Chapter Summary: Henry tries to make things right with both his mothers. Strong Swan Believer and Regal Believer chapter.


Chapter Eleven: Time for a Little Heart to Heart

Henry charged into Emma's apartment with the front door slamming noisily. "Ma! Ma!" There was no answer, and he could have sworn Emma had told him she had today off. Could she be with Regina? He felt a stab of hope at that, but then he noticed her leather jacket draped on the dining chair. With a frustrated squawk, he stomped through the entire apartment. "Ma!"

He had thought maybe she was napping in her room, but her bed was tidily made and nothing was out of place, which was odd for Emma. For good measure, he even checked his bedroom, but no blonde mom there either. He slowly walked out to the open room that served as the living room and dining room. That was when he realized that everything was clean and well kept. Not a thing out of place. Not a speck of dust around the house.

Again he wondered if his mothers were together because it was rare to see Emma's apartment so… immaculately in order. He was confused. Did Regina and Emma make up and did Regina clean Emma's apartment? This had his other mom written all over it.

Blinking under a solid furrow of a brow, Henry allowed himself to acknowledge his thirst and went to the refrigerator to grab a can of soda. He was startled when Emma, hidden by the counter on her hands and knees, turned toward him, letting out a high-pitched noise when she saw him and jerking back in fright. She pulled the white ear buds out, letting the loud heavy metal rock music escape.

"Jesus, Henry!"

"Ma? What are you doing?"

Emma started wiping the floor again with her cloth. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm cleaning."

He fingered the tab on his can and studied her and the area around her. "You're cleaning the floor on your hands and knees? They have this thing called a mop you know."

"Keep talking, smart ass. I've got another rag with your name on it."

The teen's mouth crumpled distastefully and he decided he had better not aggravate her too much. He would not even remind her that she had magic and probably did not need a cloth or a mop at all.

"You took the knobs off the stove."

"Yeah, well, they needed cleaning."

He noticed the sparkle and shine of each round knob on the counter and wondered if he should worry about the woman. This was taking cleanliness to a ridiculously obsessive level that not even Regina did.

"Um… I need to talk to you." Henry leaned his butt against the fridge door and popped the top on the can. "D'ya got a second?"

"Actually I haven't gotten to scrub the inside of the oven yet." Who was this alien and what did she do to his mother?

"Ma, it's pretty important."

Something in his tone had Emma glancing up and surveying him carefully. She took in his soft and sincere speech, the way he still fiddled with the tab on the can and the way he was moving his jaw contemplatively from side to side. There was a mother-son heart to heart coming up in the next five minutes.

Quickly, Emma took stock of her emotions wondering whether she could do a personal, confidential talk with anyone right now. Henry needed her though so she would push her own issues aside for him momentarily. "Yeah… okay."

Erecting herself with just a tiny groan, her body informing her that she had physically done quite a lot around the apartment today, she stood to her full height in a pair of tattered faded jeans and a black and white sleeveless baseball tee with "I hope your day is as nice as my butt" written on the front. She only wore the shirt to do chores in.

"I thought you were going to burn that."

"This? I got this as a gag gift from the girls when we lived in New York," Emma explained of the friends they had made.

"Yeah I remember, but it's kind of… embarrassing. Moms don't wear stuff like that."

Emma chuckled and joked, "That's Regina. She's the mom who always behaves appropriately. I'm the mom that gets to embarrass the crap out of you." Henry raised his eyes in exasperation and was motivated even more now to fix this and get his two moms together. Henry smiled at that. The first thing Regina would do is burn that shirt.

She pointed behind him. "Mind if I get one of those too?"

Henry looked from her pointed finger to his soda and he moved swiftly, "Oh yeah… sure. I took the last Grape though." One of the perks of being at Emma's was the amount of flavored sodas she had in the refrigerator. His Ma liked Coke, everyone liked Coke, but in her refrigerator she would rather have flavored sodas, different and unusual ones that were not always popular to get in restaurants, like cream soda, grape, pineapple, orange, strawberry among a few, and of course Emma's favorite, root beer.

"Pineapple it is!" Emma closed the door, led Henry into the living room and sat at the end of the sofa while he plopped down unceremoniously on the other end, sitting with a leg tucked underneath him. After a beat, not wondering how to open the discussion, Emma saved the silence and said, "Just spit it out, Henry. You know you can talk to me about anything."

He nodded, knowing that was true. They really could talk about anything. Taking a deep breath, he blurted out on an exhale, "It's about you and Mom."

"Okay," Emma stood up quickly, "Good talk. Back to the oven."

"Ma!"

Emma turned reluctantly and peered down at him and his gaze darted from her eyes to the couch cushion and back. The blonde sat again with a capitulating groan. When Henry knew he had her full attention, he began his apology. "I'm sorry for the other night. I was a real dick."

Smirking, Emma's eyes sparkled with mirth. "Yeah, you were."

"I was out of line. Disrespectful. A real prick…"

"Keep going," Emma took a sip of the can she just popped open. "I'll tell you when to stop."

"The point is I said some things that I regret, but most of all I regret that maybe there was a misunderstanding."

Emma watched her son sincerely apologize and work through his feelings. It still amazed her sometimes how grown up the kid could be. Yes, he was a little shit the other night, but he still had more refinement at 15 than she had. Because of Regina. She gave a lamenting sigh into her soda can. She swore she would not think of Regina today. She purposely kept herself busy so as not to think of Regina today. So what if she had still kept on thinking about Regina today at every turn.

"I don't care that you like women."

She smiled into her can and then at him.

"I wouldn't care if mom liked women either." Her smile diminished just a little. "I… I just…" Henry took another deep breath and got to the heart of the matter. "I got jealous. And then selfish because I didn't think I could share you with each other."

Emma frowned at him and Henry continued. "If you were dating other people, you both would still be mine, you know? I mean if you were with your guy…er, girl, I'd still have mom. And if she was with someone else, I'd have you. But if you two were together…"

"You thought you'd have nobody."

"Stupid, right?"

"Aw, Henry." She placed a reassuring palm on his knee. Regina was right again. She had not thought about how Henry would feel about things. How he would be affected.

"But I was so busy thinking about myself that I didn't think about how you two felt."

Emma was not sure she wanted to hear anymore. It wasn't going to make a difference anyway. You could lead the queen to love, but you can't make her leap.

"Henry, it's okay. Really. I get it."

"You do?"

"Yeah, of course I do."

He brightened and the grin on his face was just adorable to Emma. She loved her son. There was nothing she would not do for him.

"So you'll go and talk to mom? Make up and we'll all be okay?"

Except that. Emma sighed. She would not do that for him.

"We're already okay." It was true from a certain point of view. She was still heartbroken that she and Regina could not be more, but they were still in each other's lives at least; still the Sheriff and the Mayor. They were still Henry's mothers and they functioned well as that. They didn't need to be something more… though Emma desperately wanted to be. And if Regina started dating someone new again… well, she would just have to deal with that when she got there.

"Ma. Ma!"

"What?"

"You're crushing your can."

"What?" She looked down and found her fingers pressing the sides of the can rather forcefully. It was thinking of Regina seeing someone else that had her on edge. Regina kissing someone else. She leaned over and slammed the can roughly down on the coffee table and Henry jerked his head back at the loud sound.

"I don't understand. I… I don't have a problem with you and Mom being together."

"Yeah, but she does."

"Because of me?" Guilt niggled at him again and it felt like the bottom of his stomach was sinking.

Emma snickered lightly at her poor son's conscience-stricken expression and patted his leg yet again and truthfully replied, "She likes to hide behind you, Henry, but this is something else." Emma's mouth thinned out sadly, "Something that runs a lot deeper."

"Well…" Henry wasn't ready to give up. Why should his mothers? "Change her mind!"

"Henry…"

"No, Ma. Mom's just scared. When she gets scared, she builds walls. You know she does. We can't let her trap herself in there. She'll never be happy." Henry was suddenly scared for Regina. The thought of his mother never truly being happy made his chest hurt. "If anyone can break her walls down, you can. You've done it before."

"Regina was very clear, Henry. She wasn't willing… that she didn't want…"

"Bullshit!"

Emma's eyes flashed and her lips parted in censure, "You know, that's enough. Regina's right. I let you swear way too much."

"It aptly describes the way I feel and 'bullsugar' doesn't quite cover it."

Emma blinked at him. "You really are a wise ass."

"I'm pretty sure being a good role model isn't telling someone not to swear and then using a swear word right after."

"Ass is not a swear word… anymore."

"I bet Mom would argue the point."

"Well, I'm a mom too so that means I can swear and you can't." Henry crossed his arms and Emma raised her eyebrow. "Are we done here? I'm about to get up close and personal with the oven."

"You should be getting up close and personal with Mom," Henry muttered under his breath.

"Uh-uh!" Emma held her finger up and was about to get up when Henry grabbed her wrist and then got up with her.

"Just go talk to her. She loves you, Ma." He noticed Emma soften at that last part. "She thinks about you all the time. You know, I never let myself really notice it, but now I see it. She's always talking about you. And when you come over for dinner she makes sure she has your favorite foods waiting. That's how she loves." He cursed himself inwardly. "Damn, I was so stupid."

"No. You're not. Henry. Things don't always work out the way we want them to. But you know that I will always be there for you and Regina. Always."

He let her pass him; let her hand drag over his shoulder attempting to remove any doubt and fear. He looked around the living room downheartedly and then slowly escaped to his bedroom to think.

The afternoon light filtered through the blinds as he closing his door quietly. Henry launched himself onto his bed and curled an arm behind his head. He had to fix this. He just had to.

[X]

Later on, he used his key in the door to 108 Mifflin, knowing that the house was charmed to let only him or Emma in without invitation. He knew that because his mom had told him. It was evening now and the house was dark and silent. He took the few steps up into the foyer quietly and nearly tripped over a beige pump. Weird.

Scooting the shoes away, he tentatively continued into the house and looked into the study, lit by the roaring fire in the hearth. The couch had a blanket draped haphazardly over it and the sofa table was messy with a few baubles, a couple of books and a candle on it. The next room he passed was the living room that was bathed in darkness. It was too early for the shades to be drawn and he wondered whether they had been closed all day.

Henry stepped into the kitchen and noticed the sink full of dirty dishes and metal baking sheets filled with cookies lying all over the counter and one baking sheet in particular was overrun with round black burned ones. He picked up a normal looking cookie, weighed it in his hand and intended to take it with him to search the house, always enjoying Regina's baked goods. However, once he bit into it, a strangled sound dropped from his mouth. The cookie was hard and tasteless. It was unthinkable, because Regina's baking was flawless, but did his mom forget to put sugar in it?

Dropping the bitten cookie on the counter he went to inspect the rest of the downstairs, noticing that in some places things were in disarray and he frowned because Regina was nothing if not… well, near perfect. Everything had a spot. Everything had its own place. 108 Mifflin was never cluttered or unkept.

He thought of Emma's spotless apartment and looked around at Regina's untidy house and snorted to himself, joking that maybe he had fallen through a magic portal to Opposites Land.

He took the steps one by one and entered the upper landing. In order to prevent startling Regina, who would not hesitate to hex him, like he had startled Emma, Henry called out into the hallway. "Mom?"

"Henry?" he heard from her bedroom and so he walked at a faster pace toward her. He peeked his head into the door and discovered Regina sitting atop her bed in a pair of grey sweats and a zip hoodie, his zip hoodie.

"Mom? Are you… okay?" He was not sure. She was sitting in the middle of the bed, no make-up, surrounded by what seemed like a collection of things lying about, all in a disorderly state. Old photographs, some of his old crayon drawings, just old mementos.

"Yes, Sweetheart. I'm…" she faltered, "… fine. Just taking a walk down Memory Lane."

He blinked at her and then smiled. "That's my Darth Vader hoodie."

"Hmm?" Regina looked up from a photograph and then back down at herself. "Oh. I found it in the clean laundry. It was cold and this was nice and big so I put it on. Hope you don't mind."

"Mind? My mother, the Queen, in Darth Vader gear? I feel like I should take a picture."

"Don't you dare! Obviously I didn't expect anyone to see me in it." She realized what she said and came to attention. "Why are you here? Why aren't you at Emma's?"

"I was afraid she'd make me clean."

Regina blinked in puzzlement. "I beg your pardon?"

Henry dropped onto the end of her bed and laid out on his side facing her. "You must have done more than just make her fall in love with you. She's cleaning."

"I… I didn't make her do anything."

"Come on, Mom." Henry propped his head on his palm and smirked at her. "I was there. I was ten. I wasn't blind." Then, he began to imitate her. "'You will rue the day, Miss Swan,' and then you'd look at her in a way that made her want to rue the day."

He caught the blush. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"You know… I was so young, I didn't quite get it." At Regina's frown he added, "Why you were always… leaning in when you talked to her." He picked up a picture of him and his mom at one of his birthday parties. He released it onto the bed. "I get it now."

Regina scoffed placing some photos in an envelope and said absently. "And what do you get?"

"That you two were hot for each other even then."

He was satisfied when her head whipped up and her mouth opened on a choking sound and then abruptly closed.

Don't give her a chance to rebut, just hit her with all you've got.

"That's what I'm here for. To apologize for my behavior the other night and tell you that I think it's a great idea for you and Emma to be together. You belong together and nothing would make me happier."

Okay, that may have been a bit much, to take advantage of her motherly nature. But all is fair in love.

Henry would play dirty if it meant his moms could be together and be happy.

She stared at him, processing all of what he had just said and then she shook her head as if waking herself up, "Thank you Henry. I appreciate your apology, but Emma and I decided that it would be best if we just remained friends."

Bullshit. But Henry was not about to swear at a mother twice in one day. If Emma had not like his dropping that particular word, Regina certainly wouldn't.

"It didn't seem that way to me."

The way he said it had Regina's face twisting in concern. "Why? Is Emma alright?"

"She's scrubbing the house wearing a lovesick puppy face."

"Oh." Regina couldn't help but smile slightly at that, thinking that the woman was probably just as miserable as she was today. Regina had even called in sick to work and she was never too sick to go to work.

"Mom." When her gaze met his again, Henry simply suggested. "Call her."

There was a thoughtful pause. Regina scratched the back of her ear hesitantly and took a long intake of breath. Should she call Emma? Probably. Did she want to call Emma? Yeeeeahh. Did she want to hear Emma's voice? Absolutely! "No." Regina seemed to think it over and shook her head adamantly. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because, Henry… Emma and I…" Regina wore a sad expression. "We would never work out."

Henry furrowed his brow and challenged, "Why?"

Regina was ill-prepared for his questioning. "Because…" Because why? "Because she and I… well… we're just two very different people."

"Oh…" Henry nodded and shot back sarcastically, "…where as you and all the other people you dated were very similar." Henry added a mocking raised eyebrow for good measure.

His mother gave him a very slim humorless smile. "I think I liked it better when you weren't talking to me."

"So, what's the real problem? It's not me, right? Because I want to go on record saying that I am on the bandwagon. The big, crazy, loud Swan Queen bandwagon."

"Swan Queen?"

"I've decided that's your couple name."

"What is it with you and naming things?"

"It's fun."

"Well, I wish you would name the day you're going to do all your laundry. Your room is a pigsty."

"I'm a teen, Mom! It's part of the program."

"Uh-huh! I was never as messy as you when I was a teenager."

Henry thought of Cora. "That's because I had a grandma who was completely bananas."

Regina snorted looking at a few photos, "You still have a grandma who's completely bananas."

Henry burst out in laughter, "I'm going to tell her you said that."

Regina rolled her eyes and pinned him with a daring glare. "Like I care."

"Mom, you're evading the subject."

"That's my boy, using big words."

"Mom!"

"What?"

"Emma!"

"Henry!" Regina covered her eyes wearily.

Henry moved up and pulled her hands down and looked her in the face meaningfully. He searched her eyes and he could see the love in them; for him and for Emma. He had never had to worry. Regina Mills had so much love inside her, his mother was capable of loving him and Emma both. "Mom," his tone was flat but his countenance was pleading. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love Emma, like love her-love her,and I will leave you alone."

He leaned back then giving her some space and awaited her reply. Regina flipped her hair back, rolled her neck as if to stretch it and focused on her son. "I…"

Henry had always had beautiful eyes. She remembered him as a baby when he had first opened them to gaze upon her. They were truthful, inspiring, and they never failed to see the absolute best in people. Those eyes loved her and trusted her. She couldn't lie to them. She could lie to herself, but not to those eyes.

"I… think… that since you're here you should go clean your room a little bit."

His first reaction was one of displeasure but then he realized that Regina could not deny her love for Emma. This was a start and he felt he got through to her.

"You know what, fine. I'll do that."

"Good. And for that I'll give you some cookies to take home with you."

He was already standing before her when he awkwardly lifted the waistband of his pants as if stalling to tell her the truth about her cookies, though how she could not know they tasted horrible, he was uncertain. "Mom… no offense, but for the first time ever… your cookies suck." He laughed at her blush and the shake of her head. "But don't worry. I won't tell Ma that thinking of her threw you off your game."

She could have denied it but did not. "Much appreciated." He was about to leave but stopped and studied her. "What?" She followed his gaze, looking questioningly at her torso.

"Hang on. Just a minute." Her son walked over to her and started to tuck her hair into the collar of his sweatshirt and the next thing she knew he was pulling the hood over her face! That's when she noticed the dark mesh eye-holes of the mask. He then zipped the sweatshirt all the way up, encasing her entire head in the Darth Vader hood. Through the tinted eye holes, Regina watched Henry pull his phone out of his back pocket, while humming the Darth Vader theme, and took a picture. "Classic, Mom." And then he scurried out of the room before the pillow she threw could reach him.


A/N: At the end of Chapter 9, Henry got a little hate from readers that I hope by now, his motivations are better understood. This is actually the first fic I've written where Henry is not 100% for Swan Queen or trying to matchmake them. It was a fresh take on it. His concerns seem very plausible and real. Don't you think?