Chapter seven

-Two days later-

"Why wouldn't you translate this into English?" Emma asked and flipped absentmindedly to the next page.

In their research, Regina and Emma had managed to learn that there was some precedent for a spirit tethering themselves to another person. They still didn't quite understand why Regina would tether to a person she occasionally tolerated in life. Nor did they have the slightest idea how to break it or what 'break it' would mean.

Did Emma want Regina to actually 'move on'?

Was there anyway that Regina could somehow return to her body? Is that something she would want at this point?

The only difference in her life would be that she could hold a conversation with Emma.

As much as Emma hated the thought that Regina would go away, she couldn't get passed the mental image of trying to date in a year or two with Regina in the room making sarcastic comments about her choice in suitor.

In her thoughts, she barely heard Regina's reply to her comment, "I haven't translated it because I can read it."

When Emma didn't say anything, Regina glanced up to see her companion deep in thought as she often was lately (it was to be expected to be fair when the woman never got a moment alone) and said, "Emma."

The sheriff blinked out of her thoughts and remembered that it was her that had started the conversation.

"What about future generations, Regina? You could have translated it so that everyone can read it…"

"I never planned to have an apprentice, Miss Swan," Regina deadpanned.

Emma rolled her eyes and asked, "what exactly am I supposed to be looking for?"

"Well that would depend upon what you wish to know, Emma."

The saviour bit the inside of her cheek as Regina's words brought her back to her thoughts from a moment ago and she admitted, "I don't know…what I want to know…"

Regina was silent for a moment before she said, "perhaps…there are other matters in your life you should be focusing on?"

"I think that when you're being haunted that should be your number one priority," Emma shot back.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not haunting you Emma?" Regina asked with a heavy sigh. Emma just shrugged so Regina continued, "you have a son, Miss Swan, he should be your 'number one priority'."

Emma blew out a breath.

She wanted to argue that Henry had been acting like a complete jackass since the 'school incident' but she knew that there was no way that Regina would agree with her.

Regina had a habit of giving him everything he wanted, especially at her own detriment.

However, Emma remembered that Henry had begged her to save Regina from an angry mob because she was his mom.

He just needed to get passed his attempts to deny that he no longer cared about the woman.

It wasn't like she had done anything to change his opinion of her in the six months since that day.

Maybe that was the issue? That Regina hadn't done anything overtly heroic until that day in the school and apparently that wasn't enough for Henry.

If one of them wasn't currently a ghost, she would say that they needed a number of therapy sessions.

"What am I supposed to do?" Emma finally asked.

"You should be thinking about Henry's wellbeing moving forward," Regina replied after a moment of thought.

"I'm assuming that you have some suggestions?" Emma asked.

"Henry is used to living in a mansion and now he chooses to sleep on the couch when you're home," Regina replied, as if it should be obvious.

"What's your point?"

"He isn't too far from being a teenager; you can't expect him to keep sharing a room with his mother," Regina said slowly since she was getting the sense that the younger woman was being purposefully obtuse, "I know exactly how much you earn, Miss Swan, you can certainly afford to move out of your parents' loft."

"You want me and Henry to find our own place?" the woman said, clarifying she had heard the spirit correctly.

"Henry's things should not be confined in a corner behind a sheet," Regina replied, though she was refusing to make eye contact in that moment, "he will need his own space and it would be better to see to the issue sooner rather than later."

"I'm really not one for real estate…"

Regina rolled her eyes and asked, "do I need to help you with everything, Miss Swan?"

S

Henry found himself once again staring at the blank pages of his newest storybook as he did at every opportunity since it reappeared two days ago.

He couldn't get the image of the girl Isaac had shown him out of his head inspire of his best efforts.

She was just a little girl excited that her father had gotten her a present (and also that she could get out of studying).

But she was still the same person who had cast the curse to take away the happy endings of an entire realm of an innumerable amount of people.

It didn't really make sense.

Something must have happened to that little girl to turn her into the Evil Queen.

Unfortunately he couldn't ask the woman what that was and there wasn't so much as a drop of ink on the pages in his lap, he had double and triple checked, just to make sure of that.

"Blank pages will yield no answers."

Henry blinked the tears out of his eyes and looked up to the man leaning against the closed door once again.

"Then maybe, it shouldn't be blank," Henry suggested as he snapped the book shut and shifted closer to the edge of the bed with it in his lap.

"The best stories are not rushed."

Henry rolled his eyes. He was sure he used to be more patient but he wasn't in the mood for vagueness lately, he just needed answers and this man clearly had them.

"This story has already happened…her story is…already over," Henry argued refusing eye contact with the Author.

"Her story is not the only one of concern here, there is always a story going on at any time, they shouldn't be rushed," Isaac replied.

"Are you saying…no spoilers?" Henry asked.

Isaac chuckled and pushed himself from the doorframe and he replied, "I suppose you could see it that way, Henry. There are events unfolding this very moment that you will need to become involved in. Just not yet…" Henry opened his mouth and the man held up his hand to stop him, "and, not I will not tell you what those events are or when you will become involved."

Henry sighed again and just fell back against the bed so that he was lay on the mattress and he used his hands to push the book towards Isaac.

"Just do whatever you want," he muttered.

Isaac resisted rolling his eyes at the petulant boy and pulled the pen from his pocket again as he walked towards the book.

It took him a second to open it to the correct page and place the pen upon it to create the same flash of light that he had before.

Henry was still lay down when he opened his eyes, only now he was lay on grass.

He sat up with a little grunt of frustration which was undercut by the sound of galloping.

The boy turned to the source, he could just make out the blue riding coat of the female on the black horse and he had no doubt who she was, but he was having difficulty trying to figure out how old this version of Regina was from this distance.

He also couldn't make out any discernible features from whoever she was riding alongside other than that he was distinctly male.

Henry pushed himself to his feet and asked, "what is she doing?"

Isaac was sat cross-legged at the base of a tree and replied, "having fun."

Henry's first instinct was to say that his mother was not a fan of fun, but the galloping was getting louder so he just turned his attention to the horses.

"Daniel," a female voice called with a laugh, which cause Henry's mouth to fall open when he heard his middle name that he never got an explanation for.

The pair were now close enough for him to see that they were both about sixteen or seventeen.

A sharp pang jolted in his stomach at the sight of Regina. It was one thing to see her as a child, but a teenage version of her actually looked like the woman who had raised him which meant that this was technically the first time that he had seen her since the school that day. However, he was having a difficult time seeing this smiling teen as the same person who had announced he was no longer her son.

The horses came to a canter so that Regina and Daniel could dismount and Henry turned his attention to the male of the pair.

Based on his clothes, he wasn't in the same class as Regina, so they couldn't be relatives and he was too happy to be a fearful servant.

He soon got his answer as to exactly who he was.

"What are we doing here, Daniel?" Regina asked, "you know that mother hates it when my riding lessons take too long."

The young man just smiled and shook his head, as he said, "I have your father's assurances that your mother will not return until this evening."

This seemed to relax her as he stepped closer to her with a huge smile on his face.

As soon as he was in her space, he placed a chaste kiss to her lips. It was innocent but Henry got the sense that they both were a little afraid.

Still, Regina took his hand in her own, seemingly revelling in the moment of pure bliss even if she was obviously being hyper-vigilant.

They were both exposed.

"That does not answer my question, Daniel," Regina pointed out.

The stable boy removed his hand from hers so that he could use both of them to place onto her shoulders and turn her around towards the tree.

Obviously neither of them saw the Author watching them.

He was not part of the memory, after all.

Regina's smile widened when she noticed the blanket and basket laid out that she had been far too preoccupied to see before now.

"A picnic?" she asked the young woman was almost giddy at the prospect.

"I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to spend time with you since your mother is away," Daniel explained and led Regina towards the blanket.

Henry couldn't think of a single comment to make as the scene unfolded.

He'd figured that Daniel must be important considering that this teen would one day name her son for him, but he never considered that Regina Mills could have been genuinely in love with another person.

The young woman sat on the blanket with the stable boy, who had to be her first love, hardly seemed like the type to marry a man double her age just to get the throne.

In fact, based on this image, Henry wouldn't have thought that she cared about ruling in the slightest.

Isaac watched the emotions pass over the boy's face as he thought this all over.

This appeared to be working, he only hoped that what was about to happen would drive his point home even further.

With Henry, Isaac was pretty sure that he needed to come to conclusions on his own, he wouldn't believe him if he just orally told him about Regina's past.

There was one moment that Isaac sincerely hoped he wouldn't need to show him though.

Only if it was absolutely necessary.

"Any thoughts, Henry?" the Author asked.

"She's happy," Henry replied hollowly.

A loud scream sounded down the hill before Isaac could ask the boy what his thoughts were on that and it was quickly accompanied by the neighing of a third horse.

This forced Henry's eyes away from, the picnic and to Isaac as he looked at him questioningly.

He had clearly thought that this was all he was planning to show him, but the older man proved him wrong by nodding over to Regina.

The boy looked back over to the teenager who was now standing, Daniel was not far behind as they each rushed over to see what was going on so Henry turned his attention over as well.

There wa a horse running across the field, but the young girl riding it did not look quite as comfortable as Regina or Daniel had earlier. She was screaming as the stead ran frantically and Henry felt his throat constrict at the thought that he could possibly be about to see her getting seriously injured.

This worry was allayed a second later though when the black horse ran out from behind him, rushing towards the girl in peril. His eyes widened when he saw the blue riding coat getting further away.

He was sure that it would be Daniel on the horse.

He didn't even have a chance to blink before he suddenly found himself across the field in time to see Regina pull the young brunette from the rampaging stallion and onto her own horse.

Regina pulled the reins to bring the horses to a stop just in front of Henry who was trying to get his bearings.

He was glad he didn't have to run after them to find out what happened next but it was still disorientating.

Regina jumped off the horse and helped the crying and shaking girl down and then kneeled down to place her hands onto her shoulder.

"It's okay," she said softly and Henry bit the inside of her cheek as he remembered the many times that Regina had comforted him in the same way (usually when he was having a tantrum, at least in his later years).

The girl continued to breathe deeply for a few moments, as if she couldn't quite believe that she was now on solid ground. She brought both of her hands up so that she could grip the older girl's forearms in reassurance.

Regina soon noticed that she wasn't going to reply and she quickly thought of something that could distract her from what had just happened.

"My name is Regina, what is your name?" she asked, smiling widely for the distressed girl's benefit.

The girl took in more deep breaths but finally looked up and replied in a hoarse voice, "my name is Snow White."

"Henry!" his grandmother called.

Henry opened his eyes and shot up into a sitting position.

Again, the book was gone from his lap and Isaac was no where to be seen. He didn't know why he was surprised at this point.

The door opened before he could call back and say he wasn't hungry and Mary Margaret looked around the room to figure out why her grandson looked so freaked out.

"Emma asked me to get you, she said she needs to talk to us about something," she said as sweetly as she could, as she did every time she talked to him lately.

Henry gave himself a few moments to look at the full grown Snow White.

He'd never before considered the age difference between his adoptive mother and grandmother.

He certainly knew that Regina had to be older than Snow, but he now had a clear image of just how close in age they were.

After seeing Regina smile at Daniel it made it hard to believe that she would willingly choose to be this woman's step-mother.

Again, there must be more to the story.

"Henry?" Snow asked, taking a step closer to him.

"Sorry," Henry hastily said before she could come to place her palm to his forehead, "you just woke me up."

The explanation seemed to be enough as she didn't move any closer, frankly she was just glad that he was sleeping for an extended period.

"Emma's in the kitchen with your grandfather," she said.

Henry reluctantly stood from the bed to follow the school teacher. He was desperately trying not to think about what Isaac had shown him.

When his foot hit the last step, he saw Emma leaning on the kitchen counter with her father next to her.

Emma appeared to be nervous, but that didn't explain why she kept glancing into empty space.

Snow pushed herself up onto a stool but Henry didn't bother finding somewhere to sit. He wanted to go back upstairs as soon as possible.

"Emma?" David said with a hint of concern when no one said anything.

The saviour tore her eyes away from Regina, who she was trying to figure out how to comfort and over to the three sets of green eyes boring into her.

She really wished that there was a way for Regina not to be here, Henry's reaction would probably hurt her no matter what he said in response.

"I've been thinking," Emma said, figuring that she couldn't get out of this now, "it has been great living here, but with Henry living her now too, I think that it makes sense for the two of us to move somewhere with more space. Is that…would that be okay?"

Mary Margaret and David spent a few seconds looking at each other, before they seemed to silently agree upon their reaction to the news.

"We love having you both here," Charming replied, "but we understand that this loft is cramped and you both need your own space…plus, it's not like moving across town would mean that we will never see either of you again."

"That's…great…" Emma replied, actually smiling. She was really starting to like having an understanding family. It almost made her want to tell them about her ghostly companion, almost. "I think I've found an apartment down the street, we can check it out tomorrow after school, right Henry?"

Henry was silent, though she had no idea what could be going through his mind.

"Henry?" she said again.

He looked up at her, realising that he was wondering what the next officially voted-in mayor would do with his bedroom.

"Can I get my stuff from hom…from the mansion if I'm getting an actual room?" he asked.

Emma's eyes shot over to Regina who was staring adamantly at the ground. She really wished that the others could see how similar the pair were right now.

Now wasn't the time to reassure the spirit, though.

Emma couldn't think of a reason why he shouldn't get his things as much as it felt wrong.

Regina had said she needed to give Henry a proper home and that meant his stuff, right? She couldn't say that she didn't want to go to the mansion because it would be creepy.

"Sure kid," Emma replied despite her reluctance.

Henry nodded and began to walk away without permission from any of the adults and he ran upstairs calling, "I'm going to do my homework."

Emma wanted to run away too so that she could talk to Regina even if the woman didn't appear to be in the mood for a heart-to-heart.

Instead, she just turned to her parents to tell them what she knew about the apartment.

Even if she just wanted to talk to Regina, it wasn't like it was urgent.