An Apple As Red As Blood:
Henry looked in the backseat of Buffy's car to see a few bags and a large brown bag which had something red and shiny poking out of it. "Is that all your stuff?" Henry asked the blonde.
"It's all I need." Buffy answered.
Henry looked at her shocked "What. You wanna go now? We're leaving now?"
"Yes. I'm getting you out of this place, away from all this, away from her. This place may not be as violent as Sunnydale but that woman makes me miss people like Adam and Mayor Wilkins. Hell even Glory. Those were all bad bad people Henry."
Henry started to shake his head in a panic "No. No. Stop the car. You can't leave Storybrooke. You have to break the curse."
"I don't have to do anything except help you."
"But you're a hero. You can't run. You have to help everybody."
Buffy sighed "Henry my whole life all I have done is worry about everyone else. But now I need to take care of you. I know that it's hard for you to see it, but trust me this is what's best for you. That's what you wanted when you brought me to Storybrooke."
Henry just shook his head again "But The Curse—You're the only chance to bring back the happy endings."
"Henry." Just as they were about to cross the town line Henry grabbed a hold of the steerwheel, Buffy was stunned and the two spun off the road "Henry!" Buffy yelled as the car spun.
When the car stops Buffy turns to Henry "Henry. What were you thinking?! You could've gotten us killed!"
"Please!" Henry screamed "Please don't make me go! We can't go! Everything's here—me, your par—your friends. Please, Buffy. They need you." Henry managed to avoid the parents subject realising that he really should tell Buffy the truth soon. "These people need you."
Buffy walks back into the apartment; she drops her bags on the ground, except the one containing the Scythe which she had put into the trunk of her car. As Buffy enters Mary Margaret who is in the kitchen baking looks over at the slayer "Oh. Thought you'd left." She says before turning back to the food.
Buffy closes the door then turns to the school teacher "Mary Margaret—"
"But I couldn't tell for sure because you didn't bother to say good-bye." Mary Margaret stops stirring food in the bowl and looks over at Buffy "Do you remember when I left? When I ran? What you said to me? You said, we have to stick together, that we're like...family."
Buffy looks down "Technically I phrased it differently, but I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken off."
Mary Margaret stares at the blond an angrily "You're right. You shouldn't have. So why, after everything, did you just go?"
"I don't want to be Sheriff. I don't want to be a leader, I have done it before and it almost destroyed me. I can't have people relying on me anymore. I don't want any of this."
"What about Henry?" Mary Margaret asks.
"I took him with me."
Mary Margaret stared at Buffy stunned. She paces for a moment before folding her arms and turning to Buffy, "You abducted him?"
Buffy shrugs "No. Ok Sort of. Maybe, uh I don't know what to call it."
"So you don't want people to rely on you, but you took your son? Now that sounds like a stable home for him. What the hell is wrong with you?"
"I want what's best for him."
"And running is what's best for him? Or is that what's best for you? You're reverting, Buffy, into the person you were before you got here, and I thought you'd changed."
"I guess you thought wrong. Go figure."
"Well, regardless, you have to do what's right for Henry now."
Buffy looks up "What's that?"
"Oh, I don't know. You're his mother. That's your job. So figure it out."
Berlin, Germany
Faith stares at the witch completely stunned "So your telling me that Buffy, is actually the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. That the curse her kid has been badgering on about is real?" Faith stared at the two before bursting out in laughter, she laughed so hard that she actually had trouble breathing "You're kidding me right. Princess Buffy?" Faith laughed again before trying to calm herself.
Once she was calm Faith turned back to Lena and Dragomir "Look, I love B and all, but that girl is no princess."
Dragomir sighed "It is true, Faith. The Powers hid it from her, as they felt it would distract her from her duties as the slayer. They decided that she needed to be focused soley on that, until the time came for her to break the curse."
"Okay." Faith said still skeptical "So Fairytale's are real? What about red ridding hood?"
Lena smiled "That is also true however in reality it is Red who is the wolf."
Faith nodded "Just when I thought this couldn't get any weirder. So why tell me all of this?"
Lena looked at Dragomir who nodded, Lena turned to Faith "The Powers have done so much to make sure Buffy would end up in Storybrooke in time, Buffy giving up her son, Dragomir helping you and Angel with Buffy's escape was all apart of that. We have told you all of this as Willow and Xander can not be allowed to take Buffy away from Storybrooke. She is no longer just The Slayer, she is the Savior. And those people need her, more than you and your slayers do. Buffy has a destiny one that does not involve her friends. Buffy will feel guilt if they ask for her help, she will drop everything and run too them. That cannot be allowed to happen.
Faith tilts her head "That sounds like B. So what am I supposed to do?"
Dragomir turned to her "You must return to headquarters and do your job. While keeping Willow and the others away from Buffy."
"What about Dawn?"
Lena sighs "Dawn is a more complicated story, The Power's did not anticipate her being here. Not even the monks knew the truth. The powers, They were forced to use large amounts of power to make sure the illusion of Buffy as Joyce and Hank's daughter remained intact."
Dragomir continued "Dawn will understand, once Buffy learns the truth, Dawn will understand and will not stray her."
Faith nodded "Okay. I'll help. Not you or the stupid powers that whatever. I'll help B. But first I wanna know one more thing, this is for both me and Buffy."
Dragomir and Lena nodded "What is it?" They asked.
"What happened to Angel after L.A went to hell?"
Storybrooke, Maine
"I'm sorry Buffy. But I'm afraid you don't have any case for custody." Archie tells the slayer as they sit at a table in Granny's.
Buffy shook her head "Even after all the crazy mambo jumbo she's done?"
"Which you can't prove." Archie argues "Let me just ask you a question. With this war raging on, who really is getting hurt here?"
"Look I know. Chaos bad. And it's hurting Henry. But come on, isn't spending time with me on the brighter side of things, isn't it good for him. I'm his mother."
"Yes. You are, and so is Regina. And l-look, the court is gonna come in and look at him and see how he's been since you've come into his life."
Buffy nods "And he's been all cheery and kites in the sky grinning. He's been happier, right?"
"Maybe. I mean, objectively?" Archie scoffs "He's skipped school, he's stolen a credit card, he's run off, he's—he's endangered himself, repeatedly. And so in the eyes of the law, it's not so—"
Buffy rubs her forehead before looking back up at Archie "What about through your own Archie eyes? What do you think?
Archie sighs "I mean, a while ago, I told you to engage him in his fantasy life, and—and perhaps I was wrong, because he's only retreated further into it."
Buffy's eyes widened "You think he's better off with her?"
Archie shook his head "I never said that."
Buffy leans forward slightly "Do you think that she would ever hurt him? Like hurt him, hurt him? Like bad times infinity hurt him?"
"No. Never. I mean, everyone else, but not him. Look, right or wrong, her actions have all been defensive. I'm not judging, but...in many ways, your arrival has woke a sleeping dragon."
Buffy nods "Okay, I need you to be honest with me, no tricks with half truths to make me feel better. Has he been better off since I got here?"
"Oh, it's not a matter of better off. It's—it's a matter of this war has to end. If you two are gonna be in his life. You have to figure out the best way to do that."
Buffy stands outside the Mayor's house. As she stares at the door she thinks of her decision, after her talk with Archie she realised that Henry's best chance wasn't with her. She was still attacked by vamps and demons on a regular basis. And she couldn't risk Henry's life. A normal life was what was best for him. Buffy walked up the steps and hesitates for a split second before ringing the doorbell.
"We need to talk." Buffy says as Regina answers the door.
Regina stares at her stunned "Yes, I imagine we do. I was just about to call you, too. Come right in." Buffy walks pasts past Regina and into the hall. Regina follows her "Do what your so skilled at and make yourself at home."
Buffy looks around making sure Henry wasn't around before turning to Regina "I believe you came to see me." Regina said clearly getting impatient.
Buffy nods "Oh, yeah. Look this isn't easy. I think that this...whatever is between us needs to end."
"At last, something we can agree on."
Buffy nods "Look you back off, I'll back off and we won't get all wiggy about this. But first I wanna make a deal with you about Henry."
Regina smiled "First of all I barely understand a word you just said and I am not making any deals with you."
"I'm leaving town."
Regina stared grinning shocked "What?"
"You know, I'm gonna book, take off. What we're doing is a problem. I'm gonna go, but I have conditions. I still get to see Henry. I get to visit and spend time, whatever."
The smile fell from Regina's face "And you get to see him. You're still in his life."
Buffy looks away for a second to get her emotions under control before continuing "Okay reality check, in any deal both parties well they're still a little unhappy. Honestly I don't think there is a world in which I'm not in his life anymore. Hell I bet even in alternative realties alternative Buffy is saying the exact same thing. There is no one that can do anything about that."
After a moment of hesitation Regina smiles "You're right. Would you mind following me for a moment?" Regina asks before heading into the kitchen.
Buffy watches as Regina pulls the pastry out of the oven, "So what are you proposing?" Regina asks as she places the backing tray on the counter.
Buffy shrugs "Not sure. I though we could just wing it."
Regina turns to Buffy "But he's my son."
Buffy hesitates but knows she has to do this "Yeah." She says forcing the word out of her mouth.
Buffy turns away and heads for the door when Regina stops her "Oh, Ms. Summers." Buffy turns back to the mayor as she grabs a box and places the pastry inside "Maybe a little something for the road?"
Buffy smiles "Thanks."
Regina nods "If we're going to be in each other's lives. It's time we start being cordial. Or as you would put it not getting all 'wiggy'. What does that mean?"
Buffy shrugs "You know, no kikko no fighto."
Regina chuckles slightly as she closes the box "My famous turnovers. Old recipe. But delicious." She hands Buffy the box. Buffy looks at it skeptically for a moment before taking it "Thank you."
Regina smiles "I do hope you like apples."
Buffy gives her a grateful smile before leaving.
Buffy walks down the stairs from her room and walks into the living room placing the rest of her things by her bags. As she does there is a knock at the door. Buffy quickly opens the door only to see Henry "Hey, Buffy. Everything okay? You sounded strange over the walkie."
Buffy lets Henry inside then closes the door. "Oh, um...no, I'm ok. Like the definition of okayness." Buffy moves to stand in front of the boy "Just, um..." Buffy sighs dreading this moment "Yesterday when I tried to pull a whole get up and run situation with you, you were right. I can't take you out of Storybrooke. But here's the thing and it's not a big thing just a little thing...I-I can't stay either."
Henry's eyes widened "What?"
Buffy looked down at him sadly "I have to go."
"Go? You mean leave Storybrooke?"
Buffy nods "Yeah. Look I spoke to Regina we agreed to not get all wiggy about this, we made a deal, I can still see you, just not...every day."
Henry looked up at Buffy miserably "No! No, you can't trust her."
"Kid I got to. It's my only choice. It's what best for you, Henry. The life I lead can be dangerous, this is the best way to keep you safe."
"No, no, no! You're just scared. This happens to all heroes. It's just the low moment before you fight back."
Buffy crouches down in front of Henry and looks at him tearfully "Henry! this isn't a story. This is the real world. And in the real world heroes don't always get back up, they suffer till it breaks them emotionally and physically. Henry, things have gotta change. You can't act like me and skip school, you can't run away and...you can't believe in curses that bring Fairytale character's to life."
Henry looks at her sadly "Y-you really don't believe?"
"I...I can't." Buffy feels tears start to fall down her face as she goes on "This is how it's gotta be. For now. Look I used one of my powers, she's not lying." Buffy's voice begins to break "She's gonna take really good care of you. You'll be safe which is something you might not be with me around."
Henry shook his head "But she wants you dead."
"Come on, Henry!" 'She's not a demon.' Buffy added silently.
"You're the only one that can stop her."
Buffy stands "Stop her from what? From what I've seen all she's ever done, is fight for you. It just...got out of control, like it always does when I'm involved. I'm sorry."
Henry shook his head before throwing his arms around Buffy hugging her tightly. Buffy gasps slightly shocked but quickly hugs him back.
A minute later Henry pulls away "Where did you get that?" He asks walking towards the Apple turnover on the counter.
Buffy shrugs "Regina gave it to me. Kind of weird I know but I've been given weirder by people who hate me a hell of a lot more. Hell Willow got a bunch of dead fis—never mind." Buffy quickly cuts her self off knowing now is really not the time.
Henry smells the turnover "Apple." He says to Buffy.
Buffy looks at him confused "So? I mean it's not the best fruit in the world but-"
Henry shook his head "You can't eat that. It's poison."
Buffy raises an eyebrow "Really?"
"Don't you see it? The deal—it was all a trick to get you to eat that, to get rid of the savior."
"Henry, why would she do that, it's not like she's losing her hearing in her old age, I told her I was leaving, she has no reason to try and cut me down."
"Because as long as you're alive, you're a threat to the curse."
Buffy sighs "Henry, chill. you have gotta stop with these thoughts."
"But it's the truth!" Henry yells "And you leaving isn't gonna change that."
"Fine let's see whose right then." Buffy grabs the turnover preparing to bite into it, as she does Henry yells again "No!" He snatches the turnover away and backs away from Buffy."
Buffy looks at him confused "Henry, what are you doing?"
"I'm sorry it had to come to this you may not believe in the curse...or in me." Buffy tilts her head and looks at him sadly "But I believe in you." Henry says before biting into the turnover.
When nothing happens Buffy gives him a small smile "See kid, no point with the believing in me stuff. So you want some ice cream with that?" Suddenly Henry falls to the ground "Henry? Henry? Henry!"