Paternity.
"What is it about this that you are not getting Neal - YOU ARE NOT HENRY'S FATHER!" Emma punctuated each word by slamming her hand into Neal's chest making him back up out of her space.
Emma whirled around enraged, took Henry's hand and stormed out of Granny's. To his credit the boy stay quiet and followed along, skipping at times to try and keep up with his clearly upset mother. Once they were a good distance from the diner Emma dropped Henry's hand and slowed her pace some so that the boy could keep up with her without running. The pair climbed the stairs to the apartment in silence, Emma unlocking the front door and slamming it shut again behind Henry before throwing herself on the couch and taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly trying to calm her thundering heart.
Emma was still practicing her breathing exercises when she opened her eyes to see Henry holding out a glass of water in her direction.
"Thanks Kid." she said as she took the glass and sipped the cold water.
"Emma, I didn't mean to make you mad." Henry said in a whisper.
"Oh hey Kid, you didn't make me angry," Emma reached out and pulled Henry so that he was sitting right in front of her and she lifted his chin so that she could see his eyes. "I am sorry if I made you feel like I was angry at you. I promise kid."
Henry considered this for a moment before nodding his understanding. He turned to leave his mom to calm down but thought better of it and turned back to her, "Emma?" he asked nervously.
Emma looked up at him, she knew that the question that was about to spill from his lips was going to tug at her heartstrings - it was the nervousness in his voice that alerted her.
"What is it kid?" she asked gently, sound a lot more patient than she felt.
"You didn't lie to me did you?" Henry asked quietly.
Time stood still. At least for Emma it did as her mind was thrown back to the time of Henry's conception and then she seemed to fast forward through her life from that point until this one.
Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath before answering.
"No kid, I have never lied to you."
Henry threw his arms around her excitedly and tears filled her eyes.
"I knew it, I knew you wouldn't lie to me!" he exclaimed as the door to the apartment opened and Snow and Charming returned home from the diner.
Emma looked up nervously at them, making eye contact with Charming who shook his head, silently telling her that no, he had not allowed Neal to follow them home. She sighed in relief as she pushed her son off of her.
"It's a school night Kid, shower and bed, come on it's already later."
"Ok Mom," Henry replied, trying the moniker out on his birth Mother. Deciding he was ok with the title he nodded his head once then raced upstairs to get his Pajamas. Snow and Charming were busying themselves in the kitchen while Emma worked very hard not to make eye contact with either of them while she tried to figure out how she felt about her son calling her 'Mom'.
Henry came back down the stairs moments later, pj's under his arm as he walked towards the bathroom.
"Gramps! Guess what, My Dad is a fireman and a hero!" He exclaimed then ran to take his shower.
A look of hurt flashed across Emma's face but she quickly stuffed those emotions down not allowing herself to feel them for more than a second. While she was quick schooling her face, Snow had not missed the flash of pain on her daughter's face, she made eye contact with David and he nodded silently.
Emma could disappear up to her room but in 5 minutes Henry would be done in the shower and heading up to the same room for bedtime and he mind was racing far too much for her to go to bed. On the other hand if she stayed here her parents, who had witnessed everything in the diner, would question her until she was exhausted about Henry's father and she wasn't sure she was ready for that either.
That left one option: running. She still had her coat and boots on so that wouldn't slow her down, she just had to wait until Henry came out of the bathroom and went up the stairs to bed - she didn't want to panic the boy, her parents were used to her running so they wouldn't panic.
The bathroom door opening pulled Emma from her plotting and she smiled as Charming hoisted Henry over his shoulder and declared himself to be on tucking in duty.
"Say goodnight to Emma and Snow!" Charming instructed as he turned his back to Snow so that Henry could kiss her goodnight, then he carried the boy over to Emma, winked once at her, then turned around so Henry could kiss her.
"Goodnight Kid, Dream big!" She told Henry as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
Once Charming reached the top of the stairs Emma launched herself off the couch in the direction of the front door only to come face to face with Snow, who was handing her a cup of hot cocoa with cinnamon.
"I know that your instinct is to run Emma, I even understand that and I won't stop you," Snow said taking a deep breath, "All I ask is that you sit and have a cup of cocoa with me first, if you still want to run after that then you can, deal?"
Emma's eyes darted from the cup of cocoa to the front door to Snow's face, which was soft and caring. She rolled the proposition around in her mind, she wanted to run but at the same time she was tired of running, tired of confrontation all the time and for some strange reason she trusted Snow. Perhaps not as much as she had trusted Mary Margaret, but still there was a connection between the two that Emma just didn't want to fight.
Nodding her head once, Emma accepted the offered cup and sat back on the couch, folding her legs underneath her. Snow took the other end of the couch and began to softly blow on her own cocoa. She knew that if she wanted Emma to open up to her she should not push, but let Emma start.
After a few moments of silence, Snow decided to change tacks and she turned towards Emma.
"There is nothing that you can tell me that will make me love you any less than I do already," Snow told Emma and she watched the young woman at the other end of her couch squirm at the statement.
"Nothing that you can tell me will make David or I ask you to leave our home." she let the statement hang in the air for a moment, knowing that Emma took time to process everything before she responded.
Emma was shocked, Snow had listened to her in the past but she remembered her fears and was trying to reassure her, she frowned as she tried to understand why Snow would do that.
"I know that it is hard for you to believe Emma," Snow continued, she wanted so badly to reach out and offer comfort through touch to Emma but she knew that was a mistake, "but now that we have found you we are not letting you go, you are my daughter, my baby girl and I love you and nothing you tell me could change that, nothing could make me any less proud of you and nothing, NOTHING would make me send you away. So please talk to me about Henry's father."
A tear slipped down Emma's cheek as she tried to unscramble her thoughts and arrange them into statements that would make sense. Could she really trust Snow? Maybe she wouldn't judge her maybe what she was saying was the truth? Emma's forehead scrunched up into a frown again as she took a sip of her cocoa and glanced sideways at Snow. Emma's superpower told her that Snow was telling the truth, she thought about it again, knowing now that she wanted to talk to Snow, she just didn't know how to start.
Again Snow sensed Emma's hesitation, "Emma, Regina is a part of this family, my step-mother, Henry's adoptive mother, despite everything she joins us for dinner every Sunday, when she is in trouble we help her and if we are in trouble she helps us, as much as Regina would never admit it, she loves us and we love her, in spite of everything that she has done, there is nothing you could tell me that would make me change how I feel about you."
Snow took a sip of her cocoa as she watched Emma open her mouth to tell her something but nothing came out. Snow decided to push, just a little.
"You were in prison when Henry was born meaning you got pregnant at 17," she nudged gently, "at 17 you were still a child so were you still in the system at the time?"
Emma grimaced a little but then realised it was a question, questions were easy. She shook her head no.
"No When I turned 17 I ran away from my foster home, I doubt they even noticed for the first few days, I was just another paycheck to them. another way to feed their drug habit, so I ran."
Emma took another small sip of her cocoa, savouring the cinnamon taste and scent, letting it soothe her nerves before she carried on without prompting from Snow.
"I had hidden away some money, always have an escape plan," she smiled at this survival tip that had never led her astray before finishing, "So I hopped on a bus with everything I owned in my backpack and rode the bus as far as my $30 would take me, then went into the first roadside diner I could find and got a job there. The owner, Beth, was nice, actually Granny reminds me of her a lot, she let me sleep in the stockroom on a matress on the floor."
Snow sat as quietly as she could not wanting to stop Emma from opening up to her but fighting back tears at what Emma had gone through. To make matters worse Emma seemed to be reciting these things as though it was just a story, rather than a struggle for her very survival, a child taking on an adult role just to keep herself safe.
"It was a Tuesday when he came in," Emma continued, "The rest of his crew were with him, they had just come off a long shift and were winding down. James came to the counter putting on all the charms but Beth put a stop to it immediately, I was wise enough in the ways of the world to know what James was after but I let Beth step in - if he was mad at her and still flirting with me I might still get a tip from him and maybe then if I got enough tips I could get a room to stay in for a few nights." Emma paused and glanced at Snow trying to see how she was taking the story so far, trying to see if Snow realised she was encouraging James's behaviour, to see if there was any disgust there.
Snow held Emma's eyes with her own as long as Emma would let her. She knew what Emma was looking for and she was determined that all her daughter was going to find was love and compassion.
Emma seemed satisfied with what she found in Snow's face and continued on, "James and his crew became regulars in the diner, or maybe they were already regulars I don't know. Anyway they came in at the end of every shift, cherry pie and a white coffee he would order, and he did always leave a generous tip. About 2 weeks after James and his crew first came in Beth had gone on a stock run but two of the other waitresses were there running the diner with cook in the back making up the food orders. I was taking an order to another table and suddenly James had bumped into me, I dropped the tray I was carrying spilling boiling hot coffee over my hand."
Emma absentmindedly rubbed a faded scar between her thumb and forefinger on her left hand as she struggled to control her emotions, regret and hurt were at the forefront of her mind but they were closely followed by fear and self loathing.
Snow saw the inner turmoil on Emma's face and moved so that she was beside her, taking Emma's left hand in her own hands and gently squeezed it reassuringly.
Eyes filled with unshed tears as she pushed on with her story, "Everything happened so quickly, James grabbed my arm and steered me into the kitchen, cook already had the cold water running and he held my hand under the water even though I fought him. I was so confused, this person who was always nice to me was now taking care of me, no one had ever done that for me before."
Tears spilled unbidden from Emma's eyes as her voice failed her. She covered her face with both her hands, her left hand sill in Snows as she slumped forwards and rested her head on her knees. Snow wrapped an arm around her and pulled Emma into her lap, to her surprise her daughter didn't fight her.
Snow swept her hand through Emma's hair tenderly stroking her daughter's head as she tried to comfort her. Internally Snow had a sick feeling in her stomach, at 17 her daughter had never had anyone take care of her, and yet she suspected she knew how Henry was conceived and she prayed to the Gods she was wrong.
After some time Emma continued, choosing to ignore that fact that Sharming had come down and was sitting in the armchair at the other end of the couch.
"The scald was bad and already blistering despite the cold water washing over it. I don't remember if the was a conversation or if I just followed him blindly because he was nice and taking care of me, but James decided that I required medical attention so he steered me to his car. Why wouldn't I go with him? He was a fireman, he knew burns and scalds, he was a regular in the diner so I knew and trusted him and so I went with him to the hospital."
Emma was sobbing now, had lost control of her breathing and she just lay still for a while in her mothers lap, relishing in the gentle touches and the comfort she was providing. Snow held Emma tight around the waist as she continued stroking her head, and making soothing sounds.
"You are safe here Emma, just breathe, I love you, WE love you." Snow told her.
Charming finally got up from his seat and sat on the floor in front of his wife and daughter. He reached up and gently placed his hand on the back of his daughter's head, tenderly placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Sweetheart we love you, we won't let you go, we won't let anyone hurt you." he told her before tenderly kissing her again.
Emma reached out and took Charming's hand grasping it didn't fight it, he just grasped it back, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles.
Once Emma calmed enough to speak and finished her story "They treated my hand at the hospital and gave me pain killers. James told me to take one of the painkillers immediately reassuring me that he would see me home safely. I trusted him, he had taken care of me so well, had been so nice, there was no reason not to trust him. I took the painkillers and got into his car. That's all I remember, I don't remember the engine starting or leaving the hospital car park. I had never had painkillers before in my life and these ones knocked me on my ass."
Emma took a deep, calming breath, adrenalin coursing through her veins as fear gripped her. Charming looked up at Snow worriedly.
"It's alright darling, you don't have to say anymore." Snow reassured her.
Emma frowned again not understanding why her parents were both being so nice to her about this but she had started and she was going to finish.
"I don't remember what happened." Emma confessed, "But I woke up the next day with a bitching headache, it took me a while to realise that I had woke up in a bed, but that didn't panic me. I had no idea where I was, but that didn't panic me. I tried so hard to piece together the events of the previous night but I couldn't, then suddenly he was leaning over me, kissing my head and telling me that it was time to get up for work. I couldn't figure out what the hell was happening but I swallowed down the bile that had risen in my throat and got up. That's when I panicked, when I realised I was naked. James just smirked and at me and left the room. I found my clothes by the bed and James drove me to the diner. Beth fussed over me for a minute then I got to work, doing something familiar helped me think. by the end of my shift I was resolute that I was going to talk to James and find out from him what he had happened between us. But the fire crew didn't come in that day nor the next. on the third day the crew came in but James was missing, their grief was written over each one of their faces. Beth came and told me that James had been killed rescuing 2 children from their burning home. He died a hero. I threw my stuff in my bag and ran, that's when I met Neal, we were stealing the same car."
Emma finished the story and hid her face in Snow's lap, letting fear and pain take her for a minute as she cried. When she calmed she realised in shock that Charming was still holding her hand, and Snow was still comforting her. She frowned, couldn't understand how they were not disgusted in her, that they were not feeling contempt for her.
A few moments later, when yet again the tears had stopped Emma felt Snow nudging her a little trying to get her to sit up. 'Here it comes!' Emma thought and she sat up keeping her eyes in her lap. Charming still held on to her hand and squeezed it reassuringly but she dare not look up. Emma felt a hand on her chin, gently turning her head to face Snow, Emma followed the arm to Snow's body and quickly glanced up at Snow's face, expecting anger and outrage, but it wasn't there. Emma dropped her eyes again.
"Emma, look at me please?" Snow asked firmly but gently. When Emma looked up into Snow's eyes she continued, "I love you Emma. I am so sorry that someone you cared about died, and I am sorry that he took advantage of you."
Snow held her gaze willing Emma to believe what she was saying.
"I think that if he hadn't done that with the medication, I would have done it anyway, out of gratitude." Emma confessed, dropping her gaze down figuring she may as well lay it all out while they were at it.
"And we would still have loved you Sweetheart," Charming said before adding softly, "and it would still have been rape because you were underage and not capable of making that decision." he swiped his thumb across her knuckles again tenderly.
His daughter looked up at him and smiled faintly, "Henry can never know." she whispered.
"He won't" Snow said reassuringly.
Emma threw her arms around Snow, not crying because she had no tears left to cry but she was too tired to feel these emotions anymore she couldn't fight anymore and so she rested and took comfort in her mother's arms.
Once she was asleep Charming got up from the floor and brought a blanket to cover them, Snow looked up at him and smiled, grasping Charmings wrist.
"Hey, will you be ok on your own?" Snow asked him.
Charming sighed before nodding, "It's a lot but it is progress right?"
"Yes, though it's a good thing he is dead." Snow replied.
Charming leaned down and kissed the top of Snow's head, then knelt down and kissed the top of Emma's head.
"Just shout if you need anything," He said as he left his wife and child to sleep on the couch.