CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Emma made her way slowly up the steps of Regina's Manor, trying not to let her unease show as she wrapped heavily on the door. The last few days had been... difficult. Killian had seemed to haunt her shadow, his eyes following her everywhere. She understood his position, just as he understood hers, but it didn't make it any easier, or lessen the idea that he had betrayed her in some way by inflicting this reunion with Neal on Henry. Something she had most definitely never wanted.

But she had stayed with him on the ship, however furious she was, she'd stayed. For her that was quite a concession and one that she was still struggling with. Apparently she really was in love with that insufferable pirate, enough to excuse him this at any rate, if not to forgive him just yet, and most definitely not to forget that whatever he was, he was still a dangerous man that she might never entirely be able to trust, certainly not when it came to her son.

However, there was the issue of this dinner. Regina had invited her, despite her actions, that wasn't a gesture you just threw back.

Regina opened her front door, an apron in place and a tight smile on her face. "Miss Swan." She greeted. There was nothing in the other woman's expression that gave away the events between them only a few days ago. She looked her same haughty, completely unflappable self.

"Maybe you should try calling me Emma." Emma countered, trying not to notice the way Regina's eyes shone in the reflected street lights, or the curve of her lips... she looked enticing in a way that Emma was distinctly uncomfortable with, which made her think that it wasn't entirely 'her' doing. Apparently magic was potent... and it liked company.

"Oh I think we have gotten as familiar with each other as we're ever going to be Miss Swan." Regina drawled, making her position on their incident quite clear with her well placed barb.

"About the other night..." Emma tried, but was cut off as Regina held her hand up.

"The other night was an accident. One we won't be repeating. Apparently scotch does not agree with your magic my dear." Her eyes narrowed and Emma got the distinct impression that this subject was closed to discussion. "Henry's waiting Miss Swan, the Lasagne's almost ready, why don't you come in and take a seat." It wasn't a suggestion, so Emma walked past her, making sure not to touch an inch of the other woman as she did so and trying not to feel trapped as the door closed heavily behind her.

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The dinner went better than she expected, she and Regina kept it civil, and deliberately banal with the absolute minimum of eye contact between them. Who knows perhaps their little 'accident' would turn out to be a good thing for keeping them both in line. Henry seemed thrilled that the two of them were getting along, and that he had his mom's lasagne. It seemed that Snow and Charming weren't quite the domestic Goddess's the former Mayor was. But as the night drew on, Emma began to fidget; there was a reason she had agreed to come here, other than to simply honour Regina's rather gracious invitation.

"Henry." Emma began as she swallowed the last of her water, if nothing else she was swearing off alcohol whilst in Regina's presence. He looked up at her, finishing the last of his apple pie with relish.

"Everything ok? Did you like the food, mom's..." he looked guilty, "I mean 'Regina's' lasagne is the best."

Emma spared a glance at Regina, who hadn't so much as flinched at his slip, or what Emma could only imagine was his painful correction. Poor kid, he didn't actually seem to dare call any of his three would be mother's 'mom'.

"It was great. It seems Regina is a woman of many skills." She gave Regina a smile which seemed to raise a blush to her cheeks and Emma stored that away for later, because clearly whether she wanted to talk about it or not, their little 'accident' was clearly in the Queen's thoughts, which despite whatever the magic inside of her was insisting, was really not something Emma cared to repeat.

"I need to tell you something." Emma admitted. "Both of you really, after all Regina, it does effect you to. And for that, I am surprisingly sorry." Regina blinked, looking a little uneasy at that confession, as if she sensed Emma was about to upset their little 'almost' domestic bliss.

"Henry." Emma stared at him from her position across the table, willing him to hear her out. "Do you remember what I told you about your dad?"

Henry paused, sharing a look with Regina and then back to her, his mounting confusion obvious. "You said he was fireman; that he died in a fire, a hero."

Emma swallowed. "I lied." The word seemed to echo in the large open dining room.

Henry went still. "Why?" Which was better than she was expecting from him she'd half expected tears and tantrums and maybe the remnants of his pie in her face.

"Because I thought you deserved better than the truth." Emma admitted, trying to ignore Regina's look, which was a hairs breath away from dragging her out of there to stop her from what she clearly knew was going to hurt her son.

"And what is the truth?" Henry bit out, sounding a lot like his adoptive mother in that moment when she got all snide.

"That your father was a dirtbag who knocked me up and then framed me for a crime he committed, which is how I ended up giving birth to you in prison." Emma sighed, it sounded so much more 'Jerry Springer' when you said it all like that. Henry's eyes were wide and glassy.

"Why would he... I don't understand?" Henry managed and Regina moved, grasping his hand firmly and squeezing tightly.

"Because people are complicated Henry. Which is exactly why I imagine Emma felt it best not to tell you the truth. Sometimes a white lie, to protect the people you care about, is a kindness." Regina gave her a nod, she saw again 'for Henry' reflected in her features, apparently turning him against Emma, despite this golden opportunity wasn't in the kids best interest any longer.

Henry looked supremely unconvinced and confused. "Why are you telling me now then?"

Emma sighed, looking down at the table and drawing strength before she met his accusatory eyes again. "I'd like to say it's because I thought you were old enough to know the truth. But that's not why, even if it is true." Emma admitted. "I found out something the other day, something that..." she paused struggling for words, "Upset me." She settled on. "Something about your dad." She gave Regina a look, trying to convey that it was shortly after their little 'accident' but she seemed intent on Henry. "I realised how it felt to have a secret kept from you. So, I've decided to share it with you. If you want to hear it." Emma offered, still half hoping he'd just say 'no, I don't need to hear it'.

"You think it's going to hurt me?" Henry questioned, and she admired his ability to see straight to the heart of an issue.

"It hurt me." Emma admitted. "But I have a feeling you'll find out one way or another and at least this way, it's your decision... and you are a lot stronger than me Henry, I think you can handle it kiddo."

Henry nodded, clearly thinking. "I hate that you lied to me." He admitted, staring at her like she had disappointed him again. "But I guess I can see why you would... but I'd rather know the truth." He gave them both a look that suggested he thought it was a little rich that they were both the ones asking.

Emma shared a look with Regina, wondering if the other woman could handle it. "Your dad's name is Neal Cassidy, he lives in New York and he was once a Lost Boy." Emma steeled herself. "But he was born in the Enchanted Forest... his real name is Baelfire and he is Rumplestiltskin's son." See it was easy when you said it all in one breath like that, simple.

Regina went white as a sheet, their eyes met and Emma could see the utter devastation taking route there as she made the rather unsettling connections.

"No, I had no idea." Emma pre-empted the question. "Nor did Gold" Emma added seeing Regina's rage bubbling to the surface. "Apparently this was all just one big cosmic twist of fate that no one was in on."

"Does that make Mr Gold my Grandpa?" Henry asked, causing Regina's eyes to go wide as she stared at Emma for horrified confirmation.

"I'm afraid so kiddo. Who knew you'd end up with the full set." She shrugged trying to make light of it.

"Why are you telling us this?" Regina sounded shocked, her composure slipping.

"Because apparently, that piece of my soul you'd said Gold would want for this," she indicated he pendant around her neck, "It involves me, Henry, Gold and Neal having a nice little family reunion."

"Absolutely not." Regina stood and Emma cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Then you go tell him that." Emma bit back. "The man created me and the curse that you used to devastating effect for the sole purpose of retrieving his son from this world. But by all means, go and tell him that now he's found him, you are going to stand in his way. Because even Captain Hook chickened out of doing that." Emma hated that she sounded quite so bitchy, but it seemed to get the point across as Regina sat back down in her seat slowly.

"Thought not." Emma muttered, fingering the blasted pendent that had apparently cost her more than any of them had been willing to give.

"I take it then that Hook uncovered this nice little web of intrigue?" Regina bit back, clearly trying to recover herself enough to make a pointed jab at an obvious sore spot.

Emma smiled thinly back at her. "Oh he's been dealt with for his part in this." Emma assured her. "But I suppose we should thank him. Apparently Gold now has a vested interest in keeping his Grandson safe and well. Family ties and all that being so important to him."

"Have you told your parents?" Regina pressed, Henry was watching them, his head turning back and forwards like they were playing a tennis match.

"No. I thought that would be a conversation that might stretch my already shaky control just that bit too far. But by all means, feel free to share this delightful bit of news with them. I'm sure they'll be thrilled that our family has grown in ever new and more complicated ways." Emma was falling apart, she could feel it. So apparently could Regina, she stood, making to reach for her and Emma recoiled, almost falling back out of her seat in her urgency not to touch the other woman. Regina stopped, her hand falling back to her side in a fist, her face clearly expressing her own disbelief at her almost foolishness.

"What's going on!" Henry was on his feet, staring between the two of them, Emma staring up at Regina like a deer in the headlights and Regina standing above her, motionless, both of them ignoring his question.

"I should be going." Emma managed, trying to calm her breathing as she clambered to her feet, trying to ignore the way her chest seemed to burn where the pendant sat, growing ever heavier as it desperately tried to leash whatever was trying to claw its way out of her.

"Emma wait!" Henry shot up out of his seat and hugged her fiercely. "Why do you have to go?"

Emma stared at Regina across his head, swallowing thickly and resolving not to lie to him. "Because I'm not safe Henry. I hurt Regina by accident the other night. I'm not always in control of this thing inside me... this magic."

"But, Regina said you were doing well, that you were making progress?" he looked between the two of them, searching for the truth somewhere in what still seemed to be their lies.

"I am... but 'well' is kind of a relative term Henry. My shadow's attached and I'm not floating off to Neverland, but I'm still not safe, not when I'm upset." She admitted stroking his hair. "Your mother's a great teacher, but apparently I'm not that great a student." Emma smiled softly at him, she didn't even realise until she saw the look on Regina's face that she'd called her his mother.

"Emma, you don't have to leave, you know I can control your magic while you're here, I can make sure you are no danger to Henry." Regina stepped forward, careful now to keep her distance.

"It's not Henry I'm worried about." Emma smiled thinly, surprised at the admission, mostly because it was the truth, Regina looked just as uneasy about it. "Look kiddo." Emma glanced down at Henry, "I know I just dumped a whole lot on your plate, and I gotta say you're taking it better than I did. Just like I knew you would." She admitted and he beamed, "But I owe Gold a debt, two in fact," she recalled unpleasantly the one she'd made with him before the curse had broken, "and he always collects. Which means that one day soon, you and I may have to take a trip to see your..." she couldn't call him 'dad', he was little more than a sperm donor, "Neal." She settled on, wondering if that was how Regina had felt about her, little more than a borrowed womb, showing up on her doorstep with the son she'd raised. She could imagine it had rankled.

Henry nodded. "Is it wrong to be kind of ok with that?" he asked looking guilty.

Emma smiled. "No kiddo, just try not to get your hopes up with him ok, I just don't want you getting hurt like I did."

Henry hugged her fiercely, she returned it, feeling an overwhelming surge of pride, she'd help make this incredible boy, even if her contribution was mostly genetic, who was brave and selfless and despite everything, he still saw the best in people. Perhaps she really should thank Hook, because having him so thoroughly reject her son had only made her cling to Henry tighter. He released her and ran upstairs, she heard the distinctive slam of his door and gave Regina a concerned look.

"He doesn't like to break down in front of people." Regina acknowledged staring up towards Henry's bedroom. "But given what he's just learnt, I think he took that remarkably well; better than either of us I'd wager."

Emma shook her head. "You have no idea." She muttered.

"So." Regina seemed to be digesting the news and not finding that it agreed with her, "I guess that makes Hook your Step-Father-In Law." Her smirk was satisfied as it clearly shocked Emma.

Emma blinked, she hadn't made that connection but she imagined Hook probably had, she wondered if that hadn't helped his rage at this situation any. But she was never one to let Regina get the last snarky word in, "Well I guess that means you two have something in common, given as you're technically my Step-Grandmother." Regina's eye twitched and Emma smirked, before recalling their little 'accident' and feeling suddenly green.

"I should go." Emma muttered by way of apology and turned abruptly.

"Miss Swan!" Regina called, coming after her intently, forcing Emma to turn back reluctantly. "May I ask exactly how this little excursion of Gold's is likely to occur, he was cursed after all, the moment he steps beyond the town line, he will forget himself."

Emma frowned. "I guess you need to ask him that, although knowing Gold, I'm sure he has a plan for that, I highly doubt he set all this up, just to let a little thing like a magic memory barrier stand between him and his bastard son." Ok so that was definitely bitter as she wrenched open the front door and turned to stalk away from the house.

"Emma." Regina called after her stopping her in her tracks once more with the use of her name. Knowing better but unable to resist Emma glanced back. "You did the right thing, telling him. There have been too many lies between us all." Regina seemed genuine.

Emma nodded, still not convinced that dropping another bomb into Henry's personal life was what anyone needed right now.

But Regina wasn't done, "When it happens. I'm going with you." She also wasn't asking.

Emma nodded. "Fair enough, but don't say I didn't warn you." She smiled thinly at her before leaving the former Mayor, former Evil Queen... whatever the hell she was now to deal with their son and the new fallout she'd unwittingly created in his life.