This is one of those chapters where I apologize in advance. I also am sorry for the timing of this. I wanted to do some fluff after Sunday's episode, but that sadly is not the case. Maybe I will do a oneshot this week though. Check out my series of oneshots for a pick me up!

Hope you all enjoy! We are almost at 100 reviews! Let's see if we can get there!

Chapter 23: Interactions

The rain stopped, the sun appeared to it's rightful spot in the sky, and all was right in the world of Storybrooke. Everyone was happy and at peace.

Well, everyone except Emma Swan.

Stress was not a foreign concept in her life. But lately, Emma had her fair share of it.

First there was Regina. She had made it clear that Emma was not to have any contact with Henry. Regina was a powerful woman with whom Emma had not had many interactions. She knew the mayor was the be feared.

Than there was Henry. Emma loved Henry with everything in her and not being able to see him was tearing her apart. Part of her wanted to defy Regina and see him either way, but another part of her told herself she needed to set a good example for Henry.

And then there was Killian. It had been a mere two days since the incident at his house. He was not pushing her to move, not making her state any labels on what they were or what they were doing, but they both knew waiting around was not fair to either of them. Emma still was not the type to rush into anything, though.

It was not the fact that Emma did not trust Killian that scared her. It was the very idea that she did trust him. People always left her, just when she got close to them. The same thing happened with Neal and later Walsh. She trusted them, opened herself up to them, and then got hurt because of it. Emma could not go through another heartbreak, especially with Killian.

Emma sighed, as she walked to her desk. Speaking of stress, there was a nice pile of paperwork waiting for her one her desk. Even though she only got into law enforcement because her job opportunities were lacking, she had wanted more action and less, well, sitting.

She was about to sit down when she found a cup sitting at her desk with a note on it. It read Meet me at the park at 11:45. Enjoy your drink!

Emma smiled. Despite her hesitancy to get into a relationship with Killian, it was moments like these that reminded her why she could trust him, why she liked him in the first place. He was always putting her first, tending to her needs. Now, he was even surprising her with drinks and trying to get her to meet him during her lunch break.

Emma was committed to making this work. She was not going to let her fear get the better of her. She did not have to make any promises to this guy, she was just meeting up with him for lunch. Lunch she could do.

It was not much, but it was a start.

Emma checked her phone again. 11:42. She had been able to leave for her lunch break a few minutes early without David questioning her too much. Her and David, along with Mary-Margaret had become closer in the months since she moved to Storybrooke. David had accepted the role of protective brother, but was leaning more towards father. She did not mind though...well, at least not all of the time.

She scanned the park, Killian nowhere in sight. She settled herself on a bench, rubbing her hands against her sleeves to warm herself. The rain had ended, but a muggy weather still loomed over the town. Her red leather jacket sheltered her from the majority of the cold, but a few chills still ran through her body.

"Hey Emma!" A voice called out from behind her. Emma cringed the moment she heard it. The sound did not belong to the accented Killian, but was much younger. Too young.

She turned around slowly. "Henry."

His face wore a huge smile, his eyes lit up with excitement. His backpack hung on his one shoulder and a heavy jacket was wrapped around him.

"What are you doing here?" She was now standing.

"I'm here to see you." He stated as if it were obvious.

"What are you talking about?"

"The note? You got it because you're here." Henry stated, sounding much more mature than his ten years.

"Right." Emma said slowly. "That."

"Who did you think it was from?"

"No one." Emma lied. She could not explain something to Henry that she did not understand. She and Killian-they were not anything. It would not make sense to Henry.

Henry seemed to accept her answer, moving past her to set his things on the bench. Emma whipped herself around. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Duh, I'm ten."

"Okay, let me rephrase that. Why are you not in school?"

"I wanted to see you." There was no guilt in the small boy's voice.

Emma shook her head. "Henry you can't just skip school to see me."

"How else am I going to? My mom won't let me out of the house anymore."

Emma kneeled down so she was at Henry's level. "I want to see you too,kid, but this is not the way. Come on." Emma reached for his bag.

Henry's happy smile turned to confusion. "Where are we going?"

"I am taking you back to school. If you're lucky, I won't tell you mother."

"Please." He pleaded, balling his hands into fists at his side. "Please don't. She'll kill me. I'll never leave the house again."

Emma held a hand out to Henry, which he hesitantly took. "I'll figure out a way for us to see each other, okay? But until then, you can't be skipping school. That's not okay."

"Fine." He huffed.

She led him to where she had her yellow bug parked and he did not seem at a nervous to climb right into the passenger seat as if he had ridden in the car a million times. Emma threw his backpack in the back row before moving to the driver's seat.

"I've missed you." Henry whispered once she had started driving.

Everything in her wanted to look over at the boy beside her and hug him tight. He was such a strong kid, but there was only so much he could take. "I've missed you too, Henry."

"Why does my mom have to be so mean all the time? Why can't you be my mom." Henry grumbled.

"Whoa, kid." She let out a little laugh under her breath. "I don't think I'd be a very good mom."

"Sure, you would." Henry perked up. "You actually care."

"Your might have a hard time showing it, but I think she really does love you."

"What makes you think that?" He asked her.

Emma sighed. "I've seen a lot of bad parents. I can just tell."

Henry sat silent for a moment, soaking in her words, before turning to her, held back by his seatbelt, and asking in a quiet voice. "Were you able to tell with any of your foster parents."

"Once I was a bit older. After I went through a few homes and saw what it was like, I was able to figure out pretty quick whether they cared or not."

"Did they?"

Emma glimpsed over at him for a second and was taken back by his youth. He was still so full of like and hope. He had faith in the future, something she had not had at his age. He loved everything, despite his upbringing. Emma only wished she could be more like Henry.

"There was one woman. Mrs. Abernathy. She was my favorite. I could tell from the beginning she was going to be good. She kept me for six months-it was the longest I ever stayed in one place.. She did what she was supposed to. She fed us, made sure we went to school, all the basics. But she really cared, in a personal way. She gave us gifts, took us out places, made sure we were happy. It was the first time I had a foster parent actually concerned with how I felt."

"She sounds nice." Henry stated, folding his hands in his lap.

"She was." Emma whispered, more to herself then Henry.

"No!"

Emma looked over at Henry with concern. They were parked in his school's parking lot, right about to go in. He hugged his knees while still sitting, making sure he was not visible from the outside of the car.

"What's wrong?"

"Look to your left. By the door."

Emma peered over to where Henry had told her and sure enough, Regina was standing there, enraged. The woman, dressed for work, was in what appeared to be a heated conversation with another adult.

"Of course." Emma muttered under her breath as she hit her head against the headrest.

"Now what?"

"Stay down, I've got-" Emma was caught off by more of Regina's yelling. She started pointing furiously at Emma's car, making her way towards it in her four inch heels that clicked as she walked.

"Of course she can spot my car a mile away." Emma mentally cursed herself for stealing a bright yellow car. Not exactly the most discreet option. "Stay in here, kid."

Emma slipped from her car quietly, pretending not to notice Regina until they were only feet away. "Hello, Mayor."

"Where's my son?" Regina seethed.

"I'm sorry? Shouldn't he be at school?" Emma had been a fugitive for years. Lying was her game.

Regina, however, did not look impressed. "Don't play stupid with me, Miss Swan. Where is he?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know."

"Sure you don't" Regina moved to Emma's car, yanking the back doors open. "He's in here, I know it. You took my son!"

The principal rushed forward, waving her hands. "Ma'am, you can't do that."

Regina spun around. "I'm the mayor. I can do whatever I please." She spit out before returning to tearing apart Emma's car.

"Regina-" She called out, hoping it would deter her.

"What?" She yelled as she crawled into Emma's car, throwing her items out the door. "You have his bag! What did you do to him?" She screamed.

"Mom, stop." A small whisper sounded.

"Henry." Regina's voice was filled with relief. Henry removed himself slowly from where he had been hiding and stood in front of Regina, who ran to him and enveloped him in her arms. "Oh Henry, I was so worried. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." He muttered through clenched teeth, trying to wiggle out of Regina's hold.

"And you!" Regina marched right up to Emma, meeting her face to face. "You kidnapped my son! I should have you arrested."

"Mom that's not what happened!" Henry yelled from behind them.

"Not now." She said to him, a tad bit quieter than her level with Emma. "Get out of my town before I make you wish you had never moved here!"

"Mom, please!"

"Henry, get inside! We will discuss your punishment later."

"Mom-"

"Now Henry!" She yelled at him. The principal took Henry by the hand, leading him inside. He was crying now and an emotional wreck due to what he had just witnessed.

Regina started pacing around, hands on her hips. "Miss Swan, are you out of your mind!"

"I didn't kidnap Henry!" Emma finally lost it.

"Are you insinuating that this is his fault?" Regina sneered.

Emma took a step closer to her. "No. I'm insinuating that this is your fault. Maybe if you didn't harp on him all of the time and showed him a little bit of love he would not have to run other places to find it."

"What do you know about family, Miss Swan?"

Emma was silent. What did she know about family? Nothing. She knew nothing.

"That's what I thought." Her voice was quieter, a normal conversation volume. "You don't stay anywhere for too long, Miss Swan. You have no roots. And if something does not have roots, it can not grow. I don't want that around Henry."

"You don't know anything about me." Emma remarked.

"I know enough. Enough to decide I do not want you around my son."

"You are hurting him."

"No." Regina stood poised, knowing exactly where she was going with the argument. "I am protecting him. Stay away from him and maybe I won't have you arrested." With that, Regina clicked off.

Emma moved back to her car in silence, picking up the items that Regina had thrown from her car. She slipped into the driver's seat and picked up her phone. The screen lit up and revealed there was a message from Killian.

Hello, love. Hot chocolate later?

Emma threw her phone aside, not bothering to respond. She did not want to deal with anything right now. She could not see Killian, could not fight for Henry, she could not do anything.

All she could do was cry.

And that was what she did.