A/N: This is a slightly AU story where 21 year old Emma believes that Henry belongs with her and that he loves her (even though he has never met her). She goes to Storybrooke in order to take a three year old Henry back but she doesn't realise the consequences. Based on a tv show I saw a few months ago.
It was early evening in Storybrooke Maine; the air was cool and the sky was filled with dark storm clouds. Emma Swan, aged twenty-one, drove unnoticed into the town. She had never been here before but she had done her research and already knew her destination. As she drove through the streets she couldn't help but notice how peaceful and simple the town seemed. There were people walking around but that didn't change the fact that it was so disturbingly quiet.
"How could anyone live here?" She wondered. Emma was not one to settle down; she lived off of change and strived off of the life and energy of big cities. While she had to admit, the town did have a certain charm, there was something eerie about it that she couldn't quite put her finger on. "The sooner I get out of here the better," she thought.
Her goal was to be as brief as possible, and then to run; never to look back at this place again. She had made a bad decision a few years ago, a decision she was going to fix tonight. She had given birth to a perfect baby boy but she had given him away because she thought he could have a better life without her. However, recently she had been wishing she had a child of her own to take care of and to keep her company. Since she already had a kid out there, she didn't see the need to have another baby. He would be three years old now, the perfect age according to Emma. He would already know how to walk and talk, she could feed him the same food she ate and hopefully he would be potty-trained by now. This was much easier than starting with a baby that would cry all the time and never let her get any sleep or quiet-time. She wondered if he would be like her, she hoped so. It would be cool to have a little version of herself hanging around. She was certain that once he knew who she was he would already love her.
"I'm his mother, he has to love me." She had told herself before setting out for Storybrooke. "He will want come with me for sure."
Glancing one last time at the address she had scribbled onto a spare piece of paper, she turned onto Mifflin Street and inspected each house number until she arrived at 108. There were lights on in the house, as Emma had hoped there would be. That meant the owner of the house, Regina Mills, would be at home and most likely with her adopted son Henry. Emma's son.
Turning off the engine and stepping easily out of the car, Emma quietly made her way to a side entrance of the large white house. She looked up at it and had to admit, she was impressed. Emma had never lived somewhere as glamorous as this. She had been prepared to break in but when she tried the doorknob she was surprised to find it unlocked. Being used to the city and all its paranoid inhabitants, this made Emma smile in amusement. The crime rate must be almost non-existent here.
The door swung silently on its hinges and Emma tiptoed inside. It smelled homey; there was a warm, sweet aroma coming from what must be candles, or maybe even reed diffusers. There was also the delicious smell of cooking food coming from the kitchen; Emma could make out chicken and vegetables. Emma didn't cook full meals very often; she was more prone to making quick meals like sandwiches or ordering take-out.
Listening for approaching footsteps or voices she pressed herself up against the wall to peer around a corner. The coast was clear and the main staircase was visible from where she stood. Not being able to see the kitchen, she thought she had a pretty good chance of making it upstairs without being detected. Treading lightly across the foyer she kept her guard up in case of any surprises. When none came she skirted up the stairs and saw the open door of a bedroom. She gently walked over to just beside the door and peered through the crack between the hinges. She could see a little brown-haired boy sitting on the floor playing with action figures. He was talking but he appeared to be the only one in the room. Emma's eyes shone as she saw how her baby had grown. He was even more adorable than the last time she had seen him. She entered the room and knelt down a few feet away from the boy. He looked up at her with curiosity, but didn't seem afraid.
"Hi Henry," she smiled.
"Hi," he answered in a high childish voice. "Who are you?"
"My name is Emma," she thought a moment before continuing, "Your mom sent me up to check on you, I am an old friend of hers."
"Do you want to meet my friends?" He asked her, holding out one of the action figures to her.
"Sure!" Emma responded trying to suppress a giggle. So Henry showed her each toy in turn and explained each of their names and background in simple but numerous sentences. Emma was starting to get anxious, she knew she didn't have much more time and she needed to get the kid out of there before Regina Mills noticed there was someone else in the house.
"Hey I have an idea," Emma said with enthusiasm, "Why don't we go on an adventure, like your action figures do?"
Henry frowned in consideration. "Can Wolverine come too?"
"Sure he can!" She reached out a hand to help him up, and he shoved the toy under his arm, grinning.
"Wait," he stopped, "we should ask my mommy first. She might want to come too."
"No, I already asked her. She says its fine." Emma said a little shortly, she was irritated that he had called the other woman 'mommy.' Emma was his mother, and he would soon learn that.
"I don't think we should." Henry backed up a few steps.
"Come on Henry, it will be fun." Emma insisted, closing the few steps between them. Henry shook his head as Emma tried to give him a reassuring smile. When he still denied her Emma reached down and picked him up.
"Put me down!" The three-year old squirmed.
"Shhhh! You have to be quiet." Emma insisted, trying to make the boy stop fighting her.
"Where is my mommy?" He asked her, a little too loudly for Emma's liking.
"Shhhh," she hushed again while crossing back to the hallway, "That woman is not your mommy, I am, and I am taking you home with me so we can be a family again."
"What do you mean?" He continued to struggle, and Emma pressed her fingers to his lips to try to silence him. "You're a liar! She is my mommy, not you! MOMMY! MOMMY!" He started screaming for Regina as Emma reached the top of the stairs.
"Crap," Emma whispered under her breath as she heard a clatter from the floor below and then the fast clicking of heels as Regina ran towards the stairs.
"Henry?" Regina called from below, "What's wrong?"
Emma quickly descended the stairs and as she reached the bottom Regina came into view, her expression full of bewilderment, but this quickly changed to rage as she saw this stranger holding her little boy.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She yelled as she angrily came towards the pair.
"Stay back!" Emma warned. Her plan had gone horribly wrong. She was hoping she wouldn't have to be seen, no one would have known she had even been to Storybrooke. It would have been perfect.
"I don't think so," Regina huffed as she continued to approach, reaching out to take Henry away from the unfamiliar woman. "What are doing with my son? You will regret coming here. Who the hell are you anyways?"
"I mean it!" Emma threatened dangerously, pulling a revolver out of the back of her jeans. "He is MY son, I gave birth to him and I am taking him back. I won't hesitate to use this, now step back." She waved the gun as she spoke before pointing it at the expensively dressed woman. When Regina saw the gun she stopped dead in her tracks, her dark brown eyes were still full of fire but her mouth was open in shock. However she refused to back away.
"Mommy... what's going on?" Henry whimpered softly, tears beginning to break free from his sparkling round orbs.
Regina's eyes softened as she focused her gaze on the frightened toddler. Taking a deep breath she assured him soothingly, "don't worry Henry everything's going to be fine." Switching her voice back to her more menacing tone she stated, "So you're Henry's birthmother." Narrowing her eyes she studied the younger blonde with distaste. "In case you don't remember you tossed him away, he no longer belongs to you and you have no right to take him. You could be arrested for what you have done already, and you don't want to push it even further. He is my son now. I don't know what plan you had, but if you take him out of this house you will only hurt him. He would never forgive you for that and I certainly won't tolerate anyone hurting him." Regina's voice was becoming dangerously low.
"You don't understand!" Emma yelled, "I love him, and he loves me. I know he does, he has to."
"Miss..." Regina started, but then realised she couldn't recall this woman's name.
"Swan! Emma Swan," Emma growled.
"Miss Swan, I know you think he loves you, but he doesn't even know who you are. Look at him, you're scaring him. Just put him down and we can talk about this." Regina tried to keep her voice slightly comforting because she didn't know how dangerous this woman might be. She could react at any moment and hurt someone.
Emma paused and looked down at the quivering child in her arms. There were tears running down his face and he was sniffling. His toy Wolverine left abandoned at the top of the staircase.
Regina tried to use this moment of vulnerability to her advantage and stepped forward, but this caught Emma off-guard and she quickly snapped out of her distraction.
"No!" Emma shouted," If I don't take him now I'll never get him back! I have to take him!" She started backing away towards the front door and kept the gun trained on Regina who was feeling quite scared herself. How could she stop this woman from kidnapping Henry? Emma was clearly unstable and there was no telling what she was capable of doing.
"Please. Don't take him, he's all I have!" Regina pleaded.
Henry started to scream and struggle against Emma, who in return tightened her hold on him.
"Wait. Wait please just stop! You're hurting him!" Regina begged, and forgetting about the gun she reached out for Henry again in attempt to get him out of harm's way.
Suddenly, without warning, the gun was fired twice and Regina cried out and fell backwards onto the hard marble floor. Henry screamed "No! Mommy!" and Emma turned and fled, racing out the front door, not even bothering to see what damage she had done.
A/N: So I hope you are not to angry at my portrayal of a not so sweet Emma. I
love Emma to bits honest! Reviews are very welcome!