a/n: sorry I haven't updated in so long. I've been ridiculously busy with school! Any ways, here's a new (but short….I"m sorry) chapter, and I will write more next week, as I am on vacation from school!
"Regina, you requested us?" David spoke up as he entered the court where Regina sat.
"About six hours ago," Regina scoffed. Though she was dressed regally, make up, hair done, flowing gown, she did not look well- as if she had barely slept.
"Well it was the middle of the night," David began.
"Rescuing your daughter and grandson have a time constraint now? My apologies," Regina
spat.
"Enough of the nonsense. Regina, tell us what you have found," Snow interrupted, stepping forward past her husband.
"Well it's not so much what I have found, but rather what Emma may find. It seems a coworker whom she has become," Regina paused, searching for the appropriate word, "close to, gave her Henry's book. The one you gave him before, Snow."
"How did this coworker get it?" Snow wondered aloud.
"That doesn't matter. What matters is Emma's memory. She may be reminded of us from just reading to Henry and seeing our pictures. So far I have not found a way to get us back to Storybrooke,or this world, for that matter, but perhaps there is another way. But I will need your help," Regina said disgruntled. As much as she hated receiving or asking for help, especially from the two idiots, this time, it was necessary.
"Anything, Regina," David agreed quickly, before giving Snow the opportunity to argue. "What is it?"
"I need to infiltrate Emma's dreams. If I can find my way into her dreams, I can remind her of her past life. Perhaps just that will be enough…" Regina's voice trailed away, hopefully.
"You sound unsure?" David asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well the only true way to break a curse of this magnitude is-" Regina began, as Snow cut her off.
"True love's kiss," She said matter of factly.
"Correct," Regina said nodding.
"Well Henry is there with her….she just has to kiss Henry on the forehead like last time-" David naively began.
"No, David. The kiss Regina is referring to is one between herself and our daughter," Snow muttered in disgust. "Which isn't a true love's kiss, anyways."
"Deny it if you must, Snow, God knows it might help you sleep at night," Regina began, rolling her eyes dramatically at Snow's stubborness, "But it is true love. But that knowledge won't help any ways."
"Why's that?" David asked. This time, both Regina and Snow rolled their eyes at the King's dullness, and inability to quickly pick up the conversation.
"Because I have no way to get to Emma to kiss her, you idiot," Regina cried out, finally losing her patience with his moronic questions.
"Perhaps in her dreams?" Snow suggested. Regina scoffed. Her lover's mother was suggesting sex dreams for her daughter.
"Perhaps," Regina murmured acting uninterested. But the truth was, that that could be a potentially worthwhile plan. "I'll look into it," Regina finished, making her tone clear that it was just a possibility.
"Thank you, Regina," Snow said graciously.
"Of course. Now leave me to my research," Regina commanded.
"Yes. Snow, we must be going anyways," David called, and the pair departed, leaving an annoyed and perplexed queen to solve all of the Charming's problems, yet again.
.oOo.
"Alright so now we're gonna throw the mushrooms in- yeah just like that! Nice job," James exclaimed, high-fiving Henry. Emma smiled as she sipped her wine, watching the two boys cooking in her kitchen. James had quasi invited himself over for dinner, after offering to cook for Emma and Henry, but Emma found herself not minding one bit. If she was honest, she was actually enjoying the company. And Henry was having a great time with James. He had such a way with kids. She supposed it was from having a son of his own, for some time.
"Now the best part- the flames!" James said, with an err of mystery to his voice.
"Flames?" Henry asked, eyes widening in surprise.
"Ah yes. Emma, are we gonna set the fire alarms off?" James asked with a wink.
"I don't think so James. Have at it," Emma said, grinning in response.
"Alright Henry, you can do the pouring. I'll tell you when," James announced, handing Henry a bottle of wine.
"Only for pouring. None for your mouth," Emma teased, mock scolding him.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It'll be fine.. Don't you worry about it," Henry said rolling his eyes at his mother. He turned back to James, waiting for the 'ok.'
"Three, two, one, go!" James exclaimed, and they both watched as Henry poured the wine in with a splash.
"Good!" James called, pulling Henry back from the stove as flames rose quickly from the pan and faded as fast as they came.
"Woah. That was sick!" Henry cried out. "Mom, we need to cook like that more!"
"Or we'll just have James do it for us," Emma teased.
"That sounds even better!" Henry turned to James and whispered, "Mom's not a very good cook."
"Heard that!" Emma exclaimed, feigning offense.
"Are you denying it?" Henry asked with raised eyebrows.
"No I suppose not," Emma laughed, rolling her eyes. "Listen, I'll let you boys handle yourselves for a minute. I'm gonna go change for dinner real quick," Emma explained, still in her work clothes.
"Sounds good. I'll hold down the fort," James nodded.
"Try not to set the house on fire," Emma warned.
"We got it mom!" Henry said laughing. Emma smiled at her son and then made her way up the stairs.
.oOo.
Regina had been watching the dinner preparations from her mirror in her own kitchen. She saw Emma leave to make her way to her bedroom. Regina wondered if perhaps she could make contact through the mirrors. It hadn't worked before when she was watching Henry, but Emma had magic. Maybe that was a factor in making the communication work. Regina raced to her bedroom. If she was going to try and contact Emma, this was the prime opportunity. Emma was alone without Henry or James. She could do this.
.oOo.
Emma pulled out a clean shirt from her dresser, and pulled off the other one, tossing into a hamper. She found some yoga pants that were folded on the bureau, and pulled those on. Her jeans were dirty from running in the streets.
"Time for another load of wash," Emma commented, noticing her overflowing laundry basket. She frowned at the mess the basket was. Usually, a mess like this would bother her, and she was surprised she had let it get this way. That certainly wasn't like her.
After she dressed, she made her way to the mirror to touch up her make up. It wasn't often that she had someone over other than Henry's friends every once in a while. And there could potentially be something between her and James, if she let it. But Lord knows she was too afraid to let that happen. Still, it didn't hurt to look nice. She leaned in close to the mirror and began applying her make up.
.oOo.
Regina watched as Emma approached the mirror, and pulled out her mascara. She was getting dolled up for the man downstairs? Seriously? Regina scoffed at the thought. Maybe this Emma like men, but her Emma…well, she knew otherwise.
"Emma…Emma can you hear me?" Regina asked towards the mirror. "Emma…please answer me," Regina tried again, but still nothing.
"Emma it's Regina. Emma!" She was shouting now but Emma still could not here.
"Emma please! I love you! I need you to hear me!" Regina cried out, tears beginning to fall. At that exact moment, Emma looked up at the mirror, seemingly more attentive than before.
"Emma?" Regina asked, with a hopeful heart. Than Emma's palm came colliding with the glass. Regina jumped back as she felt the reverberation from the slap. Emma had killed a bug crawling her mirror.
"Please, Emma," Regina whimpered, as she sank to the floor and cried.
.oOo.
"James, Mom and I have been reading the book that you gave us. It's really good!" Henry exclaimed.
"Good, I'm glad you're enjoying it," James said with a soft smile, as he took a bite of his chicken.
"Yeah at first I wasn't sure if I'd like it. Because you know…fairytales are usually about princesses. But boy was I wrong! In the second chapter, when Snow White meets Prince Charming and she's a bandit in the woods?! Well that's just crazy! Because who…." Henry babbled on loudly, not noticing Emma turning to James to have their own conversation.
"Dinner is delicious. Thank you for cooking for us. And putting up with this chatterbox," Emma whispered.
"My pleasure. And Henry's a lot of fun. I'm enjoying this," James whispered back.
"Me too," Emma murmured before they both turned back to Henry's animated expressions.
"I agree with that very much, Henry!" James agreed when Henry had finished his long winded explanation of why Snow White as a bandit is a cooler version of the story. The trio continued to chatter over dinner about the book, its stories, Emma and Henry's hiking adventures, and funny stories from Emma and James' job.
"Alright kiddo, bed time," Emma called, as she and James had put the last of the dinner away.
"Really?" Henry whined.
"Yeah, really. It's a school night," Emma reminded him.
"Ugh, fine. Can you guys at least read to me?" Henry begged.
"Oh, well I don't want to make James-" Emma began, but James cut her off.
"No, that sounds great. Come on, Emma. Let's go read another chapter," James said with a smile, extending his hand. Emma took it graciously and the pair tucked Henry into bed and read him a new chapter of his book, this time hearing about how the Evil Queen tricked Ariel, the Little Mermaid.
.oOo.
"Henry's a great kid," James commented with a smile, as the pair sat on the couch drinking their wine.
"He's got a lot of energy," Emma said with a chuckle, rubbing her tired eyes.
"It's good though. Keeps ya young," he teased. They both sipped at their wine in the comfortable silence, before James broke it.
"So, where'd ya get Henry from?" he asked.
"Sorry?" Emma raised an eyebrow, not understanding the question.
"Like the name, I mean. My wife….ex-wife as very religious and had a strong belief in angels. So we named Michael after one of the angels," James explained.
"Oh…" Emma murmured, feeling stupid for not understanding what James had asked.
"So why did you pick the name Henry?" James repeated with a smile.
"Well," Emma began happily, but then paused. Why had she chosen that name. Her smile faltered as she realized she didn't know. "What is it, Emma?" James asked, seeing Emma's face fall.
"I don't know….James I don't know why I named my son 'Henry,'" Emma admitted.
"It's okay, Emma…" James tried to reassure her, but the tears began to fall.
"He's the most important person in my life, and I don't know where his name comes from," Emma cried, and she felt James' strong arms around her, as she cried into his shoulder.
Emma sobbed in James' arms that night, just as, in a different world, a certain queen was crying in her own room, at the same time.
