Chapter 9
A/N: As always, I do not own OUAT. :) ABC does!
Since Regina had put herself under the sleeping curse, Robin Hood had kept vigil outside her quarters to ensure her safety. They'd moved her there for comfort (they hoped) rather than leave her in the audience chamber where she had enchanted herself. When asked why he stayed, Robin insisted it was the honorable thing to do… and, pragmatically, staying at the castle gave Roland a safe place to stay for the time being. The fate of the Merry Men was still in question now that they'd been returned to the Enchanted Forest.
"Robin!" Henry called out, surprised to see him there.
"Ah, you're here?!"
"I am now! It was a whole quest to get here! Where's my mom?"
Behind Henry, Emma, her parents, and it seemed half the land hurried along too. Robin's gaze shifted from them and back to Regina's son, his heart beating quick with the hope that Henry really could wake her as she'd hoped.
"In here, lad." He hesitated a moment, eyeing Emma, Snow, and Charming.
Charming gave him a nod. Robin stepped aside, giving way for Henry to enter the queen's chambers. Henry dashed past him and barely spared a glance at the room itself; he knew it so well from his book's drawings! He ran for her bed where his mom was peacefully laid out, dressed as the Evil Queen.
"Mom… I'm here," he whispered.
Hushed, Emma, Snow, and Charming entered behind him. Everyone else had waited in the outer chamber with Robin.
A puzzled look on her face as she gazed down at Regina as the queen, Emma whispered, "What if it was Graham who would be able to wake her? And he's dead?"
Henry wheeled around to stare at her, incredulous. "Mom never loved Graham! And I bet he didn't love her either."
Mollified, she blushed. "I'm just sayin', Kid…"
He rolled his eyes and turned back to face his mother, taking her hand. Henry gave it a squeeze. "I'm here. And I love you, Mom. Come back to me. To us…"
He leaned over her and softly kissed Regina's cheek, then pulled back to watch, his expression radiating hope. Everyone held their breath, watching and waiting. Then, Regina's back arched with a harsh gasp and her eyes fluttered open.
"Henry?!" she cried out.
"Mom! You're awake!"
"Henry, you did it!" Emma cheered.
Regina sat up and pulled her son into a fierce hug. He gasped at the force of it, crushed to her, beaming.
At the foot of the bed, Snow and Charming embraced too.
"You found me, Henry," Regina wept, touched.
"That's what we do. We always find each other in this family, remember?" he whispered.
She laughed softly, wiping her eyes, gaze taking in the fact that Emma and her parents too.
"How did you get here?" she asked.
"It was an adventure!" Henry replied, grinning as he pulled back. "I started having dreams about you in New York, even though I didn't remember you at first!"
"You did?"
"Yeah! I think because of how I had been under that sleeping curse. The magic came with me," he explained. "So, I worked on how to make sense of my dreams, and once I remembered-"
"-he hopped a bus back to Storybrooke," Emma interjected dryly, "because I didn't remember anything. I chased him down-"
"-and we used a magic bean from the field to get here!" he finished.
Regina shook her head in wonder. "And, you loved me enough to undertake this quest and use True Love's Kiss to wake me…"
Henry favored her with the same incredulous look he'd given Emma moments before. "Of course I did! I do!"
Regina laughed and hugged him again. "Thank you, my prince. I love you too."
A cool woosh of air came through the window, chilling the bedroom. Everyone's gaze shifted in time to see the verdant Wicked Witch fly through the opening on a broom.
"Well, at long last! It did take you long enough, little price," she said with a smirk as she landed with flourish.
"The Wicked Witch?!" Henry yelped.
Regina quickly stood and pushed Henry behind her. Charming stood with sword drawn, stepping in front of Emma and Snow.
"Why yes, though you could call me Auntie," Zelena said. "I'm so delighted you're all here now. Now, I have no fear that - when I curse you - you'll all be affected…"
End.
