After Robin left Regina decided that she should be with Henry for as long as he would let her. She quickly drove over to Emma's apartment, hoping she wasn't too late. She knocked on the door and took as deep breath as she waited for Emma to answer the door. The door swung open and as Emma saw who it was on the other side of the door her mouth hung open in shock.
"Regina? What are you doing here?" Emma asked her as she motioned for Regina to step inside. Regina immediately stepped inside but didn't go too far into the apartment.
"I was wondering if I may see Henry." Regina asked Emma with her usual icy tone.
Emma hesitated a bit before replying. "Regina, I don't think you should see him right now. You're obviously in a fragile state and I don't want that to impact Henry. Maybe you should wait a few days before seeing him." Emma told her.
"Are you saying I can't see my son?" Regina asked her in a hostile tone. The anger was shining in her eyes.
"Regina, listen, I just think you should wait to-" Emma was interrupted by the fury of an angry mother.
"No, you listen to me! You will not keep me away from my son!" Regina told Emma as she moved closer to her in an intimidating way. The unshed tears brightly shone in her eyes.
Emma's anger was building up inside until it was finally released. "No, he's my son! See, this is what I mean. What if you acted this way around Henry?!" Emma angrily shouted at the woman in front of her.
Regina felt the anger and the pain rise at Emma words. Before she knew what she was doing, a fireball appeared in her hands and she was throwing it at Emma. Emma quickly jumped sideways to avoid the fireball.
Regina watched in horror at what happened next.
"Ma? Reg-" Henry words were cut short as the fire ball came into contact with him. He screamed out as his vision blurred before he fell to the floor.
"Henry!" Both Regina and Emma cried out. They both rushed over to comfort him but Emma beat Regina to him.
"Get away from my son!" Emma shouted at Regina as she protectively wrapped her arms around Henry.
Regina usually would have protested but she was in a state of shock. Her whole world had come to a complete stop and she wasn't sure what to do. She quickly vanished into her empty house.
She knew she had to be crying by now but she couldn't feel the tears running down her face. She couldn't feel anything around her. She just felt lost and helpless. She looked around her house, not quite recognizing anything in it. She walked from room to room as she slowly remembered everything. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a familiar face. She stared at this woman for a short moment before walking closer to her. She slowly grabbed an old book from the coffee table but she never took her eyes off the woman. She took one last look at the horrified woman as she held the book closer. Regina looked at the woman in disgust. She had seen this woman many times before. She hated this woman more than anyone else.
"You're a monster!" She angrily shouted out as she threw the book as hard as she possibly could at the mirror. It shattered into tiny pieces, causing her reflection to disappear. She angrily marched around the rooms destroying everything in sight. She left nothing untouched by her fury.
After the anger passed she walked back upstairs to the only room she had left untouched, Henry's room. Upon walking into the room she collapsed to her knees. She knew there was a possibility Henry was dead and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't forget the sound of his screams or the look of horror on his face. She took a long hard look at the woman in Henry's mirror. She closed her eyes as more tears flooded her eyes.
"I hurt him. I'm the monster." Regina whispers to herself.
_
Regina desperately tried to remember what had been a dream and what had been reality. Everything was blurred together and she could no longer tell if she had actually hurt her beloved son. Her stomach flipped at the thought.
She quickly grabbed her phone and called Emma. She took a deep breath as she tried to remain calm.
"Hello?" Emma asked as she tried to decide what to eat for breakfast.
"Hello, Miss Swan. Is Henry feeling better this morning?" Regina nervously asked but did her best to conceal her worries.
"No." Emma said as Regina could feel her heart drop. "He was extremely upset when he out that you left." Regina let out a sigh of relief but her heart was still pounding.
"Tell him I'm sorry for leaving." Regina blankly told her. She couldn't think as the relief flooded through her veins.
"He doesn't need to hear you're sorry. He wants to come over today." Emma told her as she grabbed a bowl for her cereal.
Suddenly Regina's relief was replaced with fear. She was terrified she might actually hurt Henry. It may have been just a dream but it felt so real. She could vividly remember the look on his face and the pain in his screams.
"Emma, I don't think that's such a good idea." Regina nervously told her as she finally got out of Henry's bed.
"Regina, last week you would have done anything to be with Henry. I'm not letting you back out of this because you're scared he'll reject you. He needs you Regina. He is coming over today, end of discussion." Emma boldly told her before hanging up the phone.
Regina stood there in shock for a moment before closing her eyes and trying to shut out her fears.
_
Regina nervously stared at the ground as she tried to avoid looking at Henry. She wanted so badly to just pull him close and never let go but she was even more terrified of hurting him. Henry had been staring at her for the past couple of minutes trying to decide what to do. Emma had left to give them some privacy but after she had left they had gone silent. However it didn't take too long for Henry to break the silence.
"Are you okay?" Henry asked as he reached out to touch Regina's hand but she jumped back before he could touch her.
"I'm fine Henry." She told him with a slight smile. "Did you have anything you wanted to do today?" Regina asked, trying to change the subject.
"Actually I do have something in mind. Will you tell me a story from when I was younger?" Henry innocently asked but to Regina this meant everything. She suddenly forgot about her fears. Every time he had a nightmare in the past, Regina would tell him stories from when he was younger. It had always calmed him down.
Regina gave him a real smile for the first time since entering the house as she replied. "Of course, did you have any in mind?" Regina asked before she hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder.
"The story about the time I was afraid of the storm." Henry told her before quietly adding. "And could we go lay in your bed?"
Regina was completely speechless so instead of replying she softly nodded as she held back the tears. As they headed upstairs to her bedroom, Henry gently held her hand. Regina gasped in shock before a smile appeared on her face. Every time Henry thought she might let go he held on a bit tighter. They entered the room before laying down on the bed. Regina tried to give him some distance if he wanted it but he moved closer to her. Regina soon began telling him the story.
"When you were almost four there was a major storm in Storybrook…"
"Mommy, help!" Henry cries woke her from her peaceful sleep. Her eyes flashed open before she immediately jumped out of bed and ran down the hallway to her son's room. She looked around the room for any danger but saw none.
"Mommy please help. I'm scared." Henry said in barely a whisper. He was completely hidden with his head under the covers and his legs were pulled up to his chest. Regina softly smiled at the bump under the covers of his bed. Regina gently pulled down the covers causing Henry to tremble as he desperately tried to pull them back over his head.
"Baby, it's okay. It's just me." Regina softly told him causing him to peak over the covers. The second he saw it was his mother he launched himself into her arms. She tightly wrapped her arms around him in an attempt to take away his fear. As she felt his tears on her cheek she slightly pulled back to wipe away his tears.
"It's okay, it's just a storm." She whispered soothingly in his ear. He snuggled closer to her as he buried his face into her shoulder. She put her hand on the back of his head as she gently picked him up. "Do you want to sleep in my room tonight?" She asked him.
Henry pulled back as he looked at her with a confused expression. "Will you sleep in there with me?"
Regina smiled at her son's adorable expression as she answered. "Of course I will darling." She told him before placing a soft kiss on his forehead, causing him to smile. He copied his mother and placed a kiss on her forehead.
Suddenly a loud crash of thunder rang through the sky causing Henry to scream as he clung to his mother. She protectively put her head over his as she walked to her room. She tried to set him down on the bed but he wouldn't let go. She eventually gave up and tried to lay on the bed while she continued to hold him.
He still jumped at even the slightest sound, but he was easily calmed down by Regina. He eventually calmed down enough to fall asleep. Regina savored the moment with her little prince for as long as she could before sleep washed over her too.
"But before I could fall asleep you-" Regina about to finish her story but was cut short.
"But I was still awake and I thanked you for protecting me." Henry finished for her with a smile on his face. She smiled back at him as she put a hand over his. It was a simple story but it had been Henry's favorite for reasons Regina couldn't figure out. Henry knew exactly why he loved that story so much; even I he wouldn't let himself admit it. He loved it because it was a sign that she would always protect him, even from something as simple as a sound.
_
"Emma just called; she will be here in five minutes to pick you up." Regina sadly told him as she walked into the room with a new bowl of popcorn for Henry. They had been watching a movie before Emma called.
Henry stared at the ground for a moment before replying. "I was thinking maybe I could sleep here tonight." Henry told her as he tried to act like it was no big deal.
All the fears from earlier flooded her mind as she began to visibly tremble. "Oh, um, if Emma allows it you may stay here." Regina told him as she avoided making eye contact with him.
"I don't have to if you don't want me to." Henry told her, sensing her uneasiness.
"No!" Regina nearly shouted. The fear of losing him overpowered all other fears she had. "I would love to have you spend the night over here, I just…" Regina told him this time looking him in the eyes. Regina looked away so he wouldn't see her tears but it was too late. "Why do you want to stay over here?"
Henry looked at the floor as he decided what to say. Regina tried to keep her tears at bay. "I just need my mom." He simply replied but this was all it took to break her. She broke down into tears as her son called her 'mom' again. To other mothers this was a simple everyday occurrence, but to her it was a rare occurrence. She knew they still had a long road to go back to being the way they used to be but this was a start. Henry wrapped his arms around her waist as he tried to stop her tears.
_
Regina tucked Henry into bed and turned on a small nightlight. Henry hadn't used it for year but it was an old habit Regina had absentmindedly done. She started to head out the door but before she could leave she heard her son's voice.
"Could I sleep in your room tonight? I know I'm too old but could I do it just one more time."
"You're not too old, and yes you may." Regina tried to tell him in a calm voice but she could tell her excitement shone through.
A/N: Sorry for the wait, I haven't got much sleep the past few days and didn't have enough energy to finish this chapter. Please tell me what you think and please tell me moments you want to see between Henry and Regina. I seriously need some ideas. Thank you so much to everyone who reads, reviews, favorites, or follows this story!