Mary Margret and Emma have returned from the Enchanted Forest…

Day Two

Since the day that the mother of her child had come to town, Regina hadn't had a decent night's sleep. She dreamed of many things she'd like to do to Emma Swam those first months, none of which she cared to linger on. She had no idea of the reasoning behind the hold that Emma had over her. She had hoped since the curse had broken that her feelings would turn to hatred but her thoughts had only become more erotic and intrusive, especially now as she lay in bed.

Ever since she had sent Henry to live with David, Regina had put herself under house arrest, even though she knew that magic had come to Storybrooke and she could now use it properly. However, this gave her more time to think about a certain blonde who set her heart aflutter and boiled her blood with a single glance. In truth, only one other person had crossed her mind since the breaking of the curse: Henry. But her thoughts of him always seemed to circle back to Emma. She had saved Henry and then the Evil Queen herself. Regina would always love her for that. Love. It was hard for Regina to accept and it was even harder for her to do. She didn't know how to love very well since Daniel's death. "Love is weakness," her mother had said but Regina was starting to realize that maybe love could be the most powerful magic of all. It had saved Snow and Charming, it had saved Emma, it had saved Henry, and maybe, just maybe, it could save the Evil Queen.

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Emma was so relieved to be back with Henry she hadn't noticed that Regina had been pretty scarce since their fight at the party that first night. She lay awake in Mary Margaret's loft, Henry sleeping peacefully beside her. She mulled over recent events but most of all she thought of Regina. Regina: who so badly wanted her out of Henry's life that she had tried to poison her. Yet Regina had been the one who helped them return to Storybrooke. She had saved them from the vortex that Gold had put up to stop Cora. Regina had had faith in Emma. The more Emma thought the more puzzling Regina's actions became. What if the poisoning was an act of vulnerability? Emma couldn't help but think it an almost weak attack, like Regina's heart wasn't really in it. After all, Snow had been awakened and unharmed by the sleeping curse. If it had been Cora, she would have simply ripped out Emma's heart, she'd tried back in the Enchanted Forest after all. Even the Evil Queen had been known to rip out the hearts of people who got in her way just to crush them later on or use them to control people she believed to be of some use to her. She could have taken Emma's heart and made her leave Storybrooke and never return but she had instead chosen the one method she had known someone could come back from. Why? And why had she saved Emma and Mary Margaret from the portal? Maybe, all along, Emma had been sparring with Regina and not the Evil Queen.

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Day Three

Emma had made her mind up that today she would go and see Regina. She awoke at 7, dressed quietly and trusted that at this early hour Regina would be up and ready to receive company. She'd hoped she'd be able to go alone and more importantly unnoticed however as she slipped her shoes on and reached for the door knob she heard a throat clear behind her so she spun around. Mary Margret and David stood arms crossed glaring at her.

"So now that you know we're your parents, you are going to start sneaking out?" inquired David.

"I have to go somewhere alone and I knew if I told you you'd ask where and you would want to come. There is just something I have to do alone."

"And what is that?" questioned Mary Margret finally lowering her arms and softening her face.

"Confront Regina," stated Emma with persistence.

"Are you out of your mind? She is dangerous!" chided Mary Margaret, "She can use magic now Emma and if you thought Regina was a bitch before you haven't seen anything yet."

"I know there is still good inside Regina. She wasn't always the Evil Queen. I need to face her."

"Why do you all of the sudden care about Regina?" Came Mary Margaret's response but at that they heard Henry coming down the hallway.

"Why are you all shouting? Can't you see I'm trying to get my beauty rest," yawned Henry moseying over to Emma and looking at Mary Margaret and David.

"It's nothing, Kid. I was just discussing the prospect of you hanging out with your Grandma and Grandpa today while I sort through some things in town." Emma replied with a smirk and a little extra emphasis on the grandma and grandpa part. Mary Margaret glared.

"Neat!" Henry retorted and ran to hug Mary Margaret. After that it was hard to be mad at Emma with that sweet face staring up at her and she smiled back at Henry.

"Let's make you some breakfast quirt," is all the further conversation Emma heard as she slipped out the door and ran down the stairs on her way to the mansion she knew hid the former Mayor of Storybrooke.

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Regina was fully awake but feeling exhausted at 6 o clock in the morning. She hopped in the shower and cranked the water to damn near scolding in a pathetic attempt to drive the urge to lie in bed all day, away. She got dressed (even though her mind keep telling her that pajamas would probably be more appropriate for the day she was about to have) and put on make-up. In the old world she strived to always look her best and emanate that she was royalty but she hadn't felt like the old her in a long time. She worried she might be losing her edge.

She went downstairs to start the coffee pot and made herself some oatmeal. Then she sat down in her office and ate, staring at lists and city documents like they still mattered. She sipped her coffee occasionally and wondered if the town even needed her anymore. The people of Storybrooke would most likely throttle her before they'd let her run the town. At about 8 o'clock the doorbell rang and she suspected that they had come to string her up in the town square. As she entered the foyer, she began to doubt that the horde would bother ringing the doorbell. She peered through the peephole. There, standing on Regina's front stoop, was the one person she dreaded seeing more than an angry mob.