A/N: Hi Guys, thanks for reviews/faves/follows. Really appreciate it. I hope you like the story. It's a double update today. Enjoy :)

Chapter 3 — Inoculation Day, Heart Protection Spell

When Emma pulled out the brown sack from the middle drawer of her old desk, she extended her hand for Regina to take the sack.

Regina eyed her suspiciously before taking the offer. She opened the sack and pulled out her own heart. The object was glowing a dark red and it was pretty bright in the darkness of Emma's office.

Henry's eyes glinted. "May I touch it?"

"Here," Regina put her hand under Henry's and put her heart in Henry's hand.

"Whoa."

"Whoa is right kid," Emma chuckled.

"It's beautiful…" Henry wandered aloud. "So you like my Mum too?" Henry asked innocently (although not that innocent) at Regina while he was still holding her heart. Before Regina even answered, the heart started to beat more frantically than usual and Henry caught that.

Emma visually cringed at the question but she tried to ignore it.

Regina slightly blushed at the question and tried to shake it off by taking her heart. "Henry, can I have my heart back now?"

Henry just smiled cheekily and he released his hand from Regina's heart softly. Regina put both of her hands around her heart and softly put it back inside her chest. She gasped softly as her heart is trying to synchronise with her body again.

"Can you put the same spell as the one you put on Henry?" Emma asked her after Regina's breathing became normal.

"I can't. It is physically impossible," Regina said sadly.

"For you. Not for me. Teach me," Emma said as she shrugged.

"You have magic too?" Henry asked Emma excitedly. His eyes beamed.

"I— kind of— yes?" Emma wasn't sure what she has, after all it took her a while to accept the possibility that magic exists, let alone having it as her birthright as the child of True Love.

"Don't be ridiculous. Of course you have magic, we've seen it on so many occassion." Regina explained plainly to Henry.

"Yeah? Cool. So you put a spell on my heart and the impolite redhead couldn't take it from me," Henry stated as he looked at Regina expectantly.

"I did."

"Now you need my Mum to do the same magic you did to me?" Henry asked.

"I want to, Henry. It's easier than finding a hiding place, and it's healthier for the person with the said heart as well." Emma said as matter of fact. She didn't want to dwell at the fact that Regina's mother was heartless for a very long time and it didn't end well for anyone.

Henry nodded slowly, trying to sink in the new information. "Okay." He looked at Emma expectantly, waiting for his mum to move closer to them.

Emma strolled towards them and looked at Regina. "So?"

"Very well. Henry dear, could you move a little bit farther?" Regina asked softly. Henry took three small steps back and Regina nodded subtly, indicating that it's enough.

"Okay Emma. Are you sure you want to do this?"

Emma nodded.

"You need to follow my instruction very carefully. Do you understand?" Regina asked again.

Emma nodded again.

"Give me your hand," Regina extended her right hand. She took the hand that Emma gave her and put it right above her heart.

Emma could feel the heat flowing from Regina's body. She could feel the beating of the very heart she was vowed to protect, and she could feel the warm that spreading from her hand into her core.

"Concentrate. Think about the ones you love the most." Regina commanded.

Emma's brain suddenly filled with memories of Henry. The memories that Regina gave her, mixed with her own memories after she arrived in Storybrooke. Henry's laugh. Henry's belief. Henry's love for her. What she didn't expect was it was accompanied by one of the most important people in her life beside Henry. She was seeing memories of Regina. The first meeting. Their countless fights over nothing and anything. Their acceptance that if they work together, they will overcome almost anything. Regina. The mother of her son.

To wrap everything up, she felt her love for her parents. Sure, they gave her no choice, growing up alone, always running, never stays in one place for too long, fear of commitment, fear of attachment. But she's mature enough to realise that without them giving her away, without the curse, she wouldn't have Henry, and she wouldn't have Regina.

She has people that she cares about in Storybrooke. She has family. So she let all her emotions surfacing, and she let it spread towards her hand, onto Regina's heart.

"Good," Emma heard Regina purred. "Now think about protecting the heart you hold on your hand with all that emotions."

So she did.

Henry saw the bright blue light coming from Emma's hand and the dark red glow spreading Regina's chest as to lock the heart in its place. His eyes widened in wonder and amazement. Well, he is a twelve years old boy. It doesn't take much to entertain him.

Regina felt the push and a sharp jolt pinching her heart. Unconsciously, she grabbed Emma's upper arms to steady herself, and at the same time, Emma opened her eyes. They locked their gaze for a little while before turning their heads away.

"Did it work?" Emma asked breathlessly.

"Yes, it should be." Regina nodded assertively.

"It was awesome Mum. You're like Hermione," Henry said with pride and joy.

Emma smiled at the reference, and Regina smiled softly at the son that was so close yet so far away.

"Okay. One business done. Let's go to the hospital to check up on Mary Margaret. We need to find the book, Henry, if you want to know the full explanation without us awkwardly trying to tell you the full story." Emma cringed again.

Upon walking out of the Sheriff's station, Regina stopped just before they are going inside the bug. Emma tilted her head.

"Hey, you coming?"

"I—"

"Come on, she'll be thrilled to see you." Emma said nonchalantly. "And it's easier to protect Henry if we're together," Emma added.

"Very well then," and Regina climbed inside the bug.

On the way to the hospital, Henry asked a few question about magic and Storybrooke, nothing too alarming, yet. Regina and Emma answered as best as they could without really explaining that the town was the product of a Dark Curse, cast by his adoptive mother.

Once they found what room Mary Margaret stayed in, they went to the said room and oh how glad Emma was to find out that her parents are okay. Wicked Witch or not, Storybrooke never has a dull day. The seconds Emma laid eyes on her mum, she ran (literally) to hug her tightly. The spell for locking Regina's heart was bringing its side effect on her. She's a bit too emotional than usual. She even whispered, "I'm glad you and my little brother or sister is okay, Mum." Yeah, she even called Mary Margaret with the moniker.

Mary Margaret hugged Emma back just as tightly as her eyes watered. As she pulled away, she cupped Emma's face and she smiled lovingly for a while before Emma got too shy. She then shifted her focus to her grandson. "Henry! Are you okay?"

"Yeah. My Mums are just telling me how cool Storybrooke is!"

They all chuckled.

"Now you have two Mums, huh, Champs?" David teased. "How's that feel?"

"Awesome! They both have magic! Like real magic!" Henry extended both of his hand to gesture something big. "How are you feeling, Mary Margaret?" Henry asked as she approached the school teacher.

"I'm fine Henry. But Dr. Whale said I have to spent the night here, just in case," she explained.

"I'm sorry," Henry muttered softly.

"It's not your fault, honey," Mary Margaret smiled at her grandson and stroke his hair softly.

"Ah, on that note, do you happen to know where the book is, Snow?" Regina asked.

"Snow?" Henry squeezed his nose. "As in Snow White?" His eyes bulged.

Emma literally slapped her hand on her face. "Uhm—" and then she eyed Regina as if to say Regina, a little help here?!

Mary Margaret and David was looking at each other and a slightly bedazzled look graced their faces. They didn't know what to do either.

"Yes. She is Snow White, honey. But here everybody calls her Mary Margaret." Regina stated quickly and calmly. "The book, Snow? And close your mouth dear, we knew your head was hit but there's no need to let the insects choke you as well."

Mary Margaret blinked rapidly before closing her mouth and clearing her throat. "Oh, well. The book just appeared out of no where the first time I've found it." She explained. "It was in the closet, then I gave it to Henry." She smiled fondly.

"You gave me a book? When?" Henry tilted his head confusedly.

Mary Margaret grimaced as she looked at Henry for a while, and she turned her head to ask for help from her daughter, only to be met by her mouthing 'sorry' and she looked at Henry again.

"I did. Two years ago," Mary Margaret explained. "You'll understand when you read it, Henry," she added.

Henry nodded slowly. "So you," he pointed at David, "are Prince Charming?"

"At your service, Your Highness," David grinned proudly.

"This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Henry mumbled to himself.

"Come on Emma," Regina took the lead. "We have a closet to raid."