. If anything, it just proves I was right. You're a good person."

Regina takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out. "I wish I believed that as much as you do."

"Don't worry. You will." When Neal nudges her shoulder, she looks up to see him smiling at her again.

She bites her lip so hard she almost draws blood. "How can you be so sure?"

As if transformed during their brief exchange from the timid young boy petrified of her shadow, Neal, now brave and bold, loops his arm around her shoulder and pulls her against him. Regina leans into the embrace as her fears dissipate and her heart soars. Her world shifts, dramatically yet not catastrophically. Rather, it's as if a final correction has been made the tilt of her axis that Red began so many years ago, righting it once and for all. And now, with her alignment perfected, the sun shines upon her, brilliant and warm, dispersing the last of the shadows and melting away the stubborn patches of ice that refused to relinquish their grip on her heart. Her entire being suffuses with more peace, hope, love, and joy than she'd thought she could ever contain inside a vessel of such fragile earthen clay.

"'Cause," Neal then says as Regina stares at him in awe through suddenly bleary eyes, "I'll be around to help make sure you do."

And just like that, Regina knows she has a son. Alongside her memorable introduction to Red and watching her radiant bride walk down the aisle, it is one of the best moments of her life.