Chapter Seven: Faith, Trust, or Pixie Dust?

Regina sat at her vanity wearing a pair of her silk pajama pants and a tank top moisturizing her arms before bed. She heard Henry struggling to get Pongo settled and as much as she wanted to help, she knew this was something he wanted to do on his own. If he needed help, he'd ask. So she remained in her room, her reflection staring back at her as if to scold her for not having an answer to her current situation.

Pongo came charging into her bedroom and sat at her feet, panting and wagging his tail, his eyes smiling up at her. She smiled, realizing her new attachment to the pooch. Henry came running in seconds later.

"Sorry, mom. I tried to get him to go downstairs, but it's like he insists on staying here with you," he sighed, putting his hands on his hips. She looked away from Pongo and to her son, recognizing her own characteristics in his current demeanor. Biological or not, he was clearly her son.

"He's good company so I don't mind," she said with a gentle tone, patting the dog's head. Henry approached his mother, leaning his bottom against the vanity and crossing his arms across his chest as he stared her down. Another infamous Regina Mills trait. "Is there something on your mind, dear?"

"Yeah," he said. "You."

"Me? What about me," she asked, crossing her own arms as she looked at her growing boy.

"How are you," his voice was gentle, the compassion evident in his tone.

"I'm fine," Regina knew her son was worried, but this wasn't his burden.

"Liar," he said quick.

"Watch it," his mother pointed a finger at him as a warning to mind his manners before making her way over to her bed. Henry followed and crawled into the spot next to her while Pongo took his place at her feet. It wasn't like her son to want to snuggle into bed with her unless he was sick. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm just worried about you," he confessed. She frowned at his honesty and wrapped her arms around him.

"Well, don't," she said, running her fingers through his messy hair. His eyes were getting heavy and she could see his breathing start to fall into a steady rhythm. "Why don't we get you to bed?"

"I'm comfortable here," he said softly. "Unless you want me to go."

Regina shook her head, pulling him closer to her. She couldn't remember the last time she spent the night with her baby in her arms. She wasn't about to let him go as long as he wanted to stay. She felt his lips curl into a smile against her bicep and she sighed into a grin of her own.

"Do you know what you're gonna do," Henry asked, his eyes closed.

"Not at all," she admitted, her eyes focused on the ceiling.

"We could always put you under a sleeping curse and whoever wakes you up with true love's kiss wins."

Regina allowed a soft laugh to escape her, admiring her son's imagination. Her eyes widened with discovery. She had something better than a sleeping curse that could solve all her problems and tomorrow she would need to get her hands on it.

"Henry, you're a genius," she whispered to him, kissing the top of his head. He hummed back, drifting into dreamland. She leaned over to turn out the light on her bedside table, careful not to disturb her not-so-little boy. When she settled in beside him, holding his body close to hers, she closed her eyes and whispered, "Goodnight, my Prince."

The next morning, the mother and son walked their temporary pet down Main Street. She escorted them to Mary Margaret's apartment building, meeting the Charming couple outside. That afternoon the entire town would be gathered at the park so they could officially announce the name of their newborn son. Henry insisted on helping them set up and knew Pongo would have a blast at the park.

"Be careful and keep a close eye on him," Regina said, pulling her son into a hug. "I'll meet you there in a little while."

She walked a few blocks toward the Church and stopped in front of a small apartment building a few lots away. She took in a deep breath, wanting to run back to her home and crawl into bed forever. She shook the thought away. She wasn't a child anymore. She had to face this and in order to do so, she needed help.

As she reached forward to knock on the door, it swung open to reveal a petite blonde, a hand on her hip and eyebrow raised. Regina jumped back in surprise, a hand on her chest to steady her racing heart.

"I was wondering how long it would take for you to come to me for help."

"As much as I hate to admit it, Tink, some assistance would be nice," Regina muttered.

"I'll put the kettle on," the pixie took a step back to allow the brunette into her home.

Regina entered and was offered a seat at a small kitchen table fit for only two people. She sat down while Tinkerbell busied herself with the tea and dove right into the conversation.

"The minute I heard Daniel was back, I wanted to call you."

"Then why didn't you," Regina asked. She wasn't upset. It was more of a genuine curiosity.

"I don't mean to offend, but whenever there is even the slightest tilt in your universe, you become unpredictable. I didn't want to lose my wings again after just getting them back," she confessed and the brunette nodded.

"No offense taken," she said simply. "So if you had called, what would you have said?"

"I never thought about it. I would have let my instincts take over. But I suppose it would have been something like, 'Pixie dust never lies.' It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it," she teased, removing the kettle from the stove as it whistled and pouring them each a cup. She sat across from the former Queen with a knowing smirk.

"Daniel was gone when it led me to Robin. Things are different now," she stirred a spoonful of honey into her cup before taking a sip.

"Different or not, the man with the lion tattoo is your soulmate, Regina. The sooner you accept that, the happier you'll be."

"But is it possible that because I believed Daniel was dead and that I had no chance to ever be with him again, that the pixie dust led me to Robin instead?"

Tink mulled it over in her mind as she sipped her beverage.

"I suppose it's possible. And now with both of them in the same realm and alive..." she trailed off, realizing why Regina needed her help. "You want to try it again."

"Please, Tinkerbell. I can't possibly choose between them. If I let pixie dust determine my fate, perhaps the guilt will be easier to bear," she confessed.

Tink saw the utter desperation in Regina's eyes and sighed. She waved her fingers in front of her face and she was suddenly holding a small bag. She held it out to the brunette who reached forward to take it, but the blonde held it tighter in her grasp.

"If you want my opinion," Tink said slowly, making sure she had the other woman's full attention before continuing, "I think you already know who you want. You're just too afraid to enter the tavern. Regina, don't make the same mistake twice. Being happy is not such a horrible fate. Remember that."

She released her grip on the bag of pixie dust and Regina looked down at it for a moment. She knew the pixie was probably right, but these were extenuating circumstances. She leaned forward and took the blonde's hand in her own.

"I won't run away this time," she assured her.

"You better not, Regina. You owe it to yourself to be happy. Just make sure this is the right way to find that happiness before you use the dust, alright?"

"Thank you, Tink," she said with a smile and squeezed her hand before leaving the apartment, her fingers turning white from their tight grip around the bag.