Kailor: So I apologize now for the big ol' gap between this chapter and the last. I hit a huge chunk of writer's block on the road one day. Screwed me up, but I am back! And I am ready to write! Thanks for hanging on my dear ones!

Regina woke to her phone buzzing, signalling she had a text. She rolled over, her hand brushing the empty side of the bed to find it cool. Emma had beaten her up again. She could hear faint voices from downstairs and muffled music, then the unmistakable sound of Emma singing. She sat up, running her fingers through her hair and yawning. After a few moments of blinking to clear the sleep from her eyes, she glanced at the alarm clock and saw it was just after dawn. With a groan, she picked up her phone. The text was from Kathryn. "Morning, Reggie! Hope you're sleeping well while the rest of the world is up and heading into work!"

Regina chuckled and typed a quick reply. "I'm awake. Why are you going in so early?"

"Deliveries are here. I apparently must sign for them, as owner. Yay. I can barely contain my enthusiasm."

Regina laughed. Her phone buzzed again.

"Why are you up so early? Like you have a job or something? Did Emma wake you, like she did me and everyone else?"

"Yeah, she's singing downstairs. I swear, it'll never work between us. She's such a morning person. Ugh."

"Well, maybe you should have given her a reason to stay in bed." This text was followed immediately by a picture of a gnome laid out on his side, one eyebrow cocked. "Gnomesayin'?"

Regina rolled out of bed, shaking her head at her friend. "I will come to visit you once I'm fully awake. Now go to work." She pulled on her new robe over her pajamas and left the bedroom. Emma was still singing downstairs, but she sounded farther away. Regina hadn't pegged her for a country fan, but Tim McGraw was floating up the stairs with Emma's velvet voice. Rustling sounds came from Henry's room as she passed. She followed the singing, pausing on the bottom step.

Ruby was at the stove, lazily flipping pancakes between yawns. The door to the garage was open and the tinkering of tools and "Red Rag Top" came from there. Wolf was stretched out on the floor, blinking up at her. David was still asleep on the couch. At some point during the night, Aurora had moved to the office couch. Mary Margaret, Granny, Mulan, and Tink were gone, along with Kathryn. She stepped off the stairs, nodding as Ruby caught her eye and waved the spatula.

"Mornin'," Ruby said around a yawn.

"Good morning," Regina said, settling at the island.

"Scrambled or you make 'em yourself. 'Cause that's all I have the ability to do this early."

Regina laughed. "Scrambled is fine, dear."

Ruby nodded and turned back to the stove. The singing stopped and Emma stepped out of the garage, wiping her hands with a greasy rag. "Hey," she said, smiling when she saw Regina. "You're up early."

"Someone was singing quite loudly." Regina shrugged, trying to keep her face stoic. "I guess small towns don't teach manners."

Emma's ears turned red, much to Regina's amusement. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize I was that loud." But she didn't sound remotely sorry and she hummed merrily as she moved about the kitchen, setting out plates and cups.

"And happy birthday," Regina added after a moment. Emma hummed louder, her eyes twinkling.

There was a stomping on the stairs and Henry appeared, wrapping his scarf around his neck. "Morning!" he called to the assembled women. He paused long enough to give each of them a quick hug, surprising Regina, but she hugged him back quickly. Henry glanced at Emma. "I'll be out early today because Mr. Jim is sick, so no P.E. You can pick me up at two."

"Where are you losers going?" Ruby grumped, slapping pancakes onto a plate.

Henry answered, pulling his shoes on. "We're going visit Dad right after school. Third Monday of every month, you know."

Regina noted Ruby's raised eyebrows, but before the younger woman could speak, Emma said, "Is Roland here?"

Henry opened the door and peeked out. "Yep. I'm off. Later!" And he was gone. Wolf suddenly sprang to his feet and slipped out the doggy door.

"Bye to you too," Emma huffed at the flapping bit of plastic.

Ruby turned to Emma, opening her mouth, but once again she was interrupted. The door suddenly flew back open, but it wasn't Henry. Tink stood in the doorway, hands on her hips and blonde hair wilder than normal. "Swan!" she growled.

A stool scrapped across the floor as Emma shoved it out of the way and dashed for the back door. She leapt the coffee table, Tink hot on her heels, and the two blondes disappeared into the back yard. Regina heard yelling and thumping and caught a glimpse of long curls flipping over the back fence.

In the silence left behind, she looked at Ruby.

The other brunette just sighed, adding another pancake to her plate. "Don't ask me if that's normal. I don't want to lie to you, but I also don't want to admit how insane my life is."

XXXXXXX

Emma shut the door to the Sheriff's office, clutching her ribs. Tink may not be as fit as she was, but she was a force to be reckoned with when she was pissed.

The sheriff waited until she could breathe normally before padding down the hall to her office.

"Happy birthday."

"Oh, god!" Emma flailed her arms, dancing in place to get rid of the chills she'd just gotten.

Mulan just continued to smile, leaning further back in her chair.

"Bell. Get bell for Mulan. First thing on the list today." Emma pressed a fist to her racing heart and thunked her forehead against the wall. "I hate you so much."

The deputy laughed. "Had a good morning?"

"No. I managed to piss off Tink enough that she came straight to my house this morning instead of work."

"What did you do?"

Now Emma grinned. "I may have taped a harmonica to the grill of her car. Makes wonderful music once you hit a certain speed." The two of them laughed. Emma settled behind her desk and Mulan rolled her chair so that she was seated in the doorway. They discussed the few calls that had come in during the black out and what they would have for lunch that day. It was a few hours later, while Emma was filling out paperwork, that there was a knock on her office door.

Mulan glanced up long enough to note the sandy-haired teenager standing there, then went back to her own work. Emma stood. "Hey, kid. How can I help you?"

"Hey, Chief," he said, smiling a little too wide. "I have a delivery for you from Marco. He said he finished it last night and to tell you happy birthday." He held out a cardboard box, apparently reluctant to actually step into the office.

Emma took the box, setting it on her desk to open it. "Oooh," she said, pulling out the heavy wooden clock. It was a carved wolf, twisted in on itself to makes a circle, with a swan in the center, wings spread above an elaborate crown. "Marco really outdid himself this year. Tell him thank you so much. Hell, I'll go tell him myself when I get a chance. This is amazing!" She turned to her wall of pictures, wondering where would be best to hang it.

The boy bounced awkwardly in the doorway, watching her decide. Then he said, "Well, I've got some more deliveries to run. But I'm glad you like it. I'll tell Marco if I see him again."

Emma blinked at him, ashamed that she had nearly forgotten he was there for a moment. "Oh, yeah. Thanks, kid."

"No problem. See you, Chief. Later, Deputy Fa!"

Mulan waved as the boy dashed back out of the station. Then she turned narrowed eyes on Emma. "You forgot to ask his name again."

Emma groaned, holding the clock to her chest like it could deflect her deputy's glare. "I know. I just got distracted by the clock and then he was leaving..."

"That kid has been coming here for a year now, staring at you and smiling like a lunatic each time. You need to learn his name before he proposes. At least then you can say, 'No, sorry, Whoever-you-are'."

The blonde grumbled under her breath, running her finger over the clock's smooth edges. "I'll ask him next time."

"You said that last time. And the time before. And-"

"Got it, deputy. Are you done with the report yet?"

Mulan smiled, patting the paper. "Just waiting for you to sign it."

Emma rounded her desk, carefully laying the clock down, and bent over Mulan's lap to scribble her signature in all the necessary places. Mulan was still smiling, which annoyed her, so she said, "How's Aurora? Kissed her yet?"

The deputy's face went red and her smile fell away. "W-what? Why would I-? What?"

Emma laughed.

XXXXXXX

Regina parked her car and climbed out, stiffling a yawn. The street was empty, most people at the diner for breakfast or at work or school. She glanced up at the sign that read, "Mr. Gold's Pawnshop" and strode under it, pushing the door open.

A bell tinkled above her head. The shop was quiet and dimly lit. The shelves and glass cases were filled with anything she could think of. She had expected a fine layer of dust because of the sheer amount of items surrounding her, but everything was clean. Her heels clicked across the hardwood to the front counter and she set her purse down on it, glancing around.

"Can I help you?"

She jumped at the voice, spinning to find the doorway to the backroom had been filled.

"Oh, Regina," the blonde said, smiling. "Wasn't expecting you until afternoon."

"Kathryn," Regina said, willing her heart to calm down. "You scared me."

Kathryn motioned for Regina to follow her into the back. The brunette rounded the counter, grabbing up her purse. The back was just as cluttered with junk, but not as well organized. Tink was there, sitting at a small table and wrapping a box in bright red wrapping paper. "Heya," she greeted Regina, adding another piece of tape to her parcel.

"Hello," Regina said, taking the seat Kathryn offered beside Tink. "Were you able to catch Miss Swan?"

Tink glowered at the far wall for a moment. "No. Stupid long legs she has. But it's fine. I'm getting her back now."

"What did she do?" Kathryn asked. Then she seemed to remember Regina was there and added, "Emma and Tink are in a prank war right now."

"She taped a harmonica to my grill. I thought it was a siren or something, like a weather warning thing. But every time I slowed down it got quieter, so I thought my car was about to blow up!"

Kathryn cackled, dropping into the chair across from Regina. "So how are you getting her back?"

Tink patted the box happily. "I put the harmonica in here. And I'll return it to her when she's least expecting it." A mischievious grin spread across the little blonde's face. Then she glanced at Regina. "You don't happen to know if she'll be home between two and four, do you?"

Regina thought about it for a moment. "I couldn't say."

Tink cursed, then stood, pulling out her phone. "I'll call Ruby. Be right back." She let herself out the back door.

Once it was shut, Kathryn said, "Will she be home then? I don't put it past Tink to try to prank Emma while she's home, you know."

Regina pursed her lips, nodding. "From what I've seen of her, I don't either. But no. Emma is taking Henry to visit his father at two."

Kathryn's smile disappeared, replaced by an inscrutable look. "Today?"

"Yes," Regina said, cocking her head to the side. "Why? Because it's Emma's birthday?"

Her friend shrugged one shoulder, biting her lip. "I guess, yeah. It's weird they'd go see him on her birthday."

"Why?"

But before Kathryn could tell her why, Tink returned, hopping back to her seat. "She'll be out! Oh, ho. This is gonna be good."

XXXXXXX

Tink left around one, giggling madly and grabbing a roll of duct tape on her way out. Kathryn and Regina hopped into Kathryn's little car and headed to the diner for lunch. When they paused in the doorway to remove their coats, Ruby rounded the counter, smiling. "Hey! You're just in time to catch the last bit of cheesecake, Kat. The other one won't be out for another twenty minutes."

"Gimme!" Kathryn cried, hurrying to her favorite seat at the bar. Regina trailed her, chuckling.

"You using that?" Kathryn asked the man sitting next to her. Her fingers tapped the menu on the counter in front of him. The brown-haired man shook his head, smiling politely. Kathryn pressed her finger against the menu, dragging it across the counter to Regina. "There you go, Reggie."

"Quit calling me that."

"Never."

Ruby returned from the kitchen, carrying a large brown-paper bag and a plate of cheesecake. "Here you go, Jim. Hope that makes you feel better." She placed the bag in front of the man they'd gotten the menu from, then slid the cheesecake to Kathryn. "Kat."

"Thanks, Ruby." Jim dropped a five on the counter and tucked the bag under his arm. He nodded to Kathryn and Regina before sweeping out of the diner, pausing only to sneeze into his sleeve.

Kathryn's eyes tailed him out, her lips pursed in appreciation.

"Quit staring," Ruby laughed. "The man's sick. Let him get healthy before you go after him."

"I can give him a few home remedies-"

"Anyways," Regina cut her off. "I'll take the almond salad."

Ruby nodded, scribbling it on her paper. "Kat? The usual?"

Kathryn grunted an affirmative and Ruby bounced off to take other orders.

When their food arrived, Regina ate quietly, letting Kathryn speak. The blonde pointed out each person in the diner, naming them and giving a little backstory on them. The brunette was content to just sit and listen until Kathryn suddenly sat up straighter halfway through an introduction on the short guy in the corner who apparently ran the pharmacy. "Oh, Emma!"

Regina spun, glancing at the door of the diner. It was closed, but she saw a flash of yellow passing on the road.

Kathryn checked her watch. "Yes, it's nearly two. Come on." She stood, throwing money on the counter to pay for their food and hurried to the door.

Regina quickly joined her, afraid her friend would leave her behind in her rush. They raced across the street to Kathryn's car and the blonde had it started before Regina could even fumble for her seatbelt. "What are we doing?" Regina snapped, thinking wistfully of the last few bites of her salad.

"Well," Kathryn said, pulling out of her parking spot. "I'm going to show you something."

"Why?"

Kathryn didn't answer right away. She turned down another road, cut through a parking lot, and wound her way onto a dirt road. "Okay, Reggie. You're my best friend. And I can see that you like Emma and that Emma likes you, but I don't want you to go into this blind."

A tight knot formed in Regina's stomach. She had known there was a catch. The woman was too perfect. But now that someone was finally going to tell her what the other side of the coin looked like, she wasn't sure she wanted to know. "Is it bad?" she asked, frowning when her voice came out lower than she'd intended.

Kathryn's face scrunched up, her lips pursing. "Not really. I mean, you know she was in jail for a while, but apparently you aren't too worried about it." She steered her car off the road and parked it between two low-hanging trees. The green car blended fairly well, no longer visible from the road.

"I assumed it was just a youthful mistake, since she's sheriff now."

"Right. And you know she was an orphan."

Regina nodded, not sure where Kathryn was going with this.

"And she's a mother."

"Obviously," Regina snapped. The indirect mention of Henry got her hackles up.

"Well, there's something you should know. Not so much about Emma, but about Henry's father."

Regina felt like she was going to be sick. "What about him?"

Kathryn turned off the car. "Come with me."

She wanted to say no. She wanted to hear the whole story now, not later. But she climbed from the car, watching as Kathryn moved back to the road, making sure her car was hidden. Then the blonde ducked into the trees on the other side of the road and was gone in a rustling of leaves. Regina followed, wishing she'd worn something other than heels. She sank into the mud a few times and she silently cursed her friend.

Kathryn suddenly stopped, holding up a hand. Regina heard the crunch of tires on the road, passing them up and fading. "Must be Emma and Henry. Come on." And the blonde took off again, leaving Regina to puff after her.

"Kat! Is this necessary? Where are we going? Does Henry's father live out here? Why?"

"Show now. Tell later. Move yourself, woman."

They fought their way through the trees for a few more minutes, swatting branches and thick undergrowth out of the way. Finally, Kathryn broke through the treeline, holding out an arm to stop Regina as the brunette tumbled out beside her.

Regina dusted off her skirt, angrily adjusting her jacket. She turned to growl at her friend. But she stopped when she saw where she was.

Tombstones lined the open field, stretching away from them towards the trees on the other side. There were a few larger crypts, some etched with multiple names. The few sparse trees that dotted the graveyard hung eerily over the graves nearest them. It only took another moment for Regina to realize why they were there. "No," she whispered, one hand pressing against her chest, as if it could stop her heart from breaking.

Kathryn quietly moved to one of the larger crypts, leading Regina around the other side. She lifted one finger to her lips and Regina nodded.

They peeked around the corner, leaning just far enough to see.

The yellow bug was parked near the entrance to the graveyard, empty. And not too far from their hiding place, under a particularly bent tree, was Henry and Emma.

Henry was sitting, cross-legged, on the ground and talking quickly. Regina could barely hear him and it was hard to make out the words. But he was facing the tombstone under the tree, talking apparently to its owner. Emma was a few graves away, not speaking. Instead, she stood with her thumbs hooked in the back pockets of her jeans, her head bent and an absent expression on her face. Occasionally, she would blink and glance over at Henry, perhaps making sure he was still there, then she would return to staring at the grave before her.

Regina felt like she was intruding on something she should never have seen, but she couldn't look away. The haunted look in Emma's eyes, the overly-enthusiastic motions of Henry's hands, the two graves so similar and small.

She was just about to grab Kathryn and leave when Henry got up and joined Emma. Closer now, his words were clear. "Mom? Have you talked to him?"

Emma shook her head, the haze in her eyes clearing. "What?"

"Have you talked to him? I'm done talking to Dad. Did you want to talk to him? Or just..." He nodded to the grave they stood in front of.

The blonde rocked back on her heels, pulling her arms around in front of her and crossing them tightly over her chest. "Oh. No, I'm good. Are you ready to go?"

Henry's slightly hopeful look faded and he nodded again. Emma dropped her arms, turning away to move back to the car. Henry waited a moment, glancing back once at the two graves. Then he jogged after his mother, reaching out to snag one of her hands. The two of them picked their way through the plots until they reached the bug.

As their engine faded into the distance, Regina looked at Kathryn. "You should have warned me."

Kathryn shrugged, a pained look on her face. "It was too hard to just get into. It's not really my story to tell, you know? But I figured you needed to know at least this much. Anything else, Emma will have to tell you."

"So Henry's father..."

"Yeah," Kathryn said, stepping out from their hiding spot. She crossed to the first grave, under the tree. "He died in a car accident when Henry was six."

Regina stared at the engraved name, her stomach so tight it felt like she would never get it to loosen. "Beloved son and father-Neal Cassidy," it read, followed by the years he'd lived.

"Poor Henry," Regina sighed. Poor Emma, she thought.

Kathryn moved to the other grave, carefully stepping over the one beside Neal's. Regina glanced at it, catching only the name Milah before joining Kathryn.

The second grave read, "Graham Humbert-Sheriff and Brother".

The stinging behind her eyes surprised her. Regina had never met either man, but her heart broke for the smart boy that had talked so animatedly to silent stone. And it broke for the woman who stared through the graves to a time when they hadn't existed. She had known there would be a catch to how perfect Emma was. But she hadn't expected this.

She tried to stop it, but the tears came too quickly and suddenly Kathryn was holding her and she was sobbing and Kathryn was crying and the graveyard was silent around them.

Kailor: AHHHHHH! GOT IT OUT! Okay, again I am sorry for being so late in getting this up! I am hoping the next chapter takes far less time and I hope you all enjoyed this one! P.S. I said before that "Centuries" by Fall Out Boy is Regina's song on the show. Well, now I've got Emma's: "Superman" by Five For Fighting (but I find the Boyce Avenue version works a lot better). Just throwing that out there! Enjoy! Reviews appreciated!

P.P.S. Had a bit of a screw up with who was where at the beginning. Has been corrected. My apologies.