I don't own OUAT.
I have been seriously ill (fever, coughing, nausea, et cetera) these past days and am still not feeling well but I was hellbent on finishing this. Didn't proofread or anything, but that will come when I feel 100% better.
I hope you enjoy!
It is familiar voices that wakes Emma from a half-sleep, something that has been the norm these past weeks ( and she doesn't even know whether that is normal for swans or whether it is just how riled up she is)
She forces her eyes open , clumsily pushing her body towards the sound. She feels her feathers puff again when she sees Henry at the shore, Regina inches behind him and looking like she needs Herculean strength to keep herself from pulling him back.
" Are you sure this will work?" . It's Dav-dad's voice and this might be the happiest she has ever been to hear it.
Her wings make a lot of noise as she inexpertly swims towards them. She feels like cursing when it takes forever and her heart is beating far too fast – her thoughts all what if they leave what if they don't understand what if- until finally, she bumps into Henry's hand. Regina's hands are immediately on his shoulders, but the look in her eyes disappears when Emma sort of awkwardly headbutts Henry's hand in apology.
Henry just laughs ( Emma's eyes are still on Regina so she sees relief and adoration) " Grandpa! She is here".
David comes to the shore, kneeling down next to Henry. Emma feels that by now familiar pain when she sees the bags beneath his eyes, the exhaustion in his eyes, the slight weight he has lost. Still, he gives her a genuine smile. " Hi girl" he mutters.
He slowly slides into the water - "David!" she hears Regina hiss- and towards her. She doesn't move as he gently grabs her and leaves the pond. Henry immediately gets to his feet and reaches for her, Regina still hovering behind him. " Henry- ".
" It is fine mom, really" he says, and he reaches out for Emma. She normally would want to shy away – I am not a freaking pet Henry- but this is her son and she has missed him, so so much these past weeks. Seeing him through a mirror isn't enough.
Emma's heart had just been acting normal again when Regina decides this particular swan is apparently not a murder machine and joins them. To make it worse, Henry thinks it smart to grab his mother's hand and basically force her to pet Emma.
Emma glares at the feathers that immediately fluff up. Little traitors.
When Henry releases Regina, she just keeps carefully stroking, all the while studying Emma with keen eyes. Emma is close enough that she can see that the mascara isn't as meticulously applied as normal and that there are bags hiding beneath her make-up.
" So what do you want me to do with this girl?" David suddenly asks and Emma opens her eyes – when had she closed them anyways? – when Regina stops very carefully stroking her feathers. Oh no. Not the shelter .
" We can take her home" Henry offers and immediately turns his best pout on Regina. Good to know that her son us on her side. Of course, Regina is not that easily convinced.
" Henry I don't know whether that is a good idea- '.
" Of course it is! We can take care of her and we can figure out what is wrong. She has already proven that she is not going to attack us".
" Just because she has yet to attack us, does not mean she won't".
Regina has that hard, no-arguments voice and the fierce look that means she won't bend, even if it causes Henry to be very cross with her and Henry himself looks stubborn in a way that spells trouble, so Emma nudges her with her beak. She tries to say something along the lines of 'I won't ever hurt Henry' but of course all that comes out is a horrid kind of trumpeting noise. Of course.
Still, maybe Regina understands because she softens. Sighs. " She will stay in the garden and – Henry!" she warns, but she is laughing as Henry hugs her tightly. Emma wiggles in her dad's arms, trying to get closer to one of their family hugs. She is rewarded when dad slings an arm over Henry.
That is when Regina notes Emma close to her and pulls back, barking out " David!" while he just laughs and winks and Henry is laughing as well and Regina is scowling but her eyes are gentle and- dang her family is amazing.
" Do that again, and I will throw a fireball at the both of you" Regina warns, but they all know it is an empty threat. Henry just snorts and says " of course mom" while David laughs and squeezes her arm briefly.
Emma is just feeling like invisible chains have opened, burdens have been lifted, et cetera when they actually try to get her away from the pond. And she screams
It is dropping hot water on yourself, cutting your hand on a knife, running into a wall, every single time she has been injured. She is vaguely aware she is acting crazy, flapping her wings and honking and whatallnot, but it all hurts too much to care.
She falls on the ground and keeps flapping, screaming as the pain doesn't disappear. She manages to crawl towards the shore and every centimetre, there is less pain. By the time her head hits the last bit of earth before the water, there is only an echo of it but she is shivering terribly.
"HENRY" Emma manages to lift her head and sees the following in the corners of her eyesight; Henry running towards her- hair a mess and dirt in his face but that's all- while Regina grabs him and pulls him against her. He struggles and manages to get free before David – shit he has a gash- manages to get to him.
Then there is a soft hand on her head and her kid's familiar voice soothing her nerves. "Calm down, we are only helping okay?".
And then- before the running bodies that Emma can hear have reached them- Henry picks her up and cradles her close to him. He keeps muttering things, like that will make her stop trembling (except it does. Little by little).
" Henry, let that thing go, now" Regina growls and Emma doesn't need to look at her to know she is furious, in that way that people only are when it is actually a cover for their concern. Her father isn't saying anything, but she suspects that he is agreeing more with Regina now.
" She is not a thing! And that was not her fault" Henry protests and- why are you sounding so enthusiastic, kid? I could have seriously hurt you.
It is the last thought that suddenly fills her stomach with bricks. She could've hurt her son. She could've – she freezes at the thought, thinks about jumping in the pond and swimming as far away as possible. She cannot-
" Henry what are you talking about?" it is Regina's voice that brings her back, that makes her able to think about something else than jumping from Henry's arms and getting away. Regina will protect their son. Even if Emma fucks up (again) , Regina will protect him.
It is not enough, but it works for now.
" Mom. Granddad" his voice actually cracks a little. " Don't you think it is weird that she suddenly freaked out?".
" We were removing her from her natural habitat, so no I do not think so".
" I tasted magic".
" What " " What".
" Mom. Sometimes, when you do magic, I can kind of sense it. I don't know whether it is because I am the author or that is something else entirely, but remember when we used to make treats together and the entire kitchen and even our clothing would smell of it? "
Emma finally feels the last bit of fear and terror leave her at that image; a young Henry that cannot even reach the counter yet so Regina lifts him in her arms and laughs as she shows him the treats they have made together. The kitchen would probably be a bit of a mess and Henry – six years old ? perhaps eight? – would have flour on his face.
Apparently the image does similar things to Regina as it does to Emma, because she smiles and the anger/worry fades slowly. " Of course I remember ".
" Well that is what your magic is like". Regina and David share a look, then look back at Henry when he resolutely says " And that is what I sensed when she freaked out".
" Are you sure? " David asks and Henry nods. " It was magic".
Her dad turns to Regina. " Did you notice anything?".
" No- I don't think so".
" What does this all mean".
Regina rolls her eyes and approaches. "It means" she says slowly " that my son is a lot smarter than you" . David laughs. " You've told me that often enough, Regina".
Regina is now right in front of them and Emma can feel sudden magic coming off her. She instinctively pushes back against Henry, then mentally rolls her eyes it's Regina. Regina touches her and she still almost jumps, and is not even sure whether it is the magic or not.
"There is definitely at least one enchantment " she finally says and her magic fades for a second before strengthening to the point that Emma makes a sound of protest hey! Warning, please. Then there is a feeling not unlike the first bearclaw after you haven't eaten in a while, or a hot shower after a day of shovelling snow, or a really good-
Well , something relaxing and satisfying anyways.
"There. Now we will be able to get her away from this.. place".
This is true and Emma is even calm when they cross the line where she had felt such pain. She is quite comfortable in her son's arms( if embarrassed) and he chats with the three of them as they walk towards home.
After a while Henry gets tired though, so she is returned to her father's arms. She would fall asleep, except that she is not going to allow herself. Not when she has just 'escaped' and the queen is still out there and she had looked so angry (and sad in a way Regina hadn't for a while) – she is not going to leave her family unprotected.
Fortunately, Emma has kept herself awake for nothing: they arrive at the house without purple smoke or .. interesting hairdo's making an appearance.
In the garden, her dad places her on the ground and Regina gives a speech about 'touch my tree and I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do' and Henry begs 'let her stay inside' and her father is already going inside to call Snow to 'tell her everything went okay, and hopefully convince her to stop the search for today".
That is when Emma realizes it is later than she thought, which explains why dad came in the cruiser- also still wearing his star and everything- and Henry was allowed to come and everything. She doesn't know how to feel about this , about the proof that the search for her almost consumes them.
It is her family, I want them to be okay.
She also really desperately wants them to notice that is her and that they are in danger , but no one does. Snow comes to the house (and Emma is a little- okay, a lot- amused because Regina practically ripped the phone from David and ordered Snow to come home or 'suffer the consequences, dear') and there all eating together and Emma just wants them to notice.
Also, some of that obviously delicious food would be nice, because she still hates plants.
Instead, she is outside and looking forlornly at where she knows there is warmth and good food. Henry made sure that she was pretty comfortable, but she just wants to be with them. She tries to focus on that- magic is emotion she hears again- that feeling that she always used to have looking at families in their sitting rooms, or when she saw one in the supermarket. For a moment-
Her feathers tingle and the muscles beneath seem to stretch and the garden seems less imposing and-
Her magic recedes and she is left exhausted – so very exhausted- and still a swan.
It is probably hours later- there are stars and everything- when a door creaks and a silhouette creeps towards her. She kinds of wants to push him back inside, but then remembers the last time she saw the queen. More specifically, she remembers how the Queen looks most like Regina when she is looking at Henry. And-
" Are you awake" he whispers and settles down next to her.
Kid, I am a freaking swan, I cannot answer you. That is impossible even in Storybrooke
She is just able to see Henry's grin, with the light that the stars and the moon provide. He suddenly holds his hand up and- omg kid is that a burger , you are the best and offers her a piece of burger. She tears into it immediately and Henry starts talking again.
" You know, I wonder who you are. My mom also thinks you are enchanted, but she says she needs Emma's magic. Which makes no sense, because my mom is really powerful".
He smiles, but his eyes are kind of tearing up so Emma quickly gets a little closer. Henry picks her up and cuddles her. " She just wants ma back. She is really sad". He whispers the last part, sounding very sad himself.
They are still like that when the door opens again, this time far less quietly. " Henry?". Emma half-expected Regina, but it is Snow instead. Which is better in some ways – less chance of a scolding- and worse in others- Emma's disappearance has hit Snow hard and Snow doesn't wear masks like Regina.
Which means both Henry and Emma get to see how exhausted and worried she is.
She sits down next to Henry. "So this is her, huh? She is beautiful" she says after a while.
" Yes" . Henry hesitates, the hand he was stroking Emma's feathers with stilling. " Is mom okay?"
" She was just worried. She just does not want you to be alone – especially not now- " Snow audibly has to gather herself for a moment." Not now Emma has disappeared".
"I don't like her to be alone, either".
" Oh Henry, she is not. She has you, and me, and charming. Regina won't ever be alone again'.
"She always pushes people away when she is sad , or scared or- " to Emma's horror, Henry's breath hitches. Snow quickly pulls him into her arms. He lets her, apparently taking comfort in the embrace. (Unlike Emma, who is kind of being squeezed)
" Your mother just does not want you to have to see her like that".
" I don't care! " they both are silent after the passionate outburst, then Henry brushes away a few tears. " Well obviously, I don't like that she is hurting, but I know anyways. I just want her to stay here, not lock herself in her vault and constantly search for new spells".
"Well, she wasn't in her vault today, was she? ".
Henry snorts. " Only because I threatened to send you again".
Snow laughs. " Leave it to Regina to make that sound like torture".
"She finds it – and I quote- 'unbearable to waste my time unwillingly listening to a preach about hope and the importance of selfcare' – unquote ".
" I think she just feels guilty".
" Guilty?".
" That people are taking care of her".
" Like she doesn't deserve it?".
" Something like that" . Snow sighs. " I really thought that she would be able to forgive herself after we had-".
" after she had destroyed the queen".
" Yes. But I don't know how much it has helped".
Henry sighs. " She doesn't talk about it. But I don't think she feels that good about it".
"I thought that it would help. Maybe she needs to get used to it?". But it sounds very hesitant, like even Snow optimism is running out.
They are both silent and it leaves Emma too much time to think of Regina post- Evil Queen. She had been quiet, subdued in ways that did not fit her. That felt off to Emma. And sure she had tried to talk, but Regina had just brushed it off. There had been a lot of tiny things that had felt off to Emma, but Regina hadn't let her talk about it.
Even if Emma had wanted nothing more than making her friend smile again.
" Does your mother already know who she is? " Snow changes the subject, nodding at Emma. Emma is only half-listening, contemplating how she can help Regina.
" No. But she is pretty sure that she is cursed. Which is why I don't understand why she cannot stay in the house!".
" I don't know. Perhaps Regina is afraid that she is a villain?".
"Are there any villains that turn into swans".
Snow laughs. " I cannot remember every hearing about one, that much is sure".
They both look at Emma. " Grandma?" .
" Yes?".
" Do you –"
The door opens again and it is Charming this time. " Regina really wants you guys inside again. She is becoming increasingly antsy". He smiles. "I am going to have to take her threats serious if she has to wait any longer".
Snow and Henry both exchange looks, and Henry even snickers. " I am sure you would make a fine toad, David" Snow says as she accepts her husband's hand. He pulls her up.
" Turkey actually" he replies, laughing slightly. He looks at Henry. "Your mother won't miss that" he warns, pointing at Emma in Henry's arms. Henry grins. " I will take my chances".
And of course, Henry manages to convince his mother to at least let 'the swan' sleep in the kitchen, where it is warm and there is a pleasant smell that immediately makes Emma hungry again. She pretends to curl up on the blankets they have left for her.
She ends up creeping upstairs and slumbering in a chair in Regina's room ( it is the only one without magic protection, as far as she can sense).