Disclaimer in Chapter One

A/N: Congratulations to thedivinemissk and withgirl who both guess correctly for the contest. All the chapter titles, as well as the story title are songs written or performed by Stevie Nicks. Please give the songs a listen. Some of them feature the mood of the chapter they represent. Others have a lyric that resonates with the story.

I have to give a shout out to my friend Jenn (SwanMills815) for her help as a sounding board on this chapter. Thanks for encouraging me to go on.

"You… you remember?" Regina could barely hold herself back but she did not move any closer to her son until he responded.

"Yes," Henry began, his voice wet with tears. "I remember everything, Mom!" With that he catapulted himself toward his mother. The story book fell to the ground between them as they embraced.

For a moment the pair just stood there holding each other close and crying. Regina had been containing her emotions since seeing Henry standing on her door step the night before but now the floodgates were open. Silent tears rolled down her face and she raked her fingers through his dark hair.

Belle stood watching from the counter, her own cheeks wet with tears. She observed the mother and son reunion, trying not to eavesdrop on the murmured I love you's and I'm so glad to see you's along with some mumbled words she couldn't quite make out.

As they pulled back from their embrace, Henry beamed a huge teary smile over at his step grandmother. "Hi Belle."

"Hello Henry," she whispered reverently, a smile brightening her eyes. "Welcome back."

"It's good to be back," he said, laying his head on his mother's shoulder.

"I'm certainly glad you're back," Regina breathed, squeezing him close to her and ruffling his hair.

Regina had so many questions she wanted to ask. There were just so many things she wanted to know about New York and his life there. She looked into Henry's eyes and they were swimming with questions. She knew he would be curious about the last year and what he had missed, how they had fared in the other realm and how they had been able to return here.

But as they stared at one another, silently studying each other, looking for differences a year had produced and contemplating what had happened in those months apart, they seemed to both have a thought together that Henry finally voiced.

"What about Ma?" Henry asked, his forehead wrinkling in contemplation.

"I don't know, Henry," Regina shook her head. "I honestly don't know what to do about Emma. Perhaps the book… It was the book wasn't it that brought back your memories?"

"Yes," Henry said. "I found it on the shelf and when I opened it- it was like my mind opened up and everything flooded in. All the memories were just there. But I don't think that will work for her, Mom."

"You're probably right," Regina sighed. "That would be too easy. There has to be some way to make her remember."

"The thing is, my memories had already been coming to the surface," Henry shrugged. "In New York, I mean. For like almost the whole year I've been dreaming of you. She hasn't mentioned anything about you. Even when I asked her if we knew anyone named Regina, she couldn't remember a soul except for some girl at her dry cleaner's in Boston."

Henry's words were innocent enough, but hearing that the mention of her name hadn't brought even the slightest spark of memory to Emma cut Regina deeply. She felt a wash of disappointment overtake her. The brunette fell back on old habits and tried to mask the hurt in her eyes, but her son was too quick.

His head cocked to the side, Henry squinted at his mother. "Mom? Are you okay?"

Regina averted her eyes from her son. Unfortunately she did so just in time to see the look of pity on Belle's face. Oh no, I will not be pitied. Regardless of the difficulty of the situation or the ache in her chest, she was not weak and would not—could not—allow someone like Belle to feel sorry for her. Squaring her shoulders back assuming the regal stance of the queen she knew she was, Regina looked back at Henry.

"Yes, I'm fine. Everything will be okay. We will figure something out. There has got to be some way to bring back Emma's memories. In fact," Regina said, returning her gaze to Belle, "I believe Miss French just mentioned some books that she has promised to look through that belonged to Rumpelstiltskin."

"Oh, we don't need his books," Henry said with excitement. "I think I know how to get her memory back. True Love's Kiss!" The boyish glee in his voice contradicted his new stature. Henry stated his claim with confidence now, as though it would be foolish to disagree. "Isn't it the power that can break any curse?"

"That is true, Henry, but…" Regina tried to intervene. Her heart was galloping like a racehorse toward the finish line. Of course she had thought of this solution, but it couldn't possibly work. Finding Emma's True Love certainly spelled disaster for Regina. There was no way it could be her and there was no way she was ready to let it be someone else. Not yet. There had to be another way.

"Mom, come on! That's all I've heard since the curse broke. True Love's Kiss, yada yada yada. And we already know who her True Love is!" Henry threw his hands in the air and a broad grin filled his face.

"We do?" Belle and Regina exclaimed in unison. The two women gave each other wide eyed looks of bewilderment and turned back to Henry.

"Sure we do. Me! Wasn't it True Love's Kiss between us that broke the curse to start with? All I have to do is find the right time and give her a kiss!" His voice had a tone conveying childish excitement and a sort of arrogance as if this was the most obvious answer. How could they have missed it?

Regina sighed, "I suppose it is possible, dear. But if it's all the same to you, I would still like Belle to look through the books just to be sure." Turning her attention to Belle she said "Would you mind calling Snow and letting her know about this new development? And tell her if she can ignore us, she and David may come to the diner where we will be having lunch. But please remind her that Emma does not know her and Henry must pretend that he does not as well. If she can try to refrain from crying or throwing herself at them that would be great."

Belle nodded her agreement and watched as mother and son sat down together. Henry began a long, excited and animated tale detailing everything that had happened in the last year while he had been in New York. As Belle watched the interaction, her eyes filled with compassion for Regina. The brunette looked with such love and longing at her son as he went on about school and friends and the apartment he had shared with his other mother, but Belle knew there was still a giant obstacle to overcome. She vowed silently to herself to do her part to bring back the Savior's memories. She would head to Rumple's store right away. But first, a phone call needed to be made.

"Hello Snow? It's Belle…"

~ (SQ) ~

"So Grandma and Gramps are going to come observe us for lunch and you trust them not to approach us? Apparently a lot happened for you in the last year too, huh?" Henry and Regina had already made their way to the diner. Having received a call from Emma that she would be just a bit longer at the garage, they agreed to meet her at the diner instead of the library.

Word travels fast in a small town and Henry's miraculous or perhaps magical recovery of his memories seemed to have moved through Storybrooke in record time. Passers-by and diner patrons were discreet as they addressed their mayor and her son but many gave the returning prince a nod of recognition and some even gave congratulations and welcomes in hushed tones.

For the last ten minutes the pair had sat in their usual booth, he sipping on his cocoa and she cradling a much-needed cup of black coffee awaiting Emma's arrival.

"Well, I suppose you could say we arrived at a sort of understanding," Regina began.

"What?! Did you make up?" Henry's eyebrows shot to his hairline in shock at the very idea of the Evil Queen and her mortal enemy seeing eye to eye on anything.

"Let's just say we spent a lot of time together in the Enchanted Forest. It seems that the Dark Curse destroyed their castle and since that was technically my fault, I was willing to share my castle and partial rule of the kingdom with your grandparents." Regina tried to sound indifferent so she could gauge her son's reaction. In truth, she would not have survived the year apart from Henry and Emma without the Charming Idiots close by.

"No. Way." Henry's mouth fell open.

"It appears that Snow White and I have more in common than I may have thought. Especially after leaving here and losing you and…" Regina hesitated. "Well, I lost you and she lost Emma. We found common ground in our grief. We understood each other's suffering." Regina shifted uncomfortably and diverted her eyes from her son out the window. Where is Emma?

Henry hadn't missed the hesitation in his mother's voice. "What about you, Mom? Did you miss Emma?" There was definitely something going on and although Henry wasn't sure just yet what it was, he had no doubt he could figure it out sooner or later.

"Miss her? Well, I, uh… I wouldn't say I…" Regina stammered on.

"It's okay if you missed her, Mom. I know you're her friend. I know you care about each other. And before you try to deny it, just remember I've had the benefit of objective dreaming. In my dreams I saw you and Ma without the history between you and I could tell you both cared." Henry leveled her with the look that let her know there was no need in denying it.

"Yes, I suppose I did miss her too but..." Before Regina could go on, the bell over the door sounded loudly. Saved by the bell. In swaggered the beautiful blonde they have just been discussing with her eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration.

"I take that look to mean things didn't go well with the car," Regina said with a feigned frown of her own. Inwardly her heart was leaping to know Michael Tillman had succeeded in their ruse.

"Yeah," Emma began, "it looks like it's going to take at least a week for them find the problem and locate the parts they need for such an old model car. I guess we're going to be stuck here for a while, kid."

"Stuck here?" Regina said with mock hurt in her eyes.

Pink embarrassment blossomed across Emma's porcelain skin. "I didn't necessarily mean stuck here as a knock on your town, Regina. I just meant, we may have to alter our plans is all." Emma quickly tried to recover from her unintentional faux pas.

"I'm teasing you, Miss Swan. It is perfectly reasonable for you to wish to continue with your planned itinerary for your vacation. My only wish is that you find this community to your liking enough so the week you are here will not be intolerable," Regina chuckled. "Although, I do hope you have found something to your liking since you arrived." Regina's voiced dripped honey and she gave Emma a flirtatious wink.

Suddenly the crimson hue was renewed across Emma's face and chest. With the color came an unexpected pull in her low abdomen. Why do you have to be so damn sexy? Staying in this town wasn't the original plan but it certainly wasn't something the blonde regretted having to do. Making eye contact for a moment, she winked back.

Henry felt something like tension between them and was suddenly uncomfortable though he wasn't quite sure why. He cleared his throat and interrupted. "Maybe we could stay here the whole trip. I mean, I like it here and we are already going to be here a week, so…"

"Well kid, if Mr. Tillman can't find the parts, there may be nothing to discuss. It would be… Pointless? No, that's not the word I'm looking for. It would be..."

"Moot." A sweet voice came from behind Emma's shoulder and she turned to look. "I believe the word you're looking for is moot." Snow White beamed at her daughter.

"Moot?" Emma tried the word on for size. "I think you may be right." Extending her hand towards Snow, she said "Emma Swan."

Frozen for just a moment, Snow maintained eye contact with her daughter and slowly extended her hand and took hold of the blondes. "Hello Emma. I am Mary Margaret Nolan. This is my husband David."

This time it was Regina who cleared her throat. At the sound Snow released Emma's hand and acknowledged Regina. "Madam Mayor," came her singsong voice.

"Mrs. Nolan," Regina said with the tight smile. "Allow me to introduce Miss Swan and her son, Henry. They are visiting with us for a while."

Snow looked back at her daughter, her eyes glassy. She glanced back and forth from Emma to Henry for a moment and suddenly leaned in and hugged the blonde. Everyone at the table's eye flew wide open at the move. What was going on?

"I hope you're finding this to be a lovely place to visit," Snow said, squeezing her daughter tight.

"Well, it certainly is friendly," Emma looked with panic at Regina. Jumping to her feet, Regina finally intervened.

"Mary Margaret!? I was just about to head to the ladies room and I thought of a matter I'd like to discuss with you before our next meeting." Regina then addressed Emma. "Ms. Nolan is on our town council. A moment Mary Margaret?" The mayor nodded toward the back of the diner and Snow reluctantly released Emma from her grasp.

As they walked away Regina called over her shoulder, "Go ahead and order. Ruby knows what my usual choice is. We will be back in a moment."

~ (SQ) ~

"Have you lost your mind?!" For just a moment the pixie haired brunette saw a flash of the old Evil Queen she once knew.

"I'm sorry Regina, I just… I wanted to see her so badly," she whispered.

Seeing the love of a mother reflected in Snow's eyes, now filled with tears, Regina softened. "I know, Snow. I suppose I'm sorry too. But this is a very delicate situation and we have to be careful."

"I understand. I really am sorry, Regina." Snow looked longingly back toward the dining room and continued with a watery smile, "They look good don't they?"

"Yes, they look wonderful. She's… she's changed her hair. I like it," Regina said wistfully.

"And Henry is so tall!" Snow was trying to temper down her excitement so no one would hear them. "And his voice. He sounds like a man!"

"He does," Regina began. Hoping to diffuse some of the tension over the whole situation, she shrugged disappointedly and smirked. "And I was so looking forward to mocking him when his voice started to change and squeak. Now it seems I missed my chance!"

Snow narrowed her eyes and, trying to look serious, she said "You really are evil."

Regina's voice dipped down to a deeper register, one she hadn't used in a long time as she smirked. "You would be wise not to forget that, Princess."

They could hold their seriousness but a moment and they both giggled and fell into a tentative hug. "They're really here," Snow said.

"Yes, they really are. Now if we can just figure out a way to get Emma's memories back," Regina's eyes drifted away to some distant vision for a moment.

"You will! We will together. Don't be discouraged," Snow tried to inject a little hope into the conversation.

"But what if… what if she tries to leave? Now that Henry has his memory… I cannot let them leave, Snow." Regina's voice was thick with emotion.

"Have her arrested," Snow said matter-of-factly.

"Arrested? On what grounds?" Regina smiled at the younger woman before her.

"What does it matter? I'm in good with the sheriff. So if she tries to take off, have David pick her up. It wouldn't be the first time she ended up in the Storybrooke jail instead of leaving town." Both women smiled, remembering the first time Emma had tried to leave all those years ago. "Speaking of the sheriff, we better get back to him before he does something to deserve his Idiot #2 title. I'll take him home so you can get back to business."

Snow turned to head back into the dining room. Regina called out, "Do you think everything is really going to be okay, Snow?" The unmasked vulnerability in Regina's eyes, the tremor in her voice would have made Snow answer to the affirmative regardless of her belief. Remarkably however, she truly did believe it herself.

"Yes, I do, Regina. Everything is going to be okay."

~ (SQ) ~

"So, Mr. Nolan… what do you do?" Emma was trying to break the silence by making small talk with the man Regina and Mrs. Nolan had left with her. The man was attractive enough, but he was creeping Emma out. He had just been sitting there in Regina's vacated seat smiling at her and Henry for the last two minutes straight.

"Well, believe it or not, I am the sheriff. And please, call me David." If it were possible, his smile brightened as he answered.

"Sheriff? Wow, that's impressive. I'm in law enforcement myself… sort of." Emma nodded at Ruby behind the counter to indicate they were ready to order. She had caught the waitress staring. What is with these people?

"Well, to be honest, I am just the acting sheriff. Our elected sheriff, uh, moved away a bit ago. So you are in law enforcement too? What do you do, Emma?" David was now smiling broadly at Henry. Emma was surprised to see how engaged her son was in returning his grin. He was normally a friendly boy, but since arriving in this seaside hamlet even Henry was behaving strangely.

"Oh, I've been a bounty hunter for years but I recently changed jobs. I'm working with a private investigating firm. And for the last year or so I've been a desk jockey more than I've been in the field. It was too dangerous to chase down the villains with the Kid waiting at home, you know?" Emma couldn't describe just what had made her change jobs or why she felt an urge to explain it all to this total stranger.

"Well, if you ever want to move to Maine, I could always use a deputy," David beamed another winning smile at her and winked. It wasn't a flirtatious wink, not like Regina's. No, there was something akin to familial affection in the way he was addressing her. Weird.

"Are we ready to order?" Ruby had sidled up to the table, her order pad in hand.

"Hi Ruby," Henry said with a smile. "I think I'll have a burger and fries."

"Hi Henry," Ruby winked. "So burger and fries. No tomato?" At Emma's suspicious look Ruby went on, "Not many kids want the tomato."

"Right, no tomato. And could I get a lemonade?" Henry quickly pushed past the almost mistake they had made.

"Ok, well I think I'll have a grilled cheese and onion rings. Just bring me a root beer to drink. And the Mayor said she'd have her usual. She was sure you knew what that means." Emma glanced at the leggy brunette beside the booth. Her skirt was sinfully short and left little to the imagination. Not near as sensual as that tailored skirt Regina's wearing. Emma shook her head. She had to stop objectifying the Mayor. She had been nothing but nice to her. Geez, Swan. Get it together.

"Alrighty. Burger and fries, no tomato with a lemonade, grilled cheese with onion rings and root beer and one mayoral special. Be back in just a sec with your drinks." Ruby turned and headed back to the kitchen.

"Dressing on the side," Emma called to Ruby's retreating form. What?

For a moment the entire diner froze. All eyes fell on Ruby, to see how she would respond. All eyes except for Regina's. She was staring in shock at Emma from just behind David.

"Right, dressing on the side," Ruby stammered as she scurried into the kitchen without looking back. Everyone went back to their lunch, some whispering and glancing at Emma.

"I don't know what made me say that," Emma mumbled to herself. She glanced up at Regina who was now resuming her seat in the booth across from her as David and Mary Margaret headed toward the door.

"It was lovely meeting you Emma, perhaps we will see each other again. Bye Henry!" Snow waved as she drug Charming by the hand down the steps and into the street.

"Sorry that took so long, dear. I hope our sheriff wasn't too much of a bore." Regina decided not to mention the salad dressing. It probably means nothing. There is no reason to make a big deal out of it. Just because Emma knew I take my dressing on the side doesn't mean anything. So what if no one had said I was getting a salad. So what. It doesn't mean anything. Too bad Regina's heart didn't agree as it found a permanent home in her throat. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, trying to remain calm. She darted her eyes to Henry, silently pleading with him to act normal.

"I like him. I bet being a sheriff is cool," Henry plowed ahead with a smile.

~ (SQ) ~

The rest of their lunch went off without a hitch. The townsfolk stayed away. Ruby tried to be professional and distant. The conversation focused on safe subjects and the earlier oddities were all but forgotten when Regina's phone rang.

"My apologies Miss Swan. Mind if I take this?" Regina would normally have declined the call under the circumstances, but it was Belle. Has she found something already?

"Sure, go ahead. You are the Mayor after all. Duty calls," Emma couldn't stop herself from winking as the brunette stood.

"Thanks. I'll just be a moment," Regina said as she ducked into the hall to the bed and breakfast once more. "Miss French, I hope you are calling with good news. Although we have only been gone a short time so I do not see how you could have—"

"I found something!" Belle cut Regina off. "I can't believe it but it was literally in the first place I looked. It's some sort of potion to restore memories. I assume it is bookmarked from the time when Rumple was trying to restore my memory. I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for or not but—"

Now it was Regina's turn to cut Belle off mid-sentence. "I will meet you at my vault in an hour. Could this possibly all be over in less than 24 hours of them arriving?"

"I certainly hope so, Regina. For Snow and David's sake. And for yours too. I'll meet you in one hour." And with that, the line went dead.

Regina stood staring at her phone. She wasn't sure how to feel. Of course she wanted Emma to remember. It was more than she could have dared to dream that Henry would already have regained his memories of her, never mind the love and acceptance he had given her after a year apart. And now, to think that in a few short hours Emma could remember too… it was too much to believe.

But there was another feeling dancing at the edge of Regina's heart. One she wasn't ready just yet to name. She wanted Emma to remember but a part of her wasn't ready to see those green eyes dawn with the remembrance of who Regina had once been. This Emma only knew the kind and benevolent Mayor, the good Regina, the hero Regina. This Emma knew nothing of curses or Evil Queens or battles for Henry's affection. Was she ready to go back to being… whatever it was they had become?

But it was pointless to consider. If she could restore Emma's memory today, of course she would. It was the right thing to do. It was the only thing to do. It was what love would do. Love… Regina squared her shoulders once more and headed back into the diner.

"I'm sorry Miss Swan, Henry, but I have a matter of urgent town business that I cannot delay on. I am afraid our tour of Storybrooke will have to end before it has even begun," Regina didn't miss the instant look of disappointment in Emma's green eyes nor the confusion in Henry's.

"That's ok. We certainly don't want to keep you from your work. Right Kid?" Emma nudged Henry and he grunted his agreement, still looking at Regina in confusion. "And please, it's just Emma, remember?"

"Yes, of course Emma. I feel terrible leaving you here with no transportation. I am certain Miss Lucas would let you borrow her car if you need to go somewhere that you cannot reach on foot. I insist we resume our tour again tomorrow. And I will not take no for an answer." Regina spoke with the regal authority that told the pair seated at the table that no really was not an option. She hoped her next request would both smooth out Henry's furrowed brow and be well received by his blonde mother. "I would also like the two of you to join me for dinner tonight at my house. I will come round for you at six."

"Oh Regina, you don't need to do that. Really. It isn't your fault we are having such a rough trip. You've already done more than enough." Emma wanted to accept the invitation, but something, whether her pride or worry that Regina was just being nice and didn't really want them, something was making it hard to just say yes.

Regina merely arched a perfect brow and smirked at Emma as she sauntered toward the diner door. Emma turned to watch her walking away. Damn, I wonder if she looks as good coming as she does going. Bright red embarrassment raced across Emma's face as she considered the double meaning of her thoughts. Easy Swan, what is your problem?

Not entirely oblivious to the blonde's eyes tracking her across the room, Regina turned at the door and called back, "Six o'clock Miss Swan. I hope you and Henry like lasagna."