Okay, so you guys seem to be enjoying this…that makes me extremely happy.

Here goes the rest of Regina's day after Emma disappeared.

(Disclaimer in first chapter)

Previously:

"Emma!" I fell forward, intent on grabbing her, but I landed on my stomach on the hard ground beneath my apple tree. The purple smoke had disappeared, and with it, Emma.

"No, no, no, no, Emma!" I was furiously clawing at the ground. Uprooting the grass and managing only to get dirt stuck under my fingernails. "I'm sorry, Emma, please come back." a tear slipped down my cheek, but I ignored it. I knew she didn't do that herself. Whatever that was. A portal, I guessed, but to where? I had no clue.

I sat crying amongst the upturned patches of grass. I should have listened to her, I should have just left the magic training until I had learned to better control my own powers. I had just wanted her to be safe, and to keep Henry safe. Henry. Oh god. What would I tell him? He'd hate me, for sure. And those insufferable idiots, they'd believe I sent Emma away on purpose. The whole town would condemn me, and I'd have no chance of getting her back. I needed to get her back. The only problem was, I had no idea where to even start. "Emma…" I sobbed, I hadn't even realised I'd started outright sobbing. My heart ached. I'd lost a part of it again.

I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them to myself. I was so absorbed in my pain I only barely felt a small hand on my shoulder. A scared voice shook me out of my daze, "Mom?"

"Henry," I whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. It was an accident." I was babbling, mumbling an apology over and over to the boy sitting on his knees in front of me. "Sorry for what, mom? What happened? Where's Emma?" he looked terrified. Rightly so, he'd come home to find his one mother sobbing hysterically on the grass, and his other mother was nowhere to be found.

"I don't…she…we were…it's just…I'm sorry, Henry!" I couldn't find the words to explain to him what had transpired.

"Mom! Look at me, it's okay. Just breathe." he was wise beyond his years. When had my little boy become so grown up? I guessed that after everything he had been through in the past few years, he would have had to. That made my heart ache even more. I looked into his eyes, seeing only concern. I steadied myself with a deep breath. "We were practising magic, something happened, I don't know what. Emma fell into a portal, Henry. I don't know where she went! I tried to save her, I was too late. I'm so sorry!"

"Stop apologising, mom. It's okay. We'll find her. We'll always find her. That's what family is."

"You're not mad?" I took his hands into mine. My little boy.

"Did you send Emma away on purpose?" he asked incredulously. No hint of malice in his voice. I was still taken aback by the question. "No, Henry, I would never…I lo..."

"I know, mom." he interrupted my revelation. "So then I have nothing to be mad about. It was an accident, and we'll fix it."

"Henry, I'd don't know how to fix it. I don't know where the portal sent her, I don't know exactly how. My magic is unreliable at best." I felt like I might start to cry again. Henry snuggled close to me and put his arms around my shoulders. I hugged him back and kissed his head. "You'll find a way. I love you, mom."

"I love you, too, my Prince."

Ten minutes later, we were on our way to the Charming's apartment. I wasn't really up for this visit, but it had to happen. Snow opened the door in her usual, cheerful manner. It vanished the moment she saw me. I hadn't changed, or even washed my face. My makeup was smeared from crying, I had grass stains on my trousers, and my hands were still covered in dirt. "Henry! Regina? What's the matter?"

"Something happened with Emma…" I started, but Snow blew up.

"What did you do to her, Regina? I swear, if you hurt my daughter, I will see to it that you never see the light of day again." She was seething. Charming came out from the back somewhere, holding baby Neal. "What's going on?"

"Grandma, it was an accident! Mom didn't mean to…" Henry tried to explain, but Snow was having none of it.

"Henry, she is not your mother, Emma is. I have let this little charade go on long enough." She turned to me, "Where is my daughter, Regina?" it was more an order than it was a question.

"I don't know, if you would just listen and let me explain!"

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Exactly that, I was helping Emma with her magic, she touched my arm and something happened…our magic combined, I think, it created a portal, and Emma fell in. I was too late to catch her. I tried!" why I was explaining myself to this woman, I didn't know.

Snow looked like she had been hit with a brick. Calm before the storm. Suddenly all hell broke loose. Snow jumped at me, throwing punches and yelling obscenities. I lifted my arms to shield myself, and buy some miracle, an actual magic shield appeared between us. Baby Neal stared wailing, Henry screamed at Snow to stop. Charming, loath as I am to admit, did the chivalrous thing. He placed Neal in the playpen, took hold of Snow, and lifted her up and away from me. She kept kicking and screaming, but he held on to her until she calmed down. Henry ran to my side the second Snow was lifted off of me, and the magic shield dissipated just as quickly as it materialized.

I chastised myself for being so weak. Not too long ago, I would have incinerated the dark haired little brat in a heartbeat. Now I could barely protect myself. I was becoming soft. It was unsettling. I steeled myself and slipped into the Mayoral persona I would need to get my point across. "Look, this has been lovely, but I really do need to find a way to get Emma back. If the two of you would like to be of assistance, you are welcome to do so, on my terms. If not, I think it best if you stayed out of my way. Come along, Henry." I turned to leave. Not even casting a second glance at the stunned two idiots.

"Where are we going, mom?" Henry slipped his hand into mine on the way down the stairs. "I'm going to drop you off at Katherine's, and then I am going to start looking for a way to find Emma." he stopped suddenly and pulled at my arm "No, mom, I want to help." He had a determined look on his face that reminded me so much of his mother. Oh, I missed her.

"Henry, it's too dangerous. I need you to be safe. I can't lose you, too."

"You won't, mom. And you won't lose Emma, either. We'll find her, and bring her home. And then maybe you can tell her that thing that you were about to tell me earlier." I paled; I had forgotten that I had almost confessed my love for Emma to Henry. Although Emma and I had gotten very close lately, we hadn't really talked about feelings. We were there for each other when needed, but feelings never came up. If I were being honest with myself, I have loved her for quite a while. I sometimes get the notion that she might share the sentiment, but I have always been too afraid to say anything.

"I have no idea what you're referring to, Henry." I tried playing it off. It didn't work. Henry just looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "All right, fine. Maybe I will tell her when we get her back. Now, you are going to stay with Katherine. End of discussion." I resumed walking. "Fine, you can leave me with her, but you can't stop me from trying to help. I love Emma, too."

"So do we." a voice came from behind us, just as we got to the car. I turned to see Snow and Charming, with little Neal on his hip, walking towards us. "I don't trust you, Regina, but if we help, at least I'll be able to keep an eye on you."

"Snow." Charming admonished. She just shrugged.

I sighed, "Fine, although I do hope you're not planning on bringing the child along." I nodded my head at Neal. He giggled and smiled and waved his arms at me. Odd.

"No," Charming said, "We called Ruby. She should be here in a few minutes." Just then, the wolf girl came strutting around the corner. "Ruby!" Henry shouted at her, "Mom, can I stay with Ruby and Neal please? I'll be good." He looked at me with a pout and, as Emma put it, puppy dog eyes. I couldn't resist. "Yes, okay. You can stay with Miss Lucas. Just promise you'll listen to her."

"I promise. Thank you!" he ran over to Ruby, and hugged her. My trust in this wolf only stretches as far as Emma's does, and that, it seemed, was unconditional.

Ruby took Neal and the three of them wandered back into the apartment. "Right, where to first?" asked Charming, ever the Knight in shining armour. This was going to be a long day, but if it got Emma back, I would gladly suffer through it.

AN" So…what do you think? I know Regina is a bit out of character, okay, maybe a lot out of character, in the first part. I'm trying to show how much she actually cares for Emma, and how much she has changed.