Wow, two updates in less than 24 hours. I guess I was on a roll, but don't get used to that ;) I am so glad you are liking the story so far, and I'll try to address some of the reviews at the end of this chapter.

Chapter 8

The skin on her fingertips tingles with touch, but how can it be when the face she touches can't possibly be there. Tears haven't stopped running down her face, but she doesn't feel them, doesn't feel anything but Henry. Her hands move from his tear stained face. They find his ears, his neck, shoulders, and arms as they slide down clinging to him as if he'll disappear if she removes them.

"Henry?" she repeats a little louder, a little more certain, because now it feels like a minute has passed while she has held and examined him. At least a minute has passed with him in her arms, with people surrounding them confused and frozen, and his sobs have ceased, and the screams are gone.

He opens his mouth and this time his words find her ears, sink into her mind, no longer fogged with fear, "It's ok Mom, I'm here. We are here, and we're going to rescue you." Regina's lower lip drops in shock because those words were definitely spoken, and her boy is truly right in front of her. Her brow furrows in confusion before her eyes finally leave her son to search the faces intent upon the scene in front of them. Suddenly her mind switches. One instant she was sure she was either dreaming or dying because Henry could not be here, but in the next instant the truth sinks in. Henry stands before her, and he isn't safe, however he got here does not matter, but he is here and this place is dangerous.

The mother in her awakens. Fierce bravery and protectiveness fighting to the front of her mind past all the insecurity and hopelessness that had so recently held her captive. She shifts her eyes around them, spies all the people surrounding them and realizes that most have moved ahead of them, watching the show she thinks, but it allows her to shield Henry with her own body. She quickly pushes in front of her son, never losing contact, always embracing him.

"Mom?" Henry questions from behind her. He is lightly struggling with her. She can feel how he wants to be the one protecting, wants to be the one saving her, but right now she is his mother, and as heartwarming as it feels to know Henry wants to protect her, she will not have it, not now when he isn't safe. Regina thinks the people around them would not hurt Henry, they would not hurt an innocent boy, but these are not the people she knows, similar, but not the same, and she won't risk Henry.

"Henry, I don't know how you are here, but you need to stay behind me...please Henry." She pleads with him, and recognizes that inflection in her voice she only ever hears when she is speaking to him. He must recognize it too, motherly, fierce, protective, because he stops any struggle, and instead threads his arms around her waist in an embrace. One of her own hands finds his, gripping so tightly she hopes it doesn't hurt, she can't help it.

"Mom, its ok." he says reassuringly behind her, but she doesn't understand how he can say that. She doesn't understand how anything is going to be ok, but she will not let him feel or see her wavering, so she stands straight, and slips a threatening mask on her face while she addresses the silent group around them. Nearly everyone in the camp is standing and staring now, having been drawn to the screams of her and her son.

"Do not come near us," she growls at them. Her eyes find Robin, and the look on his face does not match the others. He is not as confused, and she remembers his question the night before. He had seen her interaction with Roland, assumed she was a mother, and now his assumption is proven right before his very eyes. He still holds her gaze with his, and he opens his mouth to speak, hands rising slowly in an attempt to calm her.

"Regina," he says, but does not continue as his eyes move behind her, above her shoulder, and his face freezes. Then she hears his voice again, but his mouth isn't moving. Her mind feels addled and blurry, and she wonders how he is speaking without moving his lips until she realizes the voice doesn't come from in front of her, but from behind her.

Regina turns slightly, just enough, and Robin, 'her' Robin, comes into view. His head just above Henry's in her line of sight, and he carries his bow, arrow notched, at the ready, as he glides toward her slowly, carefully. From the corner of her eye she spots more movement behind her, and turning just a little more she spots Emma with a sword held high moving toward them at the same pace as Robin until she halts near the edge of the clearing.

A gasp escapes her lips, and she turns immediately, glancing nervously from face to face in front of her. This is what Henry meant. He said she was safe, he said 'we', we're here to save you, and now she understands why he felt so reassured that everything would be ok. He did not come to her rescue alone, of course not, but she can't decide whether past Robin seeing future Robin is really for the best, even if it does mean her escape.

It isn't until now that she remembers Robin has been speaking, and she has not heard a single word. He is nearly next to her now, only five feet or so from himself, or his past self. "Regina," he breathes out her name, and she thinks he has probably repeated saying it several times already, "move back." His breaths come steady and calm, and she has alway been in awe of how he can handle himself with such serenity in moments that have her breaths coming rapidly and her heart pounding in her ears.

Arms around her waist squeeze tighter, and she nods her head at Robin while all three of them move together, move backward toward Emma, where she stands at the southern edge of the clearing. Everyone else still seems to be in a state of shock, but they are slowly rousing, and Charming takes a step forward with his hand falling to the hilt of his sword.

"This bow never misses!" Robin states from next to her, now slightly in front of her protectively. "I never miss." He repeats tersely, looking from Charming to his past self. It has the desired effect because that Robin lifts his arm to Charming, a warning. They share a look, and Charming seems to understand, his hand leaving his sword, but Snow is not one to just let things pass.

Snow's face is still crumpled in confusion, and something else, disappointment maybe. Yes, she looks disappointed, and Regina can only imagine what it is like to watch her step mother, the woman who has been trying to kill her practically since they met, actually be a mother. What it must feel like to see that Regina is not incapable of love, but that she never deemed Snow worthy of that love.

"I do not know who you are, but I wonder, do you know that it is the evil queen you are choosing to rescue?" She looks at Robin, then to Regina, and past her to Emma. They are almost there, almost to Emma and the edge of the forest.

"She is not evil," Henry states loudly from behind her, and now he frees himself from her grasp, stands between her and Robin, clasping his hand back with hers, "she is my mom." He finishes the statement gazing into her watery eyes, and she is finding this all too overwhelming. She holds him tight again, and they are at the forest now, almost into the trees so she turns to Emma giving her an appreciative smile.

Her voice comes out strong regardless of the lack of strength she actually feels, "It is nice to see you Miss Swan, but how?" she questions, part of her still wondering if this is all a dream.

"Later," Emma sighs out in response before she looks to Henry, "that was not the plan kid, what were you thinking?" Regina's hold on Henry only tightens when she sees his sheepish look.

"They were hurting her. I had to!" He states in defense while looking slightly ashamed, and Regina knows that looks, has seen it many times since he was a toddler. The plan for her rescue did not include her son running to her side with no protection for either of them and no regard for any damage to the future. Still, she can't bring herself to be angry with him, can't bring herself to feel anything but joy at being able to have him in her arms once again, so she turns to Emma and changes the subject.

"Now what?" Regina asks as they all stand at the edge of the clearing, Robin just in front with his arms shaking from the duration of holding his bow taught. She looks all around them again, trying to determine what to do next. Are they just supposed to run through the woods hoping no one will catch up?

"Keep moving back." He says, and they continue slipping into the tree line while glares stay glued to them from the sea of faces that remain in the camp. Then a whistle sounds, and Regina assumes they are coming after them until she realizes the whistle originated from her right, from Emma. Smoke engulfs her. It is a heavy feeling at first, heavy and dragging, before it switches to a light airy feeling, like floating. She is familiar with this sensation, has felt it many times, but usually by her own hand, so this magic that sweeps her off in a cloud of smoke has her gasping and choking, unprepared until she arrives heavy and on solid ground once again.

Immediately Regina tightens her grasp, it is real, Henry's hand is in hers, and it is still there, his hand, unmoving. She looks up from their hands and observes her new surroundings, welcoming the sight before her because now she feels hopeful, now she thinks she can fix things, now she has help. Robin still stands to her left, breathing more heavily now, and she still finds it amazing that he waits to lose any semblance of control until there is no longer reason to. Emma remains on her right, Henry between them, and just in front of her stands her hope, hope that this can all be fixed. Not David, he is standing there with his usual idiotic smile, and she will deny the shred of comfort seeing him gives her, but next to him stands the personification of all her hope and plans,

"Rumple."

She sighs in relief, because if anyone knows how to fix this complete mess, it is him.

"Your Majesty."

So, yes, it was actually Henry! I didn't get to explaining much about his arrival in this chapter, but we will here more details in chapter 9 about how they arrived.

Regina hasn't used magic yet in front of anyone because of the leola root in her system, but we may get to see her using light magic next chapter, and we are not finished with the characters from the past yet.

Also, a lot of reviews want to see Regina and her past self interaction, especially in front of the other past characters. I have something like that planned for a future chapter so keep reading.

Thanks again so much for reading, following, and reviewing.