Part Four: The One With the One Week Stay
Regina walked up the staircase after the blonde woman left her house.
She stopped by Henry's room and told him to turn off the lights and go to bed.
It was past his bedtime already.
And she also told him they would have a serious talk about what he did, in the morning.
But as for right now, she settled for kissing his forehead and wish him a goodnight of sleep.
He was tired.
And so was she.
Regina entered her bedroom and walked to the window just in time to see the yellow bug, parked in front of her house, driving away.
She let out a puff of air, relieved to see the bright yellow bug get further and further away until there was nothing but the empty street for her to stare at.
She was gone.
At least that.
Regina walked into her suit and stripped out of her clothes before getting under the shower.
The woman was attractive, she would give her that.
And not very subtle about staring at her, Regina smirked.
But there was something about that woman, something that made Regina's heart beat a little faster inside her chest, something that made her blood feel more alive inside her veins.
And then there was that shock.
That electricity that burned her skin when her fingers lightly brushed that blonde woman's fingers on the glass when she handed her a drink.
Regina did her best to keep her face straight but she saw how puzzled the other woman looked back at her.
She felt it too.
But whatever that was, Regina had no interest in figuring it out.
She was Henry's birthmother and therefore, a threat.
Especially considering how things were with Henry right now.
And all that fairy tale talk.
Why would Henry tell that woman about the curse? About who she was, about who everyone in this town was?
What did he expect her to do about it?
Take him away from here?
That wasn't going to happen!
Henry was hers. She gave him up. He belonged to Regina now.
And no one would ever take him away from her.
Regina sighed as she let her whole body under the water.
She needed to get that book from Henry.
That book was ruining everything.
She needed to see what was inside that book, she needed to know what kind of horrible things Henry was reading from it.
She needed to know what kind of horrible things it said about her.
Regina finished her shower and changed into silky blue/grey pajama pants and a matching blouse.
She went straight to bed not bothering to dry her hair and was fast asleep long before her head hit the pillow.
Regina woke up the next morning before the sun was even rising.
She walked quietly through the dark hallway of the mansion and silently entered Henry's bedroom.
She looked at the shape of her son under the covers and sighed.
She wished it didn't have to be this way.
Regina looked for the book everywhere inside the bedroom, making as little noise as possible as she threw this and that on the floor.
She looked inside Henry's closet, his drawers, his toy trunk, backpack, shelves, and under the bed.
Nothing!
The book was nowhere to be found.
But it couldn't be. Henry guarded that book like a dog, that book had become his most precious possession.
It had to be there.
Regina looked at her son under the covers again and closed her eyes before sighing.
Of course!
Henry would never leave that book just laying around inside his bedroom.
He was guarding it, with his life.
It was his treasure.
Regina could have been proud of him if that single acknowledgment hadn't broken her heart.
Regina moved closer to the bed and carefully put her hand on the duvet, gently pushing it to the side.
And then she felt a mix of anger and desperation when she pulled it all at once and saw nothing but a pile of pillows where her precious son should have been.
"Henry?" Regina shout.
She walked out of the bedroom and searched for him inside the house, shouting his name every time she entered a new room.
She did that only to ease her mind somehow because she knew, she knew it in her heart that Henry wasn't home.
After searching the house, Regina walked to her bedroom and changed into the first thing her hands touched inside the closet.
She didn't know if the outfit matched or not, she didn't care.
She just needed to get out of the house and find Graham to tell him that Henry was missing again.
To tell him to go out there and search for him.
What if he went after that woman again?
No, it couldn't be.
Regina finished changing and grabbed her purse on her way out of the house.
She drove her Mercedes to the station, always looking to one side and the other in the hopes to find Henry somewhere on her way there.
She didn't.
Regina felt the bile rise to her mouth and her heart pound inside her chest.
What if he left Storybrooke again?
How was Regina supposed to find him?
She had no idea where that other woman lived, but it didn't matter.
She would find her and she would drag Henry back home if she had to.
He was her son.
That woman had no right over him.
Regina parked the car in front of the Sheriff's Station, not caring at the tears that formed behind her eyes as she entered the building.
"Graham," Regina called from the hallway "Henry has run away again, we have to…"
Regina stopped talking when she saw the blonde woman behind the bars inside the Sheriff's station.
She looked at the woman leaned casually on the bars and walked closer to where she was with Graham.
"What is she doing here?" Regina asked, "Do you know where he is?"
"Lady, I haven't seen him since I dropped him at your house," Emma said "I have a pretty good alibi"
"Well, he wasn't in his room this morning," Regina said calmer than she was actually feeling.
"Did you try his friends?" Emma asked.
"He doesn't really have any," Regina said looking at the blonde woman "He is kind of a loner"
Regina stared at Emma and saw that brief moment where pain crossed her eyes and she was lost in thoughts.
It was so quick, and she recovered before Regina could even blink her eyes, but it was there.
She saw it.
And Regina knew that that was where Henry got it from.
"Every kid has friends," Emma said quickly "Did you check his computer? If he is close to someone he might be emailing them"
"And you know this how?" Regina asked angrily.
"Finding people is what I do, here is an idea," Emma said, leaning on the bars again "how about you guys let me out and I'll help you find him"
Regina looked at Graham and nodded at him.
He quickly moved and opened Emma's jail cell.
Back in the mansion, Emma sat in front of Henry's computer with Graham kneeling right beside her.
Regina paced inside the room, looking gently at Henry's stuff, just wishing her little boy would come home already.
She needed him in her arms so she could shovel that woman out of their lives, once and for all.
"Smart kid, he cleared his inbox," Emma said "But I'm smart too…"
Regina didn't pay much attention to what they were saying as she stared out the window, her heart racing inside her chest.
Gods, if Henry would just let her, she would fix this, she would fix all of this.
"There is a receipt from a website who is your momma dot org" Emma said.
And Regina's attention was immediately torn from the window to the blonde woman in front of the computer as she walked closer to them.
"It's expansive. He has a Credit Card?" Emma asked.
"He is ten," Regina said annoyed.
"Well, he used one," Emma said tapping on the computer "Let's pull out the transaction record"
Emma tapped a few more times on the computer before she spoke again.
"Mary Margaret Blanchard," Emma said, "Who is Mary Margaret Blanchard?" Emma asked looking at Regina.
Regina felt all of her features harden and her blood run hot inside her veins as she practically spat her next words.
"Henry's teacher"
Regina left the room in a hurried rage, every step being heavier than the other.
Of course, that woman had something to do with this.
Even in this world, that woman was still trying to find ways to hurt her.
But she would not win.
She would never win.
Victory was already hers, she lost and it was time to put her in the place.
Regina entered her car and turned on the engine before a yelp escaped her lips.
She looked to the side and saw Emma Swan, sitting right next to her on the passenger seat, arms crossed without saying anything.
And for the first time in twenty-eight years, Regina wasn't exactly sure how to act.
She didn't have time to scold the other woman, she was saving her rage for the one who truly deserved it.
So, Regina maneuvered the car to the street and drove in silence to the school.
And did her best to ignore her unwelcome passenger seat guest.
Regina parked the car carelessly in front of the school and stormed out of the car.
She pushed and pulled kids out her way, not caring how small they were or their shouts of protest as she made her way inside the school and then the classroom where that horrible woman taught.
"Miss Mills, what are you doing here?" Mary Margaret asked sweetly.
"Where is my son?" Regina demanded.
"I… I assumed he was home sick with you," Mary Margaret said.
"You think I would be here if he was?" Regina asked.
Regina saw Mary Margaret's eyes shift from her to the door and when Regina looked behind her shoulder, she saw Emma Swan entering the classroom.
"Did you give him your Credit Card so he could find her?" Regina asked.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Mary Margaret asked looking at Emma.
"I'm his…"
"The woman who gave him up for adoption," Regina said cruelly.
Mary Margaret looked between Regina and Emma before reaching inside her purse.
"You don't know anything about this, do you?" Emma asked behind Regina.
"No, unfortunately not," Mary Margaret said and showed them her wallet "Clever boy. I should never have given him that book"
"What in the hell is this book I keep hearing about?" Regina shout.
A lie, yes.
She knew about the book.
She just had no idea of what the hell was in it.
"Just some old stories I gave him," Mary Margaret said "As you well know, Henry is a special boy, so smart, so creative… and as you might be aware, lonely. He needed it"
"What he needs is a dose of reality," Regina said looking angrily at Mary Margaret "This is a waste of time"
Regina gave her back to Mary Margaret, making sure to drop all the perfectly aline books on top of a desk on the floor.
Then she walked past Emma, anger still fueling her blood, and bumped her shoulder against Emma's.
"Have a nice trip back to Boston"
Emma looked behind her as Regina walked away and wondered what the hell was wrong with her for finding the brunette woman both so beautiful and terrified.
She was awful.
And yet, Emma felt a stranger pull toward the woman.
The same pull that made her go inside the mansion the night before and share a drink with the woman.
The same pull that made her follow Regina to her car this morning and simply let herself in.
Simply let herself stay in her presence.
Emma snap out of her thoughts of Regina and moved to help the teacher who was keeling on the floor collecting the books Regina dropped on purpose.
"Sorry to bother you," Emma said picking up some books.
"No, it's… it's okay," Mary Margaret said "I feel this is partially my fault"
"How is the book supposed to help?" Emma asked the woman.
"What do you think stories are for?" Mary Margaret said standing up from the floor "These stories? The classics? There's a reason we all know them," She gave a few steps away from Emma to put the books on a desk before walking back to her side "They are a way for us to deal with our world, one that doesn't always make sense"
They walked side by side out of the classroom to the hallway.
"You see, Henry hasn't had the easiest life," Mary Margaret said.
"Yeah, she is kind of a hardass,"
"No, it's more than her," Mary Margaret said "He is like any adopted child, he wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face why would anyone give me away"
Emma felt an unwelcome sting on her heart, one that didn't belong there.
She shouldn't care about this kid.
Not like that.
He wasn't hers, he was just here to help find him and return him to his mother.
But hearing that he was having trouble accepting reality because she abandoned him… hurt.
"I am so sorry," Mary Margaret said eyes widened when she stopped abruptly in front of Emma "I'm sorry I didn't mean in any way to judge you"
"It's okay," Emma said emotionless, even if she was feeling ashamed on the inside.
"Look, I give the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have," Mary Margaret said "Hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing"
"You know where he is, don't you?" Emma asked, already knowing the answer.
"You might wanna check his Castle"
Emma smiled at the woman and then wrote down instructions on how to find Henry's Castle.
And twenty minutes later, Emma was going up to the Castle with Henry's fairy tale book safely trapped under her arm.
She sat down next to the kid, who didn't even bother to look back at her.
"You left this in my car," Emma said, putting the book on his lap.
But the kid didn't say anything.
He just sat there staring at the clock tower.
"Still hasn't moved, huh?" Emma asked.
"I was hoping that when I brought you back," Henry said "Things would change here. That the final battle would begin"
"I am not fighting any battles, kid," Emma said defeated.
"Yes, you are. You will because it is your destiny," Henry said looking at Emma "You are going to bring back the happy endings"
"Can you cut it with the book crap?" Emma asked looking back at Henry.
"You don't have to be hostile. I know you like me, I can tell" Henry smiled "You are just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty"
Emma swallowed dry as she stared at the kid, fighting back the tears that were already forming behind her eyes.
"It's okay. I know why you gave me away," Henry said "You wanted to give me my best chance"
Emma looked away from him, incapable of staring a second long into his eyes.
Eyes who knew too much.
More than what she was capable to handle at the moment.
"How do you know that?" Emma asked.
"The same reason why Snow White gave you away," Henry said.
"Listen to me, kid, I'm not in any book," Emma said firmly looking at Henry again "I'm a real person. I'm no savior. You are right about one thing, though. I wanted you to have your best chance, but it is not with me"
Emma looked away from him and rose from the woods of the Castle.
"Come on, let's go,"
"Please don't take me back there," Henry said getting up as well "Just stay with me for a week, that is all I ask"
He stopped in front of Emma.
"One week and you will see that I'm not crazy"
"I have to take you back to your mom," Emma said in a choked voice.
"You don't know what is like with her," Henry cried "My life sucks"
"You wanna know what sucking is?" Emma asked looking seriously at him with a mix of hurt and anger "Be abandoned on the side of a freeway, my parents didn't even bother to drop me off at a hospital" Emma cried "I ended up in the foster system and I didn't have a family until I was three but then they had their own kid so they sent me back"
Emma took a deep breath trying to control all the emotions running all at once inside her mind.
Memories of her going back and forth from home to home, city to city, without never feeling loved by anyone.
Emma didn't want to remember any of that.
All the hurt, confusion, and anger were something that she left behind a long time ago and she did not wish to remember any of it.
Not even to help her own kid.
"Look," Emma lowered herself to stand at eye level with the kid "Your mom is trying her best. I know it's hard, and I know sometimes you think she doesn't love you. But at least she wants you"
"Your parents didn't leave you on the side of the freeway," Henry said firmly "That's just where is just where you came through"
"What?" Emma asked disbelievingly.
"The wardrobe. When you went through the wardrobe, you appeared on the street," Henry said "Your parents were trying to save you from the curse"
"I'm sure they were," Emma laughed "Come on, Henry"
Emma gave her back to Henry and started to walk in the direction of her bug.
No longer after, Henry was right by her side, taking her hand between hers.
And Emma ignored how happy that little gesture made her feel and how she wanted that feeling to last longer than it should.
She drove them back to the mansion in silence, and Emma was grateful for not having to hear any more crap about how she was a fairy tale character and all that.
About how much her parents had loved her.
All of these were just lies and… it hurt.
Emma parked in front of the mansion and walked with Henry along the pathway to the door, but before they were even halfway she saw Regina opening the door.
She looked firmly at Henry who just ran inside her house not even bothering to greet his mother.
That hurt too.
Emma saw it in the way Regina looked at Henry as he ran past her.
Regina looked back at Emma, her features softener now and Emma felt the pull towards the other woman again.
What was that?
"Thank you," Regina said, walking closer to Emma.
"No problem,"
"He seems to have taken quite a shine to you," Regina smiled at Emma.
And Emma laughed.
And thought how beautiful Regina looked when she smiled.
"You know what's kinda crazy?" Emma smiled "Yesterday was my birthday and when I blew out the candle on this cupcake I bought myself I actually made a wish"
Emma wasn't sure why the was telling the brunette woman that.
She just felt like she should.
"I wished that I didn't have to be alone on my birthday," Emma looked into Regina's eyes before smiling again "And then Henry showed up…"
"I hope there is no misunderstanding here," Regina interrupted her.
"I'm sorry?"
"Don't mistake all of this as an invitation back into his life" Regina said.
"Oh, I…"
"Miss Swan, you made a decision ten years ago," Regina said firmly "And in the last decade while you've been through, who knows what you've been doing, I've changed every diaper, soothed every fever, endured every tantrum. You may have given birth to him, but he is my son"
"I was not…" Emma tried to say.
"No, you don't get to speak," Regina said angrily "You don't get to do anything. You gave up that right when you tossed him away"
Regina went down a step and stood right in front of Emma, so close that Emma could feel her hot breath on her skin.
"You know a closed adoption is?" Regina asked "It's what you asked for. You have no legal right to Henry and you are going to be held to that. So I suggest you get in your car and you leave this town. Because if you don't, I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do"
Emma felt her blood run hot as her features were hard and cold as ice.
"Goodbye, Miss Swan,"
Regina gave her back to her, walking back to the mansion.
Emma closed her hands on a fist and swallowed dry as she stared at the other woman's back.
"Do you love him?" The question rolled out of Emma's mouth.
"Excuse me?" Regina asked annoyed.
"Henry," Emma said slowly "Do you love him?"
"Of course I love him," Regina said looking into Emma's eyes.
Regina closed the door harshly and disappeared from Emma's eyes.
Emma walked back to her car, ready to leave town.
She wanted to just leave this town that was so far away that it felt like it was forgotten by God.
She wanted to forget she have met her child, the one she gave up ten years ago when she was still in jail.
And most importantly, she wanted to forget the horrible woman who adopted him.
And that strange pull she felt towards her.
Emma drove until the leaving Storybrooke sign, turning the wheel of her bug right before she crossed it.
She couldn't leave just yet.
She needed to know if the kid was okay.
She believed Regina when she said she loved him.
Emma's internal lies detector did not beep when Regina answered the question.
She loved him.
Emma believed that.
But just because she loved him didn't mean that she was good for him.
Maybe that was what the pull was about.
She needed to know if her kid was safe with her.
She knew he wasn't mentally healthy, all that crap about fairy tales was completely delusional.
At least that woman had enough sense to put him in therapy.
And maybe Emma could help.
Maybe she could show him how crazy all of that sounds.
Maybe she could heal him.
Maybe that was what he was talking about when he said she was the savior.
Maybe she was supposed to be his savior.
Emma parked the car in front of the B&B behind the diner.
The place was completely hidden by a wall of leaves and Emma wondered how the hell the owner kept the place running.
It was probably because visitors didn't have any other choice.
Emma entered the pension, listening to two women arguing.
"I should have moved to Boston," A woman said coming down the stairs.
"Oh, I'm sorry if my heart attack interfered with your plans of sleep your way down around down the eastern seaboard" The other woman, an older one said right behind her.
God, Emma hated family business.
"Excuse me?" Emma asked and waited until the older woman tun to her "I'd like a room"
"Really?" The older woman asked surprised.
The older woman smiled at Emma, joy written all over her face and the argument with the younger woman already forgotten.
"Would you like a forest view or square view?" The older woman asked, walking behind the reception balcony.
"Square is fine," Emma smiled.
"Now," The older woman said, opening a dusty book "What's the name?"
"Swan," Emma said "Emma Swan"
"Emma,"
Emma turned around and saw a man standing awfully straight, holding a cane in front of his body.
"What a lovely name," The man said.
"Thanks," Emma said back, slightly confused.
Small towns are so weird.
Emma looked back at the older woman in the reception who handed the man behind Emma what appeared to be a big sum of cash.
"It's all here," The older woman said.
"Yes, of course, it is, dearie," The man said politely "Thank you"
The man put the money inside his suit pocket and looked at Emma.
"You enjoy your stay," The man said "Emma"
Emma was quite unsure of what to do as she watched the man leave the B&B.
The way he looked at her it was almost like… almost like he knew who she was.
"Who is that?" Emma asked the older woman.
"Mister Gold," The younger woman said behind her "He owns this place"
"The inn?" Emma asked.
"No," The older woman answered "The town"
Emma was surprised to hear that.
How could a single person own the whole town?
"So?" The older woman asked, pulling Emma out of her thoughts "How long will you be staying with us?"
"A week," Emma said "Just a week"
"Great,"
The older woman turned around and gave Emma the biggest inn key she has ever seen in her life.
And then she smiled at the image she saw on the key when she took it from the older woman's hand.
A Swan.
"Welcome to Storybrooke"