Part Three

"Mom!" Henry called. Regina looked away from brushing her horse to see him racing across the Palace courtyard toward the stables. "Mom, look!" He jumped over a pile of hay and skidded to a stop in front of Regina. He grinned, clutching something in one hand.

Regina paused halfway through brushing her horse's neck, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Daniel watching them from an adjacent stall. Henry frowned at Daniel. He had been struggling with Daniel's presence, and though he hadn't said as much, Regina knew Henry blamed Daniel for Emma's absence.

"What is it, Henry?" Regina asked, putting down her brush. Henry held out a wooden rabbit, and Regina knelt in front of him. She took the rabbit from his hands and turned it over carefully, examining it. "It's beautiful. Where did you get it?"

Henry grinned. "Emma sent it to me."

Regina tore her gaze away from the rabbit, startled. "Emma?" She felt like her heart was being squeezed.

"Yeah. I'm sorry. I thought you'd like seeing it. It means Emma's okay, and that she's thinking of us."

Regina blinked rapidly a few times and handed the rabbit back to Henry. She placed it in his palm and curled his fingers around it firmly before she let go so there was no chance he would drop it. "You're right. Did she send a message?"

"No," Henry said, frowning. "I think she just wanted to let us know she was okay. She's probably not ready to come back yet."

Would she ever be? As the weeks dragged on, Regina became more aware that before Storybrooke Emma had bounced from place to place, running from her problems. She thought that had changed, but perhaps Emma had finally run from them. Her hope that Emma would return of her own volition was dwindling.

Her thoughts must have shown on her face because Daniel strode out of his horse's stall and crouched beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She will come back, Regina. I know she will."

Despite the difficulties of their relationship - or perhaps because of them - Daniel was amazingly understanding of Regina's desire to have Emma return. Regina leaned into his side, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head. It was innocent, nothing more than a gesture of comfort, and Regina marveled at the ease of that action.

She noticed Henry studying them. Regina allowed herself another moment of taking comfort from Daniel before she gently pulled away and stood. "Come on, Henry. Why don't we find a safe place in your rooms to put that rabbit?"

"Okay," Henry said. He waited until they were inside the castle and well out of earshot of Daniel before he continued, "I think you and Daniel get along better as friends than when you're trying to be in love."

Startled, Regina's step faltered. "What?"

"I know you don't think I notice it, but you and Daniel get..." He paused for a moment, his face scrunched up as if searching for the right word. "Weird." He shrugged. "You're really awkward when you try to be in love with him." He looked up at her. "You're not awkward when you're just being friends, though."

Regina struggled to keep her composure. Henry was intelligent, but he was still only eleven years old, and it seemed impossible to explain her tangled and confused feelings in a way that would make sense to him. How could he understand how it felt to have spent years believing the person she loved most was dead - the person whose death she had sought vengeance for - only to discover that he had been alive the whole time?

There wasn't a way, and so she kept silent.

. . .

It took another two months for Emma realize that she was no longer capable of living alone. She needed people now. She needed friends and family. She couldn't pull off living years - or even half a year - with nothing more than shallow relationships and one night stands. Storybrooke had ruined her.

This is a very bad idea played on repeat in Emma's head, but still she kept her horse plodding along through the woods until she reached a large clearing where a wooden house stood. Emma smiled when she saw a red-cloaked figure emerge from a chicken coop.

She dismounted her horse and headed toward the house. "Hey, Ru - Red!" Emma called.

Red spun to face Emma. Red shouted her name, dropping the basket in her hands, and ran toward Emma as fast as she could with her cloak billowing out behind her. She threw her arms around Emma's neck, hitting Emma with enough force to knock her back a few steps.

"Hey, I didn't know you missed me so much," Emma said.

"We've all been worried about you," Red said, and Emma couldn't help but feel guilty. "I know you sent Henry that rabbit a few weeks ago, but still, Emma."

"I'm sorry," Emma said as Red pulled away and slapped her arm lightly. "I just needed some space from Regina. With Daniel coming back and everything."

Red gave her a sympathetic look. "Regina misses you, Emma. She doesn't say anything, but Henry's told me."

Emma shook her head. "She has Daniel."

"Oh, Emma, you reallyneed to talk to her."

"But Daniel - "

"I don't know the whole story. But I know she misses you, and she gets this look on her face every time your name is mentioned. Please just go talk to her. If you need more time after that then take it, but please go."

"I don't think she wants to talk to me, Red. I mean it," she added when saw Red about to protest. "But I missed you too. Would it be okay if I stayed here for a week?"

Red smiled. "Stay as long as you like."

. . .

A knock on her chamber door drew Regina's attention from the spell book she had been pouring over for the last hour. Sighing, she set the book down and opened the door. Snow White stood on the other side, staring up at her with an unreadable expression.

"Is there a problem?" Regina asked, keeping one hand firmly on the door.

Snow held out a piece of parchment. "Red sent me this letter."

Regina rose her eyebrows. "And?"

Snow took a steadying breath as though her next words would cost her and said, "Emma is at her house."

Regina tightened her grip on the door, struggling to keep her face blank. "I see." Her voice was strained. Emma had been found. She was sure her knuckles must be turning white with how hard she gripped the door.

Snow's gaze flicked to Regina's hand and then back to her eyes. "When I spoke to Daniel, I told him the same things James told you. You need to make a choice. I haven't forgiven you yet, but Emma is my daughter. For whatever reason, she loves you. So..." Snow handed Regina the parchment. "I wrote down how to get to Granny's house on the back of the letter. Emma won't stay at Granny's forever so don't take too long to decide." With that, Snow turned and strode away.

Regina turned the letter over and stared at the directions.

. . .

Daniel looked up from unlacing his boots when Regina entered his rooms. She paused in the doorway, taking a moment to gather her thoughts - which were as scattered as the surprisingly numerous possessions Daniel had managed to collect over the past three months. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside the room and closed the door.

"You look like you need to talk." Daniel patted the spot on the bed next to him. "Why don't you sit down?"

Regina sat down next to him.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

"Emma's been found," Regina said, not quite able to meet his eyes.

"You want to go to her," Daniel said. He didn't sound upset or angry. She brought her gaze up to meet his. He smiled at her sadly. "It's okay, Regina. I've been thinking, and...you should find Emma."

Regina's eyes widened. "But what about you?"

"I'll be fine," Daniel said. He placed a hand over Regina's where it rested on her knee. "We've been trying to make this work, trying to make things like they were, but we can't." He glanced away for a moment and took a deep breath. "Too much time has passed, and too much has happened." He squeezed her hand. "I love you, Regina. I always will. It just has to be a different kind of love now."

Regina smiled. Tears slipped down her cheeks which Daniel whipped away. "I love you too, Daniel."

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Then he stood, took hold of Regina's hands and pulled her to her feet. "Now go find the Princess."

. . .

A few days later, when Emma opened Granny's front door to see Regina staring at her like she'd forgotten what Emma looked like, Emma decided she was going to kill Red. Werewolf or no, Emma was going to kill her when she and Granny came back from town.

Emma kept one hand on the door, prepared to close it. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you," Regina said. Her gaze trailed up and down Emma's body, the same way it had when they first met. "You've been gone for months."

"Only three," Emma said. "You'd be impressed how long I could disappear before Storybrooke. I don't plan to stay long." A tinge of panic entered Regina's expression. Well, that's interesting."What do you want to talk about?"

Regina looked pained. "I never meant for you to think I didn't love you. Please, come back."

Emma tensed, her heart pounding. She glared. "You called me your friend."

"Daniel had just woken up after twenty years. I thought he was dead!" Regina's voice rose. "He was disoriented and confused, and the last thing he remembered was that we were engaged." Tears sprang to Regina's eyes. Emma felt like shrinking into herself. "I didn't know what to do." Then her anger seemed to be outweighed by her desperation, and she reached out for Emma, who flinched away. "Please."

"You love him." Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "You're happy when he's around. The way you looked at him... You've never looked at me that way."

"You're right, I still love him," Regina said, and Emma felt her eyes burn, "but I've realized that I'm not inlove with him anymore. Too much has passed since that night. Daniel is still the man I fell in love with, but I'm not the person he loved. We can't make it work."

Emma looked away. Just because Regina and Daniel couldn't make it work didn't mean that she was willing to be a consolation prize.

"I never wanted you to leave," Regina said. Emma felt a hand rest on her arm. "I came after you that day. They told me you were leaving, and I tried to stop you. I'm so sorry, Emma."

Emma blinked back her tears. She refused to let Regina see her cry. Regina cupped Emma's cheek and placed a finger under her chin, lifting Emma's head to meet her gaze. "Daniel and I will always have a connection. We're still friends, and he will be a fantastic role model for Henry. But I'm choosing you, Emma."

Emma stared at Regina, studying her features carefully for any hint of a lie. And then she leaned forward and kissed Regina hard on the mouth. She pulled Regina against the wall. Her hands gripped Regina's hips, and then she slid one hand down to rest on Regina's ass, and the other up to Regina's back.

"I love you," Regina gasped between kisses.

"I love you too." Emma slipped her hand into Regina's pants, sighing softly when her hand came into contact with the bare skin of Regina's ass. She squeezed, and Regina moaned. "You think Granny will mind if we have sex in her doorway?"

"Probably," Regina said. "Do you have a room?"

"Yes." Emma nibbled on Regina's earlobe and growled when she felt Regina's knees buckle.

Regina whimpered. "Take me there."

. . .

Regina rested her head on Emma's chest with a contented sigh. Emma trailed the tip of one finger up and down Regina's skin. Regina placed a kiss to Emma's chest and pressed her body closer against Emma's.

"I missed you," Regina said, hating the way her voice quivered ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry," Emma said. "I shouldn't have left."

Regina couldn't bring herself to deny that, so she kept silent and kissed Emma's bare skin once more. "You'll be coming back with me, of course." She intended for it to be a statement, but her voice rose slightly at the end, betraying it as a question.

She felt Emma press her lips against her forehead and murmur against her skin, "Yes."

Regina sighed in relief. They lay in silence for a few minutes before Emma said, "Is Daniel going to remain at the Palace?"

Regina tensed, wondering if this was when Emma changed her mind. "Yes. He works at the stables in the Palace now." She felt the vibrations as Emma gave a low hum in response. "It won't be a problem, Emma. He knows how I feel about you. We discussed it."

"Okay," Emma said. "I believe you."

. . .

The castle courtyard was alive with activity when Emma and Regina returned. James stood outside the castle gates with a smile on his face. Emma frowned when she saw Daniel standing beside him, looking nervous and hopeful.

"I'm glad you found true love on your travels," James said, grinning at Emma.

Emma flashed him a smile, dismounted her horse, and moved around her horse to stand in front of Daniel. He watched her nervously. Behind her, she heard Regina's feet hit the ground.

"I'm glad to see you've returned, Princess Emma," he said. "I'm happy Regina was able to find you."

He was genuinely pleased for Regina, and Emma felt her hostility towards him ebbing away. "Me too." She smiled at him. "Thank you, Daniel. And you can call me Emma." It would take some time, she knew, before she fully trusted that his presence wouldn't jeopardize her and Regina's relationship. But she would try her best to curb the jealousy she felt toward him. He was important to Regina, and Emma never wanted Regina to have to lose someone she loved ever again.

Regina's hand slipped into her own. Out of the corner of her eye, Emma saw Regina and Daniel share a smile before Daniel entered the Palace courtyard and headed toward the stables. Emma clamped down on her jealousy.

"He's a good friend," Emma said. She felt Regina's tension slip away. "I'm glad you have him." And she was, despite her insecurities.

"Thank you."

Emma turned to face her fully, giving Regina's hand a gentle squeeze. "I love you, Regina."

Regina kissed her then, and Emma felt her smile against her lips.