Being the Hero
Disclaimer: I wish, but no, I don't own the characters/show.
He's still kinda mad at her, but when she and Neal pick him up from Granny's and she tells him what's happened, he hugs her like he was never mad at her at all. And she hugs him back just as tight.
It's true she'd lied to him about his dad, but from the sounds of the battle they'd fought today he was lucky to still have her as his mom. And as for his other mom, well, he doesn't really know what to think about that yet.
But in the meantime Neal leaves to look after his own dad, and they head for their cramped apartment.
It's quiet, quieter than he ever remembers it ever being, even before the curse was broken. Gramps and Emma share a knowing glance, but his eyes are only for Grams, her figure silhouetted by the curtain that divides the loft.
"What's she doing?" he asks, looking to Prince Charming. If anybody knows Snow White, it's him.
"She's, well-" he struggles, and Henry frowns. It's one thing to hear it, but another to see it. Emma hadn't lied to him, not about this, and it turns his stomach to think what his grandmother is going through.
But that's the thing about heroes, he knows, they make the hard choices, the impossible ones. It's just that in his stories don't go into that much detail about the aftermath.
Without a second thought he shrugs out of his backpack and coat, walking determined towards that curtain. He hears Gramps start to protest, but also hears Emma stop him. And he doesn't think it's because of her guilt, but rather her belief that he can reach the unreachable. He'd gotten through to her, hadn't he?
Slowly pushing back the curtain he spots his grandmother staring off into space on the bed, her back slumped as she sits cross-legged, her eyes puffy from crying.
It's hard to see her so sad, he's not gonna lie, but a hero doesn't back down from a fight, so he swallows hard and climbs up on the bed, sitting down in front of her.
She only recognizes his presence after he tentatively reaches out to touch her hand, and he jumps when she jumps.
"Oh, Henry! I'm sorry. I didn't-"
"It's okay, Grams," he smiles, squeezing her hand, "Emma told me what happened."
"Oh," she nods, slowly trying to take her hand back, but he holds on tighter.
"Yeah. And I know what you did is hurting you, that it's eating you up inside. I'm not saying you shouldn't feel what you feel, but the thing is, from what I've heard, Regina didn't have to put Cora's heart back. She made that choice, just like she chose to side with Cora. She's still my mom, but Emma's my mom too, and what Cora was gonna do to her and all of you, well, I know you did what you had to do. Being the hero can be lot harder than being the bad guy sometimes."
He's barely finished that last sentence before Snow wraps him up in a hug, holding on a little too tight, but he lets her, because she obviously needs it. And as his own smaller arms wrap around her, he realizes he needs it too.