Emma reluctantly signed up to bring her biological son home. She definitely did not sign up for Regina Mills.

***

The Invigoration Draught was both a blessing and a curse, Emma decided as they left the New England city behind them and started winding through the rural parts of Maine. Harry had fallen asleep in the back seat over an hour ago, and next to her, Henry was nodding off against the window. She, on the other hand, had to remind herself not to stomp on the accelerator because adrenaline pumped through her blood. The potion was doing an excellent job of keeping her awake . . . and it was doing an excellent job of making her want to crawl out of her skin. She could feel her magic sparking through her, and her fingers clenched tight around the steering wheel.

"Another option is a curse of some form, but there are very few curses that could block someone's magic for this long. It would have to be one of the darkest curses that exist."

Tina's words had made her feel uneasy when her magic had been unlocked, and despite years of searching, neither Newt nor the Goldsteins could find what kind of curse could have possibly been behind the cage that had contained her magic for so long. Then her long-lost son had barged into her life and told her that he needed her to break a curse on a town?

Ever since Harry had come into her life, she had believed there was no such thing as coincidences . . . but a curse that revolved around fairy tales being true? That was a far stretch for her beliefs.

Her trusty bug's headlights illuminated a sign on the side of the road, and she sighed in relief when she saw it: Welcome to Storybrooke. "Boys?" she called, and Harry stirred from the backseat as Henry jolted awake. "We're here."

"We are?" Harry was suddenly wide-eyed and peering out the window with inquisitive green eyes. "It's . . . kind of empty."

"I imagine it looks livelier when it isn't pitch black at night," Emma pointed out as she navigated the rainy streets. "OK, kid. How about an address?"

"44 Not-Telling-You Street," Henry answered promptly.

Harry snorted, and Emma kept herself from rolling her eyes. That was definitely her snark, and if it was any other time, she might have been amused. At this point, hyped on the Invigoration Draught, she was anything but. She put her foot on the brakes, and as her bug squealed to a stop, Harry yelped in surprise. Emma unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the car; when she shut the door, the power lines above her head sparked. She frowned up at them, then she folded her arms and sat on the hood of her car as the boys emerged. "Look, it's been a long night, and it's almost - " She looked around for a reference, and she did a double take when she saw the clock tower. "Eight fifteen?" she sputtered.

"That's not right!" Harry stared.

"That clock hasn't moved my whole life," Henry explained. "Time's frozen here."

"Excuse me?" Emma raised an eyebrow.

"The Evil Queen did it with her curse," Henry nodded. "She sent everyone from the Enchanted Forest here."

Emma stared blankly at Henry. She knew potions often came with warnings about side effects, but she was fairly certain she hadn't needed to worry about anything from an Invigoration Draught other than more jitters than from a venti coffee from Starbucks. Now she wasn't so sure. "Hang on . . . the Evil Queen sent a bunch of fairytale characters here?"

"Yeah," Henry confirmed. "And now they're trapped."

"Frozen in time, stuck in Storybrooke, Maine." Emma rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache start to form. "That's what you're going with?"

"It's true!" Henry scowled.

"But it's just a town," Harry looked around. "Can't they just leave?"

"They can't," Henry shook his head. "If they try, bad things happen."

"Worse than dealing with a constipated Welsh Green?" Emma muttered under her breath.

Harry guffawed, and Henry blinked up at Emma in confusion. "What?"

Emma was saved from having to come up with an explanation when with a cry of "Henry!" a curly-haired man wearing spectacles and a tweed coat jogged up to them, a worried expression on his face. The Dalmatian at his side wagged its tail and shoved its nose into Henry's hand. "What are you doing here?" the man asked, concerned eyes looking Henry up and down. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, Archie," Henry nodded as he patted the dog's head.

Archie turned to Emma, appearing more curious than suspicious. "Who's this?"

"Just someone trying to give him a ride home," Emma shrugged.

"She's my mom, Archie," Henry told him, and Archie's eyes widened. "And my brother."

"Oh," Archie stammered, looking from Emma to Harry. "I see."

Emma sighed and folded her arms. "You know where he lives?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Archie nodded and pointed down the street. "Just right up Mifflin Street. The mayor's house is the biggest one on the block."

Emma balked, and Harry's head whipped around to stare at a guilty-looking Henry in shock. "Your mum is the mayor?!"

"Uh . . . " Henry gulped. "Maybe?"

"Hey, where were you today, Henry?" Archie frowned at Henry. "You missed our session."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Henry looked up at him nervously. "I went on a field trip."

Emma smothered a snort, and she saw Archie had seen through the lie, too. "Henry, what'd I tell you about lying?" he asked, crouching down to Henry's level. "Giving in to one's dark side never accomplishes anything."

Harry blinked up at Emma, and the blonde coughed awkwardly. "OK . . . well, we really should be getting him home."

"Yeah, sure," Archie nodded and rose to his full height again. "Well, listen . . . have a good night, and you be good, Henry."

He clicked his tongue, and his dog followed him down the street. As Archie whistled away, Emma looked at Henry. "So that's your shrink?"

"I'm not crazy," Henry narrowed his eyes at her.

"Didn't say that," Emma shook her head. "Just . . . " She watched Archie walk away, her lessons with Newt, the Goldsteins, and the Malfoys running through her head.

It was Harry who said what she was thinking. "He doesn't seem cursed to me."

Emma nodded in agreement, even as Henry gave Harry a betrayed look. "Maybe he's just trying to help you."

"He's the one who needs help," Henry shook his head. "Because he doesn't know."

"That he's a fairytale character?"

"None of them do. They don't remember who they are."

Emma sighed. "Convenient."

Harry shrugged as he returned to the car. "So which fairytale character is he?"

Henry grinned. "Jiminy Cricket!"

"Right, the lying thing," Emma chuckled as she opened her door. "Thought your nose grew a little bit."

Henry wrinkled said nose, looking offended. "I'm not Pinocchio!"

"'Course you're not," Emma rolled her eyes. "'Cause that would be ridiculous."

She felt Harry's green gaze, so much like hers, on the back of her head as she revved the car and started driving down the street. She didn't need to be a Legilimens to know what he was thinking . . . once upon a time, she would have thought magic was ridiculous, too. And now she was the mother, in magic and blood, of the savior of the Wizarding World and the regent to his three ancient and powerful houses.

But seriously . . . fairytales?

***

The mayor's house, white and shining with lights inside and out, loomed over them as Emma marched up the garden path, a panicked Henry running to keep up with her. "Please don't take me back there!" he begged.

"I have to," Emma shook her head, refusing to be swayed by Henry. "I'm sure your parents have been worried sick about you."

"I don't have parents," Henry denied. "I just have a mom, and she's evil."

"Evil?" Harry blanched in alarm.

Emma's arm wound around his shoulders, and Harry immediately plastered himself to her side. She had always been his steady rock since the Dursleys, and she knew immediately where his mind had gone. "That's a bit extreme, isn't it?" she asked, hoping it was the case.

"She is," Henry mumbled. "She doesn't love me. She only pretends to."

Emma looked Henry up and down, her mind looking for any sign of abuse or neglect on the boy. She didn't find any. "Kid, I'm sure that's not true," she said quietly.

Henry opened his mouth to argue, but the door to the house suddenly swung open. Harry recoiled from the light, and Emma turned to watch a beautiful dark-haired woman in a grey dress rush down the path, tears in her eyes. "Henry?" she gasped, and she tugged Henry into her arms. "Oh, Henry! Are you OK?" Henry didn't return the hug, and the woman stepped back, looking him up and down. "Where have you been? What happened?"

Henry's eyes hardened. "I found my real mom!" he spat and ran past her.

The woman's jaw dropped, and Henry surged past the man that stood in the doorway to enter the house. Emma bit her lip, holding back the urge to fidget as the woman slowly turned to look at her. "You're Henry's birth mother?" she asked.

Emma smiled nervously. "Hi?"

Harry waved shyly, and the woman's dark eyes sharpened when she noticed him. The man in the doorway, the badge on his vest marking him a member of the police department, cleared his throat. "I'll just . . . go check on the lad, make sure he's OK."

The mayor didn't react as the man walked inside, and just when Emma felt her discomfort reach a point where she was about to say something, the mayor gave her a thin-lipped smile. "How would you two like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?"

"Thank you, ma'am," Harry nodded politely.

Emma chuckled, patting Harry's shoulder. Thank God for you, kid, she thought fondly. "Got anything stronger?" she asked, not entirely joking.

***

"Forgive my poor manners," the mayor said as she led the Swans into her house, Harry looking around with wide eyes as he soaked in the luxury. "I was so worried about Henry that I forgot to introduce myself. Regina Mills."

"The mayor, right?" Emma asked. "We met a man named Archie when we entered the town. He told us where to find you."

"That's right," Regina nodded. "I'll have to thank Dr. Hopper the next time I see him."

"I'm Emma Swan," Emma introduced herself.

"I'm Harry Potter-Swan," Harry followed her lead, holding out his hand as he had been taught.

Regina's eyebrows rose, but she accepted Harry's handshake. "Well-behaved," she complimented as she entered the kitchen and removed a pitcher from the fridge. "You said Potter-Swan?"

"I met Harry . . . God, it's been five or six years now," Emma shook her head in disbelief, running a hand through Harry's hair. "I adopted him six months later."

Regina hummed as she poured a small glass of cider. "Rather quick."

"Exceptional circumstances," Emma said shortly.

Harry flinched at the reminder, and something in Regina's eyes softened as she picked up the glass and handed it to Harry. "Here you go," she told him. "As I said . . . the best you'll ever taste."

Harry took a careful sip of the cider, and his green eyes brightened. "It's really good!" he grinned. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome," Regina nodded and gave Emma a pointed look.

Emma recognized the cue given, and she cleared her throat. "Harry, I think I need to talk with Regina for a few minutes by ourselves, OK?"

Harry looked nervously at Regina, then he nodded hesitantly. "You can stay in here if you'd like," Regina told him. "We'll just be in the other room."

"Thank you," Harry nodded, and he carefully pulled out a chair from the table.

Emma followed Regina into the living room, and she watched the mayor take a pair of crystal glasses from a cabinet. "How did he find me?" she finally asked.

"No idea," Regina shook her head as she removed the top from a crystal bottle and poured them hefty amounts of cider. "When I adopted him, he was only three weeks old. Records were sealed. I was told the birth mother didn't want to have any contact."

"You were told right."

"And the father?"

Emma cringed. "There was one," was all she said.

Regina stiffened and looked at Emma. "Do I need to be worried about him?"

"Nope," Emma shook her head. "Doesn't even know."

Regina handed her one of the glasses. "Do I need to be worried about you, Ms. Swan?" she asked, iron in her voice.

Emma accepted the glass and shook her head. "Absolutely not."

"Madam Mayor, you can relax." Emma looked up as the officer walked down the massive staircase, his accent thick. After living with Newt for years, she was no longer phased by a foreign accent. "Other than being a tired little boy, Henry's fine."

The remaining tension in Regina's shoulders lifted, and the woman gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Sheriff." The sheriff nodded and departed out the front door, and Regina gestured Emma into the neighboring sitting room. "I'm sorry he dragged you and Harry out of your life," she said. "I really don't know what's gotten into him."

"Kid's having a rough time," Emma shrugged and sat on the couch when prompted. "Happens."

"You have to understand, ever since I became mayor, balancing things has been tricky," Regina took the seat across from her. "You have a job, I assume?"

"I do," Emma nodded. "One official, one . . . unofficial. Both family businesses."

"Impressive," Regina gave her an inscrutable look. "And you're a single mom. That's another job in and of itself. So I push forward. Am I strict? I suppose, but I do it for his own good. I want Henry to excel in life. I don't think that makes me evil, do you?"

Emma considered as she took a sip of her cider. As a single mother, she absolutely understood wanting a child to excel and be successful in life. Sure, she wanted order, but after Harry had been put through the Dursleys, she also made sure she was kind and fair. The only time Harry had ever gotten in trouble had been at Hogwarts . . . and really, Emma could blame the majority of that trouble on a certain headmaster. Still, she couldn't find fault in Regina's words. "I'm sure he's just saying that because of the fairytale thing," she said.

Regina blinked. "What fairytale thing?"

"Oh, you know, his book," Emma shrugged. "How he thinks everyone's a cartoon character from it. Like his shrink is Jiminy Cricket."

Regina's face twitched. "I'm sorry . . . I really have no idea what you're talking about."

Emma knew dangerous territory when she toed it, and she cleared her throat. "You know what? It's none of my business. He's your kid . . . and my kid and I really should be heading back."

"Of course," Regina nodded and quickly stood to open the door for her.

Emma returned her barely-touched cider to the table, and she withdrew her keys from her jacket pocket. "Harry!" she called. "Let's go!" Barely a few seconds later, her son hustled from the kitchen, and Emma turned and offered her hand to Regina. "I'm sorry this happened," she said.

"Nonsense," Regina gave her a smile that set Emma on edge. "I should keep a closer eye on my son." The emphasis wasn't lost on Emma, and when Regina shook her hand, the mayor's grip was tight. "Thank you for bringing him home safely. I was worried about him."

"Every parent's worst nightmare, right?" Emma nodded.

Only her highly-trained eyes noticed Regina's jaw clench. "Have a safe drive home, Ms. Swan." She looked down at Harry and gave him a less-frosty smile. "You, too, Harry."

"Thank you," Harry mumbled, his hand tightly clenching Emma's. At her son's discomfort, Emma turned on her heel and led Harry out the door. When it swung shut behind them, Harry's grip lessened, but neither mother nor son relinquished the hold. "I don't know what to think about her, Mum," Harry whispered.

"What makes you say that, kid?" Emma asked, genuinely curious. Her son always had a good sense when it came to people.

"She doesn't remind me of Dumbledore," Harry answered after a moment. "But . . . something about her is off, too."

"You think she's evil?" Emma japed.

Harry hesitated. "I don't know," he finally said. "But I saw pictures in Henry's storybook. Mum . . . she does look like the book's version of the Evil Queen."

Emma looked at Harry in surprise, then a tingling feeling made her turn and lift her head up to the second story of the house. Just as soon as she made eye contact, Henry pulled his curtains shut, and Emma sighed and continued down the path. "You know the world we live in, Harry," she said as she unlocked the bug. "Since when could a curse make fairytales real? That's not a curse I've ever heard of."

"Me, neither," Harry admitted as he climbed into the front seat. "But we've seen Uncle Newt and Aunt Queenie do incredible things with magic. They can do something different every day. Who knows what other magic is out there?"

Emma silently conceded as she drove them down the road, heading back to the town border. "Well, maybe Newt and Queenie came up with something while we drove all the way up here," she said, adjusting her headlights before pulling out her phone and scrolling through her contacts. "We'll ask them when we get back. You can put your stuff up here, kid. We have a long drive ahead of us."

Harry nodded and twisted to grab his backpack from the seat, and he gasped. "Mum!"

"What?" Emma risked a look over her shoulder, and she huffed when she saw the leather-bound book that rested on the seat. "Sneaky bastard."

"Shouldn't we take it back to him?" Harry looked at Emma.

Emma sighed. "Yeah, we should," she agreed reluctantly, turning back to change gears.

Her headlights illuminated the snow-grey wolf in the middle of the lane, and she gasped and wrenched the wheel to avoid hitting the animal. Harry screamed as the wheels protested the move, and they slid across the road and into the Storybrooke sign. The impact made both Swans lurch forward, Emma's head making contact with the steering wheel while Harry's hit the dash.

Both pairs of green eyes shut instantly, and in the backseat, Henry's storybook fell open on the floor as the wolf threw back its head and howled, and Emma's phone, Queenie's contact information pulled up, lay forgotten at her booted feet.

***

I take zero credit for this. This was all the beautiful Miss Moffat. But anyway, here's chapter one of "Operation Cobra!"

As always, stay safe, stay cool, and stay reading xx

~Miss Singer <3 <3

***

Turns out, as is always the case with me, that once the gears start rolling on a new book, they don't stop and want you to keep writing XD I got this chapter done in . . . oh, an hour or two, maybe? But it was so much fun to write Emma's inner monologue because she knows of the existence of magic already. I think it's pretty believable she would be hesitant to believe in fairytale characters, right? That's not something they teach at Hogwarts XD

Part two of "Pilot" should be coming soon!

~ Miss Moffat