a/n1: so, this is apart of a series titled, "moving on." it's not multi-chaptered. it's actually a series of one-shots. this is the first installment.
a/n2: so, i'll be updating this series, howl and the curses affect at every chance i get. it's winter break now, so i should be fairly caught up on my stories.
a/n3: please review!
She watches them go, the Charmings and all of their beloved friends, their perfect little family,and when she does, it's the most heartbreaking thing she has ever witnessed.
Yes, her mind concedes, even worse than when Cora killed Daniel in front of her very eyes.
"Congratulations, you just reunited mother and son." A deceitful pause and then Rumplestiltskin continues on, "maybe one day...they'll even invite you for dinner."
No, Regina thinks, they won't.
"Where's your mom, kid?"
Henry looks up at Emma, a bit of confusion etched on his face. He's about ready to say, 'but you're my mom and you're right here!' when he takes note of the actual concern that's on his biological mother's face. "I don't know," he responds truthfully. It's been three days since Emma and Snow got back, and he has barely even thought about his adoptive mother, much less seen her.
Emma scrunches her face in slight distaste, and she feels slightly disappointed in herself. "Okay, kid. Come on, we're going to pay her a visit. Go get two or three cupcakes for her from the fridge."
"Okay, 'Ma," Henry murmurs as he trots to the kitchen to get a container and to put the two cupcakes - that he helped Snow bake, by the way! - into them. He puts a small heart-shaped candy on top of each of them without even thinking twice about it.
Emma's pulling on her jacket and handing Henry his. "Where's Snow and Charming?" Emma still believes it is too weird to call them mom and dad when she's almost the same age as both of them.
"They went into town, I think," Henry responds.
"Good. Less explaining we'll have to do. Come on."
Silence. There's no noise in the uncomfortably homey room of Archie's office. Regina sits on the couch, elegantly seated in the middle of the patient couch while he sits on the chair beside her.
She breaks it first. She always does. "He hasn't been by to see me in three days."
And he won't.
"Emma and Snow just got back. Perhaps he's preoccupied," Archie tries. "They've been gone for some time, Henry's probably just catching up and asking a bunch of questions about their trip. I've witnessed it, he doesn't stop asking about the Ogres and Captain Hook, and all that stuff."
Regina knows he's trying to soothe and calm her, but his words only boost her anxiety up.
He finds her stories more interesting.
"I'm...this session's over."
Without another word from Regina, she hurriedly puts on her jacket and picks up her purse from the ground. She scurries out of Archie's office, despite his babbling apologies and attempts to make her stay. Any other time, they probably would have - he is only trying to help her after all. But right now? She needs to think things over.
Back at the mansion, she's packing bags. Only two. One main luggage bag and one small one in case that one somehow gets lost. She packs clothes, all the regular necessities, and two pictures of Henry. One of him as a baby, with Regina holding him close to the heart she thought to be too icy to love the boy (oh boy, was she wrong); and the other a school photo of him. A recent school photo of him, of course.
She gives one wistful look back into her master bedroom, the room in which she's spent long nights sobbing alone in her bed; the room in which she brought home a selection of people to make herself feel wanted; the room in which she used to be attached to, but can't handle to look at any longer because of the bad memories. She walks out and closes the door firmly.
There's a knock at the front door that startles her and she drops the smaller bag onto the stairs as she's climbing down it with the larger suitcase being kicked down the steps in front of her. Another knock, and then a key being put into the keyhole.
Henry bounds in and for one split second, Regina considers staying in Storybrooke for him.
But when she sees the curly mess of blonde hair tumble in behind him, all thoughts of staying in this town leaves her head in the instant Regina's eyes land on Emma.
No, of course he wouldn't come alone. It probably wasn't even his idea.
"Can I help you?" Regina says as regally as she can, but her throat constricts and she suddenly finds herself struggling to push the suitcase down the rest of the stairs. It lands with a dull thump on the expensive floors, and Regina can't find it in herself to give a shit about that.
Emma raises her eyebrows. "Going somewhere?"
"What does it look like, Miss Swan?" Regina snaps irritably as she pulls up the handle for the suitcase and wheels it to the door. She looks at Henry, mustering up the coldest look she can, but she can feel her icyness thawing as he looks up at her with big eyes. "Your stuff is all packed upstairs. You can go get it. Just make sure to lock up the house when you're finished." She goes toward the front door.
"Whoa, Regina."
Regina feels a hand on her arm and she snarls at the contact.
"Don't touch me," Regina growls the words and wrenches her arm away from the hands gripping the bicep. She opens the front door with one hand and pulls the luggage outside with the other.
"Hey, kid, go up to your room for a minute. Me and Regina need to talk."
"But -"
Regina can't see it, but she's sure Emma gives him a look that shuts him up immediately and all she can hear is him thumping up the stairs and stomping into the room that was formerly his.
"I'm on a bit of a tight schedule, Miss Swan. My flight for Europe leaves in four hours."
"Europe?" Emma walks closer to Regina, standing under the doorframe as Regina brings her luggage down the few stairs on her porch.
Regina turns and glares at Emma with such venom, Emma's sure it could make anyone pee their pants. "Did I stutter or are you just hard of hearing?"
"I don't know what your problem -"
"I don't have a problem anymore, and neither will you or your family, or Henry, or anyone else in this town. Just take care of him, because if anything happens to him while I'm gone, I will kill you like I should've done the minute you stepped into Storybrooke and into my life. Are we clear?" She doesn't wait for a response, she turns (mainly because she has tears pooling rapidly in her eyes) and she pulls her suitcase down the driveway.
As she's putting her bags into her Benz, she hears Emma speak again. "You can't just leave, Regina."
Emma doesn't get anything in response except for a snort.
"Regina," Emma tries again and moves closer to the car, where Regina's fiddling with her keys idly for a moment. "You can't leave. Henry needs you."
This time, after Regina's had about two minutes of laughter, she gets a response.
"He doesn't need me. He has all he needs. The last three days were just a reminder of that. So I'm doing what all of you townfolk want. I'm leaving. Jump for joy. Enjoy Henry. Enjoy your family." Enjoy all the things I never got.
"He does -"
"I'm quite done talking with you, Miss Swan. Now I really must be going." She gets into her car and puts the keys into the ignition, getting ready to close her door.
Until Emma's hand stops it.
"You'll forget everything."
Regina's mouth quivers. That's why she has the pictures.
"Perhaps." She turns up the heat in her car.
"You actually don't mind forgetting everything?"
"It's better than remembering."
This time, she closes the door, not caring if Emma's fingers were jammed. Of course, the blonde is swift enough to swipe her fingers out of the way just in time before the door slams shut.
Regina puts the car into drive, locks her seatbelt, and then drives away.
Tears fill her vision as she looks in the rearview mirror and she sees Henry joining Emma on her driveway (her old driveway). He won't miss her.
He doesn't need me. He has Emma. He has the Charming's. I was just a substitute.
She repeats this mantra as she speeds through town and reaches the border. Taking a deep breath, she presses down on the gas pedal until she passes over it.
"Where did she go?"
Emma's never seen him look so little.
"Europe."
A beat, no response and Emma's sure that Henry dropped the subject.
"It's all my fault."
Emma's heart stops for a moment. No, it's mine.
"It's not. She loves you," Emma tells him. It's not a lie. Even Emma, who's not the most experienced when it comes to familial ties, knows that Regina thinks she is doing Henry good by leaving his life. "She... she just thought it would be good for you if she left town."
"I miss her already," Henry mumbles.
Emma knows the ache in her chest isn't jealousy.
"Then come on, kid. We have something to do."
"Gold," Emma says as she enters his shop.
"Ah, Miss Swan," he drawls as he limps toward her and Henry. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this little visit?" He gives Henry some sort of smile, which causes the small boy to glare up at him.
Emma steps in between Henry and Rumplestiltskin. "If Regina passed over the border, would she forget everything? She cast the curse, after all. She remembered her life when no one else did. If she crossed over, would she still remember her life then and her life now?"
"Why are you asking, dearie? Did Regina finally get the hint and leave?"
Emma growls. "Answer the damn question, Gold."
"No, she won't forget." A sigh of relief comes from both Henry and Emma. "But remembering for Regina may be a worse punishment than forgetting."