A/N: yet another Once episode woefully void of SwanQueen moments. But this one word and the scene itself seemed a great way to get Regina back in contact with the other mother to her son…

No sex because I couldn't quite make it work that way.

"Mother," Regina gasped as the purple smoke cleared to reveal Cora Mills in the place where Henry had just stood.

"Hello dear," Cora cooed, her sickly sweet tone doing little to reassure Regina at the sudden appearance of her mother. Who had apparently framed her for murder.

"What are you doing here?" she breathed.

"I missed you," the older Mills replied simply. "I wanted to see my daughter again."

"I missed you too," Regina admitted, just as much to herself as to her mother. Without hesitation, she moved into Cora's outstretched arms and embraced the older woman.

"So," Cora said as they broke apart. "Tell me all about my grandson."

Regina closed her bedroom door quietly and leaned against it. She breathed deeply and tried to collect her thoughts. She and Cora had spent the evening catching up and her mother was now soundly asleep in the guest bedroom. The sorceress had seemed genuine enough in her happiness to be reunited with Regina but something wasn't right. Cora had an agenda, one she was unwilling to share with her daughter. And Regina wasn't going to risk Henry getting involved in any evil plan her mother may have been concocting.

Sliding her phone from her pocket, she turned it on for the first time in days. As she watched, the screen flashed with dozens of notifications. Missed calls and text messages mostly from a certain Miss Emma Swan, with a few from her son as well. Their son.

Taking a deep breath, Regina hit the green button.

"Regina?" came the surprised voice a few seconds later.

"Yes," she said.

"Thank God!" Emma exclaimed. "We've all been looking for you."

"Why?" Regina asked.

"Because we know you didn't kill Archie. We know you were framed, by your mother."

There was a pause, Regina moving to sit on her bed as the truth hit her once more. "I know."

"You do?" Emma asked. "Have you seen her?"

"Yes," Regina admitted. "She's in my house right now in fact."

"Why?" Emma said, frowning at the news.

"Because despite everything she's done, she is still my mother," Regina explained.

"She tried to frame you for murder," Emma repeated. "I know I've only been in Henry's life five minutes and I never had parents of my own but I'm pretty sure that doesn't qualify her for mother of the year."

"I know," Regina nodded. "Which is why I'm calling you."

"Go on," Emma pressed when Regina didn't say anything else.

"She has a plan. I don't know what it is but I'm assuming it's nothing good. You need to keep Henry as far away from her as possible. Even if that means keeping him away from me," she added, sadly.

"He wants to see you," Emma said. "He's been worried. We all have."

"Really?" Regina asked, unwilling to believe anyone could care about the Evil Queen.

"Really," Emma assured. "Why don't you come over and see him tomorrow?" she offered.

"I can't," Regina sighed. "I don't dare leave my mother unattended and I don't want her to know where Henry is. I'd be leading her right to him."

"You really think she'll hurt him?" Emma asked, alarmed.

"I wouldn't put anything past her," Regina said, darkly.

"What should I tell Henry?" Emma asked.

"Tell him that his mother is fine but has to go away for a while, to keep him safe. Tell him I love him."

"Tell me yourself," came Henry's voice through the phone.

"Henry?" Regina breathed.

"The walls here are pretty thin," the boy shrugged as he sat down on the bed next to his blonde mother. "I heard Emma talking and I wanted to speak to you too."

"Wait there," Regina said. Standing quickly, she placed the phone on the bed and walked over to the door. Opening it a crack, she listened to the corridor and the house beyond. All was silent. Turning back to the phone she picked it up. "I'm coming over."

"You're what?" Henry said but the dial tone was already sounding.

"What did she say, kid?" Emma asked, frowning at the confused expression on Henry's face.

"She said she's … cool!" Henry exclaimed as a plume of purple smoke appeared in the centre of Emma's bedroom.

"Hello Henry," Regina said, holding out her arms to hug her son.

"Mum!" Henry grinned, jumping up from Emma's bed and racing across the room. "Are you ok?" he asked when they eventually broke apart.

"I'm fine," she assured. "I've just got a little family business to take care of. But I wanted to see you before I did."

"I missed you," Henry said, leading the brunette over to Emma's bed.

Regina followed slightly reluctantly and looked even more nervous when Henry sat down next to Emma and patted the mattress beside him. With a quick glance to Emma, who was smiling encouragingly, she perched on the edge of the surprisingly comfy bed.

"I never believed you killed Archie," Henry said. "Neither of us did. You're trying to be good now and you are."

"Thank you Henry," Regina smiled. "It means a lot to me that you know the truth, both of you."

"I hate to break up this reunion but it is after midnight," Emma pointed out. "Kid, you've got school tomorrow."

Henry nodded and got up from the bed. "Goodnight Mom," he said, hugging Regina once more. "See you soon."

"I love you Henry," Regina smiled as they broke apart.

"I love you too," Henry said as he slipped from Emma's room and walked down the corridor to his own.

Regina tried to hide her face as she wiped her eyes. She didn't want the Saviour to see her crying.

"It's ok, Regina," a soft voice said from beside her. "He's your son. Believe me, I know what it feels like to not be able to be with him."

"I'm sorry," Regina choked, the tears falling against her will. "For everything I put you through when you first got here, I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven," Emma smiled. "You were doing what you thought was best for Henry."

"And now what's best for him is for me to be far away. How is that right?"

"I gave him up for adoption as a new born baby," Emma reminded her. "It was so painful to do, to make that decision, but I knew it was right. I knew he would have a better life with someone else."

"Do you still believe you did the right thing?" Regina asked, turning her tear stained face towards Emma. "After everything I've put him through?"

"I do," Emma nodded. "He loves you. You love him more than anything in the world. You've given him everything Regina. Everything I couldn't."

"You'd have made it work," Regina assured. "If you had kept him, you would have been a great mother to him too."

"Thanks," Emma smiled, her own eyes sparkling at this point. "But there's no use dwelling on what might have been. We're both his mothers and we're both going to keep him safe from your mother, together."

"Speaking of which," Regina said, standing form Emma's bed, "I'd better get back in case she wakes and notices I'm not at home."

"You wanna come by at the weekend and see Henry? If he has no school the next day I'm sure a midnight visit wouldn't do him too much harm."

"Can I do that?" Regina asked.

"Of course," Emma assured. "He's missed you so much, Regina. Even I'll admit our lives have been a little less colourful without you. It will be good for the three of us to spend some time together." As she spoke, Emma stood too and moved to stand in front of the brunette.

"Thanks," Regina said, with a shy smile.

Emma grinned and, without thinking, moved forwards to wrap her arms around the shorter woman. Regina was startled momentarily before she returned the hug. It felt strange but comforting. It had been a long time since anyone but Henry had even touched her, especially not in an affectionate way.

"Good luck with your mother," Emma said as she pulled back.

"Thanks," Regina said, her cheeks a little red.

"So …" Emma trailed off.

"Goodnight Miss Swan," Regina said after a moment.

"Goodnight Regina," Emma said, emphasising the name to make a point.

Regina laughed. "Fine, goodnight Emma," she said, smiling slightly.

"Much better," Emma said, leaning forwards to place a gentle kiss to Regina's cheek.

The brunette froze. Soft lips pressed against her cheek before lingering just a hair's breath away and pulling back. Regina stared into the green eyes before her as Emma smiled almost sheepishly at her.

"Wh- what was that?" Regina stuttered.

"A goodnight kiss," Emma offered by way of an explanation. "Sorry," she added.

Regina raised her hand to caress the spot where Emma's lips had touched her face. Her brow furrowed as her mind tried to deal with the flurry of emotions running through it.

"I have to go," she said suddenly, her hand dropping back down to her side. "I'll see you at the same time tomorrow night."

This time it was Emma's turn to frown. "Tomorrow?" she asked. "I thought we agreed Friday or Saturday night for you to see Henry. It's Wednesday tomorrow."

"I know," Regina said before she disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.