A small boy with black hair and brown eyes was holding a book but not just any book, it was a special type of book. He wears a white t-shirt with a navy blue sweater vest that is buttoned up on the front with jeans, a black jacket, a gray and red scarf with black sneakers, and along with him is a backpack. He was reading it on the bus, it was nighttime.
The bus was heading to Boston, New York, it was a long way from home for the boy. A woman looked over and asked, "That a good book?" she asked. The book title was sprawled on it was Once Upon A Time.
The boy looked over at the woman, a bit shyly as he smiled politely and held the book close to his body. "This? It's more than just a book," he said to her.
"Oh!" said the woman, chuckling at his response.
"Boston. South Station. Thank you for riding Greyhound." Said the man over the PA system.
The boy got off the bus, the cars were honking at each other, and there was noise everywhere in the city. It was never quiet. The boy looked for a cab to get to where he was planning on going but he didn't find one at first, he walked along the sidewalk, spotting four taxis one after another.
He walked one to one and knocked on the window, getting a man's attention, who was on the phone. "Hold on," he said into the phone while rolling down the window.
"Uh, you take credit cards?" he asked, holding one between his fingers and showing it to the taxi driver.
"Where to, chief?" the driver asked.
The elevator door dings and this woman with a red dress and red high heels with blond hair to her shoulders, hazel eyes, and porcelain white skin. She looked around to see if her date was here in this beautiful restaurant that he wanted to meet her in. There was upbeat music playing in the background while other couples were chattering away. Everything was in black and white, the walls were black and white glass strips, and the tables were crowded with a bunch of people.
This woman looked down the aisles then she went to her right, walking slowly further into the restaurant as she turned a corner. Her date hadn't seen her yet because he couldn't see with the long branches in crystal glass blocking her vision. Then he saw her and he was in shock by now gorgeous she looked, he had a small towel in his hands as he crumpled it up and set it on the table while scooting back and standing up with a smile on his face.
She smiled wearily as she came closer to the male. He held out his hand out for her to shake, "Emma?" he asked.
"Ryan?"
Ryan chuckled nervously while shaking her hand. He was wearing a white button-up shirt with a black blazer and pants, his shoes were shiny and looked new, and he had a buzz cut with no facial hair. He was your average good-looking guy in his late 20s.
"You look relieved," Emma said, Ryan was smiling wide as he still couldn't wrap his mind around how she looked, he thought he would see a guy or someone who didn't look like they said that they were in the picture.
He shook his head for a moment before looking down at the ground. "Well, it is the Internet." He said, pulling at Emma's chair for her while she scooted in more. "Pictures can be..." he was saying as he went to sit in his chair across the table.
"Fake? Outdated? Stolen from a Victoria's Secret catalog?" she joked, both of them laughing.
"Exactly," Ryan agreed as he scooted in the chair, smiling.
"So..."
"So... Um... Tell me something about yourself, Emma."
"Oh, uh, well..." Emma said, looking at the glass of wine in the cup, trying to think of something to say about herself. She never really opened up to people that she met on the first day. "Today's my birthday," she said, looking at Ryan.
"And you're spending it with me? What about your friends?" he asked.
"I'm kind of a loner," she answered.
"And you don't like your family?"
"No family to like."
"Oh. Come on, everyone has family."
"Technically, yeah. And everyone knows who they are." Emma said, taking a second and then giving him a tiny smirk on her lips. "Ready to run yet?"
"Oh, not a chance. You, Emma, are, by far, the sexiest friendless orphan that I have ever met." He said while Emma was smiling at the compliment that he gave her and they laughed softly.
"Okay. Your turn." She said. "No, wait, let me guess," she said excitedly. "Um, you are handsome." He raised his eyebrows slightly at the comment. "Charming."
"Go on," Ryan said with a coy smile.
"The kind of guy who, and now stop me if I get this wrong," she said, her hand gesturing for him to stop, "embezzled from your employer, got arrested, and skipped town before they were able to throw your ass in jail?" she asked with a serious face.
Ryan chuckled nervously, "What?"
"And the worst part of all this is your wife. Your wife loves you so much that she bailed you out. And how do you repay that loyalty? You're on a date."
"Who are you?" he asked in a serious tone.
Emma looked at him like he should know who she was but she told him anyway. "The chick who put up the rest of the money."
Ryan leaned back against the chair, his fingers locked together. "A bail bondsman?" he asked in disbelief.
"Bail bondsperson," Emma corrected him, tilting her head to the side slightly.
Ryan looked around at the ground as he tapped the table, sniffling, then with one quick movement, he lifted up the table slightly making everything go onto Emma, the wine splashing onto her. She quickly got up and tried not to get anything on her. He quickly toward the elevator trying to get away from her as fast as possible. Sighing, as she looked down at her dress, "Really?" she asked herself.
Ryan ran out of the building, pushing the glass door, several people turned to look his way. He ran into the street while the cars were honking at him, a few cars slowed down trying not to hit him in the process. Then Emma, came out walking slowly, she was not in any rush to catch him. She knew something that he didn't. She had that smirk that said I Got You. Emma walked into the street with her head held high as she marched toward him, he was now in his car, starting it up but couldn't because he had a yellow metal clamp on the back of his tire.
"You don't have to do this, okay? I can pay you. I've got money." When she finally got to him, he was trying to get out of the situation.
"No, you don't. And if you did, you should give it to your wife to take care of your family," she said she was sympathetic to his wife and family but not to him.
He looked at her, squinting his eyes. "What the hell do you know about family, huh?" he asked.
She looked down at him with a blank face while she grabbed the back of his blazer and slammed him against the steering wheel, knocking him out. "Nothing," she said to herself.
Emma finally made it back to her apartment with a bag of takeout in one arm, kicking off her heels as she walked in while closing the door behind her. She groaned in relief, she never liked wearing heels. She was more the boot-wearing type of girl. She set the food on the table, got the white box out of the bag, and opened it, revealing a single cupcake. It was a vanilla cupcake with white frosting, she took out a star candle and put it in the cupcake at the dead center of it. Grabbing a match and lit the candle, blowing out the match once she lit the candle. She folded her arms against the marble island in the center of the kitchen, laying her chin on her wrist as she smiled to herself. The candle lighting up her face made her look more beautiful, "Another banner year," she said while looking at the cupcake, closing her eyes as she made a wish to herself then she blew out the candle while her eyes were still closed.
All of a sudden, her doorbell rings. She wasn't expecting anyone, she wondered who it could be. Then she looked at the cupcake for a moment then she sat up straighter and went down her hallway to open the door. Upon opening the door, she looked straight on for a few moments before looking down at the boy in front of her. It was the same boy who had that storybook on the bus.
Emma was confused for a moment. "Um... can I help you?" she asked the boy.
"Are you Emma Swan?" he asked, hoping that it would be her.
"Yeah. Who are you?" she asked, even more, confused now that this boy knew who she was but didn't know who he was. Or how he found her.
"My name's Henry. I'm your son." He said with a smile.
Emma was in shock by his words, maybe the boy was confused and was thinking about another Emma Swan but she knew deep down that he was her son. She didn't think he would find her. She had questions of course but she wasn't going to be asked him now about them.
Henry went under her arm to get into Emma's apartment, then Emma tried to get his attention while she closed the door and the boy walked in further. "Whoa! Hey, kid? Kid? Kid?" she said, walking behind him. "I don't have a son." He walked into the kitchen/dining room, looking around the place. "Where are your parents?" she asked Henry.
He looked at her as his hand placed on the chair. "Ten years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption?" Emma stood in the kitchen, staring at him in shock. "That was me."
Emma took a few steps back, still in shock at her son being in the same room as her. "Give me a minute," she said as she turned to go to the bathroom, closing the door. Placing a hand on the door as she stared off into space for a few moments. She was trying to breathe normally again, but it was difficult.
Henry opened the refrigerator door, looking for something to drink. "You have any juice?" he asked loud enough for Emma to hear. "Never mind. Found some."
She opened the door to find Henry drinking some juice from the bottle, after he was done, he set it down next to the sink and looked at his mother with a hopeful smile on his face. Emma slowly walked out of the bathroom and leaned across the island to look at her son.
"You know, we should probably get going," Henry said.
"Going where?" she asked.
"I want you to come home with me," he answered.
"Okay, kid. I'm calling the cops." She walked to her landline, picked it up, and started dialing the cops.
"Then I'll tell them you kidnapped me," Henry said, turning to the side of the chair while he watched her.
"They'll believe you because I'm your birthmother," she said, hearing the dial tone.
"Yep," he said, nodding.
"You're not going to do that."
"Try me," he said, smirking.
"You're pretty good. But here's the thing. There's not a lot I'm great at in life. I have one skill." She said, Henry, giving her a triumphant look while she was talking. "Let's call it a superpower. I can tell when anyone is lying. And you, kid, are." Emma started dialing the number again.
"Wait," Henry said softly, Emma looking at him for a minute. "Please don't call the cops. Please. Come home with me."
Emma thought for a moment then asked, "Where's home?"
"Storybrooke, Maine."
"Storybrooke? Seriously?" she asked, it was totally made up, right?
"Mmm-hmm," Henry nodded, his eyes pleading.
"All righty then," sighing in defeat. "Let's get you back to Storybrooke."
Henry jumped down from the chair with a smile on his face. He was happy that she was going to his hometown with her.
The castle stood on a huge rock just above the ocean, there were trees, mountains, and blue skies with white clouds. It was pretty peaceful to look out over. Snow White was leaning against a white brick wall with amazing different circular designs, she had her raven-black hair down with little flowers in it and a bluebird on her index finger. She was wearing a white lace, short-sleeved dress. The bird flew away as Snow put her hands on her pregnant belly.
Charming walked up to her, "What's wrong?" he asked, in a concerned voice.
Snow looked at Charming, shaking her head as she rubbed her belly. "Nothing," her voice sad.
"You're thinking about what the Queen said again, aren't you?" he asked. "Snow, please. I can't keep having this conversation. You have to let it go. We're about to have a baby." He looked into the nursery where their baby was staying as he gestured toward it.
Snow walked in, letting go of Charming's hands as she pulled up her dress slightly. "I haven't had a restful night since our wedding."
Charming followed her and stood by her side. "That's what she wants. To get in your head. But they are only words." He placed one hand behind her back and took one of his wife's hands, kissing the back of it. He wanted to make her feel better and forget what the Queen had on their wedding day. "She can't hurt us."
Snow looked at her husband in disbelief, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew what the Queen would do and she always kept her word, it never fails. "She poisoned an apple because she thought I was prettier than her. You have no idea of what she's capable of."
"What can I do to ease your mind?" he asked, sighing.
Snow gasped, thinking of an idea. "Let me talk to him."
Charming looked at her like she was crazy, "Him?" he asked, he didn't trust him at all. He was evil and liked power. He was nothing more than a low life, he liked seeing people get hurt. "You don't mean...," he trailed off.
"I do," Snow said.
"No! It's too dangerous." Shaking his head, he didn't like the idea of them going to see the most powerful man in their land.
"He sees the future," she pleaded.
"There's a reason he's locked up," Charming said in a fierce voice.
"Can you promise me that our child will be safe?" Snow asked him, her voice breaking slightly. "Can you guarantee it? Because he can." Charming looked away from her because he knew that she was right.
He placed his hands on the crib and leaned forward slightly, he was considering all this. Part of him wants to protect their child but the other part doesn't want to put themselves in danger if they do meet the man who is locked up. "All right," he said, finally deciding as he nodded his head. "Four our child."
It was night when Emma and Henry got into her yellow bug, Henry was looking out the window most of the drive up to Maine, but he looked at his mother for a moment then he looked away when she looked over at him.
"I'm hungry. You wanna stop somewhere?" Henry asked.
"This is not a road trip. We're not stopping for snacks."
"Why not?" he asked.
"Quit complaining, kid." She was getting annoyed, she just wanted to drop off this kid and go back to her apartment. "Remember, I could have put your butt on a bus. Still could."
"You know I have a name. It's Henry." He said, correcting her.
Emma looked over at the kid. Henry. His name is Henry, she thought. "What's that?" she asked, eyeing the book while she still drove.
"I'm not sure you're ready," Henry said, he wanted so bad to tell her about everything but he knew that she wasn't ready for it yet.
She looked at him in disbelief, she wanted to know and she was curious about it. "Ready for some fairy takes?" she asked.
"They're not fairy takes," he said firmly. "They're true. Every story in this book actually happened."
"Of course they did," she muttered to herself, not believing him.
"Use your superpower, see if I'm lying," he said, giving her the side-eye look.
Taking a few seconds to answer him, she looked back and forth between him and the road, she was trying to find the right words to say to a ten-year-old. "Just because you believe something doesn't make it true," Emma finally said.
"That's exactly what makes it true. You should know more than anyone," he said.
"Why is that?" she asked.
"Because you're in this book."
"Oh, kid, you've got problems," she said, sighing.
"Yup, and you're gonna fix them."
Emma looked at him once again, her eyes widening at him for a moment, she was nervous by the way he said those words. They kept driving while Henry opened up a page.
"When we reach the cell, stay out of the light." The guard said, holding a torch that was lit with fire. "And whatever you do, do not let him know your name. If he knows your name, he will have power over you." He said to Snow White and Prince Charming. "Rumplestiltskin." He called out once. "Rumplestiltskin!" He yelled out even louder and harsher while walking down the dirt path. "I have a question for you." They finally reached the bars, but these bars weren't normal, they were like icicles but they were metal.
"No, you don't," Rumplestiltskin said, knowing who had the question. "They do. Snow White and Prince Charming!" He said mockingly, laughing evilly. "You insult me. Step into the light and take off those ridiculous robes." Snow and Charming slid the hoods off their heads then looked at one another in fear then back at Rumplestiltskin. "Ah," cackling like a psycho. "That's much better."
"We've come to ask you about...," Prince Charming said before he got interrupted.
"Yes, yes! I know why you're here," Rumplestiltskin said impatiently. "You want to know about the Queen's threat."
"Tell us what you know!" Snow demanded, her voice sounding tense.
"Oh," Rumplestiltskin said. "Tense, aren't we?" he smirked at the both of them, gesturing his hand up dramatically. "Fear not, for I can ease your mind, but it's gonna cost you something in return," he said, leaning close to the sharp bars.
"No. This is a waste of time," Charming said to Snow.
"What do you want?" Snow asked Rumplestiltskin as she got closer to the cell.
"Oh," he whispered while shaking his head slightly, "the name of your unborn child?"
"Absolutely not!" Charming said.
"Deal!" Snow said. "What do you know?" Charming was looking at her like she was crazy.
Rumplestiltskin smiled happily when she agreed to the deal, he liked making deals with just about anyone, and it made him feel he was in power. "The Queen had created a powerful curse. And it's coming. Soon you'll all be in a prison, just like me, only worse. Your prison, all of our prisons, will be time. The time will stop, and we will be trapped. Someplace horrible, where everything we hold dear, everything we love, will be ripped from us while we suffer for all eternity, while the Queen celebrates, victorious at last!" He said the last few words loud and proud, then he looked at Snow directly with his wide eyes and his face blank. "No more happy endings."
Snow took a step closer to Rumplestiltskin while asking, "What can we do?"
"We can't do anything," he answered.
"Who can?" Snow asked, looking at him intensely.
One of Rumplestiltskin's hands while trying to touch Snow's pregnant stomach, Charming slapped his hand away. "That little thing growing inside your belly," he said.
"Next time, I cut it off," Charming said, threatening Rumplestiltskin.
Rumplestiltskin clicked his tongue, disapproving while wiggling his index finger. "The infant is our only hope. Get the child to safety. Get the child to safety and on its 28th birthday," he said, climbing on the bars, "the child will return, the child will find you and the final battle will begin!" He said, laughing maniacally.
"I've heard enough, we're leaving," Charming said, taking Snow's arm and walking down the path they'd come. Snow turned her back towards Rumplestiltskin, while he still laughing maniacally then it turned into exclaiming scornfully.
"Hey, no!" Rumplestiltskin yelled out to them. "We made a deal! I want her name! We had a deal! I need her name! I want her name!"
"Her? It's a boy." Charming said, stopping in his tracks to look back at Rumplestiltskin then started walking again.
"Missy! Missy! You know I'm right." Rumplestiltskin said with a smile. The three of them stopped once again to look at him, Snow looking at him. "Tell me," he said softly, his hand hanging out of the bars as he looked at Snow, Charming, and the guard. "What's her name?"
Snow closed her eyes, debating on telling Rumplestiltskin their daughter's name or not. After a few seconds, she sighed softly and turned around to look at the man who made a deal with her. "Emma," she said through her teeth, with an even voice. "Her name is Emma." Turning around as she walked back down the path, Charming stared after her for a moment.
"Emma...," Rumplestiltskin breathed out her name.
It was raining but not heavily, thank goodness that it wasn't, Emma hated driving in the rain. Emma saw the sign that said: Storybrooke, Maine. She was in relief to have finally found it.
It was thundering loudly, rain was pouring. Emma and Henry stopped at a stoplight, waiting for it to turn green. "Okay, kid. How about an address?" she asked him, driving down the streets of this unknown town."
"44, Not-Telling-You Street," Henry said in response to her question. She hit her brakes hard in the middle of the four-way street, she put her car in park as she took off her seat belt and out of her yellow bug, slamming her car door. The power lines were sparking when she got out of the car, she was getting frustrated. Henry got out of the car as well with his belongings as he came around her car to stand in front of her.
"Look, it's been a long night, and it's almost...," Emma said, looking up at the town clock. "8:15?" she questioned, she was confused. Doesn't this clock work, anymore? Emma thought to herself.
"That clock hasn't moved in my whole life. Time is frozen here." Henry explained to her.
"Excuse me?" Emma said.
"The Evil Queen did it with her curse. She sent everyone from the Enchanted Forest here."
"Hang on. An Evil Queen sent a bunch of fairy tale characters here?" Emma questioned him, still not believing him.
"Yeah, and now they're trapped," Henry explained.
"Frozen in time. Stuck in Storybrooke, Maine. That's what you're going with?" she asked.
"It's true," Henry whined, he wanted Emma to believe him so badly. he wanted to break the curse and believe him.
"Then why doesn't everybody just leave?" she asked if he was telling the truth then why couldn't they just leave and live their own lives?
"They can't. If they try, bad things happen.
Emma looked down at him, her eyebrows furrowed together, she was worried for the kid. She didn't want to see him go into a place of make-believe.
"Henry?" a male voice said. The man had red hair, hazel eyes with a smile build, he was wearing navy blue pants with a white-collar shirt, a blue vest with a red tie along with a brown scarf, and a black jacket alongside him was a blue umbrella in one hand and in his other his dog, named Pongo. "What are you doing here?" he asked while crossing the street to him and Emma. "Is everything all right?" he asked, standing in front of them.
"I'm fine, Archie," Henry said.
"Who's this?" Archie asked, looking at Emma.
"Just someone trying to give him a ride home," Emma said with a smile.
"She's my mom, Archie," he said, he wanted to know who she was before word got around.
"Oh, I see," he was shocked by the news.
"You know where he lives?" Emma asked Archie.
"Yeah, sure. Just right on Mifflin Street. The mayor's house is the biggest one on the block." Archie explained, giving her the direction.
"You're the mayor's kid?" she asked in shock. She couldn't believe that this kid was the mayor.
Henry looked down when she was talking to him, he didn't want her to find out about being the mayor's kid. "Uh, maybe." He mumbled lowly, looking around but not looking at Emma or Archie.
"Where were you today, Henry? 'Cause you missed out session." Archie looked at him, watching him closely.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I went on a field trip." Henry lied, he wasn't on a field trip—of course, he went to find his birth mother, Emma, in the big city.
Archie took a deep breath in as he looked at Emma then looked at Henry while getting down to his level. "Henry," he said softly, "what did I tell you about lying? Giving in to one's dark side never accomplishes anything."
"Okay," Emma said quickly, not liking where the conversation was going. "Well, I really should be getting him home."
"Yeah. Sure. Well, listen, have a good night, and you be good, Henry," Archie said, smiling at the both of them, walking back to the sidewalk and heading back to his home.
"So that's your shrink?" Emma asked when Archie was out of earshot.
"I'm not crazy," Henry stated.
"Didn't say that. Just... he doesn't seem cursed to me. Maybe he's just trying to help you."
"He's the one who needs help. Because he doesn't know." Henry said, pushing the curse more onto her.
"That's he's a fairy tale character," Emma guessed.
"None of them do. They don't remember who they are." Henry walked away, got back into the car and he set his stuff down.
Emma looked up at the sky and then grinned, sighing aloud. "Convenient. All right, I'll play. Who's he supposed to be?" she asked, getting into the car.
"Jiminy Cricket," Henry answered.
"Right. The lying thing. I thought your nose grew a little bit," Emma said in a joking manner.
"I'm not Pinocchio," he said as he shook his head.
"Of course, you're not. Because that would be ridiculous," she said, driving down the road again.
Charming hit his hand against the wooden table, his chair scooting back as he stood up, yelling to the people around the table, "I say we fight!" He looked around at the round table, they were having a meeting about what to do with the Evil Queen's curse—and of course, Charming wanted to fight against the Evil Queen. But it was a bad idea to go against the Queen.
"Fighting is a bad idea," Jiminy Cricket said—he was in his Cricket form. "Giving in to one's dark side never accomplishes anything."
Charming looked over at Jiminy. "And how many wars has a clear conscience won?" he asked but he wasn't waiting for an answer. "We need to take the Queen out before she can inflect her curse," he continued.
"Can we even trust Rumplestiltskin?" Doc asked.
"I've sent my men into the forest. The animals are abuzz with the Queen's plan," Charming said, looking around the table once again and looking at Doc. "This is going to happen unless we do something."
"There's no point," Snow said, she was sitting with her hand on her stomach, Charming looking her way. "The future is written."
"No. I refuse to believe that," Charming shook his head, he didn't want to go down losing. "Good can't just lose."
"Maybe it can," Snow said, she was already giving up. She was defeated.
Charming looked at her, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Snow was never the one to give up, especially with their baby on the line. "No," he breathed as he sat down in his seat. "No. Not as long as we have each other." Snow looked his way just when he looked down for a moment. "If you believe him about the curse, then you must believe him about our child. She will be the savior." He was hoping to get her cheered up and start believing again.
The doors bang open, and everyone that was sitting at the round table looked where the doors were. Charming stood up immediately. "What the hell is this?" he demanded.
Four guards in metal armor brought in a tree trunk. But it wasn't just any tree trunk, it was a magical one. Then a small fairy came in, her dress and wings were blue and flew around the people at the table. "Our only hope of saving that child," said the blue fairy.
"A tree? Our fate rests on a tree?" Grumpy asked, he didn't know that it was magical—nobody did, except for the blue fairy. "Let's get back to the fighting thing," he said, looking at Charming.
"The tree is enchanted," the blue fairy said, floating in the middle of the table. "If fashioned into a vessel, it can ward off any curse." Snow sat up straighter, she was hopeful again. Her eyes were wide as she looked at the fairy. "Geppetto, can you build such a thing?" the fairy asked the older male.
"Me and my boy, we can do it," Geppetto said in his thick Italian accent while rubbing his son's red hair, who was playing with his toys on the ground next to his father.
"This will work," the fairy said softly. "We all must have faith." Snow reached toward her husband's hand, her mouth wide open in belief. Her husband smiled down at her seeing the happy look on his wife's face. "There is, however, a catch," she said, dreadfully. She didn't like delivering bad news. "The enchantment is indeed powerful. But all power has its limits, and this tree can protect only one."
Prince Charming looked down at Snow, sadness overcame his face when he heard those words coming out of the blue fairy.
Henry and Emma finally reached the mayor's house, it was big and beautiful. The house was white with black shutters on each side of the windows along with pillars holding up a balcony with an iron fence, lights were on inside the house.
"Please don't take me back there," Henry begged.
"I have to. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you," Emma said softly.
"I don't have parents," he stated. "Just a mom, and she's evil."
Emma stopped walking, looking at Henry with a disapproving look. "Evil? That's a bit extreme, isn't it?"
"She is. She doesn't love me. She only pretends to," he said sadly.
"Kid," Emma said sadly, she got down on his level to look at him in the eyes. "I'm sure that's not true."
The front door opened of the house, and a woman came out wearing a cotton gray dress that was short-sleeved and down to her knees, a pair of strappy high heels; her hair was black and short above her shoulders, and her skin was almond color. "Henry!" she exclaimed while running towards him, hugging him so tight. "Henry!" Her voice was slightly broken when she saw his face. "Oh! Are you okay? Where have you been?" she asked, looking at the blond that was with him. "What happened?"
"I found my real mom," Henry said, running into the house.
The mayor looked at her in shock, she wondered how in the hell he had found her and how he could have afforded the payments to take the buses or taxis. Emma looked at her in return like she was in trouble or something. "You're Henry's birth mother?" Regina asked her.
"Hi," Emma said with a polite smile.
"I'll just go check on the lad, make sure he's all right," Sheriff Graham said with a British accent, as he walked back inside the house. Leaving the two women alone, they were eyeing each other up.
"How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you ever tasted?" she asked, smiling.
"Got another strong?" Emma asked.
Regina walked into the kitchen to retrieve two small glasses, walked out, and into a small room with a wooden table a few wooden chairs, and some expensive artifacts. Emma standing in the entryway, her thumbs hooked into her jeans; she was wearing a simple white t-shirt with jeans along with a red leather jacket and brown mid-calf boots. "How did he find me?" she asked.
"No idea," Regina answered while putting ice into the glasses. "When I adopted him, he was only three weeks old. The records were sealed. I was told the birth mother didn't want to have any contact," she continued, pouring the liquor into the glasses.
"You were told right," Emma eyed for a moment.
"And the father?" Regina asked.
"There was one," Emma gave her a vague answer.
"Do I need to be worried about him?" Regina asked.
"No. He doesn't even know." Emma answered.
"Do I need to be worried about you, Ms. Swan?" Regina asked, grabbing the two glass cups walking towards her, and handing her one of the glasses.
Emma took the glass and eyed her for a moment before answering, "Absolutely not."
"Madam Mayor, you can relax," Sheriff Graham said, coming down the stairs. "Other than being a tired little boy, Henry's fine."
"Thank you, Sheriff," Regina said, nodding once at him. Then the sheriff nodded back at her and then took one glance at Emma, his hands on his hips as he walked out the front doors. "I'm sorry he dragged you out of your life. I really don't know what's gotten into him." Regina said while walking into her mini library.
"Kid's having a rough time. It happens." Emma replied, walking behind her.
Regina closed the door behind Emma as she sat down in one of the brown leather armchairs. "You have to understand," she began, "ever since I became mayor, balancing things has been tricky." She said, walking toward the fireplace as she messed with a clock while Emma took a long sip of the drink. "You have a job, I assume?"
"Uh, I keep busy. Yeah." Emma answered, pulling the drink away from her lips as she nodded nervously, placing her glass cup near a pile of red apples.
"Imagine having another one on top of it." Walking toward the other leather brown chair across from Emma, and set down her own glass cup. "That's being a single mom. So I push for order." Pushing a lock of raven-black hair out of her eyes. "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?" she asked the other, tilting her head slightly with a small frown upon her pink lips.
Emma was shocked by that word: Evil. She blinked a few times before answering. "I'm sure he's just saying that because of the fairy tale thing," taking the glass and supped on it again.
"What fairy tale thing?" she asked, confused.
"Oh, you know, his book," she smiled, answering. "How he thinks everyone's a cartoon character from it. Like his shrink is Jiminy Cricket," she breathed out a small laugh.
She was still confused about what Emma was saying to her. "I'm sorry, I really have no idea what you're talking about."
Emma took a moment to look at her. "You know what, it's none of my business. He's your kid. And I really should be heading back," taking one last sip of her drink before sitting down on the coffee table.
"Of course," Regina nodded once before getting up from the chair, she walked to the door and opened it for Emma. They both walked out of the mini library and toward the front door. Emma walked down the path as she was getting her keys out of her pocket, stopping at the end of the path she turned around to look up and saw Henry looking down at her but he quickly ran to turn off his light before getting into bed.
Emma was on the road again, she was riding down the street with her headlights on and light rain coming down from the sky. She was tapping her fingers against her steering wheel, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to stay awake. Looking over into the passenger seat, she saw Henry's Once Upon A Time book. She shook her head as she smiled to herself, mumbling, "Sneaky bastard." When she looked up, a white wolf appeared in the street, Emma gasped as she pressed on the brakes and swerved out of the way so she wouldn't hurt the wolf. Her tired screeching as her car hit the Welcome to Storybrooke sign, Emma hitting the back of her head with her headrest as her car door flung open and her horn honking as the thunder started crashing down.
The wolf looked up into the sky and started howling.
The pages of the book started turning, it opened up to Geppetto working on the enchanted tree.
Geppetto was in his workshop, working on the doors for the tree trunk with his little boy, he put it against the open hole—he wanted to make sure that it covered it fully. He took it back to the table, looking for a tool but his little boy picked it up for his father, and they both smiled at each other. They went back to working on the Enchanted Tree Trunk.
Snow White was out on the balcony of her castle, you could see the ocean and the forest; hearing the birds singing their little songs to each other. She was thinking about how much time she had left before the Queen did the curse, and how long she got to spend time with her family and friends and the people that loved her and she loved them. She turned and walked back into her room with her husband, Prince Charming. "I don't want to do this," she said to him.
He looked up at his wife with sad eyes. "It has to be you," he said in a soft voice.
Snow came walking in fast, shaking her head as she stood in front of him. "I'm not leaving you."
Charming took Snow into his arms, pressing his forehead against his gently. "It's the only way. You'll go in there and you'll be safe from the curse."
"He said it would be on her 28th birthday," she said in distress, she couldn't wait twenty-eight years. It was too long.
"What's twenty years when you have eternal love?" Charming asked, whispering. Snow was sobbing because she didn't want to leave Charming or lose their baby girl. "I got faith. You will save me as I did you." They shared a passionate kiss, her cheeks were stained with tears. She pulled away abruptly, her face in shock. "What is it?" he asked, concerned
She gasped as she placed a hand on her stomach, "Baby," she whispered. "She gasped out of pain then she looked up at him. "She's coming."
Grumpy was on a stone wall, looking over the place, he was seeing when the curse would come along. He had a flask on him, he undid the tin lid and down the rest of the liquids that were inside the flask. There was a whooshing in the distance, Grumpy just finished as he looked into the sky. He kicked Sleepy on the foot, "Wake up," he grunted but all you could hear from Sleepy was snorting. "Wake up!" he yelled. Sleepy got up and turned to look at what Grumpy was looking at in the sky. "Look!" he pointed, thunder crashing in the distance, it was a purple cloud with green lightning. "The curse!" Grumpy yelled for everyone to hear him. "It's here!" He ran toward the bell, ringing as fast and loud as he could.
A man was whistling into the jail cell next to Emma, she was lying down when her eyes fluttered open as she looked around, confused and dazed about where she was for a moment. "What are you looking at, sister?" the man asked her. Emma slowly sat up in her cell.
"Hey, Leroy, manners," the older man with an Italian accent said. "We have a quest. So you are Henry's mother? How lovely for him to have you back in his life."
"Actually, I was just dropping him off," Emma said, placing a hand on her forehead.
"Don't blame you. They're all brats. Who needs them?" Leroy stated, harshly.
"Well, I'd give anything for one," Marco said, who had a cup of coffee in his hand. "My wife and I, we tried for many years," he looked off into the distance, "but he was not meant to be."
"Well, cry me a river," Leroy said, looking over at Marco.
"Leroy, if I'm gonna let you out, you need to behave," Sheriff Graham said as he walked into the station and unlocked the cell with Leroy in it. "Put on a smile, and stay out of trouble." Leroy got up and started walking out slowly while looking at the Sheriff as he said those words to him, he put on a fake smile just for him to see.
Emma got up and leaned against the bars, "Seriously?" she asked, looking at Graham.
Sheriff Graham walked back to his desk and then turned around with a smile, walking over to Emma. "Regina's drinks, are a little stronger than we thought," he stated.
"I wasn't drunk," Emma said. She knew that she wasn't drunk, she didn't even drink all of it. "There was a wolf standing in the middle of the road," she explained.
"A wolf. Right." Graham didn't believe her one bit.
"Graham?" Regina's voice echoed through the station as she walked in. "Henry's run away again. We have to...," She stopped in her tracks, she saw Emma in the cells. She couldn't believe that she was still here and not back where she belonged. "What is she doing here?" she asked nastily, walking closer to them. "Do you know where he is?"
"Lady, I haven't seen him since I dropped him at your house. I have a pretty good alibi." Emma answered.
"He wasn't in his room this morning," Regina said.
"Did you try his friends?" Emma asked.
"He doesn't really have any. He's kind of a loner." Regina replied.
"Every kid has friends. Did you check his computer? If he's close to someone, he'd be emailing them?" Emma questioned.
"And you know this how?" Regina asked, curious.
"Finding people's what I do. Here's an idea. How about you guys let me out, and I'll help you find him?" Emma bargained with them.
Emma, Regina, and Sheriff Graham are back at the mayor's house, they are all in Henry's room. Emma opened up Henry's laptop as she sat down in a wooden chair, she opened up the email and found it empty. "Smart kid. Cleared his inbox. I'm smart, too. A little hard disk recovery utility I like to use." Emma said to the Sheriff who was standing next to her while Regina was looking through her son's stuff.
"I'm a bit more old-fashioned in my techniques. Pounding the pavement. Knocking on doors. That sort of thing." Sheriff Graham said.
"You're on salary. I get paid for delivery. Pounding the pavement is not a luxury that I get." She tilted her head slightly when she finally found something. "Huh. There's a receipt for a website. Who'syourmomma.org." Regina walked over to get closer to the site. The site was in big bold letters: Who's Your Momma? and underneath it said: Thank you for using our service to locate your birth mother. Your receipt for $265.50 and your mother's contact information are attached to this email. "It's expensive. He has a credit card?" she asked Regina.
"He's ten," Regina said, scoffing in disbelief that Emma would ask such a question.
"Well, he used one," Emma stated. "Let's pull up a transaction record. Mary Margaret Blanchard. Who's Mary Margaret Blanchard?" she asked.
"Henry's teacher," Regina said evenly, arms crossed her chest.
In the classroom there were fifteen or so fifth graders, they were all seated and each of them made birdhouses for all of the birds in Storybrooke. "As we build our birdhouses, remember," Miss Blanchard said, walking between her kids with a bluebird in her hands. "What you're making it's a home, not a cage. A bird is free and will do what it will." She said, walking to the windows in her classroom and turning to her kids with a smile on her lips. "This is for them, not us. They're loyal creatures." The window was open halfway, putting her hands out of the window and letting the bird into a blue birdhouse, the kids gasped as the bird went to the birdhouse, and Miss Blanchard turned to look at her kids again. "If you love them and they love you, they will always find you." Then the bell rang, dismissing the kids into the hallway. "We'll pick this up after recess. No running." The kids were talking as they went out of the building and to the playground, a little girl went up to Miss Blanchard and gave her an apple. "Why, thank you," she answered, Regina and Emma, walked in while the kids were leaving the room. "Ms. Mills? What are you doing here?" she asked Regina.
"Where is my son?" Regina asked in a demanding voice.
"Henry? I assumed he was home sick with you," she answered, shifting from one foot to another.
"Do you think I'd be here if he was?" she asked harshly, Miss Blanchard looked over at Emma by the door. "Did you give him your credit card so he can find her?" Regina pointed to Emma.
Miss Blanchard shook her head and then looked back at Emma. "I'm sorry, who are you?" she asked.
"I'm his... I'm his...," Emma stuttered.
"The woman who gave him up for adoption," Regina said.
Miss Blanchard looked at Regina in shock then looked back at Emma. Closing her eyes for a moment, a soft sign left her lips. She took her purse off her shoulder and set it on one of the desks.
"You don't know anything about this, do you?" Emma asked Miss Blanchard, looked up for a moment then went back to looking for her wallet.
"No, unfortunately not," she found her wallet, realizing that one of her credit cards is missing. "Clever boy. I should never have given him that book."
"What in the hell is this book I keep hearing about?" Regina asked in frustration.
"Just some old stories I gave him," Miss Blanchard said quickly. "As you well know, Henry is a special boy. So smart. So creative. And, as you might be aware," she paused, looking Regina in the eyes, "lonely. He needed it."
"What he needs is a dose of reality. This is a waste of time," Regina said, Miss Blanchard, looking down. Regina turned her back and started toward the door, knocking down things along the way. "Have a nice trip back to Boston," she said, walking past Emma.
Miss Blanchard went to pick up the dropped stuff that Regina caused as Emma watched after her. Then Emma walked to the mess and started helping Henry's teacher, looking at her.
"Sorry to bother you," Emma apologized.
"No, it's...," Miss Blanchard started to say but looked at Emma. "It's okay, I fear this is partially my fault." She kept looking at Emma, seeing something special in her in a way. Like she could trust her.
"How's a book supposed to help?" Emma asked, curiously.
"What do you think stories are for?" Miss Blanchard asked, taking the books from Emma. "These stories," she continued, setting the books down on a counter, "the classics, there's a reason we all know them." She walked away from the counter and in front of Emma. "They're a way for us to deal with our world." They started walking out of the classroom and into the hallway. "A world that doesn't always make sense. Henry hasn't had the easiest life."
"Yeah, she's kind of a hard-ass," Emma blurted out.
"No, it's more than her. He's like any adopted child. He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face. 'Why would anyone give away?'" Miss Blanchard was shocked at the realization, turning to face Emma—who was looking hurt. "I am so sorry. I am so sorry, I didn't mean in any way to judge you."
"It's okay," Emma said softly.
"I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have," Miss Blanchard said, they both looked at each other with hope. "Hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."
"You know where he is, don't you?" Emma asked.
"You might want to check his castle," she answered.
Snow is on the bed with her legs spread open, she screams at the top of her lungs, and Doc and Prince Charming are in the room with Snow. Guards were in the forest on their horses toward the castle. "I can't have this baby now!" Snow yelled out.
"Doc, do something," Charming said, he was frantic. Doc was putting a wet cloth on Snow's forehead. "It's gonna be okay. The wardrobe's almost finished. Just hold on."
The Queen's guard was pulling her carriage along the dirt road, they were getting closer and closer to the castle. Snow was screaming at the top of her lungs, trying not to push out the baby but the baby was ready to come into this world.
Geppetto came into the door without knocking, looking at Doc, Charming, and Snow. "It's ready," he said. Snow was in pain and Charming was looking hopeful, maybe Snow and their baby could get away but they were running out of time.
Charming was lifting out of her bed when he heard Doc's voice. "It's too late," he said in a panic. "We can't move her."
"Push," Charming encouraged then he heard a baby crying.
The Evil Queen's face appeared at the window of her carriage door, looking up at the sky with a wicked smile on her lips. Thunder crashed just above them, her curse was working and she couldn't wait until it was finished. She wanted to win this time around. The purple cloud came rushing, it was getting close to Snow White's and Prince Charming's castle.
The baby girl was crying, she was wrapped in a white blanket with purple lace, and in the corner was the baby's name—Emma. Snow was holding their daughter in her arms while they both looked down at their baby girl, she was so beautiful. Charming kissed Snow's head then kissed Emma's head.
"The wardrobe," Snow muttered, realizing something. "It only takes one," she looked at Charming, horrified. They both heard screaming outside the door of their room, they were getting attacked. Swords were clashing. Men were screaming.
"Then our plan has failed," Charming said in defeat, putting an arm around Snow. "At least we're together."
Snow was looking down at Emma, tears escaping from her eyes. "No," she said lowly. "You have to take her. Take the baby to the wardrobe."
"Are you out of your mind?" Charming asked, his eyes leaking with tears.
"It's the only way. You have to send her thought," Snow said, the baby started crying again.
"No, you don't know what you're saying," Charming said.
"No, I do. We have to believe that she'll come back for us. We have to give her her best chance," Snow said to Charming, wiping the tears away from Charming's eyes. Charming leaned down and kissed Emma on the head again. "Goodbye, Emma," Snow whispered with a sad smile, leaning down and kissing her head as well while crying.
Charming took his daughter in his arms, quickly kissing Snow with passion as he pulled away Snow cried harder than ever before. Charming took a shake in case he needed to defend himself and his daughter, he looked back at his wife who was on the bed, and walked out of the room.
One of the black knights, held one of the guards as his sword went through his body and into his heart. The Guard groaned in pain, his eyes were wide in pain and shock and he went down on the ground as his blood pooled out around him.
Charming stood in the middle of the hallway with his daughter in one hand and the sword in the other, two of the guards turned to look at Charming. Charming charged at the two knights, one of them clanked his sword against Charming's as he tried to fight him. The swords went in all different directions and Charming blocked all of them, his back was towards the second guard. This would give the second guard an opportunity to kill Charming and slice the first guard, Charming hit the second guard with his elbow and they both grunted.
Charming swung his sword and missed them both, one of the guards tried to kill Emma with his sword but Charming blocked it right in time and used his foot to push the guard off and away from them both. The second one came sword but Charming blocked it right on time and used his foot to push the guard off and away from them both. The second one came in and swung his sword at Charming but ducked in the nick of time and slit the guard's throat with it.
One guard sliced Charming's chest open, he screamed in pain as blood streamed down his white shirt. Thankfully it wasn't much blood but it still hurt. Charming drew his sword back and plunged it into the guard's chest, he was angry. He looked down at the guard for a moment then ran out where the nursery that they had decorated for Emma and kicked the door open.
Charming opened up both doors of the Enchanted Tree Trunk with his elbows and got down on his knees, setting the sword down as he placed Emma in the trunk and carefully he leaned down, kissing her once again. "Find us," he whispered, closing the doors quickly and locking them.
Another two guards came out of nowhere and grunted, Charming quickly got up with his sword in hand, and he lifted his arm groaning in pain as their swords clashed together. He tried to fight both of them but it didn't look good, Charming was growing weak. One of the guards plunged the sword into his stomach.
Charming dropped his sword, groaning in pain as he fell to the floor as the guard took out his sword. One guard went over to the Enchanted Tree Trunk quickly, he used the hilt of the sword to open the locked tree. After a few tries, he opened it and saw that the baby wasn't in there anymore. The baby had vanished.
Charming was still alive when they did this, he was happy that the trunk worked. Now he can die knowing that his baby girl got away, he blinked slowly as he closed his eyes and saw nothing but blackness.
The ocean was splashing against the sand softly, just above the ocean there was a wooden castle where Henry was sitting with his book bag on his back. He was overlooking the ocean, it was his comfort spot where he liked to think a lot.
Emma came walking up the wooden stairs, sitting next to him with his book in her hands. "You left this in my car," she said, handing it to him. Henry took the book in his hands as they both looked out to the ocean but they were looking toward the clock. "Still hasn't moved, huh?" she asked.
"I was hoping that when I brought you back, things would change here. That the final battle would begin," Henry answered, hoping.
"I'm not fighting any battles, kid," Emma said, shaking her head slightly.
Henry looked at Emma. "Yes, you are. You're here because it's your destiny. You're gonna bring back the happy endings," he said with hope, he believed in happy endings and the destiny sort of things.
"Can you cut it with the book crap?" she said firmly.
"You don't have to be hostile. I know you like me. I can tell. You're just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty. It's okay. I know why you gave me away," Henry said, he wasn't mad or angry or had any harsh feelings toward his birth mother. Emma looked at him with a sad expression, she really didn't deserve him being nice toward her, at all. "You wanted to give me my best chance."
Emma looked away from him and looked out into the ocean once again, taking a deep breath. "How do you know that?" she asked softly. It wasn't a secret that she wanted Henry to have a much better life than she ever did, she wasn't ready to have kids when she had him. She needed to grow up and not be a reckless teenager who got knocked up by a guy who ratted her out to the cops.
"It's the same reason Snow White gave you away," he replied.
"Listen to me, kid," Emma took a deep breath and looked at Henry, "I'm not in any book. I'm a real person. And I'm no savior. You were right about one thing, though." She was trying not to cry in front of her kid, it just broke her heart that he didn't see the amazing life he had. "I wanted you to have your best chance. But it's not with me. Come on, let's go," she jumped off and started walking away from the wooden castle.
"Please don't take me back there," Henry begged her, he stood upon the wood and walked back down the stairs as Emma walked around the castle playground. "Just stay with me for one week. That's all I ask. One week, you'll see I'm not crazy," he begged her once again, Emma stopping in her tracks and facing him.
"I have to get you back to your mom," she said in defeat.
"You don't know what it's like with her. My life sucks." Henry blurted out, his eyes tearing up.
"Oh, you wanna know what sucking is?" Emma said, a hint of hurt in her voice. "Being left abandoned on the side of a freeway. My parents didn't even bother to drop me off at a hospital. I ended up in the foster system. And I had a family until I was three, but then they had their own kid, so they sent me back." Her voice broke when she told him all of that, a few tears slipping from her eyes then taking a big sigh and clearing her throat. "Look," Emma kneeled down in front of him. "Your mom is trying her best. I know it's hard. And I know sometimes you think she doesn't love you. But at least she wants you."
"Your parents didn't leave you on the side of the freeway. That's just where you came through," Henry told her.
"What?" she asked.
"The wardrobe," he repeated. "When you went through the wardrobe, you appeared in the street. Your parents were trying to save you from the curse."
Emma smiled at Henry. "Sure they were," she chuckled. "Come on, Henry." They both took off walking down the sandy path to take Henry back to Regina's home.
Snow White was groaning as she started walking to where Charming was, she was still feeling the after-effects of the pain from giving birth. She was holding her stomach when she noticed her husband on the floor, lying perfectly still. "No," she said loudly. She rushed over to him as fast as possible, holding onto whatever was in the way so she wouldn't hurt herself more. "No," she said, sobbing. She dropped to the floor as she was near his head and placed it on her lap. "No, no," she said in between sobs. Trying to wake him up by shaking him. "Please. Please come back to me," whispered to him, she was hoping that he wasn't really dead, but nothing happened. He is still on the ground dead.
She had an idea and was hoping that it would work, she leaned down and planted a kiss on his lips. Pulling back to look down at him with hope in her eyes. Leaning back down to kiss him repeatedly, she was hoping that it was a mistake and that the first kiss didn't work.
Hearing footsteps approaching the room, Snow sobs quietly. "Oh, don't worry, dear," the Queen said, pushing the hood off of her head as she stood hovering over Charming's dead body and Snow's pathetic state. "In a few moments, you won't remember you knew him, let alone loved him."
Snow held his lifeless body close to hers when the Queen approached them. "Why did you do this?" she asked.
"Because this is my happy ending," the Queen bent down and hissed in her face. The two guards came in behind her. "The child?" she demanded.
"Gone," said one guard. "It was in the wardrobe, then it was gone. It's nowhere to be found."
"Where is she?" the Queen asked, looking at Snow in rage.
Snow breathed out happily. "She got away. You're going to lose," Snow said, looking up at the Queen with a smile on her pretty face. "I know that now. Good always win." She smiled down at Charming, caressing his face.
"We'll see about that," said the Queen, laughing evilly as the thunder came rolling over the castle. The roof was crumbling as all of them looked up at the ceiling, the wind howling as the purple cloud took everything apart.
"Where are we going?" Snow shouted, still holding onto Charming.
"Somewhere horrible," the Queen responded as the glass shattered, and the purple cloud whirled around them. "Absolutely horrible," grinning evilly from ear to ear, spreading out her arms as she took it all in. This was really happening. The curse was really happening. She couldn't believe that she pulled it off, she was so proud of herself. "A place where the only happy ending will be mine." The purple could finally take them whole.
Regina opened the front door, she was wearing a gray jacket and a black dress with black leggings and black high heels. She placed one hand on her hip, watching Henry come toward her and pass her. Emma walked up to her on the front step, Regina looked back at Emma raising a single eyebrow at her. "Thank you," she said, walking outside a few feet away from Emma.
"No problem," she said.
"He seems to have taken quite a shine to you," Regina admitted to her.
Emma laughed nervously, a smile on her lips. "You know what's kind of crazy? Yesterday was my birthday. And when I blew out the candle on this cupcake I bought myself, I actually made a wish. I didn't want to be alone on my birthday. And then Henry showed up," Emma confessed to Regina.
"I hope there's no misunderstanding here," Regina said, her voice hard.
"I'm sorry?" she asked, confused at what Regina was saying.
"Don't mistake all of this as an invitation back into his life," Regina said, her hands on her hips.
"Oh," was all Emma could say.
"Miss Swan, you made a decision ten years ago. And in the last decade while you've been...," she couldn't find the right word, but she wanted to make it clear that she didn't want Emma to ruin his life. "Well, who knows what you've been doing? I've changed every diaper, soothed every fever, and endured every tantrum. You may have given birth to him, but he's my son."
"I was not...," Emma started to say.
"No! You don't get to speak. You don't get to do anything. You have up that right when you tossed him away. Do you know what a closed adoption is?" Regina stepped down to be in her face. "It's what you asked for. You have no legal right to Henry. And you're gonna be held to that. So I suggest you get in your car, and you leave this town. Because if you don't," she paused, making her threat loud and clear. "I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do. Goodbye, Miss Swan."
Regina turned to walk back to her house, leaving Emma on the front steps. Emma watched her go inside, she had never met someone who was this mean and so hellbent on keeping the birth mother away from their child. She gets it but there are nicer ways to tell someone to fuck off, but Emma was determined.
"Do you love him?" Emma asked Regina before closing the door and turning around to face her.
"Excuse me?" Regina asked, taken aback at the question.
"Henry. Do you love him?" Emma asked again, louder this time.
"Regina looked at her evenly before answering her. "Of course I love him," she said, closing the door behind her finally.
Emma just stood there, watching Regina and staring at the door before going to her car.
Henry was lying in bed, his lights were on Regina was standing near the bed with the book in her hands, and a look of disappointment was written all over her face. She walked out of the room and down the spiral staircase and went walking to a gold, circle mirror as she looked at herself in it. Holding the book up to her chest, her face was worried and concerned.
Looking down at the book that read the title: Once Upon A Time she looked up at herself in the mirror, and she was now furious.
She felt like her plan was falling apart now. She didn't know the book came into place but she knew that she had to get rid of it somehow. Her plan didn't need to get foiled by her son and his birth mother.
She had to get Emma Swan out of Storybrooke but she didn't know how. She couldn't let Emma destroy this curse and this life that she made for herself.
Mary Margaret Blanchard was at the hospital, she was a volunteer there. She had always loved helping others, especially the sick ones or the ones who needed help. She was pushing a cart of white flowers down the room and placing one by a male who was lying down. She squeezed his hand gently as he squeezed back, silently thanking her for being so nice to him.
Taking another vase of small flowers, she walked to a room that was isolated. Opening the door, and hearing a soft beeping noise from the machines, the door closed behind her quietly once she fully walked in. She placed the small vase of flowers on the nightstand and walked back out of the room.
The man in the room was in a coma. He had been in a coma for twenty-eight long years and he was a John Doe, no one has claimed him and nobody knows he is But we all know him as Prince Charming, but in this world—the real world—his name is David Nolan.
Henry got up from his bed, placed his arms crossed on the windowsill, and laid his chin on his arms. He was watching the clock from his house. He was still hoping that it would start working again.
Emma walked down a path where the bushes were overgrown, she pushed them out of her way to get to a building. The wind was whistling, and walked up the stairs to a house that was a bed and breakfast called: Granny's: Bed & Breakfast.
She walked in and a bell rang, looking around the place as she walked up to the front desk. She heard voices coming from the back.
"You're out all night, and you're going out again," Granny said to Ruby.
"I should have moved to Boston," said Ruby, harshly.
"I'm sorry that my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the Eastern Seaboard," Granny said to Ruby who walked away.
"Excuse me," Emma said softly. "I'd like a room."
"Really?" Granny asked, shocked. Ruby walked back with a scarf around her neck, shocked that someone wanted a room, too. "Would you like a forest view or a square view?" she asked excitedly, walking to the desk with a smile on her face. "Normally, there's an upgrade fee for the square, but as rent is due, I'll waive it."
"Square's fine," Emma said, politely.
Granny grabbed the pen and opened up the sign-in sheet. "Now, what's the name?" she asked, the pen hovering over the sheet.
"Swan. Emma Swan." She answered.
"Emma," said a man behind her. Granny looked up as she was pulling off her glasses, she didn't hear him come through the door. "What a lovely name," he was older than her, he had long brownish hair and slightly crooked teeth with a nice suit on, and he also had a bit of an accent when he spoke.
"Thanks," Emma said, turning around to look at him.
The drawer opened and closed, and Granny handed him the money quickly. "It's all here," Granny said.
"Yes, of course, it is, dear. Thank you," he stepped forward taking it. "You enjoy your stay, Emma." He smiled, turned his back to them, and walked toward the door, looking at Ruby, and opened the door, walking out.
Emma looked at Granny and eyed her before asking, "Who's that?"
"Mr. Gold," Ruby answered, she was by the window and looking out it. Emma turned to look at her. "He owns this place."
"The Inn?" she asked.
"No," Granny answered, still looking at the door where Mr. Gold just walked out. "The town," she said, looking at Emma.
Emma looked at her, her eyes widened a bit, surprised. "So, how long will you be with us?" Granny asked her pen back into her hand.
"A week," she said, answering. She couldn't believe that she was actually staying here for a week just because she was getting attached to Henry. "Just a week."
"Great," Granny said, nodding once. Grabbing a key for Emma to stay in and handed it to her with a smile. "Welcome to Storybrooke."
Emma took the key from Granny, smiling softly.
The grand clock finally moved. After all of this time, it finally started working. After Emma agreed to stay for a week, it worked.
Henry smiled knowing that it started working again, he always had hope. He was the boy who believed in fairy tales when nobody else did. When everyone thought he was crazy, he knew he wasn't.