Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Emma shuddered as she trudged her way back towards the Dark One’s abode. Hook trailed behind her, muttering under his breath as he carried the unconscious woman they had saved from the Evil Queen’s soldiers. That irritated her, as she’d already told him several times to leave the woman behind in any number of little hiding holes that had been pointed out to them by that very woman. She would have been fine, even if she’d never given them a name.

Smart, considering that the three days Hook had been running around with her ensuring Zelena’s plan (or some form of it at any rate) failed and Snow met Charming had all been done while Emma had been with the Evil Queen. Emma couldn’t share what she didn’t know (and Emma had shared a lot, not all of it entirely willingly but a great deal had just come pouring out of her without the need for the truth potion the Queen had given her).

That wasn’t all they had shared after the Queen had removed the illusion spell Rumpelstiltskin had cast over her, but Emma wasn’t going to share that bit of information. No, that was for her and her alone.

Regina would likely never remember, no matter what the Queen might have planned for. Why would she even want to or care when she already had her fairy-dust decreed soulmate? Emma was not supposed to mean anything more than a friend to the older woman. Henry’s birth mother. An oft times inconvenient annoyance and sometimes ally.

Emma couldn’t help that throughout everything she’d developed honest to goodness feelings for the older woman. Regina was attractive in many ways. Looking back, Emma had figured out that she was doomed from that very first moment.

Of course she had fought against it. The sheer overwhelmingness of Henry being right about the curse and everything afterwards helped (mostly just by being overwhelming and going against everything Emma had ever known and believed). She just couldn’t continuing running from it any longer. Not after having had a taste of what it would be like to have Regina’s attention focused on her as a lover. As someone who just might one day return her feelings.

“Hey Luv,” Hook tried to get her attention. He was worried about her, even if she looked physically fine. He knew from Snow that Emma’s heart couldn’t be taken, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t hiding or lying about some other hurt.

“Not your love,” Emma responded, stopping her walking to turn so she could face him. Kissing him was one of the biggest regrets she had. “What do you want Hook?”

“We’re here is all lass, unless you want to keep walking?” Hook knew he wasn’t the brightest person around, but things eventually got through even his thick skull.

He had hurt Emma, and he hadn’t wanted to do that. He’d tried to make it better, but clearly she wasn’t ready to reconcile just yet. He could wait. Persistence did seem to work with the woman.

“No, let’s get this over with.” Emma raised a hand to knock. “And we’re leaving her here.”

“Well Dearies, back after all.” Rumpelstiltskin looked the pair and their extra over. “Running a little late, aren’t we?”

“We still made it, or is there something else we need to do so we can return to our own time?” Emma just wanted to go home. She was going to be an adult, face the consequences of her actions, and then plan from there.

Maybe Regina would let her explain this time instead of just yelling at her.

Maybe she would be able to look her parents in their eyes as she officially met her little brother…and maybe she could get rid of her resentment towards him. It wasn’t his fault she felt that way.

Maybe she could even get Henry to understand her decision.

It was an awful lot of maybes, but at this point Emma was just resigned to the fact that her life was built on them. Those and the choices other people made for her and about her.

“No, no, but getting back is going to be on you.” He snapped his fingers, sending them to his vault where they would be out of the way. “The wand might work, but even if it doesn’t you can’t do any harm to my plans here.”

Emma exchanged a look with Hook. Honestly, neither of them were all that surprised. And the mystery woman was still with them. Maybe after she woke up, they could get the Dark One to memory wipe her and send her on her way. Something in her gut told her that bringing the woman back with them was a bad idea.

“Well, you’re the one with magic lu-” he backtracked at Emma’s glare, “lass.” At least, he hoped she could get her magic to work now.

“Yeah, yeah.” Why, recently, did it always seem to come down to ‘Emma needs to use her magic to solve the issue’? Everyone but Regina seemed to forget that Emma didn’t actually know how to use her magic.

Even so, she picked up the wand. The Queen certainly hadn’t had any trouble getting Emma’s magic to react to hers, which meant it wasn’t actually gone.

Thinking of the Queen, or Regina in general really, caused her magic to spark and fizz beneath her skin. Emma shivered with the feeling. It figured, given the reason she had magic, that love was the trigger (when it was something she had had little of throughout her life) for the unwanted gift. Still, it meant she could get them home.

“We’re leaving her here. Once we’re gone, he’s got no reason to leave her here.”

“You’re expecting mercy from the Dark One? He’d leave her here because it would be easy.” Hook did wonder what had gotten into the woman before him. He would have expected Emma to be the one to insist on keeping the rescued woman with them.

Emma opened her mouth to object, to try to explain why she felt that taking the woman with them would be bad, but found herself unable to. So she gave up and focused instead on what she wanted from the wand. A way home, back to her son and the woman she was in love with (even if she was nothing more than a fling for the other woman). Back to the rest of her family and the friends she had made in Storybrooke. Back to her world and not the (in her opinion) highly over-rated Enchanted Forest.

A portal whirled into existence and sucked them in, leaving the wand behind.

Chapter Text

Sometimes Emma hated being right.

The mystery woman turned out to be Marian. As in, Robin Hood’s previously dead wife.

Emma was done. Just…utterly finished with everything.

Because, no matter what she said, everyone (most importantly Regina) believed Emma to be responsible for the decision to bring her back with them. Hook, of course, was perfectly happy to let them believe it and allow Emma to receive the brunt of people’s ire and confusion.

She suffered two weeks before making a choice.

Emma knew she was taking the cowards way out, but she didn’t know if she would have the strength to leave if someone tried to stop her. Especially if that person was Henry.

Instead, she made certain that everything of Henry’s was sent to his room at the manor. Included in that was a painstakingly written letter with her contact information. Her son would be fine with his other mother. He would be happiest here, with her and the family she was building with her soulmate.

Her things, as always, fit down into a box and two duffel bags. Even after the year in New York.

Not satisfied in the least, she loaded the bug and left town.

Zelena chuckled to herself. This was working far better than her previous plan had. Regina was all twisted up, angry at the Savior and hovering between being the better person verses giving into her desire for her soulmate.

Robin was almost too easy to play with. The man was boring. Attractive, but once that was gotten past…she’d met more fascinating Munchkins. Her flying monkeys had more personality. Honestly, she might even be doing Regina a favor.

Roland was a harder sell, being more suspicious of the woman claiming to be the mother he had no real memories of. Even so, Robin tended to leave his son with his men or even Regina (and those were fun arguments to instigate, since Regina always had loved children even at her darkest). That very thing was the topic now.

It would be amusing, but for the fact that everyone involved had begun repeating themselves. It was hard to maintain the act of caring where the little boy spent his time. Zelena didn’t actually care where the boy was unless she could use him against her sister. He was a safer target than her actual nephew. For now at least.

Holding her hands behind her back, she twitched them, forming a small spell that would hurry things along. Not too much as there were far too many magic users here that might just have a moment of awareness and catch her at it, but enough to cause some small amusement.

Ignoring Roland was her mistake, she would work out later.

He was only five, but he knew magic when he saw it. He’d been entertained by Regina often enough to spot it. He’d spent practically all his life in the Enchanted Forest where magic was a daily thing in a great many places. Usually small magics, but magic was magic just the same.

The little boy had been watching the woman very closely. He only had vague memories of his mother, and most of those were from his father and the Merry Men. None of them had ever spoken of his mother having magic.

He was standing next to Henry, the older boy having taken to showing him a great number of things since they’d been introduced. He liked Henry, who was very good at telling stories and coming up with games to play and knowing the places where Regina would hide the special snacks. Henry knew a lot of things. He would know about this.

Roland tugged on the older boy’s hand, gaining his attention. When Henry looked down at him, he pointed to where the magic was. Henry looked, eyes widening when he spotted what Roland had.

Henry had read a lot growing up. His mother had read a great deal to him as well. He knew not every story would have a connection to the world of fairytales, but he was becoming rather an expert on the ones that did.

Maid Marian didn’t have magic.

This wasn’t Maid Marian.

In that moment, he felt like the son of both his mothers’. He picked up the nearest saltshaker, opened it, and threw the whole thing at the woman. It was a very Emma move tinted with some of Regina’s overall knowledge of magic.

Zelena shrieked in surprise as the shaker and its contents hit her.

With a sizzle and a pop, her magic dropped.

Everyone in the diner froze and gapped in surprise for a moment and then Regina reacted.

The fight was short lived, ending with Zelena captured and being taken to one of the cells beneath the hospital.

“Well…that was unexpected.” Henry muttered. Almost without thinking, he picked up Roland and moved out of the way of the adults. He liked the little boy and he wasn’t opposed to being an older brother. He honestly hadn’t expected the salt to work, mostly because it was just regular table salt.

Roland giggled. “Does this mean I can sleep in my room again?” He liked his room at Regina’s house. It was right beside Henry’s.

“Sure.” Henry smiled at the younger boy. Perhaps now both his mothers could be happy. Emma would be relieved to hear that Marian was an imposter and that she hadn’t accidentally ruined Regina’s happy ending.

Thinking of his blonde mother, he wondered if anyone had called her to tell her about this. Probably not, considering the adults appeared more concerned with securing his aunt somewhere that all parties would be safe.

“Come on, let’s go home. I’m going to call my Ma and see if anyone’s told her.”

Roland beamed. He liked Henry’s Ma. She was funny and awkward, but also tended to keep the kinds of snacks that Regina didn’t. She knew a lot of games too, and she let him climb on stuff.

“Let’s go!”

Henry got Regina’s attention and told her where they were going. She nodded and motioned for them to go.

Robin waved at both boys distractedly, mind elsewhere. Marian not being Marian made his life so much easier. Now he didn’t need to choose. He and Roland could settle in with Regina. Hook would get the Savior’s attention and keep her busy. Henry could continue going between his mothers, although he suppose it wouldn’t be too difficult as the boy got older to encourage him one way or the other.

He could always give Regina more children, one way or another. He could just focus on being her soul focus. Surely now with Zelena gone they might even think about returning to their home realm.

There were a great many choices to be made.

Henry stared at his belongings piled on his bed in confusion. He hadn’t left them there. Why would he? These were his things for when he was with Emma. Yes, some of them traveled with him but he never bothered packing up everything.

There wasn’t any point in doing so. If he needed something, he could just go and get it.

Something wasn’t right. Dread filled his belly. What had Emma done?

A search through his things revealed a letter. He didn’t want to open it. If he opened it, then this was real. Emma had left all of his things here. She had left him.

If he didn’t open it…he reached out and picked it up. Before he could second guess himself, Henry ripped it open and began reading.

Henry,

This is not your fault. I want you to remember that.

It went on, explaining why Emma was leaving. A great deal of it was hedged around, explained by being about things she wasn’t going to discuss with her teenaged son. There were several apologies scattered throughout, along with numerous reassurances that Henry was in no way the cause of her leaving.

I want you to be happy.

Please don’t blame Regina.

Be good for your mother.

I love you Henry.

Emma had at least left her contact information. She’d asked him not to share it with anyone, but she had left it with him.

“Henry?” Regina knocked on her son’s door. “Did you not hear…what’s wrong?” She looked at his bed. “Why are all your things here?”

He looked up at his mother, feeling the burn of tears in his eyes even as he crumbled the letter in his hands. “Emma left. Or she’s going to leave. Mom, we need to stop her!”

Emma Swan wouldn’t dare, Regina thought angrily but reigned herself in. Would Emma really have just given up? The stubborn woman had been trying so hard, would she…

Then again, Emma Swan was a runner. She’d tried to run before.

At least this time she had left Henry with her.

“Come, we’ll try the loft first.” She held out her hand for him to take. “Dinner can wait for a bit.”

They would drag the idiot blonde home with them if they had too.

She did owe the other woman an apology. Emma could apologize for this round of stupidity after Regina had had her say.

They were too late. Sitting on the counter were the keys to the loft, Emma’s Sheriff badge, and her service weapon. Her old phone lay beside it.

The Bug, all of Emma’s things, it was all gone. The blonde had left nothing behind.

Chapter Text

Emma sighed, crossing her arms as she looked down at the man she’d just tripped. “Really? Again?”

“Habit?” The man tried with a grin, holding out his hands.

“Harris, you need better habits.” Emma yanked him up, cuffing him before leading him towards the car. “This is the sixth time we’ve done this, and I’ve only been in town for a month.”

“New kid always gets me, good for the bank account,” he joked.

“Yeah, yeah,” Emma rolled her eyes. “Maybe this time your sister will let you sit in a cell until your court date.”

“Naw, she’d miss me too much.”

Emma shoved him into the back of her car. “First time for everything.”

It was a quick drop. Everyone knew Harris, just as everyone knew that unless ordered by a judge then he would once again be out on bail within a few hours. He wasn’t a violent offender and this was almost a weekly occurrence.

Money really could cover a lot of misdeeds.

Once done, Emma returned to the building she was currently working from. When she wasn’t out on a bounty, she was working on data entry and analysis for the other side of the business. It could be boring, but it meant a steady paycheck and she was good at it. It kept her busy at least.

“New record,” Justin, the man who was technically her boss, greeted her. “Two hours, not bad for someone who’s been out the game for so long.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.

“Are the others back yet?” Emma ignored him for the most part. He was nice enough, but she wasn’t interested.

“James is still out tracking his, Robbie’s gone and sprained his ankle chasing after his but Tyler caught him. Tay went out to get everybody some lunch earlier, should still be in the fridge if you want some.” Justin informed her. “Leah called and asked if you could run some things for her. I left it on your desk.” He patted her shoulder. “I do mean it, you’re doing good and I’m glad to have you on hand.”

“Thanks, still not going to say yes to a date.” Emma told him point blank.

Justin laughed. “That’s really not the point.” He turned serious for a moment. “Emma, if it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll stop. I can joke around with you over something else.”

Emma eyed him. She’d known him for a little bit longer than she’d been in town. He flirted (even when it didn’t seem like he was), he outright asked her out, and had never let up no matter how many times she had said no. He did the same to the others who worked here, bar Robbie who was exempt for some reason Emma didn’t know and no one had shared.

“I’d appreciate it, thanks.” She thought about it. “The last guy I actually had to move to get him to stop.” That was the sad truth of it. Or if Hook was looking for her, he’d yet to find her. Frankly, she hoped by leaving that he finally got the hint that she wanted nothing to do with him.

Justin’s eyes widened. “Please don’t do that. You’re great for business. You’ve any idea how well we’ve been doing since you started? I’ll lay off the flirting, and let the others know as well.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem, now get on those things for Leah before she has my head.”

“Your sister, your problem.” Emma replied with a smirk.

“I know,” he wondered away towards his office. “Should have just opened the coffee shop like mom suggested. No, I wanted adventure and chaos instead.”

Shaking her head at him, Emma went to her desk. He wasn’t a bad sort, and she did find herself believing that he meant what he said about leaving certain topics alone with her.

A good thing, given what she expected was happening to her. She thought about checking to see what Tay had brought in for lunch, but her stomach rebelled at the thought of food. Pushing the nausea aside, Emma pulled out a packet of crackers instead.

It looked as if she would be making a stop by the pharmacy on the way home after all.

Chapter Text

Henry ducked around a corner, hiding from his grandmother. Snow was always trying to get him to share Emma’s contact information, not wanting to hear that Emma had said not to share it. He might be angry at his blonde mother, but he was going to respect the one thing she had asked him to do.

He hadn’t felt calm enough to call yet, nor had Emma called him. He had sent her several e-mails and a few text messages, all of them ranging from bitterly angry to asking her to come home. She had responded to every single one, not that any of the answers had been the one he wanted. She thanked him for any updates that he sent her and asked how he was, but made no promise of when she would be back.

Henry had to believe that she would return. She had to. Their family was here. He was here. He needed her to come back.

“Are we hiding?” Roland’s voice startled him.

Henry turned and hissed at him to be quiet, taking the smaller boy’s hand and leading him away from where he could hear Snow approaching.

It wasn’t hard, not when she was pushing Neal in his stroller and his baby uncle was fussing.

“Hey, who’s supposed to be watching you?” Henry looked around trying to find Mulan or one of the Merry Men or even his mom.

“Don’t know,” Roland answered with a shrug. “I got tired of waiting and decided to go to find someone.”

Which meant that Roland had wondered away from his after school play group. Henry knew his mom was at work (it was just after school let out and her workday didn’t end until five or so). He didn’t really care about Robin, who was meant to be working with David at the Sheriff’s station. Henry had not been asked by anyone to pick up Roland.

“Hungry?”

Roland nodded. “Yes! Granny’s?”

Henry shook his head. “Not today, because we are hiding. I have snacks in my bag. Come on.”

Roland was always up for an adventure. He took Henry’s hand and followed the older boy. He really didn’t know who was meant to pick him up today. He thought his Daddy was going to, but the man had never shown up. When no one else had, he’d gotten tired of the irritated teacher and decided to make his own way home. He knew how to get to the mansion from the school, and it wasn’t as if Storybrooke was any more dangerous than the forest he had grown up in before.

Once Henry had them safely tucked away in the smaller playground by the beach (the one Snow never went to because it was too cold for the baby), he shared out his snacks and called his mom.

“Henry! Have you seen Roland? The school just called-”

“Mom! Slow down! I found him and we’re at the castle. He’s okay. We’re having some snacks and hiding from Grandma.”

“Oh thank goodness.” Regina sighed in relief. “Thank you Henry. Would you like me to come and get him? I know you wanted this afternoon free.” She had her suspicions as to what he did during this time, and honestly couldn’t decided if she would prefer it to be Emma or a hidden romance.

He thought about it for a moment. “No, that’s okay. Should I call anyone else?”

“No dear, I will do that. Deputy Fa might stop to check on you both.” Regina sighed, knowing exactly where the younger boy’s father was. “Enjoy your afternoon together, and I’ll make certain you have all day Sunday to yourself.”

“Okay Mom, love you.”

“Love you too Henry.”

He hung up his phone. He had a pretty good idea of where a certain forest boy was too, if Mulan was on duty.

In the four months since Emma had left, the town had changed.

David was the new Sheriff, with Robin, Mulan, Phillip, and Ruby as his deputies. The Merry Men had been formed into a group of forest rangers who also ran camping excursions in and around town. They answered to David, who answered to Regina.

Rumpelstiltskin had mostly seemed to retire, or at least his grandfather wasn’t creating trouble. Preparing for Belle to have their kid and too busy otherwise.

Hook had left, stating that there wasn’t anything tying him to the town with Emma gone. Her leaving had finally made it sink in that she wasn’t interested in him. Some of the older Lost Boys had gone with him as crew.

Zelena was still locked up in the hospital, although her room had been moved from the basement to upstairs. She was pregnant with Robin’s kid, something she enjoyed holding over Regina’s head.

There had been a short incident with a Snow Queen and an Ice Queen, but Queen Elsa had helped them defeat her aunt and they had helped her find her sister. They had all settled in as they tried to find a way to get back to their kingdom.

Maleficent had made a reappearance, not as dead as had been thought. Henry wasn’t entirely certain what she had over his grandparents, but whatever it was the fact that Emma wasn’t in town any more made her vindictively happy. She had tea at least once a week with his mom. The dragon woman was interesting, and she had many stories from when his Mom had been younger. He suspected they had been highly edited for his hearing.

“Henry?” He looked up at Roland’s voice, not having realized his mind had wondered off as it had. “When is Sheriff Emma coming back?”

“I don’t know.” He wished he did. “Why?”

“I miss her. Sheriff David isn’t as funny and you’re sad all the time. So’s Regina.” Roland didn’t like them being sad. He loved them and he wanted them to be happy. Sometimes, he thought he might be the only one.

“I miss her too,” Henry offered the boy a hug, which the younger one took. “We could…we could call her?”

“Can we?”

Henry faltered for a moment at the wide-eyed look on the younger boy’s face. Roland had just turned six to his fourteen. Emma had missed being at both their birthdays in person, although she had sent him both a text and an e-mail for his. She’d also sent him an online gift card to the bookstore. When he’d mentioned the boy to her, she was always kind and said she was glad he got along with him so well. She had called him a ‘great big brother’.

“Yea, we can.” He pulled out his phone. He hit her contact before he could talk himself out of it.

It rang several times, long enough that he thought it would go to voicemail, before being picked up.

“Henry?”

“Hi Ma,” he didn’t know what else to say.

“Hi Sheriff Emma! We miss you!”

“Roland?” Emma hazard a guess. He was the only one who ever called her that, the few times she had actually interacted with him. She hadn’t realized that she had made such an impression on him.

“Yea! We’re hiding at Henry’s castle on the beach having snacks!”

Emma listened as Roland filled the silence. Had Henry only called her because Roland wanted to talk? That seemed a little odd, given, again, that she had spent very little time with the younger boy. Still, it meant that Henry had opened up another line of communication between them and Emma could only be grateful for that.

“He went to play,” Henry finally spoke again. “He’s right, you know. I do miss you.”

“I miss you too kid.” She looked down, wondering if she should tell him now or wait to do it in an e-mail. She’d have to explain some things to him first, so an e-mail might be better.

“Did you really have to leave? Why couldn’t you have stayed?” He tried his best to keep the whine out of his voice, now that he was asking her directly.

“I couldn’t stay because I needed time away from everyone who had an opinion on who I should be, how I should act, and what I should do.” He deserved to hear it directly. He was fourteen now, and it wasn’t all that different then what she had already told him. “I needed to leave because I couldn’t…I needed time to figure out how to be okay with watching the person I love with someone else. So yes, I really did need to leave Henry. Before I did something more stupid then just leaving, like start dating Hook.”

Henry snorted, trying to muffle his laughter. He did have to wonder though, just who…and he got it. It was the only answer that made sense. In fact, it was an answer that made several things click into place for him. He was going to need a new notebook.

“Ma…if I ask, would you be honest with me?”

Emma sighed. “I won’t answer if I have to lie, will that do?”

“Okay.” Not okay, but he would take it. In not answering, Emma would still be confirming. “Are you in love with my mom?”

Emma went silent on the other end. Henry wondered if she was going to deny it or refuse to answer.

“Yes,” the answer was soft, tight. “I’m not sure when or how, but yes.”

“Did…did something happen when you went back to the past?” He had to wonder, because it was after the fallout with that when Emma had actually left town.

Emma sobbed, wondering just how she had managed to have such an intelligent kid. Regina’s influence, she was certain. Once she got control of herself, she continued.

“Yes, something did happen but it wasn’t bad. She didn’t hurt me. But afterwards, I couldn’t watch your mom with forest boy. I just want your mom to be happy kid, and that’s not with me. I’ll survive.” She took a breath and let it go. “Maybe this summer, if you want to and your mom agrees, you can come out to see me.” Maybe by then she would have the courage to reach out and talk to Regina.

“Maybe, are you still in New York? Boston?”

“No, still a big city but not as close as that.” She’d wanted something different that still gave her some nature. She hoped Henry would like it, and there were some good colleges in the area so maybe it would give him some options that wouldn’t send Regina into a frenzy over their son growing up and moving away.

“I’ll ask…but Ma, are you ever going to come back?”

“Maybe, but I honestly don’t know Henry. I really don’t.”

“Okay.” He had some ideas, and a new mission to think about. “I love you Ma.”

“I love you too Henry.”

Emma stared at her phone for a long moment after she had hung up with Henry. She reached down and stroked her belly.

“I’m going to need to make a choice soon little ones. Your big brother is too smart for his own good, and your other mom will never forgive me if I keep you from her.”

Five months, that’s how far along she was. Almost, at any rate. Four of those had been spent hiding out in Indianapolis.  The other time had been spent either in the past getting in this condition or trying to beg forgiveness and make amends for a mistake that wasn’t even an issue to begin with.

So, she had had three days with the woman she loved and they had created the little ones currently growing inside her. Emma was going to treasure that time. She would always want more, but it would have to be enough. Like she had told Henry, she would survive.

She always did.

Chapter Text

Henry watched Regina carefully. He didn’t think she was happy.

Not with Robin. (Maybe there was a way they could get rid of him and keep Roland? She was happy with Roland, and he liked the kid and liked being a big brother. So yes, Roland could stay but Robin needed to go.)

Not with David as Sheriff. (Gramps wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t Emma.)

Not with Zelena, who was still cruel and unrelenting in her hatred of Regina. Henry had visited her a few times, mostly out of curiosity. It hadn’t gone very well and it had upset his Mom despite her knowing that Zelena could do nothing to harm him.

She seemed okay when she was at work or spending time with just him or him and Roland. Presumably she was okay when it was just her and Roland. He thought she might even be happy when she was spending time with Mal, but that was a bit harder for him to judge.

Everything came almost full circle for him the night he overheard a discussion between her and Robin. Normally, he tried to avoid overhearing them, but this time he decided it might be worth it. The conversation sounded serious and perhaps even closer to an argument than a discussion.

“…might be good for all of us.” Robin, Henry thought with a sneer that would make his mom’s darker half smile with pride.

“You really think that would fix anything?” Regina, sounding far more tired than Henry expected. Why did he suddenly have the feeling that this was a repeat conversation with them?

“I think it wouldn’t hurt to try. And if it works with you, then it might be a way to get through to your sister as well before the baby comes.”

“Yes, the baby you want to have us raise while denying her actual mother any access.” Henry recognized that tone. His mom’s voice always took that tone when she not only didn’t approve of someone’s idea but also thought they were stupid for daring to voice it out loud.

“It’s my baby too.” Why did Robin sound more like a whiny teenager then Henry did?

“I’m very well aware of that, and it’s beside the point. The potion is dangerous and there are no guarantees it will work or that I can banish that side of myself once it has corporeal form. It is a large risk.”

“I think it’s worth it. You said yourself that even at your worst you never harmed a child. The boys will be fine.”

“I never personally harmed a child,” Regina corrected, “my actions undoubtedly harmed a great many even if I wasn’t directly involved.” The Tillman children had never been in any great danger when she had cursed them to wonder the Eternal Forest, just trapped. They hadn’t even been in danger of starving or dying from exposure, the forest’s magic provided for those that meant no harm and she had set her own protections in place to insure they would survive.

Henry swallowed his gasp of shock and made his escape. What were they planning? It sounded as if his mom wanted to rid herself of the part of her that was the Evil Queen.

That sounded, as Emma had said once, like a capital letter Bad Idea. If she did it, would his mom even be his mom anymore?

Archie had explained to him once after he’d asked that a person was made up of their choices and actions. Those could be shaped and affected by others, but the person making those choices was the one who had to live with the result and the consequences.

He had to stop it. Or if he couldn’t, then he needed to find a way to put the two back together.

What would Emma do? This was something he should tell her, wasn’t it? If nothing else, perhaps she could distract Regina from doing it.

Rumpelstiltskin might be an actual good option in this case. If such a thing were possible, surely the Dark One knew about it?

Yes, that was what he would do. He would talk to his grandfather first, Emma second just in case.

Rumpel raised an eyebrow as his grandson informed him of what he had overheard. At least the boy was smart enough to come to him first.

“It is very possible, and not recommended in the least.” He informed the young man. “Spells and potions like that all come with very fine print, which simply put states that one cannot survive without the other. It weakens both.”

It was why, despite his love for Belle, his son, Henry, and the new babe on the way, he had never done it. He had too much to lose now to risk it all on something as dangerous and unlikely to work as it was. He had the added benefit of memories from previous Dark Ones who had tried such a thing in order to find a way to rid themselves of the dagger that controlled them. Obviously, none of those attempts had succeeded.

“Then how can I stop them? Robin is all for it and mom’s unhappy enough that I think she’s willing to try it to see if it would help.” Henry was desperate.

It was almost winter break. Perhaps he could convince Emma to let him come visit and he could then convince his Mom to come with him and bring Roland. Robin probably wouldn’t even miss his son, given that Roland was mostly left with everyone but Robin nowadays.

“I don’t think you can Henry, not if this is something your mother truly wants to do. Perhaps Ms. Swan might have been able to convince her otherwise, but perhaps not.” Rumpel looked his grandson over. The boy looked rough, stressed. “I am willing to listen if you wish to talk Henry.”

“I’m worried about both my moms.” Henry admitted after a moment. “I can’t talk to Gram or Gramps because they’re busy with my uncle and Gram’s keeps asking for Ma’s contact information. She tried to steal my phone the last time I went over to visit! Ma’s hiding something and I don’t want to stress her out or make her think she has to come back before she’s ready to. Mom’s wrapped up in trying to be what forest boy wants, and being a mom to both me and Roland.” Once he got started, it all just came out.

He was tired. He was fourteen years old and beginning to understand his blonde mother’s urge to run away when things became overwhelming. He used to hate running in gym glass but somehow it helped with his stress, so he tended to do a lot more of it now. He was fourteen and it felt as if great chunks of his stability were going away.

Considering he’d been kidnapped, cursed, used as leverage, run away from home, and several other things all in the course of three or so years…that was saying something. Part of him wanted to be nine again, young and small and knowing nothing about curses or being adopted. That part of him wanted to curl up in his mom’s lap and let her comfort him. To have it be just the two of them.

Well...maybe have Emma there.

Actually, that sounded really nice, being sandwiched between his mothers as they watched a movie on the couch. Just them and some snacks, the two women teasing each other and him over silly things. The rest of the world would fade away and they’d have nothing to worry about, at least for a little while.

True to his word, Rumpel sat and listened. Once Henry had run out of words, he held out a handkerchief for the boy to wipe his face with. He thanked Belle softly for the tea and watched with a small smile as she sat beside the teenager and offered a hug.

“Thanks Belle,” Henry whispered quietly. “Grandpa. I don’t know what to do.”

“If I may suggest something?” Belle looked between the two.

“I’ll take any suggestions I can get.” Henry admitted.

“If I remember what I was told correctly, you left town to bring Emma here the first time. Completely disappeared without warning.” She received nods. “Perhaps, if you knew where to go, then you should do the same thing.”

Both of them stared at her.

“Do you know where my Ma is?” Henry didn’t even know! Emma said she would tell him, but she hadn’t yet.

“I do,” Belle admitted quietly. “She had some questions and reached out to me. I’ve sent her a few books she requested, and some other things I thought she might enjoy having. Pictures mostly, some news clippings of various events. Some of the town gossip.”

Henry opened his mouth to retort, but snapped it shut as he gave it thought. “I know something happened between her and Mom in the past, something that made it too hard for her to stay in town and watch Mom with forest boy. I know she’s in love with Mom. I think they’d be happier together then they are apart. But…wouldn’t Mom have remembered by now if that were the case?”

Rumpel hummed in thought. “That, my boy, would depend entirely on what form of forgetfulness or memory suppression she might have used in order to keep the timeline on track. I recently discovered the reversal of my own from what I did then, so I know that I was not involved with whatever the Queen did at the time.”

“A basic memory restoration potion?” Belle suggested. “Given everything that’s happened, it could be that her original solution fell through.”

“Maybe the pixie dust messed it up.” Henry suggested, scowling. He was so very tired of hearing ‘pixie dust doesn’t lie’. That was all that Tinkerbell would say when he asked her about it.

“Those gnats do have a habit of interfering in things best left alone…and pixie dust has its uses but can be unreliable.” Rumpel tapped his fingers along the handle of his cane. He had a great many memories to sort through, his own and those of his predecessors (a few of which had once been fairies themselves).

“So forest boy might not be Mom’s soulmate?” Henry felt the stirrings of hope.

He might be only fourteen, but he knew a lot more than most other kids his age. He was observant and mostly knew how to use what he saw.

He was pretty certain that at this point only the belief that Robin was her soulmate and Roland were keeping Regina with the infamous Robin Hood. Again, Henry was sure he could come up with a way to keep the kid and lose the dad.

Belle looked between the two. It wasn’t often she saw any resemblance between Henry and his male family members (he took after both his mothers), but right now she could. Henry had a similar glint in his eye when he was thinking of something that could be termed ‘nefarious’ that Rumpel did when the man was planning some sort of mischief.

“Before you two plot, please remember that there is an innocent child involved. Don’t do anything to hurt Roland.”

Henry looked up at her. “I like Roland. If anything, I want to keep him. He likes Emma and Mom, and Mom adores him. I think Emma likes him too.” He frowned. “Besides, Robin seems to forget about him a lot. I switched my study hall with my last class so I could leave early to pick him up when Mom or Deputy Fa aren’t doing it. He gets forgotten otherwise.”

It was really easy to get Snow to help him do it to. His grandmother was pretty easy to manipulate. All it took was a promise to pass on a message to Emma, which he did after telling her why he had it in the first place.

He frowned. “And he keeps bringing up Aunt Zelena’s baby too, wanting to raise it with Mom as if Aunt Zelena doesn’t matter. It’s like he wants a fresh start without all of Mom’s history.”

Robin had never said anything direct, but thinking back on it there were a number of hints about Henry not being around. As in, wouldn’t it be nice if he spent some time with his grandparents? Or asked Emma if he could visit? (The last said nowhere that Regina might hear him.) Or suggested Henry spend more time with friends or doing some other type of hobby. So it was likely that the man would be happy to have Henry not in the picture.

Now Belle was frowning, hand resting on her own stomach where her child grew. “You know, I think I found something that might help with Zelena. At least it might get her calm enough to listen to actual reason. Dr. Hopper asked me to help,” she answered Rumpel’s question before the man could voice it. “I’ll go get it.”

Henry felt himself relaxing as some of the stress eased. At least now he had a plan forming. He’d rather save ‘running away’ as a last ditch effort.

Chapter Text

Emma groaned, rolling off the bed. When her queen was determined to do something, she certainly did. Emma had little doubt that the Queen had wanted this result, and even if she hadn’t Emma was going to blame her anyway.

Six months in and she was huge, much larger than she’d been with Henry at seventeen. Of course, Henry had been the only one inside then. Now she carried two.

“Well little ones, do we want pancakes or waffles?” She paused. “Right, chicken nuggets it is.” Not the weirdest thing she’d eaten for breakfast. At least she could eat now, more than some dry toast and crackers. “And grapes…or did I finish those with dinner last night?” She hummed, looking over what she had. “No, that would have been the apples.”

If nothing else, the shear amount of apples and apple products she had been consuming lately assured her that Regina was the other parent in this situation. That and any other fruit she could get her hands on from the list she’d been given at the doctor’s office.

“We’ve still got some apple juice, but we’ll need to make a store run after work.”

She continued on, chatting to the babies as she prepared breakfast and got ready for work. She was on strict desk duty now, but Justin and Leah were determined to keep her on board as long as Emma wished to remain. She was happy to do so.

It wasn’t the way she would have wanted this to happen, but she was making the best of it.

A glance at the calendar she had hung on the wall made her pause. She needed to get something for Henry for Christmas. It was almost here. She also needed to tell him he was going to be a big brother and that his sisters weren’t a replacement for him. Because they weren’t. Henry was more than enough for her.

It would mean explaining more of what had happened between her and the Evil Queen, but just enough to explain how she knew Regina was the other parent and not Hook (who she knew most would assume to be the case). She’d never slept with the man so not a possibility. She hadn’t slept with anyone other than Regina.

Obviously, there had been a great deal of magic involved. Emma vaguely recalled at some point agreeing that she would love to have more kids with Regina. In the throes of passion, Emma was liable to agree to just about anything. Kids with the right person was one of those things.

It was a mess, but one Emma chose to live with.

Another glance at the calendar. Winter break would begin in a week or so. Maybe…no. Emma couldn’t ask that of Regina.

Summer.

She would ask about the summer.

Regina gazed into the mirror over her vanity, not entirely certain what she was hoping to see. What she did see was a woman who looked tired, not yet exhausted but certainly heading that way. Did everyone see that when they looked at her?

It would certainly explain Henry’s often worried expression when he looked at her. Or why Roland always looked ready to hug her at any given moment, offering up bright smiles and little gifts (a flower he had picked just for her, a picture drawn while at school, a shiny rock) just as Henry had when he’d been that young and Regina had been his whole world. Henry had been trying to take on more responsibilities around the house, helping with Roland and just generally trying to make life a little easier for her.

He was fourteen. He shouldn’t feel as if he had to do that. She was his mother. It was her job to take care of him.

Part of her wondered what Emma would think, how the other woman would feel about what was going on. How she would feel about what Regina was about to do.

The potion sat in front of her, ready to drink.

Maybe afterwards, she could finally reign the anger in enough that she could use the number she had stolen from Henry and contact the blonde to talk. Emma owed her that much, leaving the way she had.

Leaving Henry with nothing but a letter. Leaving her parents without a single word of goodbye.

Leaving her without a chance for Regina to do a rare thing and genuinely apologize. Regina had thought they were becoming friends. She hadn’t thought Emma would give up and run away. Given enough time and the blonde’s persistence, Regina would have let her back in…eventually.

At least Emma’s leaving meant the pirate finally left town in defeat. There was a victory in that. If (when, a tiny little voice that sounded like Henry corrected) Emma came back, no one would have to watch that train wreck begin again.

Which was good; even at her angriest and most annoyed, Regina felt that Emma deserved better than Hook. Emma was too good for the pirate, and Snow should be ashamed of herself for helping the man in his pursuit in wearing Emma down.

Back to now, she told herself firmly, pushing thoughts of the blonde away. She was good at that. She had been doing it for years at this point.

Emma deserved better than the Evil Queen.

Regina refused to entertain the thought that without her darker half she might have a chance with the woman who filled her thoughts. She had her Soulmate. She had to be happy with him. This choice would make it easier to move on, to be the better person that she wanted to be.

Regina drank the potion.

Chapter Text

Henry listened with dismay as Regina told him what she had done. He hadn’t gotten to her in time to tell her that he knew what she was thinking of doing and convince her not to do it. Now, she was convinced that that part of her was gone for good.

It wasn’t, he knew. She was still alive, so her other half was still alive.

No, now he would need to track down the Evil Queen and hope he could get through to her.

At least Belle and Dr. Hopper’s plan with Zelena was bearing fruit. The woman was calmer and more willing to listen. She’d even been civil whenever Henry had snuck in to visit her.

If he could come to terms with and forgive his mother for being the Evil Queen, then he could do the same with his aunt being the Wicked Witch of the West. So far, he thought he was doing a decent job of it.

“Ah, nephew! What brings you by for a visit?” Zelena looked him over. She didn’t know him very well yet, but that would come in time. “Shouldn’t you be in class now?”

“I should,” he agreed, “but Grams thinks Mom called me out, Mom thinks I’m at school, and I needed to talk to you.” He took a breath. “Mom did something really stupid, I’m pretty certain it’s Robin’s fault, and you might be in danger.”

“Oh? Do tell.” That was a rather amusing concern. The same spell that kept her from harming anyone also kept her safe from being harmed.

He explained in as much detail as he could. Zelena listened with rapt attention.

“Well the answer seems obvious to me. What’s the Sheriff going to do about it? I doubt she’s going to let some version of my sister run around town, ruining Regina’s good name.”

“No one told you?” Henry asked in surprise. “Emma left Storybrooke months ago, the same night I threw the saltshaker at you and ruined your plan.” He knew Emma knew about Zelena as he’d told her all about it.

Zelena sat down. No, no one had told her this. She’d honestly thought that Emma Swan had decided Zelena wasn’t worth her time. No wonder needling Regina with teasing about the sheriff had either failed completely or ignited the younger woman’s anger.

“So forest boy has had free reign all this time. Damn.” She had come to really, truly hate Robin during her imprisonment. Finding out that he wanted to take her baby to raise with her sister was just the final nail in the coffin. “Clearly your mother isn’t thinking straight and not in a good way. Even I could tell she felt more for her Swan than she does the pinecone. It’s why your blonde mother made such a good target.”

“Yeah,” he ignored the ‘target’ part of that statement for the moment, “but now I need to find her evil half and get her help to bring Emma back. I think I might need my back-up plan which is going to get me in so much trouble.” Henry wasn’t looking forward to being grounded until he graduated.

He might need to take his first year of college at home. He was probably going to be grounded that long. He could forget about dating or learning to drive.

“Well nephew, having my help would mean letting me out of here as a distraction.” Of course the boy had no way of doing that. Regina was the only one who could release her.

Zelena would bet that the Evil Queen version of her sister was more likely to kill her than let her out.

“Now that is an idea.”

Both of them shot up, Henry turning to look. His mother-but-not stood there, dressed just as she had been in his storybook. He gaped a little bit at seeing her dressed that way. He shook himself and moved to block Zelena.

“Um, okay, not entirely sure what to call you but please don’t hurt Aunt Z.”

“So brave my Little Prince, but I’m not going to hurt my sister.” The Queen patted his shoulder, pushing him gently to the side. “And you can call me Mom my dear, just as you always have.”

“What are you going to do?” Zelena would not quaver even if she was afraid. Even at her worst, her little sister had never directly harmed a child. She was safe for a few more months at least.

“I am going to make you remember what Mother made us forget.” The Queen replied, spell already formed in her hand as a small purple orb of smoke. “You see, when your little time spell happened my Swan and the idiot pirate got sucked in. My Swan ended up with me for three days, a little truth potion and she told me everything that I wanted to know and more.”

“I don’t think I want to hear this,” Henry muttered. He remained where he was, however, not willing to leave his aunt to his mother’s dark side.

“Oh I won’t share the details. Those aren’t for young ears.” The Queen assured him. “I didn’t hurt her.”

No, she had found herself unable to harm the woman who professed to love her. Who had told her that no matter what, she was just Regina and that was more than enough for her. Who had held her as if she were precious and promised better days to come. Whose magic had blended with hers in an effortless cascade of power.

Honestly, it was an insult to that love that the so called ‘good’ side been unable to break the memory lock upon Emma’s return to this time. No, it had taken separating them to do it and even then only she remembered!

“In fact, if everything worked, I left her with a gift from our time together. In a few more months Henry, you might just become a big brother.”

“What?” He’d suspected that Emma was hiding something from him, hesitant to tell him for some reason, but why would that…Uncle Neal. She didn’t want him to feel replaced. If Emma was pregnant.

“Oh yes. Now, be a good boy and take a seat. Your aunt will be back with us in a few moments.”

Henry sat down. Maybe Emma would let him move in with her? This was becoming far more than he wanted to deal with. Yes, he’d miss everyone here but he needed a vacation.

Zelena gasped, coming back to herself. “That bitch. If she weren’t already dead, I would kill her.” For a brief time, she had had her wish. She’d known her birth mother, her baby sister, and her stepfather. Cora had taken all of that away once Zelena was no longer useful to her. Because Zelena was a distraction from her plans with Regina. Because Zelena had dared to love Regina and Regina had loved her back. Because Zelena had dared to do what no one else had before: defend her sister from their mother’s abuse.

“Yes, now we can get on with it.” The Queen smiled.

“Wait.” Henry stopped them. “First, you need to change or everyone will know about you before we can do anything.” He motioned to her clothing. “Second, we need to get Roland. Because we’re adopting him,” he answered before they could ask, “and because I don’t trust the pinecone to take care of him.”

“I approve,” the Queen agreed. She did like Roland. His father…not so much. Who was he when compared to her Swan?

“I agree my dears, but we should get going sooner rather than later.” Zelena urged them.

The Queen fixed their clothing situation with a flick of her wrist, taking the magic suppression cuff from Zelena’s wrist right after. Her sister would need her magic if this were to work. In a puff of smoke, they were at Henry’s castle near the beach.

Henry shook his head, clearing it. “Woah…headrush. Is it always like that?” He hadn’t noticed the last time his mother had teleported him, more concerned about trying to stop Emma from leaving to notice any side effects from magical transportation.

“Until one gets accustomed to it,” The Queen assured him. “The feeling goes away in time. Are you going to be ill?”

His mom never had done well with throwing up. “No, I’m good. Aunt Z?”

“Oh, we’re not doing that again until after this one is born.” Zelena managed not to lose her breakfast from sheer will alone. She took a seat on the nearby bench. “So nephew, what’s the plan?”

“Operation Runaway.” Henry explained the plan he had put together with his grandfather.

Chapter Text

Emma was exhausted. She had actually gone out on a retrieval earlier because Robbie and Tay had needed a distraction. Emma had been the only one available and it hadn’t been dangerous or even strenuous, but she was six months pregnant with twins. Sometimes just going to the bathroom was exhausting.

She felt fully justified in leaving work early and lounging on her couch. She was perfectly comfortable for the moment and contemplating taking a nap before figuring out what she wanted to eat for dinner.

Someone knocked on her door.

Emma groaned. Maybe they would go away? No one ever knocked on her door. If someone from work wanted her, they would call and she would meet them downstairs. Her neighbors were comprised mostly of graduate students and young professionals who were all still at work, in class, or huddled in their own little worlds inside their apartments.

The knocking came again. With a sigh, Emma dragged herself to her feet and went to answer it. With her luck, it was probably someone trying to share their religion or handing out flyers for some festival or event. Admittedly, the latter option wouldn’t be a bad thing. It would likely yield an idea of a present for Snow, something which Emma hadn’t found yet.

Unlocking the door took a minute and it stuck a bit so she had to yank it in order to get it open.

“Ma!”

“Henry!” Emma yelped in surprise, but wrapped her arms around her son. He’d gotten taller since she had last seen him in person.

“Emma!” Roland wrapped himself around her lower half and she rested a hand on his head, surprised at his presence almost more than she was Henry’s.

“Henry, not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here? How did you even get my address?”

“Belle gave it to me so Grandpa knew where to buy tickets to.” Henry explained. “Ma, Mom did something really stupid.”

“Daddy said it was a good thing but I don’t like it.” Roland added in. He thought Regina was perfect just the way she was. Why did she need to change?

“Okay, slow down, both of you.” Emma wondered if she was going to end up charged with kidnapping. She shared custody of Henry with Regina, but Roland had zero relation to her. Him technically being Henry’s stepbrother didn’t change his relationship with her even if she did like the kid. “Come inside. Have you eaten? Does your mother know where you are?”

“Kind of,” Henry answered. “Ma, she split herself trying to get rid of her ‘evil side’.”

Emma stared at him. “Okay, I’m going to need more to go on then that.” Regina was the smart one between them. Surely she wouldn’t be that stupid?

“What our son means Emma, is that there are now two of us running about in this realm.” The Queen stepped forward from where she had been watching. Her Swan looked lovely, if tired and disheveled. It pleased her to see that her efforts had, indeed, paid off.

“My Queen,” Emma breathed out, not needing clarification as to which version of Regina had arrived with the boys.

“My Swan,” the Queen approached and cupped Emma’s chin. “You look tired dear heart.”

“Yeah, well, your daughters aren’t exactly taking it easy on me.” Emma replied, mouth running away from her.

The Queen looked stunned for a second before she smiled widely, clearly pleased with herself and the news. “Twins?”

“Yes, twins.” Emma moved aside, ushering them inside so she could close the door. Her apartment wasn’t much and having four people inside at one time was making for tight quarters.

Where were the boys going to sleep? Would the Queen want to share her bed or expect it for herself? What was Emma meant to do now? Take them home right away and fix things?

She didn’t know if she had the strength to do that. If she could leave again if she returned to Storybrooke. She didn’t want to keep her daughters away from Regina, but would the other woman even want them?

Of course she would. It was Emma that she didn’t want.

Then there was the added complication of Snow and David who would want to know everything. Who would expect her to stay and be their daughter when it was convenient for them while they fawned over her little brother.

“Calm down Dear,” the Queen soothed, guiding the blonde towards one of the nearby chairs. “Everything will be alright.”

“You remember?” Emma knew she said more, but after that all she remembered of the next half hour or so was crying and being comforted by her Queen.

Henry, not knowing what else to do, wandered into Emma’s kitchen to see what there was to make them to eat. He found a large bag of chicken nuggets and a wide selection of fruit. Simple enough for Roland to help him with (and keep the younger boy distracted).

“Henry,” Roland ate a grape. “What’s going to happen to Daddy?”

“I don’t know.” Henry liked the idea of turning the man into something small and furry, but he wasn’t going to share that with Roland.

Roland nodded, looking far older than six for a moment. “I don’t want to go with him. I like being with Regina and you, and I like Emma and the Queen too.”

“Then you shan’t go anywhere,” the Queen told him, sweeping into the small kitchen with Emma beside her. “What have you made Henry?”

“Nuggets and fruit,” Henry answered. “Ma didn’t really have anything else that would feed everybody.”

Emma laughed softly. “Yea, I meant to stop at the store on the way home but didn’t have the energy.” She went to hug Henry again. “Thanks kid. I suppose you already have some idea of what’s going to happen next?”

“We have to go back to Storybrooke.”

“I knew you were going to say that.” Emma took a seat at the table beside Roland. “I’m going to need time to tie up loose ends here.”

“You’re going to stay?” Henry hadn’t wanted to hope.

“I don’t know Henry, but we both know a lot’s going to happen between now and when this ends.” Emma didn’t want to raise his hopes, but she didn’t want to get hers up either.

The Queen remained silent for now. She was already making plans. Her Swan wasn’t going to get away again.

Chapter Text

Regina was beside herself with worry.

Her sister had escaped.

Henry and Roland were both missing.

Robin was being an absolute asshole. He hadn’t even noticed Roland was missing! He had simply assumed that the boy was with someone. He hadn’t even bothered to call around and check!

Snow and David weren’t being of much help, neither of them seeming to understand the situation they were in.

Her magic wasn’t working well for some reason. It was taking far too much effort for even the simplest of spells.

“Well, this is a fine mess.” Zelena sauntered in. “I got bored waiting for you to come up with a plan, and the farmhouse really is a bit of a trek in my condition.”

Regina didn’t care. She cornered the other woman. “Where are my sons?” Because Roland was hers as much as Henry was at this point.

Zelena glanced at her watch. “By now? I’d imagine they’re at their destination.”

“Where. Are. They?!” Regina hissed.

“Considering I wasn’t told, I don’t know.” Zelena gently pushed her sister away from her. “Not feeling yourself then little sister?”

“What did you do?”

“Nothing but cause some distractions,” Zelena made her way to one of the chairs in the room. “But you! Henry told me all about what you did. No wonder Emma left. As if watching you with the forest boy wasn’t bad enough.”

“You don’t know anything about that.” Regina tried not to think about Emma and why the woman had left. She had frozen her friend out, unwilling to listen to what the blonde wanted to say.

Henry had told her some of the reasons behind the blonde leaving. Some of those reasons were because of Regina’s actions, but everything and everyone else had had an impact on the blonde’s choice as well.

“Don’t I?” Zelena drawled. “The pirate was adamant about bringing the strange woman back with them. Emma tried to leave me behind. She kept saying it was a bad idea, that it would have consequences. Your Swan was right of course.”

“She’s not my swan,” Regina replied. Her heart hurt at that admission. Emma had never been hers.

“Isn’t she?” Zelena prodded. “After all, she seemed protective of you, defensive even. Scared for you, believed in you.” She wrinkled her nose. “It was a bit sickening really, how much of her focus was on you but you were all wrapped up in the glorified pinecone.”

“Robin is…”

“Nothing,” Zelena finished for her. “Boring, two-dimensional. Lackluster. Really, by trying to take him away from you I was doing you a favor. Emma certainly wouldn’t have let you do something as utterly stupid as split yourself in half.”

“Your sister has a point Dearie,” Rumpel made his presence known. “And now we deal with the fallout.”

“It worked,” Regina snapped.

“No, it didn’t.” Zelena told her. “Who do you think let me out? Henry came to me so he could warn me, because he thought evil you would make certain I was no longer any kind of threat.”

“I killed her.” Regina had watched it happen. Had seen the light go out in the other hers eyes before the manifestation of her dark side had crumbled to ash.

“No, else you wouldn’t be standing here.” Rumpel gave both his former students the same lecture he had given to Henry when his grandson had come to him. “I am disappointed in you Regina. You should know better.”

“If she’s still around, then where is she?” Regina stared at her hands. If what Rumpel said was true, and given what she felt he was, then it had been for naught. If anything happened to Henry, Emma would never forgive her.

Emma had left Henry with her because it was what was best for their son. She had trusted that Regina would keep him safe. Instead, she was the one to put him in danger.

“With the boys on their way to retrieve Ms. Swan.” Rumpel informed her. “It appears that Belle has known where she’s been for some time now, and so off they went.”

Regina sat down. “Why?”

Why would Henry feel safe with the Evil Queen? Why would the Evil Queen willingly go into the world where her magic, weak as it might be, wouldn’t work at all? Why go after Emma?

Rumpel sniffed. “I think you know why, but you chose to take the easy way. The Queen had an interesting story to tell when she came to me with Henry. Tell me, do you have any new memories floating about?”

No, she didn’t. She did have fleeting pangs of emotion whenever she thought about Emma, not all of them anger at the woman for leaving. She still yearned for the woman, even with Robin.

“I see…well, this shall be interesting.”

Chapter Text

Henry looked around the parking lot in confusion. “Ma, where’s your car?”

Emma pointed, “the yellow jeep there.”

“But…what happened to the bug?” His Ma loved that car.

“I sold her,” Emma said after a moment. “Kinda had to, after finding out about the twins.”

Henry nodded. “Ok. Um…can you drive?”

This time she laughed. “Yes kid, I can drive. It’ll take longer, but we’ll get there.”

Roland came out with the Queen, chanting about how they were going on an adventure. He was adorable and Emma had quickly come to understand how both her son and the woman she loved had come to love the little boy.

“Alright, everybody get in.” She told them. “We’ve got a long drive ahead of us.”

“Dear, are you certain you don’t want me to drive?” The Queen had all of Regina’s memories. She was perfectly capable of driving.

“Yes,” she stepped closer and kissed the woman’s cheek, “but ask me again in a few hours.” She was going to enjoy this closeness as long as she could before fate came back and kicked her down again.

“I will do that.” The Queen assured her.

It took them two days to reach Storybrooke. Rumpel met them at the town line.

“I see you were successful.” He looked over the group. “My, my Ms. Swan. You have been busy.”

“Touch them and regret it,” the Queen hissed at him, standing protectively in front of Emma.

Rumpel giggled. “I see. Interesting.”

Interesting barely covered it. They arrived at the sheriff’s station to chaos.

Robin and Regina were yelling at each other. Snow and David were watching the pair as one would a tennis match. Zelena and Belle were, of all things, sharing what appeared to be a bowl of popcorn while well out of range of the combatants.

It came to an abrupt stop when Robin made a move to strike Regina after she snapped at him for not seeming to care about the missing boys. Emma snapped into action the moment his hand raised.

“No,” she hissed as she stepped forward, hand out as her magic pushed him into the nearest wall and held him there. “You will not strike her, ever.”

“Emma!” Multiple people shouted all at once in various tones.

Regina gaped at her, absently returning the hugs she was receiving from her boys as she did so. Seeing her as she was, memories began to flash to the surface. Not the whole picture, but enough for her to put the pieces together to come to several conclusions.

“Easy dear heart, you don’t want to suffocate him.” The Queen stood beside Emma, resting a hand on the blonde’s outstretched arm. “Slowly, lower it down. Deep breaths, calm. Don’t squeeze your fist. Just release…that will do.”

Robin fell into a pile of limbs on the floor with a thud once Emma’s magic was no longer holding him up. He sat up, shaking his head. He wasn’t certain what had come over him. He’d just been so angry…he wanted to hit something.

“Regina…I’m sorry.”

“That’s enough Robin.” Regina spoke quietly. Her anger sidetracked for the moment as her mind reeled from the onslaught of memories. “This isn’t working, and you need to leave.”

“Right,” he swallowed. They needed time to cool down, then they could talk. The boys were home, safe and in one piece. “Come Roland.”

“No.” The little boy looked highly uncomfortable and uncertain, but he stood his ground. “I’m staying here.”

Robin stared at his son. Did his boy think he would hurt him? He had never raised a hand to Roland, or even yelled in anger. Why did his son look scared of him now?

“Leave,” Emma snapped at him. “Roland’s fine. None of us are going to harm him.”

The implication that Robin might very well do the opposite made him flinch. “Very well.”

At least he could be assured that The Savior was no longer his competition. He wondered if Hook knew about his impending fatherhood. There was no way Regina would be tempted by the other woman now. Certainly Emma had moved on from her own interest in his soulmate.

All of them just needed a little time to cool off. After that, they could talk and fix things. Emma could leave town again, maybe this time take Henry with her. The older boy was clearly not as good an influence on Roland as Robin had thought he was.

Perhaps they should leave town as well, and begin somewhere new. Maybe that would even be for the best. He would suggest it once they talked.

Regina watched the man walk away and felt…nothing. Relief, maybe, that he left so easily. She had been so blind…and once again Emma had paid the price for Regina’s choices.

“Henry, we are going to have a very long discussion over your choice to run away.” Regina looked at her son, wondering just when he had grown tall enough to meet her at eye level without her heels on.

“Yeah,” he at least had the decency to look abashed. “I know. Should I take Roland home? You and Ma need to talk.”

She sighed. “Yes, thank you. Have you eaten anything more than junk food since you left?”

He looked affronted. “Yes! Ma insisted,” he mumbled.

“Snow, enough!” Emma snapping at Snow brought mother and son’s attention to what else was going on.

“But Emma, don’t you think he would want to know?” Snow said, pouting at her stubborn eldest child. “Hook was so dispirited after you left.”

“Hook had nothing to do with this.” Emma said, voice flat. “Part of why I left is because he wouldn’t leave me alone. I don’t want anything to do with him.”

“But Emma, he loves you!”

“And I don’t love him.” Emma pinched the bridge of her nose, headache forming quickly. She was thirsty, hungry, and tired. All she wanted to do was eat and find somewhere to lay down for a few hours.

“Then is there someone else?” Snow looked hopeful. “Does he know about any of this?”

“There is no he.” Emma wondered if she would need to spell it out for the woman. It wasn’t as if the Queen was being subtle at all with her hovering and outright gentleness. Her mother likely wouldn’t understand it until the babies came out looking like Regina.

David seemed to understand as he looked between the copy of Regina hovering at his daughter’s side and his daughter. He had seen the looks Emma would send the former queen’s way whenever she thought herself unobserved. He didn’t know when or how, but clearly it had happened. He owed Ruby money now, since she was the only one who also saw what he did between two of the most powerful women in town.

“Snow,” he set his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “You need to listen to what Emma is saying. If she doesn’t want Hook, then that is that.”

He felt for his wife, he did. She had grown up in a world where princesses married princes (or farm boys, in his case), kings married queens, and if they had leanings elsewhere then it was kept as discreet and secret as possible if either party acted on such feelings. He had grown up knowing that some people preferred their own gender or both or neither. It wasn’t even an open secret.

The man who had owned the farm beside his mother’s had a husband, and the pair had adopted a number of children over the years. The village weaver had a wife. The blacksmith had had two wives, one of which ruled the house and the other did fine metalwork. That was just in his home village.

None of that mattered.

What did matter was that he loved his daughter and he wanted her to be happy. If that meant she was with Regina, then so be it. They had all been through far too much together at this point for the past to really matter anymore. He would just need to get his wife to see it that way.

Emma shot him a small smile. “Thanks David.”

“But…right, okay.” Snow nodded. She would try…and maybe use a bird to send a note to Hook that Emma was back in town if he wanted to try again. How else would Emma be pregnant if not for him? He was the only one for the timing to make sense.

“Well this has been entertaining, but shall we get on with it?” Zelena broke the limbo they had found themselves in. “The boys can stay with me at the farmhouse while you two and your Swan figure things out. Come along nephews.”

“Hi Zelena,” Emma acknowledged her with a wary look.

“Oh don’t look so concerned,” Zelena waved her look away, “I’m not going to harm them, just fix my sister so we can get this little drama settled before the next round of chaos begins.”

Emma snorted, shaking her head. This was going to be awkward.

Chapter Text

Awkward just barely scratched the surface.

Emma broke the silence that had settled between the three of them once the others had all left.

“Look, can we just go somewhere that I can sit down, eat something, and drink some juice? Preferably apple,” it was almost always apple juice, “before I keel over on one of the cell cots. Been there, done that. Never repeating it ever again.”

“Of course, the mansion should be empty. If not,” the Queen shrugged, “I can always take care of any unwanted presence.”

Emma sighed. “We’re not killing anyone…just, I don’t know. Turn them into frogs or something.”

Both of her companions snorted at her suggestion.

“I think we might manage to be a little more imaginative then frogs dear,” Regina drawled. Hesitantly, she reached out and touched Emma’s arm. Something settled inside her when she did. “But the Queen is correct. Robin won’t have returned there. He disappears to the Merry Men’s camp when we have a disagreement.”

“Right…” Emma sighed. “Has he ever done that before, tried to hit you like that?”

She had trusted that Robin loved her queen; that he would make her happy. If he had been hurting her…she would crush his heart herself.

“No, that was a first.” It would also be his last. “Do you feel up to teleporting or would you prefer to drive?”

Emma managed a smirk. “We can poof. I’m a little tired of being in the car at this point.”

“I did offer to drive part of the way,” the Queen commented.

“You drive as if you were in NASCAR, no.” Emma shook her head.

“Honestly, you go over the speed limit by a little bit-”

“100 in a 70 is not ‘a little bit’,” Emma cut her off, admittedly a bit amused. “No wonder you never wanted to drive my Bug.”

“I doubt that death trap could go over 60.”

“Your off by 5,” Emma returned, grinning at the banter. She’d missed it more than she had thought.

Regina watched the interaction with a mix of jealousy and wonder. Emma was acting much more as she had when she first came to Storybrooke. She had missed it: the confidence, the cocky attitude, that smile that lit up her eyes in a way that made them glimmer.

Leaving had done the blonde a great deal of good it seemed. Regina felt some of the anger and resentment fade. Emma had clearly needed that time away.

And she had come back when she was needed. When Regina needed her.

“As fun as this is,” she interceded before she had to watch them flirt anymore, “home. Now.” She wrapped her magic around all three of them and transported them to her home.

“Oh, that wasn’t a good idea.” Emma was pale and just barely made it to the bathroom in time.

The Queen quickly vanished into the kitchen. Regina rolled her eyes, swallowed down her own disgust, and went to hold back Emma’s hair.

Gently, she rubbed the blonde’s back as she had for Henry. “Relax, let it out. The spell has this affect at times. Your condition merely puts you at higher risk for it.”

Emma grunted. “You can say pregnant.” She sighed. “Aren’t you going to ask?”

“No need,” Regina handed her a damp cloth to wipe with. “While I doubt I have the complete memories, enough of them returned when I saw you for me to piece some things together.”

“Oh.”

“Yes…oh.” Hesitantly, Regina reached for the other woman. “If I had remembered before…”

“Before…what? Before I left, when you were refusing to even look at me never mind talk? Before Hook and my mother finally managed to badger me into giving that asshole a chance? Before I put the pieces together and took the test?” Emma shook her head. “I thought you were happy with him, that I had messed it up. I wanted you to choose me if you remembered, but I never expected it.” She sighed and finished quietly. “No one ever chooses me.”

Regina couldn’t exactly refute that, but she wanted to. “I am now. I did, back then.”

“Because of the babies? I’m not going to keep them from you. Yeah, I was scared to tell you because I expected you to call me a liar, and an idiot. But I fully planned on telling you as soon as I had worked out how.” Emma leaned back against the wall, eyes closed.

“Babies?” Regina stared at the younger woman. That would certainly explain the size of her belly.

“Twins, girls,” Emma answered. “Not that I really thought the latter was anything else. We’re both women, even with magic we don’t have any Ys between us.”

Regina snorted, shaking her head. “True, and yes. Before all of that.” She swallowed. Well…she had wanted the chance. “I’m sorry Emma, about before. I did what I’ve always done and let my anger get the best of me. I should have listened and not shut you out.”

“I forgave you for that,” Emma admitted softly. “I just want you to have your happy ending, even if it’s not with me. You’ve worked so hard for it, in changing for Henry and yourself. You deserve it.”

“Emma…so do you.” Regina swallowed again, refusing to cry. “Why would you fall in love with me in the first place?”

There. She had said it. It was out now, acknowledged.

“Got any of that truth potion handy?” Emma tried for a joke. She would never forget that night or the things the potion had dragged out of her.

“No dear heart, fresh out,” the Queen squeezed herself into the small half-bath. “Rinse, then sip.” She held out the cool glass of water. “Once you’ve finished that, I have some juice for you.”

Emma smiled. “The best apple cider I’ve ever tasted?”

“The child friendly version, yes.”

Emma moaned at the thought. It was one of two cravings she had never been able to fully satisfy. She followed instructions with the water and then chugged the cider. She sagged against the wall once it was finished, feeling satisfied.

“I liked your sass,” she said to break the silence, “how fierce you were, are, when it comes to our son.” She chuckled. “You know you’re attractive, and I’ve always thought you were even when I was infuriated with you. I don’t know much about magic, but it’s always strongest when I’m with you and I’ve figured out it works best when I focus on the people I love. You and Henry are at the top of that list.”

She breathed out a sigh before continuing.

“Did you know that your eyes sparkle when you laugh? I mean really, truly laugh. The smile you get whenever you see something that brings you joy lights up your whole face. You’re smart, quick-witted, and you don’t let much of anything stop you. I was pretty much a goner from the first time we met and you came running down your walkway calling for Henry.”

Emma shook her head. “You scare me sometimes, you know? Feeling like this is terrifying, mostly because every time I have in the past it hasn’t ended well. Something happens and I get left behind to pick up the pieces.”

That was the truth of it.

Her very first family had returned her as soon as they had their own baby.

Lily had lied to her and ruined her last chance of being adopted.

Ingrid had wanted to adopt her and it had blown up in both their faces, leaving Emma to run away and eventually to Ingrid dying.

Neal had sent her to prison.

She had given Henry up despite how much she had wanted to keep him.

Snow and David had wanted another baby after barely getting to know her.

Regina had a predestined soulmate.

“Not this time,” Regina reached for her again. “You are infuriating and make a great many idiotic choices. You damaged my prized apple tree. You’ve never given up on me, even when you had your doubts.”

“You’re brave, even when you are clearly terrified,” the Queen continued. “You want to make everyone you care about happy even at your own expense.”

“I find you highly attractive, and sometimes I would pick fights just to get a rise out of you.” Regina grinned. “Did you know that you have this smirking smile you get when we banter? So pleased with yourself when you know you’re right about something. It makes your eyes sparkle.”

“You accepted me as I was, encouraged me to be better, apologized for doubting me when Mother made her appearance in town,” the Queen felt a sense of pride at those things. No one else had ever cared or bothered to look deeper, not since Daniel. “Do you know what truly kept me from simply killing you even after your confession in my chambers?” She reached out, slipping her hand into Emma’s chest before drawing it back out again. “This did.” She held Emma’s heart in her hand.

Regina sucked in a harsh breath, restraining herself from reaching out to snatch it away from her darker half. In a tussle the heart could be damaged or even destroyed. Glancing at Emma, the blonde merely looked resigned.

“A person who is the product of True Love cannot have their heart removed by anyone they do not allow.” The Queen explained, cradling the heart in her palms with the utmost care. “It looks so ordinary, doesn’t it?” She asked her counterpart. “But it holds so much power. It resisted me removing it the first time until you gave in. I researched later, while you rested, and found the information buried deep in an old tome.”

“It belongs to you,” Emma whispered. “I can’t pinpoint when it happened but it does.”

“And it is a gift I cherish as much as I do Henry and our girls.” The Queen assured her. “Here, hold it.” She passed the glowing heart to Regina.

“Oh…” Regina had never dared to try removing Emma’s heart. Her Mother hadn’t been able to do so. As such, she had gone with the belief that no one could. She had forgotten that bit of lore.

The heart truly did look ordinary. Healthy, strong, with little in the way of darkness. The way it felt as she held it was different. It reacted to her presence not with fear and hatred but with love and acceptance. Emma trusted her with her heart.

Gently, she returned it to Emma’s chest. The blonde sighed in relief once it was returned to its proper place.

“We need to find a way to put you back together.” Emma said quietly. “Before being apart kills you both.”

“First we need to want to be put together again,” the Queen explained. “I do know that much.”

“There should be a reversal potion, but it will take time to make.” Regina knew there was. She could brew it just as easily as she had the splitting potion.

“Could I try something?” Emma asked them.

She had a thought that she wanted to try. She loved them both equally. How could she not when they were simply two sides of the woman she loved? She knew who and what Regina was. She knew she loved her without reservation or conditions.

It was what made her feelings so terrifying to begin with. Emma had never loved like that before, had never dared to in fear of being hurt.

Regina could hurt her. Already had even if she’d been unaware she was doing so. Still, the woman was worth the sacrifice.

That was what love was, wasn’t it? Care and sacrifice and being part of something greater than oneself. Emma was a product of True Love; it was where her magic came from.

True Love could break any curse. She was willing to try and see if her magic could undo what had been done.

“Yes,” both women responded.

Emma took one of their hands and clasped them together with hers. Concentrating, she focused on wanting the woman she loved, who held her heart, to be a single being once more. Unchanged, just Regina. The fierce, loving, powerful, terrifying woman who was queen, mayor, mother, and friend.

Her magic surged inside her, gleeful at being set free. It filled the room they were in, wrapping around them like a warm blanket.

The Queen and Regina gasped as the feeling infused them. Emma’s magic was just like the woman herself: brash, strong, dedicated, full of hope and love that the woman rarely allowed to show but when it did it was glorious to behold.

They did want to be one being again. They weren’t meant to be two.

Emma let go of the magic, falling forward as exhaustion swamped her.

Regina caught her. “Impressive Ms. Swan, it appears you were listening during our lessons.”

Emma huffed. “Did it work?”

“It did dear heart,” she pressed a kiss to Emma’s forehead, “it did indeed.”

“Good, I’mma pass out now.” Emma promptly did so.

Regina shook her head. “Idiot.” Her idiot.

With care, she took Emma to bed and made her comfortable. She could have a pan of lasagna prepped and mostly done by the time Emma woke up. She would need to chill more cider.

She would need to rid herself of Robin. Bring the boys home…although she had no idea what would happen with Roland.

“What was that?” Belle turned to look out the window. “Rumple?”

Her husband smiled. “That, my dear, was balance being restored.” He looked at the potion he had been brewing. It would no longer be needed it seemed.

Pity, but such was life. He would still complete it. Leaving things undone was such a waste.

One never knew when such a thing as a binding potion would come in handy.

Well, he could if he chose to look. He simply…didn’t.

Chapter Text

Emma woke to the most amazing smell as her stomach growled with hunger. One or both of her daughters were moving about. Emma rubbed where she could feel them, hoping they would calm. They were being more active since they had entered town.

“I know babies, I know. I’m getting up.” She leveraged herself up and out of bed, blinking when she realized that Regina hadn’t just placed her in a random guest room.

She was in Regina’s room. In her bed.

Huh…something to think about later when a baby wasn’t sitting on her bladder and her stomach wasn’t demanding sustenance.

“Hey Ma,” Henry greeted her from the top of the stairs, grinning widely. “Mom just sent me to wake you. Ready for dinner?”

“More than,” she assured him, reaching out to hug him tightly. They had had their emotional reunion during their trip back. A good thing, since Emma didn’t think she had another one in her for today. “How long was I sleeping?”

“Only a few hours,” he assured her. “Practically everyone in town felt whatever it was you did when you fixed Mom. Aunt Z brought us home.” He snickered.

“Okay, what did I miss?” Emma wondered how much could have happened in a few hours. Knowing Storybrooke, an awful lot.

“Robin showed up, but Mom sent him away. When he didn’t want to leave, Aunt Z conjured up some illusionary flying monkeys to chase him off. I didn’t know a grown man could screech that high.” Henry explained.

“You’d be surprised,” Emma told him, having met all sorts in her life. “Is-”

“Emma! You’re awake!” A small body collided with her, answering her question before she could voice it.

“Hi Roland,” she patted his back since he was at too odd an angle to manage a return hug.

He grinned up at her and Henry. “Come on! Lasagna!”

Emma understood his excitement. Regina’s lasagna was legendary. She had been craving it since her second trimester had started and the morning sickness had mostly gone away.

“How are you feeling dear?” Regina was watching her from the doorway that led into the dining room. There was a soft smile on her lips, a rare occurrence.

“Better, but starving.” Emma answered. “Are you alright?” What if she had messed up somehow?

“I’m fine Emma,” Regina assured her. “Boys, would you please go in and sit down?”

“Come on Ro, we can claim the corners.” Henry told the younger boy. “They’re the best pieces.”

“Regina?” Emma was worried now. “What did I mess up?” Because of course she had messed up something.

Regina wrapped the younger woman in a hug. “You didn’t ‘mess up’ anything. I made a foolish mistake that could have gone far more terrible than it did. Now, I would like you to give me the chance to fix another.” She pressed a kiss to Emma’s cheek. “Come eat before the food gets cold Emma, we have much to discuss later once the boys are in bed.”

At a loss as to what else to do and her stomach making itself known, she followed Regina into the dining room. Henry had already served everyone, not knowing how long his mothers would be. Both women smiled and thanked him, Emma diving in once she was seated.

“Better then I remembered,” she murmured between bites. The babies certainly seemed to agree with it.

Regina said nothing, just hid her smile with her drink as she took a sip. She, unlike her normal preference, had juice instead of her typical glass of wine with supper. She wanted to be entirely sober for the two discussions she needed to have tonight.

With her memories firmly intact now, it stunned her how absolutely dense she had been. Robin did not make her happy. He was easy, mostly, but there was no fire…no challenge in being with him. They did nothing for each other. He hadn’t made her happy and she doubted he had been very happy with her. Oh, he certainly enjoyed her attention, and the care she gave to Roland.

However, looking back over things, she had begun picking things out that under other circumstances she would never have allowed. Him being her soulmate had made her overlook several things, things that were undesirable in a partner. They had never fully ‘clicked’ as a couple for many reasons, but had been willing to try. Regina had been at any rate, even the times it felt as if she were giving the relationship more effort and energy to try and make it work than Robin.

Perhaps that had been one of the biggest flaws. Regina knew relationships took work, even when they felt easy. Robin had always appeared content to know they were soulmates and thus their romantic relationship was inevitable. It had certainly been his go to argument whenever they fought.

Well, no more. She could have what and who she wanted, pixie dust be damned. Emma had never been easy, even when they were getting along. However, even at their worst they had had more chemistry and connection than she and Robin had had at their best.

That probably should have told her something, but she had forced it out of her mind. Admittedly, at the time she had thought she would never see Emma and their son again. So she had settled instead.

“Hey Mom,” Henry dragged Regina from her thoughts, “how grounded am I?”

“No video games or TV for a month, cell phone only when you leave the house,” she paused to consider her next words. “Anything to add Emma?”

Emma looked up, a bit surprised to be asked. Regina never asked for her input, just that she enforce the punishment if need be. She swallowed, at a loss for a moment before nodding.

“No friends outside of school, if you have to work on group projects it has to be done here, and give them both a list of extra chores to do around the house?” She hazard, trying to think of the nicest forms of punishment she had received as a child.

Regina nodded. “Acceptable. Sundays will remain your day, providing all homework and chores are completed and within those parameters.”

Henry nodded, accepting his fate. It was better than he thought it would be. “Okay, I’ll start with the dinner dishes.” It could have been worse. He could handle a month, even when half that time would be taken up by the holiday break.

“I’ll help!” Roland knew he could have said no when Henry told him the plan. He wasn’t going to let his big brother take all the blame.

“Alright, thank you both.” Regina turned her gaze to Emma. “If it’s alright with you, I’ll go and retrieve your car from the station. Or I can have your father do it.”

“No, that’s okay.” Emma wasn’t ready to face her parents again. They, or at least Snow, would try and convince her to return home with them. She didn’t want to do that. “The keys are in my coat pocket.”

Regina finished her glass and stood. “Very well. Boys, bedtimes remain as they normally are. Which means?”

Roland sighed. “Bath, pajamas, story, then sleep.”

“Shower, pjs, read Roland a story, then read until ten before lights out.” Henry knew the routine.

Watching them, Emma wondered where she was going to fit in. It didn’t look as if they needed her here. It wasn’t as if she was well known for enforcing routines and bedtimes.

“Good. Listen to Emma and I will be back shortly.” She disappeared in a swirl of purple smoke.

Emma swallowed. “Right…Henry, where does your mom keep her containers? I’ll put the rest of dinner away while you guys wash up.”

Their evening went fairly smoothly. Emma had a suspicion that Regina was taking the chance to speak to a certain thief and was using the car retrieval as an excuse to leave without saying so. It only took about twenty minutes to get from the station to the manor.

It had been almost two hours.

“Emma, read to me?” Roland looked up at her, puppy eyes on his face.

“Yea Ma, please?” Henry joined in.

“Uh, okay, sure. What are you currently reading?”

“We just finished Tom Sawyer,” Henry told her. “Usually we read one of Roland’s books,” he pointed to the lowest shelf that was filled with children's books, “and then a chapter or two of something else if he didn’t fall asleep. Mom and I take turns doing that.”

Emma nodded. “Roland, choose one of your books and-”

“You choose!” Roland cut her off, already reaching for his copy of Where the Wild Things Are. It was one of his favorites. “That shelf has the chapter books,” he pointed up to the one of the higher shelves.

Emma swallowed. She never had been a great reader, although she did have a few favorites from when she was younger. She had picked up the habit of reading more when she had found out she was pregnant with Henry and picked it back up once she had figured out and accepted she was pregnant again.

She pushed her trepidation aside. She could do this. The boys weren’t going to judge her. The worst they would do is not ask her to do it again.

Looking over the titles, she found herself smiling. Regina must have dug these out from storage from when Henry was little. Most of them were classics with a few more contemporary titles mixed in. Many of them were well worn, although a few looked new. Finding one of her favorites, she slid it from the shelf.

“I don’t think I’ve read that one,” Henry commented when he saw it. “Mom went and bought a lot of new ones when Roland moved in, that’s why some of them are new.” He smiled. “Some of the old ones were so well read they were falling apart and even missing pages. Plus, mom liked the fancy covers on the classics when she saw them online.”

Emma chuckled. That did sound like Regina. “So you liked Treasure Island and The Swiss Family Robinson as a small kid?” She named two of the other books that were clearly brand new.

“Yea, and all of the Roald Dahl books plus some of the ones on Roland’s shelf.” Henry treasured that time with his mom now. Those were good memories that he felt ashamed of discounting when he had first discovered the curse.

“Matilda and The B.F.G. were always my favorites, along with this one.” She ushered them to the stairs. “Come on, go brush your teeth and we’ll get settled in Roland’s room.”

There was a brief flurry of activity in the boys’ shared bathroom and then they were settled in the younger’s room. Emma listened as Henry read the first book, grinning as he did the sounds of the wild things much to Roland’s delight.

“Your turn Ma.”

“Okay,” Emma took a breath to prepare herself and opened the book. “The Secret Garden, Chapter One: There is No One Left.”

Chapter Text

Regina looked around the camp when she materialized. She spotted Little John first.

“Where is he?”

Little John gulped. “Your Majesty, he’s not here.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And where is he?”

“I don’t know,” he glanced around and then waved one of the other men over. “Tuck, have you seen Robin?”

Friar Tuck, dressed not in his monk’s robes but in loose jeans and a t-shirt, tugged at his collar as he faced the queen. “I have not, but then he’s not spent much time here in recent weeks. I’ve tried to speak with him, as have most of us, but he’s…” he trailed off, not wanting to speak ill of his friend but also not wanting to lie.

“He’s been a right ass,” Alan-a-Dale said, bowing to Regina. “Mayor Mills,” he liked her less stuffy title in this world, “Becca sends her thanks again for the seedlings, and the books for our littles.” He looked at his friends. “Be honest, Robin’s not been the same man we once knew for a while now. First losing Marian, then the curses, and now all of this?” He motioned around them. “We’ve all adjusted, he hasn’t.” He turned to Regina again. “It’s not your fault Ma’am, it’s his. You’ve done a great deal for all of us, more than your story would give you credit for.”

He'd been a minstrel, Regina remembered now. “Thank you Mr. Dale, but that doesn’t help me at the moment. I do need to speak with Robin.”

“If Scarlet was still around, I’d say he was off with him but unless he’s gone to Wonderland that’s not possible.” Will Stutely joined them. “Scarlet went after his ladylove there, and since he’s not returned I wish to think that it’s gone well.”

“That pirate’s gone too,” Little John commented with a frown, “that was another person Robin would go off with. I suppose you could try The Rabbit Hole. He might be there.”

“Robin spent time with Hook?” Regina hadn’t known that.

“Aye,” Will nodded. “They liked to talk about you and the Savior when they drank from what I heard.” He shrugged, looking a bit embarrassed.

Alan snorted. “What they liked to talk about was how they felt threatened by your friendship. The deeper in their cups they got, the worse the language.” He’d heard enough to know more, but unless asked he wasn’t going to go into details. He liked being alive and unmaimed.

Kristoff, who had taken to spending time with the Merry Men, saw them and came over. “The Rabbit Hole banned Robin just after Hook left.” He informed them once he caught the gist of their conversation. “Mulan might know where he is. She pretty good at knowing where trouble is.”

Regina sighed. This was going to take longer than she had planned. “And where is Deputy Fa?”

“On a date with Elsa,” Kristoff answered. “So Robin won’t be anywhere near the docks.” Robin avoided the pair after Elsa had taken offense at some of the man’s words. Which, all things considered, the man was lucky it was Elsa who had heard them and not Ana.

Ana would have killed him and all of them would help her cover up the crime. Mulan included.

Regina nodded. She had heard all about how Robin had been buried under a pile of snow. No one wanted to tell her why, but given the amount of damage ice magic could do to a person he had gotten off lightly.

Tuck sighed. “You might try the farmhouse where your sister lives. He may have gone there.”

“Only if he wished to die,” Regina said absently. Her sister had made it very clear on what she thought of Robin. Frankly, Regina’s thoughts were turning in the same direction.

“Tink maybe,” Alan suggested, “they work together with the younger Lost Boys sometimes.”

Tinkerbell was almost the last person Regina wanted to speak to at the moment. Still, she thanked them for their help and left to search out Tinkerbell. She figured if Robin was stupid enough to get near their literal resident Ice Queen then she could simply watch for the gathering snowstorm.

The former fairy wasn’t difficult to find. She had taken to corralling the Lost Boys with gusto. Along with Nova and (an even bigger surprise) Leroy, they ran the group home where those Lost Boys who had not been fostered out or left with Hook remained as their own rag-tag family. Other people in town had stepped in as well, making certain the boys remained clothed, well fed, and in school. Regina had provided the house.

Emma had written out a practical book on how to run (and not run) such a place. Before leaving, she’d been known to visit at least once a week to check it out. She would likely resume those visits.

“Hey Regina,” Tink greeted her sometimes friend with a smile. “More of Henry’s old things?” Tink was fairly certain that some of the things the mayor brought over had not, in fact, ever been owned by her son.

“Not today.” Regina looked over the house. “I see the boys have been at the paint again.”

Tink sighed and shook her head. “Better here than elsewhere in town. Besides, it makes the place unique. Leroy will have them paint over it in spring, and then they’ll come up with new designs.”

A few of the boys ran past, a couple pausing just long enough to wave at the women before continuing on with their game. Tink shouted after them that they only had an hour before bed, answered by a ragged chorus of ‘yes Tink’ before they vanished around the corner.

“So if you aren’t here to drop things off, and as far as I know there aren’t any issues that need the mayor’s touch, what can I help you with?” Tink had heard (most of the town had at this point) about Emma returning in answer to Zelena’s escape and supposedly the Evil Queen running around.

“I’m looking for Robin.” Regina figured it would be best to get it over with.

“Ah…another fight?” Tink had thought things would work out over time once Regina stopped fighting it and accepted Robin, but the more she observed them the more miserable Regina had seemed.

“In a way,” Regina scowled. “I’m not here to listen to another soulmate lecture. I’m done with him.”

Tink sighed. “Yea, kinda thought so.” At Regina’s look of surprise, Tink explained. “You aren’t the same woman who used the pixie dust.” She chuckled to herself. “Hell, I’m not the same person who gave it to you and encouraged you to use it. Maybe back then it would have worked, or perhaps at best you would have found a friend who would stand beside you no matter what, but we’ll never know that.”

The former green fairy had thought a lot about how she had lost her wings and the ways things had changed since then. Talking with others around town helped her see things differently. Watching Regina interact with people had shown her a different side to the woman than the isolated young queen she had been and the Evil Queen she had become.

“No, we won’t.” Regina agreed. “But I do have those things, it’s simply not with Robin. At least, I hope I still do once everything is said.”

“Emma?” Tink hazard a guess, grinning at the faint blush that dusted Regina’s cheeks. “That’s somehow not surprising. You’re connected in a lot of ways. It makes sense.”

“I suppose it does.” Regina certainly hoped so. “Is he here?”

“No, and I don’t…um, maybe the docks? Cause I don’t think snow was in the forecast for tonight.” Tink pointed behind Regina.

Turning, there was indeed a small gathering of storm clouds in the general vicinity of the docks. Regina sighed, and teleported.

Mulan was holding back an angry Elsa, no snow had fallen yet, and Robin was spouting his mouth off. Regina was impressed with the younger woman’s growing control over her powers.

“Enough Robin, you’re making a fool of yourself.” Regina doused him with water, cutting off his rant. She wrinkled her nose at the state of him and the bottle he was carrying. “Copying the pirate?”

“Regina!” Robin shook himself. “Are you finished playing house with your little slut and her bastard children?”

She contained the anger, just barely. “Refer to Emma and our children that way again, Robin, and I will gladly make a brief return to my past moniker.”

“Why, it’s the truth! She’s always had a thing for you, always getting in the way of us.” Robin was on a roll, especially since he had a captive audience. “You’re my soulmate! My happy ending! You aren’t a deviant like them!” He pointed to the pair he had been insulting.

Regina chuckled darkly. “Oh you have no idea, do you?” She took a step forward. “I have done things you cannot fathom. Things I do not regret. Did you think Mal was just a former teacher who became a friend? Or that I cared for the sex of the ones I took to my bed during my reign?”

“No!” He denied.

“You’re drunk Robin.” She shook her head at him. “We’re done. Pixie dust soulmate or not, there is no longer an us. Your things will be at the camp come morning.”

“You can’t do this! We’re meant to be!” Robin stumbled forward a step and just managed to keep himself upright.

“Deputy Fa, I am sorry to disrupt your evening but I believe Mr. Hood needs to take Leroy’s former abode until he sobers up.” With a twitch of her fingers, purple smoke enveloped Robin and vanished him to one of the cells at the station.

“I’ll call Ruby, she’s on duty tonight.” Mulan sighed. She had just wanted a nice night out with her girlfriend.

“Go,” Elsa pecked her cheek, “I’ll dispel this and meet you there.” The night wasn’t over yet. And really, considering the normal level of chaos in town, this was mild.

Blushing furiously, Mulan was not prepared for Regina’s magic to displace her to the station. She stumbled, shooting a glare at the ever poised queen. Regina merely ignored it, instead focusing on the bright yellow jeep that currently sat in the space normally taken up by Emma’s bug.

Well, at least this one didn’t look like a death trap on wheels.

Chapter Text

She arrived home to find the house quiet. The kitchen and dining room were both clean and the living room was empty. She turned off the few lights that had been left on (lamps set to their dimmest setting, just enough to make her way around without having to fumble in the dark), plugging in the night lights at the base and top of the stairs as she made her way to the second floor.

The boys were each in their own rooms. Roland was already asleep, his stuffed fox snuggled in his arms. Regina straightened out his blanket, covering his feet and pressing a soft kiss to his head just as she used to do for Henry at this age. She double checked his nightlight and left the door open just a crack so that the hall nightlight could be seen.

Henry had fallen asleep reading. Smiling to herself, Regina tucked her teenaged son in.

“Mom?” He mumbled, waking up as she tugged the book from his grasp.

“Shu, go to sleep my prince.” She set the book on his nightstand and flicked off his lamp.

“’kay,” he yawned. “G’night, love you.”

“I love you too Henry,” she took the rare opportunity and pressed a kiss to his forehead just as she had Roland. He mumbled a little, but was back to sleep before she had even reached his door.

Regina closed it softly.

Now to seek out Emma.

Both guest rooms were empty. Smiling in delight, she made her way to her own room. Emma was there, still awake. The blonde was seated in Regina’s reading chair sketching. For a moment, Regina just stood there and watched her.

Emma fit in the room in a way Robin never had. He’d always felt intrusive after a bit, even doing something as quietly as sitting. He never wanted to just be when they were in the room, his focus on either sleep or sex. Robin would quickly get bored watching her get ready for the day or prepare herself for bed, often falling asleep himself (a preferred outcome in recent weeks) or leaving the room to find something to do. That, when she thought about it, held true for other places as well.

On the other hand, Emma had proven she could be in the same room with Regina (alone) and amuse herself. Sometimes it was to annoy Regina, or they were angry at each other and stewing in it until one of them snapped or simply left to cool off. Other times, just sitting was enough after a long day or the most recent round of chaos that came into their lives.

The point was, for all their antagonism towards each other they could still be quiet together. It was in those moments that feelings had begun to grow. Oh their more heat filled encounters had had an impact, and it showed their restraint that some of them hadn’t turned into rage fueled fucks against the nearest surface.

Both of them were cowards. Both of them had allowed other things to get in their way. Both of them were here now.

“Pretty certain the last time you stood in a doorway watching me led to this,” Emma nodded to her expanded stomach without looking up.

Regina chuckled. “Most likely.” She entered her bedroom fully, approaching the woman she had once thought beyond her reach. Emma might still be so, but Regina was tired of being afraid and settling. “Will you show me what you’re sketching this time?”

Emma hesitated for a second. She guarded her sketchbooks fiercely, seldom trusting others enough to show them pieces of herself.

Snow had gone snooping one day and Emma had come home to find her looking through one. Not only that, but sharing her find with David. They hadn’t had anything bad to say about the drawings but that wasn’t the point. Her sketches were private and they had violated that privacy because Snow couldn’t contain her curiosity.

The Queen had woken one morning to find that Emma had found some paper and a piece of charcoal, using them to draw. She had been more interested in convincing Emma to return to bed than what she was drawing at the time. Afterwards, the charcoal had been too badly smudged to make it out. She had asked, of course, but let Emma keep her secret.

Decision made, Emma held out the book. “That one’s not finished, but you can flip back.” She twisted her pencil between her fingers as Regina looked through the book.

“Emma, these are…” Regina had been drawn before. She’d been sketched, painted, photographed. Nothing like this. “You are quite talented. Thank you.” She handed the book back.

Emma merely shrugged, closing the book and sliding the pencil into the spiral binder. “So…we’re going to talk now?”

“Likely for the best before we go any further.” Regina wished this could be easy. That she could simply kiss Emma and take the younger woman to bed and cuddle together beneath the blankets. “I would like to begin by saying that Robin is no longer an issue. He has been informed that we are over and I have no intention to be anything to him, pixie dust be damned.”

“What about Roland?” Emma had to admit, the little boy had grown on her. The things she had heard from Henry and the Queen…the little lost foster girl she in some ways still was shuddered at having to give the boy back.

“Similar to our arrangement with Henry, I have partial guardianship of Roland. Mostly in case of emergencies and because I understand more about how this realm works than Robin cared to learn.” Regina admitted. She didn’t think the boys knew, and it really only mattered outside of Storybrooke. Everyone in town knew she was dating Robin and had taken on raising his son with the man, so no one questioned it.

“Ah…” Emma cocked her head to the side, looking Regina up and down. “I take it the boys don’t know? Because Henry has some rather interesting ideas on how to keep Roland, some of them would make Snow cringe if she knew about them and your dark side laugh in glee.”

“They’ve never asked, but it would be best to inform them before anyone does something regrettable.” Regina sighed. “Is this going to be a problem?”

“Nope,” Emma answered, shaking her head. “I like the kid, and he adores Henry. I think our family tree is getting weirder by the day, but I’m fairly used to it at this point.”

Regina chuckled. Emma did have a point. “Will you tell me why you left now? Without saying anything to anyone? Henry was crushed when you left.”

“I know he was, and if I’d told anyone then they would have tried to stop me.” Emma sighed and leaned back in the chair. “I left because I needed to. I couldn’t take it anymore, all the pressure to be what everyone else wanted me to be. I lost who I was in all the chaos that’s happened since the first curse broke. I left to figure out what was left of her and who I am now.”

“That’s a great deal more thought out then I would have given you credit for,” Regina admitted. She knew Emma wasn’t stupid, even if she had often treated the other woman as if she were.

Emma shook her head. “I still ran away and stayed gone. I’m honestly surprised Henry listened and didn’t hand my number over to at least you.”

“Yes…well…your mother tried her best to get her hands on it.” Regina swallowed some of her pride. “I do have it, but Henry didn’t give it to me.”

“You never used it.”

“I didn’t trust myself enough to do so.”

They settled into silence at that admission. Emma didn’t know which way to go now. Part of her wanted to stay, had never wanted to actually leave. Part of her was afraid that if she did stay, then eventually she would lose herself to the roles the town demanded of her. The rest of her was ready to leave at the soonest available moment.

It wouldn’t take much for that part of her to win out, especially if Regina and the boys left with her. The town itself had been fine without her presence. Her parents had her brother…and if she was being honest with herself she had not missed them as much as she thought she would. She had missed Henry and Regina more.

Of course, reuniting with Lily and learning things that her parents had done to both of them before they’d even been born played a part in that. Speaking with a therapist about the mixed freight load of tangled emotions helped too. Discovering that magic was alive and well in the world outside Storybrooke (and thus how she was able to find a therapist to speak truthfully with)…her thoughts were still out on if that was a good thing or not.

“I got a phone call while you were out,” Emma broke the silence.

“Oh? Is everything alright?” Had it been a doctor? Emma presumably was seeing one, at least Regina hoped she had been. Was something wrong with the babies or was it simply an appointment reminder? Would Emma be leaving again so soon?

“More or less,” Emma groaned and rubbed her forehead. “I met an old friend, Lily. Turns out she’s also part of the ‘babies sent through portals by Snow White and Prince Charming’ club after they had some wizard dude work some kind of magic to give her all of my ‘potential for darkness’ or some shit like that.”

Regina gaped at her. “What?” She had a sinking suspicion she knew where Emma was going with her story. It would certainly begin to explain her old friend’s attitude and the sadness she had about her whenever she watched Regina interact with her sons. Mal had said that they had taken something from her but had never elaborated.

“Yeah, but she had proof and we got it fixed because hey, guess what, this realm does have magic it’s just really well hidden.” Emma sighed. “As if that wasn’t enough, she’s Maleficent’s daughter. I had to tell her what I did to get the thing to save Henry and that whole story.” It had not been a pleasant conversation. “She’s coming here to get her mom’s ashes, plans to bury them somewhere and pay her respects. She might do something to my parents in revenge and I don’t blame her for wanting to do it.”

“Emma, Maleficent’s alive.” Regina led with that, leaving Emma to look surprised now. “As far as I know, she’s not holding any kind of grudge against you but she has been taking pleasure in the fact that you had left. She hasn’t said why.”

“Well,” Emma said slowly, “do we do anything about it? I mean…actions have consequences and all magic has a price, right?”

Regina smiled. Emma had been listening. “Yes dear heart, they do. And,” she stood, walking over to cup Emma’s face in her hands, “I say we let things play out as they will. We have other things to concern ourselves with, although we will monitor the situation and step in if it gets out of hand.”

“Okay.” Emma didn’t know how else to respond.

“Now, it is late.” Regina straightened up. “We should prepare for bed and get some rest.”

“Right, um…” Emma squirmed a little, uncertain how to explain why she wasn’t already crashed out in bed.

“Emma, do you not…” Regina wondered if she had been hasty earlier when she had set Emma up in her room. The blonde hadn’t seemed to mind sharing a bed with The Queen or denied any of Regina’s physical touches.

“I don’t want to share the same bed you did with Robin.” Emma burst out, flushing. It was such a weird point to be caught on in her mind. None of the rest of Regina’s past lovers that she knew about bothered her, not like forest boy did.

“Is that all?” Regina smiled. That was easily fixed.

“I’m also kinda stuck in the chair,” Emma admitted sheepishly, “and I really need to pee...and shower.”

Regina’s smile remained, holding out her hands for Emma to take. “I can fix those problems my dear.” She helped Emma out of the chair. “By the time you’re ready, I will have the bed situation taken care of.”

Fixing the bed truly wasn’t difficult. She striped the sheets, banishing the bed linens and pillows to the laundry room to be taken care of later. She debated a moment, imagining setting fire to the mattress but in the end banished it to the city dump. She could always burn it later if she wished. The box-spring and frame followed.

She had been debating getting a new bed for some time now. Starting a new beginning with Emma was a better reason than most. Regina even knew the one she wanted, and with a few subtle differences it was one she knew well.

The magic swirled in purple wisps as the new bed took shape. Pale wood polished to a high shine, drapes of royal purple falling from the canopy (cotton rather than heavy velvet), and the headboard carved with a relief rather than plain. Once it was completed, Regina traced the carving.

An apple tree in full bloom, a pair of swans nesting beneath it. There were shelves on either side of the carving for a few simple items. A wave of her hand and the nightstands matched the new frame.

With a tired smile, Regina summoned a new set of bed linens and pillows. She made the bed without magic as it was a task she enjoyed doing for a reason she didn’t know but accepted. The bed was always more comfortable when she did it by hand, at least she found it to be that way.

“Wow,” Emma’s soft exclamation startled her. “You went all out.”

“I wanted a change,” Regina answered. “Will it suffice?”

Emma touched the frame, reminiscent of the one in Regina’s castle. “Yes.” She laughed softly to herself. “You know, I always dreamed of having a bed like this as a kid. A way to shut out all the bad things,” she fingered the curtains, “my own little fortress.”

“I know,” it was why Regina had chosen what she had. Emma had shared this with her before, a small tidbit of her past.

Regina wanted Emma to feel safe here, that she belonged with them. She needed Emma to believe that Regina was choosing her.

Emma reached out and laced their hands together, tugging Regina closer so that she could press a kiss to the woman’s cheek. “Thank you, My Queen.”

“You’re welcome Dear Heart,” Regina knew some of her delight at the name shown through. Emma hadn’t used it before now, not with her at least.

They separated so Regina could change for bed. Once they were settled, Regina rolled over so she could wrap herself around the younger woman. Emma relaxed after a moment, a small sigh escaping her as she did.

She was home.

Chapter Text

“EMMA SWAN!”

Emma jerked awake, blinking in confusion for a moment at her surroundings before her bladder demanded her attention and she was stumbling for the bathroom. Once finished, she returned to the bedroom to find Regina glaring at her vanity mirror and holding a fireball.

“Finally!” The woman in the mirror exclaimed, mostly ignoring Regina. “Your phone is dead.”

“So this was your solution?” Emma muttered. “Regina, meet Tay. Tay, this is Mayor Regina Mills. Why are you trying to call me at,” she found the clock, “6 AM?”

“Lily left an hour ago by air in a bit of a snit. I thought you’d like some warning before you have an upset dragon on your doorstep.” Tay replied.

“Why is she upset?” Emma had texted her briefly last night with the news of her mother, figuring her friend would like to know before she was blindsided upon arrival.

“Oh, I don’t know, something about her mom actually being alive and then not being able to reach you?” Tay summed up. “She might be operating under the concern that you’ve been made dragon chow.”

“Where is your phone dear?” Regina negated the fireball, still annoyed at the abrupt wake-up call and loss of her bed partner.

“Uh…nightstand. I set it on the nightstand before we went to bed.” Emma walked over and picked it up. It did nothing when she tried to wake it up. “And I forgot to plug it in last night before we went to sleep.”

“Alright, well you fix that and I guess good luck with the dragons.” Tay leaned out of the mirror for a moment, “oh! Frankie wants to know if you’re going to be back in time for the baby shower or if we should send the stuff to you and video chat the event.”

“I don’t know?” Emma was racing towards overwhelmed.

“We’ll get in touch when we know,” Regina answered for her. “Goodbye.” She flicked her fingers and ended the spell, cutting off whatever it was the other woman might have tried to say.

“Okay…clothes and then head to the town line before anyone freaks out over a dragon flying overhead?” Emma tried to focus on the important parts.

“Done,” Regina waved her hand and they were both dressed. She smirked at Emma’s delighted look when she realized Regina had recreated her favorite red leather jacket. “You wake up Henry, I will call Mal.”

The next twenty minutes were chaotic, but the trio of women managed to reach the town line before Lily touched down.

“Oh…my…” Maleficent would deny that she cried at the sight of her daughter in dragon form. Lily looked much like she did, if a bit smaller (her daughter was young yet). She was the most beautiful creature the older blonde had ever laid eyes upon.

In a swirl of grey smoke, Lily returned to her human form. She launched herself at Emma. “You idiot! Don’t scare me like that again!”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Emma returned the hug as awkward as it was. “We’re all fine, my phone just died. Why didn’t you scry or try to mirror message me? Tay was able to get through.”

“I forgot,” Lily mumbled. “And Tay is a thousand years old. Of course she was able to get through.”

“She is not that old,” Emma protested. “And you forgot magical means of communication, but not that you could fly here in dragon form.”

“Whatever!” Lily stepped back. “You and the beans are okay though?”

“Yes, we’re fine.” Emma assured her again. She yelped. “What was that for?” She rubbed where Lily had smacked the side of her head.

“Not telling me you were leaving town to come back here!” Lily scolded. “I don’t think dealing with this town is what your doctor meant by trying to avoid stress!”

Emma reddened. “They needed my help.”

“So that’s when you call in backup! I could have come here, kidnapped whoever, and brought them to you.” Lily pointed out. “You wouldn’t have needed to step foot in this place.”

She would have only terrorized the local populace a little bit. It’s not as if she was going to eat anyone. Threatened to, maybe. Taken care of a certain speed bump certainly. She always had thought Robin Hood was great as a fox.

“I didn’t think dragons kidnapped queens,” Emma tried to joke.

“Depends on the queen,” Maleficent shot a smirk at Regina. “Now, please introduce us.”

“Right,” Emma made the introductions and then stepped back to watch. Regina came to stand beside her.

“Don’t think for a moment that I missed what Ms. Page said, Emma.” She whispered. “Are you meant to be avoiding stress?”

“Yes,” Emma admitted, “but you needed my help. Henry needed my help. I wasn’t going to say no when it involves either of you.”

“I appreciate that, but your health is just as important as ours. We’re going home and you are going to rest. I will take care of any trouble that arises.” Regina spoke firmly, as if she expected her words to be followed without question.

Emma was honestly too tired to argue. It would be nice to be taken care of for a time. Really, it just depended on how overboard Regina was going to go.

Chapter Text

Hook shook his head at the second messenger bird. It bore a similar message to the first, just in less poetic terms.

Did he care what they said?

Part of him did. Emma Swan was technically back within his reach so long as she was in Storybrooke. He did love her in his way, but the chase was only interesting for so long. The interest had waned with time and distance (the woman had left town to get away from him and that said a lot). It waned further with the news of the woman’s pregnancy.

Despite his efforts, they had never slept together. The babe wasn’t his. It pleased him a little to think others might think he had done the deed, but he had no desire to take on responsibility for a child that wasn’t his.

Henry had been a different case. The boy was the son of a friend, and the lad had his other mother. No one had ever expected him to be any sort of father to the boy.

Swan had made her choice and it wasn’t him.

Why Robin seemed to think he had any power to change that baffled him. Hook really wasn’t surprised to learn that Emma had feelings for the Evil Queen or that those feelings appeared very much returned. The woman had doubled down on her insistence at being uninterested in him after their time in the past when she’d been trapped within the Evil Queen’s castle.

He had seen and chosen to ignore a great deal of Swan’s interactions with the Queen. He, at least, had been available and willing. Emma, her mother’s persistence aside, had been the opposite. Robin had encouraged him in his pursuit of the Savior just as Snow had, just with far more selfish motives.

Unlike Robin, Hook had never forgotten that the two women would always be connected by the son they shared. Emma would never give up Henry again, nor would she ask Regina to do so. He knew Regina hated his guts (he hated hers too), but tolerated him in tiny doses for the sake of keeping the peace (and her own pursuit of redemption).

The Queen won this round. Hook had enough self-preservation to know when to leave. Surrender was always bitter, but better to be alive and bitter than dead.

The Pirate tossed both notes over the side of his ship. He watched just long enough to see them sink beneath the waves before turning to shout commands at his crew.

Storybrooke could deal with its chaos without him.

Snow, arms crossed across her chest, pouted as she watched Regina with Emma. Emma had been back in Storybrooke for almost three weeks now. Christmas had come and gone, the new year had started, and her daughter was more distant than ever.

David just kept repeating that they had to be patient and give Emma the space and time to come to them when she was ready every time it was brought up in conversation. He was content to wait it out. If he knew something she did not, he wouldn’t share it.

Snow wanted to know now. She wanted Emma to come home with them and away from outside influences that didn’t understand that they had done what they felt was right. Emma was a mother. She had given up Henry for his best chance. She should understand where her own parents were coming from.

As she was thinking of them, Maleficent and her daughter appeared from around the corner to join the other pair. Lily slung an arm over Emma’s shoulders, pulling the blonde into a hug and patting the baby bump.

Emma laughed, wiggling out of the hold and back to Regina. She used the older woman as a partial shield as she replied to whatever it was that Lily had said.

Snow fumed. It should be her spending time with Emma, helping her in the last few months of the blonde’s pregnancy. Planning a baby shower, hosting it. Helping Emma pick out godparents for the newest royal. Decorating the room for the baby.

Instead, Regina was doing all of that. Regina, the dragons, and some friends Emma had made on the outside. Even Zelena had more interaction with Emma than she was.

Every time she tried, it had been tense and Emma had shot down every suggestion Snow had made.

She was jealous, Snow knew that. She wasn’t happy about it, and she hated being called out on it (which Ruby, Belle, Granny, and David had done so along with several others). She just wanted Emma to listen, to talk to her. She wanted things to go back to how they had been before Zelena’s time spell.

Chapter Text

“You know, Snow’s been watching us like some kind of weird stalker for the past ten minutes.” Lily nodded to where the woman was doing a terrible job of hiding.

Emma sighed, shoulders slumping. “I know.” She was trying to do her best to stand her ground when it came to her mother, to not fall back into the pattern of forcing herself to be what those around her wanted her to be. Snow wasn’t making it easy. David, at least, was doing his best to understand and be her friend rather than her dad.

Regina frowned, just barely refraining from shooting a glare at the younger brunette. She was trying her hardest to be civil for Henry and Emma’s sake, but Snow was trying at the best of times. Of course she wasn’t going to listen to what Emma said when it did not align to what Snow wanted to hear.

She had been down that road several times with the other woman. Snow White as an adult listen about as well as she had when she was a child. At least there were fewer people around to enable her, and none whom could (or would) force Regina into giving in.

“My offer to turn her into something small and furry still stands,” Maleficent said, sparks of her magic dancing around her fingers.

“Please don’t, we’ll never hear the end of it.” Emma rubbed her forehead, feeling the headache forming. 

This was one of the few times she was currently allowed out of the house given that she’d been put on bed-rest just after Christmas. The weather was nice if cold (it was the end of February in Maine), most of the snow and ice were gone leaving behind wet and mud. Regina had be-spelled her jacket and shoes to keep off the worst of the damp and chill.

Short walks were supposed to be good for her, so long as she rested when she needed to. Getting out of the house was good for her, no matter the amount of resting she was meant to be doing.

“I wouldn’t make it permanent,” Maleficent continued, “something small and quiet. A rabbit perhaps?”

“No one is turning Snow into anything.” Emma told them, tempting as it was. “I’ll call David, he’ll come and distract her.”

Emma wasn’t going to try and speak to Snow again. She had tired several times since she had returned to Storybrooke. She had attempted to explain herself and her choices, her reasoning for no longer referring to Snow and David as ‘mom’ and ‘dad’.

A lot of therapy had gone into her working things out for herself. Tay had confronted her first about her magic, then dragged her to meet Frankie for said therapy. The pair had been the base of her support system after she discovered she was pregnant. When Lily had appeared to confront her about their past, they had been there to mediate and assist in fixing what had been done to them. Frankie had taken Lily under her wing and helped the younger dragon adjust to her unlocked powers the same way Tay had done for Emma.

It really boiled down to this: referring to a pair of people as her parents who were her age made Emma uncomfortable. Emma forgave them for the things they had done to her and the choices they had made for her, but she was not going to absolve them of the consequences. She could make peace with them as friends, even with the knowledge that biologically they were her parents, but the time for them to actually be her parents had vanished the moment David had placed her into the wardrobe.

David had gotten it surprisingly quickly. He was trying to help Snow understand, but as always Snow was proving to be difficult. Emma had given up trying. Either the other woman would get it or she wouldn’t, either way Emma had tried her best to make herself clear.

“Well, too late for that. She’s coming over.” Lily scrunched her nose in distaste.

“Hello!” Snow greeted them with a smile.

“Goodbye,” Lily vanished in a puff of smoke, taking Emma with her.

“Snow,” Regina greeted, “are you finished with your stalking? Emma has made it very clear that she has nothing more to say to you.”

“Something with big ears perhaps?” Maleficent asked, looking Snow over thoughtfully. “Perhaps then she would actually hear what was being said to her.”

Ignoring the dragon for now, Snow focused on Regina. “I just want to speak with my daughter. You can’t keep her away from us forever.”

“Snow,” Regina spoke slowly, “I am not keeping Emma from you. Emma has tried, on several occasions, to talk with you but you never hear what  she tells you.” She sighed, exhausted by Snow’s mere presence (not a new feeling, but one she had hoped had faded with time). “What my girlfriend needs right now is rest, not whatever  stubborn nonsense,” she motioned at Snow, “you continue to utter.”

Snow felt her brain stop. “Girlfriend?”

Maleficent snorted. “That would be what she focused on.”

“Yes Snow, girlfriend. Mother of my children. My partner.” Regina was sorely tempted to allow her friend to do as she wished and let Emma yell at her for it later.

“But…but…” Snow sputtered, “Emma’s not gay?”

“Bisexuality is a thing,” Maleficent told her, “and magic truly can accomplish astonishing things.” She was enjoying this.

“The baby?”

“The babies are mine,” Regina would not deny that, although it felt insane to her that Snow still didn’t seem to understand that Emma was having twins. “And the details are really none of your business.”

Snow shook her head. “But Hook? Robin?” She felt as if her world was tilting on its axis. She knew that the two were friends, but dating?

“History.” Regina felt a tick forming by her eye. The Merry Men were keeping an eye on Robin, who (since he hadn’t reappeared) was likely still running around the woods as a fox because he had gotten himself on the wrong side of Lily’s ire.

No one had heard from Hook since he’d left Storybrooke. If they had, no one thought it important enough to share with the town’s rumor mill or report it directly to her. The pirate had not returned either. As far as Regina cared to think of him, he was no longer anything to think about.

Snow opened her mouth again, but nothing came out. She felt she should say something, but her mind was blank. Regina could be lying, but Snow doubted it.

Anything that might have been said was cut off by the ringing of their cellphones. All of them reached for the devices to check them, Regina answering hers immediately.

“Henry, is-”

“Ma’s gone into labor!” He cut her off, figuring it was forgivable in this instance. “And she’s yelling at Aunt Lily.”

Regina froze for a moment before snapping into action. “I’ll be there shortly, get her hospital bag.” She should have suspected something when Emma had complained about the contractions earlier, but both of them thought it was only Braxton-Hicks. Emma had claimed she had had them with Henry up until her water broke, and she’d been having them for weeks already with the twins. It was why she had been put on bed-rest to begin with.

“On it! I’ll start the phone chain.” Henry knew the plan. He’d helped come up with the plan.

“Alright,” she set her hand on Snow’s shoulder. The woman could at least be useful. “I’m bringing your grandmother to watch you and Roland.” She hung up. “Mal?”

“Go, I’ll be right behind you.”

It was a whirlwind of chaos after that. Regina left Snow to watch over the boys (Henry’s job was to keep her and David distracted until after Emma and the twins were cleared for visitors) while she took Emma to the hospital.

Twelve hours later, the first twin arrived shortly followed by her sister. Emma was exhausted but exhilarated as she held both of them against her before they were taken to be cleaned up and weighed. Regina went with them, per Emma’s request, while the blonde was cleaned up and settled into a room for observation.

Regina returned with both baby girls, name cards and pen in hand.

“Well, are you finally going to tell me what you decided on for their names?”

They had compiled a list that Emma had been debating over. Regina had named Henry, she felt it would be fair that Emma had final say (with a little bit of veto power from Regina to keep the names from being too ridiculous) over what their daughters would be called. Emma had agreed only after Regina had agreed to help her make the list. She’d then kept her choices a secret from everyone except Henry, who had been sworn to secrecy.

“Yea,” Emma held her arms out for the older twin. “Hi little one,” she spoke softly, peeking beneath the pink cap to see a dusting of dark curls. “Get the box from my bag, please?”

Regina did so, wondering just what was inside it. She had been patient, but now she had a feeling Emma was just dragging things out.

“Open it,” Emma instructed, “and hand me the purple one.”

Regina opened the box and pulled out two baby knit caps, both embroidered with initials. She kept the yellow one (ERSM), handing over the purple (EHSM) to Emma.

“My Queen, I would like to introduce you to Elizabeth Hope Swan-Mills and her sister Emily Rose.”

“They’re adorable Emma,” Regina brought Emily over after replacing the hospital issued cap for the yellow one. “You used my middle name. How did you even know it?” Regina hardly ever used it, not seeing the point of it or why the original curse had seen fit to give it to her.

“Henry,” Emma answered. “He was going over the list of names and he mentioned it once he saw I was leaning towards ‘E’ names for their first names. I know it wasn’t on the list, but it felt right when I paired it with Hope. Is…is the last name okay? I know you said-”

“My not wanting to marry again has nothing to do with you.” Regina cut her off, taking her free hand in hers as she cradled Emily to her chest with the other. “We are committed to each other and our children, that is all that matters to me. I happen to like it, and if we do decide to take that step then I believe that ‘Swan-Mills’ works very well for our family.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Emma had to drop Regina’s hand in order to wipe her face clear of tears and readjust her hold on Elizabeth, but took it again afterwards. “Are we ready to introduce the boys to their new sisters?”

“In a moment, I want a little more time for just us first.”

Emma and the twins were cleared to return home three days later.

The boys were excited (and may have gone a little overboard with David in finishing the baby-proofing of the house). Henry had a stack of books ready to read to them. Roland had arranged an army of stuffed toys to guard them.

Zelena was excited, having taken over a guest room since the manor was closer to town than her farmhouse. She wanted some experience in baby care before her own little girl made her appearance. She figured her nieces would suffice (and it was her way of both asking for help and offering her own without actually saying the words).

David was excited because he had two more family members to love. It really didn’t matter to him if they called him ‘Grandpa’ as Henry did or ‘Uncle David’ like Roland. He was just happy that Emma wanted him in her life and as part of her family. He loved her, and in the end that was the important thing.

Snow was a little more subdued, mostly because it had finally gotten through to her what Emma and everyone else had been saying since the blonde had returned. She was still excited (because babies), but she was actually putting effort in to curb her thoughts away from herself and concentrating on what other people wanted.

The other assorted members of the rag-tag bunch that made up the friends and family for the Swan-Mills (a name Ruby had gleefully bandied about town) were in and out of the manor at various times to see the newest members and share their congratulations to the new mothers. Emma had her suspicions that a few more would be joining the world soon if some of the looks between couples were anything to go by.

Regina watched over all of it, something inside her settling as she accepted that this was her life. This was her Happy Ending.

No, not an ending.

A Beginning.