A/N: Just a tidbit... Regina adopted Paige and Roland, after adopting someone from outside town didn't turn out so well... In this au before getting adopted by Regina Paige lived with Jefferson, but Regina falsely accused him and had him arrested, same with Robin Hood, in order to adopt their kids... Paige knows this and hates Regina, but Roland being younger is happily oblivious...

Chapter 8

Dear Miss Emma Swan,

I am sending this letter to bring to your notice that there are some legal issues we should discuss as soon as possible. I am expecting you at the enclosed address on October 23rd at 8:15 pm.

Regina Mills

"Well, that was short and punchy." Emma commented, "And probably arrived late. Today is October 23rd, so that gives me about 12 hours to reach there."

"Storybrooke, Maine..." She read out. "Lennie?" She called out.

"Yes mommie?!" Came her enthusiastic response. Emma chuckled; she never understood how Lennie could be so bright so early in the morning. Probably got it from one of all the mysterious members of her family.

"Let's start packing," Emma continued, "We have a road trip ahead of us."

Of course, Lennie was more than happy to skip school and go for an 'adventure' as she called it. Emma didn't blame her; with her inconsistent schedule and just enough money to get by, they didn't get much time to vacation. Earlier, she wanted to roam around the country, and never settle down, but with a baby in the mix, settling down seemed the best idea. And now here she was, driving across the state with her kid, for the possibility of knowing the kid she gave up.

But it seemed that was never in the cards for her...

"What do you mean, he was kidnapped?" Emma yelled, for a moment not caring that her daughter and two other kids were just above them.

"Could you keep it down?" Regina Mills hissed at her. For all Emma's bravado of not being afraid of the formidable woman, she knew that it was the sensible thing to do and shut up.

"This is exactly why I didn't want to discuss this here." Regina said haughtily, throwing a reproachful look at Mr Gold, who was the town pawnbroker also acting as her lawyer. "By kidnapped I mean that a girl, whose description you exactly match, picked him up and ran away."

"Are you seriously accusing me of kidnapping my own child?" Emma asked incredulously.

"Actually, that's one of the facts which makes you the likely kidnapper." Regina said.

Emma actually laughed. "You mean to say that I gave up my child, had a change of heart in less than 12 hours and ran to the new home of my baby - the address of which I wasn't supposed to know - and kidnapped him? This is ridiculous."

"There were witnesses, Ms Swan, and I'm sure they would happily come here and attest that the statement made is true."

"The witnesses saw a blonde running away with a baby! That isn't enough to accuse me, even if its Madam Mayor making that accusation!" Emma said hysterically. "And tell me one thing, what were these witnesses and Madam Mayor doing while a girl 'picked him up and ran away' across the town? A girl ran across town carrying a baby and no one in the whole town could catch her? It actually took ten years for you to even get a suspect, even when you're putting your full efforts? Now why can't I believe that..." She added angrily. She trusted this woman with her baby, trusting her to be better than herself in taking care of her little boy, and what did she do? Didn't even bat an eye as her son was kidnapped. Replaced him quickly with another baby, probably... That girl, Paige, was it? She is probably as old as her son would be... is, she corrected herself.

Now more than ever, guilt of having given Henry up hit her. She should have kept him, no matter how hard it would've been...

"What's that you've got, Lennie?" She asked quietly, sitting in her room at Granny's, while Lennie curled up under the blanket with a book as big as her.

"It's a book. Paige gave it to me. Her teacher, Ms Blanchard, gave it to her, but she didn't like fairytales anymore, and even Roland was getting bored of them. But I liked them, so she gave it to me." Lennie babbled on, not immediately seeing her mother's sad look.

She did, after a moment, see her sadness, though, and went up to her. "What is it, mommie?"

Emma sighed. "Oh, Lennie... You have a brother."

"I have a brother!" She gave a delighted squeal, and Emma hushed her. "A little brother or a big brother?"

Emma smiled despite herself. "He is almost two years elder to you."

"But where is he?" She then asked.

Emma's smile faded, and she looked down.

"Mommie?" Lennie asked, shaking her slightly.

"Mommie didn't know how to take care of him, so she gave him away to someone who did..." Emma said, tears welling up in her eyes. "And now he's lost and I don't know what to do..." tears rolled down her face, as she let her head fall back, grief and regret consuming her. If she had just given it a chance...

She felt small hands wiping off her tears. "We'll find him. We'll find my brother."

Emma nodded. "Yes, Lennie, we will find your brother."