As I said in the summary this is taken from my SwanBeliever one-shots and decided to make it its own series.
So here's the gist: Regina still adopted Henry, but not until he was older. Henry is currently 8, and Regina only came into his life about 6 months ago, adopted him 3 months ago. Henry like most kids in his situation, wants to at least meet his birth mom, to answer his questions, mostly importantly why? So this is Emma and Henry meeting.
I want to say some of the details in this one-shot was inspired by a fanfic I started to read (it was already 20 or so chapters in so I was slowly reading it), it was regalbeliever/outlawqueen story called Meant to be yours. But when I got to where Regina told Henry Emma wasn't currently interested in meeting him, and how sad he got broke my heart so I stoped reading it. And this is just my take on if Emma did wanted to meet him, although most details are mine and I also have this in a au setting, whereas the story was in cannon somewhat to the show. So inspired by that story but made it my own.
I do not own OUAT or its characters just my imagination.
Chapter 1: Best day of her life
Emma stairs down at the letter, she was shocked, and scared, amazed and happy at all once. Her son, the little boy she had given up at birth wanted to meet her. She honestly never thought this day would come, hoped really, cause that meant she made the right choice and he had a good home, and if it did happen it wouldn't be for another 10 years. Emma starts to read the letter again, still not believing it.
Dear Emma Swan.,
I know this letter is probably going to be a shock to you. My name is Regina Mills, and three months ago I adopted your son. His name is Henry, and he is without a doubt the kindest and sweetest kid I've ever met, considering how he grew up. He makes me so proud every day and I am so thankful to have him in my life, so thank you, thank you for making what I can only imagine was the toughest choice of your life.
So the reason for this letter, first don't worry he isn't sick or anything like that. You see Miss Swan, Henry although happy in our home, he tells me all the time, he like any adopted child, he is curious. He is curious about you, where he comes from. We have had many conversations when I tuck him in bed at night about you, what you may look like, what traits he has from you. He just wants to know, and ask you some questions.
I understand you agreed to a closed adoption and this may feel like a violation of that but I just had to ask, for Henry. He simply wants to meet you, one afternoon of your time. If after, if this all you want, that is fine, I understand. And if you and Henry both find you want more time together that is great too. I did not tell him yet that I found you Miss Swan, so take your time and really think about this, if no, please know I appreciate your time at reading this, and again thank you. When you make a decision I attached my card to the top of this page, call me and let me know.
Regina Mills.
Emma sighs setting the letter aside; her mind was in a whirlwind. What is she going to do, she wanted to meet her son, but at the same time she was afraid to. What if she isn't what he wanted, what he pictured she would be, What if she let him down? But then she thinks about the letter, he just wanted to meet her, but worry still filled her, that in the end, he would hate her.
Emma spends the next week or so thinking this over. She went back and forth many times, yes she wanted to meet him, then no he's better off not meeting her. But in the end, yes won, she was meeting that beautiful little boy that stole her heart the few minutes she was allowed to hold him, looking at her with those innocent eyes of his.
Emma holds her breath as the phone rings.
"This is Regina" Regina answers.
"Um hi miss Mills… this is Emma" Emma says nervously.
Regina perks up at the name "Oh um Emma… thank you for calling" she says cheerfully.
"Yeah" Emma says with a bit of a laugh "So I've been thinking about this a lot… and I decided yes, I want to meet him, I want to meet Henry."
Regina smiles and closes her eyes "I'm so glad Emma, Henry will be so excited to hear. He really wants to meet you."
Emma smile, as tears build up in her eyes "I can't lie, I really want to meet him too. I never stopped thinking about him."
"That's nice to hear, I can only imagine how tough this is" Regina says now having set her work aside.
"It is, but… there's something about knowing he wants to know me, I can't say no to that" Emma says honestly.
"He does make it tough to say no. I must warn you, he has a impressive puppy dog face."
Emma really can't help but smile at that comment "Good to know. Um… I was wondering I wanted to get him something, a gift for when we meet, what are… what is he interested in?"
"First of all that really isn't necessary, but I get the feeling my sons not taking no as a answer when it comes from you. So, um he loves comics, superheroes, and recently Harry Potter."
"Based on all of that, he is defiantly my kid" Emma says with a laugh. "So… when should we do this?"
"Well, I don't know your schedule, but he has off school on Friday, unless the weekend suites you better."
"Um well I have a busy day Friday, but um… I can do Saturday morning, I can drive down Friday night and and meet you guys somewhere?"
"That sounds great" Regina answers.
The rest of week goes by fast, so here was Saturday morning; Emma was sitting in the dinner attached to the inn she stayed in. She was surprised to find when she got there that Regina had already paid for her room for her. Emma's leg is nervously bouncing, she glances at the present that sat next to her and she smiled, she had no idea how the kid would react to his gift. Every time she hears the little bell above the door jingles she glances up, to help calm her nerves she orders a hot chocolate with cinnamon. She hears the bell once again, and glances up. What she sees makes her loss her breath a minute, she sees a shaggy hair little boy, the moment she sees him she knows its Henry. And right behind him, is who she is guessing is Regina. They stop a minute, and both glance a minute, and Regina says something, and takes his hand and they make their way over to her.
"Emma Swan?" Regina says approaching her.
Emma stands as she says "Yeah, hi, Regina I take it?" Regina nods still holding Henry's hand "And you must be Henry?" Emma says, not sure how to react to the moment.
Henry smiles at her, making her heart melt and also feel more at ease from it "Yeah."
Emma notices a look in his eyes, she somehow can sense he wants a hug from her, she not sure how she can tell but she can. So Emma squats to Henry's level and smiles at him nervously holding her arms out to him, he quickly embraces her, burring his face into her shoulder. Emma simply breathes him in, wanting to always remember this moment, the second time she ever held her little boy. After a moment, neither really wanted to let go, Emma releases him, hands going down his arms, taking his hands "It's so great to meet you Henry" Emma says with the most honesty she has felt come out of her in years. The last time was the moment before they took Henry from her arms, when she whispered to him that she will never forget him and she will love him always.
Henry gives her another genuine smile "It's awesome meeting you."
Regina smiles at the interaction, her son being so happy "Why don't we take a seat" she suggests.
They move to sit, Emma going to her spot where she was, Regina and Henry sitting across from her "I hope you don't mind I got a drink already."
"It's no problem miss Swan" Regina says.
"You can call me Emma" Emma adds.
Henry looks into her cup "Hot chocolate?"
"Yeah with cinnamon" Emma answers.
Henry's eyes go wide "That's how I like mine too" he says excitedly, learning something he gets from his birth mom.
"Best way to drink it" Emma says with a smile.
"Yes, and with whip cream" Henry adds.
Emma giggles "How could I forget about that" she says with a laugh.
Ruby stops by and takes Regina and Henry's drink orders, Henry manages to get his mom to let him have hot chocolate. They order food, and have light conversation learning about each other. Emma tells them how she moved a lot growing up, how she grew up in the foster system, and how her first job was at a 24 hour dinner that was a lot like the one they were in. How she recently started a new job, as a bail bonds person, explaining to Henry she basically finds people who did not good things, that she helps cops. She in returns learns about her son, he confirmed how he liked comic books, his favorite being a tie between Spiderman and Batman. He was also a big reader, currently he was into Harry Potter. He told her how he grew up in and around Boston, and even spent time in New York which was where he was staying when he and Regina met, staying with one of the few nice families he had stayed with, but then he was placed with Regina, and the rest was history.
Once the plates are cleared Emma passes Henry a bag "Um… this is for you Henry."
"Thanks" Henry say, taking the bag. He takes out the tissue paper, and he pulls out a super soft light brown teddy bear, that was a little worn.
"That was supposed to be yours" Emma starts "I knew pretty early on that I was placing you for adoption. But one day I was early for my doctor's appointment, and by the office was this baby store, one of those more expensive ones, one that I wished one day I could shop at for my child" she says sadly, that part meant more for Regina. "Um anyway… I went in and was looking at all the stuff I knew I could never get you" she says giving Henry a sad look "then I came across this bin of stuffed animals. They were all so soft, and that bear caught my eye. I had very little money, but I knew I needed to buy it for you, it was supposed to be the one thing you had from me. But then I was out when I went into active labor, I was taken straight to the hospital, I wasn't able to go home and get the bear, and had no one to get it and bring it to the hospital. It broke my heart when I went home and it still sat on my bed, so I kept it, it was a piece of you still with me" she says giving him a smile, the first since starting the story, he gives her one back. "So when I decided to meet you, I knew you should have it, it was always meant to be yours, so now it is."
Henry holds the bear close to him, he looks up and his moms see a tear run down his cheek "No one's ever cared enough to save something for me." Then he looked between his two moms "just you two."
Regina puts her arm around Henry and kisses his head. Emma watches her son and his mom, she hated it took Henry so long to find his forever home, but she was relieved that it seemed to be the kind of home she herself dreamed of as a kid, and what she desperately hoped for him. And it happened; Regina clearly cared for him, made him feel safe and loved for the first time, something Emma could never repay Regina for.
Henry continues to hold the bear close "Emma, can I ask you something?"
"Yeah kid, shoot" Emma says.
"I can tell you loved me, and still do. Why… why did you give me up?" Henry asks innocently.
Emma takes a deep breath; she knew he was probably going to ask. "Well kid, I was young when I got pregnant with you, I was seventeen, I wasn't even out of high school. And you deserved so much more then I could of given you…"
"It was for my best chance" Henry adds.
"Yeah, exactly" Emma says with a teary smile "I loved you so much; I loved you too much to keep you."
Henry nods his head, Regina's arm still around him "Your mom was very brave Henry" she says, she looks at Emma who gives her a grateful smile "saying goodbye to someone you love, knowing you will never see them again… is one of the toughest things in this world."
"And I never stopped loving you kid, you have been on my mind every day since, no matter how hard I tried to forget I couldn't. I wanted to know if you were safe and loved. I would see little boys who looked about your age, and wonder what you looked like."
Henry gives a small smile "Did you hold me?"
"I did, but it wasn't for long. They only gave me a few minutes with you. The whole time I couldn't take my eyes off you, I want to memorize everything about you. When the nurse came to get you, I gave you a kiss and promised I would always love you, and I would never forget you."
"And you kept your promise" Henry says sounding satisfied.
Emma gives him a shy smile "Easiest promise I ever made and kept."
Henry nods again, he had another question but wasn't sure about it. He bites his bottom lip a bit before getting the courage to ask "Do you… do you think we can see each other more?"
Emma leans back into her seat "I would like that" she say giving him a bright smile.
Regina watches the pair smile at the other, she sees where Henry gets his smile from, it was from Emma. She saw a lot of Emma in Henry. Their emotional walls due to their past, the way they fiddled with their fingers when they were nervous, their love of hot chocolate with cinnamon and grilled cheese. They both loved Disney movies, but also enjoyed a good action movie. As much as it kind of hurt that Henry wanted to know Emma, she knew she couldn't keep them apart, besides a kid could never have to many people in their life who loved them.
The goodbyes where tough, but with promises of phone calls, and another visit soon they bid goodbye. That night when Regina went to tuck Henry in he was holding the bear that Emma gave him "You really like that bear huh?"
Henry nods "It smells like her" he says simply. Regina gave him a look "When Emma gave me a hug, she had this nice smell, the bear has the same smell" he says with a smile.
"I see" Regina says pulling the blanket up to cover him, and sits on the side of the bed "So you enjoyed meeting her?"
"Yeah, I wasn't sure how I would feel, cause I have you, I have a mom. But I guess I can have two moms right?" Regina nods not sure how to answer that "but she's also like a friend."
"All that matters sweetheart is that she loves you, and doesn't hurts you" Regina says brushing the hair from his forehead, she gives him a kiss on the forehead and walks to the door "Night Henry, I love you."
"I love you mom" Henry says with a smile, and Regina walks out the door, closing the door behind her. Henry lifts his bear, and sets it on his stomach, brushing his hand on the super soft fur, and kisses it "and I love you to mom."
Meanwhile in Boston, Emma sat in her living room, after her visit with Henry that morning, she was on cloud 9. She never thought she would meet him, and not only did she meet him, but she got to hug him, talk to him, and he was amazing, he became a much better kid then she ever dreamed of. She looks at her phone at the picture that Regina took of them before she left, she runs her fingers over his face "Night kid, love you" she whispers at her phone. It was something she said every night since he was born, but now she never had to guess what he looked like, or if he could ever forgive her. She still didn't know if she deserved to have this sweet kid in her life, but she would now make sure she was what he deserved, prove to be worthy of him. This meeting was the best day of her life.
Thoughts?