Wow, so sorry for the wait. I didn't even realize it had been almost a month until I got ready to post this chapter today. Time flies in your last semester of college I guess. I promise to try harder to get the next update up sooner. I have spring break next week and no plans that will take up more than a couple of hour so hopefully lots of chapters! Also, thank you for the reviews, favorites, and alerts! I'm a little stuck right now. I know where I'm going it's just the next chapter or two that will get me there that are hard to write. So your feedback is especially appreciated.

DISCLAIMERS: I don't own them

WARNING: TW at the near the middle of the page. Nothing too graphic and I don't want to give it away, but just be prepared.

After a week of managing to avoid David, Regina felt confident enough to chance a visit to Granny's at a time when David might be there. She needed to see how much progress she had actually made in moving on and seeing him would be the ultimate test. Sure enough as she entered the diner she saw David sitting at the counter finishing his breakfast. He turned and their eyes met. There was no backing out now. Regina sucked in a breath and walked towards him.

"Regina, hi," His voice was hopeful and Regina felt a stab of pain in her chest. Apparently, she wasn't as over him as she had hoped.

"Morning, David," she replied, making sure to keep her voice void of any emotion. Ruby nodded at her in acknowledgment and put on fresh pot of coffee. Regina felt panic start to swell within her, but she forced herself to remain outwardly calm.

"How are you?" David asked startling Regina from her internal panic attack.

"Fine."

"I haven't seen you in awhile." He was relentless, Regina would give him that. He always had been, but she had done this dance with him before. She would not give into him.

"Being the Mayor and a mother are two full time jobs."

"Of course, I just thought...never mind," He smiled sadly and shook his head. Regina instantly felt guilty and her stomach twisted uncomfortably. Even though she knew who she was and what she was sometimes it was still hard to see the effect her cruelty could have on a person. Especially a person as important as James, even if he didn't know he was James.

Regina sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "David. I-"

"It's alright," David interjected. "I can wait."

"And what are you waiting for exactly?" Regina asked genuinely confused and a little frightened.

"For you to realize I'm not going to hurt you," David gave her a gentle smile as he placed money on the counter. Regina remained stunned speechless as he exited the diner. So much for progress.

Later that evening Regina attempted to have a conversation with her sullen 10 year old, but as usual he was fighting her tooth and nail. After about 15 minutes of uncomfortable silence that Regina spent agonizing over James and David she tried again. She was desperate to quiet her thoughts and would even take a fight over the silence.

"How was school?"

"Fine."

He really wasn't even going to give her an inch. "How did your spelling test go? I'm your mother, Henry, it's my job to keep up with your life even if you won't let me," Regina said at his surprised look.

"You're not my real mom," Henry mumbled. Regina felt a familiar pain in her heart, but she noticed with some relief and some concern that it was less painful than it had been in the past. What hadn't lessoned was her temper.

"And what do you think makes someone a real mom, Henry?" Regina asked angrily. "You think that just because Ms. Swan carried you for nine months and then spent 20 plus hours giving birth to you that that makes her more of a mother than me?"

"That's part of it," Henry replied. Regina was stunned into silence for the second time that day. Had she really taught her son nothing? Had she been such a failure as a mother that Henry really believed that blood made a family? "When can I see her?" He asked taking her silence as a sign of surrender.

"Tomorrow," Regina heard herself say. And even though part of her still wanted to keep Emma and Henry far apart a larger part of her was too tired to fight. "You can spend the whole day with her."

"What are you going to be doing?" Henry asked suspiciously. Instead of answering him, Regina picked up her dishes and left the room without a word.

Emma was flipping through the pages of the book waiting for another story to magically appear. She still had no idea why the book added to itself when it did. Truthfully, Emma wasn't trying that hard to figure it out. She assumed it had to do something with Regina and Emma didn't want to be caught stalking her.

"Hey, Em," Mary Margaret greeted upon entering the apartment. "Whatcha reading? Is that Henry's storybook?" She asked settling on the couch next to her roommate.

"Yea," Emma replied closing it. She felt strangely protective of the stories contained within it's old pages. She didn't really want to think about why. "He thinks Regina might try and take it from him, so he asked to keep it here," she explained.

Mary Margaret's face fell. "I didn't mean to cause more tension between them when I gave him that book."

"They used to be happy, didn't they?" Emma asked, hoping her instincts were correct.

"Oh yes," Mary Margaret replied almost instantly. Emma inwardly sighed in relief even as a pang of guilt stabbed at her insides. "His eyes would just light up every time she walked into a room and Regina...I've always thought she walks around like she's waiting for someone to stab her in the back, but when she was around Henry, her entire demeanor just relaxed. She would look at peace and happy."

"That's hard to picture," the blonde quipped with a smirk.

"I think it's wonderful that you're in Henry's life, but I just wish he could understand that he can have you both."

"Yea, me too." Mary Margaret smiled and then headed into her bedroom. Emma opened the book again and noticed another story had been added. With a small sigh and thoughts of mothers, something she had never had and was trying desperately to be without taking that role away from Regina, on her mind.

James felt his anxiety grow as Rocinante carried them closer and closer to his parent's farm. He gripped to Regina's side more for comfort than balance. She pushed the horse into a trot and then a canter and soon the rolling green hills of his childhood could be seen. He heard the animals in the pasture and could smell the pleasant aroma of his mother's flower garden mixing with the wild flowers that grew naturally on their land.

"It's just there, up ahead," He told Regina. He could see the small two room hut and an older woman appeared from inside to see who had come to her farm. James felt his heart thud against his chest. "Oh my Gods."

"Is that her?" Regina asked. A wide smile spread across James's face and he laughed happily.

"Yes! Regina, she's alive!" Regina turned her face to look at him and she smiled at his excitement. She pulled Rocinante to a stop and James slid from the saddle and hurried towards his mother.

"James?!" the woman asked, her eyes wide and filled with tears.

"Mother!" James replied pulling the woman into a hug which she returned with enthusiasm.

"Oh, my dear boy!" James pulled back to get a good look at his mother and she cupped his face in her hands. "I wasn't sure if I would ever see you again. How are you? Are you alright?"

"Yes, mother. Are you?"

"I've been doing fine," The woman pulled him in for another hug and then let go. "I'm so thrilled to see you. I thought the King wouldn't let you come back?"

"He still won't," James replied his eyes darkening. "He won't even let me take a horse out by myself."

"Then how?" James's mother asked with a confused frown. James smiled and looked at Regina who approached them. She had wanted to give them some room and had busied herself by untacking Rocinante. The horse followed after Regina obediently and James couldn't help but smile.

"Mother, this is Regina. Regina, this is my mother, Ruth."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Regina said politely. She shook Ruth's hand as the older woman smiled at her.

"And you, Regina. My, aren't you a beautiful one?" Ruth said with a wink making Regina blush. "Thank you for helping my son to come home."

"You're welcome," Regina replied sincerely.

"We can't stay long, Mother," James said sadly.

"Even one minute with you is more than I thought I'd ever be allowed. Come sit, you two must be tired after your journey." James and Regina began to follow Ruth towards the house and Rocinante followed Regina. She gave her horse an amused smile and then waved her arm towards the fields. Rocinante turned and trotted away. "Is that wise?" Ruth asked worriedly. Regina and James shared an amused look.

"Trust me, mother," James said wrapping one arm around his mother and the other around Regina. "She'll come back." Regina and James both chuckled.

"I'm missing something," Ruth replied causing them to laughed harder.

After lunch the trio decided to sit outside by the garden and Ruth's mouth had almost hit the floor when she saw Rocinante happily munching on some grass a hundred feet away. She had quickly turned her attention back to the couple beside her, however. She hadn't missed the looks they gave each other or the small touches they shared when they thought she wasn't looking. Ruth wanted to be happy for them, but James's life was complicated and she knew nothing of Regina's.

"So, Regina are you in King George's court as well?"

"No, King Leopold's actually," Regina replied her eyes filling with pain. Ruth felt her son tense beside her at the King's name.

"Is that how you two met?" Ruth pushed.

"Mother."

"I'm just asking the girl a few simple questions, son."

"That's alright," Regina assured them. Amusement twinkled in her eyes, masking the pain that Ruth had seen earlier. "He just doesn't want me to tell you the story of how we met."

James groaned and Regina giggled. "Well, now you have to tell me," Ruth insisted with a wide smile.

"Regina-"

"He tried to steal my horse," Regina said looking at Rocinante who whinnied as if to voice her agreement. "Knocked me right off her as I was riding by."

"James!" Ruth gasped swatting James's arm gently.

"Mother, you have yet to see Regina really ride. She rides better than any man I have ever seen."

Ruth saw Regina blush under the compliment and filed that away for later. "That doesn't give you the right to knock her off and try to steal her horse."

"Bandits broke my carriage and stole my horses and I needed to get back to the palace. I apologized and waited with her for her horse to return."

"Well, that is quite the story," Ruth smiled.

"It doesn't end there," James replied looking at Regina with an emotion Ruth had never seen in his eyes before. "She thought I had a concussion so she stayed with me through the night. Then she helped me find my way back to the castle."

"You were only 5 miles from the border you would have found your way eventually," Regina chuckled, brushing off the praise.

"I think you overestimate my sense of direction."

"You found that waterfall just fine."

"I stumbled upon it when I got lost walking back to the palace after a day of you leading me through the forest with the ease of a wood nymph."

"You see each other often then?" Ruth asked thoughtfully. Regina stiffened and then smiled politely.

"I should go check on Rocinante. Excuse me."

"She's lovely, James," Ruth said once Regina was out of ear shot. "I just hope you both know what you're doing."

"What do you mean?" James asked with a frown.

"King Leopold just married a young woman named Regina. She says she's from King Leopold's court."

This time James visibly tensed and his hands clenched into fists. "He doesn't love her and she doesn't love him. Her mother forced her into the marriage and that monster won't let her go. She was running away from him when we met and when he caught her he locked her in her chambers for a week."

"That's terrible, James, but that doesn't change the fact that she is married to a King." Ruth felt a knot of disgust and anger coil in the pit of her stomach at her son's words. Regina was such a sweet girl. How could anyone treat her so poorly?

"We're only friends, Mother. And we're careful. We found an abandoned cabin in the woods that we've fixed up. It has a garden-"

Ruth's heart jumped to her throat. "James-"

"It's a safe place and she needs that in her life. We both do. When we're together we don't have to be Prince James and Queen Regina. We can just be ourselves," James sighed and fought back tears. Ruth smiled sadly at him, finally understanding the look that had been in his eyes earlier.

"Does she know you're in love with her?"

"Like you said, whether she wishes it or not she's married to a King," James replied softly. Ruth sighed and rubbed her son's back comfortingly. She glanced at Regina who was stroking her mare's head and smiling. Ruth wished things could be different. Regina and James deserved to have their happy endings together. Why they were being denied that, she would never understand.

Emma was still thinking about the latest story and how un fair it was that James and Regina had been kept apart when Regina dropped Henry off the next morning. She had hoped Regina might come up with him, but Henry was at the door alone when the blonde swung it open.

"Hey, Kid."

"Hi, Emma," Henry replied with an excited smile. "What are we gonna do today?"

"Well, we can do whatever you want. You know, there are some pretty interesting new stories in your book."

"You're reading them?" His face pulled into a frown and a flicker of something Emma couldn't read flashed in his eyes.

"Yea."

"Why? They're all lies," He shrugged as if it didn't matter, but there was anger in his voice.

"You don't know that, Henry," Emma sighed. "I'm the one with the lie detector super power, remember?"

"She's the Evil Queen, that's who she's always been and who she'll always be!" Henry shouted, steadfast in his belief of the world and right and wrong. Emma knew better.

"The world doesn't work that way, Henry. Sometimes good people are so hurt that they do bad things to keep people from hurting them again."

"Is she hurt like that in these stories?"

"Not really," Emma admitted. "But the story isn't done yet."

"You're wrong about this, Emma, but you're the savior. You'll figure out the truth," Henry sat down on the couch to watch TV signaling the conversation was over and Emma sat beside him. She glanced at the book and knew she already knew the truth. Now it was time for her to make Henry believe.

Regina felt a solid body bump into her's as she walked along the docks. She gasped and felt strong arms keep her from falling. "Oh, sorry," She looked up and was met with a familiar pair of blue eyes. "David."

"I didn't plan this, I promise," David assured her with his hands raised in mock surrender. His smile fell when he saw the look on her face. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Regina replied shortly.

"You can talk to me, Regina. I won't judge you or use it against you."

"I don't trust easily. At least not anymore," Regina shook her head and looked down, but David gently forced her to look at him with a finger under her chin.

"You're worth the hard work."

"Stop," Regina pleaded softly.

"Stop what, caring about you?"

"Yes!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that," David argued even as she pulled away physically and emotionally.

"Then you're a fool," Regina snarled. "My own son doesn't even love me, what does that tell you?"

"He's confused."

"No, he's not," Regina shook her head and began to walk away.

"Regina!" She didn't look back when David called after her. Perhaps she had made progress after all.

Henry was in the kitchen cooking with Mary Margaret and Emma found herself anxiously waiting for another story to reveal itself. When it finally did she looked over at Henry to make sure he was preoccupied. As much as Emma just wanted to force him to read the book she knew the words won't mean anything to him until he was ready.

Ruth approached Regina with a smile as James packed them some bread for the journey home. Regina returned the smile, but Ruth could tell she was uncomfortable. "Regina, I want to thank you again for bringing James here."

"We'll be back," Regina replied.

"I'm not sure it's safe."

"He needs you," Regina insisted. "You're his mother and he loves you and I can tell you love him. You both deserve to be together."

"Regina-"

"I would give anything to have had a mother that loved me-"

Ruth's heart clenched painfully at the admission. "Oh, sweetheart-"

"James has that and I care for him, a lot, so I'm going to do anything in my power to make sure he doesn't lose you. And I would never put James in danger if I could avoid it. We planned this trip for days. George will never know we were here."

"And Leopold?" Ruth asked, for she was just as worried for Regina. She'd only known the young woman for a few hours and she already cared for her. It was easy to see how James had fallen in love so quickly.

"He's visiting another kingdom."

Ruth smiled and pulled Regina into an embrace. Regina tensed as if she was unsure how to respond, but then she relaxed and reciprocated. "You're an amazing woman, Regina and I'll rest better at night knowing my son has you in his life," Ruth pulled back and gave Regina a bright smile. "I look forward to your next visit."

After seeing David, Regina had felt the need to go to their cabin. It soothed her to be in a place that had meant so much to her and James, but it also helped to remind her that David wasn't James and that James had broken her heart. It helped to remind her of the day James left her in that cabin and at the mercy of Rumplestiltskin. She needed the cabin to harden her as much as she needed it to comfort her. Too soon it was time to pick up Henry and he was just as unhappy to see her as always.

"Did he finish his homework?" She asked Emma as the blonde hovered nervously at the door. She was looking at Regina in a way that unnerved the brunette.

"Uh-"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Let's go, Henry."

"Bye, Emma. I had a great time," Henry hugged Emma, something he hadn't done with Regina in months, and then raced down the stairs to the car. Regina followed at a sedated pace feeling beaten down by the day.

"Can I start staying with Emma more often?" Henry asked once they arrived home.

"I don't know." Regina answered.

"Why not?"

"I need to think about it."

"I promise to do my homework."

"That's not my only concern, Henry," Regina turned to him then, but he was already pulling away from her and heading towards the stairs.

"Whatever," He muttered. Regina held back tears and then did something she had never done in the ten years since she's had Henry. She left him home alone.

When she arrived at the cabin she saw David standing in the middle of the room looking around at everything curiously. Her heart skipped a beat, but then anger swelled within her. "What are you doing here?"

"I was at the waterfall and got lost walking back. Is this place yours?" David asked as he moved towards the bed. Regina's knees nearly buckled and hot tears slid down her face.

"Get out!" She snarled.

David looks at her confused and he reached towards her. She pulled back violently. "Regina-"

"You can't be here!"

"Are you alright?" he asked concerned.

"Just go, David!" Regina pleaded, but David remained stubborn.

"I'm not leaving you like this," He finally managed to grip her hands in his own gently. "Talk to me, Regina, please."

"I never wanted to be her," Regina cried softly a testament to how hard the last couple of weeks had been on her.

"Who?"

Regina finally met his eyes and he almost gasped at the amount of pain and brokenness swirling in her deep brown orbs. "My mother."

Emma was watching TV when the book began to glow from where she left it on the coffee table. She jumped back startled and the book flew open. Pages turned quickly until it landed on a blank one. Words began to appear and Emma cautiously moved closer to read them.

Ruth was weeding out her small vegetable garden when she heard the familiar whinny of Regina's horse. She looked up hopefully and saw Regina and James riding towards her. Excitement grew in her chest and she rose to greet them. "James! Regina! This is a nice surprise," She said beaming as Regina pulled Rocinante to a stop beside the older woman.

"Hello, Mother," James greeted. He slid from the horse and wrapped his mother in warm embrace. "Any problems?"

"No, son everything's been running smoothly," Ruth replied watching Regina carefully as she slowly dismounted her mare. Something wasn't right.

"I'm glad to hear about the farm, but I was asking about you," James said pulling her attention away from the young woman.

"Well, everything's wonderful with me as well. Especially now that the two of you are here," Ruth couldn't help the smile the spread across her lips and she pulled her son in for another hug. She watched Regina over his shoulder and saw her wince in pain. Her complexion paled and she seemed to sway on her feet for a moment. "Regina, are you alright, child?" Ruth asked genuinely concerned.

"Oh, I'm fine," Regina replied with a fake smile. "Just a little tired."

"She was off helping werewolves and facing mobs last week," James added. Despite the teasing tone of his voice he studied her carefully. She had been quiet during the ride, but that wasn't in itself completely unusual. He had just assumed she was tired or something had happened with her step daughter that she would talk to him about when she was ready.

"Werewolves and mobs?" His mother asked shaking her head. "Goodness, child. And you with your dragons, must you two worry me so?"

James shrugged. "Life as a royal, I suppose, Mother."

"Regina, come in and lie down, you're deathly pale," Ruth fussed moving to place a comforting had on Regina's shoulder.

"I need to untack Rocinante," Regina replied. Suddenly, her face crumpled in pain. She began to fall to the ground, but James caught her and lowered her gently with her head in his lap.

"Regina!? Regina, what's wrong?!" James asked, his voice trembling with fear. Regina groaned and placed her hands on her stomach.

"Sweetheart, can you hear me?" Ruth placed a hand on Regina's creased forehead and frowned at the heat she felt. "James, help me get her inside and then go and get Lily from the next farm over."

"James?" Regina muttered as James carried her inside. The fear was palpable in her voice.

"Sh, my love, it's alright," James soothed as he placed her gently on the bed. Regina looked at him briefly before succumbing to the darkness that beckoned her. "Regina?!" James called fearfully. Ruth placed a hand on her son's shoulder.

"James, you need to hurry."

"I can't lose her, Mother," James admitted, his voice barely above a whisper as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"You won't, now go, quickly," Ruth urged him. James placed a kiss to Regina's sweat soaked forehead before running out of the small house. Ruth sat next to Regina on the bed and took her hands in her own. "Everything's going to be alright, my sweet girl, I promise."

The words being written in the book glowed and then the golden yellow ink turned blood red. It bled down the pages and pooled around the cover. Emma yelped and jumped back. The book continued to bleed and even though Emma wasn't close enough to read the words she could see them in her head.

James returned with Lily in record time. The woman immediately shooed both of them out of the bedroom while she examined Regina. James paced the small outer room worriedly while Ruth sat by the hearth. They heard Regina cry out in pain and Ruth had to place a hand on her son's shoulder to keep him from running into the room. A few moments later Lily exited the bedroom.

"What's happening to her?" James asked his voice tight with worry and fear.

"She's having a miscarriage," Lily explained. Ruth's face paled and James looked like he might be sick.

"She's pregnant?" He asked.

A thought suddenly occurred to Ruth and her face lost even more color. "James?" Somehow James knew what she was asking and he shook his head.

"Will she be alright?" James asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid I can't give you any guarantees," Lily replied with a somber face. "The baby is only a few weeks old so that raises Regina's chances of survival, but she needs to be calm," They could all hear Regina's cries through the bedroom door. "She's putting too much added stress on her heart."

"Let me see her. I can calm her down." Lily nodded and James wasted no time in entering the room. Regina looked up when she saw him, her eyes wide and frightened.

"James!"

"Sh, it's alright," James soothed pulling her into his arms. She clutched to him tightly. "I'm here," He rubbed her back comfortingly, but she didn't stop crying. "Regina, you have to calm down, I know it hurts."

"It's not that. Oh James, I'm a horrible person."

"What?" James pulled back enough to look into her eyes, but kept her in his arms. "How could you think that? You are the most wonderful woman I have ever known. You're smart, brave, kind, beautiful. How could you ever think that you're a bad person?"

"I don't want this baby," Regina admitted lowering her head in shame. "I don't want his baby," She added with anger. "When I realized I was pregnant I just wanted it out. I couldn't bear the thought of being the incubator to that man's heir for nine months and then raising it," Another pain filled cry tore from her throat. "I never wanted to be her."

"Who?"

"My mother. She never loved me and now I don't love this baby." Regina screamed in pain again and James's heart thudded in his chest. He wished he could take this pain from her, the physical and emotional, even if it meant taking it on himself.

"You don't know that you wouldn't have loved it if you had carried it to term. You might have taken one look into his or her eyes and fallen in love."

"I could never love Leopold's child," Regina insisted. James felt anger twist in his gut, but he masked it. He would give anything to be able to take Regina away from her husband.

"You wouldn't love it because it was his, you would love it because it was yours. And even if you didn't, Regina that man treats you like a prisoner. He ignores you during the day and... takes what he wants at night. Not wanting to have that monster's baby does not make you a bad person and it does not make you your mother," James assured her.

"How can you be sure?" Regina asked in a small voice.

"If you had had this baby, even if you couldn't love it, would you ever hurt it? Would you ever take away it's happiness and force it into a life it didn't want."

Regina's reply was immediate. "No!"

"And Snow? You love her, don't you?" Regina nodded and bit her lower lip. "That's how I know you are not your mother. You're a good person, Regina, in a horrible situation that you never should have been forced into," Regina nodded and leaned back into him. He could feel her body still tense with pain, but she had stopped crying so heavily and he could feel her heartbeat returning to a calmer beat. She rested her head above his heart and he held her there. He knew the sound of his heartbeat was of great comfort to her and someday he hoped she would trust him enough to tell him why it was so significant for her.

"Will you stay with me until it's over?" Regina asked quietly as her body curled in on itself in pain. James tightened his arms around her.

"I'll stay with you for as long as you want," He promised.

"What if I want you to stay with me forever?"

James's smile widened and he felt warmth fill him at her words. "Then I would be the happiest man in the world."

Ruth backed away from the door feeling slightly guilty that she had basically eavesdropped on a very private moment. When she had heard Regina mention her mother and then her husband Ruth had found herself rooted to the spot. All she wanted was to take the young woman into her arms and shower her with all of the motherly love that had been so clearly withheld from her.

Tears filled Ruth's eyes as she thought about the rest of what Regina had said. She had already known Regina was married to Leopold, but she had assumed it was an arranged marriage of convenience and nothing more. Ruth thought about the stories of how kind King Leopold was, but how wonderful could he really be if he was forcing such a kind young woman to share his bed when it was obvious she didn't want to? It made Ruth sick just thinking about it. At first she had been relieved when James had assured her the baby wasn't his, but the reality of the baby's conception wasn't much better.

Feeling the need to check on them again Ruth cracked open the door. James was sitting with his back against the headboard asleep with Regina curled up in his arms also asleep. Ruth felt a single tear slip down her cheek and she moved into the room to place a kiss on both their foreheads. Regina stirred and Ruth placed a soothing hand on her back.

"Sh, my darling girl. We've got you."

Ruth tried to ignore the blood that covered the sheets and the nightdress that she had loaned Regina. She tried to ignore the small whimpers of pain that still slipped past Regina's lips. She tried to forget about what she had learned of Regina's life. And she fought her hardest to forget that a life had been lost today and that Regina had almost died with it. And Ruth knew that even if Regina had survived this ordeal she knew today had taken a part of the young woman's soul. She wished she knew how to keep Regina's hard life from taking any more.

Emma's vision cleared only to be blurred by tears. She looked over at the book and saw that while the ink was still red the blood was gone from the rest of the page and the coffee table. Henry had asked her if Regina had been hurt enough to cause her to do the bad things she had done and it seemed like Emma had just found the tip of the iceberg. She shivered when she thought of what she would find at the bottom.

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