A/N: I hope that you are all enjoying this as much as I am writing it. I am trying for a episodic feel. There will be more flash backs so we can see how SwanQueen happened and more. Please bear with me as I write, I promise that everything that you find out while reading it will all make sense in the end. I am going to try to do it in a format of Regina and Emma for two chapters and then Bevin's story for a chapter. But, they will merge before the end, I promise. Please review and let me know if you like it. I hope that you do. Thanks, ~JET

Chapter 7

Regina was lying on the bed when Emma came in. She knew that Regina was upset and it hurt her that she was. Emma could hear the soft sobs coming from her as she crossed the room to their bed. She remembered a time when it would have been Regina consoling her instead. Emma slowly sank to her knees beside the bed and looked up at Regina. She gave her a weak smile, hoping that Regina would return it, and when she didn't, Emma took her hand.

"Regina?"

"Yes?"

Emma looked into her dark eyes, still seeing the purple haze floating behind them. She willed herself to remain calm as her green eyes watched her lovers. Regina lifted her head to look at Emma better before she put it back on the pillow. She wiped away the tears on her cheeks and gave Emma a lopsided grin.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine, dear," Regina replied.

"I know that you feel it, Regina. I'm going to have to bind you again. I'll wait until they all go to bed. I'll cast something for the sound, so you'll be able to scream out," Emma told her.

"I understand, dear."

"Please don't be like that. You know that I don't want to do this because of the verdict. I am doing this for you. Magic is your drug and we have to curb it."

"I know that, Emma. I am painfully reminded of that every day. Don't think that this is easy for me, either. I hate it. I hate that I turned into the one person that I didn't want to be. I hate the fact that magic almost cost me everything that I love. I hate the fact that it was so addictive that I couldn't stop. I kept looking for more. I didn't care if it was dark or not. I just wanted the power and the feeling it gave me. I could have whatever I wanted, but it still wasn't enough in the end, was it?" Regina asked.

"The power may have given you what you wanted, but you still couldn't fully control the hearts of those you cared for. You gave up everything for Henry to heal your heart. You continue to do that every day. I know that it is a battle of the heart for you, but remember that I love you. Henry loves you," Emma told her.

"I know that, dear. It is one of the reasons that my life is bearable. I am grateful that I have you and Henry to help me through...my troubles. I am just sorry that this happened so soon to us going back to the Enchanted Forest. I have a feeling that I will be ill while we are there for the most part."

"Ill?"

"I don't know that I will be able to face Snow and Charming. I...I don't want to stop you and Henry from going. Maybe I should just stay here. I think that would be best," Regina told her.

"Oh, you do, do you?"

"Yes, I do. And, you know that it is true. I can't be trusted with magic. You've seen what I'm capable of doing. I don't want to hurt anyone. I'll stay here. I don't want to...It is for the best."

"Then, I'll just ask Mom what she thinks about all this," Emma told her.

"You would ask your mother about me? You know what she'll say. We both know that she'll be glad that I've chosen to stay behind. That it is for the best for everyone that I didn't come. I know that she resents the fact that we are still together, Emma."

"Don't be so sure of yourself, Regina."

"How can I not? We tried to destroy each other too many times for us to actually get along. There is no love between us. You know our history. You know that it is true," Regina told her.

"And, that is why my mother has let you live at every turn? She constantly goes to bat for you, hoping that you'll change and prove them all wrong. She consistently pardons your life for banishment and it isn't out of love?" Emma questioned.

"I don't know why she does it. I have never understood your mother's intentions for anything. They never made sense to me. Only Snow knows what Snow is thinking."

"Have you ever thought to ask her about it?"

"Oh, yes, because that is on the top of my list of things to do while back in the Enchanted Forest."

"Gahh….why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"Why do you have to be so loving and hopeful?"

"Because I am a Charming, it's what we do."

"Well, I am a Mills and it is what I do."

"Talk to her then. Henry and I still have to make the 'call' home. I need to prepare her for Rhiannon, if she is coming. I just assumed that you would like her to come with us. Plus, I would think it better that she comes along with us and not be left to her own devices here in Storybrooke," Emma told her.

"I doubt that your mother has any comforting words for me, Emma. But, you are right; Rhiannon cannot stay here unless I do. I believe that it is a perfect solution to our imperfect situation. I'll just stay back with her. Maybe, I can figure out a way to help her," Regina stated.

"Then you can tell Henry, yourself. I am not going to be the one that breaks his heart. You can have that pleasure, Madam Mayor," Emma told her, the anger apparent in her voice. "You know that he has been waiting for this all semester. But, go ahead; break your son's heart."

Emma left her alone. She was angry, but part of her understood Regina's reasoning. She didn't agree with it and she needed Regina to see that it was bigger than her this time. She could only hope that Regina would come around before morning.

Henry stood his ground and didn't back down. He gave her his most serious look, which almost made Rhiannon want to laugh. He certainly took after his mother and his grandparents.

"You want to know why I am really here?"

"Yes, I do."

"Your mothers' haven't told you?" she questioned.

"No, they haven't. All Mom and Ma told me was that you are an old friend of Mom's from the other realm. Ma may have mentioned that you were some sort of royalty, but I'm not sure. You are sure dressed like someone of some standing from the other realm. So, I ask again, why are you really here?"

She smiled at the boy, well, the almost man. He was worried about his mothers. She was proud of Regina for rearing such a caring boy. The Sheriff was obviously where he got his mannerisms and attitude, but she could see Regina's rearing in his actions. He was a little of both of them.

"I came to ask your mother for some help," she replied simply.

"Help doing what?"

"I lost something that I need to find soon."

"This object, it has power?" he asked.

"I believe so, yes."

"What is it?"

"Well, you are direct," she replied.

"I find that it is the best way to learn what you want to know. My moms used to lie to me to protect me. I hated it. They learned really quickly that I inherited my Ma's superpower."

"Superpower?"

"Yes, I can tell when someone is lying to me. So, this object has power, but it is more to you than that. What is this object that you are so adamant about finding?"

"My daughter," she told him.

He stood a little straighter. He could feel her plight and knew that she was being truthful with him. He studied her a little while before he spoke again.

"You daughter, she is powerful like you?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"No, she was taken from me when she was but a wee bairn," she told him.

"Wee bairn?"

"It means she was a small baby," Rhiannon told him.

"How old would she be now?"

"That is just it, I don't know."

"How can you not know?" he asked her.

"Because time moves differently in my realm than it does in yours."

"But, you think that Mom can help you find her."

"I have a pretty good feeling that she can, yes," Rhiannon replied.

"She doesn't do magic anymore," he stated.

"So, I've heard."

"Perhaps, Ma could help you."

"Excuse me?"

"Ma, she has magic. She might be able to help you. It is kinda her thing."

"She really didn't seem interested in helping me earlier," Rhiannon stated.

"Would you be?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You came here and upset them. You demand that Mom help you. Ma is very protective of Mom. They have a complicated history, among other things. Ma will do anything that she can for Mom. Surely, you saw that in her eyes when you were all talking," Henry stated.

"I did."

"Then, you know that Emma would do anything for her. Look, they think that I don't know that Ma has to bind Mom's magic every so often. I know it must hurt, because I have heard Mom screaming as Ma did it. They try to protect me from it because they know what I think about magic. I know that not all magic is bad. Mom realized that and it changed her heart. She tried so hard, but she asked for Emma to bind her. She felt it was safer for everyone," he told her.

"You know more than they think you do," she stated.

"I know."

"Have you told them that you know?"

"No, they need to believe that I am still naïve. It helps them believe that I am not growing up too fast. I understand their want to protect me. I mean I am the grandson of the Dark One and the Charmings. My Ma is the Savior and my Mom is the Evil Queen. I've kinda had to learn to deal with some really messed up stuff growing up."

"I am sure that you did, Henry, but you seem to have adjusted well to it."

"Adjusted is a good word for it. They don't think that I understand the complexity of the situations that they find themselves in, but I do. I was raised here. I was born here. Yeah, it might have been to people from Fairy Tale Land, but I was born here. That makes me different from everyone else here. I was different from the beginning. All the kids I grew up with were all from there, I wasn't. I knew I was different. I knew that there was something wrong."

"How did you deal with that, Henry?"

"I brought my moms together."

"How did you do that?" Rhiannon asked him.

"I went and got Emma from Boston. I made her come back with me. I made her see that everyone here was from Fairy Tale Land and she broke the curse. I don't know what brought Mom and her closer, but I want to think that it was Neverland. I don't know though. I know that if I hadn't brought Emma back the curse would have never been lifted," Henry told her.

"I see."

"So all of this is because you knew you were different?"

"That is only part of it. No, most of this goes back further. If you know my Mom, then you knew her mother. You did know Cora, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did have the unfortunateness of knowing your grandmother," she replied.

"Didn't we all," he muttered, before continuing, "She started all of this because of her lust for power. Mom won't admit it. I get it. She still loves her mother because she is her mother. Cora wasn't nice and she didn't care who she hurt, even if it was Mom."

"You know that she hurt your mother?"

"Yes, I do. I know that she did it constantly. All Mom wanted was love and she fought for it so hard. What she didn't see was that I loved her but I was lonely. I wanted to know what was beyond Storybrooke. I wanted to know who I really was. She couldn't give that to me without losing me, so she held on tighter and tighter until I rebelled completely. I was ten."

Rhiannon smiled at the young man in front of her. He smiled back, realizing that she was lonely like he had been. He could understand her and why she was searching so hard for her daughter.

"Let me talk to them," he told her.

"You would do that for me?"

"I know what it is like to search for you those you love. I sought out Emma and brought her back. I made her see the truth, even when she didn't want to see it. I'll talk to them, maybe it will help," Henry told her.

"Thank you," Rhiannon stated.

"Don't thank me yet. They haven't agreed to anything. They can both be stubborn and they wonder where I get it," he explained, chuckling slightly, "But, you are going to have to tell them everything that you know, from the beginning."

"I don't …"

"Don't. I know that there is more to this story, but it is your story to tell. I don't know why you are hiding everything about from them, but they will need to know it if they are going to help you. Rhiannon, she is your daughter and she is missing. She deserves the truth to be told. It will help us find her. Trust me on that," he explained.

She smiled at his frankness. She liked the lad. He was just like Regina had been around that age. She could only hope that he would succeed in his endeavor in convincing his mothers to help her. She knew that she would need their help if she had any potential in succeeding.

"I suggest that you come with me to the guest room. You might want to get comfortable. The next few hours are going to be quick and painful for us. We are going through the portal before lunch time. I suggest getting some rest, because I am sure that you going with us," Henry said.

He left her standing on the stairwell, staring after him as he went on his way. She followed him to the bed chamber. She was amazed by it decorations, but she didn't have time to appreciate it all with him.

"Henry, a word please," Emma stated standing outside the room.

"Sure, Ma," he replied to her before telling Rhiannon, "Goodnight, Rhiannon. Sleep well."

Emma gave her a pleading look. She didn't know whether she should be afraid of the Sheriff or not. They were both suspicious of each other. Rhiannon needed their help and she knew that if Henry could help her, then she might have a chance of getting Regina to actually help. She wasn't sure that Emma wanted to help her, but she knew that if Regina helped her that Emma would be right there as well. It was a risky venture, but she knew that risk could mean peace finally for her war torn lands.

She nodded at Emma in a silent agreement to wait for their decision. She had no choice at the moment. Emma shut the door to the guest room. Rhiannon could hear them walking away down the hall to another room. They were talking about calling Henry's grandparents.

Rhiannon lay down on the bed. She conjured up an image of her daughter and sighed. She stared at the image floating over her hand and wondered if it was what her daughter would actually look like now. She was brought out of her reverie by a knock on the door.

Regina entered slowly. She saw the image of Rhiannon's daughter. Her heart broke for her childhood friend.

"I'll speak with Snow," Regina told her, before leaving her alone in the room again. heart broke for her childhood friend.

"I'll speak with Snow," Regina told her, before leaving her alone in the room again.