Hi guys, thank you so much for your quick support on the first chapter of the sequel! I hope you guys enjoy what is there to come.
Enjoy this chapter and sorry for any error. English isn't my first language.
Chapter 2: "I am your son!" – Part II
He waited a few seconds, and nothing was happening, that gave him enough time to get back to his normal breathing but now he was shaking by how cold and wet he was, so he decided to press the doorbell again, this time in a more annoying manner and that got him what he wanted. Please be the one, please be the one…
"What is this fuss all about? It's already midnight, I was sl-" Before Regina could continue her sentence, she got surprised by the sight of a small blonde boy looking up at her with big brown eyes. He was all wet, dirty and with leaves on his hair? And why were his clothes ripped and his adorable big cheeks scratched?
"Hi!" Daniel said a bit too excited, hoping to not freak her out, because he could tell by her glare that this was definitely not what she expected. So, before he could continue his words, he just began to try fix his hair and his sweater, as if he could make himself more presentable. "Are you Regina?"
"Yes, who are you and why are you here alone? Where's your parents?" Regina asked with a perked eyebrow as she began to look around to see if somebody else was going to jump on her or if this child belonged to someone around, but there was nobody outside but this child.
"I am Daniel and I think I am your son," Daniel said with a sheepish smile as he kept hugging tightly the diary, as if he held it tighter what he wanted could become instant truth.
"P-Pardon? What?" Regina was just way too shocked that she couldn't process any kind of information right now.
Regina's Mansion
"Huh," Daniel got a little bit shy when the brunette woman just stared at him and confused of what was going on, "maybe this is weird, but I think I am your son," he said it again, hoping this time she'd believe him.
Regina felt like she had to pick up her jaw from the ground. Was somebody pulling a prank on her? It didn't make any sense, since Henry left Storybrooke Regina has been having a rather lonely life, especially now that her divorce has been on the process for a couple of months. So, there was nobody she could think of that could prank her, unless this was Robin's weird way to keep them together, since he couldn't do the 'I am pregnant with your child' move. "Where are your parents? Why are you here outsider so late, there's a storm going on," Regina pointed out as she looked around, trying to spot anyone that could be with the kid, but he was alone. There was nothing going on outsider but the hard rain and wind. "Get inside, you will get sick," she told him as she put her palm on his back and guided him inside, which Daniel happily went because he wanted warmth and learn more about his other parent.
"Do you know when the storm stops?" Daniel decided to ask, just because right now he thought eventually he had to go back to Boston to his other mother before it was the morning, so she wouldn't find out where he went.
Regina closed the door behind her and then looked at the child when he asked her that question. She just blinked not understanding how that question fits in this situation right now. "Not long, just a couple of hours and it'll stop," she answered and continued, "you are soaking wet, come here," she kept guiding him and brought him to her living room where she had her fireplace lit up, so it was instantly warmer. "Stay here while I go get some towels and maybe figure out something for you to wear," she said as she watched his tiny figure, he was so small, she hoped she still had left some Henry clothes when he was a little child.
"Oki ma'am!" Daniel said happily, still clutching at his notebook against his chest as he watched Regina going upstairs to get the stuff. Okay, now how to tell her and make her believe me…Daniel thought as he could already tell she wasn't understanding the situation at all and Daniel couldn't understand the situation himself that much either. All he knew was that:
"I never believed in true love bs, but it gave me Daniel, that's when I knew it was real and I couldn't believe it had to be with her, the only person I can't be with."
That's what he remembers from his mother's diary, that true love made him and that his blonde mother's true love is this woman named Regina, but his mom's diary is filled with so much stuff he can't understand and with so much nicknames from people he never knew how they were but at least the word Storybrooke was in there, it was this town, the town he knew his family came from but he never had a chance to visit till now. Maybe I can make her read the diary! Daniel thought excitingly as he finally moved the notebook from his chest and when he took a look at the poor diary, he noticed it was all wet and the pages were almost falling apart, but since there was the fireplace right next to him, he rushed up to it and moved the diary close enough to the flames to warm it up and not burn himself or the paper. When it's dry, she will read it and believe me! He thought all happily as he kept carefully trying to recover his mother's diary.
Minutes later, Regina had finally managed to find some old clothes from Henry that she hoped it would fit the little boy and she also got a couple of towels for him. – She was still very confused of what was happening, but she knew right now she had to take care of this child and then find his parents because they must be worried sick about his whereabouts since there's a storm going on. "What are you doing?" She asked when she came slowly downstairs and saw the boy very close to the fireplace with some kind of notebook in his hands.
Since Daniel was so distracted in his own world and happy, he didn't hear Regina approaching, so when he heard her voice, it made him jump and drop the diary into the fire. He wasn't used to such commanding voice, it scared him right away, like when a kid gets caught doing something he shouldn't. "No!" He yelped when he saw the diary in the fire and even had the instinct to try snatch it away from there, but Regina saw that coming so she quickly dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around his tiny figure and brought him closer to her.
"You will burn yourself!" She raised her voice in a very motherly tone, and she felt weird right after she said it.
"But that's mommy's diary!" Daniel was also raising his voice as he struggled a bit in her hold but then gave up while tears were forming in his eyes. – Things were silent for a few seconds and Regina was just watching the notebook burn, getting even more confused with his words but then she felt his small body shake and heard him sniffing…he was crying? "It was the only proof," he mumbled through sobs, doing his best to not do his ugly cry.
"Hey, hey, don't cry," Regina entered into mom mode again as she turned him to face her, staring into big brown eyes that were very familiar to her, but she just didn't know how much, "it's just a notebook, I am sure your mother won't be mad," she tried to calm him down as big tears rolled over his chubby cheeks and he stared at her with an upside down frown.
"T-That's n-not i-it," Daniel couldn't control his sobs, he was getting overwhelmed of this situation because he was trying his best to make things go right, but now he had no proof to show this woman that he was her son, and he wanted his other parent to be part of his life. "It's w-written there that I am y-your s-s-son," and that made Daniel break into a big cry as he pushed his clenched small fists against his eyes, trying to keep the tears in his eyes as if that was possible.
Regina opened her mouth to say something back, but she was completely speechless. This was so not how she pictured her night would go. This little boy was full on crying in front of her, saying that he was her son and that the only proof he had was the notebook that is now burning in her fireplace. She still can't believe what the kid is saying because if she had a child, she'd know that very well, right? Because birth and stuff and she can't even get pregnant and she didn't adopt any other child either. So sadly, this child just got the wrong person and he's overwhelmed. So, her only instinct right now was to hug him and hold him close as he cried his eyes out on her shoulder.
Daniel's emotions were getting the best of him now, because now he was getting scared of leaving his home and getting himself here, he is just a seven year old too smart for his own good and now he is sad that he has no proof and terrified that he will never have another parent and make his mommy happy, because if the diary says his blonde mother has a true love, he wants to give it to her because he never saw her with anyone else or being happy with another adult like he sees his friends parents.
After a few seconds, Daniel finally seemed to calm down, he had dropped his knees over Regina's, and she wasn't bothered at all because he was small and it didn't hurt her and she kept him close to her chest while he had his small arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Leaving her completely soaked because he still hadn't dried up. "Do you believe me?" He muttered against her chest, not daring himself to look at her.
Regina looked down at him and gently stroked his blonde hair as she sighed out. She couldn't believe him, there was nothing that could make her believe what he had just told her. She couldn't get pregnant, she didn't adopt any other child. So how come can she be the mother of this child? "Look," she grabbed his shoulders and gently pushed him back so he could look into her eyes, but he still didn't, so she gently grabbed his chin and rose his head up. "Your name is Daniel, right?" He nodded at that question which made her show such tender smile, "that's a beautiful name," she couldn't hear this name without ever think about the past.
Her compliment made little Daniel smile a bit as he sniffed.
"But you aren't my son. There's just no way you can be, sweetheart," she tried to be gentle with her words.
"B-but the diary said-"Daniel started to stutter and sob again.
"Sweetheart, whatever's in that notebook was probably just a story or you just got the wrong person. Because I can't have children, do you understand? My body doesn't let me have children and I didn't adopt any other child either," she tried to explain it better this time, maybe this way he would understand and drop that idea. "I am not your mother, okay? You need to understand that."
Daniel frowned at her when she finished her words because now, he was getting a bit angry at her because she wasn't giving him much space to explain his side and her explanation made sense in his head but there was also the true love thing…he didn't know what to believe anymore. So, he just shut down, refusing to say any other word about this again. "Okay," he said coldly, wiping his tears with his soaked sleeve and started walking towards the front door.
"W-wait, where are you going?" Regina asked as she stood up and watched him. She could tell she hurt his feelings, but he had to understand that once and for all. His real parents were out there, worried sick about him.
"Leaving," Daniel mumbled as he grabbed the doorknob.
"No, no you are not," Regina ordered as she rushed her steps towards him and grabbed his wrist, removing his hand from the doorknob. "The storm is still up for one more hour or so and you are completely soaked. You need to get dry and warm first," she told him, and Daniel simply keep his view at the ground, not wanting to look at her anymore because it felt like if he did look at her, it would hurt him as if his own mother was rejecting him. "Okay," it was his only answer.
Regina sighed out and brought him back into the living room to help him get dried up and changed (even though he ordered her to turn around, so he could change his clothes). This process took them around ten minutes and now he was sitting on the couch next to her while she dried his blonde hair with a towel. She could notice that he refused to look at her and she could see anger and pain in his eyes. It hurt her seeing him like this, it was like looking at her little Henry when he used to get mad at her punishments and at the same time, she had to be strong to carry out with them. "There, you are dried up and warmed up," she said with a light tone, hoping it would make the mood better, but it didn't because he just nodded. – He was wearing Henry's old clothes and it looked adorable on him even though it was a little bit too big for him, but it did the job.
"Okay, Daniel," Regina said as she tapped her fingers over her knees and looked outside, it was time to get him home. "Where do you live?"
"Boston," Daniel quickly answered still feeling angry and sad about the situation and already giving up on this. Now he just wanted to get home and to lock himself in his bedroom, he didn't even want to run into his blonde mother's arms because for him if she had stopped hiding so much from him, he wouldn't be in this situation right now.
Regina rose her eyebrows, rather surprised to his answer but it made since he didn't live in Storybrooke or else she would've seen him somewhere, since its such a rather small town. "Really? How did you get here on your own then?"
Daniel frowned even harder and clenched his small fists, refusing to answer the entire truth. "Someone drove me over here," that was all he had to say to her about that.
Regina stared at the little child with a questioning and suspicious look, she couldn't believe someone had drove him over here, away from his parents, but at the same time how else would he get here? He certainly didn't walk his way all over from Boston to here. "Okay, can you tell me where exactly in Boston do you live? So, I can take you back to your parents."
"I just live with my mom," he said, since she said parents in plural, so she'd know he wasn't making things up, that there definitely was another parent missing in his life. "And I just know we live around the history museum," he answered, knowing that very well because he liked the past and that's where he first saw dinosaurs' fossils and such.
Regina sighed out, "I guess that's something. Give me just a few minutes to dress up and then we will go," she told him as she rose from the couch and stared at him for a little bit, wondering if he would finally look at her but he still refused. So, defeated, Regina went upstairs to change into a pantsuit, a dark blouse and a blazer matching her pants.
After a few minutes, when she was done changing, she came downstairs and noticed that Daniel was already by the door, waiting to go. "Here, I brought you this jacket to keep you warm as well," she said as she handed it to him and he put it on without saying anything and brought the hoodie over his head before start struggling with the zipper to zip it up, since he was so frustrated, he couldn't do it and Regina noticed his struggle, so she got on one knee in front of him and grabbed his small hands. "Let me help you," she said as he removed his hands from her, and she zipped up the jacket for him and fixed his hoodie and looked at his face with a smile. He still had a grumpy and angry face, but he gave in for a second to look at her eyes and when he saw her smile, he had the urge to also smile but then he remembered how hurt he was, so he just moved his head away, refusing to look at her again. "Let's go, then," she said with a sigh as she stood back up and opened the door for them while taking out an umbrella as well. She guided him to her car under the umbrella and she could tell he didn't want to be touched by her, so she fought the urge to touch him, because for some reason she wanted to be holding him again like when he was crying before.
Boston – Emma's House
"That's my house!" Daniel said a bit excited as he jumped on the passenger seat spotting out his apartment. – The ride from Storybrooke to Boston was a very awkward and filled with silence, Regina even tried to make some small talk with him but he refused to talk, then she tried to put on some music but the storm wasn't letting that happen, so since it was raining like crazy, she had to drive more carefully, therefore it took longer than expected. So, when it was past 2 in the morning, they had finally arrived at Boston and wasted half an hour to figure out where his apartment was because the only clue Regina had was the museum and Boston's apartments all looked the same to her.
Regina pulled over in a free parking spot close to his apartment and Daniel basically jumped out of the car, rushing to his door and Regina managed to catch up with him in her high heel boots, catching a bit of rain because he had given her no time to take the umbrella with them. "Wait, Daniel," she called out for him as the little boy pressed his doorbell button and waited.
And it only took two seconds for the door to fly open and there was his blonde mother, her green eyes red from crying and her hair slightly messy and damp awhile she was wearing outside clothes as he likes to call it. She probably went out to search for him. "Daniel!" Emma said with a cracking tone as she quickly picked him up and hugged him tightly against her chest, holding him as if he was again her little baby that still couldn't even call her 'mommy'. Emma cried while hugging him tightly and Daniel had his arms around her neck, but he wasn't hugging her back, his eyes were tearing up and he just wanted to run up to his room and forget everything that had happen. "Where have you been, Daniel? Did somebody take you? What happened?" She asked with a gentle sob as she put him down. Even though he was seven years old, he had the size of a child that was between their five and six years old, he was a small child.
"E-Emma?" Regina stuttered out as she watched the scene of mother and son unfold in front of her eyes. She couldn't believe that this kid's mother was Emma and she hadn't seen Emma in seven years.
Emma's heart dropped when she heard that voice calling out for her, she quickly looked up and saw Regina standing at her porch, behind Daniel, looking as confused and speechless as she was. "Regina? W-What are you doing here?" This was everything that she didn't want to happen. Her son had disappeared from her for a few hours and now the same person she couldn't face ever again, and she managed to not face her for seven years, was standing right in front of her, looking the typical glorious Regina with rain drops on her hair and flawless face.
"He is your son?" It was the only thing that came out from Regina's lips. She didn't know anything about Emma's new life but only that she moved to Boston to do her old job again because she preferred it that way, at leas that's what Henry and Snow and Charming have been telling her the whole time.
"Emma, did you find him?" A man's voice came from behind the blonde and it was her partner at the job named Zack. He was also trying to help her find Daniel.
Regina now looked weirdly at the man and Zack looked confused at her as well, he had never seen her before, but she was oddly familiar from some stories that he got from a very drunk Emma sometimes.
"I wanted to find my other parent, but my only proof of the true love thing is gone. This is all your fault!" Daniel shouted at his blonde mother as he pushed through her and Zack and ran up to his room.
"Daniel!" Emma called out for him, wanting to run right after him but now she had Regina here as well and she was torn. – How did her son know about the true love thing? He had never heard such thing before other than the typical fairytales books she had got him when he was younger and she certainly didn't want him to yell that out in front of Regina, who knew very well what the 'true love thing' meant.
"Don't worry, I will go check on him," Zack said, figuring out that maybe the boy would talk to him since he wasn't involved in any of this mess.
Emma sighed out, feeling like her world was falling apart but at the same time getting back together because her son was back but he had brought some unwanted guest over.
"So, this is your new life?" Regina asked. It was the only thing she could ask, she was just so shocked at everything and trying to process all the information dropping on her that she didn't even know what to say.
Emma looked at Regina and didn't say anything for a couple of seconds because she had missed her face so much, she still had some polaroid's from years ago and that was the only way she could still look at her face but now it was right in front of her and everything in her just wanted to jump into her arms but she knew that the reality of life wasn't that kind. "Just get inside, I guess we need to talk, and it's still raining," Emma said a bit defeated as she allowed the brunette woman step inside her home, not quite sure what she was going to do but something had to be done and said.
And that's the end of the second chapter, did you guys like it? What do you think Emma is going to tell Regina next? The truth? Or some excuse? And how do you think Regina will react on seeing Emma again after seven years?
Again sorry for any typo.