Author's Note: Another chapter has arrived! I'd like to say thank you to everyone who followed the story and to rumbelleandstark, who left a really lovely review! This chapter will have a little more Regal Cricket. The relationship between Regina and Archie will grow throughout this story, so I hope you're all engaged enough to keep reading! At this moment in time, Regina still see's Archie as the annoying cricket, who tries to get her to do good, but he's also her friend, and she values his opinion. They're trying to figure out what their relationship really means. So, with that explanation out of the way, I'd like to say thank you to all who showed their support, and to everyone who's reading... Enjoy!

FORGIVENESS EARNED ENTIRELY...

"Regina?!" A voice rang desperately, trying to coax a reaction from her. She couldn't hear anything properly, her brain was fussy. She was no longer standing, but lying on something squishy; most likely a chair. It took her a few seconds to remember that she was in Granny's... but from the moment she walked into the diner, everything had been forgotten.

"Regina? Can you hear me?" The voice spoke again, noticing a tiny tremble in the woman's left hand. She was waking up.

Features of a man slowly came into view. What had happened? One minute, she was trying to get her mother to apologise for her horribly vicious actions, and then, everything went dark. The lack of food, and shock of seeing a person - believed to be dead - alive, must have made her faint. Mixing all of that, with not using her magic, meant that fainting wasn't surprising; all of her power had been drained away, as well as her physical energy.

"Ruby, can you get her some water, please?" The voice asked gently, looking over Regina with care. Soft ginger curls and a pair of nerdy, yet surprisingly cute glasses, came into her line of sight. He was sitting on the edge of the chair, waiting for her to wake up. God knows how long he'd been there.

"Archie?" Regina managed to whisper in confused. Why did her head hurt so badly?! A few other's gathered around the large chair. Emma, Snow, Charming and Belle. Henry was no-where to be seen.

Emma wanted Regina to have nothing to do with the boy, but this was taking it to a new level. For all the sheriff knew, Regina could have almost died from a concussion, or something, yet she still refused to let the woman see the child she'd raised from birth.

Despite all of these thoughts, Regina couldn't help but notice the therapist's smile; happy to be recognised. "I'm here, you're okay." He nodded, pushing some of her hair away from her face, as Ruby returned with the drink.

"Oh my god! Am I dead?! Did my mother actually kill me? ... You can't be alive. They told me that you were dead." She stammered, speaking at one hundred miles an hour, her body lurching forward to a sitting position. Archie quickly stopped her from getting up, lightly pushing her back down.

"Your mother came in and apologised. She's gone back to her ship on the docks, asking your permission to visit... I'm alive, Regina. No-one blames you." Archie informed the woman, offering her the glass of water. Regina took a few sips, just to humour him.

"We don't think that having connections with Cora will be the best idea, Regina." Emma piped up, obviously trying to be smart about the situation. Problem was, Cora needed to believe that Regina was fully on her side in order to get Henry back, and to do that, Regina needed to convince everyone around her that she was still her usual sassy self.

"I can do as I please, Miss Swan." The Evil Queen glared, her eyes glistening with a past evil, that terrified the Charming's. "After the way you all treated me, you're lucky I didn't do anything stupid. But, that's what you were hoping for, of course. More ammunition to feed to my son. I believe that I'm owed an apology." She demanded, an expectant look on her face.

Snow went to protest, before Emma pulled a hand out to stop her. "No... Regina's right. We do owe her an apology. We blamed her for killing someone... and not just someone. We blamed her for killing Archie. I could tell before, that she wasn't lying. The evidence out spoke the truth, but yes... in short terms, Regina... I'm sorry... And, so are they. Even though they're not saying anything." Emma nodded, looking around Granny's at the other on-lookers.

"See, that wasn't too difficult, was it?" She smirked. "If there's nothing more to be said, and if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to see my son." Regina requested, watching as a few eyes dropped to the floor. "...What's wrong?" She questioned, worry suddenly passing over her features.

"Henry actually went out earlier today. He's been looking for you." Snow mumbled, confused by the fact that Henry hadn't found Regina in that time. The young boy knew his adopted mother, better than anyone. He had been gone for over four hours.

Regina began to worry. What if Cora had taken him?

She'd shown up at her hide-out in disguise as the young boy earlier. She would have needed to get an imprint from somewhere. Transformations required a pattern. Cora would need something to copy off. If Henry had been missing for a while, who's to say that he wasn't with her evil mother? He could be rotting down in the bottom of that mouldy ship.

"First thing's first, we'll check our apartment. It's extremely likely that he got tired and decided to head home." Emma said, glancing at her phone, in case any messages had come through.

"I'm coming with you." Regina said, her voice full of authority as she tried to stand. Archie held her back. "Don't make me break those little twig legs of yours, Bug... Unhand me!" She snapped, giving him her best evil eyes. He didn't budge. He was actually fairly strong, for a Cricket.

"Archie's right. You need to stay and eat something. You're weak, Regina. We should be calling an ambulance." Emma nodded, before leaving the diner, with Belle and the Charming's following suit. Regina's temper grew heavy. She wanted to see her son. Slowly, she was beginning to lose power over this town, and she hated it.

Granny whipped up something she knew Regina liked, from past orders, and set it in front of the woman. Archie let go of the Evil Queen's shoulders then, when he was sure that she wouldn't lash out.

"If anything happens to Henry, I'm holding you solely responsible, Doctor Hopper. You should have let me go." She mumbled under her breath, picking up the fork with a shaky hand.

"I'm not going to let you injure yourself further, Regina. You've been under house arrest for a week. Not using magic has drained all your energy, and the fact that you've not been eating from worry, only suggests to me that you're troubled. I leave you for seven days, and you faint on me." He teases on the last few words, waiting to see if she wanted to talk.

Regina managed to eat a small mouthful of pasta, finding it difficult to lift the fork to her lips. "All magic comes with a price." She nodded, looking up and meeting Archie's eyes. The fact that he was still living amongst them still didn't feel real.

Author's Note: Oh, Regina, what do you mean? You haven't been using magic, have you? Hope you all enjoyed this update. Let me know what you think! I really had fun writing this chapter. It's gonna start to mould around 'In the name of the Brother' soon, so hopefully, it'll get interesting plot-wise. Thank you again for your love and support! Lots of love, Evilsaurus...!