Regina's POV
We land in Storybrooke and get off the plane. I look over at Henry, who is dressed smartly in a pair of jeans and a shirt with his blue jacket and his favorite scarf around his neck, I smile at him showing him that I know that he is upset about leaving England. I place my hand gently on his shoulder, I sign to him you're going to like it here, I promise. He smile back softly but it doesn't reach his eyes like it normally does.
When we get into town I look over at Henry who is adjusting his backpack. He looks back at me quizzically, do you want to get a hotel room whilst we furnish the house or do you want to set up mattresses and stay in the house during?
"We should stay at the house, it'll be easier that way."
I nod and head to 108 mifflin, when I saw it was for sale I didn't pass it up. My father owned the house before and it's the only thing I'll have to remember him.
You'll love it Henry.
"Mum? How do you know this route so well?" He questioned me. I sighed, there's a lot you don't know about me Henry and I'm going to tell you I promise okay?
He didn't look satisfied with the answer I gave him but knew he wouldn't win an argument so he left it at that.
I walk to the door and unlock it. I take a deep breath and walk inside. Everything rushes back to me at once. Everything that took place in this house, all the beatings and the rapes that took place just upstairs. I shudder, the first thing I'm doing is installing a lock on my old bedroom door and then never setting foot in there again.
A single tear runs down my face and I quickly wipe it away. I turn to Henry and smile, all of our stuff has been put in the garage for us, we should pull the mattresses out and sleep until morning, it's 11:30pm and we would normally be asleep right now. Sound good?
"Sounds amazing mum. Are we putting them upstairs?"
Downstairs for now dear. I'm too tired to drag them up there for the time being.
We work together to pull one double and one single into the sitting room. I tell Henry to take the double since he likes to move around and give him a blanket and a travel pillow. We both go to change into the pajamas we packed in our backpacks and settled down for the night.
I was startled awake by an insistent banging on the door. I look over to Henry who's sat up still half asleep. I chuckle at how young and childlike he still is. When the knocking doesn't stop I get up, Henry in tow, and open the front door. A man is stood talking to two women, I can't see any of their faces, I look at them and am about to speak when I quickly shut my mouth, "who are you?" I hear Henry say.
The man turns around giving me a look at all of them. Suddenly the man stutters out, "Regina? W-what are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry but, who are you?" Henry asks more agressivly this time.
"Sorry, young man, my name is Robin and I was friends with your mother way back when we were young teens." I don't give Henry a chance to speak before I dive at Robin, engulfing him in a big hug, knocking us to the ground at the same time.
"Cool so you knew my mum, so your British too?" Henry says I freeze.
Against my better judgement I stop Robin before he can answer by shouting, "yes!"
I hear Henry gasp from behind me, "Mum! You spoke! Like you actually spoke!"
I turn to him steadying myself as I stood, it was an accident Henry, I got excited about seeing Robin again.
Robin looks confused. He shrugs it off and continues, "this is Marian, my wife and her sister Nova. We met them shortly after you left. And this..." he points to a boy, no older then 5 years old who I didn't notice before, "is Roland, our son."
I smile at him and wave, he shyly returns the gesture. "To explain why we were knocking, Marian saw you moving in yesterday and we came to help. If I had known it was you I would have invited Emma to help."
I look at Henry, can you translate? He nods and I continue, with him tanslating, "how is she?"
"She is good, well actually I'm lying, she's a mess. She drinks like she hasn't got a liver."
"What? Why?"
"Why else? You left and she loves you."
The next one isn't from me, Henry shouts out, "aha! I knew you are gay!" Whilst fist pumping at his 'new found discovery'.
Robin laughs, "you clearly don't know your mother boy. First time I met her I knew she was about as straight as a roundabout can be."
Henry laughs too.
He starts searching his pockets. "Mum! I can find my phone! I promised the guys I'd call them in-" he checks his watch,"2 minutes!"
Robin hands him his phone, "here boy. Use my device, it's old but if you know their numbers, it'll do."
"May I take this inside?"
"Sure."
Henry's POV
I open the call app and the phone freezes up, damn it. I tap the screen furiously when a video screen comes up, huh, it has my mum in it. She looks young.
I know I shouldn't be snooping like this but it was an accident, right?
I let it load and click the play button.
I watch carefully,
- An man in his late 40's shouts, "Regina, tell the truth! I didn't touch you and you know it!"
A blond man who looks to be in his 30's or so shuts the door to a cruiser and locks the doors. A blonde girl around 17 or 18 says, "Don't listen to him Regina, we know your telling the truth." She holds my mum's hand and kisses her head. She wipes the tears off my mum's cheeks.
"Mommy!" My mum turns to a toddler and picks him up holding him tight.
"Regina, just tell the truth you insolent child!"
My mum shouts at an older woman who looks like her, "I am telling the truth Mother! Whether you like it or not he abused me since you married him, he raped me and not just once but when ever he felt like it! I'm done pretending nothing happened!" She says something else which you can't hear on video.
A ginger haired woman spoke this time, "Mother, she's telling the truth. She wouldn't lie, not about this."
A brown haired man in his 20's then spoke, "Regina, I'm proud of you."
They put some stuff In the back of the truck and my mum strapped who im assuming to be me into a car seat.
"Regina Mills! And where do you think you are going?" Who I'm assuming to be my grandma says.
"I'm moving in with my girlfriend Mother. Oh yeah by the way, I'm gay."
"What?! You can't and you certainly can't take Henry."
"Why? By the time you can do anything I'll be 18 and Henry's my son, if you have forgotten."
"You can't support yourself Regina, let alone Henry."
"I have money mother and besides, if you didn't hear the first time, I am moving in with Emma who is 17, which means she still lives with her parents."
"I'm sure her parents don't want such an insolent child in there home. You'll be running back to me in a few weeks at most."
"Hey! Regina is great and me,my wife and our kids love having her with us, she's become like family and no matter what family sticks together. She not insolent, nor a child anymore and you'd think after what has happened to her you'd treat her better then this and show some compassion to your own daughter." The blond man in his 30's cuts in. "Lets go girls. Head straight to the house I'll meet you there. I have to make a few stops and file a report so I'll walk or I'll ask Graham to drop me off when he heads out to patrol. I'll be a few hours at most."-
I hit the pause button as a few stray tear travel down my cheeks. Why has she never told me? Is that my father, is that why she never told me? Because he raped her?!
She is moving us into the house he abused and raped her in? Is this why she is so hurt all of the time? Is it because I remind her of that monstrous excuse of a man?
My mind rushes with all of these questions.
I go outside were Robin is exaggerating a story whilst acting it out. My mum smiling. I stand next to her looking at Robin, "he rape you. That man. He's my biological father."
My mum's head snaps towards my directiom so she can look at me. She starts to sign, Henry I can expl-
I cut her off by shaking my head, "you don't have to, I understand. But, you don't have to protect me. I mean, you didn't even tell me you were American. I've always assumed that we were English. But I'm American. I guess I should go back to calling you mommy, huh?" I say to try and lighten the mood. I see my mum- I mean mom start to spill tears, "he won't hurt you again mu- mom, I won't let him."
"I love you Henry." She says, American accent evident. I smile at her. I hug her tightly.
"I love you too, mom."
She chuckles, "you don't have to call me mom, mum was fine."
"I like you talking, I just want you to know that you don't have to be afraid of accidentally telling me anything. Also, I like the sound of mom. I don't know, mom, mum, mom, mu-"
"I get it." She starts but changes, but it won't all happen at once, I love you and I won't ignore you. But, I'm not ready to talk full time just yet. Only around you. She smiles and I hug her again.
