Part 2

Almost a month passed during which, according to Henry's wishes, the three of them would meet at 7 pm. Hook showed up during the first few meetings, glaring at Regina like wrestlers in a ring, and Emma forbade him to come. She enjoyed moments with her family. And she felt more and more affiliation with Henry and Regina than with Hook, who seemed to be trying to succeed in getting her pregnant by dragging her to bed almost every day. But Emma was careful. Increasingly choosing to work longer hours, until finally her father pointed it out to her. While informing her mother, with whom he talked about everything.

Emma was also haunted by thoughts of dust, Regina's heart, the forgetfulness potion, and... suddenly she got up from her desk so fast that the chair tipped over.

"What happened?" David, sitting across from him with the newspaper, asked.

"I have to check something." Emma said and left quickly.

It was getting warmer outside, the school year was ending and summer vacation was beginning. She couldn't help but think of Regina in summer dresses.

She went to the building occupied by fairies and after a while knocked on the appropriate door.

She opened Tinkerbell for her, raising her eyebrows.

"Savior? What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in? I want to ask you something?"

The fairy stepped aside, letting her inside.

Emma hesitated looking at the woman, involuntarily remembering that the fairy had once been in a casual relationship with Hook and that was probably why she was now looking at Emma blushing slightly.

"It's not about Hook." She calmed her down and Tinkerbell sighed as she gestured Emma to a chair by the window. She sat on the bed herself.

"So what?"

"What did Regina need the forgetfulness potion for?" she asked directly.

Tinkerbell looked at her carefully.

"Does Regina know you're here?"

"No, and she doesn't need to know that." Emma was getting annoyed. "Listen, she drank a potion to forget something. If so, she won't tell me what. I want to help her somehow, but I don't know how."

"Unusual concern for the Evil Queen." The fairy sighed.

"Regina is my... friend." Emma explained poorly.

"Surely." Tinkerbell narrowed her eyes, thinking for a moment. "Regina wanted to forget about talking to your mother."

Emma shook her head.

"What conversation?"

The fairy sighed.

"After Robin Hood died, Regina came to me asking if I could try the dust again to find her love."

"Wait a minute..." Emma raised her hand, slowly processing the information. "But Robin was her true love, she wanted to meet someone new? Did the dust point her to someone?"

"Regina had...doubts if the dust pointed her to the right person...she wasn't sure if Robin was her true love..." The fairy looked at her intently. "She wanted to know if the dust could be wrong..."

"Could it be?" Emma's curiosity was at its peak.

"Dust isn't wrong." The fairy blushed.

"But...?" Emma suggested.

"But I could, okay?" Tinkerbell huffed. "It's possible that I pointed out the wrong person in that inn, that it wasn't Robin, but... someone else..."

"Like someone standing next to him?" Emma drilled, and the fairy nodded. "Do you know who it was?"

"Talk to your mother." The fairy said simply and opened the door for Emma.

The blonde hurried to her parents' apartment.

"Emma?" What are you doing here?" Snow asked.

"What have you been talking to Regina about lately?" she asked, barely catching her breath.

"Why don't you sit down first?" Snow said nervously.

"You know what I'm asking, right?" Snow clearly avoided her gaze. "What were you talking about that made Regina drink the forgetfulness potion, mom?"

Snow shook her head.

"I can't tell her secret. I promised not to tell anyone." Snow said softly.

"You already told the wrong person once. Do you think I want to hurt her?" Emma pouted. "I became the Dark One to save her!"

Her mother watched her with a strange expression on her face.

"Why do you want to know her secrets? If she didn't tell you then she didn't want you to know, Emma. I think you have to respect her decision." Mary Margaret said carefully.

"Maybe she wanted to tell me? But who knows if she doesn't remember it?" Emma raised her voice, she wasn't normally a nosy person and didn't know what had come over her, but she still wanted to dig deeper, wanted to know everything about the brunette.

"Emma.." Snow sighed, gently squeezing her daughter's hand.

"Listen, just tell me what's going on with her. Henry is worried about her..." Emma trailed off.

"Henry or you?" Snow asked with concern.

"Both... I mean... Regina is his mother, I treat her like a member of the family..." Emma looked at her mother pleadingly. "Mom please..."

Snow sighed and turned away from her daughter, walking to the kettle and setting the water on the stove. Emma knew better than to rush Snow.

"Regina wondered if Robin was her true love." Snow said as she placed a steaming mug of tea in front of EMma and sat across from her. "She asked me how I knew Charming was meant for me."

"Hmm..." Emma murmured. "But that's not all..." She pointed out to her mother.

"No." Snow was clearly struggling with herself. "I'm only telling you this because I know you won't hurt her, and I'm begging Emma, don't do anything rash."

Emma nodded noncommittally, listening carefully.

"Regina told me how magic dust led her to an inn where Tinkerbell pointed her to a man with a tattoo, Robin Hood." Her mother closed her eyes, sighing. "I made the connection because I was right next to him when the green glow appeared. I had my hood over my head and I was talking to the bartender about my faithful subjects, Charming and I wanted our castle back..." Snow looked at Emma as if indicating the end of the story, but the blonde still didn't understand much.

"So the dust pointed to you? You are Regina's true love?" Emma scoffed, suddenly angry and... jealous... of her own mother, but then she saw Snow shake her head with a smile.

"We would be the most mismatched couple in the world, and besides, you know we share one heart with your father, and you are the product of true love..."

"I got lost." Emma sighed and Snow became serious.

"I was pregnant, Emma." She spoke softly and barely audibly, but the Savior heard and the cup hit the floor, splattering finely.

"You mean me and Regina..."

"Yeah, it looks like you two are made for each other." Snow murmured. "Although I would never expect it, let alone accept this ... relationship ... my daughter with my stepmother." Snow shuddered.

Emma sat stunned.

"Emma? Emma..." Mary Margaret shook her shoulder lightly. "You alright?"

"How can it be okay? Regina is my true love, she knows it - or she doesn't because she drank the potion and my mother didn't tell me before. How could you?" Emma got up.

"It was Regina's decision, and while I agree with her very rarely, I think she did the right thing." Snow said firmly as she stood up as well. "Emma, what will this information give you now? You are in a happy relationship with the man of your choice."

"You're kidding, right? Tell me it's a joke..."

"You're not seriously considering it, Emma!" Snow gasped.

"It's my life, and you still want to decide it!" Emma raised her voice.

"Emma... you don't... you don't date women..." Snow remarked, lowering her voice.

"How do you know that? You've known me for seven years! Because you put me in a magic wardrobe and sent me to this world as a newborn!"

Snow shook her head without even trying to argue.

"Since when do you know that?" Emma asked pacing impatiently around the room.

"What will it give you..."

"Since when?!" Emma screamed.

"A few days before the wedding." Snow said softly.

"I don't believe it, I don't... that you didn't tell me..." Emma felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"Regina didn't want to inform you..."

"But it's my life too!" Emma screamed. "And you allowed me to get married, you encouraged me! Even though you knew what it was like to live without the person you were meant to be, even though you knew how long Regina was looking for her happy ending!"

"Not everyone deserves one." Snow said firmly.

"Are you sure? And what did you do with David to Maleficent's child? Who killed Cora?!" Emma drawled as she watched the colors drain from Snow's face. "You best know that nothing is black and white and that Regina has done more than anyone in this town to prove she's good!"

The Savior finished and found that she couldn't be in the same room with her mother any longer.

She left, and Snow didn't even try to stop her.

Not knowing what to do, nor wanting to see Killian at home, Emma felt overwhelmed by such a heavy burden that she did what she usually did - got in the car and drove away.

She stopped only after a few hours in Boston, outside Neal's old apartment. Realizing she had no keys, she walked around the back of the building, stocking up at the liquor store along the way, and climbed the fire escape ladder to the top. The window was loose, so she had no problem opening it. She walked into the dusty room where the dreamcatcher still hung, and the thought of her dead landlord made her feel even more sorry.

She noticed that Henry had sent her a message, so she texted him that she was fine, but that she wouldn't be joining them for dinner.

She kicked off her shoes, sat down on the dirty floor, stared at the wall, and opened a beer.

"Fucking unbelievable." She grunted and felt the magic flow through her so strong that the bottle shattered in her hand.

Blood ran down her wrist. She tried to heal herself but couldn't. So she found a rag in the closet and tied it around her hand, struggling to open the second beer.

After a few more, she fell asleep, plunging into a restless sleep where chocolate eyes haunted her.

But when she awoke in the morning, lifting her eyelids, she must have blinked several times, because the same eyes stared at her that she had dreamed of all night.

"Regina?" She croaked weakly.

"I'm glad you're alive, Miss Swan. Your mother and your husband have haunted me, one worse than the other, until I don't know which is worse and I wonder why I abandoned my plan to kill Snow. Henry is worried too. Can you explain to me what you are doing here? Is it some sentimental journey for some unknown anniversary, or a plan to escape from the insistent Pirate?" The mayor spoke, speaking so many words at once that Emma was dizzy, though that might just be the effect of the alcohol she had consumed.

And suddenly the events of the previous day hit her. With such force that she moved as far away from the brunette as possible until she hit the wall. Regina stared at her with raised eyebrows, not moving an inch, only straightening up when she no longer had to bend over the blonde. Her gaze fell on the bloody rag on the Savior's hand.

"Are you hurt?" She asked and her composed figure twitched, but she quickly controlled herself and, still not moving from her place, waved her hand and the rag disappeared, along with the wound.

"Thanks." The blonde murmured.

"What's going on?" Regina asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "I guess you're past your escape phase."

"How did you find me?" Emma asked, stunned.

"I don't know." Regina shrugged. "Let's call it intuition."

"Do you really think so? It's just intuition?" Emma stared at the brunette.

"Emma, what's going on? You're acting strange to say the least." Regina smiled weakly. "It all started with meeting the Hatter, maybe you picked up some of his madness?"

"Not you, please, not you..." Emma muttered, sliding down the wall. "I don't know what to think or what I feel and I can't talk to you because you don't remember!"

"I don't remember what?" Regina came over and crouched down beside her.

"It doesn't matter anyway." Emma said weakly. "I want to be angry with you, but I can't..." She whispered, looking into chocolate eyes. "I'm sorry, I... what time is it? We should get back." Emma wanted to get up, but the woman held her hands.

"Wait." Regina touched Emma's forehead, brushing back an unruly strand. The blonde shuddered as she felt familiar sparks. Regina's face was so close. Emma had never been good at suppressing her instincts, so she pulled Regina close and kissed her with all her might, pouring out her feelings.

And Regina let her. Her sigh and throaty moan only encouraged Emma to continue.

But after a while the brunette pushed her away and probably due to strong emotions, she pinned her to the wall with magic. Emma couldn't move.

"Sorry." Regina grunted, still flushed from the kiss. She reversed the spell. "Henry's graduation day tomorrow. Don't be late. Tomorrow afternoon, he'll want to go to the Enchanted Forest."

"So soon?" Emma whispered.

"A month has passed." Regina noticed without looking at the blonde. "See you tomorrow... Em-ma."