Authors note: I hope this goes without saying, but you are all seriously the best readers ever :) LOVED reading your responses to the last ch!

Chapter 28: Proof

Bang bang bang! Emma knocked, no pounded, on Regina's door once twice, three times, her fist practically making a dent in the white painted wood. She could feel the weight of her parents' stares on her back as they wondered what in the world she was doing. Well, the time for explaining was not now.

"Regina! Open up!" She demanded loudly, not caring that it was pretty early in the morning. "I know you're in there!"

"Emma." Mary Margaret gripped her daughter's arm. "It's five in the morning."

"I don't care." Emma shook her mother away. "I need to talk to her. Regina!" She called.

Suddenly, the door flew open to reveal a very grumpy looking Regina. "You!" Her eyes widened with shock. Her glare intensified as she noticed Mary Margaret and David steps behind Emma.

"Yes, it's me." Emma said grimly, slightly taken aback by her former rival's appearance. The normally impeccable looking Evil Queen was pale and her puffy eyes were rimmed with red. Emma supposed that was how she looked as well.

"My, my dear. You've looked better." Regina simpered. "Someone forgot to apply her makeup this morning?"

Emma rolled her eyes. "You're one to talk, Madam Mayor."

"What are you even doing here? You have some nerve, just showing up." Regina hissed.

"What are you talking about?" Emma frowned. And then it occurred to her that Cora had already begun to brainwash Regina against her.

"I know you caused Henry to run away."

Emma's stomach sank; evidently Cora had done a fine job with the brainwashing. "What, did your dear Mommy tell you that?"

Regina blinked. "How do you know about her?"

Emma smirked slightly. "I may be a blonde, but I'm not dumb. You, on the other hand…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Regina demanded.

"You're too blinded by that twisted, warped woman who claims she loves you to see the truth! She's the reason Henry's gone. She kidnapped Henry!"

"No. You're wrong." Regina snarled. "This is all your fault!"

"Yes, I drove my son out of town. That totally makes sense." Emma said sarcastically.

"Hey, you said it, not me." Regina held her hands up in a mock surrender gesture.

"Think about it, Regina. Why would I have any reason to make Henry leave? I love him just as much as you do."

Regina shook her head. "You're lying."

"Your mother's the one who's lying." Emma argued. "Can't you see it? She shows up and Henry disappears! There has to be some sort of connection."

"No. The only reason Henry left is because you lied to him about his father!" Regina roared.

Emma took a couple of steps back, hurt flashing across her face. "Even if that was so, he would have no reason to leave. He has two other parents. He's in danger, Regina. Your mother's holding him captive on Hook's ship. She's going to kill him as part of some great master scheme to win you back. I heard that myself. You have to believe me."

"Enough. Your whole story is just ridiculous. You don't even have any proof." Regina snapped. "Listen to me, Ms. Swan. The only reason I haven't killed you is because I know Henry would never forgive me. But mark my words. When I find him, and I will find him, know that if he's harmed in any way, I'm coming for you."

And then the door was slammed.

Emma stood there, fuming angrily. If it was proof Regina wanted, it was proof she was going to get.

"Where are you going now?" David chased after her, Mary Margaret in tow.

"To get proof." Emma responded curtly. "I have to show Regina that I was telling the truth." Just then, something occurred to her. She spun back to face her parents. "You do believe me, don't you? Because if you don't, I have problem doing this alone."

"Oh, honey." Mary Margaret reached up to cup her daughter's face in her hands, but Emma shied away, unused to any show of affection. "Of course we believe you."

"Good." Emma continued her breakneck pace down the street.

"How exactly are you going to get proof?" David asked.

"Gold. I'm sure he has some magical item that can help."

"Well that was a bust." Emma quipped as she leaned against her car parked right outside Gold's shop, her feet scraping at the ground in frustration.

"I can't believe him." David said. "Making a deal with Cora."

"Refusing to help his own grandson." Mary Margaret added. "How selfish. You would've thought that he'd learned his lesson after losing his son."

"What are we going to do?" Emma groaned.

"Hey." Mary Margaret placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure this out. I know it."

"Quit being so infuriatingly optimistic." Emma snapped. "Without him, we have no way of showing Regina that Cora's up to all this."

Just then, she heard footsteps approaching. "Cora? Who's that?" A male voice asked, a voice that made Emma immediately tense. Neal.

She looked up to see him and Olivia, hand in hand, worry etched across their faces. How nauseating. "Regina's mother."

"What? I-I thought you said Henry ran away." Neal said, obviously confused.

Emma cast a quick look at Olivia, and then back at Neal, who got the message immediately.

"Hey, Olivia. I could really use a coffee." He handed her a few crumpled bills. "Granny's is just across the street."

"Oh, ok. Sure!" The perky bitch replied. "Anyone else need anything?" When they all shook their heads, she pranced off across the street.

Neal turned to Emma. "Ok, explain."

Emma proceeded to tell him an abridged version of the truth, leaving out the painful parts, of course. When she finished, Neal's face had hardened into an unreadable mask.

"Deal my ass." He muttered. "He's gonna help whether he likes it or not." He angrily pushed open the door to the shop, the bells jingling cheerfully, a stark contrast from everyone's mood.

Just as they'd left him moments before, Gold was standing behind the counter, polishing something shiny. "I thought I made myself clear." He sighed. "I cannot help you defeat Cora." But upon seeing his son, his eyes widened and he lowered the shiny instrument. "Bae…"

"Here's how this is gonna work." Neal slammed his hands onto the counter, making everyone jump. "You're gonna help us get Henry back, otherwise I'm never speaking to you again."

"Bae." Gold sighed. "You don't understand. I made a deal with Cora. A deal that I cannot break."

"I don't care!" Neal boomed. "You want to show me you changed? You want me to forgive you? Then you help us."

"I can't help you…" Gold shook his head. "Not directly."

"Then help us, I don't know, indirectly." Neal said. "You're gonna do what it takes to save Henry. You don't care about your grandson? Fine. But I know you care about me, so you're gonna do this."

The array of regret and pain that was etched on Gold's face was too much to watch. Emma turned away, casting her eyes down.

Finally, Gold spoke. "Alright. There might be a way. You wanted a way to show Regina your memories, Ms. Swan." He began rifling through the shelves, retrieving a circular object.

"A dream catcher? How's that gonna help?" Emma frowned. She and Neal exchanged a quick glance. As far as both of them knew, a dream catcher was just an on object that reminded them of their painful past.

"Like this." He raised the dream catcher above her head and a yellowish light immediately emanated out, captured by the dream catcher. "Show this to Regina and she'll be able to see all of your memories from the past twenty four hours."

Wait. Twenty four hours? But that would mean showing her and Hook together…

"Thanks." Neal nodded at his father.

"Come on." David pushed open the door, Neal heading outside.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret stopped upon seeing the tight expression on her daughter's face. "Is everything ok?"

"Hmm?" Emma snapped back to attention. "Nothing." Without a glance back, she strode outside, telling herself that relieving a few painful memories would be nothing compared to losing her son forever.

Author's note: Sooooo will they be able to convince Regina? And will they realize in time what Hook is up to and put a stop to it so he doesn't die?!