Hello everyone!
Chapter 10 of this adventure has arrived! It's a bit shorter than usual, but anyway!
Everyone is very excited and very curious as to the going-on's of Storybrooke, so be patient! Everything shall be explained eventually!
One thing that has turned into the popular questions, are in regards to the Serenader's identity, and their antics, particularly Regina's theories and guesses. Who is the Serenader, how can they be doing this, does Regina have any idea who the Serenader is, considering she is kissing them?
All those answers shall soon be answered, but one I will answer is this:
Regina has no idea who she is kissing, and the Serenader, as I had explained earlier, has this foggy cover magic going on. Clearly they found the spell in the book, and perfected it to work for them while they were doing Serenader stuff. Does that make sense? I hope it makes sense.
Just think of it like this. Visualize a random human in a hoodie. Now try to imagine that, instead of seeing their shadowed face, you see a blanket of fog. Like that pea soup fog that makes you think that you somehow migrated to the middle of a noir mystery movie and the detective's meeting an informant at night near a fishy dock [geddit?]. You can still touch the person, kiss their lips, but your vision of them is unclear. Does that help to visualize it?
If it still isn't clear, then please let me know, I'll strive to be even clearer...somehow. Or you can see the Serenader on the cover and see what I mean a bit more.
Also, while on the subject, final cover is now on! It features the first 8 gifts the Serenader gave, I hope everyone likes it!
As for the visual version, you can click through to my AO3 from my profile, and check out the story there! It's basically the same fic, but with bigger/singular versions of each gift Regina has received.
Also, this fic has more than 300 alerts, and 100 faves! I am completely floored by all the love this fic has gotten!
Enjoy this chapter!
"I should probably take my leave," the Serenader murmured after they broke apart.
"Any chances that I get to see you soon?"
"Of course; like I said, I've got everything planned out; now, if you'll excuse me," the Serenader backed off and held their arms out a bit. "The first time I tried to poof, I wound up on top of the clock tower."
"The clock tower, really?" Regina asked, eyebrow raised in amusement.
"It wasn't a fun experience trying to get down. Hey no laughing, I'm still training," Regina could just hear the pouting coming from the figure's voice.
"I'm not laughing," she innocently responded, looking away and trying to bite her lip to stifle her laughter.
"You so are!"
Regina burst out chuckling then, not being able to contain it anymore. It made the Serenader grin, even though the brunette couldn't see it. They took the opportunity to gently reach out to her and pull her in for another kiss.
"Okay, for real now."
"You're going to try and 'poof'?" Regina asked with a grin.
"Hey the name works!"
"Of course, whatever you say dear. But if I may offer you a suggestion," she said, and once the Serenader nodded, Regina added, "don't think too hard about where you're going. Breathe, relax, unclench your fists, and then let your destination flood your mind."
In a flash of white smoke, the Serenader vanished.
A few hours later, Henry was bounding into Regina's office, with Kathryn trailing after.
"Hey mom!"
"Henry, how was school?" Regina asked, standing up and making her way around the desk.
"It was alright...is ma okay?"
Regina nodded, "Yes, I healed her and she is resting at home."
Henry grinned and went to give her a crushing hug.
"So, anything new on the Serenader?" Henry asked after they separated.
"You're certainly excited," she chuckled, ruffling his hair a bit.
"Well yeah! I'm going to solve this mystery! And you can get your happy ending! Now come on and let's get to the town records!" Henry grabbed her hand and was practically pulling Regina out the office, and she let him lead her. She silently communicated to Kathryn to hold down the fort, and followed Henry.
Half an hour later, Henry was madly scribbling the names down on his notebook as he reached the end of the list. "Why keep redoing the census if it never changed?"
"Well, it was purely for statistical purposes. Should anyone have ever showed up for whatever reason and decide to verify anything, the paperwork would be there."
"But the people didn't age," Henry countered, putting his pencil down, finally finished.
"A minor detail," Regina responded, shrugging the matter off. "Besides, now we have 3 more residents so the next census will count."
Henry gave his mom a look. "I doubt a baby is doing all of this mom. August was stuck in a hospital the entire time. And ma..."
Regina waited for Henry to finish his sentence, but when he didn't, she prompted, "Henry? Is everything okay?"
"Do you think ma could be the Serenader?"
The brunette woman's eyebrows raised as she did a double take. "That's absurd Henry, Emma can't be the Serenader-"
"Why not? It makes perfect sense! Has anyone ever seen her in the same place and time as the Serenader?"
"Henry, more than half the town hasn't been seen beside the Serenader..."
"Oh come on mom, can't you see her as the Serenader?"
Regina sighed, and thought about it. The adorable dorkiness, the care and love, it could be, but... "Emma doesn't have magic."
"The Serenader has magic?" Henry asked, eyes wide.
She nodded. "They came by today after lunch to drop off the new lyrics, and used magic to light up sparklers and a candle..." Regina explained what had happened today at lunch in a bit more detail. She wasn't too detailed on the kisses, knowing that her son was more interested in the mystery than the romance.
After she was done, he had a pensive look as he gently tapped his pencil onto his chin.
Before Henry could say anything, Kathryn came running inside. Regina looked up, alert, prompting Kathryn for an explanation.
"They found Bobby and were able to subdue and bring him back to the animal shelter."
Regina nodded. "I should go and see if I can revert him back to a human. Henry, Kathryn will take you home to Emma, and I'll see you both tonight, okay?"
Her son nodded, and Kathryn gave Regina a single nod to show that she understood her instructions. With a gesture from her hands, purple smoke engulfed Regina and took her towards the animal shelter.
"Come on Henry, let's get you home."
The young boy gathered his stuff, shoving it all back into his bag, and went after Kathryn.
Regina had teleported herself outside the animal shelter, not wanting to intrude by just appearing. She opened the door, hearing a small jingle above her head, and walked inside to where she heard voices.
"We can get Blue to do it..."
"Look, Regina knows how this works better than anyone, it's her curse!"
"Precisely! You're going to endanger the life of one child...er, bear, just like that? Besides, you know his parents won't agree to it."
"Yeah, just like you wouldn't let Regina heal Emma last night."
The voices were now recognizable, and Regina could distinguish Ruby and David's angry tones. Turning the corner, she saw the two of them with their fists clenched, glaring at the other.
She cleared her throat to signify her presence there, getting both to turn to her.
David sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Ruby smiled and beckoned Regina over, acting as if nothing had happened. "Come on, we should try to turn him back before he wakes up."
Regina noticed that Ruby was sporting some scratch marks, and guessed that she must've been in wolf form to hunt down Bobby, probably got into a scuffle as well.
David trailed after the two women, not saying a word. They reached a treatment room - clearly for bigger animals, seeing the examination table in the middle of the room seemed to be holding the bear quite sturdily. The two parents looked up at seeing the door open, and they did not look pleased at seeing who Ruby and David brought along with them.
Regina decided to take charge before anyone could say anything. She slowly stepped inside, putting her hands up in a placating gesture, and spoke, eyes never wavering from looking at the two parents. "I know that neither of you trust me, nor have high regards for me, but I swear to you I mean no ill will. I just want to help your son. My word may not mean much after all I've done to you by bringing you here with the curse, and from what I've heard, you don't fancy your human forms too much," - Regina could've sworn she saw the Pottage adults give the briefest of smiles, but she still plowed on - "but I know what it is like to worry for your child, seeing them hurt. A few months ago Henry accidentally ate a turnover that was cursed, and there wasn't a moment that I wasn't wishing to change things, or begging for someone to solve this so that I could have my son back.
"At the time I really wouldn't have cared who the help came from, even if it was my worst enemy, and I'm sure you two must be feeling the same way right now. So please, just let me fix this. I ask for no payments, nor for you to trust me indefinitely. Just trust me enough to let me do this."
She waited with baited breath while the two parents looked at each other, clearly communicating silently.
Finally, after a couple of minutes of deliberation, they turned back to Regina.
"Very well, please just give us our son back," Mandy pleaded.
Regina nodded, and got to work.
"Hey ma!" Henry greeted, entering the apartment and seeing his mom out and about.
"Hey kid! I wasn't expecting you for another couple of hours, everything okay?" She looked up, expecting to see Regina walking in behind him, but frowned at not only not seeing anyone, but also at Henry closing the door behind him.
"Yeah, they found Bobby, so mom went to go see if she can change him back."
Emma nodded. "But you didn't come back home by yourself, right?"
Henry sighed and rolled his eyes with a smile. "No mom, Kathryn brought me home."
"Good. Do you want something to drink or to eat?"
"Orange juice please," Henry said, depositing his backpack beside him as he sat down at the table.
Emma went to pour him some juice. Once she put the cup in front of him, she sat down with her own cup, seeing him poring over a notebook. "Got a lot of homework, or are you just trying to see if staring at something intensely enough can make you memorize it? Because if you are, let me tell you, it doesn't work, believe me - I've tried."
He smiled at her quip, and shook his head. "I'm trying to solve the Serenader mystery."
"Oh? Got any leads, Ace Detective?" Emma asked with a smirk before taking a sip.
"A few...say ma, are you the Serenader?"
Emma choked on juice, eyes wide. "What?"
"You are, aren't you?"
"No kid, I'm not. How in the world could I be the Serenader, I've been running around town the entire time the Serenader's out and about."
"Exactly! It's the perfect cover!" Henry exclaimed triumphantly.
Emma sighed, putting down the cup on the table. "Henry, I've been at the hospital all of last night, how in the world could I have given Regina this morning's gift?"
"With magic!"
She raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Here, Henry faltered. His mom actually seemed legitimately confused about his entire theory. "The Serenader has magic."
"They do?" Emma asked, gaping. "When did this happen?"
"Today at lunch, or so mom said," Henry responded.
"Henry, as you can tell, I don't have magic, and even if I did, I'd need training, lots of training. Magic's only come back for a couple of months..."
The young boy squinted, and then looked back to his list of residents. "You're still a suspect. I'm watching you."
Emma gave a small chuckle. "You go do that, kid."
A few hours later, Emma was preparing dinner when she heard the door open.
"Hey mom!" Henry greeted from where he was working on his actual homework.
She turned and saw the brunette close the door again, going over to kiss Henry's forehead with a smile. Emma had a silly grin on her face at watching the scene; this felt like home, like family to her. She only hoped that maybe someday they could officially be one. But for now it was a pipe-dream, and with everything that was going on, it'd be the last thing on anyone's mind.
"Emma?" Regina saw that the blonde had a faraway look on her face, paired with a goofy smile, and she approached the kitchen with concern for her.
She shook out of her reverie, and smiled. "Hey Regina, did you manage to turn Bobby back into a human?"
Regina gave a small frown, did she not hear Henry ask that just a few seconds ago? Perhaps Emma was still a bit off from the medications she must've been on while at the hospital. "Yes, he's fine and recuperating, his parents assured Ruby that they'd make sure he wouldn't run away again, but for now they're just happy to have their son back."
"I know the feeling," Emma nodded slowly, looking over to where Henry was once more focused on his work.
"How are you?" Regina asked.
Emma looked confused for the smallest of seconds before shrugging with a smile, going back to check on the food. "Oh you know, going crazy with my house arrest, but I can't complain, Henry's been quite the entertainment."
"Oh?" Regina asked, taking out the cups, plates, and utensils they were going to use.
"Yeah, he's convinced I'm the Serenader, apparently I'm a prime suspect," Emma smirked, leaning against the counter and crossing her arms.
Regina only hummed in response. The mannerisms could certainly work, and well, magic wouldn't be in the farthest realms of possibility for the Saviour.
She was almost ready to ask, of course with a playful tone because heaven forbid that she - and by proxy, Henry - is wrong and Emma gets the wrong idea. But then someone started pounding at the door and her impeding question fell before it reached her lips.
Emma frowned and she looked to the door. "I'll get it."
They weren't expecting anyone, and they had a doorbell, so who could it be? She made her way to the door, and opened it a bit, relaxing once she saw Ruby on the other side. The other woman looked breathless, like she'd just run over here, bent at the waist with hands at her knees as she caught her breath.
She opened the door a bit wider and gave an amused smirk. "Rubes, you know we have a doorbell right?"
Behind her, she heard Regina and Henry make their way closer to the door, curious as to what Ruby was doing here.
Her smile fell as she saw Ruby straighten, actually looking panicked, and she felt lightheaded as she heard Ruby say, "I know it's your day off, and you're still recovering, but you need to come quickly. The Serenader's out and he's gone batshit, smashing cars and starting fires. Did you know he has magic?!"
Behind Emma, Regina's heart plummeted. Barely managing to keep her composure, she asked, "How do you know it's the Serenader?"
"Well he's been yelling at the top of his lungs 'I love you Regina!' wearing a hoodie, but anyway, you've got to come quick. People are outside and are trying to get first blood on the guy," Ruby quickly explained.
"Okay, let me get my jacket and we can get going."
Deep down, she knew this Serenader had been a bad idea since day one. But it made Regina happy so she'd let it run its course. But now it'd come to bite them all.
And that was this chapter!
Back to cliffhangers muahaha!
Now, I just want to concretely ask, who do YOU think is the Serenader?
I'd love to hear theories, so lay them on me! Though at the same time I think I've been giving pretty huge hints so *nudge nudge wink wink*
I also have absolutely zero idea how many people are in Storybrooke, because it's supposedly NOT that big of a town, but at the same time they are trying to fit an entire land, so I'm guessing it's upwards of a couple thousand people?
Now, I've been doing it for all my fics thus far, as a big huge THANK YOU to everyone that reads these stories, for all the wonderful reviews and dedicated followers, and just in time for the holidays, I'm going to be doing a double update!
So in a few days, you'll get your answers!
Let me know what you think, and your theories!