Emma checked her watch as she burst through the hospital doors. It was five after three. If she hurried, she could catch Regina at David and Mary Margaret's where she would be picking up Henry. Henry. Emma hadn't even considered what this would mean for him. But she couldn't think about that right now. At that moment there was a poison eating at her heart, clouding her judgment. That poison's name was vengeance.

She exploded through the door and Mary Margaret rushed to her, concerned, "Emma, what's wrong?"

"Is she here?" Emma practically growled the words.

"Who...? Regina? She's upstairs getting Henry ready to go." Mary Margaret's voice held a soothing tone, her eyes searched Emma's face for any indication of what was going on.

"REGINAAA!" Emma howled the name. Mary Margaret could hear the anger in her voice. She approached Emma to try to calm her down but Regina had just made it to the bottom of the stairs. Emma sprung into action. She grabbed Regina with two hands by the collar of her shirt, hauling her down the last two steps. She whirled around and threw her against the wall, never loosening her fisted grip on the woman's blouse. In a flash Emma was blasted back, held in place by magic but still able to speak.

"How could you do it?! You loved him too!" Her rage was slowly devolving.

"Who?" Regina asked, approaching her, genuine concern crinkling her brow, "Henry?"

"GRAHAM!" Emma roared. Regina instantly stilled. A wave of guilt and sadness washed over her face. Mary Margaret gasped and covered her mouth with a trembling hand.

"He chose you." she whispered, barely audible.

"And if Henry decided to choose me?!" Emma spat, "Would you kill him too?!" Regina was lost for words. Then a shaky voice came from the bottom of the stairs.

"Mom...?"

Regina turned, "Henry." Emma dropped to the floor, no longer held by the spell.

"You were using magic." the disappointment in his voice tore at Regina's heart.

"Henry," Regina looked at her son with sad apologetic eyes, "she attacked me."

"Is that true?" his eyes flashed to Emma and then back to Regina.

"Tell him why." Emma hissed from the floor, the spell had drained her of most of her energy. Henry turned his eyes back to Regina, asking the silent question. Regina lowered her eyes.

"Because I am the reason Sheriff Graham is dead." she said in the quietest of voices.

"You're the... but I thought Graham had a heart attack... How did you...?" Henry's face seemed to crumple, "You had his heart."

"Henry, I am so sorry... I" Regina approached him but he quickly turned around and sprinted up the stairs to his room, slamming the door. Regina turned on Emma.

"Look what you've done." she hissed, there were even tears in her eyes.

"Regina you did this all by yourself." Emma growled, climbing to her feet. Regina stormed out, slamming the door behind her. When she'd gone, Mary Margaret rushed to Emma who had fallen back to the floor, sobbing.
"Oh, Emma." She pulled her close and stroked her hair. After a moment, Emma pulled herself to her feet and climbed the stairs to Henry.

He was sitting on his bed with the story book in his lap. He was looking at Snow White's story, at the part about the huntsman. His eyes were filled with tears but he took care not to let any spill on the precious pages.

"Hey, Kid." She approached him, sitting down on the side of his bed. She frowned at him as she wiped her tear soaked cheeks again. "I'm sorry you found out like that. But when I figured it out... I just got so... angry. I wanted her to admit to it. I wanted her to pay for what she did."

"Please don't go after her, Emma." Henry pleaded. Though she wasn't sure what kind of reaction to expect from him, that was certainly not it.

"Henry..." She attempted to reason with him, but he cut her off.

"No! You can't! She is still my mom! And she is way too powerful for you to face. You have to promise me you won't go after her. You won't try to hurt her. I know she's been trying to be better. Please..."

The blackness that had swallowed up her heart that afternoon had dissipated. Her sweet son was begging her, both to save Regina and herself. He didn't want to see either of them get hurt and Emma realized that her revenge on Regina would only cost her Henry in to long run. Could he look at her the same way if she stooped to that level? She was supposed to be the Savior, not the destructor.

"I promise." she breathed. He set the book aside and crawled up beside her and into her arms, finally allowing the tears to stream down his cheeks. "It's okay, Kid... I miss him too..." She soothed and rubbed his back as both sat and cried over a friend long gone.

~o~

Hook was surprised to see her return to his room that evening. She looked worn out, dragging her feet ever so slightly. In her hands was a brown paper bag. She came to sit at the edge of his bed.

"Did you get your crocodile, Love?" Emma shook her head.

"And I never will." she sighed.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the keys to his restraints. She loosened them, setting him free. Hook couldn't help but breathe in the scent of her as she reached across his body to free his left wrist. Before he could ask she pulled his hook from the brown paper bag and laid it gently in his hand. A stray tear had begun its course down her soft cheek and this time he was more than able to wipe it away.

His bed was in an almost upright, seated position so it wasn't far for her to lean down into his arms and not a strain on his ribs to hold her there. She cried softly on his shoulder.

"What happened, Love?" he whispered against her hair. His good hand was gently rubbing up and down her back.

"Henry." she sighed. "Regina raised him. He loves her. No matter what she's done, he can find room in his heart to forgive her. If I hurt her it'll destroy him. I'll lose him. Not to mention I would probably die trying. And what if he got hurt?"

"So you're giving up?" he asked.

"No," she corrected, "I'm moving on. I have to. I have too much to lose."

"Ahh, you see, Love, that's where you and I differ. I've got nothing to lose." But he was becoming more and more aware that this was not entirely true anymore. The devastated woman in his arms was a testament to that.

A/N: I hope you're liking this! I'm loving all the notifications I'm getting! :) Let me know what you think!

Also! I have something to share.

Upon rewatching In the Name of the Brother I realized something. The ringtone of "Her" who keeps calling "the outsider" is from Star Wars. The first time I watched it, I thought, "huh, cool, Star Wars ringtone." Second time I'm watching it, I realize that Disney now owns Star Wars... WHO IS COMING TO STORY BROOKE!? Did anyone else make this connection!?