Author's Note: Thank you SO much for reading and reviewing! This chapter has some fluff with Emma/Henry and then some major angst with Emma/Mia.

About my other story idea - I may write that one, but I also have one other idea that would involve Mia in slightly different circumstances. I'll probably write a sample of that at some point and see what you guys think and if you like one over the other. I'll continue this one no matter what. I have this one planned out for all of season three and might continue past that. If you guys have anything you want to see in this one, please let me know. Even though I have the storyline planned out, I'll incorporate your ideas if they make sense with the story!

Chapter 15

Emma leaned against her car casually, waiting for Henry to emerge from Regina's house. After a long night with the kid that was barely speaking to her, she was ready to see the kid that didn't hate her. She gave him a hug, holding on a little longer than she normally would, and then offered him a takeaway cup from Granny's. "Cocoa?"

"Thanks!" Henry said as he hopped in the passenger seat, dropping his backpack on the floor in front of his feet.

"Did you eat?" Emma asked uncertainly.

Henry eyed the paper bag from Granny's, looking unimpressed. "Bagels again?"

"Nope. Donuts," Emma said smugly. "Because I know you, and I know you didn't love the Storybrooke bagels."

Henry selected a chocolate donut from the bag and took a big bite.

Emma smiled, but was a little surprised. "Regina didn't feed you?"

"No, she did. We had pancakes, but I'm still hungry," Henry said with a small shrug.

Emma chuckled softly…her son was always hungry. "Did you have fun?"

Henry nodded. "It's weird…not remembering her or any the stuff that happened in all those pictures, but it was still cool. Did you figure out how to get my memories back?"

"Not yet." Emma glanced at him. "Not all of your memories were good, you know?"

"But they're my memories and they're real! I don't want fake memories of stuff that never happened."

"I get that." Emma hesitated. "We were really happy in New York though, kid. You were happy…happier than I can ever remember you being here. Everything that happened over the last year was real, and it was pretty good."

"I was happy. I was with you," Henry said matter-of-factly. "But we can be happy here, too."

Emma's grip tightened on the steering wheel. "I thought you wanted to go back to New York?"

Henry shot her a look. "Only because I knew you were lying to me. You're not lying to me anymore…are you?"

"I only lied because I didn't know how to explain everything to you when you didn't believe in magic." Emma tried to defend herself. "I didn't think you'd believe me."

"Of course I believe you…you're my mom. You didn't answer my question though…are you lying to me about anything else? I want to know everything."

"There are some things that will make a lot more sense when you get your memories back, Henry. Can you just trust me on that for now? Please?" Emma pleaded.

Henry did not look happy with that answer. "So you still aren't telling me everything."

"I'm telling you everything I can right now. There is one more thing you need to know. It's…about your dad. He was here…in Storybrooke. You knew him actually. I know you don't remember, but you will."

Henry stared. "You mean he didn't leave us?"

"No, he didn't leave us. He didn't leave you, Henry…he left me to go to prison for his crime. Everything I told you about your dad is true, but there's a little more to it than that. He had reasons…magical reasons for leaving me the way he did. He was a good man, and he would have been a great father."

Henry's face fell. "Would have been?"

"He died a hero." Emma bit her bottom lip, trying to decide how much to tell him. "This case I've been working on? There are some bad people here that wanted to hurt your dad…and they did. They got away, but I'm going to find them."

Henry nodded sadly. "You said I knew him?"

"You kind of reconnected right before the curse hit," Emma explained. "He loved you, Henry. He would have done anything for you."

"Me and Mia," Henry said. "He's her dad, too, right?"

"Yeah…right." Emma studied him. "How are you doing with that…the whole twin sister thing?"

"I always wanted a brother or a sister," Henry said matter-of-factly. "Where is my sister?"

"She's at Granny's with David and Mary Margaret." And she had barely spoken to Emma over breakfast…

"You said she needed time."

"She does."

"I don't understand…why isn't she happy? I know there are some things I don't remember, but I think if I didn't have a family and I found you…I would be happy."

"You were, kid. But you were never alone. You always had Regina."

"Maybe my memories aren't real, but I know you, Mom. If you gave us up, I know you had a good reason."

"I was eighteen and in prison. That a good enough reason for you?" Emma said, knowing this was the kid that would understand…the kid that had forgiven her almost immediately when he found her. "I wanted you guys to have your best shot – and it wasn't with me."

"Did you find me or did I find you?" Henry just seemed curious…not hurt or angry.

"You found me…and it's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Henry gave her a small smile. "Mia might not be happy right now, but she will be."

"You're pretty sure about that. Did she, uh, talk to you about this stuff?" Emma asked tentatively.

"Maybe," Henry admitted. "But I'm not telling you what she said. She's my sister."

"She's lucky to have a brother like you. But while you're not telling people things, how about you don't say anything to her about magic…at least not yet?"

Henry's eyes widened. "You didn't tell her?"

"About magic and curses? No."

"Mom, you have to tell her."

Emma stared at him. "Henry, you had a hard time believing at first. Mia doesn't have the same kind of faith in me that you have. She won't believe me."

"She has to believe you…you're her mom," Henry said simply.

Emma scoffed slightly. "Yeah, and I've only been her mom for, like, a day. I don't want to scare her off with magic. It's a hard thing for anyone to swallow."

"I can tell her. She'll believe me. I'm her twin," Henry said earnestly.

"No, Henry. I'm serious. She's not ready for it."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know, okay?" Emma realized how short that might have sounded and softened. "Look, I know how I was when I first found out about magic. It took me a little while to believe."

"Okay, I won't tell her," Henry agreed reluctantly.

Emma almost sighed in relief. "Thanks, kid."

Mia was sitting with her back against the wall in the booth at Granny's and her legs stretched out in front of her so that no one could sit next to her. Mary Margaret and David were across from her, talking to each other…mostly about the baby. They had tried talking to her but finally seemed to have gotten the hint that she wasn't interested.

Mia leaned her head back against the window and closed her eyes. She wasn't physically tired, but she was exhausted emotionally. In twenty-four hours, she had gone from not having parents to having two parents…a mom and a dad...a dad that was dying. And now she was already down to one parent…Emma – the parent that had given her away in the first place.

Neal's funeral was that afternoon. Mia had spent almost thirteen years wanting a dad and now…now she would never have one. She had missed her dad every day of her life and she'd only had him for one day before he was gone. He'd never really been there for her and now he never would be.

Her dad wasn't the dad she had concocted in her imagination. Okay, maybe she had imagined an irresponsible teenager, but she had never once pictured him as a seventeen year old jewelry thief that let her mom go to prison for his crime. He was a disappointment in a way, but he was still her dad - and he had wanted her…she could tell. The one person – the only person – that had ever wanted her was dead. Because no matter how Emma was acting now, the woman hadn't wanted her when she was born and hadn't even told her that she was her daughter. Mia thought waiting until her stupid case was over was a terrible excuse for not telling her – if Emma was really even going to tell her then.

Mia heard the bell ring announcing a new arrival to the diner and then she felt someone staring at her. She reluctantly opened her eyes, expecting to see Emma. The woman was there, but Henry was the one staring at her expectantly.

"You're my sister."

"Kind of," Mia said a little awkwardly.

"You are," Henry insisted. He nudged her and she drew her knees to her chest so he could sit next to her in the booth. He slid in with an easy grin. "I always wanted a brother or sister."

"I've had a lot of foster brothers and sisters," Mia said quietly, lowering her gaze. "You weren't missing anything."

"But you're my real sister…my twin sister."

"If by real, you mean we share DNA then yeah, I guess..."

Henry looked disappointed, but seemed to give up on trying to get whatever reaction he wanted out of her.

Emma must have noticed his disappointment because the woman gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze and then eyed Mia almost hesitantly. "You need a dress for this afternoon."

"I don't do dresses."

"Really? It's your dad's funeral. You can't show up in jeans and a t-shirt." Emma sounded a little frustrated.

"Okay, but just shopping." Not talking went unsaid. "And just one dress."

Emma nodded and then turned her attention back to Henry. "You have a suit at Regina's house. She'll bring it over…before."

Emma glanced at Mia and sighed, stopping just outside of Granny's. "Listen, it's one thing for you to punish me," she started carefully.

Mia startled a little, shaking her head slightly. "That's…not what I'm doing."

"Yes, it is," Emma said with a knowing expression. "All you've been doing since you found out that you're my daughter is trying to push me away and trying to hurt me. And that's okay…I can take it…I deserve it. But Henry doesn't. You're pushing him away because of a decision I made. That's not fair."

"You know what's not fair? He had two moms and I had no one," Mia burst out.

Emma shifted uncomfortably. "He didn't have me…"

"He did. Maybe he didn't have you until he was ten, but he's had you since then. You've been there for him for the last couple years, but you weren't there for me."

Emma steeled herself for another round with her daughter. "And I owned that. You can keep punishing me for it if it makes you feel better. Just…don't punish Henry for my decision."

"Everything I said back there was true. I've had a lot of foster brothers and sisters…and some of them really sucked. They stole my stuff, blamed me for things they did, laughed when I got in trouble for it." Mia shook her head angrily. "But you know what? As much as I hated some of them, we were the same…them and me. We were in the same system…in the same shitty foster homes. We grew up the same way. The only way Henry and I are the same is DNA."

"Whatever your foster brothers and sisters did? That wasn't Henry…he wouldn't do that. He's still the same kid you were playing video games with last week. And you're more like him than you realize. You have the same taste in food, books and movies."

"You don't know me," Mia said stonily.

Emma stopped herself from saying that she did actually. "I know I'm still getting to know you, but-"

Mia scoffed. "Still? It's been a day."

"It's been a week actually. You were with me and Henry this whole last week. You just…didn't know we were your family then."

"You're right," Mia said quietly after a moment. "You…Henry…me - last week we were playing video games and watching Harry Potter marathons. I told you things that I never would have told you if I knew who you were. And now…I don't even want to talk to you. Every time you try to talk to me, I just…I get so mad."

"I know…I get it," Emma said dully. She hated that her daughter was so angry with her, but she knew Mia had almost thirteen years of anger built up. That wasn't just going to go away in a day.

"No, you don't!" Mia almost yelled. "You don't get it. If you did, you would never have given me up. You would have known that no matter how bad a mom you thought you'd be when you were eighteen, foster care was worse. So stop saying you get it because you don't."

Emma just nodded sadly, knowing this wasn't the time to empathize. She had stopped being a stranger that was in the same situation as Mia for sixteen years and could relate to everything she'd been through. Now she wasn't a stranger…she was the girl's mom – and a decision she made thirteen years ago was the reason Mia was ever even in that situation to begin with.

Mia took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm down. "I'm not like Henry, okay? I've had a lot of foster parents, but I've never had an actual parent. And I don't…I don't know how to be a daughter…I'm not good at it. Maybe that's why every foster family I had sent me back." Despite the girl's efforts to calm down, her voice was still shaky.

Emma reached out for her, but Mia pulled away from her touch. She withdrew her hand, pushing her hurt aside. "Hey, it's okay…a couple years ago I didn't know how to be a mother."

"Maybe not then, but now…now you and Henry…you're already a family - without me. I always wanted a family, but…I just…I don't know how to be one with you and Henry. Maybe this just…wasn't meant to be."

Emma tried to give Mia an encouraging smile, but it felt as forced as it must have looked. "It is…it'll just take time."

"You said it yourself, Emma - all I'm doing is pushing you away and trying to hurt you. You don't have to keep doing this…trying to be my mom. We can go back to how things were last week before all of this family drama screwed everything up."

Emma felt like she'd just been punched in the face. She jolted back a little. "I'm not…trying to be your mom. I am your mom. There's not an off switch for that. Let's just…let's go get the dress for now, okay?"

Emma thought Mia was punishing her, but she wasn't…at least she didn't think she was. Okay, maybe she was pushing her away, but that wasn't to punish her…it was to protect herself from getting hurt – or hurt any more than she already was in this case. She didn't really want to push Emma away…she just wanted to keep her at a distance - a safe distance. But Emma made it sound worse than it was…like she was pushing Emma and Henry away just to hurt them.

Emma clearly both liked and loved Henry more. Mia couldn't really blame her. Henry seemed strangely okay with the fact that Emma had given them up. Despite what Emma said, Mia knew that she and Henry were polar opposites. It was weird for her to think of him as her brother – her twin brother. She wondered if she would have been more like her twin if things had played out differently. Jealousy aside…Mia liked Henry - and she didn't like people easily. She even wished she were more like him. It was so easy for him to let people in. Well, of course it was…he'd probably never had to worry about being rejected.

Emma and Henry were a family already…without her. Mia had spent a week watching them interact as mother and son. They were a happy family…minus the missing in action father. The only time they had ever argued it was about Emma's boyfriend – ex-boyfriend now – and it was only because Henry wanted her to be happy and he thought Walsh made her happy. Henry was like the perfect kid. And Mia…wasn't.

Mia knew she wasn't reacting to any of this - Emma being her mom or Henry being her brother - the way Emma wanted her to…the way Henry had…the way a daughter should.

"I'm not like Henry, okay? I've had a lot of foster parents, but I've never had an actual parent. And I don't…I don't know how to be a daughter…I'm not good at it. Maybe that's why every foster family I had sent me back." Mia tried to keep her voice steady, but it shook noticeably. She must have sounded like she was going to cry because Emma reached out for her, but she pulled away.

Emma looked shocked. "Hey, it's okay…a couple years ago I didn't know how to be a mother," she said after a moment.

"Maybe not then, but now…now you and Henry…you're already a family - without me. I always wanted a family, but…I just…I don't know how to be one with you and Henry. Maybe this just…wasn't meant to be." Mia's eyes widened in fear when she realized what she had just said. It was what she was thinking, but she didn't mean to say it. She held her breath as she waited nervously for Emma to say something.

"It is…it'll just take time." But Emma didn't look like she really believed that. Mia's heart sank.

Mia knew she didn't want to lose Emma, even if they couldn't figure out how to be mother and daughter the way Emma and Henry were mother and son. Maybe they could just go back to how they were before… "You said it yourself, Emma - all I'm doing is pushing you away and trying to hurt you. You don't have to keep doing this…trying to be my mom. We can go back to how things were last week before all of this family drama screwed everything up."

Emma's expression was pained. "I'm not…trying to be your mom. I am your mom. There's not an off switch for that. Let's just…let's go get the dress for now, okay?"

Author's Note: Thanks again for reading!

In answer to a question, Gold had his own agenda where Mia was concerned and you'll find out what it is eventually, but the 'real world' reason Mia and Henry were separated is that Mia was sick as a baby and needed to stay in the hospital for months. The adoption agency decided to split them up so that Henry would still be adopted.