A/N: Here's another chapter! I didn't get a chance to edit so sorry for any mistakes. I'm going out of the country for a couple weeks and no updates while I'm gone bc I won't have wifi :( please review and tell me if u liked this chapter! Please tell me if you have any ideas!I love all your comments they make me so happy! Xoxo
...She took a deep breath and opened the door.
Henry was on his bed, lying flat on his stomach with his face towards the window. She sighed heavily as she looked at the back of him because his face was turned away from her.
"May I come in?" Regina asked him not walking further than the door. He didn't answer but he slowly nodded as he reached his hand up to his eyes, rubbing away what Regina assumed were tears followed by a sniffle. Regina's heart broke at the sight.
"Oh Henry," Regina said sadly as she walked towards the bed and sat beside him. She was still facing the back of him. She placed her hand on his back and gently rubbed a small circle.
"Please talk to me." She said with pleading eyes, even though he couldn't see them. He just stared out the window while another silent tear fell.
"What's going on? Does this have to do with why you didn't call or text Emma back?" She asked.
He nodded. Still not moving or looking away from the window. She could only see half of his face.
"Was it something she said? Did something happen between you two? She asked further but he didn't respond or motion anything.
"Come on honey, help me out here. Tell me what's going on and I promise I will do everything I can to help you. Now, what is it that has you so upset?" Regina asked sounding desperate.
"I just-... I just don't understand." Henry began.
"You don't understand what?" She furrowed her brow.
"Why she's doing this!" Henry said loudly as he sat up quickly and stood finally turning around facing his mother.
When Regina finally met Henry's eyes she saw true pain and anger behind them. She immediately felt a fire in her bones. She didn't know what the blonde had done to cause all this but her anger for her grew stronger with every second that she looked at thetear stains on her son's face. But for now she focused on Henry. He needed her. She needed to find out what was wrong so she could try to fix it.
"Doing what?" She asked urging him to continue.
"Ever since I came back to live with you she won't listen to me! She keeps saying she understands I'm "confused" right now- (he made air quotes with his fingers when he said confused) and as much as I keep telling her that I want to be here,she keepssaying things like, "you're not yourself"or "don't feel like you can't come back home because Regina can't force you to do anything."Why won't she listen to me when I say that this is what I want! You're mymom and she keepstalking about you like you are someone we barely know! Honestly I thought she'd be happy when I left!" Henry threw his hands up then let them fall slapping his jeans.
"What do you mean by that?" Regina asked concerned.
"Nothing." Henry spat out quickly.
"But-" Regina went to protest but got cut off.
"And the first time I had lunch with her after I came back here she was asking me a bunch of weird questions and asked me to come back with her and she would get me help. I asked what that meant and she said I had been acting weird and not myself andmaybeI should see Dr. Hopperagain."
Henry was pacing back and forth. Regina sat there enraged by what her son had just said. "Of course Emma would assume that because Henry wants to be with me instead of her that something's wrong with him." Regina thought to herself and scoffedinside thinking
about it. What was Emma thinking?
Henry stopped walking around the room and looked at Regina with tears welling up in his eyes.
"Why does she think I need to see Dr. Hopper again? Is... Is there something wrong with me?" Henry asked as big tears slid down his face.
Regina immediately stood up and embraced her son. She wrapped him tightly in her arms his face laid on her chest, her chin on top of his head. "Sweetheart, of course not! There is nothing wrong with you, do you understand me?"
Henry pulled back, "Are you sure? She seems to think so. She keeps saying I'm not acting like myself and she misses me.. The old me. What does that even mean? I haven't changed!" He looked at Regina pleading for her to make sense of all thisforhim. She could see he was genuinely confused. Regina saw that she had a perfect opportunity to steer Henry away from Emma and towards herself but she knew she couldn't do that. She knew what it was is like to have someone poison your child'smind against you. To have your child hate you. She couldn't do that to anyone else. Not even Emma. So she decided to do the right thing because that's what Henry would want her to do.
Henry was still pretty riled up so Regina decided to take a calm approach and try her best to defend the blonde. Because as much as she wanted to, telling Henry that Emma was not a fit parent and pointing out a ton of problems would not solve Henry's currentproblem. It would only add extra, unnecessary stress and weight on him.
Regina realized that no matter how much she hated Emma right now and despite everything going on she had to choose to do what's right by her son... No matter what. No exception. This was her chance to truly start being the mother she promised tobeto Henry.
"I think it means that she misses you very much." Regina started. Henry furrowed his brow at her.
Regina sat down on the edge of the bed and patted and Henry sat beside her. "Well, you haven't been spending as much time with her as you used to and I think in her mind "the old you" did and she just misses you being with her."
"Yeah, I can understand that I guess. I miss her too." Henry replied.
"If you miss her why don't you spend more time with her? You know I've told you since the first day you came back that you could go back or see Emma anytime and as much as you like."
"I know, it's not that." Henry said.
Regina knew that there was something more to this and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.
"Then what is it dear? She asked as she lovingly brushed his bangs to the side.
"I don't know... It's just, you guys are the heroes and everyone needs you for something. Everyone's always running off to defeat villains and save lives and do all kids of important things and all these people need youallof thetime.
But-... It's just that-... I mean I don't-" Henry started to fumble around his words.
"What Henry?" Regina asked again at his sons trouble articulating.
Henry looked down before answering. "Sometimes it's just that-.." He paused again
Regina was silently begging him to continue.
"Sometimes... I need you guys too." He didn't look up he just fumbled with his shirt, avoiding his mother's eye contact
Regina closed her eyes in pain. How bad had they screwed this whole parenting thing up? She knew that she was guilty too in this one. She started to recall so many times they'd left Henry behind to go be "heroes" and save the world notreally thinkingtwice about it. How many times they patted him on the head and went on their way, so to speak, because someone else needed them. They never asked him or considered if maybe he needed them more right then. She neverreally realized just how muchhe had to "settle for less" until now.
She kept her eyes tightly shut and held the bridge of her nose. She felt like she had failed. After all the things she had told Henry about wanting to be worthy of him and how much she loved him.. But all this time he felt alone, likehe came second
to everything else which in all reality he wasn't totally wrong there. He probably couldn't believe a word she said because of how he felt. She sighed deeply.
Meanwhile while Regina was lost in her thoughts, Henry had been sitting there with his head down. When he looked up and saw his mother's eyes closed and her holding the bridge of her nose he got worried.
Henry's POV:
Is she mad at me? Why isn't she looking up? She looks so serious but I can't really read her. Ugh, I'm so stupid I just should've kept my mouth shut and not said anything! What was I thinking? I should be grateful, I have two moms that loveme whensome kids don't even have one. I'm so upset with Emma right now but maybe I'm overreacting... maybe Mom is right. Maybe she just misses me, and wants to spend more time with me.
I do want to spend time with her but I just really want to be with my mom right now. I don't know why but I just do. I miss her. I love her, I really do. I didn't really realize just how much I needed her and how much she's always justthere no matter
what until she said she couldn't be. When I got the note from her that she didn't want to see me I realized just how much I didn't want to live without her. I've been so stupid to push her away for so long! I wastedso much time.
I love Emma too. I need her too but why do I feel like she almost doesn't want me around? I know she's the savior.. After all, I'm the one that brought her here! But she's always running off to save something or someone. It's her job.
Mom doesn't have such a demanding job anymore. She has more time for me. I feel like I get in Emma's way because anytime I've asked her to be with me instead of going with the "Heroes" she always sighs and says "sorry kid I gotta go"I thought
I was doing her a favor getting off her hands. I just didn't expect her to respond this way after I left. It's not like I'm never going back I just wanna stay with mom for a while just like I stayed with Emma for while.
I looked back up at mom. Uh, she's still not looking up. Maybe I should say something? Ok I'm going say something.
End of Henry's POV
"Mom?" Henry called shyly.
Regina snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Henry.
"You're right." She said.
Henry furrowed his brow.
"Everything. You're right about everything. But Henry I promise you that I'm going to-" Regina was saying before her phone started to ring.
She looked at the screen. It was Emma. Again.
"Who is it?" Henry asked, biting his nail.
"You're mother." She responded.
"Well, are you gonna answer it?
She looked at Henry in the eyes. "I don't have to.. not if you don't want me to. I can always call her back later."
"No, it's ok. It's probably important." He said his voice falling.
"You're important Henry." She said putting her hand under his chin.
"Thanks mom." He said as a smile escaped his lips. "Seriouslythough, answer it. It's ok." He gave her a reassuring smile.
"Alright then dear, if you're sure?"
He nodded.
She smiled at her son and stroked his face as she pressed the green button.
"Hello?"
"Regina- hey. Uh, we need your help. Can you come down to the station?"
"What's the matter? Is something wrong?"
"I can explain when you get here."
"Emma, I can't just leave Henry here."
"Oh right, I didn't think about that.
Regina tightened her fist. How could she not think about that, he's her son!
"I'm sure Belle can come and stay with him while we're gone. C'mon Regina we really need you!"
"I'm not sure that's a good idea. Henry's.."
Regina paused as Henry started to slash at his throat, mouthing, "No don't say anything!"
"Henry's.. Not feeling well. I think it would be best if I stayed with him so I can look after him."
"What? Is he sick?"
"No, I don't think so, he's just been feeling puny today."
"Oh, well tell him I hope he feels better and if he wants me to come over I can try later."
"Ok, I will tell him. Sorry I couldn't help with whatever it was."
"No worries. See ya Regina."
"Goodbye."
Regina put her phone down.
"So, what'd she say?" Henry asked.
"She said they needed help with something but i told her I needed to stay with you." Regina said and smiled.
"Wait, are you sure mom, what if it's important and they really do need you? What if something's wrong. Maybe you should go. May-" Regina grabbed Henry's hands and stopped his rambling.
"Henry nothing can be more important than what I'm doing right now. Do you hear me?" She leaned her head down to see him eye to eye.
"Ok." Was all Henry said with a small smile.
Henry yawned.
"I have an idea. Let's go downstairs and watch a movie, you can pick which one, and why don't we finish this conversation tomorrow, what do you say, hm?"
"But it's a school night.."
"I know, it's ok. I'll make an exception.. This once." Regina winked.
"Ok, that sounds great! Can I go make some popcorn?" Henry asked excitedly.
"Yeah, sure honey. Go start, I'll be right down." Regina smiled as Henry happily scurried off downstairs.
Regina sighed when she sat on the bed alone. She had so much in her head. "Let's just get through tonight," she thought.
She opened her phone and texted Emma. It said,
'We need to talk tomorrow. Come to my office at 10.'
She took a deep breath and headed down the stairs. She would deal with all of now, she was going to eat popcorn and watch a movie with her son.