So...it has been a while since I've updated...that is an understatement, it has been forever since I've updated. I am so so so sorry that it took me so long. I had the worst writer's block I've ever had, plus my motivation level was the lowest it has ever been. This summer has just been crazy for me, and between work, vacation, and family affairs, I just haven't had the time to work on this fic. Fanfic had to be pushed to the side for a while. And when I did have time to work, it was really difficult. Sorry I've been going on and on, but I figured that you guys deserve an explanation.
Thanks to all of you wonderful readers that have stuck with this fic, even after I disappeared for weeks. I truly love you all, and I promise that I won't leave you waiting this long again.
ladywolf101 is a great beta, and without her, this chapter (and most of this fic, to be honest) wouldn't have happened.
I won't keep you waiting any longer, enjoy this well overdue chapter...
He was screaming and thrashing so violently that three hospital personnel had to hold him down. And to think that the kid had just been in a coma with a brain injury less than ten minutes ago. This just proved how much of a fighter he really was.
Emma slowly backed towards the door, and she could feel her heart break even more with every step. Her son didn't recognize her. She had never heard words come from him that had crushed her soul so much. Being his mother meant the world to her, and the fact that he didn't know her identity truly killed her inside. She had developed such a bond with him since he had shown up on her doorstep, and now that had completely dissolved in a matter of seconds. She had been the one to save him with true love's kiss once again, she really needed to get that checked out, and yet he wasn't aware of her love for him. He didn't know that she would do anything for him. When he looked at her, she only saw coldness and fear. The light in his eyes was gone. He may be alive, but the son she had known for well over a year was nowhere to be found.
"Sedate him!" Dr. Wha-Frankenstein yelled as he crossed the room. "This stress will not help his brain injury!" The nurses rushed around to keep Henry constrained, but the boy lashed out every chance he got. And he had pretty good aim.
"WHO IS SHE?" he question as he pointed at Emma. She froze in place as she watched her son's expression twist into a scowl. "WHAT'S SHE DOING HERE? I DON'T KNOW HER!" A nurse tried to inject him with a sedative, but he knocked it out of her hand. "GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Emma knew who he was really yelling at. Yes, he wanted the nurses to go away, but he had been looking directly at her when he had spat the venomous words. There was absolutely no love in his tone, only anger. She could tell that he was afraid, as she could see it in his eyes. The fact that he was afraid of his own mother really rubbed salt in the large gash on her heart. She could feel her lip start to quiver and tears were forming in her eyes.
"You should go before he gets any worse," the doctor told her as he passed her while traveling to a machine. She gave a small nod as she took a deep breath. She began to back away again, but she didn't look away from her little boy. She just couldn't.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Henry screamed as he tried to throw himself off of the bed. He was lunging himself at her. He was so afraid that he was lashing out. She could practically see the fear and anger rushing through his veins and over-powering him. As her eyes locked with his, she couldn't take this anymore. Seeing her little boy in this state just tormented her, and she had to get away.
She turned on her heel and rushed out of the room. Her head hung low and her hair draped around her face like a curtain. At least that would hide her intense and grief-ridden sobs from the world. She could feel herself hyperventilating as she rushed through the door at full speed. She didn't make it far, however, until she slammed into someone else. With a low grunt, she tumbled to the ground, only to be followed by the victim of her unawareness. She wanted to get up and run away, but she couldn't move. She let her emotions consume her as she curled up on the ground and cried.
Snow was sprawled on the ground next to her daughter. The force of them running into each other had knocked all of the breath out of her, and she gasped for air as she managed to sit up. Her head was killing her as she scanned the hallway, only to rest her eyes on Emma's shaking form. The blonde was crying so intensely that she automatically felt her heart break even more for her little girl. The brunette didn't know how much more grief she could take.
She scooted closer to the sobbing form and gently rested her hand on Emma's shoulder. "Sweetheart, we heard screaming. What happened?"
"He...he...he's alive..." she choked out.
"Are you serious? How?" she exclaimed as she locked eyes with her husband. She couldn't believe it. She had seen him die with her own eyes. This couldn't be possible.
"I...I...I kissed his forehead."
"True love's kiss," James mumbled as he knelt down beside them. "Emma, you saved his life."
The blonde shook her head. "No...no..."
"What do you mean?" Snow asked as she shared a worried look with James. Something had to be seriously wrong if Emma was upset about her son being alive. None of this made any sense.
A scream rang through the hallway, and James flew to his feet. Snow stayed next to her daughter, desperately attempting to offer the blonde any comfort that she could. Her eyes didn't leave her husband's face, however, as he inched closer to the room. He had paled, and his eyes were as wide as saucers. His mouth slowly dropped, and he started to shake his head. He turned towards her, and his expression made her face fall. "Snow..."
"What is it?" she inquired as she slowly rose to her feet. She moved so that she was looking into the room, and the sight made her clamp a hand over her mouth.
Henry didn't look like himself at all. His eyes were black as he screamed and thrashed around like his life depended on it. His face was twisted into a scowl, and he shot chilling glares at any nurse who tried to sedate him. The doctor was rushing around the room as he barked orders at his assistants. The young boy shied away from all who came near him, and he was putting all his efforts into struggling against everyone who was trying to calm down. He threw a violent kick at a nurse before his head whipped toward the glass window. There was a spark of something in his irises, followed by widened eyes. He was mumbling to himself, and he seemed to come to a conclusion with his internal struggle.
"Miss Blanchard!" he exclaimed, the smallest hint of a smile on his face.
James turned to his wife. "What did he just call you?"
"Miss Blanchard! In here!" Henry yelled.
Emma had moved to stand next to her parents. Her eyes were red and puffy as she placed her hand against the glass. She stared at her son as she tried to accept the reality that now existed. "He doesn't know who I am," she whispered.
Snow and James looked at their daughter, their eyes wide. "He doesn't remember you?" the brunette quietly asked, her voice full of unbelief.
"Miss Blanchard!" The adults all were hit with a sudden truth as they watched Henry call his grandmother by her cursed name. He hadn't even bothered to look at his grandfather, and his gaze reflected fear whenever he looked at Emma. This little boy was nowhere close to the member of their family that they all loved so much. It was strange to look at him and realize how much he had changed.
"He doesn't remember you, or anything that happened after he met you," Snow stated as she locked eyes with Emma. The blonde nodded as she tried to keep from shedding any more tears. "Oh, no..."
The doctor opened the door and gestured towards Snow. "He keeps yelling for you. We are trying to sedate him, but he's not making it easy."
"You want me in there?" the brunette asked.
"You're the only one he seems to know right now. I think it will calm him down significantly if you were with him," he said as he held the door open for her. She shared a quick look with her husband and daughter before she followed the doctor.
Henry locked eyes with her the second he saw her enter. She had to admit, he looked relieved as she traveled towards his bed. She didn't know how close she should get, as he still seemed distressed. It did take everything in her not to wrap him in her arms that very second. She had just seen him die a few minutes ago, and it had crushed her. She still didn't believe that her grandson, the little boy she loved so much, was actually alive. His heart was beating and he was breathing. She wasn't imagining this, it was actually happening. She didn't know what she would have done had he died. It was a relief that she didn't have to experience that heartbreak completely.
"Miss Blanchard?" He didn't seem to believe that she was actually there.
"Hi Henry," she said as she offered him a small smile. She quickly looked back at Emma, who was standing close to the window. The blonde looked so sad and defeated. Snow wanted to run over there and comfort her little girl, but right now her grandson needed her.
"Miss Blanchard, what's going on?" Henry asked, his voice smaller than she had ever heard it before.
"Oh, honey," she whispered as she reached out and grasped his fingers. He didn't shy away from the gesture, and he even gave her hand a light squeeze. "You were badly hurt, and you were unconscious for a while." She chose to leave out the fact that he had just died and come back to life. "Henry, why are you so upset? Why won't you let anyone help you?"
He hung his head. "They're scaring me. I don't remember how I got here, and suddenly strange people are everywhere and they are trying to hold me down. I just didn't know what to do." A tear trickled out of his eye, but he didn't make any attempt to wipe it away. "Are you mad at me?"
She shook her head and brushed his cheek with her thumb. "I'm not mad at you. Not at all. But Henry, they just want to help. You had a significant head injury, and Dr. Whale and the nurses just want to make sure that you're okay. They aren't going to hurt you, I promise."
He looked up at her, and she could see the confusion in his eyes. "But, who is that?" he asked as he pointed towards the window. Snow followed his finger, and she could see Emma frozen in place as she watched them from the hallway. She wondered what was going through her daughter's head at this moment. Snow knew that Emma was upset, as it was obvious from the blonde's facial expression. Clearly watching this interaction was upsetting for her daughter, but the brunette didn't know what to do in order to make everything better.
She cleared her throat and turned back to her grandson. "The woman?" she inquired, already knowing the answer. She wanted to go as slow as possible with him so that she could see how much he knew on his own.
Henry nodded. "She was standing over my bed when I woke up. She knew my name. But the thing is, I've never seen her before in my life. I don't know who she is. How does she know me, Miss Blanchard?" His eyes got a frightened gleam in them, and he tensed up. It was obvious that the young boy was very worried at the moment.
She knew that she had to be careful about how much information she was going to give to him. She was getting strange looks from the doctor, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see that James looked worried. She could tell that her husband was hanging on her every last word, but that wasn't what concerned her. She was immediately troubled by Emma's blank expression. The blonde had put her walls back up. Her daughter was trying to guard against the fact that she was obviously very emotional about this whole situation.
Snow took a deep breath. "That's Emma Swan. She's new in town. She's the sheriff." She decided to leave out the fact that her daughter was his birth mother. That would be too much at once for him, and he would get scared off.
Henry raised his eyebrow. "What about Graham?"
The brunette hadn't been prepared for that question, and she felt her mouth drop. She didn't know what else she could tell him, so she decided to go with the truth. "He passed away, and she took over his position."
His face fell. "I liked Graham..."
"Everyone did, Henry. It was sad to see him go," she told him. "But Emma, she does a great job. She always does her best to protect this town. Everyone likes her, too."
He seemed satisfied with that answer, but she could tell that something else was puzzling him. "Why was she at my bed?" he asked after a moment.
"Well, you were pretty beaten up. She's investigating your injuries so that she can figure out who the culprit is." Snow was a dreadful liar, so she was trying very hard to cover up the fact that she was leaving out significant details. "Speaking of your injuries, do you remember what happened?" She figured that it wouldn't hurt to see if he could recall any details. She doubted that he would, mainly due to the fact that he was unaware of who Emma really was. His memory was missing a large chunk, that much was certain, but he might have clung to something when he woke up.
He scrunched his eyebrows together, and she could tell that he was thinking really hard. After a moment he shook his head. "I don't know. The last thing I remember was leaving your classroom at the end of the day. You asked what I liked to do for fun, and I said that I didn't do much. Then you told me that you had a special book for me, and that I could have it if I wanted. You said that you would give it to me right after class tomorrow. Then I walked out of the room, and then everything goes dark."
Snow's eyes had widened, but she tried to mask her initial shock. He didn't even remember the Fairytale book. He had no idea about the curse or any of their true identities. This was definitely worse than she had originally thought. She bit her lip as she tried to think of what to say next, but she was at a loss for words. She had so much running through her head right now that she didn't know how she wanted to continue the conversation with him. It was obvious that dealings with him would be very difficult from now on.
She opted to just nod her head and give him a smile. "Well, I don't want you exerting yourself trying to remember. You did have a pretty bad brain injury, and you need your rest." She glanced at the doctor, and he gave her a small nod as he slipped some of the sedatives into his I.V.
"Okay," Henry said as he laid back down. He suddenly got a worried look on his face, and she felt his grip on her fingers tighten. "Miss Blanchard, where's my mom?"
She felt the blood drain from her face. She had completely forgotten about the fact that he would only remember Regina if he had completely forgotten Emma. "Your mother...she couldn't be here right now," Snow tried. Her voice was shaky, and she knew that she didn't sound believable. She had never been good at lying.
It was apparent that Henry didn't truly believe her, but he decided to accept it. He shrugged as he yawned, and she figured that he was too tired to investigate the matter further. "Well, will you stay with me, Miss Blanchard?"
"Of course, my sweet boy," she told him as she brushed some hair out of his eyes. She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she gazed at her grandson's face. She loved him so much, and it was so hard to sit here and accept the fact that he didn't truly know her. What hurt the worst was the fact that he obviously trusted her and cared about her, but it wasn't the love that usually resided in him. After a few moments he had drifted off, and she was tempted to risk a kiss right above his eyebrow. She decided not to, as there had been drastic results of the last kiss on his forehead.
Once she made sure that he was asleep, she stood and headed towards her husband and daughter. James gravitated towards her as she walked, and soon she was pulled into a hug. She could tell that he knew that she was in pain over the talk with their grandson. It had been emotionally exhausting, and knowing how different Henry really was had broken her heart. She wanted to stay in her husband's arms all night and let him comfort her, but there were more important things to worry about. Specifically, their daughter.
Emma hadn't moved, and her face hadn't changed its expression. She stared at her son with a blank look in her eyes as she kept her palm pressed against the glass. Even thought he was only a few feet away, she felt like she was farther away from him than she had ever been before. She still couldn't get over the fact that he had no idea who she was. It was as if she had never made that wish and he had never shown up at her doorstep. Her life was completely turned upside down, mainly because the center of her entire world had gone missing.
She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder, but she didn't bother shrugging it away. She was too focused on her now-sleeping son. Dr. Frankenstein kept checking the machines, but the chaos that had taken place not too long ago had disappeared. Hopefully Henry would finally get the rest he needed.
"Emma, do you want to talk about it?" her father quietly asked.
"I have nothing to say," she mumbled.
It was true. There weren't words to describe the emotions that were rushing through her veins each second. She knew that there was grief and anger, but most of her feelings were unidentifiable. She still just had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, but she didn't acknowledge it. She knew that this was the feeling that she got whenever she put up walls, and right now, construction was in full swing. She had taken those walls of hers down brick by brick, while Henry had brought a sledgehammer against it. And now, the thing she loved the most wasn't aware how much she really loved him. And that put up the final wall. She decided that she didn't want to let anyone else in, mainly because she couldn't stand the heartbreak of losing them. And losing Henry was destroying her inside with each second that passed.
James looked as if he was about to say something else, but he was cut off by Dr. Frankenstein entering the hallway. The doctor cleared his throat and folded his arms over his chest as he approached the group.
"Yes, Doctor?" Emma greeted him. "What is it?"
He took a deep breath. "His awakening is simply a miracle. I don't know how it was possible, but you saved him. Again. I've always relied on science, but that has never given me the result that true love's kiss does."
"But, he's not the same. Obviously the kiss didn't completely work," Emma stated as she looked at the ground.
"I don't know much about magic, but I can assure you that his current condition has nothing to do with your kiss being faulty. Your magic brought him back, and I think that is a feat of its own. So don't blame yourself for the state he is in. I told you before how significant his brain injury was. We knew from the start that the trauma was going to have a big effect on him, and his memory loss is just the result."
"How long will his memory be gone? How can we get it back?" Snow asked.
"It's hard to say. The simplest thing could cause something to click in his brain and cause him to get his memory back. The best we can do is make things easy for him and take it slowly. If we bombard him with information, it could be too overwhelming. He is still recovering, and we want his brain to be able to properly heal."
"He doesn't remember me," Emma quietly said.
"In time, he will be able to connect the dots. Remember when I got my curse memories back? Something just clicked, and I remembered who I was," James told his daughter. "We need to have faith that one day Henry will remember everything."
"But, this is different. Those were magically induced memories. He forgot almost two years of his life. And more importantly, he forgot the years that had everything to do with the curse and me." Emma gave her father a sad look as she spoke. "It's going to be more complicated than him spinning a windmill and remembering everything."
"Miss Swan, you can't be sure of that," the doctor said. He shoved his hands in his pockets and cleared his throat. "The brain is a very mysterious thing. We don't know what will cause Henry to regain his memories. It could be the simplest thing. All we can do is go slowly and be patient with him. Hopefully one day something will click and your son will be back to normal."
Emma took a deep breath. "What if that never happens?"
"No matter what happens, don't push him to hard. It will be stressful for him to try and regain his lost memories. What you can do is focus on making new memories. And maybe, along the way, he'll come back to you."
She wanted to believe everything that the doctor was saying. She wanted to have faith that she would get her son back. But it was so hard. She had never been an optimist, so it was difficult to be relying on the belief that one day Henry would be fine. Yes, she had seen some amazing things since she came to this town, but that didn't mean that he would be fine. She was supposed to be the Savior, and while she had saved his life, she hadn't done the best job. It was incredibly disappointing. She had always been wary of people relying on her, and she had let her own son down when he truly needed her. He was one of the few people that she would give anything for, but she had failed. He may be alive, but he wasn't the same. And that reality crushed her.
It was dark out, but she didn't care. Emma pulled up to the castle and parked her bug. She made sure to grab her flashlight before she hopped out. She slowly walked across the sand, her face absent of expression. Honestly, she didn't know what to think.
She had left the hospital not long after her conversation with Dr. Frankenstein. Henry was asleep, and they promised to call her if his condition changed. Her parents had stayed behind, mainly because her son somewhat recognized her mother. He was comforted by Snow's presence, so the brunette had offered to keep an eye on him while the rest went home. Naturally, James had protested, so he was spending the rest of the night at the hospital as well. Emma had promised to go get some sleep, but she hadn't even stopped at the apartment. There was no way that she could rest while Henry was hurt.
She still was in shock over everything that had happened. It didn't seem real to her. She felt like she was dreaming, and any second Henry would jump on her bed and tell her that Snow made pancakes for breakfast. But she knew that she wasn't dreaming. This was her life now. She was a mother to a little boy who didn't know who she was. Life was so cruel and unfair sometimes. She had worked so hard to be worthy of him since she had met him, but now she was just a strange woman to him. That hurt so much.
The wind was chilling, but she didn't really care. She pulled her gloves on so that she could shift through the sand. This would have been much easier in the daylight, but she had been preoccupied earlier and she couldn't wait any longer. She didn't know what exactly she was looking for, but she did find two interesting objects. Henry never would have brought them here, or even used them for that matter, so she was assuming that they belonged to her son's attacker. She pulled out two zip lock bags from her pocket, and she tossed the cigarette butt and broken beer bottles into their personal bags. This wasn't much, but she knew that she could get DNA readings, and maybe even more if she really tried. Which she was definitely going to do. As she moved to bring her evidence to her car, she noticed a set of large footprints leading to the forest. She was guessing that they looked like they belonged to size ten shoes, and definitely from a man. Well, that helped narrow it down.
The sun was starting to rise, and she moved to sit on the castle. She had been here so many times with her son that she couldn't keep track. This had always been their place to be together. They would talk and plan for Operation Cobra, and she would always leave with a smile on her face. But this time, she just wanted to cry. He didn't remember any of the good times they had spent together.
The sound of a motorcycle interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up as August crossed the beach towards her. She didn't say anything as he sat down. It was obvious that he wanted to say something, but she knew that he was cautious about breaking the silence.
He cleared his throat and put his arm around her. She had originally come here to be alone, but she would be lying if she said that she wasn't comforted when he pulled her close to him. "I'm so sorry, Emma."
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "So am I."
"He loves you, he just doesn't remember. That part of him will find its way back to you."
"What if he doesn't ever remember me?" She bit her quivering lip. "What if I never get my son back?"
"I have faith that you will."
She couldn't help but smile. "You sound like my father."
"Well, your father knows what he is talking about." August planted a small kiss on her forehead. "It's all going to work out in the end."
She nodded. "I really hope so. I miss him so much."
"We all do, Emma. It's not the same without him," he stated with a small sigh. "He's a great kid. And he's still there, he's just a different version of himself. You'll get him back, because I know that you won't stop until you do."
She nestled into his shoulder and let a few tears fall. "I'm sorry, I'm just having trouble holding it together," she mumbled as she wiped her face.
He shook his head and pulled her as close as he could. "No one expects you to. It's okay to be upset about what happened. It's okay if you want to cry."
She did want to cry. And nothing could stop her from clinging to August as she released the sobs that she had been trying to hold in since she left the hospital.
Henry could hear a strange beeping sound in his room. He wondered if it was a new alarm clock from his mother. He did have a habit of sleeping in accidentally, so she must be trying to avoid any more close calls. He sighed as he rolled over to shut it off, and he was shocked to discover that there were multiple tubes hooked up to him. He also felt a metal bar on the edge of his bed. He figured that now was probably a good time to investigate all these strange things, so he opened his eyes and slowly looked around.
The first thing he noticed was the fact that he wasn't in his room. Actually, it looked like he was in the hospital. That was strange, because he didn't remember falling asleep at the hospital. He turned his head until he saw someone else in the room. She was sitting in a chair, and he couldn't really see her face. He knew that it wasn't his mom, and he wasn't sure who else would want to be here for him, as he was close to hardly anyone. He tried to sit up, but for some reason he was exhausted, so he remained flat. His efforts, however, had caused a machine to start loudly beeping, and he inwardly groaned. He didn't even know why he was in here, yet he was setting off monitors already.
The woman turned around to face him, and he was surprised to see that it was Miss Blanchard. He would never have expected her to be here, but at the same time, he wasn't really surprised. He had always liked his teacher, and he could tell that she was very fond of him. He was still confused about where his mom was, but at least he wasn't alone.
"Good morning Henry," she said with a smile. "How do you feel today?"
He raised his eyebrow. Why would she ask that? As he stared at his teacher, a group of memories flooded into his head, and he felt his eyes widen. He remembered waking up at the hospital and seeing strange people around him, and a blonde woman stuck out in his mind. He remembered talking with Miss Blanchard. He had been terrified when he had woken up, and she had really helped calm him down. He must have fallen asleep after their talk. He instantly relaxed as his memories cleared up his confusion. He was supposed to be here in the hospital, and he was supposed to be healing.
He noticed that she was giving him a funny look, but he chose not to inform her of his initial panic. Instead, he focused on her question and really thought about his current condition. After a moment, he had his results and he gave her a small smile. "Better," he stated with a small nod. She still looked concerned, but he noticed that the corners of her mouth turned upward.
At that moment, Dr. Whale entered and came to check on him. The doctor was very pleased with the fact that Henry had gotten a good amount of rest, plus the boy hadn't slipped back into a coma. The check-up didn't last long, and by the time he had left, Henry was sitting up and chatting with his teacher.
James entered after a few moments, a large bag in his hand. He had run home to shower and grab a few things, including a very special book. Snow and he had been discussing Henry last night, and she had had the idea that they should try to jog the boy's memory.
"Hi Henry," he said as he pulled up a chair next to Snow. His grandson looked confused, and he was reminded of the fact that he had been in a coma for the first ten years of the boy's life. He smiled and held out his hand. "My name is David Nolan. I'm Miss Blanchard's friend."
Henry shook James's hand as he glanced at Snow for confirmation. She nodded as she offered him an encouraging smile. He looked back at James and cleared his throat. "I've never seen you before," he stated.
"I was in a coma for some time."
"What caused you to wake up?"
James couldn't help but grin as he threaded his fingers through his wife's. "Miss Blanchard woke me up. She was reading to me from a very special book."
"What book?" he asked, obviously intrigued. Snow reached for the bag and pulled out the leather-bound book that her grandson had grown so attached to. She held it out to him, and he eagerly took it from her. He furrowed his brow and looked up at his grandparents. "'Once Upon a Time'. What's so special about that?"
"This is the book I was going to give you, Henry. It's a book of Fairytales, and these stories are very special."
"But why?"
"Why don't we read a few and you can find out for yourself?" James suggested. Henry nodded and opened the book. He began flipping through the pages as he searched for a story. "I would suggest reading about Snow White and Prince Charming," he said as he winked at his wife.
"Why?"
"It's our personal favorite," Snow told him with a grin. He came to the page that described how she had first met her husband, and she shared a look with James. This had to work. It just had to. This book and their story had caused her grandson to believe once before, and she had faith that it would happen again.
Regina was in pain. She could feel her heart being crushed in her chest with every moment that passed. This must be what it was like to die. She had died inside, that much was certain. She didn't have anything more to live for, and there was no way for her to carry on. She had never felt so empty before in her entire life. Her heart truly couldn't handle this loss. The one thing that she had loved was gone, and he couldn't come back. He had provided a purpose in her life like no other, but now she was lost. She had no direction. She was a mother who had lost her child. She couldn't be a mother if her son was gone.
This was how Snow had felt every time the poison had done its damage. Regina almost regretted infecting her with it. She had wanted her enemy to suffer, but this was beyond anything the Queen could have imagined. Losing a child compared to ripping your very soul into a thousand pieces. No one deserved to experience this utter agony. Not even someone she hated with every fiber of her being. Maybe Regina had her son torn away to pay for what she had done to Snow. After all, all magic comes with a price, and it was time for her to pay. She had just never expected Henry's life to be that payment.
Regina had thought that her happy ending was gone when Daniel had died. He was her hope for a future, and for love. She had wanted to be with him more than anything in the world. When he was taken from her, a piece of her heart had been killed with him. She had lost the part of her that was capable of love. She began to turn to darkness because it had filled that void within her. Her thirst for revenge took her mind off of her dead lover. It gave her a purpose unlike any other, and that is what she had been searching for. That was when the Evil Queen was born.
But Henry had been different. The second she laid eyes on him, she fell head over heels for him. She hadn't thought that it was possible to love someone so much. Being his mother had given her the chance to finally be happy. It had taken her so long to find the one thing that completed her after she lost her true love, and Henry was exactly what she had needed. She didn't have to be evil anymore. She could return to the best version if herself, and she could devote her life to him. That's what she wanted.
Things had a strange way of working out. She had been the one to push him away, even though she just wanted to bring him closer. And now he was gone forever, and there was nothing she could do. She felt so helpless and worthless. There had been no way for her to help her son, and now she had failed as a mother. She had devoted everything in her to parenting him, but she had failed anyway. And that fact tore her apart.
Regina hadn't moved since it had happened. She knew that she was in shock. Henry just couldn't be dead, but he was. It was so hard for her to wrap her brain around that. She had no idea how to even start.
Her eyes were out of tears, and they stung. Her face was wet and stained, and her skin was pale. She couldn't even imagine the look on her face right now.
She somehow made it to her chair and sunk into it. She laid her head down on her arms and forced more sobs out. Her grief couldn't be contained, and it would never disappear. She didn't care how long it took, she was going to let herself mourn Henry. She had rarely gotten time to mourn a lost loved one, and now she would grieve with everything in her. Besides, there wasn't anything else that she could imagine doing at the moment. She physically couldn't do anything that didn't involve her sorrow. She was completely consumed with this, but she didn't care. She had lost her son, and she was going to mourn that loss.
There was a knock on her door, and a guard cracked it open. "Your Majesty-" he started, but he was cut off when she hurled random objects from her desk at him.
"GET OUT!" she roared as tears clouded her vision. As the door slammed behind him, she balled her fingers into fists and let her magic engulf her. Within seconds she found herself in Henry's room.
She had to be alone. She could barely deal with this right now, and she didn't want anyone else to see her like this. She was their Queen, and she couldn't appear weak. So she was going to grieve in a place where no one, not even her, ever dared to come. She looked around at her son's bedroom as she tried to picture him in her head. Her vision of him was one where he was happy and carefree, and he loved her. But that was in the past. That version of Henry was long gone, and even though she had being trying to get it back, it was gone forever. Her boy wouldn't ever be in this room again. He wouldn't ever be her son again. She wasn't going to get to see him again.
She clasped a hand to her mouth as she sunk to her knees. "Oh, Henry," she choked out as she let her sobs take full control of her. She didn't know how long it would take, but she would grieve the loss of her son as long as she needed to. She was going to cry for him. She was going to let herself take a break from being the Evil Queen in order to mourn.
Regina was a mother that had lost her child. And there was nothing worse in all of the realms.
There are a lot of emotions in this chapter, and it was hard to write. I didn't like it at first, but I am very pleased with ho it turned out. I hope you all enjoyed it.
There is a lot more drama to come, so stay tuned! I am currently working on the next two chapters, and I really would like to post at last one before I leave Sunday for camp.
I don't expect any reviews after that ridiculous hiatus, but let me know what you think if you aren't that mad at me. As always, don't hesitate to pm me if you want to discuss the show, my fic, or just talk in general. I promise I don't bite.
Thanks for reading!