It started with the picture from Henry's birthday party where Regina began making appearances in the photographs. Emma had taken quite a few pictures with the birthday boy in their matching armour, though Regina had kept those. The older woman, however, made doubles of this particular photo where after Emma had made Regina her own crown, the trio had got their picture taken by the base of the stairs. Henry was on Regina's hip, a toothy grin on his face as he reached to wrap an arm around Emma who had her sword swung across her shoulders. Despite the paper crown and the ribbon trailing down her collar bone, Regina looked every bit the Queen she was teased to be.

Every picture held a story, a memory Emma promised to keep with her forever. Some pictures were as recent as her own birthday party where she was sitting on the couch with Ruby and Tina, or the more comical image of the entire group of guests, apparently slanted and dim save for a red glow around them as they were positioned around the dining room table, grinning at Henry behind the camera who insisted he wanted to try. Regina wasn't surprised to find that Henry had kept his thumb on the lens when she was scrolling through the Canon's library later that night.

Finally she got to the last picture where her heart clenched in her chest. It was just Emma and Regina, taken two days after her party when they were going through the digital camera's library and Regina had noticed they hadn't had one of them alone together.

"Let's fix that," the blond had said before grabbing the Canon and holding it above their heads. Regina had smirked at the gesture but pressed into Emma's side all the same, her head nestled just above Emma's shoulder and settled into the crook of the blonde's neck, both women sporting matching grins.

Regina made doubles of that picture too.

It killed Emma to leave all this behind. It was ironic, really, when she thought about everything that got her to this point. Without being orphaned, she'd never go into foster care; she'd never get treated differently by the other kids who saw her holey shoes and too-large shirts as a sign of her poverty. She'd never have a stubborn attitude or a problem with authority and a knack for constantly getting into trouble with the cops until one day it mattered. Without enlisting, Emma would never in a million years had found Regina and Henry, and now all she wanted to do was turn her back on the institution that gave her a second chance in more ways than one. She could stick it out for a few more years, she decided. Only five more to go before she was released completely. Maybe after her next tour she could inquire about the National Guard.

She snapped her head up when she heard Henry screaming and crying, and without further thought, Emma stashed her pictures back in her rucksack and sprinted out the door. Taking the stairs two at a time, she followed his crying to the playroom where she was ready to sooth any boo-boo or scare away any monsters that may have frightened the child, but all she found was Regina, kneeling by the entrance of his pop-up tent with a grimace on her face.

"Sweetie, please don't cry," Regina soothed, raking her nails up and down the polyester as if that alone could sooth the boy within it.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked confused, crouching beside Regina and peaking her head into the mesh window of the tent. She was met with a plush pillow nearly to the face as Henry threw a cushion at it when Emma had tried to look in. "Hey," she scolded instinctively. "You don't throw things, mister."

His body thrashed against the padded floor of his tent, no doubt trying to make as much noise as possible as he continued to wail.

"Why's he crying?" Emma asked again, looking at Regina for the answer this time.

Regina bit her lip and tilted her head apologetically. "I told him he's staying home from daycare today."

"I thought he knew that?" The blonde questioned confused. "Is it arts and crafts day or something?"

"Yes, but that's not the point." Regina leaned closer and placed her palm over Emma's, squeezing affectionately. "I said that you're returning back to work, which is why we'll be going out and later bringing you to the airport."

Emma's lips parted in understanding as she turned back to the tent, Henry's near-scream crying turning into breathless sniffling.

"He doesn't want you to go," Regina provided, though it wasn't necessary as Emma already had a similar frown set on her face. She stopped the blonde with a press of her hand when Emma attempted to lift the flap of the entranceway. "You can't go into his castle unless he allows you to."

Squinting, Emma lifted the flap regardless of the warning but promptly dropped it when a high-pitched scream erupted as soon as the smallest sliver of Henry was revealed. She nodded sheepishly when Regina gave her an I told you so look before moving onto her stomach and crawling to the other entrance where the play tunnel was usually positioned. "Henry?" Emma called out tentatively, knocking at the flap to signal her presence. His sniffles quieted but didn't falter. "Buddy, can I come in?"

"No."

"How come?"

"Don't wanna go to the airport."

"But I want to see you before I go," she reasoned.

"You stay." His tone was firm and insistent.

"I wish I could, Henry." If there was ever any promise she could make to Henry, right now she wished she was able to make that one.

He sniffled once more before peaking his head to the window, his eyes red-rimmed and his nose snotty. "Just say you're sick?" He offered hopefully.

Emma gave a watery laugh as Regina half smiled adoringly half mentally scolded her son for the idea.

"I have to be super duper sick for them to give me a day off."

"Sweetie," Regina encouraged softly, positioned outside her own entrance. She said nothing more, but her voice drawled on in silent communication with her son, and without anything more than simply pushing out at the flaps from inside, the women were granted entrance into his safe haven.

The inside of his tent was a bright red hue from the roof while sunlight trickled in from the mesh window. The tent was only large enough so that both women could get only their heads and arms inside, but once they had settled, Emma could see Henry, huddled into the furthest corner clutching Rex, Sea Turtle, and Rexy Junior to his chest, his cheeks stained with tears and his lip jutting out in a pout.

"Sweetie, come here," Regina enticed, opening up her arms for comfort.

The conflict in Henry's eyes told both women that while he wanted comfort and promises that he'd get what he want, he wanted to make a point and resisted his mother's warmth with a petulant shake of his head.

"But we're going to go ride horses today," Regina propositioned. "We can't do that if you stay in here all day."

"But I don't want Emma to go!" He cried hard, a fresh wave of tears streaming down his face, his mouth opened wide as one long wail came out of him.

"Oh sweetie," Regina frowned and tugged Henry toward her. It didn't take much effort to get the boy to cave and wrap his arms around his mother, wetting her blouse with his tears. "I don't want her to go either," she whispered softly into his hair, rubbing his back and threading her fingers through his hair.

Emma frowned, watching as both brunettes hugged tightly. She managed to shimmy her way further into the tent and nudged Henry with her head. He quieted down and grabbed the front of his polo to wipe his nose on it, coughing hard into his shirt to get control of his breathing. She held up her pinky when he was settled and looked imploringly, not only at Henry but also casting a side eye to his mother. "I promise you I will be back, and we will have even more fun."

He eyed her pinky warily. "When?"

Emma gave a tight-lipped smile. "I don't know that yet, but as soon as I get to go home again I'm coming right back here."

"Tomorrow?" He asked hopefully.

She laughed sadly, and even Regina gave her son an extra tight squeeze. "Not tomorrow, honey," Regina said.

"Day after that?"

Emma shook her head. "Not anytime soon, kid. But you know what?" He lifted his head an inch from Regina's chest to indicate he was listening. "We can write to each other again. I missed getting pictures from you. Did you like drawing for me?"

He nodded softly, wiping at his nose again and allowing Regina to dry his cheeks with her thumb.

"You can help Mommy write to Emma," Regina added. "Remember we send her gifts that you pick out?"

He nodded again, more bounce to his approval.

"Can you come out now or are we going to have a camp out here for the day?" Emma questioned lightly.

Henry tilted his head, clearly thinking the thought of a camp out was just as enticing as visiting the ponies, but his love for the animals overrode his desire to play camping for he nodded again. "We go ride the horses now?"

Regina pressed a kiss to his head. "Yes, we'll go see them now."

"Well," Emma drawled with a shrug. "Not until I get my hug first."

She didn't have to wait long for Henry to stand and launch himself at Emma, his arms wrapping around her head as he hugged her fiercely. Emma wasn't usually a hugger, not until she had come to Storybrooke where the need to blow raspberries against Henry's neck or the desire to wrap an arm around Regina's waist was so strong she found herself doing so instinctively. As she hugged the little boy, the one she had watched grow up through letters and drawings, she put all of herself in that moment because who knew how big the kid would get before the next time she saw him.