CHAPTER 12

Regina slowly made her way up the stairs. It was past due time for her to have a chat with her kids. She looked back and forth between their doors. She figured it was faster to get the easier one out of the way first.

She opened the door and gave a brief rap against the frame. "Hi poppet," she walked in and shut the door behind her. "You all ready for bed?"

Luka was sitting on the edge of her bed stuffing things into her backpack. "Yeah I'm ready," she finished putting her things away then she put her backpack beside her bed. Regina grabbed it and laid it against the end.

She rose and walked over to Luka's vanity. She grabbed her hairbrush and held it up with her eyebrows raised in a silent question. When Luka turned she sat behind her and began to run the brush through her hair.

"Poppet I want you to know that I listened to everything you said. And I wanted to say I'm sorry. I know Henry's behavior has been hard to take lately. I just didn't think it was having that much of an effect on you."

Luka picked at her chipped fingernail polish. "He's not just that way with you. It's me, and Aunt Z and Uncle G too. He's just horrible."

Regina's heart ached hearing the pain in her young daughter's voice. She thought she alone was bearing the brunt of his abuse since it was usually aimed at her. She maybe deserved it although it still hurt to think that such bitterness could come from her own son. But this she couldn't allow. Luka was innocent and she would not allow Henry to taint anyone else with his cruelty. "I want you to know that I'm going to go and have a talk with Henry next. And if his behavior doesn't improve immediately, he will have some very real consequences."

Regina finished brushing through Luka's hair. She turned her daughter around to face her, "Again I'm sorry. But I don't want this worrying you anymore. I'm handling this. I just need you to trust me to know that."

"Of course I trust you Mom. I love you," Luka threw her little arms around Regina's neck and squeezed tight.

Regina inhaled her daughter's fresh scent. She still smelled the same as she did the day she was born. She knew this was the way that animals identified their families. And both her children had been firmly imprinted on her.

"Let's get you tucked away," she rubbed Luka's back before pulling away. Luka scampered underneath the covers as Regina tucked them all around her.

Luka grabbed for the stuffed white tiger that Henry had given her as her very first sibling present. He'd saved up his spare changed and begged his Mother to help him get so that someone would always be watching over his baby when he couldn't be there.

Regina smiled at the reminder of how proud he'd looked strolling up to the counter with it tucked under one arm with his glass jar of change clutched in his other. Regina had sat him on the counter as he began counting even though he only knew his numbers up to 10. She'd taken pity on him and the schoolgirl who just stared blankly waiting for her hell to end and pulled a twenty out of her wallet. "You dropped this," she said as she kissed his sweet head and handed it over to him so that he could give it to the lady.

"Here. I have enough," he'd thrust the bill at her and watched in satisfaction as the cash register dinged letting him know that the sale had went through. He'd held his hand out for change that he quickly put back into his little jar. Then he grabbed the tiger under one arm while holding his other arm out to his Mother.

As soon as they'd gotten home Henry had instantly made a beeline for the baby that Zelena had been babysitting. He'd kissed her head and then given her the tiger. "Here," he said with a hint of a lisp, "It's a tiger. He's the best biggest cat in the world. When I'm not here, he'll keep you safe."

Regina smiled at her daughter through the memory. She brushed the hair from her temple and kissed her. "Sweet dreams poppet." She waved before leaving making sure she'd turned out the main light and left on the nightlight. She pulled the door just so.

She took a deep breath. Then entered Henry's room. Henry scampered clutching something underneath the blankets. He frowned over at her. "You're supposed to knock."

Regina put her hand on her hip and looked down at her son. He was still such a tiny thing. And he used to light up her world. Now she was loathe to be around him. "And you're supposed to be respectful," Regina shut the door behind her. "I don't knock inside MY home. That's your responsibility to ensure that you do before opening a closed door."

She ignored Henry's frown as she sat on the end of his bed.

"What do you want?"

Regina cocked her head to the side. She frowned as she looked at her son sitting in defensive posture against her. She sighed and shook her head, "Where did my little boy go?" she asked sadly.

"Emma's my Mom. She's the Savior. And she's going to break your curse."

"Emma's your birthmother," Regina corrected. "Yes she gave birth to you. But she will never be your Mother. And you're making it really hard for her to even want to be around you at all. She came back here for me not for you."

She felt bad momentarily as she watched his eyes become red and his bottom lip quiver.

But he fixed her with a steel gaze. "You did something to her! What did you do to her? Did you put another curse on her?!" Henry was yelling now. And he didn't care. If the Evil Queen hurt his Mother he'd – he'd do something really bad. He'd get even with her no matter what it took.

She'd already destroyed their family. It was her fault that Snow White and Prince Charming never got to raise her. All because she hated Snow White that much.

Now he knew the truth. And he wouldn't let it go unpunished. Regina was evil. And it was his job to open Emma's eyes so that she could take her rightful place as the hero. And he would stand beside his rightful Mom every step of the way.

Regina just looked at him sadly. "I am going to say this once and only once. From here on out none of your behavior will be tolerated. You're hurting me and your sister. You've hurt this entire family. Your family. And you're even hurting yourself. You're so blind to this narrow view you've created that you can't see what's clearly in front of you. We haven't changed Henry. But you have. And no one likes it."

Regina paused as she gave him time to process that information. "If you can't get yourself under control and I do mean by tomorrow I expect you to wake with a new attitude." Regina licked her lips knowing that what she said worse would hurt. And it would either make or break them. Either way, Henry's behavior had to change. "Then I will have no choice but to send you to a place that helps with children like you. Children who find themselves in situations that they don't understand. And they need help to process things."

Henry began to tear up. He blinked the tears away rapidly. "I hate you," he spat out.

Regina sighed. "And I will always love you. No matter what all the time," Henry turned away from his Mother's intense gaze. "I hope you know that to be true Henry."

Regina rose and made her way back to her room. She threw off her clothes and climbed under the blankets before allowing the first tears to fall. Then she curled herself around herself. For the first time in a long time she cried herself to sleep.