He's not sure when they fell asleep, only that they did.

It had taken hours to calm her down, but finally, her exhaustion won and she fell asleep.

They'd been on the couch in her living room with kettle of tea sitting just out of reach on the coffee table and a knit blanket around them-and he told her again and again that there was no way that Henry's foster parents could be in Storybrooke. He didn't actually know that, and he assumed they find out soon enough, but seemed the most logical answer as she chided herself again and again for the letters she'd sent them, creating a trail directly to Henry.

He reminded her of the magical barrier that separated Storybrooke from rest of the world and how difficult it'd been for her to find a way for him and Roland to cross it, and when she pointed out the obvious-that Henry's foster parents weren't from the real world, but from the same fairytale land they were from-a smile twisted onto his lips and he reminded her that she was a the great and terrible Evil Queen and a force to be reckoned with.

She'd nodded as her head fell to his shoulder and he tugged the blanket up higher, holding her a little closer as he pressed a kiss into her hair, promising they'd figure it all out in the morning and that with sleep, everything would be clearer.

Again, he had no idea if that were true, he had no idea what morning would bring, but it seemed to calm her and finally, she'd fallen asleep.

He'd held her for awhile before carefully lifting her up and carrying her up to her room where they could both be more comfortable. He'd settled her first then turned off the light, crawling into bed beside and immediately smiling as she rolled closer to him, resting her head on his chest as he whispered another unkeepable promise about what the morning would bring-and then finally, his own eyes sank shut.

"Mom?" Henry's voice calls quietly as he pushes open the bedroom door after what seemed like only a few minutes. "Are you awake?"

Robin's heavy eyes flutter open, and momentarily, he peers down at Regina, still asleep on his chest and completely unaware of Henry's question. "Henry, you okay?"

"Robin?" He asks, taking a few steps into the room as his voice piques with confusion. "When did you get here?"

"Umm," he breathes out, blinking his eyes a few times as he tries to process the question. "Last night. It was… pretty late. You'd already gone to bed."

"Is Roland here?"

"No, just me."

"Oh," Henry murmurs, again taking a step forward. "Is… is my mom okay?"

"Yeah," he's quick to say, "She's fine. She's… right here, sleeping." Yawning, he folds back the covers. "Wanna get in with us? There's plenty of room…"

"No," Henry says in a quiet voice. "I was just going to see if she wanted to read with me." Blinking a few times, he's suddenly aware that the room isn't as dark as it should be, that the sky has taken on a pink-ish hue indicating that the sun's about to come up. "I'll just go read in my room for a little bit before school."

Taking a breath, Robin sighs a little as he gently shifts away from Regina. "You know, I could read with you and we could make breakfast. Or you could read and I could cook..." He tosses his legs over the edge of the bed and roughly runs his hands over his face. "I bet I could make a killer omelette with that fancy cheese your mom buys."

At that, Henry giggles. "That sounds good… as long as you don't make it about math." Henry grins. "It's too early for that."

"I wholeheartedly agree," he says, rising to his feet and reaching for Henry's hand. "So, tell me, what are we going to read? Harry Potter?" He asks, looking down at him. "You know I'm behind…"

"No, I was thinking about reading this book mom just gave me yesterday," Henry says. "It's about the place she used to live."

"Ahh…"

"It's in my room," Henry tells him. "I'll go get it."

A nervous grin twists onto Robin's lips. "And I'll go raid the fridge."

Henry nods and breaks free from his hold, and he takes a deep breath as he heads down the stairs. He knows that book inside and out, probably better than Regina does, but the thought of Henry flipping through it, reading stories about his mother's past makes him uneasy. At some point, he'll recognize her as the Evil Queen and at some point, he'll realize the pain she caused others-others who aren't merely characters in a book, but people that he knows and cares for. And some point, he'll have questions.

It's not necessarily that he couldn't answer them-if anyone's learned to come to terms with Regina's story, it's him. He won't make excuses for her, but he also won't allow for assumptions. Regina's past is difficult to read, knowing what she endured, knowing what she became-and he can't imagine taking all of that in as an eight-year old, without anyone to to guide him through.

Of course, he could do it, but he's not sure it's his place. After all, no matter how he feels about Regina or how he feels about Henry, Henry isn't his son and there are boundaries-boundaries that need to be respected. However, knowing something and understanding it were two separate things, and he's not entirely sure where the boundaries lie-and he's even less sure which he's allowed to push and which he needs to mind carefully. It occurs to him that he should wake Regina up-that she should know Henry is exploring the book-but he can't bear to turn around and wake her. The night before was not an isolated incident and he knows that the more she's worried about breaking the curse and what it'll all mean for them, she's gotten less and less sleep. It's a detail she hides well-applying extra concealer and never letting anyone see her yawn, only closing letting her eyes close when she was completely alone, and even then, it could never be for more than a few minutes.

Reaching the kitchen, he flicks on the light and moves quickly to the refrigerator. He grabs the eggs and a couple of other ingredients, then kicks the door shut and turns to the counter. Surveying what he grabbed, he looks up and watches as Henry joins him, hoisting the heavy leather-bound book onto the counter before climbing up onto his favorite stool-and Robin feels a soft grin edging onto his lips, unable not to notice how comfortable Henry is in Regina's house. He reaches for an apple in the fruit bowl and bites into it, batting his hand over the back of his mouth and Robin feels a tightness in his chest-and he can't help but notice how far Henry's come in such a short time.

"You know what's funny?" Henry asks, looking up at him as his fingers trace the gold-leaf lettering on the front of the book. "

Robin's eyes move to the book, noticing that it's still not opened. "What's that?"

"My mom said this book is about the place she grew up," he says, "But everyone clothes look like they were from a hundred years ago."

"That's… interesting," Robin says, trying to keep his voice even. "Why do you think that is?"

He reaches for a tomato as Henry considers it. "Well," he begins slowly, "I think… the stories are… based off of real ones." He nods, liking his version of things. "Like in movies, a director or whoever picks an actor to play a part and they choose the one who best fits it." He shrugs and looks up. "It's kind of like that, but… a little different."

Nodding, Robin continues to slice to tomatoes. "You should, uh, open to page sixteen."

Henry offers him a skeptical glare. "Sixteen," he repeats. "Is this some math thing?"

"No," he replies, laughing gently. "I just… picked a number." Looking up, he takes a breath and reminds himself to keep his hand steady. "What story is on that page?"

Henry opens the book carefully to the page and a warm grin edges onto his lips. "It's my mom," he says, his smile brightening as he looks up. "And her horse."

Robin nods as Henry starts the story-reading about the day Regina saved Snow White from falling off her horse. He grins as Henry's voice piques as if reading a great adventure story and he smile up him, his eyes brimming with pride as he realizes that his mother was a hero-a hero not just to him.

Robin can't help but laugh as Henry's face scrunches as he realizes the girl's name was actually Snow White, and he shakes his head, muttering something about having crazy parents.

Henry traces his fingers over Regina's braid as if to remember the details, then he starts to turn the page-and Robin finds himself holding his breath.

"Hey…" Regina's voice calls as she leans against frame of the door, her eyes fixed on Henry. "You're up early."

Henry nods. "I couldn't sleep anymore."

"Yeah," she murmurs. "I get it." Robin watches as she takes a deep breath and pushes herself forward, eyes still on Henry. "Did you get any sleep?"

Henry nods. "A little."

"Maybe," she begins as she leans against the edge of the counter, reaching out tentatively and pushing her fingers through his hair. "You should stay home from school today… get some sleep or at least, some rest."

"But we're making balloons that you can eat in science today."

Regina blinks and Robin can't help the chuckle that escapes him as he chops a few sprigs of basil. "You… doing what?"

"Balloons, in science" Henry says simply. "Then we get to eat them."

"Oh…"

Henry giggles. "They're made out of… um… well, I don't actually know, but it's stuff you can eat."

"That's… interesting," Regina says, her eyes shifting momentarily to Robin. "Um, what time is science class?"

"After lunch."

"Okay," she says, taking a breath. "How about you go in for a half day? I could drop you off after lunch."

Robin watches as Henry considers it, watching the way Regina's fingers stroke his hair. "Okay," he murmurs. "That works."

"Good…"

"Mom," Henry says, his voice starting almost as soon as hers stops. "I think I should go see Archie today." Henry looks down at the book. "I think I should try to go before school."

"Yeah… okay," Regina says, not missing a beat as Robin looks between them. "I'll call after breakfast."

"Thanks…"

Regina takes a breath, and Robin can see her struggling as her eyes shift from Henry to the book. "Is this about… last night? You looked… so afraid when I came into your room." Henry nods. "Do you… want to talk to me about it? At all?" It's almost heartbreaking to watch her eyes plead, begging for him to open and begging for him to confirm what's obvious to the rest of the world-that he loves her, despite whatever she thinks, he knows she would never intentionally hurt him. "You don't have to…"

Henry takes a breath. "I just… I had a nightmare and…" Henry lets out a shaky voice as Robin cracks the eggs into a bowl, wondering if he should excuse himself and give them their space. But Henry continues, seemingly unbothered by his presence. "It felt so real." His eyes are teary as he looks to Regina. "They found me and they took me back and…" His voice catches his throat. "They said they were taking me somewhere you'd never find me."

"Oh, Henry," Regina breathes out, her arms folding around him as she presses a kiss to the top of his hair, her eyes shifting to where Robin stands, whisking the eggs. His eyes meet hers, and he knows exactly what she's thinking, exactly what she's fearing and with everything that he is, he hopes they're wrong and Henry's foster parents aren't in Storybrooke, if only so that Henry's fears never stood a chance at being realized. "Come on," Regina breathes out, giving his shoulders another squeeze as she presses a kiss to his hair. "Let's go call Archie, then we'll see if we can get a little sleep."

Henry nods and slides off of the stool, taking her hand. "But, Robin's making breakfast…"

"Oh! That's right," Regina says, her eyes growing wide as she grimaces an apology. "I… somehow forgot."

"That's perfectly alright," he tells her offering her a smile and a wink he hopes she'll find reassuring. "I'm quite a fan of breakfast in bed." Again, he offers them both a smile. "I'll bring a tray up when it's done."

"Thank you," Regina murmurs quietly as she takes Henry's hand and leads him upstairs.

Regina's head falls to Robin's shoulder as she takes a breath, staring blankly at the closed door to Archie's office. She's tired-exhausted actually-and her stomach is unsettled with worry. And as tempting as it is to close her eyes, she can't because everytime she does, another worst case scenario presents itself in life-like detail. Each time it's something different, but each time it's something terrifying-from Henry's foster parents being in Storybrooke and taking him away to Henry realizing she's the Evil Queen and looking at her with eyes full of betrayal and hurt.

"I thought it was about me," she murmurs, her voice barely audible as she continues to stare at the door.

"Hmm?"

"Last night," she says with a sigh. "Henry had a nightmare and didn't want to talk about it, and I thought it was about me. I thought he figured something out and…" She sighs again and this time her eyes fill with tears. "I was relieved when it wasn't that. I was relieved that the nightmare was about his foster parents."

"Of course you were."

"Robin, I was relieved that… he was…"

"Hey," he cuts in, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her hair. "You weren't relieved that he had a nightmare. You weren't relieved that he woke up upset. You were just relieved that it wasn't about you. That… is not a bad thing."

For a moment, she doesn't say anything. Instead, she continues to stare forward at Archie's door, thinking of all of the choices she'd made that led them to this very moment. "You can't blame the things they did on yourself. It's not your fault he's afraid of them."

"It's my fault he even knows them."

"That's not fair," Robin's quick to say. "You can't keep beating yourself up for what you didn't know would happen. You thought you were giving him a better life, you couldn't have known how things would end up."

She nods in concession. It's not that she believes him, but she doesn't have the energy for the fight. "I shouldn't have written those letters," she says instead. "I should have known that would blow up in my face."

"Regina…"

"I just wanted them to feel a little bit of what he felt-that fear he felt."

"I know."

"And look where it got me."

Robin sighs as he stretches his arm around her shoulder. "Just because they're here doesn't mean… anything, really, other than that they're from the same world we're from." He turns his head and presses a light kiss to the top of her head. "They can't have magic-not here-and they have no legal claim to him. He's safe with you."

"Yeah," she murmurs. "That's true." And then her eyes close. "Robin, what if… what I… can't control myself." She lifts her head from his shoulder and finally turns to look at him. "I couldn't not send those letters. There was… this pull to do it. I couldn't stop thinking about it until it was done, and then… I'd write another, even though I told myself I wouldn't." She can feel jaw starting to tremble as tears well in her eyes. "What if I run into them and… I can't not…"

"Don't go there."

"It's not like I have… a history of making level-headed choices when I feel threatened."

"Why don't you… worry about that when the time comes, hm?" He suggests, his voice suddenly sounding unsure, like this wasn't something he hadn't thought about. "Let's just take this one thing at a time."

"I'd lose him. I'd lose Henry."

"You can never lose Henry," Robin counters. "Not really. He loves you too much to let anything come between you for very long. He might be upset, but he's never going to stop loving you ."

Before she can respond, the door opens and Archie leads Henry out to her. He grins a little as he stuffs his hands in his pockets, and Archie offers her that quick we'll chat about this tomorrow look that he offers after each of Henry's sessions. She smiles a little has Robin scoops Henry up onto his shoulder and Henry laughs out, gingerly asking if they can have Granny's for lunch before he goes to school. She can't help but laugh and nod when both Robin and Henry look to her with wide, expectant eyes, and by the time they reach Granny's, she's grateful for the padded booths and bottomless cups of caffeine.

Every time the diner's door opens, she feels herself flinch, her heart racing as her eyes shift to the door, fully expecting an unfamiliar couple to enter and for Henry's bubble of safety to shatter.

And though it doesn't happen, she still can't relax. Nonetheless, they walk Henry to school and get him checked in, and all the while sinking feeling in her stomach remains, telling her that this is a bad idea and something is bound to go wrong.

"Let me take you home," Robin murmurs as they watch Henry walk gingerly toward Mary Margaret Blanchard's classroom. "You need to get some…"

"What I need is to figure out…"

"No," he cuts in as his arm slides around his waist as they walk out of the school office. "You need to get some sleep." She sighs as her eyes shift to his, wanting to protest but unable to find the words. "When I was the last time you got more than a couple of hours...uninterrupted?"

Regina shrugs with indifference. "That doesn't mat-"

"It matters, Regina," he says, his voice rising over hers as they walk down the front steps of the elementary school. "You matter, and you're not going to do anyone any good-especially not to Henry-if you don't take care of yourself."

With a sigh, her head falls against his arm as they walk slowly toward Main Street. She doesn't say anything and neither does he, and she knows this is an argument that she won't win. She simply doesn't have the energy-and deep down, she knows that he's right. But it's not like any of this is a choice…

When they finally reach the house, she fumbles with her keys, her eyes wandering to the mailbox as a feeling of dread washes over her. Robin's hand finds the small of her back as she draws in a breath, holding it in her lungs as she pushes her hand into the box and breathes out a sigh of relief when she finds it empty. Robin pushes her forward, closing the door behind them as she drops down her purse, and then, he reaches for her hand.

"Let's go upstairs…"

"I can't sleep, Robin. It's just not… possible right now." She shrugs. "I'll get used to it. I always do."

Robin sighs and reaches into his pocket. "This might help," he says, holding out a little pink tablet. "You don't have to take the whole thing, but it'll knock you out for awhile."

"Aren't those things designed for a full eight hours?"

Robin chuckles a little as he nods. "Are you suggesting that you couldn't use a full eight hours of sleep?"

"No, it just…" She sighs. "School gets out at three and…"

"I can pick up Henry. I have to pick up Roland, anyway. We'll stay for tutoring, even though today isn't one of my days, then we'll go to the grocery store and come back here for dinner and homework." He grins and again, he reaches for her hand. "That's… what?... six hours or so? That's close to eight."

Regina nods as her eyes shift from Robin to the tablet-and she thinks about how nice it would be to stop for a little while-to stop thinking and feeling and worrying. "But, what about…"

"I can handle it," Robin interjects softly. "Whatever happens, I'll handle it."

She feels a grin tug up at one corner of her mouth. "Will you lay with me until I fall asleep?"

"You just try and stop me," he replies easily, laughing softly as her fingers curl around his as she leads him up the stairs.

When she wakes up, she can hear Robin and the boys downstairs, and a smile pulls onto her lips when she hears Henry burst out laughing as the water turns on.

Getting out of bed, she heads downstairs, her brow arching as she looks around the kitchen, finding it to be a complete mess. Henry is sitting at the counter, his elbows resting on the edge and his hands holding up his chin as he watches Robin attempting to spot clean Roland's shirt as Roland squirms, obviously not happy to be pinned against the sink.

"We had a pesto accident," Robin says, sheepishly as he notices her presence.

"We made fancy pasta," Roland adds. "The noodles are bow ties!"

"And someone," Henry says, grinning as his eyes shift from her to Robin, "Forgot to put the little top thingy on the food processor."

She laughs, shaking her head as she joins Henry at the counter. Reaching out, she plucks two of the bow ties from the bowl, not quite sure if she woke up just in time for dinner or if she's just missed it. But nonetheless, her stomach is rumbling and the pasta-despite the mess-smell incredible.

"How was school?" She asks, looking over at Henry. "Did you get to make the…" Her voice halts as she notices the storybook in front of Henry. "Did you get to make the balloons?" She asks, clearing her throat as she tries to keep her eyes on him and not the book.

"Yeah," he says with an easy nod as he giggles. "They tasted terrible."

"Oh, well that's… disappointing."

Henry shrugs his shoulders. "It was still cool to make them and I bet if we added flavoring somehow, they'd taste better."

Her brow creases. "Something tells me you've already decided that this is something we'll do this weekend."

Henry nods and grins. "Robin already bought us candy flavoring at the store. We have cotton candy and vanilla."

"No apple?"

"They didn't have it. We looked."

"Too bad…" she murmurs as Henry's fingers trail along the edge of the book as if itching to open it. "So, um, have you done anymore reading?"

Her breath catches as he nods. "I read a story about you."

"Oh?" She asks, her heart beating a little faster as her eyes shift between Robin and Henry. "Which one?"

"You know," Robin begins as he lifts Roland from the counter and sets him down. "I'm not having much luck with this stain. I think I'm going to take this to the laundry room." She nods, unable to stop herself from grinning as Roland starts to unbutton his shirt, his eyes widen with dread as Robin tugs on his hand and pulls him toward the laundry room. The little boy lets out a frustrated whine as Robin tugs a bit harder, pulling him out of the kitchen and giving her and Henry a little privacy.

"So," she begins again. "Which story did you read?"

"The one where you saved Snow White from getting trampled by her horse," he says tugging a the ribbon and opening to the page of a teenage version of herself, holding onto the hands of a girl only a handful of years younger. "Mom, was… was her name really Snow White?"

"It was."

"Oh," he murmurs, grimacing as he looks back to the illustration. "That sucks."

"It does?"

"Yeah," he nods, looking up at her with wide eyes. "Imagine going to school with a name like Snow White. She was picked on, for sure."

"She was… a... sweet girl, I suppose," Regina says, gritting her teeth and watching as Henry twists the ribbon bookmark around his finger. "Is that all you read?"

"No…"

"Oh?" Again, her heart beats a little faster as her mouth goes dry. "Um, what else did you read?"

She watches as Henry takes a breath, collecting his thoughts and chewing at his bottom lip as he stares down at the page. "I… don't think these stories are all real," he says after a moment, taking another breath before looking up at her. "I mean, I think… some of them are and I think they're based off of real stories, but… but I don't think they're completely real."

"Oh," she breathes out. "And why is that?"

"Well," he says, looking back to the book. "For starters, you're not that old…"

She can't help but laugh. "Well, thank you for that…"

"And the clothes look like they're from, like, a hundred years ago."

She nods. "Styles change…"

He blinks up at her, his brows arched. "Yeah. Over about a hundred years."

"Okay, so… what else makes you think they're not completely real?"

Again, Henry considers it for a moment and she watches as his grip on the bookmark loosens. Her breath catches in her chest as his fingers push at the corner of the page. "Well, there's… what comes next in the story about you and Snow White," he says quietly. "The part about your mom… and, um, Daniel."

"Ah… that."

"Yeah," he nods, his eyes widening as he looks up at her. "Mom, did… did your mom… did she really…" His voice trails off and it's obvious that he doesn't want to say it, as if saying it will give it some sort of power and make it more real than it is. "I mean, did she...?"

For a moment, she wants to say no. She wants to tell him that the horrible details of her story aren't really as bad as it seems, that they're embellished and exaggerated, that she isn't the person the book says she is-because at her core, she no longer feels like she is. But instead, she nods. "Yes," she murmurs, her voice barely audible. "She did."

"B-but…"

"She… didn't like him and she thought that… I could…"

"That's terrible."

She nods as her chest tightens, suddenly thinking of Daniel and how she'd sunk down to into the hay, holding his lifeless body as shock overcame her. She remembers the way she'd momentarily clung to hope as she leaned in kissed him, hoping that wouldn't be their last and that true love could save him. But it hadn't-and when she pulled away from him and looked to her mother, who stood there with her shoulders squared and her chin tipped up, her whole body shook with anger, and she could feel herself filling with desperation and hate, paving the way for darkness to replace the light within her.

"But, um… she… she couldn't have… I mean… not the way the story said," Henry says, grappling to understand. "I just… it doesn't make sense."

"None of it did."

"I'm sorry, Mom," Henry says, his hand pressing to her arm. "I'm really, really, really sorry that happened to you," he adds, his eyes shifting to the page. "And I'm sorry it happened to him."

Regina nods, swallowing hard and pushing away the ball of tears that had lodged itself in her throat as she leans in and presses a kiss to Henry's temple. "I am, too."

"Is that why you came here? To Storybrooke?"

She nods as she pulls back. "In part."

"I'd have wanted to get away, too," he tells her, his eyes meeting hers and making her smile. "And I'm glad you named me after him."

Regina nods as a sad smile edges onto her lips. "I am, too," she says as she reaches out and touches the back of her hand to his cheek. "I didn't think I could love anyone the way I loved him… and then… you came along and proved me wrong."

Henry grins as his fingers again curl around the ribbon, and she holds her breath. "There's… um… one more reason I don't think these stories are totally true," he says, slowly as he turns the page. "I was, just, um, flipping through the pages, trying to find another story and…" The page falls open and her breath catches in her chest as she stares down at an image of herself in full Evil Queen regalia at Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding. "First of all," Henry says, his voice suddenly confident. "That's Ms. Blanchard," he says as his eyebrow arches. "And Prince Charming? Really?" He blinks. "Snow White is a super weird name to give your kid, but no one would name their kids Prince Charming."

"It's actually David," Regina manages to says, swallowing hard as she rubs at her chest "And… Prince Charming was more of a… nickname"

"And, that's you," he says, point to the Evil Queen. "But you're not evil."

An uneasy grin edges onto her lips. "You don't think so?"

Henry shakes his head. "Not even a little."

"Then… why do you think I'm… I'm the Evil Queen in that story?" She asks, her heart beating faster and faster, making it difficult for her to breath. "If I'm not evil, how would I earn a title like "The Evil Queen?""

Her chest tightens as Henry takes a breath, focusing on the image of her for a moment. "Well, you're mayor and… you have to make tough decisions." He looks back to her. "You can't make everyone happy and… it's a position of power in town, just like the Queen would have been a position of power." She watches as his brow furrows and he nods, and she wonder if he even believes the story he's just spun. "It's… it's like a metaphor."

"A metaphor…"

"Yeah," he says easily. "We learned about the in language arts. They're… kind of tricky."

She nods and the knot in her stomach tightens. "Henry, it's n-"

"Well, I think I got the stain out," Robin announces as he and Roland come into the room-and Henry giggles as Roland frowns, holding his shirt in his hand as he points to a wet spot on his undershirt. "And I've learned it's a lot easier to get pesto out of fabric when the fabric isn't on a squirming child."

Roland's eyes roll and his head falls as far back as it can as he looks up at Robin. "Can we eat now?" He asks. "I'm starving."

"Me too," Henry says, hopping off the stool as he closes the storybook. "Let's set the table," he says, reaching for a stack of plates as Roland grabs for the silverware, and a moment later they disappear into the dining room, Henry's thoughts about the Evil Queen all but forgotten.

"And… I completely interrupted something," Robin says, hesitantly. "I'm… I'm sorry."

"No," she's quick to say, "It's fine. You two couldn't hide in the laundry room forever and…" She breathes out and her shoulders relax a little as her eyes shift from the book to Robin. "Besides, I… I could use a little distraction."

"What happened?"

"He… saw me as the Evil Queen and… he doesn't believe it."

"He loves you," Robin says easily, rounding the counter and leaning against it. "He sees the good in you and…" Before he can finish, her cell phone buzzes on the counter opposite from where they are, and her brow creases as she stares at it. "And that's been happening… all evening."

"Did you look?"

"No," he says, shaking his head. "I just assumed it was your secretary," he tells her as she slides down from the stool. "I'm sure she's wondering if you're alive. You haven't been in since… last…"

"Robin," she breathes out as she scrolls through the text messages. "Robin, David Nolan is awake." Taking a breath, her heart begins to beat faster and faster, and again the knot in her stomach tightens. "I… I have to go."

"Regina, you just…"

"No," she cuts in. "I need to go and I need to… see if… if all of this is over."

Robin nods as he crosses the kitchen and presses a quick kiss to her cheek. "Then go," he says, "Roland and I will stay with Henry. Take your time." She nods and starts to pull away from, but he still holds on to her hand. "And… whatever happens, just remember that we love you, okay?"

A grin pulls onto her lips as she leans onto the tips of her toes and nods, "I love you, too," she murmurs as she presses a quick kiss to his lips, then disappears up the stairs to change.

Regina spent the entirety of the drive to the hospital working out her story, something to explain why she was there, something to explain why the mayor Storybrooke would care, much less be notified, that a comatose John Doe with no connection to her was awake.

That part was easy enough-she'd found him on the side of the road, bleeding from the head and unconscious after a one-car accident on rainy night, and with no family or identification on him, she left her own information should there be any change in his condition. She decides that she tried to find out who he was and where he was from, but the license plate had drawn to a dead end and after a months of searching and wondering, she'd given up. She'd placed an ad in papers of neighboring towns as a last-ditch effort, and again nothing had turned up. And though it seemed callous to say, it didn't seem that anyone was missing him.

Letting out a shallow breath, she hands her key to valet and smoothes her skirt as she walks into the hospital. Her heart beat quickens as she nears the nurses station, nearing Nurse Ratched-a woman who'd once been her Ladies Maid and woman who would surely recognize her. Her mind reeled with possibilities about how David Nolan-how Prince Charming-could have awoken. The most obvious answer would be a True Love's Kiss, and though she can't fathom a reason for it have happened, she can't deny that she hopes it is; and she hopes that if it was powerful was enough to wake David Nolan, lifting the curse from him, it would be powerful enough to break the curse entirely.

And then, it'd all be over.

It would be over, and everyone could move forward.

Still, it'd be hard to explain to Henry, but he wouldn't have to understand it. Time move forward, and even if he never fully believed in the fairytale land she'd come from or the powerful curse she'd cast to create Storybrooke and set them all on the paths they were currently on, it wouldn't actually matter. He could go on pretending that the stories in the storybook were only that, half-truths and half-fiction that used the lives of the people he knew and cared for to tell tall tales. Time wouldn't stop or get caught in the same continual loop, he wouldn't lose his friends and everything he'd worked to build. This could be it, it could be this simple.

But as she reaches the nurses station and Nurse Ratched turns to face her, blinking up at her with a blank gaze, she had her answer.

Nonetheless, she was directed to the floor where Mary Margaret sat waiting, and she lingered just out of sight as she wondered if she should even go in.

"Regina," Mary Margaret murmurs as she rounded the corner, a cup of vending machine coffee in her hands, her voice dripping with surprise. "I'm sorry, I mean Mary Mills… is… is everything alright? Is Henry okay?"

"Yes," Regina nods. "Henry's fine, he was just… a little tired this morning, so I decided to let him sleep in." She shrugs. "I'll be sure to make sure he makes up everything that he missed from his morning lessons."

Mary Margaret nods. "I'm glad to hear that he's okay. He was… quiet this afternoon, but if he was tired, that would explain it."

Regina nods. "And, please," she says, forcing a smile onto her lips. "Please call me Regina." Taking a short breath, she watches as Mary Margaret stands there, her fingers stroking the styrofoam coffee cup, likely waiting for an explanation. "I… heard that your patient had woken up."

"Oh," Mary Margaret nods "He did." A soft grin edges onto her lips. "It's so kind of you to drop in." She shakes her head. "But… how did you know? He only woke up a few hours ago."

For a moment, Regina just stares at her, going over the details of the story she created on the way to the hospital; but as she looks into Mary Margaret's wide, hazel eyes, she only shrugs. "I know everything that goes on in this town," she says instead, earning a soft chuckle from Mary Margaret. "So, what happened?"

Mary Margaret sighs and reaches for her hand, and Regina fights the urge to pull away as she leads her into the waiting room. "It's a little embarrassing," she says, taking a seat near the window and waiting for Regina to sit down beside her. "I came earlier than I usually do for my visit and, I was getting to leave and…" Mary Margaret's cheeks flush and Regina's bites down on her lips to avoid groaning at what's inevitably to come. "I… I kissed him goodnight."

"You kissed him."

"Yeah," Mary Margaret says, nodding she looks away and her cheeks flush deeper. "I don't know why I did it."

"You… like him."

"I don't know him."

Regina hesitates for a moment, thinking back to their close bond, their ability to find their way back each other no matter the circumstance and their steadfast belief that love could overcome any obstacle. There'd been a time it had infuriated her, made her feel inferior and jealous, showing her all of things she'd never have; but now, it was different. There was a sort of hope in it, a sort of steadiness-and though she'd never admit it to anyone, a sort of inspiration in it.

"Sometimes… that doesn't matter." Mary Margaret turns back to her, a slow smile drawing onto her lips. "Sometimes you just… know."

"I'd have never pegged you as a romantic, Mayor Mil-" Her voice halts. "Regina."

"I'm not really, I just…" Her eyes close and she takes a breath. "I suppose there's something to be said for the power of a good love story."

"Like you have with Robin Locksley?"

Regina's eyes wide as she turns to face Mary Margaret. "Excuse me?"

"I have to admit, I'm… a little envious," she confesses. "You seem to have this… picture perfect little life."

"Me…" Regina blinks. "You think my life looks perfect?"

Mary Margaret nods. "Robin adores you, the boys are just delightful and…" She shakes her head. "Everyone in town thinks you two are just so good for each other. Before him you always seemed so stern and lonely and before you, he was so lost, like he was looking for a place. He was always on the outside looking in, it seemed." A soft chuckle rises from Mary Margaret. "I don't know why I'm telling you any of this," she says. "But… it's true. The two of you seem to have found the real deal and the rest of us can only hope to be as lucky."

Regina feels her cheeks warm as she looks away and she shifts uncomfortably in her seat, not really sure what to do with that information. She'd never considered the way people in Storybrooke viewed her-she just assumed it was all the same, that they viewed her as their mayor the same was they'd viewed her when she was their queen. A tentative smile tugs up at the corner of her mouth, it'd never occurred to her that the most recent changes in her life-Henry, and Robin and Roland-would have softened her image and made them more accepting of her-and she wonders if that's not something that could work to her advantage.

"So, is… is he talking at all? Did he say anything?"

"Not much," Mary Margaret says with a shrug of her shoulders. "He thought I was the nurse and… he wanted to know how long he'd been out, what happened to him, that sort of thing."

"Of course," Regina murmurs as her phone buzzes in her purse. "I have to assume this is all so… overwhelming for him."

Mary Margaret nods. "I… don't even know why I'm still here."

"Because you care."

"Is that why you're here?"

"It's my job to care about this town, and the people in it," Regina says, offering a soft smile as she reaches into her purse for her phone. "Will you let me know if anything changes?"

Mary Margaret nods and smiles as she stands, offering a tight smile as she walks out of the waiting room. She takes long strides toward the elevator, keeping her head up and her shoulders squared, and then as soon as the elevator doors close, hiding her away from prying eyes, she falls back against the wall and lets out a long sigh, wondering what the hell just happened.

Regina smiles as spots them at a table in the window at Any Given Sundae. Robin is on one side of the table and the boys are at the other, eating from cups much too large for the time of day. Roland is sitting on his feet, his eyes widening as he pulls a miniature peanut butter cup from his ice cream and grins on it, and beside him, Henry adds extra sprinkles

"Hey," Robin murmurs as he licks the back of his ice cream covered spoon. "How'd it go?"

Taking a breath, she sits beside him. "Okay, um…" Her eyes shift from Robin to the boys, noting how distracted they are by their desserts. "Not at all what I expected."

"No?" She shakes her head, grinning as he offers her a spoon and pushes the oversized cup of chocolate ice cream toward her. "So, everything is…"

"Status quo."

"Oh," he murmurs, and this time it's his turn to look to the boys. "I'm sorry," he says as his eyes shift back to her. "That must be frustrating. I know how much you were hoping that… something might change."

Regina shrugs. "I'm really okay with it," she says as she dips the spoon into the ice cream. "For now."

"You seem less stressed about everything than you were this morning."

"The sleep helped," she tells him, offering a sheepish grin. "I don't think I realized just how tired I was and how that was… affecting me."

They lapse into an easy conversation about Roland's pesto-stained shirt and how long took to clean up the kitchen. Robin tells her about the little story Henry wrote for language arts while they were in tutoring and how they missed her at dinner, and for that handful of minutes, everything seems to normal-normal and lighthearted-and in those few minutes, it's so easy to forget.

And then all of the sudden, Henry's face changes.

Regina watches as his shoulders rise and fall, his breaths labored as he stares out the sidewalk beyond the window. She can see him struggling against his tears, his jaw trembling as he grips the spoon that still stuck in his ice cream.

Even Roland notices it, looking between Henry and the empty sidewalk and then to Robin and Regina. "Who was that?" He asks, in a small voice. "Who were those people?"

Regina's heart skips a beat as a knot forms in her stomach, tightening as she struggles to breath. "Henry?"

"I… I just thought… it kinda looked like..." He shakes his head. "But it wasn't," he's quick to say as he looks to Regina, his eyes searching hers for answers. "I-it couldn't have been… right?"

Beneath the table, her hand grips at Robin's leg. "Who do you think you saw?" She asks, holding her breath as she waits for Henry to reply, despite already knowing his answer.

"M-my foster parents," he says, his voice barely audible voice. "I... I thought I saw them walking by. They… kinda looked at me and… smiled in a…a weird way." He looks back to her, his eyes wide. "But, it couldn't have been, though, right? They're in New York."

"People can travel all sorts of ways," Roland says, chiming in unnecessarily. "They can go by car or boat or train or…"

"Roland," Robin cuts in. "That's not very helpful."

"Oh," he murmurs, casting his eyes down to his ice cream. "I thought we were talking how someone could get from New York to Storybrooke…"

"It's fine, sweetie" Regina says, reaching out and squeezing his hand as her eyes shift to Henry. "And you're right, all of those things are possible." Henry sighs as he leans back in the chair, tears brimming in his eyes as he focuses on the sidewalk. "But you know what's not possible, Henry?" Regina asks, waiting until his eyes meet hers before she continues. But Henry doesn't look at her, instead he continues to stare blankly out the window. "Henry…"

"What?" He asks, slowly looking to her and he bats his hand over his eyes. "W-what isn't possible?"

"It's impossible for them to hurt you." She shrugs her shoulders and takes a breath. "If they're here and if they're looking for you, even if they find you, they can't have you. You're my son now. Your adoption was legal and binding, and they have absolutely no claim to you." She smiles a little and her grip on Robin's leg loosens and she's surprised at the confidence in her voice. "And, I promise you Henry, if they try anything, and I mean anything, the Evil Queen is going to come out and make them regret even considering it."

For a moment, he doesn't respond. He just stares at her, his face unchanged ands he wonders if that was too much or if went too far-and then a grin tugs onto his lips. "She'd be like a superhero."

A smile edges onto her lips and she feels her cheeks flush, and she feels something indescribable stirring in her chest as tears brim in her eyes.

"Well, it looks like they're closing up," Robin says, his hand rubbing lightly over her back. "So, we should probably go home so that these people can do the same."

"Did you walk?" Regina asks, blinking away her tears and looking at him. "Because my car's parked just…"

"We walked," Robin says with a nod as he rises from the table.

He throws away the remnants of their ice cream and she reaches for Roland's hand, helping to jump down from the bench. Her other arm folds around Henry's shoulders, and then the four of them head down Main Street to her car.

The drive home is quick, but long enough for Roland to fall asleep against Henry's arm, and Regina feels her chest tighten as a smile edges onto her lips as she watches them in the rearview mirror, watching Henry's eyes grow heavy and his head falls atop Roland's. When they get back to her house, Robin scoops up both boys from the backseat as she opens the front door, quickly checking the mailbox and breathing a sigh of relief when she finds it empty.

"There's a plate for you," Robin murmurs as he closes the door.

"Oh, good," she breathes out. "I'm starving."

Robin grins and presses a quick kiss to her cheek. "Go eat, I'll put them to bed."

Nodding, she watches Robin carry the boys up the stairs as she walks to the kitchen and drops her purse down on the counter as she kicks off her shoes. Momentarily, she thinks about David and Mary Margaret, wondering if once again true love found them-and then, she reaches for the plate of fancy pasta, as Roland had called it earlier in the evening. She grins, remembering how excited Roland had been about the bow ties as she pushes the plate into the microwave.

Rolling her shoulders, she sighs, staring into the microwave and watching the pasta spin. To say this had been a long day was an understatement, and despite a long nap in the middle of the day, she couldn't wait to climb into bed and close her eyes and for just a little, not think about anything.

She finishes her pasta quickly and makes her way upstairs, grinning as she sees the light streaming from Henry's room-and then, she hears Robin's voice.

"Are you sure that's them?"

"Yeah," Henry responds. "Louie was fat and had black hair, just like that guy and… that's definitely Donna's scowl." He sighs. "I should know, it was usually directed at me."

Robin doesn't respond, but she hears him sigh.

"Robin, can I ask you something?" Henry asks in a tentative voice. "And will you answer honestly."

"Of course."

"Okay," Henry says, taking a breath. "Do you remember that one night when we were all watching movies at your house and I asked if fairytales were real stories."

"I do," Robin replies easily.

"Is that what this book is then?"

She can hear Robin hesitate, likely unsure of what he should and shouldn't sat, not really knowing where his boundaries with Henry lay. "Well, uh… yeah," he says. "That's exactly what this book is."

"So, all of the stories and all of the people… they're… they're real."

"You are correct."

"Are you in the book?"

"I am," Robin says. "I'm in there a couple of times… one is a kind of sad story with your mom, but…"

"A lot of her stories are sad."

Robin sighs, "You are correct again." Regina steps forward, leaning against the the edge of the door and letting a soft smile stretch onto her lips. Neither Robin nor Henry notice her, instead they focus on the storybook. Their legs are stretched out and Robin's arm is around him, and they look so comfortable and content with each other. "But, I don't think your mom's story is a sad one."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she has you now."

"And you…"

Robin smiles and nods. "And me."

"So…" Henry takes a breath as he turns the page, and even from where she's standing she can see herself on the page. "So, that means… my mom is… is really the Evil Queen?"

Again, Robin hesitates and he takes a moment to brush the hair from Henry's forehead. "It's who she used to be," he says. "She's a complicated person with a difficult past and… so much capacity for love." He nods, satisfied with his answer. "And if you're one of the few that she loves, then you are lucky, indeed."

"Yeah," Henry said, grinning softly as he nods and turns the page back. "And… and if you're not?"

"Then… you deal with the queen's wrath."

She feels her breath catch her as her eyes shift to Henry, and for a moment, he just stares down at the page-and then a smile edges onto his lips. "Good. Maybe she can protect me."

"Just like a superhero," Robin replies with a soft chuckle.

"Exactly."

And she decides that's her cue to make her presence known.

"Okay, time for bed, you two."

"I hope you don't mind that I did storytime," Robin says, sliding off the bed and adjusting the blanket around Henry.

"No," she breathes out as she shakes her head. "Because you did storytime, I got pasta-time… and I really enjoyed pasta-time."

Henry giggles. "I made the pesto."

"Which was fantastic," she says, sitting down on the edge of his bed. Taking a breath, she smooths the blanket. "You okay to sleep alone tonight? Because, you can always…"

"I'm good," Henry says easily, once more glancing down at the storybook. "And if I'm not, I'll let you know."

"Not like last night?" Henry shakes his head and she leans in kisses his forehead. "I love you, Henry."

"I love you, too," he says as Robin takes her hand and flicks on the nightlight.

They close the door and step out into the hall, and she watches as grin tugs onto Robin's lips. "So, are you going to take your own advice and actually get some sleep tonight?"

With a sigh, she rolls her eyes. "It's not that simple."

"I know, but…" His voice trails off momentarily as his hands find her hips. "I'm worried about you. I'm worried about…"

"Right now," she cuts in. "The only thing I want to think about is getting into bed and letting you hold me. I don't want to think about the curse or that damn book or Henry's foster parent or what David Nolan is and isn't remembering. And I'm going to try my best to do that." She grins. "How's that?"

"That… sounds like the second best thing I've heard all day."

"Second best?"

He laughs a little as they turn back to her bedroom. "The best was when Henry called the Evil Queen a superhero… twice."

A grin curls onto her lips and she nods-that had felt pretty amazing, and she only hoped that Henry's expectations wouldn't fall short and leave him disappointed in her.