Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! Little bit of fluff before, now some angst. Hope you enjoy this chapter, and the turn it is taking here! Let me know in the reviews what you think!
Henry stared at the ceiling. It was a new year, and he couldn't really believe the way his last year had ended. He thought back to last night, when most of the town had gone to Granny's, and after Emma's urging, Regina had agreed that they could go too.
"Midnight is quite late for such a young boy. His whole sleep schedule will be thrown off." Regina had said.
"Oh come on, it's New Year's Eve!" Emma cried.
"Dear, I am aware of the date. I don't see why we can't celebrate at 10 and then all just go to sleep at a reasonable hour."
"Regina, it will be fun. And Henry will never forget his first New Year's Eve celebrated Storybrooke style…right Henry?" Emma looked to him with an urging expression.
"It would be fun…I know Bryce and Anna's families will be there too." He didn't want to push it, but he knew Emma was already on his side.
"See, Regina…pleaaase?" Emma looked at her and stuck her bottom lip out. Regina laughed at the absurdity of the face and Emma knew she was breaking her down.
"Henry, would you go check on Lucky, please?" Regina said kindly, but firmly. He understood that she apparently wanted to talk about this with Emma without him there. But since he wanted to hear the verdict, he ran to find the puppy and holding him in his arms, stood just outside the doorway and listened as they spoke.
"-Em…people are happy to take guesses and spread rumours about what they think is happening here, but if we go out there, there will be no more wondering. These people have known me forever and no one really expected me to have a son and a girlfriend in such quick succession."
"But Regina, think of Henry's party. Everyone that came to that was so happy for you. I think they would just be even more happy for you. I don't want to pressure you, but I would really like to go. All of us, together, it would mean so much to me." He heard the sigh Regina made, and judged the slight click of her heels on the tile as her coming around the island to Emma.
"If it means that much to you-" Regina started. Henry couldn't prevent the smile that was breaking across his face. "I suppose we can make an appearance. But we must be back no later than 12:30. Henry needs to sleep and frankly, so do I. And so do you. I know first hand how you can be if you've missed sleep."
Henry could hear the smile in Emma's voice. "Yes ma'am. 12:30 on the dot this door will be closing and Henry will go to bed and then we can ring in the New Year in our very own, very special ways-" He didn't want to hear any more so he put Lucky down and knew he would sprint straight to Regina and without fail, he did, thankfully stopping the conversation. Both women bent down to the dog, and Emma looked up to him.
"We're going to Granny's! But we have a 12:15 curfew, okay? We'll stay for the countdown and then for one celebratory drink, and then we'll be home, okay?"
"Sounds good." Henry said happily.
They had a light dinner, and had all gotten a little dressed up. They walked to Granny's and Henry was happy that, as Emma had suggested, everyone around them seemed to just be happy that they had come at all. When he looked at Regina he couldn't help but smile at the fact that she still spoke to everyone like she had spoken to him when he arrived on her doorstep. She was like royalty, but everyone loved her and loved seeing her so happy.
He watched as Emma stayed close by and every now and then would have a new glass of champagne for one of them, and let her hand sit lightly on the small of Regina's back. He'd had a lot of parents before, but few…hell probably none of them had the connection Emma and Regina seemed to have. He reminded himself that Emma was just his social worker, and if he did get to stay with Regina, she would need to leave. The fact that it was unlikely he could have both of them hurt his heart. It was going to come down to Regina and him, or Emma and him…or Emma and Regina, and another new life for him. He pushed that from his mind as he ate appetizers with Bryce and talked about the homework they both were avoiding over the Christmas break.
The countdown began and the diner was buzzing, the air filled with the excitement of ringing in the New Year. He watched as everyone shouted "Happy New Year!" and without thinking, Emma and Regina turned to each other and kissed, both of their mouths graced with smiles. What if they choose each other? He wondered again. But then they both were rushing to him with all their happiness and urgency and he accepted a light hug from Regina and a side-hug from Emma.
Regina let him have a sip of champagne, but Emma smiled knowingly as she had noticed him taking a few more sips of glasses that waiters had left unattended. He raised his eyebrows in question, but she gently, barely, shook her head as if to say, your secret is safe with me. They had walked home and he had gone to bed, cherishing what he had while he still had it.
He was brought out of his memory when Emma pounded on the door and then swung it open with force.
"Kid, you have to wake up now. I would have let you sleep in more but Regina insists that noon is too late for you to be sleeping in and you won't be able to get up for school next week. I guess she has a point. So get up!" Emma smiled at him.
"Alright, alright. Will you go with me to walk Lucky today? I've been wanting to take him to the park but Regina won't let me go very far unless one of you is with me."
"Sure thing, if you get out of bed. Hey maybe we can stop at the bakery on the way home and get one of those loaves your mom likes for dinner, to make up for how long you slept in." She laughed.
"And the chocolate chip cookies?" He countered.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Emma said, while simultaneously nodding her head and smirking. She and Henry had discovered the chocolate chip cookies at the bakery and went a bit too often to enjoy them.
As Henry and Emma walked towards the park, she asked him about school, and life, and they found themselves in the easy conversation they so often fell into. They laughed as the dog pulled on the leash and slid on the slightly icy sidewalk, and Emma instructed him how to hold it properly so Lucky would learn how to walk like the well-behaved (and much larger) dog he would be…eventually.
"Why did you choose me?" Henry asked. He had been wondering, and it might help him figure out if she intended to move him again. Emma was caught off guard by the question.
"What do you mean, Henry?" She didn't want to interrogate, but what had he meant?
"Well…the state could have just assigned me someone after Mr. Brooks ditched, so why did you choose me? And how did you choose Regina for me?" Emma noticed how he had started calling his old social worker "Mr. Brooks" rather than just Brooks, and once again was happy with Regina's influence on him.
"Well…" Emma wasn't entirely sure how to explain what had been a gut feeling, so she tried her best. "I had a few cases before you and they tended to work out really well. I had familiarized myself with a lot of foster parent files and child files…I read about yours and knew I didn't want you going to another house with…history."
She looked over at Henry who nodded, but still looked down, cheeks flushed, watching the dog and watching for ice on the sidewalk. "I didn't want you to have to go too far, but far enough away from the others that you wouldn't have to see them again. Basically," she unconsciously ran her hand through her hair, "you reminded me of me, and I thought about what I would have wanted. And I knew that your case was special so it was the only one I took on for now. And I've gotten really close to you and you're important to me."
"And Regina, how'd you choose her?"
The kid isn't playing around, she thought to herself. "I remembered her file because I hadn't seen any from 'Storybrooke, Maine,' and when I read her blurb about becoming a foster parent, it inspired me. In a way she reminded me of so many foster kids I already know. All she wanted was to be a part of a family, and to create a home. Do you think she's done that?"
Henry thought about it, "More than any other place I've been," he said. "But are we going to leave soon…or am I?"
Emma watched the walls go up around him, the exterior they had spent so long breaking down. "Henry, Regina wants you in her life. I'm certain."
"But do you? Or does she want you?..." He was practically exploding now with urgency, "I don't know what she wants but I don't want to be here for any longer than I have to if I'm going to have to leave. I love it too much here. But I know you do too, I can tell. So either we both have to leave or one of us stays, right? It's great but it's not going to last forever, is it?"
Emma felt the pressure in her head start. She vaguely noticed that they had arrived at the park, though very few people had braved the cold as they had. Did he not realize she had this exact conversation with herself every night she couldn't sleep? Things with Regina were spectacular, but her job was to ensure Henry's security, not her own. Her love for Regina had just…happened. Emma knew she couldn't deny it any more; she loved Regina. And she loved the boy standing in front of her waiting for an answer. And Regina definitely loved Henry. So the only factor was whether Regina loved her. Her focus moved back to the boy.
"Henry-" She was cut off by her ringing cell phone.
"You answer that. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought any of this up. I'm screwing up even more aren't I? I'm going to take Lucky over here. There's no one around so I'm going to take him off the leash, okay? Answer your phone." He bolted from her so quickly, she couldn't do anything but keep her eye on him.
"Emma Swan," she said.
"Ah yes, Miss Swan. This is Judy Davis from the Association of Licensed Social Workers of Maine. Now, I am aware that you are technically from a more southern jurisdiction, however, being that it is all within New England, it is my responsibility to call you, especially since you are currently residing in Maine, and the ward you are residing with is also in Maine, correct?"
"Henry and I are both in Maine, yes. I wanted to be close to watch out for him. What is this about?" Emma could feel her patience slipping.
"Well Miss Swan, you have been there for some time, and that leads us here to believe that you may be interested in the ward staying there. Surely he has been settled in by now?"
Emma decided she hated the sound of this woman's voice. "Henry will ideally be staying in Storybrooke, yes."
"It seems that you must truly care about him to have been there with him for so long, don't you think?"
"Yes I care about Henry. What are you getting at Miss Davis?" Emma decided that Regina was much better at voice intimidation.
"An unidentified source has informed me that you are in a relationship with Henry's foster mother, is this accusation true?" Emma held her breath.
"What does it matter?"
"You see, Miss Swan," Was this bitch enjoying herself? "If you want the ward to be adopted by this… oh let's see here…Miss Mills, you engaging in a relationship with her is what we would call a conflict of interest. People would suggest that you two did this so you could speed up the adoption process, or get the ward into a home of such financial security…they could even go with you wanting that security and bringing along a needy child for the ride seeing as your file says that you too were a foster child. There are many issues, you see? So it's simple Miss Swan, are these accusations true? Are you in a relationship with your ward's potential mother?"
Emma was seething. "Excuse me, but none of my personal life is any of your business. I have done nothing to compromise Henry's well being and…no, no I am not in any relationship with his potential mother. What kind of person even thinks of those things you came up with? All I want is Henry to be happy." She was thankful that her voice didn't reveal the tear that she couldn't prevent from falling.
"It's good to hear you're not Miss Swan, because information like that could jeopardize the adoption papers you requested a few weeks ago…if you were in a relationship with her, the only way you could ensure a conflict-free adoption would be if you were no longer Henry's social worker. And you also know that a new social worker would usually mean another relocation. You realize that, yes?"
"Yes of course I-" Emma's heart stopped. She was pulled from her infuriating conversation to the rush of movement in the corner of her eye. Lucky had wandered onto the frozen pond in the corner of the park, and Henry, having chased him, stood with locked knees in the center. He had gone farther than he had intended.
"Emma?!" He shouted. He heard a loud crack and felt a shudder beneath him.
Emma, phone call forgotten, ran full speed towards Henry and made it to him while hearing another terrifying crack. She begged her mind to stay calm.
"Henry it's going to be okay…" Lucky had made his way over to Emma and was barking and crying at Henry who now was attempting to take small steps. With each step, another crack shook Emma's eardrums with the reality and terror of her current situation.
"Henry!" Emma cried.
With his latest step, the ice beneath him could no longer hold, and Emma watched in horror as he crashed through and fell into the icy water beneath him.