Welcome to Storybrooke

"You know what happened that night. I came home with Henry, and I saw you again…" I turned to Regina

"You could have given me HIV?" Regina said finally after that entire story.

I looked at her and let out a chuckle. "Why do you think I didn't let you go down on me?" I answered.

"Then you went home to him." She said, her look so far away.

I took a deep breath and looked out at the night sky. "Regina, you were like a figment of my fevered imagination. An Ideal that I was never going to attain."

"And here we are.." I looked around the campsite. David and Mary Margaret were talking to each other at the far end. Regina and I had been working on revealing who I really was for the scroll Pan had given us. "What was it like when you went back to New York last week?" She asked, pulling her legs to her chest. "You seemed a bit upset before Gold asked you to go find Neal."

I sighed. "Chase had emailed me and told me Hadley had disappeared."

"That's…?" Regina asked.

"Closet girl." I answered.

"Thirteen…" Regina said. "Why did that upset you?"

"She's very sick…. And sort of a daredevil." I answered. "House was missing too, but you know, I didn't really care."

"So what happened?" She asked.

"I asked you for that potion before we left, I wanted to see if she would heal." and we left for New York and we found Neal, and I nearly forgot. I slipped away right before coming back. Chase said that House had been out to bail Remmy from Jail because she had been putting her medical license on the line to help people who have her disease die.

"I gave her the potion in the long run." I said. "I don't know how she is doing. I don't know if it has helped. I lost my phone in NY when I was coming out of the city.

"Where do they think you are?" Regina asked.

"Chicago…." I answered. "Alison had gotten the head of emergency medicine position at Chicago's Mercy Hospital and Medical Center."

Regina nodded, "so there's no chance they will come crashing the gates of Storybrooke. " I shook my head. Regina was pensive for a moment, allowing the stress of the moment to roll off her. "Do you still think of me?"

"Oh my god, Every day…" I breathed out. "I'v e been wanting to fuck your brains out since the first night I saw you."

Regina looked at me with a bashful blush on her cheeks. "You want to know what I think?" She asked quietly. I nodded. "I think Fate pulled you to this place for a reason, I think Fate brought me to you every time we met up in Boston."

I looked toward my parents then back to her. I took her hand and kissed it. "Do you want to try?"

"Like a relationship?" She asked.

I smiled… "Yeah, Henry's two mommies." I said bumping her shoulder with mine. "Like you said earlier. He is our son, we can raise him together."

"Hey!" I heard from the other side of me. Regina dropped my hand and I turned to my mom. "What are you talking about?"

Regina letting go of me made me angry. "Henry, what else would we be talking about?" I said in a snit and walked away further into the woods. I didn't want to feel like this. But I wanted that ideal family we had been talking about. I was annoyed at Mary Margaret for interrupting me. And I was frustrated with Regina for letting me go. I had to walk away because Neverland was picking up on my emotions.

I came to a clearing and stopped. I looked at the map given to me. I knew who I was now. THis had to have worked to open the map for me. "There is one more thing you need to discover about yourself." I heard.

I turned my head to look at Regina in her purple skirt and blazer. Her silk blouse disheveled. "What's that?" I asked

"You are loved…" Regina said. "By your parents, our son…" she placed her hands on my shoulders. And brought me closer. "You are like the best friend I have ever had." She whispered as she wrapped her arms around my neck. "One of the best lovers I've ever had." She whispered and I leaned closer and kissed her, and there was a surge through my body when our lips met. "Let's find our baby."

I placed my forehead on hers and nodded. Then I opened the map…

Finally we have our son. Regina hasn't let him out of her sight. Though I think he's a little off. She was just stroking his hair as he slept. I stood by the door. "Do you want any more kids?" I asked.

She looked at me. "I've thought about it." I nodded and shut my mouth tight. "What are you thinking about?"

"Jay…" I answered.

She leaned down and kissed Henry's forehead and led me to the empty cabin next door. We sat side by side in the cabin. "Jay is very important to you, and you saved a part of him. I would Honor that Emma. I want you to be happy. I want us to be happy together."

I looked at her, and I was transported to that hotel room in Boston. I leaned forward to claim her lips. We made love again. This time there was no rush. We just took it to the motion of the ocean.

"Storybrook Ahoy" I heard above my head

Regina and I slid out of the bunk and dressed. "I'm going to go check on Henry." She said.

"Yeah," I said awkwardly. This was the first time we had spent an entire night together. I didn't know how to act.. Regina turned to me after she finished dressing and kissed me long and deep.

"We'll talk." She whispered and headed to the bunk Henry was at.. I smiled and happily reached for my skinny jeans. Before I could reach for my Tank top Mary Margaret came in.

"Oh My god!" She said and turned away as I pulled the tank top over my naked chest. I had yet to locate my bra. "Y…Um… Sorry."

I rolled my eyes and found my bra and maneuvered it on. "You have a set of those too, mom."

"Yes, but yours are marked." She said.

I looked down at my chest and blushed. "Oh…" I smiled. Then I walked away.

The town received us all with cheers and clapping as we all walked off the gangplank. All of us except Regina. I saw it over an embrace from granny as she stood back. But I was so happy to see Henry with everyone. I turned to him. "How does it feel to be home?" I asked cupping his face with my hands.

"Better than I ever imagined." He answered looking around as if he had never even seen Storybrooke. I suppose that after the darkness of Neverland the sunny day in town was better. Regina stood to the side, her face emitting a bit of peace. I glanced at her as my parents talked. "I have to admit,there was a minute there… I didn't believe we would get out of that place" I said

"Well, we did" Dad said, certainly enduring the poisoning from the night shade.

Mom followed my gaze and said out loud. "And we owe a lot of it to her."

Regina looked at us.

"Regina helped save us all." I stated. And she looked shocked at being credited. I have a feeling she is going to need to get used to that. I smiled at her.

We all convened around her and she leaned closer to me. We talked about the shadow in the sail. Until Henry called for his Mom and Dad… Both Regina and I looked up, and Neal paused in his conversation. The three of us went closer to him as he faced off with Felix. I went to see our son, And Regina mamma bear'd that occasion. Because that is what she does best. The third parent just stood there. He had no jurisdiction here. That's just how we like it.

"You're safe now Henry…" I said, but it was so weird that he called for his Mom and Dad… I should have known then it wasn't my son.

Rumple locked who we thought was Pan in his magic safe, "Don't worry Henry," I said watching him closely.

"He won't be getting out of there." Neal said.

"We won't let anything happen to you again, I promise." Regina added. And the three of us just stood in solidarity for our son… too bad our son was not there to enjoy it.

I was still suspicious so I went to get his book. I brought it to him and placed it in front of him. He looked at it in confusion. Red flag. "Well, don't be too excited. Neal still had it in his room. We thought you'd want it." I said and watched his reaction carefully. "Especially since you just lived a fairy tale of your own."

"Right, thanks" he said and opened his book.

"You alright?" She asked

"Yeah, RIght."

Neal pulled me aside to talk about us. I had forgotten he wanted me back. I forgot this whole thing that had been happening before the whole ordeal with Henry, the fights with Hook, and the kisses with Regina.

I turned back to our son and gathered him up for bed. I asked him to say good night to his mother. She turned to face us both and my eyes went straight to her wide open blouse and a small little love bite right under her collar. I smiled to myself as she said. "Goodinght? I didn't realize it was getting so late." She smiled at our son and placed her fingers on his chin. "It's gonna be hard to let you out of my sight."

Then he spoke up. "Maybe you don't have to. Maybe I can stay with you tonight." he stated. I looked at Regina. She gasped in surprise.

"Oh! If course." She said, and not that I agreed with except his body language was telling me he was up to no good, and he knows his mother is desperate to spend time with him. "Come on Henry, let's go home."

I went to Regina that night. We made love ignoring all the wanting looks from the two men who had been pining for me. She mentioned Henry had asked about her vault… and I furrowed my brows and voiced my concern."

"You can't fathom that he would want to spend time with me. Can you." Regina said, sliding out of bed and taking the Duvet with her leaving me naked in her bed.

"Regina, NO! Of course not." I said following her. "He was asking things he already knows. THere is something wrong with him. It's like he is a whole other kid. THink about it."

"NO, I haven't had my son under my roof for over a year."

"Regina, I am not asking you to kick him out." I stated.

"Get out Emma…. I was a fool to think I could do this with you of all people." She headed to her ensuite and locked herself behind it. I sighed and reached for my discarded clothes.

I found myself at the beach at sunrise, trying to figure out where I stood with Regina, what I wanted to do about Neal who was waiting for me to go on a coffee date with him that morning. And my mind kept going back to my son, who was not acting right. My diagnostician brain wouldn't let the inconsistencies go.

Dad found me there, staring at the phone, contemplating how to explain myself to Regina. He sat next to me prepared to talk to me about Neal. I Just couldn't hear anymore. "It's not Neal, it's Henry." I interrupted. " He's not acting himself, he barely recognized his storybook last night"

"He went through a lot in neverland."

"I know, and he asked to spend the night at Regina's"

He sighed. "Well, You know, she did help us save him. And she did raise him until you came into his life."

I rolled my eyes. "I know she did."

"Look, he probably wants to stay with you tonight." he said, trying to appease me. "I wouldn't worry about it. You know we're all recovering."

"I know, I just can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen and I need to do everything I can to stop it." I explained myself.

"Emma you can't think like that."

"Why not?" I asked. "Bad things do keep happening."

"And so do good things, '' he said. "But if you think like that you miss out. There's more to life than just looking for the next fight. You know you got to look for the moments."

"Moments?" I say with a smirk.

"Yes," He replies with a smile of his own. "Life is made up of moments. Good ones, bad ones, but they're all worth living."

"Well I seem to be a magnet for the bad ones." I said sarcastically.

"Well, then, all the more reason to look for the good moments in between the bad ones."

"And you think having lunch with Neal would be a good moment?"

"I don't know," He answered. "Does he eat with his mouth open?"

I chuckle. "I'm not sure I'm Ready."

"What's the harm in finding out?" He stood. "Come on, I'll give you a lift to granny's"

I stood and he linked arms with me and walked back to his car with me. "You sure you don't have any other reason to push me toward Neal?"

"Like what?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, keeping me away from Hook?"

He paused. "You think I'm interested in Hook?" I frowned at him and wondered at once what he would think of a same sex pairing. "Emma, I'm a married man."

I exhaled a laugh of relief and continued walking with him toward his car. "What iF I were interested in a woman?"

"Are you?" He asked.

"I might be… I've been there before." I answered not giving away that I had someone in mind.

"Well, I hope she's as nice as Neal."

As we approached Granny's there was the sound of a woman screaming. Hook and Tinkerbelle had run out of the B&B together as Dad and I arrived. He was trying to make me jealous, it didn't work. Dad took off running in the direction of the screams.

There it was, the shadow, not as contained as Gold had said. And it ripped the shadow… soul? Of Blue who lay unconscious at the convent steps. She was dead. Pan killed her.

Naturally I called Regina and told her what had happened so she would stash our son away somewhere safe. No where safer than her Vault. But I had a feeling… that was exactly what pan wanted.

Regina and Henry caught up to all of us and she was so convinced Pan's shadow was on the sail. I looked at her and told her with my eyes about what we had talked about before. She didn't want to believe her little boy had done anything like that.

"Pan's behind this I know." I said

"But he's trapped under the floors in gold's shop." Regina said, confused.

"So… Pan can still hurt me." Henry said. My kid is stupid brave, but that just sounded whiny.

"We don't know that." Regina reassured him.

"But we have to assume he's still a threat." Mom said.

I looked at them both.. "And that he's after Henry."

Then the kid himself suggested the Vault. I came closer to Regina. "Keep a close eye on him."

"I already said I would." She said.

"Like I told you before, he's really not acting himself." I continued.

"Really? You Mean, because he asked for me?"

"You know I didn't mean that." I stated.

"That's exactly what you meant," she answered not letting me explain. "You said it last night. I am his mother too, and maybe he is falling back on the 10 years of soothing nightmares I have under my belt. He is fine."

I sighed softly. "It's not about you, Regina, I just have a gut feeling."

"Maybe you use that gut feeling to find the shadow, instead of obsessing over who's gonna comfort our son." She walked away with him straight to the vault and that feeling just ramped up.

The rest of us headed to Gold's shop to get the box. We convinced gold to release him on the other side of the town line.

I crossed the town line and got my gun ready. I was ready to hurt that grown little man. The moment he was turned to face me and said "Mom?"

He continued to plead with us all. Convincing me he was Henry. And now that made complete sense as to why Henry would ask those questions and act so weird.

"The first time you and I connected," I asked him. "You remember that? Not met but connected"

"Yeah," He said. "My castle right after you came to Storybook."

"And what did you tell me?' I asked

"That I knew why you gave me up." He said

"Why?" I asked.

"Because you wanted to give me my best chance." I lowered my gun and we stepped back over the line we had to get back to was not answering her phone. What did Pan do to her, and is Henry's body okay…

I was in a panic. My parents tried to soothe me the best they could, but there was no way. "You were right about Pan," Dad said "Just like your mom was about Regina all those years ago. We'll stop him. And then you can…"

"Live my moments?' I interrupted. "Even though there's still terrible things out there?"

"Exactly," both Mom and dad said.

"You're great parents, but you're wrong." I answered. "I'm the Savior, I don't have the luxury of having moments. It's just not my life." I sighed and shook my head. "Every time I think I'm going to sit back and enjoy myself, I can't. Because it's never gonna stop."

"I used to think the same way." Mom said.

"It's different," I stated. "My magic has a price. The price of being the Savior is, I don't get a day off."

Finally Gold was able to open Regina's Vault. And we all headed down there. We found Regina unconscious. And Henry is gone.

Gold woke her up, and she immediately looked for Henry. I told her of the switch and she immediately felt bad. "I wanted to believe what he was saying so badly , I missed all the signs. I just wanted to believe that he still needed me to be his mother."

"I still do." Henry said from behind me. I had to get used to the older boy voice he had. He looked like the enemy but he was our baby boy.

"Henry?" she said and he embraced his mother for the first time in a long time.

Then Gold, searching for a magical trace, turned to Regina. "Please tell me you didn't keep it down here," he said.

She looked at him. "Where else would I keep it?' She asked

I looked between the two and . "What did he take?"

IT was the curse. The dark curse that had brought them all here. "Why would he even want the curse, I already cast it." Regina stated.

"And I broke it." I reminded everyone.

"That doesn't mean he can't cast it again." Gold stated "Except worse… without your parents True love woven in, even you would be powerless to break it."

I furrowed my brows What exactly did that mean? And unbreakable curse that would what? According to gold, everyone would forget who they are, time would stand still and Pan would be there to rule it all. "The last curse was created to service the Queen's wishes. This will be done per Pan's desire. I would count on something Hellish." Gold said.

" The curse was built to be unstoppable. There is nothing that can be done." Regina stated.

"There is something that can be done to stop it." Gold stated.

"What?" Regina asked.

"By using the scroll itself," he asserted. "It can only be undone by the person who used the scroll. That's you Regina."

"What do I have to do?' She asked

"You should destroy the scroll. Both your curse and his shall be ended. But Know this, there will be a price. A steep one."

"What do you suggest?" Regina asked.

"Instead of going to him, bring him to us with a spell." Gold explained. "One that will return Pan and Henry to their own bodies."

"If I'm back in my own body that means I'd have the scroll and I can bring it to you guys." Henry stated. Gold nodded.

"Even you aren't powerful enough to cast such a spell." Regina stated.

"Given the proper tool, I could be." Rumple stated.

"The Black Fairy's wand…" Tinkerbell finally piped up. "One of the most powerful fairies that ever existed. Well versed in dark blue fairy exiled her but before she did, she took her wand."

Dad,Tink, and Neal went to find the wand. And the rest of us headed straight to the shop we had to get Henry ready for the transfer.

While we wanted Regina pulled me aside. "I'm sorry." She said,

"For what?" I asked.

"You tried to warn me.." She stated.

"You can make up for it later," I stated suggestively. Her eyes went sad for a moment, then she leaned forward and kissed me like it would be the very last time. "Wha?" I asked once we were done, but she walked away. Leaving me a little dazed under a mobile of glass Unicorns.

Mom came up to me then, and told me they were mine. "I like the unicorns," I said to her. And she smiled. Still there seems to be sadness. There is something about this curse that is going to hurt me. I know it.

When they got to the shop, Dad and Neal stated that the blue fairy had revived and had given them the wand herself. Gold pulled out the magic cuff that Greg and Tamara had put on Regina and put it on Henry's Pan body.

Then the lot of us ran out of the shop leaving Gold alone with his Dad.

We both hugged Henry and he gave her the scroll. Immediately she fell unconscious. She woke up just as abruptly as she fell. "Emma," She whispered.

"Regina, are you okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine, it's Just…" she said.

"What is it?" Mom asked. "What happened when you touched it?"

Regina just looked at our son and took his hand in, hers. "I saw what needed to be done." She said to all of us but she said it mostly to him.

She looked down at her hand and looked at the scroll held in it as Henry asked. "Mom, Are you going to be okay?"

She leaned forward and placed her fingers under his chin. "The important thing is you will be."

Then the scroll disappeared from her hand. "No he wont." Pan was walking toward us. Then he froze us all. Of us. When he was about to start killing us all, his son Rumple, said his goodbyes and killed both himself and his father. Leaving the curse behind.

Belle fell to the floor in sobs. As Regina picked up the fallen scroll. "Regina, are you okay?' I asked again.

"I'm fine." She answered standing up.

I walked over to Neal and hugged him. "I'm so sorry," I offered my condolences,

Regina stood kind of in a daze.

"My father did what he had to do." Neal said. "He saved us. Then he looked at Regina. "But we won't let him die for nothing. Regina?"

"What?" She said.

"We're here for a Reason Luv, Pan?" Killian said just having arrived at the scene.

"He's Dead." She answered.

"His curse remains. " Hook continues. "Can you stop it? Or should we all start preparing our souls. 'Cause mine is gonna take some time."

Regina's face was determined as Leroy shouted as he ran from around the corner.

"It's not too late right?" Dad asked a catatonic Regina?

Regina stood frozen in place.

I moved closer. "Well, what's the price? Gold said there was a price. What is our price?"

"It's not our price." She said looking back at me that sadness back on her features. "It's mine."

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"It's what I felt when I first held it." She said coming closer to me. "I have to say goodbye to the thing I love most." She looked at me. I turned my face to look at Henry.

"What? Henry?"

"I can never see him again. I have no choice. I have to undo what I started.

"The curse that brought us to Storybrooke." Mom stated.

"That created Storybrooke." Regina said. "It doesn't belong here. And neither do any of us."

Dad's face pales in understanding. "Breaking the curse destroys the town."

"It will wink out of resistance as though it were never here." Regina said."And everyone will go back to where they're prevented from ever returning.."

"You will go back to the enchanted forest." I said

"All of us," Regina said. "Except Henry. He will stay here, because he was born here."

I panicked. "Alone?"

"No," Regina answered. She moved closer to me and in an almost intimate whisper she stated." You will take him. Because you're the Savior. You were created to break the curse And once again you can escape it."

I looked around at everyone and then back at her. "I don't want to. We'll Both go back with everyone."

Regina looked at me. "That's not an option." I was supposed to lose my son, my parents and the love of my life again? "I can't be with him," She continued. "If I don't pay the price, none of this will work."

"Emma you have to go." Mom said looking at me distressed hoping to save me yet again..

"I just found you…" I said to her,

"And now it's time for you to leave us again." mom responded. "For your best chance. For his."

I let go of my son, whom I was clutching. "No," I refused, "No, I'm. Not. Done." I looked at all of them and then to my son. "I'm the savior right? I'm supposed to bring back all the happy endings. That's what Henry always said."

"Happy endings aren't always what we think they will be. '' She said and I caught Regina's eye roll. "Look around you. You've touched the lives of everyone here."

I clutched at Henry again "But we're a family."

"Yes and we always will be." Mom said. "You gave us that."

"You and Henry can be a family, and you can get your wish." Dad said now. I looked at him and then Regina holding Henry close. " You can be like everyone else. You can be happy."

"It's time for you to believe in yourself Emma." Mom said her smile a sad one, but a hopeful one. "It's time for you to find hope."

Regina placed a hand on my cheek. "I've known you for some time. And I remember just wanting you to get the hell out of my life so I could be with my son." She caressed my cheek and put her hand on my shoulder. "But really, what I want is for Henry to be happy. We have no choice," she dropped the hand. "You have to go."

My heart broke. I was losing everyone all at once. "Okay." I whispered.

We all headed to the border.I hugged my parents goodbye, I didn't want to leave them again. I didn't want to be that orphan again. The kid broke off and went to his mother. I went to Neal and said goodbye. Hook tried to appeal to me. But I still wasn't sure of him. But he deserved a goodbye too.

Then the most heart breaking of all because I was sure she could be who I would love forever. She came up to me and said, "I forgot to tell you."

"What now?"

"When the curse washes over us, It will send us all back. Nothing will be left behind. Including your memories."

I can't even have those? How am I supposed to cope without my memories?

"It's just what the curse does." Regina finished and took my hand. "Storybrooke will no longer exist. I won't ever have existed. So these last years, Will be gone from both your memories. And will just go back to when stories begin."

"What will happen to us?" I asked Regina who lifted my hand and kissed it.

"I Don't know,"She answered. And there our romance was cut short before it truly began. "Doesn't sound much like a happy ending."

"It's not…." Regina whispered to me. "But I can give you one."

"Can you preserve my memories?" I asked

"I can do what I did to everyone else in this town." She said "and give you new ones."

"You cursed them, and they were miserable" I answered

"They didn't have to be." She said, stepping even closer and caressing my cheek again. "My gift to you is good memories. A good life for you." She turned and reached for Henry and held both our hands. "And Henry. You'll have never given him up." She dried a tear on my cheek. "You'll have always been together."

"You would do that?" I asked "and I won't forget the things I know."

She chuckled. "You know way too much and are way too knowledgeable for me to erase all of that. But when I stop Pan's curse and you cross that town line, You will have the life you always wanted."

"But I won't have you," I said "And it won't be real."

"Your past won't, but your future will." Then she kissed me. She touched her forehead with mine. "Don't forget Jay… Henry Deserves siblings." She laughed a watery laugh.

My face scrunched up and the three of us hugged. "I love you." I whispered to her.

"I love you too… Now go, There isn't much time left, the curse will be here any minute."

Henry hugged her one more time, and Mom Came to me once more and kissed my forehead and we ran to the bug as the cloud was approaching.

I looked at the rare view and watched as Regina destroyed the scroll and raised her hands up to change the curse as it enveloped them. And then… and then…

That day's trip up the coast was amazing. I was just remembering the day Henry was born. I held him to me and he was the hope that I needed. I was going to make something of myself just for him. I was going to come out of that prison better than I went in.