A/N: This story is set in the immediate aftermath of the Cora plot, Regina took Snow's heart recently, and although it departs from canon this is the same time that in canon she was deciding to kill everyone in town and return to the Enchanted Forest with Henry. This is late season 2 Regina. Regina is not redeemed at this point.

Neal had dropped Henry off with Emma a bit later than they agreed. Apparently Henry really wanted ice cream and Neal had not yet developed the ability to resist anything his new son wanted. Emma could sympathize. She was picking up that skill, but only slowly.

"How are you doing, kid?"

"I'm not feeling so hot..."

Emma frowned, and put a hand to his forehead, but immediately regretted it because she didn't actually know what the feeling would mean either way. "Why don't brush your teeth and get to bed early. I'm sure you'll feel better in the morning."

The idea of going to bed early seemed like its own punishment to Henry, but he nodded and disappeared off. Mary Margaret and David had told her they'd be out late and not to wake up, and she planned to dig out her Star Wars dvds and watch the movie. It was less fun if you couldn't blast the sound, but she'd live. It was half way through the trash compactor scene when she heard Henry come running down the stairs and into the bathroom.

The sound of retching meant she didn't have to ask what was going on. She was immediately wondering if she should call the ambulance or maybe just take him to the hospital herself. He wasn't even done throwing up and she was pacing the loft trying to figure out what to do. She wasn't used to panicking about anything, but she didn't even know where to start tackling this problem.

She pulled her phone from her pocket and scrolled through her numbers until she found it.

"Mills." Regina sounded annoying alert for it to be past 11PM.

"It's Emma. Henry's throwing up and ..."

"I'll be right there."

"You don't ..."

But before the conversation could continue there was a knock at the door and Emma did a double take. She opened the door to see Regina standing there, still dressed in the gray slacks and blue blouse she'd seen her wearing earlier that day. "You didn't just poof yourself here..."

"Where is Henry?" Her voice direct and commanding and enough to even make Emma step out of her way. Regina didn't really need directions. He was still in the bathroom.

"Mom?" His voice pulled at Emma's heart, and pulled even more when she realized he didn't mean her.

Regina looked over at Emma. "Get me a washcloth, damp with warm water."

She disappeared into the bathroom and Emma tried to hear what she was saying, but all she could hear was a mumble and something about strawberries. When she brought the washcloth in Regina began cleaning Henry's face.

"A bucket Emma. A bucket would be wise. We're in for a long night because that idiot boyfriend of yours decided strawberry ice cream would be a good idea. And judging for the rest of this any number of utterly unhealthy foods."

"You inspected the bowl?"

"Of course I did." She said this as if it was patently obvious to anyone with common sense.

Or a mother's sense, Emma was realizing.

"Mom...?"

"Bucket now, Miss. Swan. I will not have my son hugging the toilet all evening like some kind of college fraternity brother."

Emma did go to get the bucket from the cleaning supply closet but something occurred to her. "You've never been to college, where did that reference come from."

"I do own a television, Emma. And I had 28 years of time on my hands."

"I just never pictured you watching television."

"I'm sure there are many things that would surprise you. Now... where... in this place is my son sleeping?"

"Upstairs..."

She nodded glancing up the stairs, as if thinking. "Alright. Henry, do you think you can make it back up there?"

He nodded. "Emma, take the bucket. I'll be right there. I want to start some broth and get him some ginger ale."

"I'm not sure what's in the fridge."

"Well it's a good thing I know what's in mine." She waved her hands and on the kitchen counter appeared an assortment of vegetables and a six pack of diet Canada Dry. Regina handed Emma a can and for the first time she could actually see that Regina was about sixteen levels of livid. She didn't argue anymore. "Only a few sips at a time."

Emma resisted the temptation to make a snappy comeback at the order, and Regina immediately started opening drawers and looking for a knives and a pot.

Emma sat with Henry, ignoring the smell of something good coming from the kitchen downstairs. "So... strawberries?"

"Mom doesn't let me have them."

"Because they make you sick?"

"Sometimes."

"All the time." Regina said from the doorway, but came all the way into the room and sat beside him. She positioned the bucket so she could reach it easily. Emma noticed that she'd rolled up the sleeves of her blouse and not for the first time she wondered how Regina could look so put together even when she wasn't.

"He's always gotten sick right after eating them... but he likes them so he always thinks this time will be different."

"I never much liked strawberries." Emma admitted.

"Your mother used to get sick when she ate them too."

"They had strawberries in the Enchanted Forest?"

Regina gave her a look as if she was an idiot. "Hey the one time I was there they served me chimera."

And this time Regina actually winced.

"You've eaten chimera?" Emma asked. "I got the sense it wasn't regular food there either."

"Diplomatic event with a representative of a kingdom where it was a delicacy. You have my sympathies."

Emma chuckled, and wondered if it was the first time she's ever honestly laughed at something Regina said. Instead she just watched as Regina stroked Henry's hair, and occasionally, and with a lot more grace than Emma could even figure out could exist in that action, she would hold the bucket for Henry. She was just starting to calm down and let the panic fade when it rose again to the surface as she heard the downstairs door open.

Regina heard it too, as she met her eyes, but didn't move. Emma went downstairs . "Hey, how was the thing..."

"The naming ceremony? It was good... are you cooking something?"

Mary Margaret asked surprised. Emma could cook, just not a wide range of things, and she followed her mother into the kitchen where she saw the pot. For a moment she thought Mary Margaret might have been impressed with that raised eyebrow and she pulled a spoon from a drawer and tasted some of the soup.

Emma watched her, slightly confused by the reaction. She seemed lost in thought, half closing her eyes before she opened them and looked right at Emma.

"Where is she?"

"Excuse me?"

"Regina."

Emma had this irrational impulse to deny the former Evil Queen was there. But she was upstairs and there was only one way out of the loft. Though... she could puff...

"Emma, remember, I grew up with Regina. You don't think I know this soup? I've been trying to replicate it for months."

"That's what all those vegetable soups were about? I just thought it was a hint about all the meat I was eating..."

"Where is she Emma?"

"Upstairs. Henry is sick."

"She's with Henry?"

Snow said quietly. Emma wondered if she was preparing to storm the stairway and wondered where her dad's sword was at this moment. Still she nodded.

"In my home?"

Emma nodded.

"The last time she was in my home she ..."

"Was trying to kill you. Yes, Snow, I think we all remember that well." Regina came down the stairs. "Emma's idiot boyfriend..."

"He's not an idiot and he's not my boyfriend."

"...Emma's moronic ex-boyfriend fed Henry strawberries."

And Snow actually winced.

"Why didn't Henry say anything?" Emma asked Regina, ignoring the obvious war going on in her mother's mind about kicking Regina out or letting her be for now.

But it was Snow that answered. "Because he likes them. I... used to do the same thing when I was his age."

"Should we bring him to the hospital?"

Regina actually gave her a look that suggested she was off her rocker. "Overkill a little? No. He'll be fine tomorrow. Some ginger ale tonight, a little hand holding, and tomorrow he doesn't eat anything but the soup."

Regina was very clearly giving orders. And Emma for once wasn't about to disobey.

"And we're going to set up real custody arrangements."

"Regina..." Snow warned.

And Regina with all the annoyance of the righteous turned to Mary Margaret. "No. You don't actually get a say in this. This... is between Emma and I because I am humoring this arrangement. But he's my son and I'm not going to let two barely functional adults play parents anymore just because you have some fantasy about one happy family."

"Regina..." Snow tried to say again.

"She's right." Emma's voice stopped Mary Margaret's argument dead.

"Good, we'll meet at our regular spot tomorrow, Emma, and we will figure something out between us."

And with all the dignity of a queen she took the bucket into the bathroom, emptied it, rinsed it and then walked back upstairs to sit by Henry's bedside.