Author's Note: I'm making this up as I go. It's not even going to make sense in about two chapters ago. I don't even. I just have an insatiable urge to ship them in any way I can. Your reviews are doing this to me, they are indeed. I love you guys. :) (Being the captain of the ship certainly has its privileges, eh?)
Sweet, sweet taste of freedom! You already feel intoxicated with it, even if it's been mere seconds since the doctor said yes to your gajillionth plea and constant nagging. You leap out of the bed and know it was a bad idea even before your feet hit the ground and a sharp pang goes all the way up through your leg. It's the first time you can really feel the wound and now that Regina's not around, at least you feel free to finally drop the long awaited f-bomb. It helps a little. You notice the nurse's raised eyebrow and pout.
Blah blah blah, change the bandage once every three days, blah blah blah, it's gonna be fine by the end of the week. No stress. Boldly, you step out the front door like Popeye the Sailor after his daily dose of spinach. As soon as the thought crosses your mind, you look around at the townsfolk to see if there's anyone carrying a bucket full of a certain dreaded leafy vegetable. Not like you're actually expecting someone to pop up. Heh, pop up.
You were supposed to have lunch with Mary and Henry at Granny's today, but you feel that after the John Doe incident, those plans were cancelled long ago. You smirk when you realize you're still wearing Regina's shirt underneath that jacket. Proving a point? Who, you? Psh, not by a longshot. Having the only item on your to-do list removed, you decide to head to Henry's castle and pretend you're a beautiful, classy, educated princess with dozens of admirers at the gates for a minute, even though you don't really take care of yourself, you're about as classy as a proletarian, and you dropped out of high school when you got pregnant. Then again, none of these things stopped you from living your life the way you want, so why complain? And then yet again, some of these things contributed to Henry being here. You can live with that.
This is also the only place you can be sure never to see Regina near. Henry would never give away the location of the Cobra headquarters, and there's a slight chance he might show up himself. You're not afraid, just cautious. You hate having to be grateful to people. You hate the feeling in your gut that tells you whatever you do, there will always be more to repay. Repay her, no less. Oh man, you're royally screwed, so screwed. You rub the bridge of your nose as you sit in the wooden tower and wait for the rain to wash away your shame.
The next day, you think you can catch up with Henry after school; unfortunately, as soon as he runs out of the building in a sea of little heads at the level of your waist, a black-haired figure appears out of nowhere and grabs his hand. As soon as they see you, Henry breaks free and runs towards you, with Regina following close behind. You clench your jaw. There goes your wishful thinking.
"Hey, kid," you greet the boy with a weak smile. The poor kid is clueless and you can see the wheels spinning in his head as he's getting ready to explain how the annoying kid in his class is actually Rapunzel's great-great-granddaughter or something.
"Good afternoon, Miss Swan. It's so good to see you so soon after that little mishap of yours," she says with evident bitterness in her voice and that I'm-just-plain-better-than-you grin on her face. "How is your leg, Red?"
Oh, seriously, she went there? For some reason, you doubt there's an actual spark of concern anywhere behind those words, Henry glances at your leg and sees you're supporting yourself against the fence. "Did something happen to you?" he asks suspiciously and you can't help but smile at how cute he is when he's worried, even if there's no reason to. Then he looks at Regina and corrects her. "She's not the Red Riding Hood! That's the waitress from Granny's!"
You ruffle his hair and clear your throat. "Well, since you're obviously so concerned about my well-being, I'll gladly assure you that I'm better than ever."
"Henry, be a sweetie and give us a minute, alright?" she sends him off. The boy walks a few steps before turning to you for help and you give him a reassuring nod. "I have some business to tend to at the moment, but I want you to stop by my house tonight."
It feels like your eyebrows jumped all the way up to the sky. No 'please' or 'would you mind', just 'I want you to stop by my house tonight.' And you're the one who's 'incessantly rude'? What if you had plans? Oh, who are you kidding. "'Scuse me? Why?"
"Well, you've made it clear you won't be returning to Boston anytime soon. I thought it would be appropriate for me to make you feel more comfortable in town. More home, so to speak," she answers and walks away without another word.
What is it with these people and their irritating habit of not giving you a chance to speak? Seriously! You would shout something at her back, but you realize she knows as much as you do that you're going to appear on her doorstep in several hours' time. Well, she wasn't too polite about it, but it's not like a little chat and a glass of (delicious, you must admit) apple cider can hurt, right? You have things to discuss, anyway. Best of luck to you, Red.