Thanks so much for the Reviews on "All She Needed" this is a short sequel that I came up with. Please read and review. Warning it's a little darker than the first, but it ends happily
A loud banging interrupted the peaceful quiet that had settled over the apartment during the night. Emma sat up with a start, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to clear the sleepy fog. She looked down next to her and smiled at the sleeping form of her son who had yet to be awoken. Wait, what had woken her up in the first place? At that second, the banging resumed and Emma looked towards her bedroom door, then she heard the all too familiar voice that sent her heart racing. "Ms. Swan! Open this door right now, I know he is in there!" she clambered out of bed pacing quickly around the room, the previous night coming back to her. She had gone to see Henry and he hadn't wanted to go home so she had taken him back to the apartment for the night.
"Henry," she shook his shoulder "Henry wake up!" the knocking persisted. The boy awoke slowly and smiled at his mother.
"Morning mom," then he noticed the look of terror on her face. "Wait, what's wrong?" then he too heard the banging on the door. His face suddenly took on the exact same expression as his mom's. Emma quickly got down on one knee in front of her son and took him by the shoulders.
"Listen to me Henry, you shouldn't have come home with me last night, I'm so sorry. You have to go back with her, I have no right to keep you here." She saw tears begin to form in his still tired eyes. She couldn't hurt him, she had promised. With unsteady hands she unclasped the pendant from around her neck and slid it over Henry's ruffled hair. "Keep this with you, alright? We don't have a lot of time. I will always be with you, and when you miss me you will have this." She gestured to the necklace that she then tucked under his shirt. "I will fight for you, I promise. I love you Henry." She pulled him to her and embraced him, trying to keep her own tears from overflowing. The banging was become more persistent and more angry.
Emma gently took Henry's small hand and led him downstairs to the door. Just as expected, there was a very frustrated Regina standing in the hall. She quickly snatched Henry by the arm and then shot Emma a look that could kill. "You have no right to take my son away from me in the middle of the night. I will be pressing charges, just you wait." The venom in her voice was enough to make Emma's blood boil.
"Regina, wait, I wasn't taking him . . ."
"I've heard enough Ms. Swan. Good day," and with that the evil queen pulled the door shut in Emma's face. Emma couldn't move or breathe. She slide down the door burying her face in her hands. She was too numb to even cry, but she was grateful because the quiet meant she heard the slap that came from the other side of the door, the slap that no one was meant to hear. With quickness she didn't know she possessed, Emma was up and out the door. The sight before her would forever be burned into her memory and if she wasn't so furious she would have wept.
Regina stood with one hand grasping Henry's arm with unnecessary force and the other was poised open handed and ready to strike, for the second time. "Don't you dare strike my son," Emma's words whipped through the air causing Regina's head to snap back in her direction.
"This is no concern of yours Ms. Swan," Regina stood up straight but her grip on Henry did not loosen.
"The hell it isn't," Emma looked down at Henry and saw the red mark beginning to form on his cheek. "I don't care if you raised him or not, he. Is. My. Son. And you will never lay a hand on him again. The only reason I let you take him out of this apartment was because I knew I had no substantial right to keep him other than the fact that I gave birth to him, but as acting sheriff and, if I have to use it, Princess, of this town I deem Henry as now in protective custody by the law enforcement due to abuse by his acting guardian. Come here Henry." With a sharp tug Henry separated from the Evil Queen and ran behind her taking one of her hands.
Regina stood in shock her eyes switching back from Henry to Emma. "This is absurd, I am the Mayor, you can't take my son from me!"
"Yes, Madame Mayor, I can, you will get an official report from my office later. Have a good day." With that Emma, not so gracefully slammed the door. She heard retreating foot steps down the hallway and slowly let out a shaky breath. "Henry, are you okay?" Henry was just staring at the door dumbfounded.
"You made her go away," Henry slowly turned to his mom, his eyes wide. "You made her go away."
For the second time that morning, Emma got on one knee before her son and gently took his shoulders. "Are you okay?" Henry didn't respond but wrapped his arms around Emma's neck with a vice like grip. Emma smiled and returned the embrace, but she needed Henry to answer her verbally. As much as she hated to ruin the moment, she had implicated this action as acting sheriff and she had to know if he was alright. "Henry, everything's going to be okay, and I'm not going anywhere, but I need you to talk to me. Are you okay? How's your cheek?" she pushed him back so that she could examine his face.
"I'm alright, it hurts a little but its nothing I can't handle." It looked as though that was all she was going to get out of him at that point so she smoothed his hair with her fingers and gave him a reassuring smile.
"How bout breakfast at Granny's?" Henry nodded fervently, the thought of food quickly erasing any worrisome thoughts the ten year old boy was having. Emma chuckled and stood up. "Alright go get dressed and brush your teeth, I have some clothes that I washed the last time you were over here." Henry swiftly scrambled up the stairs and began clunking around to find his wardrobe.
"How you doing?" Emma jumped at Snow's, her own mother's, voice.
"Geez you scared the crap out of me," Emma placed her hand over her chest trying to slow her now accelerated heart rate. "Where's Charming?"
"Still asleep, that man can sleep through anything I swear," Snow looked at the door to her bedroom and then back at her daughter. "I heard everything that happened. You were very brave, and nice Princess line," she smirked wiggling her eyebrows mischievously.
"Sorry we woke you, I can't believe she hit him. I mean I know she is evil and all, but hitting a child? Especially Henry . . ." Emma's voice began to shutter at the far too recent memory. Snow had gently placed her hand on her daughter's trying to comfort her.
"But you saved him, just like you saved the rest of us. He's safe now." Her mother's words sent a twinge of embarrassment through Emma's thoughts. She hadn't saved everyone, in her mind Henry was the savior. He had sacrificed his own life to make her believe and as she kissed his dead forehead, the curse had broken and her son was revived. Before she could voice these thoughts, Henry came bounding down the stairs.
"I'm ready!" he was smiling ear to ear "Hey grandma!" he wrapped Snow in a signature hug before looking up at Emma expectantly. The two women laughed at the little boys antics.
"Alright, alright, we are going," Emma shared a knowing glance with Snow and then grabbed her jacket before shuffling Henry out the door. The walk to Granny's was short and quiet, Henry was pondering what he would eat and Emma was focused on some questions she needed answered. They were greeted warmly by Granny and Red as they entered the small diner. Henry automatically went over to he and Emma's usual booth and yelled over his to Granny that he would like some hot cocoa. Emma reminded him to say please before sitting across the table. Red came over to take their orders and Henry got three blueberry pancakes and side of bacon while Emma settled for a couple of eggs and some toast. As they waited for their food, Henry sipped on his cocoa and Emma on her coffee. Both were silent, lost in their own thoughts of the previous night and this morning's events.
When Henry's pancakes came, however, he dug in and began devouring the still steaming cakes. Emma, on the other hand, couldn't stop fiddling with her food. "Henry, I need to ask you something,"
Henry stopped mid chew and mumbled out an "okay," but it sounded more like "Mfkai" Emma laughed and then focused back on her question.
She lowered her voice and gazed into her boys eyes. "Henry, was that the first time Regina had hit you? Or hurt you in anyway?" Henry immediately looked down, dropping his fork onto his plate. "You don't have to tell me everything right here, right now, just give me a nod or a shake of your head." Henry slowly lifted his gaze and shook his head. Emma struggled to keep the tears from her eyes. She reached her hand across the table and took Henry's. "So this has happened before?" Henry simply nodded. "Henry I'm so sorry, I didn't know . . ."
Henry formed a tight smile and squeezed her hand. "Its okay," without another word he continued to eat his pancakes and a glass of orange juice. Emma had lost her appetite and simply watched the growing boy scarf down his breakfast, glad that something was normal. Once again they walked in silence back to the apartment and Henry immediately asked if he could watch some TV. Emma approved and told him that she would be upstairs if he needed anything.
The sound of cartoons filled the living room as Emma made her way upstairs. She collapsed on her bed and all the emotion from the day came out in sobs. She thought the worst feeling would be to see her son dead, but knowing that because she had given him up and left him, that he had lived a life of abuse, that was too much to bear. Her job was to protect him, and over the past two days her resolve to do so had grown exponentially. She sat on her bed and cried for over an hour and eventually fell into a fitful sleep. She had dreams of the enchanted forest and of Henry running to her but never making it.
A small hand on her shoulder pulled her from the slumber and she looked over to find Henry staring down at her. "Henry, is everything okay?" her voice was raspy from sleep
"Mom, can I—can I show you something?" Emma felt her heart flutter at the use of her new title. She nodded, sitting up so she would be prepared for whatever it was. Henry took a deep breath before turning around and lifting the back of his tshirt. Emma couldn't believe her eyes. Texturing Henry's lower back were a series of raised white scars. Some were older than others and they crisscrossed over the delicate skin. She reached out with two fingers and traced the ridges, hoping they wouldn't be real.
"Oh Henry, how—how long has this been going on?" Henry turned around and stared at his feet while he answered.
"The first time was when I was six, I knocked a vase off of a table, I didn't mean to." At this point Henry began to cry openly. "I didn't mean to, I promise I didn't mean to." Emma pulled him up into the bed with her and wrapped her arms around him.
"I know Henry, I know, listen it's not going to happen again. I promise, you're safe now, I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry," she rocked back and forth gently rubbing Henry's back. His tears didn't subside so Emma put her hand under his chin, pulling his face up to look at hers. "Last night, Henry, I was terrified. I was so scared that I would fail at being your mom, but one thing I knew was that I wanted nothing more than to have you here with me. All I want is for you to be safe and happy, and I will do everything in my power to make sure that you are never harmed again and that you are loved like you are supposed to be. I wish more than anything that I could erase all of this, but I can't, so please believe me when I say that you never have to worry about that again. You make me happier than anyone ever could, which is why I threw those silly rocks at your window and let you come back with me last night."
Henry nodded silently, his tears beginning to slow. He stood up from the bed and pulled her with him. "Where are we going?" Emma questioned.
"Downstairs, we are going to make popcorn and watch a movie," he stated matter of factly.
"Oh we are now?" Emma said with sarcasm coating her words. She couldn't help but smile at her son's determination.
"Yep! I think we've both had a little too much real life today don't you?" Henry stopped in the door and turned to look at her.
"You know kid, you're really smart, and yes I think we have." For what seemed like the millionth time that day, Henry wrapped his arms around her. She would never get tired of his bear hugs.
"And Mom, you will never ever fail, because I've never felt more safe than when I'm with you. And the difference between you and Regina isn't just that you love me and she doesn't, the biggest thing is that I love you. That's what makes you my mom. I've been closer to your heart than anyone else, literally. I can feel how much you care for people, especially me, and its something I never felt until I found you." Emma stared at Henry in shock. Her ten year old just spouted out the most profound statement of love that she had ever heard. She ruffled his hair with her fingers and kissed the top of his head.
"I love you too, Henry." With a smile he turned back around and began walking down the stairs. Emma just shook her head as a smile ghosted her lips.
"What do you wanna watch?!" Henry called from downstairs. She laughed and followed after him. It certainly had been a hell of a day.