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"So you removed the creator of the town, the person who knows everything about everything, from the council?" Granny queried, "I like Regina about as much as the next person but I understand that we need her guidance when it comes to town hall matters."

David tore the bottom of his shirt and raised it to show an angry bruise across his side, "she did this!"

"Oh, please!" Granny laughed, "she could have incinerated you, or turned you into a cockroach.."

David opened his mouth to argue and Emma stepped in between the two parties, "okay, time out, let's park this for now and get on with setting up for Henry's party."

An hour later guests started to arrive and Emma left to go and pick Henry up from school but first she drove to Regina's house to ensure the woman would make an appearance at the diner that evening. When she got there she noticed Regina's car was missing but knocked on the door regardless. As she waited on the porch she heard a voice call out, "she's out."

She turned to see one of Regina's neighbours tending to a his garden and Emma gave him a smile, "ah.. any idea when she'll be back?"

"She didn't say," the man replied with a shrug, "she doesn't tell me anything, unless one of my plants is over growing and then she's knocking on the door."

Emma nodded, "I'll bet," she said as she walked back down the path, "thanks anyway!"

She got back in the car and drove on to the school to pick Henry up. It had been a full week since Emma had signed the documents and while Henry had become consumed with Operation Cobra he had also become more withdrawn and quiet. Mary Margaret and David had tried endlessly to cheer him up to no avail and whenever Emma tried to talk to him about it they ended up going in circles, which Emma put down to the fact that Henry was still young and was having difficulty understanding his feelings. Emma didn't want to push her own fears and issues onto him so had just explained to him that she was there if he wanted to talk.

Henry got into the car, jolting Emma from her thoughts, "hey," he said quietly.

"Hey!" Emma smiled, "having a good birthday?"

"Yeah, it's swell," Henry quipped sadly.

Emma regarded Henry and looked at his bag, "you skipped school."

Henry looked at her with half surprise and half respect, "how do you know?!"

"You left your English homework on your bed and you've not opened your school bag today," Emma raised her eyebrow, "Henry, where have you been?"

Henry stared at his feet in the foot well of the car and mumbled something. When Emma frowned and ducked her head closer he spoke again a little louder, "Operation Cobra.."

"You've been following Regina around town?" Emma sighed.

"She went to see Marco," Henry frowned, "she never speaks to Marco.."

"Maybe she wants.. some.. door fixed," Emma shrugged and Henry looked at her with a pointed look, "okay, I have no idea why she went to see Marco but is that what this is really about?"

Henry shook his head but remained silent.

Emma took a deep breath, "look.. Henry.. I know you're struggling with all of this, maybe, maybe you should think about speaking to Archie again?"

"No!" Henry cried out, "no, I don't want to speak to him again!"

Emma held up her hands, "whoa, okay, you don't have to.. it was just a suggestion.."

Henry looked down at his feet and started to scrunch up his face, "that's what she did."

"Regina?" Emma confirmed.

Henry nodded, "she made me think I was crazy! She tried to make me crazy! She would lie to me and every time I would ask her a question about something she would lie and lie and lie. Before I got the book, it.. it was horrible!"

Emma could see a few tears marking Henry's face but fought herself from scooping him into a hug in favour of giving him space to talk and vent.

"She told me I was imagining things, that I was wrong.. she.. she wouldn't let me go out, speak with people, she told me I had to stay home where it was safe! And then when I kept questioning her she sent me to Doctor Hopper, to prove I was crazy!"

Henry was shaking with anger and Emma put her arm around him, "but I don't hate her," Henry whispered.

Emma looked down at him in surprise, "I can't hate her, she was scared," Henry said quietly.

"What she did to you.." Emma said, "it was wrong, Henry.. I can't imagine being in that situation, seeing that everything around you was wrong. Being the only person ageing.. I would have really gone crazy."

Henry nodded and wiped at his tears with his sleeve, "but.."

He drifted off and Emma waited a while before guessing, "but you love her?"

Henry nodded, "I was just really angry at her. I knew the curse was real, I knew she was the Evil Queen and she denied it and she killed Sheriff Graham and tried to kill you. She framed Mary Margaret for murder!"

He took a couple of deep breaths, "when you broke the curse I was so angry at her.. I didn't want to see her again.."

"And now?" Emma asked, fearing the answer.