As promised, here's the next chapter. Thanks for all the reviewers, followers, favorites, and viewers! You all keep me motivated!
Henry makes a discovery on this one O.o
Chapter 10
The doorbell rang through the silent house and Regina got up from her chair and clicked her way to the front door in her heels. Opening it revealed Emma and Henry. Henry looking like he had just woken up while Emma… well, she looked like Emma. Flawless.
"Hey," Emma said with a half wave. "I dragged him out of bed over here." She nodded to Henry who gave her an almost pout.
"We didn't have to come so early though," he groused.
Emma gave him a nudge with her shoulder and looked up at Regina. "I thought I'd surprise your mom and show her that we can get up early too!" Regina's eyes widened a little. So that was why they were here at 7am. Though she's been up for over an hour already, she was still surprised they were this early. And all to surprise her? Well, she would rise to that bait.
"Miss Swan," She drawled, "You know regular citizens would find this hour quite reasonable and not," she paused for effect, "early like you seem to think?"
"Pfft," Emma responded, "whatever. It's early for us so you should be surprised anyways."
Regina felt an upward pull of her lips and without permission, her lips quirked into a small smile. "That I was." She gestured for Henry to come in and he did, leaning into her side a bit as he past causing her to grin. "Actually, I am surprised you managed to get Henry up this early. Usually he throws a fit if he doesn't absolutely have to."
Emma looked sheepish and scuffed her shoes on the floor. "I may have cheated a little," she admitted.
"Cheated?" Regina raised one perfectly sculpted eyebrow at her. Emma wondered if it was naturally like that or if she spent time in front of the mirror. Knowing Regina, it was probably natural. Everything else about her seemed perfect anyways.
Emma gave a short laugh, "Perhaps I promised to take him to get some ice cream later," she admitted slowly.
"Bribing my child with sugar?" Regina said in a low voice.
"Our," Emma corrected automatically. "And yea. Did you think I was going to bribe him with vegetables?" She laughed. "That sure wouldn't work." A reluctant smile broke across Regina's face and she hummed her agreement.
A silence fell over the two of them but Regina was loath to let her go already. She was actually enjoying their conversation. Seeing no way to get her to stay just a little longer though, Regina opened her mouth to speak only to have Emma pipe up first.
"Well," she said almost quietly, "I guess I'll let you go so you can help Henry."
"Let me go?" Regina smirked. What a perfect opportunity. "My dear… that would require you to have me in the first place."
Emma felt a shiver down her back at those words and an unbidden light flush formed on her cheeks as her brows furrowed in confusion. What is up with her response to Regina's voice? She must still be thinking of their phone sex conversation last night. Yes. That must be it. Thinking of that gave Emma an idea. She did always love to throw Madam Mayor off guard.
She glanced at Regina under lidded eyes and huskily said, "That voice of yours," she groaned just a little while wondering how much was real and how much act, "what I wouldn't give to hear that during phone sex."
With that, she turned around and sauntered down the path back to her car. "Call me when Henry's done," she called out, turning back to glance over. She laughed at the sight of a shocked Regina who hadn't moved from her spot. Grinning, she got in her car and sped away.
"Hey, Mom?" Henry asked from behind. Jolting out of her trance, Regina looked back and noticed Henry watching her with a confused expression. "Emma left a while ago…" He said slowly as if talking to a child.
"Right," Regina said, straightening her blouse. "Of course. I knew that." She patted Henry's head. "Let's get that project done, huh?"
Henry nodded and pulled his things into the living room while wondering if his mom would use magic today. He'd try to make the project last as long as he could to see if she would. The conversation she had with Emma didn't seem like she meant her any harm. Though there were some weird moments he didn't seem to understand. Probably adult stuff. That letter yesterday was definitely from his mom though.
Throughout the morning, Henry kept glancing at his mom from his spot on the floor. She'd spent a good amount of time in front of her computer, typing. It could be work like she claimed it to be but if Henry was lucky, it was another letter. He noticed her discreet smile as she worked and began to wonder if it really mattered what she was doing. Nothing bad had happened since he'd found out about the magic and his mom actually seemed to be happier.
It would still be better to know though, he decided.
Not long later, he heard the printer go off in the accompanying room and Regina snapped her laptop shut. "I'm just getting something from the printer," she told Henry when she caught him looking at the sound curiously.
Feigning nonchalance, Henry nodded and looked back down at his project. As Regina's heels clicked away, he checked to see that she wouldn't look back and quickly scrambled to his feet. Stepping quietly, he crept over to the other room and poked his head into room.
Regina was at the copier tapping her foot as she waited for the pages to print. There were multiple pages. Henry furrowed his brow. Was she writing a novel? The whir of the printer slowed as it spit the last page and Regina picked up the sheets, shuffling through them. She walked over to her desk, back still against the door and tapped the sheets on surface to line up the pages.
Then, she took just the first page and stood there reading it for a while. Henry shuffled his feet getting antsy. Finally, she gave an imperceptible nod and held the sheet straight out in front of her. With her right hand, she gave her signature wave and the page disappeared. Along with its disappearance, Henry saw a cloud of purple where it was and around Regina's hand.
He let out a gasp and Regina whirled around, a look of fear on her face. "Henry," she said and rushed on as if afraid he would run. "Wait." She reached out a hand. "I can explain. I'm not using magic for anything bad," she began walking to him, a pleading tone crept in, "please, Henry."
Henry backed up just a little though not afraid. Perhaps he should play up the hurt so she'd tell him what was going on. That decided, he backed up a little more. "You lied!" He shook his head in disbelief. "You said you wouldn't use magic anymore!"
Regina's face crumpled as she saw Henry backing away. "Henry," she pleaded, "just hear me out. Please." She reached out a hand towards him. "Let me explain," her voice broke and she dropped her hand. Shoulders slumped and let out an almost defeated half sob, half sigh.
Henry regarded her carefully then. She seemed so desperate to try to explain this to him. Perhaps this means she'll tell only the truth and not cover things up. "You'll tell me the truth?" He said tentatively and softly.
Regina's eyes jerked up to catch his, seeking the truth in his tone and unable to leave the glimmer of hope out. She nodded sharply. "Yes, I will Henry. Just promise me that you'll listen to it with an open mind like I'd always tried to teach you."
"Open… mind?" Henry repeated warily. "Are you going to tell me you blackmailed someone for my own good?" He didn't want her to be doing something bad while thinking she was doing it for Henry. That happened too much in the past already and it was not right.
Regina shook her head vehemently, "No Henry. I'm not doing that anymore. I'm trying to be better," she implored. "It's just," her voice went softer. "I don't know how to say this," she finally sighs and looks at the ground.
It was then that Henry realized her mom really had changed. Normally, she would just get upset and mad and send him up to her room or tell him he's crazy. She was acting different and it wasn't an act. He walked up to his mom and after just a slight debate on what to do, he wrapped his arms around her and felt her soften and fold herself around him.
"It's okay, Mom," he said.
"Oh, Henry," Regina said rubbing the back of his head and pulling him tighter against her. "I love you, you know?"
Henry couldn't help but chuckle. "I know, mom. You tell me a lot." He pulled his face back and grinned. "I love you too." Regina gave a watery eyes chuckle. Henry's face turned serious again. "You need to tell me what you're doing though."
"No more secrets, Henry." She pulled away and wrapped her arms around her stomach. "I just don't know how you'll react to this…" she fiddle with the corner of her blouse nervously.
"Are you doing something bad?"
"No! Of course not!"
"I think we'll be okay then."
"Alright…" Regina began reluctantly. Henry silently looked at her, urging her to continue. "So do you know when two adults like each other?"
Henry's face scrunched up. He was not expecting that question. "You mean... like Grandma and Ruby or like Grandma and Grandpa?"
Regina's face grimaced at the mention of the Charmings. "Snow White and Charming." There was a small pause before Regina felt the need to add, "though not as intense."
Henry nodded slowly, thinking. "So…" he trailed off. "Why did you ask me that?"
A soft smile grew on Regina's face, he was only ten after all. "Let's just say that I feel that way about someone."
The shock on Henry's face could not be more evident and she had to resist the urge to laugh.
"You mean, there's someone you love? Like true love?" He almost exclaimed after a brief silence.
Regina's eyes widened in shock. "No no, not love and definitely not TRUE love. That's very special to your grandparents." She smoothed out the section of her blouse that was being abused. "But I like someone like that." Regina looked at Henry. "Romantically."
She could see the wheels turning in Henry's head. He was a smart boy. After a pause, he spoke up. "Do they know you like them?"
Regina shook her head. "I'm afraid things for me aren't that easy, Henry. People in this town don't like me. They're afraid of me. No one would ever return my feelings."
Henry shook his head adamantly. "That's not true. You're not evil anymore. You're better now."
"Yes, I'm trying. But what I did to everyone, Henry, that will take them a very long time to get over."
It was quiet for a moment as Henry processed. Why was his mom telling him this and what does it have to do with the letter that she's sending Emma? Was she asking for help?
"So what does that have to do with the magic?" He asked instead.
Regina looked almost sheepish. Almost. "Well," she began. "Sometimes I really want them to know how I feel, you know? So, because I know they won't accept me if I told them who I was, I've been sending them letters on how I feel and that kind of stuff…" she trails off lamely, ashamed at her own lack of courage. Not everyone could be a Charming when it came to that.
"Wait!" Henry suddenly exclaimed. "You like Emma?!"
A look of horror passed Regina's face. "Wh... How… Who…" she stuttered. "How do you know?" She asked fearfully. "Did Miss Swan figure it out? Is she just taunting me by not letting me know she knows." She paced around the study. "And how do YOU know about it? Does she go around telling kids about them!?" Regina felt panic rising.
"MOM," Henry said over her bumbling. "Calm down." He sits at the back of one of the couches. "She hasn't figure it out yet." His face broke out into a grin. "But this is perfect! Of course she's the one you'd fall for. She's the Savior and she brings happy endings. She's supposed to be your happy ending. Don't you see it?"
Regina furrowed her brows at Henry. "I'm a villain, Henry," she snapped. Henry looked taken-aback and she softened her tone. "Villains don't get happy endings like that." She shook her head. "She won't reciprocate my feelings."
"How do you know?"
"I mean," Regina began, "Well, I mean, she likes men first of all. And all we do is fight. She only sees me because she has to."
"You guys don't always seem to be fighting," Henry pointed out. "At least not lately." He thought about it for a moment. "Actually, she seems to think that you guys are friends sometimes."
"Sometimes?"
"Yea, when you guys aren't fighting. I think she likes it."
"You must be mistaken, Henry. Miss Swan doesn't like me even as friends."
"The letters though," Henry said, "you know she carries it around with her? And whenever she reads it, she gets this expression that I don't understand." He tilts his head to the side. "But it's not a bad expression I don't think," he concludes.
He hopped off the couch, "You should tell her it's you!" He exclaimed.
Regina felt panic creeping in again. "No." She turned to him. "Henry, you must, under no circumstances, tell Miss Swan, am I clear?"
"But will you tell her yourself then?"
Regina sighed, "Perhaps."
"I think you should!" He piped. "But you're right, it would be better coming from you then me anyways. She wouldn't believe me." His eyes lit up in excitement as an idea passed through his head. "Will you let me help you though?" He asked eagerly. "It can be a secret operation!"
"Like the one you had with your birth mother?" Regina asked warily. This was such a bad idea.
"Like that. Except this will be to get you two together!" Before she could tell him no, he had turned around, "I'm going to come up with a name!" and he scampered upstairs.
Regina rubbed her temples after he had bolted upstairs. This could turn out to be a disaster. She shook her head and went to her desk where she had left the stack of papers and picked them up to be put away. Henry though, Regina thought, had reacted a lot better than she would have thought. Even though he may be too enthusiastic about the whole thing, perhaps this wouldn't be a disaster after all. He was accepting and understanding and Regina could not be more happy about that fact. She would just have to warn him to be discreet about this. Regina wasn't ready for a rejection from Emma yet.
The rest of the morning passes quickly. When Henry came back down, he was perky and chattering away about plans Regina should make with Emma. Regina had to smile and shake her head at his excitement when he reached the part in his plan that she would teach Emma how to cook. Secretly, she thought it was because Henry was aware that his other mother could not cook to save her life and he didn't want to eat the food that Emma made.
Finally, after letting him chat away about it, she firmly but softly put down her foot.
"Henry, I want you to be careful about this, okay? I don't think I'm ready for anything drastic right now."
"Well duh," Henry said, sounding much like Regina when she is exasperated. "It has to be a work in progress. Things like this take time. Plus, Emma seems to have issues when it comes to relationships…" he trailed off thoughtfully. "Maybe that's why she hasn't picked between Neal of Hook yet."
"I doubt that's the reason," Regina mentioned, remembering that Emma hadn't chosen because of the "mystery" person. Henry quirked an eyebrow at her in question. "That," Regina concluded, "Is not for you to know. You have your nose in too much already as it is. What child these days gets involved with their parent's relationships?"
"One that wants to see his moms happy," came the serious answer.
Regina smiled softly. "Yes," she agreed and held out her arms, hoping he'd come.
Without a hesitation, Henry got up from the ground where he was seated and flung himself into her arms. Happiness filled Regina as she held him close, grateful that despite everything, he understands. Thinking of Henry now always brings her back to Miss Swan. She was glad that in the end, Emma hadn't wanted to remove Henry from her life. Now she had Henry and maybe, just maybe, a small small chance at Emma.
"Now," She said, "Shall we get your project done? We wouldn't want Miss Swan to not see you at all today. And I also believe she had mentioned ice cream because you got up so early today." Henry nodded eagerly and went back to his seat. As he worked on the project, his wheels turned, trying to figure out a good way to help his mom get with Emma.
What do you guys think?
A/N: I didn't want to focus on too many character developments in this storyline otherwise this story would be super long so I had Henry react the way he did. This will be similar to the other characters in this story.