Emma was trying to keep the little high she had gotten for herself. It was as if the moment she said those words to Regina a great weight had been lifted off of her. When she finally said that she was going to take her son back, it was like mind and body had suddenly registered the fact that she had made a life-changing decision, one she had been struggling with for quite some time.

And the feelings of joy did not diminish when she saw August walking, or more limping over to her booth. She could almost feel sorry for the black and blue man, but she decided to just let the site add to the feeling of lightness she already had. "Hello Sheriff, I want to report a funny thing happening last night." He said sitting down, with no small amount of difficulty. "I was asleep, last night. And then out of nowhere someone started beating me with some foam covered stick contraption. He or she managed to knock me out, and then continued to beat me. I was shocked to wake up and find my typewriter had been thrown from my second story window. And every single article of clothing I had that I was not wearing to bed was in my bathtub covered in ink, along with every single piece of my work." August said this as if this was just him reporting a crime to the Sheriff. In fact Emma was almost inclined to believe that he had no idea who it was that had done those things, but the way his eyes looked told her he knew more than what he was saying. "No doubt this was the work of some deranged lunatic, or maybe some highly emotional woman." He let his eyebrows rise when he said woman. "I just wish I knew what it was I had done that could've caused this person to see fit to beat me senseless."

"Why I'm no psychologist, I'm pretty sure that's Archie's job. But I've always found that recently I might be inclined to do something like that, if I found out that someone had decided to impersonate my estranged stepson to my husband. And then hypothetically after my husband had discovered the ruse, had come home to me, before coming upstairs to find me in a chair in our bedroom, thinking of all the wonderful things that this could mean for us, he goes to the liquor cabinets and drinks an unhealthy amount of Jack Daniels whiskey. If in this scenario he were then to come up to the room, and in tears tell me how he was unlovable and tell me I should leave him because he loves me too much to ever try and hurt me, or allow me to feel any lasting form of pain, but knows in his heart that he is far too horrible to do anything but cause me pain, I might, in this completely hypothetical situation, react in a very negative way towards the person who would cause such a situation to ever occur." Emma said smiling like the Cheshire cat. "But what I would like to know is why such a ruse would ever be needed to take place in such a situation as that?"

"Well I'm afraid I can't tell you."

"Bull. I think you might."

"No. I think I might not. You see I might have made a deal with your husband, and no one ever breaks deals with him, do they Dearie." He said with a smirk.

The moment August said dearie he regretted it. Emma 'accidentally' knocked over her mug of hot chocolate that was still quite hot and watched with a mixture of unhappiness and satisfaction as it spilled over on top of him. Unhappiness at the waste of perfectly good hot chocolate, but a deep sense of satisfaction from being able to wipe the smirk off his face. "Are you all right?" She said letting her voice convey just how un-sincere she was.

"Peachy." He said smiling while trying to use napkins to get rid of the hot liquid. "My last pair of pants was just ruined. But why talk about me? Why not about you. For instance, what if I had a way to help you get Henry back, wouldn't that just be wonderful." He said with the smug look returning, especially when he knows that Emma was looking around for another hot drink and there weren't any.

"What you mean by that?"

"Oh nothing, have a wonderful day Sheriff. Talk to me when you're ready." He said getting up to leave.

Emma was racking her brain, trying to think of a way to get him to stay so she could interrogate him more, but her mind just kept coming up blank on what to do.

Gold's Shop.

Emma decided that now was good a time as ever to inform her dear husband about her decision to attempt to get Henry back. His reaction was not one she expected. "No."

"What?" Emma said obviously expecting a different answer, and not entirely sure she even heard what he said properly.

"I must admit, your intentions are admirable. However, I won't be taking your case."

"What? You know what Regina did."

"Yes, but we can't prove it. And, given the Mayor's sway in this town, any proceedings against her would be long and drawn out and futile. The only certainty is, Henry would suffer. You can't do that to your boy, don't ask me to do it."

"So, we leave him in the same house with that sociopath?"

"I'm sorry, Emma. My mind's made up."

"Well, then change it. The only person I've ever seen go head-to-head with Regina and win is you."

"That's because I know how to pick my battles."

"Then, pick this one."

"I'm sorry." Gold said, watching his Emma paced around the room in a fury. "Even if I wanted to I'm not sure of any outcome other than us losing. To start with we have absolutely no legal standing. When you gave up Henry and asked for a closed adoption you made it so the courts would see you as less than human when it comes to getting him back. I have more rights to him then you do, even some homeless person would have a better case if it was simply you against Regina. As for me versus Regina, I cannot provide anything of significant enough value that Regina can't already provide, nothing that would justify the courts uprooting the boy from his home. The only thing we actually have going for our case is Henry wanting to live with us, and unfortunately he is too young for his testimony to be worth a damn in court."

"So what can we do?"

"Legally, nothing. Murdering Regina is always an option, or getting her thrown in prison. But if we were to do that not only would there be the mess of attempting to cover up for murder or uncovering anything that would actually get her thrown in jail, but if we were to lose the court proceedings Henry would simply be thrown back into the system, most likely never to be seen or heard from again." Gold then watched Emma began pacing again, and then he noticed the idea forming in her mind. "If you're planning on kidnapping him, in your condition that would be foolish at best, absolutely idiotic beyond all forms of reason at worse. And if you're thinking it would be better for him to be in the system and away from Regina, I'm certain you know that's not true. And no, you wouldn't be able to handle it not knowing where he is or how he's doing, listen to the voice of experience."

"I've experienced that too. I know it's not pleasant." Emma said taking a deep breath. "So is there anything at all that we can do?"

"Other than break the curse, nothing suddenly comes to mind."

From the look Emma was giving Gold, he could tell she was not amused.

Granny's Inn.

Emma knew she would hate herself later. Who was she kidding; she hated herself right now, and had hated herself for the last five minutes, ever since the stupid plan had entered her head.

Before she could talk herself out of it she knocked on August door, not exactly being gentle. When the man opened the door he instantly hid behind it when he saw her. "Emma. If you're here to beat me up again, I'm afraid I have an appointment somewhere else I simply can't miss."

"I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here because you said you had a way to get Regina and get Henry away from her. Well I'm out of options, so I'm coming to you."

"Well, good to I'm know I'm not your least favorite person in all of Storybrooke anymore."

The moment August said that he wished he hadn't, noticing a sudden change in Emma's demeanor. "Two pieces of advice. One, you were never the most hated person in Storybrooke, that owner will always belong to Regina unless something drastic happens. And two, seeing as I am pregnant, my sanity's fragile, so any stupid comments like that are likely to cause me to wonder just how fragile you are, so for your sake I'd keep them to a minimum."

Regina's Home.

Emma was just sitting there in her car, thinking of everything. Her husband, her kids, her life up to this point, how much she loved everyone, and how much her life had changed.

She was thinking about how much life had stunk before Storybrooke, how much better it had gotten because of Henry, how it had gone from tolerable to glorious because of her marriage to Gold, how she couldn't think of a happier time in her life. And she could think of three very clear reasons why it could only get better.

But she couldn't help looking up at Regina's house, seeing Henry's window, and feeling a need for her son. Sure life was great, but it wasn't perfect.

And then she thought of Regina, the psycho, and how she couldn't leave Henry there.

August had said he could help, but he was crazy, going on and on about the curse. And even if it was true, even If it was, it didn't help her now.

So she picked up her walkie-talkie. "Henry, could you come out?" She sent over the walkie-talkie.

"Sure, is there a problem?"

"Don't know yet."

It didn't take him long to come down, and when he got in Emma drove around town.

"You do love me right?"

"Of course."

"Do you love Regina?"

Henry looked at her confused. "A little, in some ways, I guess."

"Would you want to leave her?"

"Sure."

"Would you want to live with me and Gold?"

"Well, yeah, I'd love to live with you and dad."

"But what if we had to do it the wrong way?"

Henry was now very confused, but then he felt the car stop. He looked forward and his heart hit the floor and jumped into his throat at the same time. They were at the town line. "Think about it. The one thing everybody is telling me is that I can't get you legally. But I could drive over that line, leave this town and be in the middle of Quebec in a less than a day, or be in California visiting Mickey in two and a half. Gold could stay here for a few months, and then come find us, we could go be a family in the Caymans islands, or Croatia, Morocco, or Cuba and learn how to ride horses and take in a luau, and then go for a swim in the sea." Emma said with a far off look. "We could be happy."

Henry looked over at Emma and put his hand over hers, getting her attention. "But we can't, not really. Gold can't leave town, and you couldn't keep him from his kids. And you have a family here, and I like it here, and your parents are here, and…" Henry looked up at her with big eyes. "And we can't."

Emma sighed. "No, we can't, nice dream though."

"Yeah, nice dream." Emma said maneuvering so she could go back.

But while trying to do that, she got closer to the town line, and her water broke.

The mood at the hospital was stressed if nothing else. The moment people saw Emma walking in with a wet leg they instantly ushered her into a room and began doing preparatory work for the new Gold about to enter the world.

Henry was sitting outside of the delivery room when Mr. Gold came in. "Where is she. Where is my wife?" He said not bothering to hide his worry or frustration.

Henry simply pointed towards the door, and when Gold noticed him he gave the boy a quick nod before rushing into the room.

After five minutes of raised voices Dr. Whale came in.

"Emma." Gold said rushing to her side.

"I'm fine." Were the first words out of her mouth.

"You aren't due for another three weeks."

"I'll be fine. The doctor said everything will be fine."

"Okay the doctors, what do they know? They're all quacks." He said, then looking towards the nurse in the room he said. "I mean that in the nicest way possible nurse."

"It's all right. I've heard a lot worse coming out of people who don't have triplets and who are currently in labor. But you do need to calm down Mr. Gold."

"With all due respect, not going to happen." Gold said.

But Gold did manage to calm down more or less, that is of course until the nurse describes just how big the needle would be to give Emma her meds. "Are you insane!? I have canes shorter than that thing."

But luckily this is when Dr. Whale came in. "Mr. Gold. Shut up."

"Excuse me." Gold asked shocked. Along with everyone else in the room. All motion or activity had stopped, including one or two nurses breathing.

"You heard me, shut up. Outside of this room you are the powerful and intimidating Mr. Gold, but inside of this hospital, in this room I am God Almighty, Lord over everything and everyone. Now if you want to stay and help, you can. But if you're going to be like that I will throw you out as easily as I did my empty cup of coffee this morning." Whale said not even taking a breath. And dear heavens did he look stern. "Now the staff here has delivered thousand babies before. If you're worried just compare this to the old days when you were born, in some cave where a midwife gave your mother some herbs to chew on." If anyone had managed to recover from the shock of earlier, they were downright catatonic at this point. No one ever talked to Gold that way. No one. "Now the thing we are giving your wife will make what was once one of the most painful experiences known to man, even worse than that of stepping on a Lego, into a walk in the park. If we really wanted to we could simply knock her out, and do a C-section. I could guarantee minimal visual scarring, no chance of her suffering any ill effects, and she would literally sleep through the birthing process to awaken to three smiling children."

Then Whale turned towards Emma. "But this is your choice." He then looked back at Mr. Gold again. "Her choice." He emphasized 'her'. "Right now you are as useful as an appendix in this part of the have two choices, either outside or go get washed up."

And thus, for the first times in recorded history, and if you asked anyone later they would surely deny it out of fear, but Mr. Gold went out of the room calmly and quietly, asking a nurse where he could get his scrubs.

And once again the good Dr. turned towards Emma. "Now, spinal block, epidural, or a nice C-section. Or even having a special, buy one spinal block get the other two free."

And Emma would never admit it, probably blame it on the hormones, but she did laugh.

For the sake of what I would not do justice to, and having never been (un)fortunate enough to be a part of such a process, in any capacity whatsoever, we shall now skip over the miracle of birth, and get to the part we all know and love, that is going overboard with the babies and their cuteness!

Enjoy.

Emma went for the spinal block, and after a good four hours of being in labor. Mr. Gold and Mrs. Emma Gold welcomed Jonathan Stephen Gold into the world, so named because Jonathan in the Bible was able to be completely loyal to his father and his best friend, even when his father would try and kill his best friend, and Stephen because he was wise enough to understand his faith, brave enough to die for it, and forgiving enough to not blame the men that killed him.

12 minutes later, Mary White Gold was born, named for Emma's dearest friend Mary Margaret, and Henry's theory of her being Snow White. And holding onto her heel was Morraine Bella Gold, named after two very important women who had once been in her father's life.

And their father could already tell he was doomed, not only do they look alike, but he could tell they had inherited their mother's looks.

And Emma was equally distressed realizing that Jonathan had inherited his father's looks.

But that distress was for another day, because right now they were too busy making very undignified noises and faces at these three adorable children.

For the next week activity was at an all-time high around the Gold's house.

It had been officially decided that Granny and Archie would be Jonathan's godparents.

Madelyn and Jefferson would be Mary's godparents.

And after Henry had insisted and insisted and insisted, Gold and Emma had finally relented and agreed that the seven dwarves could be Moraine's godfathers, assuming the curse broke, because Emma did not want Leroy babysitting one of her children by taking her down to the bar to shoot pool.

The attempt of finding a night nurse to look after the children was a slow and ongoing process. Between the fact that Gold didn't trust anybody, nobody liked him, and Emma was slightly paranoid of anybody offering to do the job might have really been working for Regina, there were really no candidates available.

A Week Earlier. Interior Gold's Shop.

While everyone else was at the hospital celebrating the three newest residents of the town, Regina was having a rather disturbing dream, where the town rebelled and tied her to a tree, only for Henry to not save her, while a gang led by Emma and Mr. Gold went on to simultaneously stab her with a sword.

So she got up and went to talk with Gold, who unfortunately for him, had decided to stop by the store to check on one or two important details. When he saw her he let out a sigh. "Your Majesty. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"My tree is dying. Why?"

"Perhaps, it's your fertilizer."

"You think this is funny?" Yes, he did, but he was trying not to laugh hysterically. "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."

"That's not all, is it? Come on. You might as well get everything off your chest."

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

"Henry. My wife wants him."

"She'll have that boy over my dead body."

"Well, if you're making an offer." Gold said smiling. "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."

"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 Emma. The curse will be…"

"The curse will be broken."

"I was also going to add on the fact that I'd be angry. And we all know how badly that might end for you"

"The curse will break because that's the way you designed it to be. Undo it."

"You know… Even if I wanted to, so you could kill my wife, and I don't want that, let's be clear. I couldn't. Magic… Well… Is in short supply around here and dwindling by the minute. I, personally, don't have any with me right now." Gold said smiling, enjoying the fact that someone did have magic and the fact that Regina didn't know about it was flying right over her head.

"You want the curse broken. Why?"

"That's not something I care to discuss."

"Don't bother. You can shove your reasons. I want to strike a new deal. One where I can get rid of or stop Emma without shattering the curse."

"Unfortunately for you, a negotiation requires two interested parties, and I'm already planning a trip and I want to keep my wife, and my new kids which I haven't heard a congratulation from you yet about them." Gold said with a mock frown.

That Regina ignored. "I'll give you anything."

"You no longer have anything I want, dearie."

"But if the curse breaks, then you will have to deal with a whole town not wanting you to be with Emma, including a sword happy Charming and Snow."

"I was never one fore fearing the masses. But I will give you a piece of advice, free of charge. I'd plan a trip of your own, because, once people wake up and remember who you are and what you did to them… they are going to be looking for blood. While I don't fear the masses, I'm pretty sure the royals have always feared them."

Regina's Office

But Regina never was one to give up easily. It just took her a day or two to figure out what she needs to do. "Jefferson. So, you got my message." She said not even turning around as the Mad Hatter entered her office.

"How could I miss it? You know I watch her." Jefferson said with disgust, thinking about how much that woman knew about him. But he took comfort in knowing that she was oblivious to the rather important detail of his alliance with Rumpelstiltskin.

"It must be so painful, your daughter Paige being oh, so near."

"Grace. Her name is Grace. You should know that – you changed it. What do you want?"

"Your help."

"And what makes you think, I won't kill you after everything you've done?"

"Because you don't have it in you. If you did, you would have done it twenty-eight years ago when I brought you here. Because you know if I'm dead, you'll never get back to your daughter. And I have a way for us to both get what we want."

Jefferson was extremely skeptical, that is until Regina produced a hat box, his hatbox. "My hat."

"I want you to use it again."

"I can't make it work. No one can. Not here. Not without magic."

"Well, then you're in luck, because I happen to have some. Not a lot… but hopefully, enough… for one last journey."

"Where?"

"Back to our land. Where there's a solution to a very delicate problem I have… How to get rid of the one person who could break my curse."

"Emma. And why shouldn't I let her do just that? End the madness and go home. Not to mention the fact that there is a certain person, maybe you've met him, who is currently married to Emma. And I think you and I both know that if anyone were to touch so much as one hair on her head, they'd have a neon sign over their head, begging for a very horrible and painful death."

"So your plan is to go home. To your hovel? Selling fungus at the fair? Why? When you could just stay here in the mansion I gave you? My problem, Jefferson, is the same as yours. It's family. We both want our children back, and we both can get them, if we work together. And as for Rumpelstiltskin, as much as he'd love to no doubt do a number of very unpleasant things to me and you if Emma were to die, he's far too logical. He knows that if he did that he'd just end up going to jail for the rest of his life and his children gone."

Jefferson took a step back, eyeing the woman with obvious disdain, his facial expressions screaming out in disbelief. "You're insane, or suicidal. Maybe both. You honestly expect a wounded animal to think clearly? Because he won't. He'll revert to his natural instincts, the deadly ones."

"And I can protect you."

"Why should I trust that promise now? I seem to remember you making one very similar to it almost 30 years ago. We all know how that turned out."

"You shouldn't. But it's the only offer you've got. After we're through, I'll wake up your dear Grace, so she remembers who you are."

"No. Remembering is the worst curse. Two lives in her head, like me. I want to forget. I want you to write us a new story, a fresh start, here."

"Well, my dear Jefferson, then that's exactly what you'll have. Oh, after we take care of Mrs. Gold." Regina said smiling. "Meet me at the graveyard in an hour. My father's tomb."

The moment Jefferson knew it was safe, he fished out his phone and looked through his contacts. Selecting a contact with no name, only an image, the gray king. "Hello. She castled with the black Rook.

Regina's Vault.

"Watch your step."

"What is this place?" Jefferson said, not sure if he should smile or take a shower, this place felt, just wrong.

"Where I've kept the last bit of my magic. The only magic in this world is in the things I brought with me."

Jefferson had to suppress a smirk, and set the hat down. But nothing happened. "It's not spinning. It's not working."

"It needs to absorb the magic that's here. I have some things left. A few trinkets." She then took a box of odds and ends and dumped its contents into the hat.

"It's not enough. You need something that still works." He said. And then Regina pulled out her ring, the one that let her see Daniel in it. "Who's that?"

"Someone long gone."

"Well, whatever or whoever it is, it still has magical properties. Give me that, and let me see what I can do with it." But Regina hesitates. "If you want your son back, if you want your revenge, give it to me." Regina doesn't even look as she drops the ring in the hat.

It starts to work, but stops. "What's wrong? Why isn't it opening a portal?"

"The magic – it's not enough. We can't go anywhere."

"Then you failed."

"Maybe not. There's enough magic to touch the other side, just not to get us there. There might be enough to… reach through and retrieve something."

"I can bring something back?"

"Is there an object that can help you? Perhaps, I can open it enough and reach through and grab it. It would have to be small. Something that you can take with your hand. Is there anything like that that can help you?"

"Yes. Yes, I believe there is."

"Then, you need to direct me to the time and place where this object exists." He says giving Regina the hat.

"How?"

"Think about it. Guide the hat." Regina then closes her eyes and places the hat on the ground, a portal opening. "Excellent. It appears to be working. Now, what is it we're after?

"An apple."

Jefferson nods, and after a moment an apple comes flying up out of the hat and he catches it. "Is this it?"

"Yes. Yes, it is." Reign motions for him to give it to her.

But Jefferson stands back and puts the apple in his jacket. "Not so fast, there is still the matter of my safety and my daughter's? My Grace? How do I know that you won't cheat me again, I need some form of insurance."

"Is my word not enough?"

"I was born at night, not last night. I need something."

"Like what."

Jefferson looks around. "I know, you double cross me, and I show this to Henry, and what was once the unexplainable death of his birth mother becomes, to him, a very easy to explain murder. Understand?"

"Yes." She said trying to hold on to her rage, and then Jefferson gave her the apple. "But, first things first. The deal's not done. Not until I solve the next conundrum. How to get this savior to taste my forbidden fruit…"

Gold's Home.

Regina decided that there was only one way to effectively get close to Emma was to go to their home. When she knocked on the door, the maid, Winter answered. "Mayor Mills, what are you doing here?" She asked suspiciously.

"I need to talk with Emma, strictly professional."

Winter seemed to hesitate for a moment, but decided to let her in. "Follow me." She then went down the hall to the third door on the left. This room it turned out was a very well equipped nursery. "Emma, Regina is here to see you."

Emma looked up from the child in her arms, shocked to hear that that woman was here, in her home. "What."

"I'm here to talk, nothing more." Regina said pushing past Winter. "You can leave now dear."

Winter hesitated, but Emma gave her a nod. "It's all right, go get lunch ready or something."

"Yes ma'am." She then left, but left the door slightly open.

"Well, even the help doesn't trust me it seems."

"They have no reason to."

"Yes, well. I'm not here to talk about trust or lack thereof. I'm here to talk about Henry."

"What about him."

"You want him; I don't want you to have him. Simply put you don't really have a leg to stand on, but in a year or two, that might not be the case."

"Your point?"

"I have a proposition. You want him sooner rather than latter; I don't want to risk losing him. I say we each have something the other wants and I'm sure you know what your husband always says about deals."

"So what's the proposition?"

"As much as I hate it, joint custody of sorts. Henry can spend his normal two hours with you if he wants. A weekend or two every month, maybe a full week or two during the summer."

"And what do you get."

"Assurance that when he is supposed to be with me, he is. When I have him, unless you are dying and it is your last request, you have no more contact with him during that time then you did the last ten years of his life. You are a perfect stranger, Gold as well. And I will extend the same courtesy to you. And if you should ever by some remote chance have a case against me that might last for longer than 10 seconds, you remember this offer and how I didn't need to make it."

Emma thought for a moment, a long long moment. But it was a good deal, better then everyone said she could get. Why not take it. "Ok, deal." Emma stretched out her hand, and they shock on it.

"And something extra to seal the deal." Regina then pulled out a plastic container. "If we're going to be in each other's lives, it's time we start being cordial. My famous turnovers, an old recipe but delicious."

Emma was a little shocked, but she had to admit she was a little hungry, maybe it would be good for an after lunch snack. "Thank you." Emma took the container.

"I do hope you like apples."

Gold's Shop.

"I hope you bought travel insurance, because no one's going anywhere." Regina said walking smugly into the shop.

"Oh, really? And why's that?" Gold said, not even looking up, how did he get so unlucky as to have her catch him on the two days that week he had been in the shop to just make it seem like he was running an active business, it almost wasn't worth it.

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

"Oh, yes?" He still wasn't going to care. Whatever she had would back fire.

"An old, reliable solution."

But, darn it all. That little comment did get his attention. "A sleeping curse. Might I ask how you managed to obtain one here in Storybrooke?"

"By sacrificing the last bit of magic I had left." And that's when Gold gave her the first serious look of the day. And then he saw that old rusted bit of metal she normally wore was gone.

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

"Then you can pay it. Because now, the curse is going to be stronger than ever. And you will be right here where you belong." But Gold just went back to taking inventory. "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."

"Oh, look who suddenly became confidant. But let's not forget, Magic has its price. And someone has to pay, and it certainly won't be me."

"And what makes you so sure."

"Because it will be Henry who pays, because you love him but you are too selfish to pay your own price."

Regina was starting to get worried, he was a little to calm for her tastes. "And you don't care that Henry might suffer."

"No, not really. Because I know something you don't. I know how this will play out." He then went back to his books. "See you at 4:37 A.M." He then looked up again. "Wear something that pads the knees, begging on the hard floor and all."

Regina just left, not rising to the bait, he had to be bluffing, and he was just hiding his own fears.

Right?

Gold's Home.

Henry got a call from Emma, telling him to come over fast. "Hey, Emma. Everything okay? You sounded strange over the walkie."

"Yeah. I spoke to Regina, and we made a deal."

Henry stopped her right there. "No! No, you can't trust her! So whatever it is, no."

"Just listen. The deal was I could have my normal two hours with you, and one or two weekends a month and maybe a week or two in the summer. It's what's best for you, Henry. Every time I fight her, someone else gets hurt, and I couldn't win a custody battle, but this way I get something, you get something, and later on, who knows."

Henry decided to trust her. So he came up and gave her a hug. He then heard one of the kids making noise. "I should go check on them." She said heading into the nursery.

Henry followed her, and made some cute faces and noises at the waking child, but stopped when he saw the plastic container. "Where did you get that?"

"Regina gave it to me."

"Apple!"

"So?"

"You can't eat that. It's poison."

"What?"

"Don't you see? The deal… It was all a trick to get you to eat that, to get rid of the savior."

"Henry, come on. Why would she do that when I just told her I was going to not take you away?"

"Because as long as you're alive, as long as your here, you're a threat to the curse."

"Henry, you've got to stop thinking like this."

"But it's the truth! And you leaving her alone and not taking me isn't going to change that." He was almost shouting, causing the other children to start to cry.

"Henry, you can't make them cry. Now I'll prove it to you." She moved toward the container.

"No!" Henry did yell this time and dived for the box.

"Henry… What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry it had to come to this. You may not believe in the curse… or in me but I believe in you." He said taking the turnover out of the box and taking a bite. And nothing happened.

"See? You want to have some ice cream with that? And then we can go back to talking about…" But then Henry collapsed. "Henry? That's not funny." She said walking over to the boy. Not noticing how the children were all looking at their big brother, tears in their eyes, but not crying. And the pets in the room were all using a low growl. "Henry? Henry? Henry! Come on, get up. Henry!"

But he wouldn't wake up.

Thank you to Skyeward MusicLover, yuiop, and Guest. And just so you all know, I have had plans involving season 4 for a long time, I just didn't realize it.

lozzy035, Twyla Mercedes, and power214063.

And because it was asked, no Emma doesn't get Henry before the kids, but I think there will be an eventual compromise between Emma and Regina. Sometime after chapter 237 at the latest.

1) What are Jeff and Michal up to?

2) What did you think of the baby names?

3) Will Belle make an appearance?

4) Do you want Belle to be a more major role, or minor? (Remember what happened to all me current stories with Belle when you answer this one.)