Chapter ten
Henry had a plan.
The night before school, he made a list of books and comics he wanted from the mansion. It was no where near comprehensive but he wouldn't be able to carry all of his belongings, so this would have to do.
Every interaction he had with Isaac so far only happened when an adult was around to interrupt, so if he went to get the stuff he wanted during his lunch break from school, he figured he would have enough time to grab his stuff before his grandmother called Emma to say that he wasn't in class.
It wasn't the most logical of plans, but after a night of Emma asking him if he was okay until she finally went to bed, he figured that it would be the fastest way of moving on.
He could tell Emma to get rid of the rest of the stuff and be done with Regina Mills because he was sick of being confused.
It was one thing to hate the Evil Queen but it felt a lot more complicated knowing that she had once been in love with a stable boy, had once saved Snow White's life and also that she was clearly abused as a child.
He came to the conclusion that there was no reason to be conflicted about all of this information because it wasn't as if he could do anything with it.
Nothing would change the fact that Regina Mills was dead.
It was for this reason that he stared adamantly at his shoes as she ran up the mansion's driveway and then through the front door and then up the stairs to his old bedroom.
As he pushed the door open, he finally looked up from his shoes and then let out a frustrated huff when he found Isaac sat on his bed, reading one of his Avengers comic books.
Isaac glanced up at the boy and then back down to the page on which Captain America and Iron Man were fighting.
"I can see why you like these so much, Henry," Isaac announced and turned the page,"I wonder if I could adapt your book into a graphic novel…"
Henry could tell that he was thinking aloud but the thought was actually kind of exciting. However, he figured that giving up on his connection to Regina would mean giving up on his chance to actually be the Author's apprentice.
Apparently the man was persistent in whatever this obsession with the Evil Queen was.
"Why are you here?" Henry asked instead of labouring the graphic novel point further, "can't you just leave me alone?"
Isaac placed the book aside and stood from the bed with his head tilted.
Did Henry look angry or resigned?
What he was about to show the boy was the last thing that he wanted him to see but the previous night only proved that this was necessary.
Of all of the things that Cora had done to Regina, the slap was one of the more tame incidents, and it obviously upset the boy.
Unfortunately it had just caused him to run away rather than face up to his grief.
"Nothing can justify what Regina has done, nor should it," Isaac replied, "but I'm sure that you would agree that redemption is always possible and an important part of that is understanding why they acted as they did. I want to show you that turning point for Regina. After this, I will promise to leave you alone once you've seen this…" Henry didn't say anything so he added, "Henry, believe me when I say the this one is important."
Henry bit his lip and thought about saying no, but the fact was that he was curious, so he just nodded slowly.
Isaac didn't smile this time as he grabbed the storybook and found the correct page.
This made Henry's stomach churn a little but he still waited for Isaac to come over and place his quill to the page. In fact, he closed his eyes before the light flashed out and opened them a second later to look around the stables.
There was no one around so it gave him a moment to look at the horses and he smiled just a little.
He'd always dreamed of riding a horse but Regina always seemed reluctant to take him to Storybrooke's stables.
If this was the setting of her so-called 'turning point', maybe that all made sense now?
Henry turned to find Isaac wasn't leaning against anything this time there was no reason to be relaxed this time, he looked a little scared.
If he was true to his words, then this was his last chance to achieve…whatever it was that he wanted to achieve.
Before Henry could ask him why he looked so worried, a voice called, "Regina? Are you here?"
It was a kind of rushed whisper. A terrified whisper.
The young man appeared and Henry recognised him at once, he was even wearing the same clothes as the last time he saw him.
When Daniel saw no one in the stables, he let out a nervous breath and went over to one of the horses to stroke his mane, though this clearly did nothing to calm his nerves.
His eyes shot away from the horse, though, when he heard a tentative voice call, "Daniel?"
He spun around in time to see Regina entering the stables and he rushed forward to embrace his fiancée.
Regina pulled back and Daniel placed his palms against her cheeks and just took a second to look at her in reverence before he asked, "did you get away without being seen?"
Regina shook her head and said, "Snow overheard our plans but she promised not to tell my mother."
Daniel's face contorted into one of worry while Henry's eyes widened, he had a bad feeling that he knew what was about to happen.
It would certainly explain why Regina hated Snow so much if it was what he thought.
"Are you sure that we can trust her? She's so young…" Daniel began but Regina placed her hand against his chest.
"If we go now we have nothing to worry about."
Daniel blew out a nervous breath but still nodded.
He leaned forward and placed a kiss to her lips before he moved over to open the gate to release the horse, but before he could move the latch, a voice sent a chill down both of the lovers' spines and also made Henry cringe while Isaac closed his eyes forcing himself to remember that this was necessary.
"What's the rush?"
Regina and Daniel turned to see Cora Mills stood at the entrance of the stables.
Henry thought she looked furious the last time he saw her but right now…well right now she looked ready to murder someone.
"Mother…" Regina started but Cora held up her hand which seemed to shut her up as she advanced on Daniel.
"Regina's father assured me there would be no harm in allowing the stableboy to teach her riding, he obviously didn't imagine that his daughter would grow into a cliche. Running away from a future of greatness, for what?"
"For love," Daniel said, though it sounded like may be the first time that he had spoken to the woman.
Cora scoffed and finally turned to look to Regina who appeared to be very close to tears.
"How many times have I told you, Regina, love is weakness," Cora hissed.
Regina let out a shaky breath, she was so close, they were so close to getting away from this place where love apparently meant nothing.
"You're wrong," Regina replied just above a whisper, her gazed averted from her mother and her fists clenched.
Cora shook her head in disbelief, there was a look of disappointment there, one that Regina never gave to Henry, even when he was at his worst.
Henry spun around to Isaac and said, "I don't have to see this."
Isaac sighed and stepped forward to turn Henry back towards the scene.
Henry tried closing his eyes as Cora took a step towards a whimpering teenage Regina, but something made him open his eyes just in time to see Cora think better of whatever she was planning to do.
Of course, Henry didn't quite realise that it was because she didn't want to risk physically marking her just before she agreed to marry King Leopold. Isaac figured that there was no need for the boy to know everything about this terrible situation.
"The king wants to marry you, Regina and Snow White seems very excited to have you as a step-mother. You shouldn't waste your time with this boy…"
Regina finally looked up at her mother and said, "Snow White told you?"
"It didn't take much to convince her," Cora laughed and took a step towards her daughter and added without turning to look at Daniel, "needless to say, you're relived of your duties. Now come Regina, it is extremely rude to keep a king waiting."
Regina recoiled when Cora reached forward to grab her arm, but before Cora could try again, Daniel grabbed her arm to stop her.
The stable boy's eyes were wide as if he couldn't believe that this was something that he was capable of doing.
Regina's mouth hung open at the sight and Henry wanted to yell at Daniel to runaway.
Daniel swallowed hard as Cora stared him straight in the eyes, pure venom exuding from her gaze.
Somehow, he still managed to say, "Regina has agreed to marry me, she does not wish to marry Leopold nor does she care about your ridiculous plan for her to become queen. You should just let us go."
Regina closed her eyes with a shaky breath when her mother rounded on Daniel.
"Please mother. Let him go and I will accept Leopold's proposal," Regina pleaded, she wished she could move her body to intervene but all of her muscles were completely immobilised. Though in that moment, it was unclear whether it was because of the pure terror she was feeling or because her mother had magically done something to stop her.
Henry swallowed hard and looked over to Isaac and said, "Leopold?"
"Your great-grandfather," the Author confirmed.
He knew that Henry knew that but he'd asked almost pleadingly, obviously he wished that it wasn't the case.
Cora smiled at her daughter's words, she was just more proof that love is weakness.
She finally pulled her arms back from the stable boy as she shook her head.
The force of this made him stumble back just a little and she said, "if he is alive, there is always a chance that you'll find a way to get back to him. I can't allow you to humiliate me by leaving a king for this boy."
She raised her hand and this seemed to force Regina to take a step forward and Cora reacted instantly by throwing her other hand out to magically throw her against a beam which she was held against despite her struggling against whatever was keeping her in place.
Silent tears flooded down her cheeks but Cora didn't look over to her as she stepped towards Daniel.
"No, it won't do at all to have you out there, a constant distraction to my daughter.. In the long-term, I really do think you will thank me for this."
"No! Mother, please!" Regina cried and struggled while Cora took another step towards Daniel, the man notably didn't step away from her, but he had no means of defending himself as the future Queen of Hearts thrust her hand into his chest and ripped his beating heart from it.
Henry and Daniel audibly gasped, though the stable boy also clutched his chest.
It obviously hurt.
Daniel tore his eyes away from the pulsating organ and looked at Regina, trying to put all of his love into the gaze as Cora squeezed the heart.
The moment it crumbled between her fingers, the spell released Regina so she fell onto her hands and knees.
At the same time, Daniel's body crumpled to the ground and Henry stared at the lifeless form of the stable boy.
His first thought was, what would have happened if Snow hadn't revealed the truth to Cora.
Would Regina and Daniel have successfully ran away together? Got married? Had children?
Snow White would have never met Prince Charming since there was no Evil Queen to banish her so that she became a bandit. There would be no Emma, no curse, he would have never been born.
All of these scenarios ran through his mind as Regina fell down next to Daniel and threw herself onto his chest while she cried.
Cora rolled her eyes at her daughter's tears and Henry looked on at her in utter disbelief.
Cora really believed she was giving Regina her best chance, didn't she?
Henry swiped the tears away from his cheeks but he let out a ragged breath when he realised that Cora Mills would never stand in front of a gun for her daughter.
Nor would she publicly disavow her parental rights she'd spent so long trying to keep.
For the first time since the 'school incident', Henry realised the truth.
His mother had sacrificed herself to save him from the Mad Hatter.
It was exactly what a hero would do.
"Oh my god," Henry muttered, stumbling backwards to be caught by the shoulders as Isaac steadied the boy.
He didn't turn to look at the Author and just continued to watch Regina cry over her first love.
Cora placed a hand onto his shoulder and said, "come now, dear, Leopold awaits and you need to clean yourself up before he sees you."
Regina tensed and gripped Daniel's chest.
Henry was sure that she would at least shout at her mother, maybe even throw a fireball at her?
However, after a couple seconds of crying, she looked up and said, "yes mother," though she didn't look like she was actually planning to let go of Daniel.
The scene began to melt away so Henry tried to launch forward to grab the younger Regina.
Maybe he could try and comfort her?
Isaac held him back until his old room came fully back into view and Henry finally extricated himself from the Author's grip.
He was looking at the man with wide, wet eyes.
Clearly there were no words.
So Isaac began, "it doesn't excuse anything that she did after this, but is it really that unreasonable to want to hurt the person who took her life away? In spite of her young age, Snow is undoubtedly in part responsible for Daniel's death. What would you do if you saw Jefferson again?"
Henry wasn't really listening because this was all something that he'd realised the moment he saw Daniel's heart crumble to nothing.
Being surrounded by all the things Regina had ever given him didn't help with the explosion of grief running through every vein in his body.
He should have shouted for Jefferson not to shoot his mother that day at the school.
H should have visited her in the hospital.
He definitely should have gone to her funeral.
Maybe even reminisced as he helped go through her things when it was eventually not too painful to be in this mansion.
Isaac wasn't too surprised when Henry bolted from the room again, this time he was pretty sure that he'd got his point across so that he could move into the next phase of his plans to help Regina Mills.
Meanwhile, Henry was intent upon running from the mansion.
He wasn't sure where he was going (he definitely couldn't go back to school today). Maybe Archie would talk to him if he dropped in to his office?
However, before he could even make it to the stairway he came to a stop in front of the door that led into Regina's room.
He hesitated only for a second before he pushed the door.
He expected it to be hit with the smell of spiced apples but it wasn't as strong as he remembered.
Other than that, the room was a pristinely set out as it was the last time he'd seen it (which was a couple Christmases ago when he'd gone to wake her up) but the boy swallowed hard and walked further into the room.
His gaze fell onto the dressing table where a very recognisable Mother's Day card lay, along with every other card he'd ever made her.
There were pictures of him and her together dotted around the room.
There was no possible motive for this.
No one would ever have seen them.
"I'm an idiot," Henry muttered and felt himself drawn over to the bed.
He sat down on the edge of it.
It had been some time since anyone had slept on it but he still brought the pillow towards himself.
The smell of spiced apples invaded his sinuses and he let out a shaky breath and pulled it closer so that he was actually hugging it.
He pushed his face into it and the floodgates finally opened as he openly sobbed into the silk pillow cover.
Henry had no idea how long he cried for, but when he heard the door open behind him, he just burrowed further into the pillow.
The whole reason he'd originally planned to rush back to school was because he knew that Emma now knew how to perform a tracking spell.
That was why he wasn't too surprised to hear a little gasp from behind him.
A second later, the bed dipped down next to him and he felt a hand placed onto his arm.
Reluctantly, he pushed his face up to look at Emma who appeared to be a little terrified by the tears on his face. Whatever anger she had at him for running away again was definitely gone.
"Hey kid, what happened?" she asked softly.
Henry took a few deep breaths, though he had no idea how to explain the sudden burst of grief.
Instead, he just launched into her arms (he had yet to release the pillow though) and continued to cry.
Emma glanced briefly at Regina but turned her attention back to Henry to run her fingers through his hair.
This wasn't what she was expecting to find when Mary Margaret told her that Henry hadn't shown up for class.
She was pretty sure that she would never be able to discern what the spirit was thinking so she needed to focus on her son. At least right now.
She hugged the crying boy closer and asked after a moment of consideration, "do you think we should call Archie?"
To her great surprise, Henry nodded.