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Chapter 10

Several weeks have passed. Weeks of sleeping and waking up in the same place; a place in the past.

A place that is completely familiar to me but also completely foreign.

It was hard at first to try and remember what I had been doing during this time, with the city planning, with Henry's school, and with Emma Swan.

After that day at the diner things took a turn for the better. A sort of truce was in place since I had made that apology and things have been pretty friendly, and actually a little mundane for my taste.

The first time Emma had come clawing into my town it was all new and dangerous and exhilarating. I will admit to myself that I enjoyed the new sparring opponent, especially after 28 years of controlling everyone and having no kind of opposition.

Ofcourse it is quite an exhilarating feeling to transport a whole town of people into this new setting, and to control their every move. But it does get quite boring, especially when you cannot even gloat at the fact that you accomplished so much. The people inhibiting the town didn't even know what I did which was good, but I liked feeling powerful and if they had known what I had done but had no control over it, it would have made me all the more powerful.

But in the end what did I really accomplish? Killing my father, the only person I truly loved; losing my son for a period of time? Yes things like this will certainly change you, and I will not make that same mistake twice. I will not lose my son since it is too late to save my father.

There is just one problem. How can I redeem myself to Henry and also be truthful with him? I know he is a mature young boy, but how do I know that he will be able to handle this? And how would we be able to break the curse this time, without going through the turmoil of the first time.

I will not be letting my son eat that apple turnover and stand by and hope that Emma can bring him back.

I know that together we have to power of true love, in our love for Henry.

But how can we do it? We have to break that damn curse because if we do not then I don't know what future lies ahead for all of us.

I have been able to do some research about this time warp a bit, but there isn't much information. I see spells that can help me to figure out how to get back, or find the answers as to why I am here. But without magic it's useless. I need to break this curse, but only the savior is fated to break it.

Have I already changed too much? Have I taken away the drive that Emma had to fight me, be in Henry's life and inadvertently break the curse?

I needed to talk to someone; I needed someone who would ultimately see what was happening without judgmental eyes. And there was no way that I am speaking to Gold about this so that just leaves Henry.

He and I have gotten so much closer these past weeks. We have been enjoying our meals again, and even Emma has started helping in the kitchen; under my direct supervision only, of course.

It has been nice having Henry start to trust me again at this age, and thank goodness he has been so good because it has allowed him to be a buffer for Emma and I.

There is an undercurrent between us that I do not understand. Anytime we are alone in a room together I start to feel this anxiety take over. My palms start to sweat, my throat goes dry, and I am hyperaware of her all around me. It is the most disorienting feeling, and I do not know if she can feel it as well but I have managed to avoid eye contact so I wouldn't even be able to see if she felt it too.

In a land that doesn't have magic yet, it feels like there is magic all around us when we are close to each other. I guess it would make sense though, since we have combined our magic to do some incredible things.

But that was after the curse broke, and under dire circumstances. We didn't even know we could combine our magic until we had no other choice.

Maybe that is the connection I feel to her. It's because of our love for Henry and our eventual ability to combine our magic.

As I sit at my home office, I glance out the window just as I see Henry running into the house. Its Saturday, but this time I made the breakfast and he and Emma have been out front since then playing with some of his toys.

I see Henry enter my office and smile as he approaches me.

"Henry make sure you drink lots of water ok? I can see you are wearing yourself out a bit, and you need to stay hydrated." I tell him, while wiping his wild hair down, his cheeks red from playing outside.

"Okay mom, would it be okay to go with Ms. Blanchard to the hospital? She mentioned some of the other kids volunteering to help and I thought it might be fun. She actually is outside talking to Emma right now…" He's still talking and I turn away and walk to the window to see for myself.

"Sure honey, but what is she doing here?" I ask as casually as I can. I can see them outside the window and I start to feel guilty.

I wonder for a second how I would feel if I was made to believe that Henry was a stranger to me? I couldn't even fathom it. Just knowing that I am keeping those two apart, that I was even able to go through with it and pretend for so long the first time; I really was a monster. Maybe I still am? Can a person ever really change?

"Mom are you okay?" I feel Henry grab my hand and see the concern in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just was distracted for a minute." I turn back to him and try to smile but I know he can see the sorrow in my eyes.

"I was just saying that Ms. Blanchard said she was walking to the hospital and since she saw us outside she decided to ask if I wanted to join her, but it's okay. I can stay…" I see him looking outside and then at me again.

It's so nice that he is able to really see me again, that he no longer thinks me a monster eventhough I have yet to explain myself to him.

He may have his doubts about me, especially with that book and the picture it paints, but he has really given me the benefit of the doubt this week. And for that I am truly grateful.

"Oh no, you can go but first I need to speak to Ms. Blanchard to make sure it is ok. Why don't you go and grab a light sweater and some water to take with you and meet us outside." I slowly take his hand in mine again smiling at him as I look him in the eye.

"If you're sure…?" he asks, and I nod to him, my smile growing with him showing such concern.

Its then that I decide that I will talk to him about what is happening; whether or not he believes me I need to atleast try. I do not know how long I am stuck here, but I need to do something.

….

As I walk outside I hear Mary Margaret telling Emma what a good boy Henry is. She is telling Emma that he has such a great imagination, and that's why she gave him the book.

"I am also glad to see him happy again, it had been a while and maybe that's because you are here…" I hear her say and then suck in a deep breath when she sees me walk out towards them just as she finishes saying it.

Normally I would retort rather rudely to her, but this time I just hold my tongue because I know that she is right.

"Well hello Ms. Blanchard. Henry was just saying that some other children were going to help out at the hospital today?" I ask her and I look directly at her, my hand instinctively folding in front of my chest defensively.

"Mmhmm.. yes, hello Madam Mayor, I was walking there and saw Henry and Emma outside so I decided to pop by and say hi. Henry talks about you all the time." She then gestures to Emma.

Emma just smiles a bit tight lipped sensing the obvious tension.

"I see. Well Henry is certainly very taken with Em… Ms. Swan. It seems they have very similar interests." I say as I gesture to the toys scattered around the front lawn, and the remote control in Emma's hand.

This makes Emma look down and blush, and her reaction makes me smile.

"I think he is just happy to have someone he can finally relate to." Mary Margaret's says, and then realizes what she's implied and immediately puts her hand over her mouth. Even though I know she can be a blubbering fool, it still hurts that she could say such a thing.

Emma immediately looks at me, and must see the hurt that runs through my eyes before I straighten my back and am about to say something.

"Actually Regina here is great with Henry. He's a very lucky kid who has everything he could possibly want. Trust me I have seen it first hand, they just relate on a more intellectual level, you know like books, and fine cuisine…" as Emma is finishing she looks at me playfully, and smirks.

Evenhough what Mary Margaret said bothers me I can't help but reply, "While I hardly call it fine cuisine, I agree that we both have an appreciation of food that has not been completely burnt." I reply back and it's as though Mary Margaret isn't even there as we have our own private conversation with our eyes.

Mine; thanking her for changing the subject and hers having a playful gleam.

"Well some people would probably just look at the effort put forth and not the finished product…" She retorts, and I can't help but step a little closer, getting into her space.

"Very true, but isn't it all the better when the actual end product is edible." I slowly lick my lips that feel so dry all of a sudden, and I see her eyes glance down to them.

"Well if you had actually tried just a little taste..." She smirks and leans a little closer to me as well, her voice taking a deeper tone.

I swallow and inch a little closer staring straight into her eyes.

"Hey mom, do you think I could also go with them to the Diner afterwards…. pretty please." Henry shouts running out of the house, and that's when I realize how close to Emma I was. I take a large step back, slowly running my fingers through my short hair for a minute.

When I look up I see that both Emma and Mary Margaret are flushed in the face.

"Yes Henry that will be fine as long as you are home before sundown and only if it's alright with Ms. Blanchard." Then I turn looking towards her.

She shifts uncomfortably at my stare and stutters out, "Oh yes, that's totally fine. Okay let's go Henry." She quickly ads looking back and forth between Emma and I while stepping out onto the sidewalk turning around, "Oh, and it was nice seeing you Emma." She smiles, and just nods her head towards me.

As Henry passes me I quickly realize I haven't given him any money for the Diner.

"Oh wait Henry, let me get you some money for dinner." I turn to walk away when I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"That's alright, I've got it." Emma says to me as she gently squeezes my shoulder, acting as if this is completely normal.

"It's no bother, I can just run in." I find myself saying to her.

She then takes out cash from her back pocket and hands it over to Henry.

"Have fun kid, and be good for Ms. Blanchard okay? Don't stray from the group at all, even in the hospital. And if you need anything your mother and I will be home." She says looking at him very seriously.

It is not lost on me how easily that falls from her mouth and how she doesn't even realize how domestic it sounds; like the three of us are a real family.

He quickly nods, "Ok bye mom, bye Emma." And he's off, not even glancing back at us as he catches up with Mary Margaret.

As we both watch him cross the street with her I can't help but glance to the side to see worry etched on Emma's face. It's then that I realize that she is still new to all of this. And I know exactly how she feels.

I gently and awkwardly place my hand over the one she still has on my shoulder tapping it a bit.

"I would say it gets easier, but there is always going to be this fear in the back of your mind that something might happen to him. But don't worry, Snow.. uh Mary Margaret will not let anything happen to him. As much as I may dislike her, she will watch over him." I tell her, knowing I slipped up a bit but I don't think she caught it.

I don't even know if she hears me because she just stares off to the direction that Henry went.

I see that she is not really paying attention to me, but I don't want to leave her alone in this moment so I take a seat on the steps.

I liked the playful banter between us earlier; I have never really had that before. She was not bad mouthing me, nor taking Mary Margaret's side, but actually trying to defend me to her which is something I am just not used to.

Although this is not the first time that Emma has had to make her parents see that I am no just some monster; that was after some time together. Especially after what happened with Pan.

But I didn't have to prove myself to her this time. She has just accepted me for who I am, or atleast who she thinks I am.

I am just grateful to finally have someone 'have my back' as I'm sure Emma would put it. It felt good to not have to defend myself to anyone in this alternate universe, not yet atleast. But it felt good to think that maybe I would never have to defend myself or my actions to the savior. Something I have had to do too many times.

I look up to see that she has taken a seat next to me.

She is looking at me, and smiles. I smile back, but questioningly.

"Are you alright, you seemed to drift off for a few minutes?"

"Thank you for giving me some time to process my emotions, and also knowing what to say. This whole thing with Henry is all so new, and I am so protective of him, even more than myself." She says, turning on the step to fully face me now and sitting with her legs crossed.

"I should be thanking your for what you said to Ms. Blanchard. Some people just do not think of others feelings when they say things." I slowly shake my head.

"Says the Mayor who regularly scares the townspeople with a single raise of an eyebrow." She says laughing to herself.

"Well atleast I am not saying such hurtful things, I am merely giving a pointed look." I tell her, giving her that pointed look.

"Oh yeah, your nonverbal cues are far worse than anything you could say. And the body language, don't get me started on that…" She says sizing me up.

I start to feel hot under her gaze, and quickly reply, "I have no clue what you are insinuating Ms. Swan!" as I stand and walk back into my house and into my office knowing full well that she was watching me the entire time.

As I sit at my desk I cannot help the smile on my face. This must be what having a real friend feels like, the playful banter, and someone defending me. I have never had that before and maybe that's why I am feeling this way. It's freeing to have someone whom I do not have to put my guard up around.

After weeks of worrying about what lies ahead, I am deciding here and now to embrace this new friendship with Emma fully, no more holding back.