After spending a little while wandering around the market, Emma suggested they go out for a late lunch. It would be a long drive back to Storybrooke and they still needed to pack up Henry's things. They hadn't had much to eat in a while and Henry was beginning to complain.
According to Emma, finding parking in the city was almost impossible so they decided to leave Emma's bug where it was and search for a restaurant on foot.
As they wandered through the beautiful streets comprised of an interesting mix of old and new, Regina felt truly content for the first time in weeks. With Henry's hand in hers and the excited buzz of the city around them, she was able to momentarily forget about all of the pain she had been facing lately. If it weren't for the fact that they were in a bustling city instead of Storybrooke, it would almost have felt like old times. Well, old times plus Emma.
They found a quaint restaurant in the heart of Boston and stopped for a relatively quick meal. The conversation consisted mostly of Henry talking about his week in Boston. He and Regina hadn't discussed it very much in Storybrooke since Henry had been too afraid that the topic would upset her, but now that they were actually in the city things were a little different. His rambling also kept them from engaging in long, somewhat awkward silences so neither of his mothers minded.
After they had paid the bill, they made their way back into the busy streets of downtown Boston.
"Emmaaaa?" Henry asked as they began to walk slowly down the street.
"What's up Henry?"
"Do you think maybe before we go back to the apartment we could do the Freedom Trail again?"
"Henry... that takes like an hour and a half to walk. Sorry kid but I don't think we're gonna have time for that today. Besides we did that two weeks ago."
"But mom's never done it! Mom you would love it!"
"It sounds lovely Henry but I'm afraid Emma's right, we just don't have enough time to do that today if we want to get home at a reasonable hour."
"Exactly. It's getting late already and we still haven't packed up any of your things." Emma agreed. "We'll be getting back pretty late as it is."
"Pleeaase! This might be the last time I'm in Boston for a really long time! We're here now, can't we just do it? I really wanna show it to you mom. It's really cool, you follow this red brick line thing... kinda like the yellow brick road in the Wizard of Oz I guess except instead of the whole sidewalk being red brick it's just a line. But still, same idea. But this one takes you through the city and you get to see all these old buildings and war sites and a big ship and stuff like that. We were even kind of on it already when we were at the market because the trail goes right by it. So technically we've already started."
Regina and Emma shared an amused look.
"But Henry, if we do the trail we might not be getting home until after midnight." Emma said.
"So?"
"Henry do you want Emma to fall asleep at the wheel? It's not fair to make her drive all the way back to Storybrooke so late." Regina said reasonably.
"Okaay... well..." He looked up at them both as if deciding on whether or not to ask them something.
The waited expectantly.
"Spit it out, what are you thinking?" Emma asked amiably.
"What if we just stayed here tonight?!" He asked excitedly.
"What?" Emma and Regina both said together.
"Yeah! I already have all my stuff here, and mom don't you always carry around extra make-up and everything in your purse anyways?"
"But Henry there's still a lot I don't have with me… a change of clothes for example. And it would be an imposition on Emma."
"Actually it wouldn't be an imposition at all." Emma said kindly. "And if we did end up having to stay, Regina you can borrow some of my clothes if you want, it's no problem. You're welcome to use any of the stuff that's at my place. I have enough room at the apartment for all of us. I don't really mind staying but I totally understand if you would feel more comfortable heading home tonight like we planned."
"I don't know..."
"Pleaaaase!" Henry said, he was practically bouncing with excitement.
Regina smiled at his enthusiasm, this city seemed to change him somehow and she missed seeing the happiness in his eyes.
"Well I suppose that would be alright." Regina said a little uncertainly.
"You sure?" Emma said. "I have absolutely no problem going back to Storybrooke tonight. Hey, even if you do want to do the Freedom Trail and we don't get back 'till 2:00 AM that's fine with me. You guys could probably even sleep in the car if you wanted."
"Please mom! I know you'll really like it. And look!" He pointed to an impressive red-brick building with a gold domed top that stood one block over. "That's where the trail starts. We can even go in that building if you want, it's pretty cool inside. But we can skip that if we don't have time. But see? We're practically already there!"
"Alright." Regina said with a smile, running a hand through Henry's hair. "I suppose since we're here we might as well."
"Yeah!" Henry said, hugging her happily which made her support her decision even more. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome sweetheart. You're right, we should make the most of the city while we're here. And also don't forget to thank Emma, she's letting us stay in her apartment after all and she drove all the way here to get your things for you."
"Thanks Emma," Henry smiled up at her.
Emma ruffled his hair. "Don't mention it kid."
Henry hugged her with one arm, keeping the other still wrapped around his adoptive mother.
"I'm really happy you're both here." He said.
Regina smiled a little self-consciously as the parents of a passing family eyed them curiously.
"Me too," Emma grinned. "So what d'you say? Wanna head over?"
"Yeah!" Henry said.
His arms dropped from around them and he grabbed their hands, half pulling them towards their destination.
"So, what's this called again?" Henry asked when they arrived at the building.
"It's the Massachusetts State House," Emma answered. "They usually show it in movies that take place in Boston because it's one of the most famous buildings here." She said to Regina. "You probably saw it the first time you were here right? They show it in the intro to Rizzoli and Isles if you've ever watched that."
"What's that?" Regina asked.
"What?! You've never heard of Rizzoli and Isles?! It's a tv show! A crime show. About a detective named Jane and a medical examiner named Maura... they solve murders. It's good! You should watch it."
"Sounds lovely." Regina said.
"It is!" Emma grinned. "I seriously love it."
"I personally don't have much time for television."
"Well you should make time," Emma said. "Everyone needs a good show that they can curl up to with a hot chocolate and binge watch."
Henry nodded his agreement.
"I don't binge either." Regina responded dryly.
"Trust me." Emma said, crossing her arms. "If you started this show you would become a binger just like the rest of us."
"I'm sure." Regina replied, raising her eyebrow.
"You would." Emma insisted.
"Why don't we just go for that walk around the city now?" Regina said with a smirk.
"Alright," Emma said passively. "Henry? Want to lead the way?"
"Sure," he said.
They walked down a path leading from the State House into an area called the Boston Common. It was a large grassy public park dotted with a few statues and plaques describing different aspects of Boston's history. They approached a large, exquisite fountain surrounded by walking paths, where tourists and locals were milling around, possibly getting ready to do the trail themselves. There were some people who were dressed in colonial outfits, most likely tour guides for people wishing to have a guide as they walked the Freedom Trail.
They hadn't planned to do the whole trail since they still hadn't decided whether or not they were going to stay in Boston that night, but it was such a gorgeous evening and they were all having such a good time, that none of them ever suggested they turn back. To Regina's entertainment, Henry explained to her as best he could everything he remembered from when he did the trail the first time with Emma. Whenever he got a little stuck Emma was able to help him out or they could consult the plaques. At one point they passed what Henry insisted was a pirate ship. It was really just a warship from the War of 1812, but seeing it from Henry's perspective was much more fun. They didn't have enough time to tour the inside, but Henry gave Regina a detailed account of his visit the previous week. By far it had been his favourite part of the walk.
Hearing the stories of the sites they passed was interesting, but the best part of the walk was simply strolling through the beautiful and historic city, and enjoying the company and perfect weather. Before they knew it, the three had reached the end of the trail where they arrived at a tower called the Bunker Hill Monument.
As they meandered on the lawn surrounding the monument, Emma remembered a nearby snack stand that she and Henry had gone to when they were last here.
"Hey, anyone want an ice cream? My treat, I think we deserve it after that walk."
"Sure!" Henry answered enthusiastically.
Emma laughed. "I knew you'd say yes." She beamed, patting his shoulder. "Regina? How about you?"
"Oh, I'm fine thank you. But you two go ahead."
"You sure mom? The ice cream's really good here!"
"I'm sure. I can just wait here."
"Okaaay," Henry said. "But if you change your mind you can have some of mine."
Regina smiled, squeezing his hand. "Thank you Henry."
"I don't mind going to get the ice cream if you want to stay with your mom Henry." Emma offered.
"Okay." He said, glancing back at Regina with a smile.
"So. What kind do you want?" Emma asked.
"Chocolate fudge," Henry responded with a grin.
"Coming right up. I'll be right back."
"Thanks Emma!" Henry called after her as she left.
She waved in response.
"Would you like to sit down?" Regina asked, gesturing to a nearby bench.
Henry nodded, and the two took a seat. It felt good to rest after being on their feet for so long. They remained silent for a few moments as they enjoyed the gorgeous weather.
"It's beautiful here," Regina commented quietly.
Henry looked up at her and was pleased to see the soft smile on her lips as she gazed fondly at the surrounding city.
"Yeah, Boston's the best."
Regina kept staring out at the scenery around them. There was a fair amount of nature, and the mix of that along with the city's historic and modern buildings in the distance was breathtaking.
Henry didn't miss the sudden change in her expression, it was a mix of sadness and happiness.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Hmm?" She asked distractedly.
He was staring at her curiously, obviously wanting to know what she was thinking.
"Oh, well it's just... I can't believe after seeing how much you love this city, you still wanted to come home to me." She rubbed his hand gently. "Why?"
Henry frowned, thinking over his answer. "Storybrooke is where I'm supposed to be. Boston's great and I'd love to come back here more often, but it's not where I want to live."
"Even though you've been so unhappy in Storybrooke?"
"I belong with my family. And that's you. You and Emma. I need both of you."
Regina squeezed his hand, a small smile on her face.
"When I was living here with Emma I... I realized that I really really missed you mom. You were the main reason I needed to come home."
Regina felt a few tears glisten in her eyes.
Henry noticed her trying to hide them from him. "Are you upset?"
"No." She whispered with a smile. "It just means so much to hear that."
"So you're happy?" Henry asked hopefully.
She nodded, pulling him gently into a hug. "I was so afraid that if you came back here this weekend you would change your mind about coming home. I thought you would see what you would be missing here and want to stay." She pulled back from him, folding her arms a little self-consciously.
"You didn't want me to come here today? Why didn't you tell me?"
Regina looked back at him, he didn't look angry or upset, just curious. She shook her head. "You'd only just come home. We haven't had that much time for just the two of us yet. But also… I didn't want to be too controlling by not letting you come here. That was one of the things that stood in the way of our relationship before."
"Oh... Mom I would have understood. If you'd asked me to stay I would have."
"Really?" She asked softly.
"Of course. You've been through a lot this week. I want to be there for you."
Regina rubbed his arm. "I appreciate that."
Henry tried to discreetly study her expression. He knew his mother, sometimes she tried to suppress her emotions, and after what had almost happened to her last week he felt he needed to pay more attention to how she was feeling. He couldn't let her be unhappy anymore. He needed to fix things.
"Do you want to go back to Storybrooke tonight?" Henry finally asked.
Regina was a little surprised. "We can stay in Boston if that's what you want Henry. We already all agreed to it."
"But would you rather go home tonight than stay here?"
His mother ran her fingers through his hair, giving a soft sigh as she finally nodded. "Yes sweetheart, I think so. Seeing Boston at night would be beautiful and I can understand wanting to make the most of our time here, but I feel like tonight I just want to go home."
"Okay, we can go back tonight. I don't mind."
"I'm sorry. I'm sure spending the night here would be fine, but I've been away from home all week. I would just like to sleep in my own bed tonight."
"You don't have to apologize mom. I understand."
Regina stroked Henry's cheek with the back of her finger. "When did you get to be so grown up?"
Henry grinned.
"Oh look!" He said, "Emma's back."
The blonde approached them carrying two double scoop waffle cones. "Here you go!" Emma said, handing Henry his.
"Thanks!" Henry smiled.
He and Regina moved over on the bench so Emma could take a seat.
"So what are we talking about?" Emma asked, tasting her ice cream.
"Is it still okay if we go back to Storybrooke tonight?" Henry asked.
"Of course it is." Emma said. "We still have to pack but that shouldn't take too long. But like I said at the restaurant, I don't mind driving home late as long as you two don't. I'll just have to caffeine up a bit first."
"I don't," Henry said, smiling up at Regina.
"Alright," Emma checked her watch. "We should try to get back to the apartment pretty soon then if we want to get back at a somewhat decent hour. You okay to walk and eat?"
"Yeah sure." Henry said, standing up.
Regina felt herself smile as he linked arms with her, something he never would have done before. She covered his hand with her own as they went to get a taxi back to Emma's yellow bug.