Emma didn't come to see Snow for dinner; Snow didn't think nothing of it because in her messages, Rumpelstiltskin (who she hadn't spoken to yet) told her that August had taken Emma out of town in an attempt to get her to believe.

Snow waited up because she wanted to make sure her daughter was okay.

But Emma never came home….at least not when Snow was awake. She dozed off and she could've sworn that it was just a few moments but she realized that she'd been asleep for half an hour after she looked at her clock.

About one in the morning, Snow got up and went to check on her daughter and found that the door was unlocked, "Emma?"

She pushed the door in. The room was bare…like it usually was. Emma didn't exactly see the need to pull out her decorations for the motel. However this was more of an empty feeling than Snow realized and she crept in, "Emma?"

The door to the closet was open and it Snow realized that while it had once been crowded with way too many leather jackets was empty.

"Oh no," Snow whispered and looked in the drawers.

Most of them were empty.

Her daughter was gone.

"Emma!" Snow screamed and went to dial her phone.

But she knew that Emma wouldn't answer.

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"My tree is dying. Why?"

Rumpelstiltskin didn't care about anything Regina had to say most times. Snow still hadn't picked up the phone to call him, was he going to have to go over to see her to talk to her. But Regina's admission of the tree dying got his attention, "Perhaps, it's your fertilizer."

"You think this is funny?" Regina demanded at his smirk, "Well, I'll tell you what I think. I think it's a sign of the curse weakening because of Emma. But do you care? No. You're content to just sit back and do… Whatever it is you're doing, while all my hard work burns."

Hard work? She sat back and did nothing for 28 years, "That's not all, is it? Come on. You might as well get everything off your chest."

Regina scoffed, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Henry," He said simply, "Miss Swan wants him. Even came over looking to hire me. I refused of course given our close friendship."

"She'll have that boy over my dead body," Regina spat, ignoring his sarcasm.

"The curse was meant to take away Snow White and Prince Charming's happiness. Perhaps, you giving up Henry is just the price to keep the curse unbroken," he offered simply.

Regina gave him a haughty look, "I think I'd rather just get rid of her."

"Well, well. You're going to have to be quite creative. We both know the repercussions in killing Miss Swan. The curse will be…"

"The curse will be broken," a brief look of panic crossed Regina's face. She didn't know that beforehand but she quickly put enough context clues together to figure it out. Rumpelstiltskin did wonder when she figured out Emma was the savior, "That's because you designed it that way. Undo it."

A curse is a curse, of course of course, and no one can 'undo' a curse of course….

He smiled a bit at that, that had been his first lesson to Regina, "You know… Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. Magic… Well… Is in short supply around here and dwindling by the minute."

Regina's eyes widened, "You want the curse broken. Why?"

He tensed, if she caught on his scent she'd latch on like a pitbull and wouldn't let go, "That's not something I care to discuss."

"Don't bother. You can shove your reasons," Regina waved her hand; "I want to strike a new deal. One where I can get rid of Emma without shattering the curse."

"Unfortunately for you, a negotiation requires two interested parties, and I'm already planning a trip."

"I'll give you anything."

Oh now she was getting desperate, he was going to enjoy this, "You no longer have anything I want, dearie. But I will give you a piece of advice, free of charge. I'd plan a trip of your own. Because, once people waken up and remember who you are and what you did to them… They are going to be looking for blood."

He spun the globe in front of him and focused on it, in his own way dismissing her.

She would do one of two things; she'd either flee or try to take care of Emma herself. And if she failed or if Emma fought back…then Emma would see Regina for what she truly was.

It was almost over. He could practically taste it and his heart raced in excitement.

The curse was going to be broken and he was going to find his son.

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Snow called Emma's phone about half a dozen times before she gave up and had a panic attack in her bathroom that Emma left them all at the mercy of Regina.

She'd had her chance. She'd blown it; she should've told Emma the truth.

But she didn't and now Emma was gone. She lost her daughter.

Snow pulled herself up and washed her face when morning came. It was everything Snow had not to call up Rumpelstiltskin and ask for his help. But her pride refused to let her do so. What would he do? Separate them again for another 28 years? Besides, what could he do?

If Emma was gone…if she ran away did the haze take them again? Would Snow and Rumpelstiltskin forget and believe they were married and in love with a very big…bedding drive?

Gods, Snow was going to be sick.

Her mind went to a million different places and a million different situations.

And then the door to Snow's room opened and Emma walked in.

There weren't words to describe the relief that Snow felt she saw her daughter walk in and throw her things down. And then the frustration came, "Oh. Thought you'd left."

"Mary Margaret…," Emma started.

"But I couldn't tell for sure," Snow interrupted, "Because you didn't bother to say goodbye. Do you remember when I left? When I ran? What you said to me? You said, we have to stick together. That we're like… Family."

"Yeah," Emma couldn't look at her in the eye, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left."

"You're right – you shouldn't have," Snow shot her the most motherly deadly glare she'd ever been able to give, "So why, after everything, did you just go?"

"I don't want to be Sheriff. I don't want people relying on me. I don't want this. Any of it."

"We don't want a lot of things to happen but they do," Snow told her, "What about Henry?"

Emma really averted her gaze, "I took him with me."

Snow blinked and she let that sink in, "You abducted him?"

Emma shrugged, "Maybe."

"So," Snow tried to figure out her logic, "You don't want people to rely on you, but you took your son? Now, that sounds like a stable home for him. What is wrong with you?"

"I want what's best for him."

"And running is what's best for him? You think Regina would let you two get away? She'd put everything into hunting you down and you know where you'd end back up. Maybe you're not doing what's best for him. Maybe it's best for you? You're reverting, Emma, into the person you were before you got here. And I thought you'd changed."

"You thought wrong," Emma whispered.

"Well," Snow took a sip of her coffee, "Regardless, you have to do what's right for Henry now."

"What's that?"

"Oh, I don't know," Snow said through a clenched jaw, "You're his mother – that's your job. So, you figure it out."

Emma visibly flinched at that last barb and she lowered her eyes and left the room.

Snow rested her hands against the countertop and drew in a few breaths.

Emma came back.

It wasn't over yet.

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One visit was enough of a pain for Rumpelstiltskin by Regina. But twice in one day and he was ready to pull his hair out. Especially because he could feel her 'smug' a block before she came in, "I hope you bought travel insurance, because no one's going anywhere."

He smiled and continued checking his books, "Oh, really? And why's that?"

"Because I found a solution to my Emma Swan problem."

He smiled at her enthusiasm and looked up, "Oh, yes?"

"An old… reliable solution."

He automatically knew when he saw her smile, "A sleeping curse. Might I ask how you managed to obtain one here in Storybrooke?"

Regina leaned across the glass display, "By sacrificing the last bit of magic I had left."

"So, you made magic from magic," he raised his eyebrow, "Well, I'm sure I don't have to remind you that, uh, all magic comes with a price."

"Then you can pay it," she sneered, "Because now, the curse is going to be stronger than ever. And you will be right here where you belong. Don't you understand? I won. So, whatever plan you had… Whatever reason you wanted the curse broken… Too bad. Because it's never going to happen."

She spun the globe for extra measure and walked out.

Rumpelstiltskin sighed and looked around his office.

Oh Regina, that's not how it works.

Half an hour later he got a call from a sobbing Snow.

Henry was unconscious; he was being rushed to the hospital.

Regina was wrong. It wasn't Rumpelstiltskin that would pay the price.

It was still her…and the price she would pay was the boy.