The sun was barely up in the sky when Emma's eyes fluttered open, it surprised her that she woke up this early despite the fact that she slept very late. Henry's words kept echoing in her head, the anger in his eyes, how defensive he was. The million times she saw the hurt expression on his face when she wouldn't believe him, the countless times she would find him sitting in the corner looking out the window distractedly, and not once did she think that she should take him to see Regina. How she immediately walked up to him and told him how Regina killed Archie, but beat around the bush with telling him about Snow's involvement in Cora's death. And the countless other times she used Henry for her own selfish agenda. He was right, not once did she ever reconsider her decision to give him up, not once did it even cross her mind to go look for him, and she never regretted that decision. But now, she did, and she tried to appease her conscious in all the wrong ways. She used her own son to sooth her guilty conscious, she used him to hurt Regina because she wanted to take her place in his life, she didn't want Henry to ever want Regina again, and that was why she didn't want him to regain his memories, why she didn't bother to ask him what he wanted when she decided to go back to New York. She thought it was her right to take him, and it only dawned on her that Regina could've easily called the police and reported Henry kidnapped, and try as she might, she never would've been able to explain why she took him against her will.

She tried to find excuses for her actions, explanations, something that would justify what she did and not make it seem so bad. Something to refute her son's words, and no doubt the thoughts that roamed Regina's head and her own son's, but failed. He was right, and so was Regina. It takes more than just giving birth to be a mother, and she did none of it. Even when she broke the curse with True Love's Kiss, her son had to die first in order for her to finally admit that she cared for him. And the biggest slap of all…..Regina broke the same curse….without her heart. Her love for her son was strong enough that she did not need her heart to prove it.

She sighed sadly when she checked her phone and did not find any signs of her son on it. She knew he was angry, but at least she hoped for a text telling her he wanted to talk, or at least of what his plans for the day might be. She snuggled more into her pillow, and pulled the covers even tighter around herself, as she thought of what she can do to make this better. She wasn't planning on making any excuses, but she was completely lost on what to say…or do.

She half opened one eye and checked the time, it was still quite early, she can walk over to his school and try to speak to him, but she wasn't sure if that was a good idea. She knew that her mother was not planning on going back to work again now that the baby was here, and she cursed her luck. She knew Henry would see right through any excuse she would come up with, but if she had been walking her mother to work, she may have been able to get away with it.

She sighed in frustration after she could not go back to sleep, and decided to get up and busy herself with making breakfast, or anything that will take her mind off her doomed situation. She silently patted out of the room, and made her way down the stairs. She wasn't surprised when she found her parents still fast asleep, it was quite early after all. But what did surprise her was the fact that Neal was up, but lay there quietly watching the mobile above the bed moving slowly.

She smiled lovingly at him, as she made her way over to the bed and slowly lifted him from the crib.

"Hey there little brother," she whispered affectionately, as she cradled him to her chest. Her smile grew even wider when he snuggled more into her warmth, her mind drifting to one of the fake memories that Regina had given her of a baby Henry doing the same. It made her heart ache knowing that the memory was fake, but a part of her was glad that only a part of those memories were fake. That even though she may have not been the one in them, that at least the part about Henry being loved all his life was true. It made her feel better knowing that he had a loving mother who held him, and gave him a good life.

"What have you been up to?" she cooed softly, as she swayed slightly from side to side. "You usually start screaming right about now!" she quipped, as she raised her head and looked around intently, till she found what she was looking for. A half empty bottle of milk was neatly placed on top of the night stand next to her peacefully sleeping mother. She closed her eyes for a second so she can concentrate, and opened them as she smiled brightly when she felt the bottle appear in her hand. She pulled the lid off and squirted some of it onto the back of her hand to test its temperature.

"Looks like it'll need a bit of warming," she informed him, when the cold milk made contact with her skin.

She kept her eyes focused on her brother, as she focused her magic once more to heat up the milk. Her parents' room didn't have a door, and if she made any noise in the kitchen, they would surely wake up and she wanted to let them sleep in a little. She continued to coo at the little bundle softly as she made her way up the stairs, and back into her room.

Once she was satisfied with the temperature of the milk, she softly guided it into Neal's mouth, who happily took it and started to suckle, completely oblivious to the turmoil inside his older sister's head.

"You want to know why having magic is a good thing at the moment?" she asked him, as she scrunched up her nose at the foul smell. "I don't have to suffer through the stinky dipper change, I could just poof you out of the dirty one, and poof a clean one on!" she laughed, as she made good on her word.

"That's better!" she chuckled as she kissed his forehead.

As she pulled back and looked at him, an idea finally came to her. "You wouldn't mind if you helped me with something, would you?" she asked him, and he just looked up at her curiously, as if he knew what she was saying. She looked up when she heard voices coming from the floor below, and she sighed.

"Time to face the music!" she grunted, as she made her way to the stairs.

"There's another explanation. Regina's shield is still working!" she heard David argue in frustration.

"Like what David? What other explanation is there?" Snow yelled, and froze mid-sentence when Emma finally came into view.

"What's going on you guys?" she wondered in surprise. They had barely woken up, and they were arguing already.

"Like Emma taking him up to her room to avoid waking you!" David stated, his tone slightly amused as he stated the obvious.

It took Emma a few moments of looking between her proudly grinning father, and her still slightly shaken up mother, before she finally put the pieces together.

"Oh my God, Mom. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you like that. He was awake and I didn't want him to wake you guys." She explained hastily, and Snow shook her head at her.

"No, Emma it's alright. I overreacted." Snow soothed her, as she walked over to both her children, and cupped Emma's face. "Good morning to you both." She greeted, as she leaned over the baby and kissed Emma's cheek, before she kissed Neal's forehead, who was still working hard on finishing his breakfast.

"He'll probably need to be changed once he's done with his bottle," Snow commented.

Emma shook her head at her mother. "No actually, I changed him as well."

"How long have you two been up?" David inquired curiously.

Emma looked behind him at the kitchen clock, and saw that only twenty minutes had passed. "About twenty minutes." She shrugged.

"And you already changed his dipper, heated up the bottle and fed him!" David listed off, clearly impressed.

Emma smiled sheepishly. "Well, I may have cheated a little!" she alluded cheekily, and David chuckled.

"You used your magic." He stated, and at the rueful grin she gave him, his mile widened.

"My motto is, if you've got it flaunt it!" she quipped and they all laughed.

"How are you feeling today?" Snow asked sympathetically. She knew from experience that knowing your child was actively shunning you out was not an easy thing.

"About that," Emma started, "can I ask you guys a favor?" she wondered.

It was a beautiful morning in Storybrooke, the sky was clear, but the early morning sun did little to the cold breeze that managed to sneak up on people from under their scarves and coats. Emma bent the stroller for the tenth time to make sure that her baby brother was warmly tucked between his blankets and that the cold would not get to him. She had decided to use him as her excuse to see Henry. That way she can pretend that she was out jogging with her baby brother, and just happened to swing by the school.

She stood on the sidewalk on the other side of the street, watching how the kids flooded into the school and happily waved at their parents. She strained her eyes in an attempt to find Henry, but was starting to doubt that she'll be able to see him in the midst of all these people. She sighed in frustration, starting to doubt that he even came to school that day, when she finally spotted him. She breathed a laugh of relief, and was about to make her way over to him, when she saw Regina and froze in her tracks. She knew that she was probably the last person Regina wanted to see at the moment, and even if she had a right to see her son, she didn't have the right to disturb the serene smile on Regina's face. And so, she waited patiently as Regina adjusted Henry's coat and tie, images of the past year flashing before her eyes. She had a different routine with Henry as she dropped him off at school, but he seemed more at home here, with this routine. She had cursed the fire that destroyed all of Henry's childhood memories, but she was starting to realize that they weren't really gone. That the one person who remembered every second of it was standing with their son, talking as if nothing was amiss.

She smiled sadly when she saw the way Regina leaned into Henry's kiss, and how she closed her eyes to savor the feeling, the weight of what she did to this poor woman the past year finally starting to dawn on her. She saw Henry take off into a light jog towards the entrance, and how Regina waited till he was safely inside the building before she turned back on her heels and headed towards her car.

She sighed sadly, her plan had failed. She didn't get the chance to speak to her son, she hadn't taken into account the fact that Regina may drive him to school instead of dropping him off at the bus stop.

"Looks like I'll have to come up with a different plan!" she informed her happily sleeping brother, as she maneuvered the stroller around, and turned towards their parents' apartment. She stopped in her tracks when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, her heart fluttering happily when she saw it was a text from Henry. She was slightly disappointed at how short the text was, but at least it was a start. It was only one line, short, precise, to the point and left no room for argument, or even a conversation.

"Meet me at Granny's after school."

So I know this was supposed to be up earlier this week, but I did not get the time to proof read it, so here it is. I know it is short but I did not want to leave you guys hanging longer. I should be able to get another chapter up before the weekend, but once more no promises.

Thanks to all who read and reviewed, and to all who followed, you guys keep me going.

Do let me know what you all think of this. I'm open to constructive criticism as well.