Chapter Sixteen: Bail

Regina Mills hadn't slept at all last night, and it wasn't because she had called Graham over. She had spent the night pouring over the book she had managed to stow away when Henry was distracted. She had poured over the pages that somehow presented not only her story but that of most of the people she had hand-picked to surround herself with. Jefferson, Red Riding Hood, Snow White and Prince Charming all laid out with beautiful illustrations to accompany them. But it what was at the end that had caused her to nearly set the book on fire right there.

Her name was Emma Swan- the infuriating woman who thought she had some kind of claim on Henry simply because she gave birth to him. It all fit together too perfectly and yet it had to be false. If she was the Emma Swan then Henry was… her Henry. The Henry she had given up to avoid this exact situation because it would mean the unraveling of her entire curse. When she even started to think that it was like fuzz crept up through the back of her mind and turned it towards other areas of thought, but she was now fully aware it was happening. Something was trying to keep her from remembering the connection between Henry and Emma which only served to fuel her paranoia and anger more.

She set out to walk down Main Street, desperately needing to clear her head of the building pressure. She had thought her happy ending was finally starting with the Darling family- the hole was slowly but surely being filled. They considered her a friend and she saw Henry as her own son. She couldn't lose it. She wouldn't lose it.

Her breath stopped when she heard the chime ring out over the empty street causing her to look up over the library desperately. The clock had moved. Time was moving forward. "She's still here," Regina growled under her breath, elbowing and nearly knocking Dr. Hopper over as he came down the street with Pongo. Sure enough there was the garish yellow car in front of Granny's. She knew it despite the fuzz in her mind begging her to keep walking, making her head physically hurt to the point she had to grab her head in her hands and grit her teeth. She temporarily abandoned the train of thought she had been on for some relief, feeling a smile creep on her face and a chill run up her spine. This was better. The ticking clock was just a small set-back. Her curse wasn't breaking. It wouldn't break. But it didn't stop the fact that Emma Swan needed to be removed from town for Henry's sake. He didn't need someone like her in his life when he had his parents and Regina.

Regina was preparing a little gift for Ms. Swan with some apples from her garden after a stop at the drug store when there was a knock at the door. Michael Darling stood there with a warm smile and she couldn't help but notice that he was a little stiff to her hug. "Michael, what can I do for you this morning?" She hoped it was something to distract her- Michael always had a good community project up his sleeve.

"It seems Henry left his storybook behind yesterday and I promised I would get it back for him since he isn't coming over today." Oh. "You know how attached he is to the thing." There was something else in his tone- almost like he knew the real reason the book had stayed at her house and was judging her for it. His expression seemed tighter and she didn't like it in the slightest because she felt like she had been seeing too much of it recently.

"Yes," she admitted to nothing, trying to seem like her usual self and not the madwoman she was a few hours previously. "I have it right on the table. I figured you would stop by. Do you want to stop in and grab-"

"I'm sorry but I have to get to work." Something told her he wasn't sorry at all. "I will definitely have to come by sometime though."

She grabbed the book and walked back towards him. "Yes. We haven't talked in a while, especially about Henry's progress in therapy. I thought we were trying to get him to step away from the book and seeing the world in stories," she reminded him. They had seemed so committed and attending to the idea just a few months ago. When had things started changing so much?

Michael took the book a little hastily, mustering a clearly fake smile. She'd seen enough of the real thing to tell the difference. "Baby steps, Regina. Dr. Hopper stressed making this a careful transition since so much of his faith hinges on this book. Well, I'd better-"

"Some of the pages are missing," she spoke suddenly without thought. He gave her a look and she made her next sentence more refined. "It appears someone ripped out the back of the book. I didn't know if you were aware or if Henry did it when he was younger or… something else."

He just stared at her a minute. "It's an old book, Regina. Those pages have always been missing. Nothing we can do about it. Have a great day and I will see you when I pick up Henry Friday." He turned to go down the steps when she again found herself speaking without thought.

"We used to be so close." He froze but didn't turn around. "Before this whole matter with the book. You three used to come over for dinner and we'd just talk and laugh about his antics at school. It just… feels like we haven't done that in so long. And I guess with Emma Swan appearing I feel… insecure about my part in Henry's life."

He turned around to face her, this time with a true sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry you felt that way Regina. I suppose we have been growing apart slightly," he admitted, coming back up the steps to give her another comforting hug. "We'd never want you to feel like that. You have a very firm place in Henry's life and have since he was very little with nothing threatening it. We'll keep it that way." He pulled back, rubbing her arm. "I will talk to them about dinner at the earliest opportunity, okay?"

"Yes," she agreed. "Thank you." He rubbed her arm once more before heading back towards his car, leaving her standing on her porch a little confused by his words. Why had him comfort almost seemed more like a warning? She walked back into the house, upending the basket onto the ground as she walked to the medicine cabinet and swallowed two of the headache pills she had purchased earlier- desperate to rid herself of the pounding in her head that had started once again when she had considered that.

XXX

The bell rang as Michael stepped into Granny's, sliding into a booth next to Henry with John and Graham opposite him. They were digging in on breakfast with his usual in the open spot. "Couldn't even wait for me after I went to all the trouble," he joked, sliding Henry his book.

"Thank you Uncle Michael!" he exclaimed with a hug before returning to his bacon. "She's right over there," he whispered conspiratorially nodding to the counter. He saw John just roll his eyes as Michael saw Emma Swan sitting by herself reading the newspaper, recognizing that red leather jacket anywhere. "I convinced Dad to send her something from me. Keep an eye out for it," he added, causing Graham to snicker at how secretive he was being. "But don't be too obvious. We don't want to crowd her."

"I didn't know I was joining a secret mission," Graham joked as they all kept watching her from the corner of their eyes throughout breakfast. Finally, Ruby deposited a cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon in front of her with a large smile. Emma spoke to her for a moment confused, causing Ruby to only smile wider with her response. She turned around to see their booth, everyone but Graham having looked away in time. She leveled him with a hard stare and he sighed. "It looks like you only brought me on to take the fall, boys." Henry laughed as he finished his last piece of bacon.

She came over to them, cup in hand. Graham just gave her what John referred to as his "Innocent Look" that Graham was keen on using whenever he wanted John to do more than his share of paperwork at the station. "So you decided to stay," he began with the blonde, keeping things casual.

"Observant," Emma shot back, "Important for a cop. I also see you are apparently incapable of going anywhere without your deputy."

John just put his hands up as Graham looked at him over his shoulder. "Leave me out of this. I just keep him fed by paying for breakfast."

"He lost a bet," Graham explained. "I can hold my liquor better than this lightweight and now he pays for it literally." Emma rolled his eyes, but he just kept the charm coming. "Back to you staying- that's good news for our tourist business, bad for our local signage." John just rolled his eyes as Emma stared at him. Graham frowned and looked to see no one at the booth was laughing either. "It's- because she ran over our sign-"

"Look, the cocoa was a nice gesture," Emma cut in sharply. Michael couldn't help but notice a little chemistry to this back-and-forth, making note to talk to John about it later. Maybe there was a way to get Graham out of Regina's clutches after all. "And I'm impressed that you guessed that I like cinnamon in my hot chocolate 'cause most people don't, but I'm not here to flirt, so, thank you, but no thank you." She set the mug on the table with a nod, but Graham did not drop his smile.

"I didn't send it," he admitted as Henry leaned forward to wave at her.

"I did," he offered cheerily. "I like cinnamon too." She seemed a little taken aback, not even having noticed him there when she had been talking to Graham- another check in the chemistry column. He nudged Michel who stepped out of the booth so Henry could stand in front of the blonde before turning to his parents. "Can Emma walk me to school today?"

Both Michael and John looked at each other for a long moment. "If she's okay with it," John conceded. He had become the leader of sorts on this mission after their meeting last night. The first step in the plan was to build a relationship with Emma and get her to stay longer than a week- something Henry was going to be the key in. Meanwhile, they had to keep Regina happy and off her scent which looked like it was going to be a bit rougher than they had first though. Jefferson had vowed to be their eyes on the town from his house though, keeping an eye on everything from his trusty telescope.

Emma was going to say something, but Henry practically started dragging her out the door. "Love you Dad! Love you Uncle Michael! Love you Uncle Graham! See you after school!"

"Love you too," the all sent back as the bell rang and then we were gone. John waited a beat before rising himself, nudging Graham to do the same.

"Come on, Romeo," he told his best friend. "Let's get you to the station before you hurt yourself."

"I wasn't flirting," Graham argued as he rose from the booth as well.

John merely rolled his eyes. "Graham, I was here. I saw what you were doing. Give me a second with Michael and I'll meet you in the car." Once Graham was out of earshot he instantly turned serious. "What did she say?"

"Nothing about the book," Michael summarized, knowing they didn't have much time. "We need to do a better job though. She's worried we're pulling away from her- that we aren't as close as we used to be. We're going to have to do dinner sometime this week." John nodded, mulling the point over. "She also seems to have a killer headache."

John pounded his knuckles on the table. "That would be the pixie dust. I don't know how much longer we have before she gets too strong for it though. Good job. Maybe go visit her on break just to visit. Let her complain about Emma- complain a little yourself." Michael nodded, watching John head out to join his partner in the car as he went to the back to throw on his apron for work. Leroy would be here any minute and he was at the point where he only accepted his cooking. He took a deep breath before stepping into the kitchen. They had a plan. They could do this.

He was starting to really like Emma Swan though.

XXX

Meanwhile, Emma Swan was being led by Henry down Main Street. She glanced over at him as he adjusted his glasses which she now could see looked identical to John's. The kid clearly adored his father. He was in what appeared to be a school uniform with a brown backpack over his shoulders. She was hesitant to be walking with him, but his parents didn't seem threatened by her. They almost seemed… okay with her sticking around for a bit. But she wasn't counting on that goodwill lasting long. Soon they would be sick of her and want her out of their perfect lives. And she had pretty much planned on staying to get under Mayor Regina's skin so she didn't have her way. That woman needed to learn a thing or two about that. She looked at Henry again and remembered what the woman had said to her. Walking Henry to school was actually the near perfect way to stick it to her when she thought about it.

"So I need to bring you up to speed on "Operation Cobra"," Henry said suddenly. She just looked at him, causing him to sigh. "The Evil Queen's curse. We have to break it, remember?" Oh right, the fairy tale thing. Part of her was hesitant to admit she was sticking around to spend time with Henry, given him eccentricities, but there was just something about him that was a force of nature that kept pulling her back in. "The first step of the plan is to help in identifying fairy tale characters and figuring out what they need to remember."

"Cobra?" Emma questioned. "That has nothing to do with fairytales."

"Exactly, it's a codename. My parents and I came up with it last night to throw the Queen… that's Regina remember off our trail." He was just so focused on the task at hand it made him endearing, once again pulling Emma in despite her better judgements.

"So everyone here is a fairytale character from what you and your dad have told me," she played along. "They just don't know it."

"Yes, time's been frozen until you got here," he explained. "They don't know their pasts- to most of them it's just a haze. Ask anyone and you'll see. I've tried."

"But then what about your family? John and Michael Darling do seem pretty suspicious." It actually was kind of weird now that she had mentioned it. She hadn't really thought about it until this moment. They did look pretty young to have adopted a baby ten years ago.

"It's just a coincidence," Henry said quickly and dismissively. "We moved here when I was a baby and thus the curse doesn't affect us. That's how we could tell something was up."

"So… for decades, people have been walking around, in a haze, not again outside the three of you, with screwed up memories, stuck in a cursed town to keep them oblivious," Emma took stock of what he had basically told her.

She hadn't expected him to beam up at her proudly. "I knew you'd get it! That's why I needed to bring you here, because you're the only one who can stop the Evil Queen's Curse."

"Because you think I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming," Emma reminded him incredulously. This kid was apparently expecting a lot out of his birthmother that she certainly wasn't capable of delivering. It would be for the best she left before he became disappointed in her too.

"Yes!" he snapped her out of it. "And right now, we have the advantage. We have something that's keeping us safe from the Evil Queen while we plan. She also tried to steal the book to get information but," he pulled some pages out of his backpack as they pulled to a stop, "I took out the part with you in it week ago just in case." She looked down to see in was a painting almost of a man, Prince Charming she guessed, placing a baby in a wooden tree thing. Then she noted that clear as crystal the side of the blanket had 'Emma' stitched upon it similarly to how hers did. But that was a common thing and whoever made the drawing just wanted readers to see who it was. But now she could see why Henry was so dead-set on her being this person. He must have been over the moon when he found out his birth mother was named Emma. "See? You mom IS Snow White!"

"Kid…" she sighed, wanting to stop this before he ended up getting hurt.

He just shrugged her off though and kept walking. "I know the hero never believes at first, if they did, it wouldn't be a very good story." So much for convincing him. "If you need proof, take them, read them. You just can let her see them. They're dangerous. If she really puts it all together about who you are… we're worried our protection might now even be able to stop her."

She was about to question the supposed protection on top of insisting he have the pages back when they arrived at the front of the school building. Emma came to a stop while Henry waved back at her over his shoulder. "I have to go, but you should come over to my house later and we can all get started. Oh, I knew you'd believe me!"

"I never said I did!" she shouted at him as he started away from her.

He just smirked at her. "Why else would you be here?" And with that he ran off toward the school, leaving Emma with the realization that she really didn't know the answer to that one as well as she would've liked.

"It's good to see the two of you getting along," his teacher, Mary Margaret, say as she came up in front of her, having spotted her after Henry ran past. She looked surprised but delighted to see her, which Emma didn't find shocking in the slightest. "Henry is a very special boy and I'm glad to see you stayed so you could see some of that." Her face then got a little more serious. "Does the Mayor know you're still here?"

"I'd guess so," Emma wagered. "She seems to know everything with how small this place is. What is her deal? She's not a great people person from what I've seen, how did she get elected?"

Mary Margaret thought on this for a second before shrugging. "She's been Mayor as long as I can remember. No one's been brave enough to run against her. She inspires quite a bit of… well, fear. I'm afraid it's been getting worse since Henry really started taking to this fairytale notion and called her the Evil Queen. Michael told me she was so upset she practically forced them to make him see Dr. Hopper once a week." She bit her lip. "I don't know if I should have told you that. I'm sorry."

"Who does he think you are?" Emma couldn't help but ask to change topic, taking in her appearance of a dress and white sweater and demeanor of politeness and kindness. It had to be a princess for sure.

Mary Margaret scoffed and looked down, obviously finding the notion ridiculous. "It's silly…"

That made Emma laugh as she raised an eyebrow at the woman. "I just got a whole walk of silly. Lay it on me."

"Snow White." No way. Emma found herself staring at this stranger, searching her face for anything she had seen in the mirror before. But it only took a half-second to realize how ridiculous she was being and rein it in, listing all the logical reasons this was impossible. It was just a story. This woman was her age. She wasn't actually about to believe what the kid was telling her because it wasn't true. She should be ashamed for even considering the notion for that brief of time. Plus, it was really creepy he had apparently lined up a parent for her and a grandparent for himself in his head. He barely even noticed the school bell ring out. "Who does he think you are?" Mary Margaret asked as she back towards the building, unaware of her mental lecture just then.

"I'm not in the book…"she answered honestly, still trying to regain her mental footing. This was just going too far. Emma just didn't understand how a kid as happy as Henry spent so much time devoted to a fantasy world. It didn't make sense. But there was something the teacher had said that might be able to help Emma try to understand the little oddball better. "Can I ask you something real fast? Where can I find Dr. Hopper's office?"

XXX

Doctor Hopper pretended to pour over the book in front of him, desperately trying to look as if he wasn't nervous. He had hesitations about doing this, about betraying a woman he hadn't even met yet. Plus part of him felt like he was betraying John and Michael, two of the greatest and most honest people he had ever met. And he was betraying Henry. That was the one that made him hesitate the most. But though he made being having his moral qualms, that perpetual fear of the Mayor and what she could do kept him from simply leaving the office and keeping her plan from happening.

Sure enough, there came a knock on the door. He spun in his chair to see the blonde woman in a bright red coat who must be Emma Swan- the whole town had been abuzz about her after all. "Hey," she greeted him informally, stepping into the cluttered office as he put his book down and rose.

"Emma Swan," he greeted with a smile. He held up the latest copy of the Daily Mirror with the headline 'Stranger Destroys Historic Sign' and her mugshot emblazed across the front. "I was, uh, reading about you. Let me guess, you're here for help with a little post-traumatic stress?" He laughed at his own joke, trying to appear calm. "I'm Doctor Archibald Hopper," he greeted with a shake of his hand "That diagnosis was free, by the way."

This made her a laugh, a great sound that made him feel like she didn't do it enough. "No, I actually came here about Henry. I'm his birthmother as I'm sure you've heard by now."

Archie knew how he had to play this- how he was supposed to play this. He glanced downward, clamming up and stuttering. "I'm sorry, I-I-I really shouldn't-"

"I know," Emma cut in, looking apologetic but desperate to know the answer. "I'm sorry." She sat on the edge of the sofa, hands clasped together as she looked up at him. "I just… just tell me something. This fairytale obsession, what is causing it? His home life seems great and he's a happy kid. But I mean, he thinks everyone is a character in his book. That's… crazy."

Something about what she said hit Archie the wrong way- something about it was very disconcerting for someone who was a parent. He felt determined to make her aware of such. "I-I hope you don't talk that way in front of him. The word 'crazy' is um… quite damaging. I know his parents never use it," he added for a little emphasis. "The respect that these stories- they're his language. They're how he communicates and identifies with the rest of the world, especially some issues that he faces despite having two parents. He uses it to help him deal with his problems."

She contemplated this, looking almost saddened at his remark. "Is it true Regina's the only reason he comes here? You said his parents don't have a problem, so-"

"Regina, his babysitter and the closest thing to a mother he has, is a… very complicated woman. He said something that hurt her and she felt he was pulling away so she reached out to his parents." He knew what he had to do now and moved to the filing cabinet next to his desk. "Why don't you take a look at the file. Um… see what he sees a bit." He deposited the brown folder in her hands, trying to stomach his guilt as she looked up at him.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Well, he talks about you a lot," Hopper lied. "You're… you're very important to him."

"Thank you." He couldn't take that look from her a moment longer and went to open the door for her.

"Just uh… see that I get it back, okay?" Ms. Swan moved for the exit, but he stopped her before she left completely- needing to say something. "Miss Swan. Just for the sake of the boy, be careful how you handle his… belief system. To destroy his imagination would be… would be devastating." With that she departed, and he made his way to the phone as soon as the door closed. It picked up after one ring. "You were right. She… was just here."

"Did she take the file?" the Mayor asked on the other end of the line.

"Yes. I don't know how you knew she'd make her way here, but she did."

"I just thought she'd start poking her nose where it doesn't belong. You know what to do." With that, she hung up. Dr. Hopper put his head in his hands a moment before dialing the phone a second time. He couldn't believe what he was about to do. But he had no other choice.

XXX

Sheriff Graham hesitated as he came to a stop in front of Emma Swan's room. He had promised his best friend he would take this one as soon as the call came in while John stewed at the station. He had been hoping things would work out between Emma and the Darling family as she seemed to have quite the personality on her and having her around would be great for Henry. There was just something about her that pulled him in, more than he even felt with Regina. Though he hadn't told John that quite yet given the hard enough time he was getting for his flirting this morning. But he needed to get back to the situation at hand, knocking on the door.

She opened it a moment later in just her white tank top, smiling at him in a way that made his heart skip a beat. "Hey there… if you're concerned about the 'Do Not Disturb' signs, don't worry. I've left them alone."

It was a good joke and he was tempted to laugh. But all he had to do was think of his best friend back at the station putting his head in his hands when he heard the news. "Actually, I'm here about Doctor Archibald Hopper. He mentioned you got into a bit of a row with him earlier." The man had been practically frantic on the phone really. But he was now a little struck by how dumbfounded Emma looked at his statement.

"No."

"I'm shocked too, given your shy, delicate sensibilities," Graham couldn't help but say playfully before forcing himself to rein it in. "He says you demanded to see Henry's files and when he refused you came back and stole them."

"He gave them to me."

"Alas, he's telling a different tale. May I check your room? Or must I get a search warrant?"

She opened the door wider and led him over to the bed where papers were scattered all across it. He took a breath at the site of them. This boded huge trouble for her relationship with John. "This what ya lookin' for?"

He quickly packed the files up into the folder and placed it under his arm, planning to give them to John as soon as they got back. "You're very accommodating. But, I'm afraid, Miss Swan, you're under arrest. Again." He turned her around and quickly cuffed her. "John's very disappointed in you right now, by the way. So I would brace myself for that when we get back."

"You know I'm being set up, don't you?" Emma questioned.

"That doesn't change the fact to him that you took his kids files behind his back without even talking to him or Michael first. That was a preview. Let's bring you in for the main show." He started to lead her way when she went to speak again. "Miss Swan, when we get to the station you can divulge to the two of us who you believe is setting you up, alright?"

XXX

Emma stood in front of the lined backdrop, hands cuffed in front of her. Graham was standing in front of an ancient camera flashing pictures while John sat off at what must have been his desk staring at the file Graham had handed them when they got back. He hadn't said a single word the entire time which was really starting to unnerve her.

"You know the shrink is lying, right?" she called to him as Graham snapped a picture.

"To the right, please." She sighed but did as he said; noticing John not even seemed to have noticed her speak. Graham looked at the man over his shoulder before letting out a sigh and answering her prompt himself. "Why would he lie?"

"The Mayor put him up to this… she's gotta have something on him. He's terrified of her, like everyone else in this-town."

"To the left," Graham requested. She obliged as he snapped another photo. "Regina may be a touch intimidating, but I don't think she'd go as far as a frame job."

That got Emma curious. "How far would she go? What does she have her hand in?"

He merely shrugged. "Well, she's the Mayor. She has her hands in everything."

Emma let one of her eyebrow rise as she stared him down. "Including the police force?" Graham looked taken aback, and opened his mouth when something slammed. They both turned to see John had risen and was now glaring at her.

"You don't get to talk to us like that- to him like that!" he defended, now coming up next to support his Sheriff. "We are just doing what the evidence says, so you don't get to judge us for doing our job. You stole information on my son that wasn't yours to see."

Emma was taken aback by his anger, thankful when Graham tried to calm him with a hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off though. "Listen, John-"

"Mr. Darling," He corrected her. "I can't believe this. I let you walk him to school. I did my best to accommodate the idea of you in his life despite the fact it was a closed adoption. I thought maybe he could use a mother around. Maybe you could fit the bill. And then you turned around and violated out trust just as I was starting to accept the kind of person I thought you were."

"I just wanted to know about him," Emma pleaded to understand. She didn't know why this negative perception was affecting her so much, but she wanted him on her side. She cared what he thought about her.

"Then you could have called. I would have given you permission and we wouldn't be in this mess!" he replied with a gesture to the handcuffs. "You clearly don't respect Michael and I as parents Emma. You undermined us the first chance you had. Then how in return, do you expect us to respect you?"

She had nothing to say to that because he was right. She had been so… it could have been so easy. But they were interrupted by Henry running in. "Hey!" he shouted, tackling his dad in a hug. This instantly calmed the man down as he clutched his son, running a hand through his hair. It was like he became a different person. She then saw Michael and Mary Margaret come into the office as well.

"What are you doing here?" Graham asked, clearly worried about the kid seeing her like this. Henry pulled away from his dad to give Graham a quick hug.

"We had to give Mary Margaret a ride down here," he explained hastily. "Uncle Michael picked me up from school and she overheard when he told me what happened."

"Henry, I don't know what they said-"

"You're a genius!" he told her, taking everyone in the station a bit aback. Emma just looked at him, having no clue as to why he was taking such joy out of this. "I know what you were up to. You were gathering intel. For 'Operation Cobra'," he added, giving a pointed look at his parents.

Graham turned to the too. "I'm sorry, but I'm a bit lost…"

"It's need to know, Uncle Graham," Henry cut in, "and all you need to know is that Miss Blanchard insisted on coming here so she could bail her out."

Wait, what? Emma turned to the schoolteacher, taking in her shy smile. That made absolutely no sense. "You are? Why?"

Mary Margaret honestly didn't seem too sure herself. "I-uh-trust you." Well, how do you like that. Emma wasn't one for trust, but she was actually a little touched at the woman's gesture. Though she quickly tried to bury it by extending her cuffed wrists to Graham.

"If you could uncuff me then…" Graham did just that as Michael and John moved together, talking in low and fast voices. John gave a nod and started for the door.

"Graham, there's something I have to do." The Sheriff gave him a wave. "And Michael, take Henry back home. Don't let him spend too much time here with her. I don't want her spending too much time with him. And don't let her do anything stupid like go after her, Graham."

Well, ouch. That actually hurt.

XXX

When Regina opened the door, it was clear she had been expecting him to arrive soon enough. John just stared at her a moment, deciding on the words he was going to use. He had let his emotions fly with Emma because he was downright pissed at her, but this one he had to play much more carefully. "Regina, a frame job is not going to be enough to scare her off."

Her face instantly hardened. "I don't pretend to know what you're implying," she said in what was clearly her Evil Queen voice. It was intimidating, but John plowed through knowing he had the upper hand this round. "I trust she has been arrested though."

"We actually just let her go, because as we discussed we both know she didn't steal those files." He just had to keep calm and in control. "And this is Doctor Hopper we're talking about- a close friend of my family. Are you really confident his conscience won't get the better of him if we put him on the stand, Regina. Because if he's lying that means someone asked him to."

She just glared at him. "She should not be in Henry's life."

"I think that's for Michael and I to decide," John countered. "We're his parents after all. Emma Swan and her role in his life are at our choosing. You have made your opinion clear and we respect it, but that choice is ours to make. You're not going to force our hand by coming at her. Who knows, you may eventually succeed-"

"I will succeed. It's what's best for Henry."

"And he is the one who will be hurt by this escalating. If you care about him, Regina, you will take a step back and let us handle this. Michael said you've felt like we're pulling away. Don't make us be forced to." That seemed to get to her as she just stared at him, eyes widening as she realized his implication. "Unless there's something else at play with all this besides her being around Henry?"

There was the bait- the nail in the coffin. "No, of course not," Regina informed him as she crossed her arms. And it was done. John knew there was only one threat that could make her back off Emma and he had just made it very real. "I'm not admitting to any of your harsh accusations, but you have made your point clear. I will trust you opinions on the Swan girl and step back from it. I only did it because I love Henry."

"I know you do," he told her honestly. "That's why we don't want this to go any further. We will see you Friday for dinner then when we come to pick up Henry." He started down the steps, but stopped for the final touch. "Thank you, Regina. Sincerely." He saw a hint of a smile on her face that he matched. Despite their knowledge of Regina's dark side, this woman was still one of the most important figures in his life. She had protected him and despite the fact that most of that had been manipulation and power play part of John still liked and respected the woman. He could only hope she made the right choice in regards to his son by leaving Emma Swan alone. Because this was going to take more time than they had thought because Emma Swan sure was a piece of work.

XXX

Mary Margaret had been surprised when Michael asked to stop by her apartment claiming he needed a hot chocolate to talk to about the day while Henry was at therapy. "John claims he's too sophisticated for it," he had laughed. So the two had just sat and talked, learning they had quite a few things in common and trading some recipes. She wasn't quite sure why they had never done this before given how often they saw each other.

There was a knock at the door as she showed off her needlework to Michael who had thought about taking up sewing. She opened it to reveal Emma Swan in the hallway. "Hey. Just wanted to say thank you and, um, pay you back the bail money." There was a pause as she just stared at how uncomfortable at the situation. This girl clearly did not take favors well.

"You look like you need to talk," she offered, opening the door to reveal Michael, who gave a small wave. "I happen to have another excellent listener here as well." She led Emma to the table, quickly getting to work on another cup of cocoa.

"Well, I'm sorry to say your brother might be an issue that comes up. He's really upset at me about the files and the influence someone like me might have on Henry." Mary Margaret placed a cup in front of her and took a seat next to Michael, noticing how affected Emma looked by what had apparently been said to her. "Cinnamon?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I should have asked," Mary Margaret apologized. She was always just doing that out of habit, unused to having any sort of guest. "It's a little quirk of mine. Do you mind?" Emma shook her head as Michael just watched the scene with a small smile.

"John will come around," Michael spoke up. "As you can see, Henry means the world to him and he wants nothing but the best for him. It may make him lean towards the overprotective side on some issues. You just have to show him that you have the potential to be a good influence on Henry."

"But maybe he's right about my not being able to. If I stay, Henry's only going to keep getting hurt. Plus, Granny threw me out of the inn since they don't allow felons."

"I don't believe that and you shouldn't either," Mary Margaret spoke up. She could see the good in Emma clear as day, despite being positive this woman couldn't see it herself. "I think the fact you're so worried about him shows exactly the reason you should stay. You care about him."

"And that's alright," Michael added with a kind smile. "I still think we can make this work with John on our side. Because he wants what's best for Henry, and that's you." Mary Margaret couldn't help but smile at his kind encouraging words. Why hadn't she spent time with Michael before? He just had a way of bringing out the best in people, of bringing a smile to the face of someone was down. In a lot of ways it was clear that's what made him such a good parent but was also the product of parenting.

But Emma turned to her and she could see it was her turn. "When you bailed me out, you said… that you trusted me. Why?"

Mary Margaret couldn't quite explain it, so she went with what she genuinely felt no matter how it sounded. "It's strange- ever since you arrived here, I've had the oddest feeling like we've met before. I mean it sounds crazy."

"It's not," Michael cut in, but it was Emma's words she heard more clearly.

"I'm starting to reevaluate my definition of crazy." This made her smile and have hope that everything would work out after all. Emma might be the perfect fit for Henry's mom. She just didn't know it yet.

"I know where you might be able to find him and tell him that," Michael said with a smile as he finished off his cocoa. "He's over at Doctor Hopper's right now." She wasted no time in heading for the door, leaving Mary Margaret and Michael to watch proudly as she went. She was certainly going to keep rocking the boat around this town for sure. But Mary Margaret for the first time in a long time was oaky with that. She was ready for a few things to change.

XXX

Henry was sitting across from Doctor Hopper as the man scribbled some notes about his observations when it came to Emma Swan. Hopper was trying to put the subject back on himself desperately, but there was just no stopping him from promising that she was going to be the one to fix everything- including his therapist's conscience. Hopper had sputtered at that, but Henry made it clear he forgave him for the business with the file. Soon enough he would be back to his regular self again.

"Why is it you think I'm Jiminy Cricket?" he had asked politely when Henry had finished his little speech. He was about to launch into another one when Emma came in with the pages held tightly in her hands. "Miss Swan," Hopper looked ashamed, "Look, I can explain. The Mayor forced-"

"I know," she interrupted, attention only on Henry. "Henry, there is one simple reason I stayed here- you." Henry felt his heart leap at that. "To get to know you and your life so I knew for sure I did the best thing in giving you up. And it's clear that I did with John and Michael."

"Why does this sound like a good-bye?" Henry couldn't help but mutter, recognizing her tone of voice.

"It was going to be. But then I read these pages." She flipped through them in her hands. "This Curse… it's crazy. But that doesn't mean that it isn't true." No way. He had done it. He had made her believe all by himself. Henry just smiled up at her as she sat next to him, so proud of her and what he had accomplished. "It is a lot to ask anyone to believe in, but there are a lot of crazy things in this world. So, what do I know? Maybe it is true." Oh, it was a maybe. Henry didn't let that temper his enthusiasm though. She was starting to become a hero- the hero he would need to save his family.

She stood suddenly. "I read the pages, and Henry, you're right- they are dangerous. There is only one way to make sure that she never sees them." With that she cast the pages into the fire, quickly burning them before turning back to the shocked Henry. "Now we have an advantage as long as this protection of yours holds out."

He couldn't help it. He just ran to her and hugged her tightly with a huge smile on his face. "I knew you were here to help us!"

"That's right, kid. I am." She broke the embrace to look at him. "And nothing, not even a curse, is going to stop me." With that, Henry hugged her again. He was finally resting at ease about his future and he owed Emma the world for giving him that. He'd probably have to settle on a lot of hugs and convincing his dad to stop being mad at her though.

Peter Pan wasn't going to know what hit him by the time he came to town.

XXX

Regina was tending to her tree in her backyard when she heard the familiar limping gait that put every nerve of her being on edge. "What can I do for you, Mr. Gold?"

"I just saw Emma Swan strolling down Main Street to deliver the boy back to his parents' house. Thick as thieves they looked. It's a shame that you've been replaced in his life."

She narrowed her eyes but refused to face him. "I've been told by both parties that is not the case. I'm not threatened by Emma Swan and her visit." She did her best to sound convincing, but she heard Gold take a few paces and knew that infuriating smirk was on his face.

"Perhaps you should have come to me. If Miss Swan is a problem you can't fix without the Darlings-"

"I'm not in the business of making deals with you anymore," she said with a bitter laugh. She began to pick more apples, hoping if she ignored him he would leave. She never like interacting with the imp in this form since it always put her on edge just how much he remembered. He was a crafty sucker and if anyone evaded her curse it would be him.

"To which deal are you referring?"

She grabbed the basket and finally turned to face him. Sure enough, he was looking smug so she just glared icily. "You know what deal."

Gold looked as if he had just remembered something and smiled nostalgically. "Oh, right, yeah. The boy I procured for you that you instantly sent back after all that trouble. Henry? Say, isn't that-?"

The pounding in her head started again, causing her to drop the basket and clutch her head despite herself. "Well, look at that," she heard him say distantly over the ringing. "It looks as if bringing up the past has upset you. I really must be going and I recommend you go lie down."

"What do you know?" Regina growled at his retreating form, forcing herself to block his path despite being unable to lessen the headache as Emma Swan and Henry flitted through her brain. "What do you know about her?"

"I'm not gonna answer you, dear, so I suggest you excuse me." She just glared at him. "Please." With that, he walked past her and out the gate leaving her just staring at him. He had just said- did he know? Did he remember? If he did, what exactly was his plan when it came to Henry and Emma?

John had made it clear she was to leave Emma Swan alone if she wanted to remain connected to Henry. But she also wasn't about to let Gold try anything with her family either. She had let him run about town behind her back for too long. Anything he had planned was not going to see the light of day. He was going to be her priority now as she backed away from the Emma situation. She would keep her family safe at any cost- even against the man she probably feared most. He was not going to win this time. And at that, it was like her headache vanished- making it seem like this was the right decision after all.