NOTE: I'm really sorry that I was inconsistent with my updating and I hope it didn't upset you. I really need to work on updating consistently. Here is the final installment of A Travelling Love. I hope you enjoy!
Henry jolted awake with beads of sweat rolling down his face. This was it. They were leaving. He glanced over to his storybook where a piece of paper was sticking out with ripped edges. He got up, walked over to the book and shoved the picture into the book where it could not be seen.
He walked downstairs where he saw his mother and grandmother sitting in their usual chairs while his grandpa cooked breakfast. He would miss David's cooking. Henry always wondered what it would be like to grow up in the enchanted forest. He then realized that he didn't want to. He wanted a regular family that had breakfast as a family every morning, like they do. This was a perfect family to him.
Henry stood at the top of the stairs just a little bit longer before heading back to his room. He looked around and made sure he packed everything he needed. He also looked around at the items he would be leaving behind.
Henry sighed and finally walked down the stairs when he noticed that his grandfather had joined his mother and grandmother. As he walked down the wood steps he counted each one. As he counted, he took a small moment to feel what each of the steps felt like and what kind of sound it made; like if it were creaky or if it made no sound at all.
He finally reached the bottom step and stepped off it slowly. Mary Margaret turned around and told Henry to join them. He saw that breakfast consisted of eggs and toast and that his chair still remained empty. He slowly walked towards it, unaware of his surroundings.
"Henry? Are you feeling alright?" Mary Margaret said in a concerned tone.
"Uh, yeah. Just tired I guess." Henry moved his fork in circles around his eggs, but he never made an attempt to eat them. Emma looked over at her mother and Mary Margaret grabbed David and led him away from the table, so that Emma and Henry could talk.
"Are you sure you want to leave?" Emma immediately asked.
"Yeah it's just. . . I don't know. I'm nervous to leave I guess. I'm. . . I'm going to miss it."
"Believe me, I'm going to miss it too, but we're going have fun on the seas, I know it." Emma hugged her son in reassurance hoping he would lighten up a bit. Henry smiled and started to eat his breakfast while the rest of his family joined them at the table. Mary Margaret grabbed Emma's hand and gave it a small squeeze; this would be their last meal as a family.
Henry stared at the packed bags by the door and noticed that his mother was doing the same. She looked over and stood next to his side.
"Maybe you should go back to your room and double check to make sure that you have everything." Emma said.
Henry nodded silently and went back upstairs to his room. He double checked everything; he looked under his bed, in his dresser and behind his desk, he had everything he needed. He looked outside his window and stared at the clock. It was 7:23; they were leaving at 8.
Henry went back downstairs and told Emma that he needed to see Regina once more before they left with Hook.
"I'm uh. . . I'm going to miss you guys." David said as everyone hugged.
Mary Margaret whispered in her daughter's ear, "Be safe Emma." Henry and his mother walked out the door together, heading to Regina's house.
When the two reached the porch of the huge white house, Henry got nervous and his hands were sweating. He felt bad leaving the person who had raised him his whole life. He rang the doorbell once, twice, then three times all without an answer. Henry looked to his mother, but she just shrugged and they waited together.
Regina stood in her office staring into her mirror. She didn't hear the doorbell after the third chime, she wondered if they had left.
Maybe it would be easier if I just pretended I wasn't home. She thought to herself.
She could see black streaks running down her face, her mascara that she had just put on. The lines were thin and jagged; kind of like what a piece of paper a three year old cut would look like.
She knew that she didn't have a lot of time. She tried to wash off the lines as much as she could and they just looked like pale shadows. She stared out her window and noticed that Emma and Henry were walking away from her door; she ran downstairs and opened the door within a matter of a few seconds.
"Henry?" She called out to her son and he turned around to run into a hug.
With his face buried deep into Regina's chest he whispered, "I love you." The words were muffled but the meaning was still the same.
They released and Regina grabbed Henry's arm for just a moment.
"I'm going to miss you more than anybody here. Do you know that?" Henry nodded and replied saying the same to his adoptive mother. "Know what else today is?" Regina asked. Henry shook his head and Regina gave a big smile. "It's been a month."
"Mom, that's amazing. I'm so proud of you." Henry couldn't believe his mom had made it this far. He knew she could do it. "Are you going to keep our promise while I'm away?" He questioned.
"Of course. No more magic." Regina gave another smile before letting Henry go back to Emma. She whispered something in Henry's ear and walked towards Regina. Emma noticed the streaks on Regina's face, but thought it was probably better not to say anything.
"Thank you, for everything you've done. From taking Henry in, raising him, being a better parent then I probably could ever be, to letting him go."
"Emma, I can't believe I'm saying this but . . . you're an amazing mother and you have a connection with Henry that I could never have." Regina couldn't believe what she was about to do but did it anyway. She looked at Emma, gave her a hug and thanked her before letting her go.
Regina walked back into her house and took a few seconds before closing the door slowly, wondering if she would ever see her son again.
When Emma and Henry reached the docks they noticed that almost everyone in town had gathered to say goodbye. She immediately noticed that Gold was standing right next to the ship with Belle right by his side. He started walking towards them slowly, wanting to talk.
"Gold – " Emma began.
"I just wanted to say that I don't blame you for Neal leaving Storybrooke. I do blame, however, your actions and choosing to be with the pirate. I keep bringing myself to believe that if you were still with Neal, he would still be here, but there's no telling why he left. I can't control what my son does, and I know that Bae can be on his own, he doesn't need me. I hope you have fun on your little journey Miss Swan." He nodded to his grandson, "Henry." Gold slowly walked back to Belle who was smiling with a book in her hand.
Emma looked up and saw Hook standing on his ship, leaning against the railing with his arms crossed, a small smile forming on his lips. She grabbed her son's hand and slowly they embarked the ship and turned around. Mother Superior was standing next to Grumpy and she could see that their hands were interlaced. They had made it work out between them; she hoped that this decision would work out.
She also saw August – Pinocchio – sitting on Geppetto's shoulder. She had wished that he would have stayed grown instead of becoming a young boy once again. She missed him; she would miss everyone in this town. She saw Hook walking to the helm and taking the wheel. They slowly started moving away from the dock.
Henry and Emma started waving to everyone and they could hear everyone's final goodbyes and farewells.
"Make good choices. Listen to your conscience!" Emma heard Dr. Hopper say. She definitely hoped that this was the right decision. It felt like the right decision. She leaned over to Henry and gave him a nudge on the shoulder.
"What are you thinking kid?"
"I'm thinking about all the memories I've had about this place."
"Oh yeah? What are some of them?"
"Well, there are a lot, but do you want to hear my favorite one?"
"Sure kid, let's hear it."
"When you decided to stay in Storybrooke . . . and you finally believed me and broke the curse." Henry looked up at his mom and smiled. Emma wrapped an arm around her son and they watched together as Storybrooke got smaller and smaller. Emma looked over to Killian Jones, the pirate, the man she truly wanted to be with.
Emma walked over to helm where Hook was standing and she stood by his side, resting her head on his shoulder. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head, and smiled. She could stand like this forever. Henry joined his mother and stood on the other side of Hook. The captain kept his hook on the wheel and put his other hand around Henry and they all stood together, as if time were frozen.
Henry looked back to see just one more glimpse of his former home, but even when he squinted, he could see nothing. Storybrooke was gone, and this was just the beginning of a whole new journey.
NOTE: Again, I know, I am horrible about updating consistently but at least I did :) I really hoped you liked this ending and this story in general. I just want to say thanks to those who have been reading it from the start and those who enjoyed :) Goodbye!
-Jdurst99