Title: Package Deal
Summary: There's some preparation to be done before they can get to Storybrooke.
Note: For oncer4life11 on FFnet, who really wanted some Swan Believer.
"Mom?"
Emma turned to the open door from her stack of paperwork and smiled at her son. "Hey, kid. Ritu back home?"
He nodded, dropping his bag by the door and sitting heavily on the couch beside her. "I said bye to Avery and Aamer. Avery showed me a new gaming app, so I can still play him while we're there," he said, but there was something low in his tone.
She was quiet a moment, watching his bowed head. "That's good," she said simply, not pressing for now.
He nodded. "Ritu said she's making her lentil stew, if we wanna come over. She said even 'the creepy guy' is invited if we think he can handle it."
She chuckled. "That could be awkward. I'll ask what they think."
He looked around the room. "Where's Dad and Hook?"
She sighed and leaned back. "Graham's at the precinct. He's letting them know he's taking a leave to work on an investigation at his old town," she said.
Henry's nose wrinkled. "Is that what we're saying?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I know it's ... well, kinda lame, but it's the best we've got."
"And Hook?"
"He's helping sell the bit. If anyone asks, they used to be partners, okay?" she said.
"Okay," he said, then cocked his head to the side. "Isn't it weird that you know him better than Dad does, though?"
She grimaced slightly, her mind flashing to the almosts where it came to the man. If it wasn't for Graham's return, she might have allowed herself to trust him, to let him in. The thought nagged the back of her mind, even though she knew her feelings for him weren't a factor anymore. She couldn't say the same for Killian, and it left a lingering tension between all three.
Maybe they should skip dinner. Ritu had an eye for those sort of things.
She cleared her throat and focused on answering Henry. "Well, sure, but it's easier to explain this way. At least explain to the 20th. Graham needs an excuse for why he's leaving, and why we don't know how long we'll be. If Killian was his partner, then it makes sense to them," she clarified.
The detectives all knew how fiercely loyal and protective her husband was, so it would be easy to claim he had a sense of obligation to Storybrooke. Besides which, Killian had taken to ignoring her in favor of using Graham as the go-between. As infuriating as it was, it did help in keeping up appearances that it was the men who were old acquaintances.
"Being self-employed makes it easier to take my vacation time. I don't need an excuse like he does," she finished, and then pushed her papers away. "And Greenweld and Thompson just paid us back, so we have cushion money and nothing outstanding for now."
He sighed and leaned over to hug her middle, cheek and one palm pressed over her stomach. The baby twisted, kicking out against his hand and she grinned down at her two kids interacting. He hummed and moved his hand around, smiling absently as his brother moved to follow. "You told the school already?"
She pulled her fingers through his hair, smoothing the tresses comfortingly. "Yep. All set. Your teachers set up a couple stacks of homework to go through, and I picked it up while you were at Avery's."
"Damon's mad. We have a group project due on Thursday."
She frowned. "I'm sorry, kid."
He nodded in acknowledgement. "How long are we gonna be gone?"
She swallowed. "I wish I knew. Hook said that they don't know exactly who's doing this. It'll be an investigation even before we get around to defeating whoever it is."
He curled closer. "It was always been one crisis to the next there, at least once the curse was broken. What if … what if it doesn't stop?"
She hesitated, her heart aching. Her voice sounded wet when she finally choked out, "it's my fault. It didn't start becoming crisis after crisis until I showed up."
His head shot up, and his eyes narrowed. "No, it's not your fault. Before you came, it was just a steady stream of bad. And if you never came, we'd still be stuck there, and it would be torture. But here … yeah, it's still scary sometimes, but it's not even near like how it was."
She swallowed and cupped his face in her hands. She hated seeing him like this, hated seeing the fear painted on his face behind the determined facade. Suddenly, she felt selfish. Why hadn't she thought this through? Why had she just assumed the kid would go? "Are you sure you don't want to stay? I'm sure I can convince Gia or Ritu or Emilia … maybe even Andie if the bar isn't too busy—"
"No," he said firmly. "No, I feel safer with you and Dad."
She chewed on her lip. "You're sure? Even there?"
He nodded sharply. "Yes. Even before you … when Dad got those chances to be with me, I always felt safer when he was around, too."
The thought of how distant she had forced them to be, but how close they had wanted to be, made her seethe. A rush of tears at the back of her throat had her wondering if it was purely the hormones or just how furiously upset Regina made her. Emma valued every second of how happy her boys made each other, how happy their whole little family made each other. The fact that Regina was so selfish as to deny that was horrifying.
But perhaps it would be better to leave Henry, to have him safe with the people they trusted.
"If you leave me, I'll just steal another credit card."
"Henry," she said warningly.
He gave a sheepish but resolute smile. "I mean it, mom. I wouldn't feel right without you two. Besides, if he gets to go, I should, too," he said stubbornly, pressing his hand against her stomach again.
She raised a brow. "Your brother is kinda a package deal at this point."
He shrugged. "I'm kinda a package deal. You can't leave me behind."
"Point noted," she said, and kissed the top of his head. "Can't get rid of you."
"Nope," he said, and hugged her close.
"What if there is another crisis after? And another? Can I send you back, make you get some real world in between?" she wondered. It was something to be considered, now that he had her thinking. She didn't want him wrapped up in the crazy that being the Savior made her life.
He thought about it a long, silent moment. "Can I think about it?"
"Of course," she said vehemently. "But know it's going to be a discussion if it happens, kid. We want what's best for you."
"I know." Much quieter, he pressed, "it will be a good thing, too. We'll get to see everyone we've been missing."
Her breath hitched. She thought about her parents, and her stomach fizzled in anticipation. It didn't seem real, the fact that she'd be with them again.
"But … but we don't have to stay too long, right?"
She closed her eyes. "Not too long," she promised, and hoped she could keep it.
"Do you think everyone's okay? Even Archie and Ruby and Paige and everyone?" he asked.
She blinked in surprise. She honestly hadn't thought about the others beyond her parents. The people who depended on her, who were kind to her, people she'd helped. Granny, Ruby, August … were they all okay? "I think Killian would've told us otherwise," she said cautiously.
"My other dad'll be there, then," he mused.
Her stomach twisted, and she tried not to think why that might be. "Yeah, more than likely."
He looked up at her, and at first she was afraid that he felt her reaction. His eyes were wide, and he looked contrite. "Is it bad that I almost want to see the others more?"
She brushed her fingers through his hair, and bit her lip. "No, kid. It makes total sense. The others were there first, and there consistently. Even your grandpa was there longer for you, and he was in a coma most of your life. You didn't get much time to know Neal," she said soothingly.
"But maybe I'll get the chance this time," he said. "I can ask him questions and everything."
"Exactly," she said.
He was looking serious, brow furrowed, but he didn't say anything further on that point. Instead he leaned against her. "I love you, Mom."
She let herself relax and scooped him as close to her as her belly allowed. She knew this conversation was far from over, and there was worry in his eyes that she still needed to soothe. But she let herself have this one spot of connection with her son, the last bit of alone time they'd have for a while. "Love you, too, kid. We'll make it through this."
"Of course we will. We got each other."
She chuckled. "Package deal," she agreed.