The Tower

Henry and I sit in the lobby of the bed and breakfast doing homework when the mayor walks in.

"Mayor Mills," I say standing up to greet her. "If you're looking for Emma, she's not here."

"You can call me Regina, Madison, and I'm actually here to see the two of you."

"Well, Regina, if we are being informal then I must insist that you call me Maddie." Regina nods as Henry joins us.

"Did you come to give us the tour?" he asks her.

"Yes, I did. Your mother is out chasing another lead so I thought you wouldn't mind hanging out with me instead of locked inside on such a beautiful day."

"What do you say, Mads?" Henry questions me with anticipation.

"Getting to see more of this town sounds like a really great idea." Both Henry and Regina smile brightly.

OUATOUATOUAT

We find ourselves walking next to a very lovely duck pond. I hang back as Henry and Regina walk ahead.

"Is the ice cream good" Regina asks him.

"Delicious. My mom use to take us for gelato in Little Italy, right Mads." Henry turns back to look at me. Regina looks back and I smile at them. "This is just as good," Henry adds as an afterthought.

"Well, Storybrooke's got its own charms. Though, I know it must seem quaint compared to the big city."

"It's nice actually. New York's great but there's so many people it can make you feel…"

"Alone," Regina finishes for him.

"Yeah," Henry admits.

"That's the best part of a small town. Everybody knows everybody. It's like a big family."

"Can I tell you something?" Henry pauses and I eye him suspiciously.

"Sure."

"I don't think it was just the case that brought my mom to Storybrooke."

"Well, what do you mean?"

"I think she wanted to get out of New York for a while."

"Why do you think that?"

"Emma's boyfriend, Walsh, he proposed to her." Regina turns to look at me.

"Oh?"

"And two days later she's taking us out of school for some job in Maine."

"She wouldn't take a job in Queens if it meant we'd miss school," Henry adds.

"What do you think happened?"

"We don't know," I answer sadly.

"But I doubt we'd be here if she had said yes," Henry comments.

"And how do you feel about it?" Regina asks Henry. "Did you like him, this Walsh?"

"I liked how happy he made her. Plus, it might be nice having more than three place settings during holidays."

"I think one day the both of you will have more family than you'll know what to do with."

"You think so?" Henry questions hopefully.

"I really do." Henry smiles at her and we head off again.

OUATOUATOUAT

Arriving back at the bed and breakfast, I sense that Regina would like to talk to me alone.

"Henry, why don't you head up to your room and choose a movie? I'll be up in a minute," I suggest.

"Okay," he says before turning to Regina. "Thank you for the tour and the ice cream."

"You are very welcome." Henry smiles and heads up the stairs. "I see you realized that I wanted a private chat, Maddie. I wanted to thank you for giving Henry and me some space this afternoon." I just shrug my shoulders.

"Emma introduced you and Henry for a reason. I figured she wanted the two of you to talk."

"Henry is a very special boy." I nod in agreement. "I hope you don't feel left out."

"Why would I feel left out?"

"Emma only introduced me to Henry, but she told me about you too."

"Really?" I question in surprise.

"Really," she assures. "She talked about you the same way she did Henry, like a proud mother." I smile at that. "I hope you know that they both seem to love you very much."

"I know they do." Regina smiles as her phone starts to ring.

"Speaking of Emma," Regina comments before stepping aside to answer the phone. I watch as she has a brief conversation and then turns back to me. "I must go. Emma said to hang out in the room and she will be back as soon as she can. You aren't to leave unless you go to Granny's for food." I feel my phone buzz in my pocket. I take it out and read the message.

"I was just given the same instructions," I add with a smile. "Thank you for a lovely afternoon."

"You are welcome." I watch Regina leave before heading up to our room. I enter the room to find Henry reclining on his bed with the remote in his hand.

"What movie did you pick, kid?" I question as I jump on the bed next to him.

OUATOUATOUAT

Quiet Minds

The next morning, Henry is working on homework and I am texting Megan when Emma makes an appearance.

"Henry, Maddie," she calls out as she enters the room. She places a paper bag and two cups on the table.

"Mom, were you out all night? I never heard you come in."

"I was working," Emma states as she takes a seat, "but I got you breakfast because I am super mom. Some cocoa and sesame bagels." I open the bag and look inside.

"Those are bagels?" I question looking at the small, sad excuses for bagels.

"Sorry, kid, we're not in Manhattan anymore." I hand Henry a bagel and take a drink from my cup. Emma moves to get up.

"Are you going back out?" Henry asks.

"I gotta, yeah. You guys remember Leroy, right?" Henry and I both nod. "He's going fishing with some buddies today, you want to go?" Henry and I look at each other. I just shrug my shoulders.

"Yeah, we'll go," Henry replies. "Because I love fishing."

"Not because I believe you," I add.

"What?" Emma questions.

"You know you're not fooling us, right? Something's up," I point out to her.

"I'm working a case. You know how I get focused," Emma tries to assuage.

"No, it's more than that. It's this town. All these old friends you've never mentioned and people whispering around us all the time." I watch Emma's reaction as Henry finally voices what I have noticed the past few days. I can tell she feels guilty about lying to us. "There's something you're not telling us."

"It's a dirty business being a bale bondsperson. I don't want to soil your sweet heads."

"You're not getting off that easy. If you can't tell us the truth then I want to go home, back to New York." Any comment about what Henry just said is cut off by Emma's phone ringing.

"Sorry," she apologizes as she answers the phone. "Hello? What?" Henry and I look up at her. "I'll be right there." She hangs up. "I gotta go guys."

"Emma, really what's going on?" She sighs.

"You got me, okay? Something is up, and it just got even more complicated. So, for now, can you just trust that I'm doing what's best and I'll fill you in later?"

"I trust you," Henry finally says. She turns to look at me. I sigh before answering.

"I trust you."

"Thanks guys. Love you." She stands up and kisses Henry on the head before heading out. We watch her leave. Henry turns to look at me.

"I can't believe you agreed to go fishing," he comments. I smile despite myself.

"Come on, kid. You know I would do anything to make you happy." Henry smiles and nods his head before looking back to his homework.

OUATOUATOUAT

After returning from our fishing trip, Henry and I find ourselves hanging out by the pond.

"I hate to admit it, but I actually had fun today," I comment. Henry laughs.

"It was pretty amazing."

"How was it?" We turn around to see Emma approaching us.

"It was awesome," Henry states excitedly. "We should take more fishing trips when we get back home."

"Emma, what's wrong?" I question noticing the look of sadness on her face.

"Come here, kid," Emma says to Henry as she motions him over to the bench. I follow close behind. We all sit on the bench. Emma puts her arm around Henry's shoulders. "You were right. I was not completely honest with you about this case. This trip. The reason I brought us here was because someone was in trouble. The person who needed help was not a client. It was your father."

"This is about my dad?" Henry questions.

"Some bad people wanted to hurt him."

"Is he okay? Did you find him?" Henry asks hopefully.

"I found him, but I was too late. He's gone Henry. He was a good man." Emma's voice starts to break. "And he would have been a great father. There's one thing I need you to know about him. He was hero." A tear falls down.

"I wish I would have known him," Henry comments sadly. Emma laughs sadly before pulling him in for a hug.

"You did," she comments.

"Mom, you're not making any sense right now," Henry comments.

"I know."

"What happened to the person who did it?" I question. Henry raises his head to look at her. Emma places and hand on his head.

"They got away, but I'm going to find them." We fall into silence as I digest everything Emma has told us. Henry reaches over and pulls me into him. Sitting on the bench, in the cold, I am reminded of several months earlier when the situation was reversed.