IIIII

Breathing in the crisp morning air, Loki relaxed a little, feeling quite cheerful. After dinner the previous night, the second one, that is. Loki had baked a few apple tarts with Regina. An experience he hadn't expected to go as well as it did. Apples weren't his area of expertise or a typical ingredient he liked to use. Regina, on the other hand, did, and so the end result was a decent pastry.

Checking his watch, the time was just after nine. Loki decided to take a walk, having nothing better to pass the time doing. Regina was out once more, dealing with her old Mayor duties. A position that she claimed wouldn't be hers for much longer. Leaving her to deal with the preparation for when a new mayor was elected. An event that would no doubt be a disaster for whoever took office.

Running a town was not the same as running a kingdom. No matter who claimed otherwise. It was ridiculous to believe someone without experience or even having a clear idea of what the job was could accomplish it. Still, it wasn't his problem, and soon wouldn't be Regina's. A possible benefit in the long run... For Loki. Without being distracted by her work, Regina might be able to help him more in completing his quest. Something he had yet to reveal to the woman but would in time.

Though not the whole truth. No one would ever know that.

Stepping off the sidewalk, he was about to cross the street when a car appeared around a corner, speeding towards him. Jumping back, Loki narrowly avoided getting hit. The car inches away from him.

"Sorry, Loki!"

Hearing a yell that sounded suspiciously like Henry. Loki stared at the car but couldn't determine who was inside it. The vehicle going in the direction of the woods, which incidentally was the same direction as the town's entrance. Why Henry or whoever he was with would be leaving town, however, he didn't know. Regina certainly hadn't mentioned that last night, nor had any of the Charmings.

Becoming more and more curious about what exactly was going on, if anything was. Loki switched directions and began walking to the Charming's apartment. He was close enough that it took only about ten minutes. Not too many people out at this time of the morning, leaving the streets pretty clear.

Entering the building and taking the steps two at a time. He hadn't even made it halfway when loud shouts entered his ears. Shouting that sounded familiar. Raising an eyebrow, Loki made it to the top of the steps and spotted Regina glaring at David and Snow. Looking furious and yet also frantic. A look that he'd never seen on the woman before.

"Regina, what's going on here?" Loki asked, coming to stand beside her as he looked at the Charmings. Neither of them seemed very comfortable with the whole situation, whatever it was.

"Nothing. I've only been getting informed of my new role. Or rather lack of one as a mother in Henry's life." Regina replied.

"Regina, we already told you. He's on a trip with Emma. Gold said they'd be back in a few days. A week at most." Snow said, a hint of frustration beginning to appear in her voice. "It's not a big deal."

"And what? Was I to be told next week? If at all?"

Loki frowned. Henry's disappearance pretty much confirmed the boy was the one who'd yelled the apology from the speeding car. However, as it appeared Henry wasn't kidnapped. Loki silently debated whether to tell Regina what he saw. It wasn't that important. But if Henry called and mentioned they almost ran him over. Regina might hold it against him if he stayed quiet on the matter of seeing her son leaving. It would, of course, be unreasonable, really. But Regina was a mother with a technically missing child. Being reasonable wasn't going to be part of her vocabulary for a while.

Thinking it over for a few moments longer, Loki came to a decision and spoke up. "I saw a car driving east. I wouldn't have mentioned it if not for the fact they almost ran me over. If that was them, they couldn't be more than fifteen minutes out."

"East? That's in the direction of the border." Regina said, her eyes narrowing at Snow. "Where exactly is Gold taking Henry?"

"He didn't say. All we know is that he's looking for his son and needed Emma's help in finding him." David replied, wrapping an arm around his wife.

"Great. And I suppose neither of you saw fit to ask Gold where his son might be located?" Regina sneered, a hint of magic filling the room, immediately capturing Loki's attention, the power from the witch growing, as did her anger. Something that was fascinating to watch.

He'd tried helping Regina access her magic or find other ways than what was considered the norm. But with nothing even coming close to working. Loki had been starting to feel it was a lost cause. After all, what could one do when the very world itself seemed to be blocking one's connection with magic? Now, however, he could see the change, the air around them all becoming charged with Regina's magic. Magic that most certainly wasn't blocked.

"Regina," Loki said once he saw a flicker of fire appear in the woman's palm. "I think it's time we took our leave. I have something I wish to speak to you about anyway."

Regina looked at him in irritation before the magic from her palm, and the air vanished as if it was never there. Yet she stood motionless, the magic in the air practically showing the battle Regina was having with herself on whether to leave or continue her argument with the Charmings. "...Very well. Snow, David, this is far from over. We will be having word's when Henry returns."

Walking away from the Charmings door, Loki stayed silent for a few minutes as they left the building, making it to the sidewalk before speaking. "You looked about ready to... What was it you said last night? Burn her face off? A little drastic, don't you think, Regina?"

"It would have only been an improvement," Regina replied, a hint of a smile appearing on her lips as she calmed down. "Thank you. I... I haven't been that angry since the last time Henry vanished. And I doubt killing my son's grandmother would lessen my evil queen image."

"Maybe. It sounds to me as if she was asking for it, however." Loki nodded. The whole situation was so far out of his comfort zone that he wasn't sure what else to say. A child vanishing with his biological parents, leaving the one who raised him, wasn't a situation Loki had ever found himself dealing with. Weirder yet was with how hated Regina was, everyone seemed to prefer Henry being with Ms. Swan over her.

Surprisingly though, Regina shook her head. "No, that was Snow being Snow. Sticking her nose where it doesn't belong, as usual. She's done it since she was a little girl. But that's not important. You wanted to tell me something?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, it's about your magic." Loki began before gesturing behind them. "We can now confirm it's not blocked if this incident is any proof. And I now have a theory on why it wasn't working previously."

"Why?" Regina asked directly.

"Emotions. It's an older form of magic. One I don't particularly enjoy using, despite the power it has." Loki answered the question, his mind flashing back to Thor. Sure the man didn't technically have magic. But the energy usage was the same. Instead of a staff, the man just used a hammer as his focus to control lightning. Similar enough for Loki to use as an explanation.

"Think of it this way, Regina. You're used to magic entering through you. Ambient in the air, allowing you to pull and twist it to obey your incantations once spoken. The magic here, on the other hand, is a little tricker. Instead of simply allowing itself to be used, it must be forced. Emotions, strong emotions help with that."

To help with his explanation, Loki did a little demonstration with his fingers. Using illusion magic to create a little Regina in his palm, a visible mana cloud around her. Showing that the more enraged she got, the more the cloud of mana hung around her before little Regina created a fireball in her palm.

"How quaint." Regina's lips quirked up in amusement at the image. "Say you're right. How is this different from using my anger to power some of the darker spells in my repertoire?"

"Not too much different," Loki said, trying to be careful not to reveal his lack of knowledge of the magic in the enchanted forest. "Here, why don't you try it now? Pick an emotion, anger, or something different. Let it flow through you, don't try to control it as you would a spell. Just release, let it all go. Ignore what you would typically do and..."

Stopping himself mid-sentence, Loki watched as Regina seemed to go into a trance. Following his instructions, making the mana in the air converge on her point. To anyone else, looking as if she'd just stopped and stood with her eyes closed. Yet Loki could see or rather feel it all, the mana practically dancing as it swam around Regina before getting absorbed. The woman's aura was now more like a proper witch, with a dark but pleasant feel radiating from her.

"Thank you, Loki," Regina said as she opened her eyes. A glow flickering in them before it dimmed and vanished from view. Raising a hand, she wiggled her fingers just a bit. Conjuring a small yet deadly fireball hovering in the center of her palm.

"Better than the book?" Loki smirked. Regina had shown him last light a book of her mother's she'd been using to, in a way, fake having magic. It reminded him of a grimoire, but instead of recording spells. It stored them, allowing them to be used by whoever held the book.

"Much. Can't say I'll be sad to be rid of it." Regina replied, snuffing out the fireball. "Borrowed power can never compare to this."

"I suppose." Loki nodded, though he privately disagreed. He'd seen first hand and used the power of an infinity stone. That was a borrowed power he was sure no one would mind having. "What now, Regina?"

"Now, now we find my son."

IIIII

"This is a terrible idea." Loki chuckled as they boarded the plane. "You do realize how hard it will be to find the boy, don't you?"

Regina had called Henry and asked him where he was, the boy, to his credit, being completely honest about his trip. Told Regina he was on a plane traveling to Boston. Hence why, Regina had purchased two tickets, and now both of them were getting on a plane to Boston. A very impulsive decision, but he didn't mind. It beat walking about the town as he waited for a sign the watch might appear. The six-hour wait for their flight had been a little bothersome, though.

"I'll call again and ask him when we arrive." Regina shrugged, getting into the seat by the window. "Either way, I'm getting him back and will be having a conversation with Ms. Swan about what she can and can't do with my son."

Loki didn't see that going over too well, even with the little he knew about the Charming's daughter. Though given how much longer Regina had known the other woman. Maybe he was wrong. Loathe as he was to admit it. It had happened before. Manipulative, he may be, but judging a person's character was difficult after only two brief meetings. All the same, however, he got the feeling Ms. Swan wouldn't take to being yelled at by Regina very well.

Feeling the rickety plane begin to take off, a rather uncomfortable sensation filled Loki as he gripped his seat edge. There was something about the dangerous mortal contraption that worried him. It didn't feel stable, smooth, or anything close to some of the ships he'd been on in his lifetime. It felt more like it could come apart at the slightest touch.

He didn't like it.

Taking a deep breath, Loki tried to take his mind off the shoddy craft he was in and rest. The flight would take a few hours, and while it was nothing more than a blink of an eye. He knew it would be best to get some rest now before he helped Regina tear apart the city in search of Henry.

Nevertheless, after a few attempts, Loki found himself unable to do it. Mainly because of not one but two screaming babies crying from the back of the plane, sounding like they were connected to bloody speakers. So Loki gave up on sleep and just watched one of the movies playing on a screen in the front of his seat row. It was silenced and looked dull, but if it would help pass the time, he'd watch it.

A few hours passed, and two more movies before the plane finally reached Boston. Something Loki was very thankful for. Regina, the lucky witch that she was, had somehow managed to fall asleep despite the noise. So he'd been left alone watching some amnesiac woman fall in love with a serial killer. He still wasn't sure how that happened. The plot didn't explain it. But it's what happened in the film, and he was now wishing he hadn't seen such a ridiculous movie.

"Please pick up you're luggage and exit in an orderly fashion. Thank you."

Hearing the flight attendant's voice on the speakers. Loki stood, stretching a little before stepping aside to let Regina walk past him before he followed. They made their way through the exit and out of the airport next to a line of taxis, people all over pushing around. Coming and going as they tried to get where they needed to go.

"So, where to now? Have an idea, or is it time to call Henry?" Loki asked Regina. The woman already dialing what he assumed was Henry's number and holding it to her ear.

"Hello? Henry? Yes, I know. I'm sorry I'm calling so late. I wanted to check up on you." Regina said, at first smiling as she spoke, then that smile vanished, followed by a bit of silence. "...Is that so. Are you enjoying yourself? What's he like? No, no, Henry, I don't need to speak with him. I can do that when you return... You what? I see. No, I'm a little busy. Loki required some help, and I had nothing else to do while you were gone. Yes, love you, dear, bye."

"Help?" Loki raised an eyebrow as Regina hung up. "What exactly did that son of yours say?"

"He found his birth father," Regina answered, her voice coming out in a clipped tone. Nowhere near the false happy one, she'd used with Henry. "Gold's son, who Ms. Swan failed to mention, was still alive. Last I checked, before I adopted Henry. His father was supposed to be dead."

"...I see." Loki resisted the urge to wince and stood by Regina as she processed what had been spoken over the phone. Henry was definitely turning out to be a strange kid. First, the boy found his mother, then his grandparents, and now his father. Who was next on the kid's list of relatives to find? "So, where are they?"

"Storybrooke."

"...I'm sorry. Did you say Storybrooke?" Loki asked, unsure if some magic had just messed with his mind. "Because that would mean we spent that last few hours traveling here for nothing."

Looking annoyed at that particular reminder, Regina nodded. "So it would seem. Snow failed to inform me Gold had a magic tracker to find his son. So from the little Henry told me. They found the man and talked with him for all but an hour before convincing him to come to Storybrooke. Now they are having dinner with Charmings."

Loki thought of asking whether Snow and David had said what they did on purpose to make Regina leave Storybrooke in search of Henry. But after some more thought, he put the idea out of his mind. The Charmings, while not exactly simple. They were nowhere close to having that level of cunning.

"So, anything, in particular, you'd like to do in Boston?"

"What?"

"Well..." Loki began, motioning at a taxi. "We are here. Henry may not be anymore. But we could still enjoy ourselves before returning to town. Think about it. It could be fun. No Charmings, no angry town, no monster trying to kill you... Yes, you know what, Regina. I think a little vacation is exactly what you need. We can head back in the morning."

"And leave my son with Gold's son? His supposed father? I don't think so." Regina huffed, looking annoyed yet also with a hint of reluctance in her voice.

"Yes, Regina. You know, as do I, that the boy will want to spend time with his father. I imagine you told him his father was dead? If so, he's believed that his entire life, only for the man to show up again. Henry's probably trying to get to know the man, as is Gold, after missing his son for who knows how long. Do you really want to see that right now?"

Regina was silent for the next few minutes, and just when Loki thought she'd say something. Regina, without warning, started walking down the sidewalk right past the cabs waiting for passengers.

"Regina, where are you going?" Loki yelled, walking after the woman, waving away the cab drivers, trying to get his attention.

"I'm going to get a drink!"

IIIII