So here's chapter three where we get to see Henry's side of the story. Please review :)
It had been days since the curse and Emma decided that it was time for Henry to get out of the house. He'd been staying at the Charming loft since the curse broke. Emma was thrilled to have him close but she knew it was only because he was afraid of confronting his other mother. He'd been so withdrawn these last few days. He barely came downstairs and when he did he would hardly speak a word. She had taken him to Granny's to try and cheer him up.
"So kid how about some hot chocolate with cinnamon?" she asked.
"I guess that'd be alright," he replied. Emma frowned. Hot chocolate and cinnamon had always been a surefire way to put a smile on his face but it just didn't have the same effect today.
The bell above the door jingled as Hook walked into the restaurant. He greeted Emma with a kiss. "So how's the lad doing today?"
"Same as yesterday." She said sneaking a look at her son. "I don't know how to bring him out of this."
Hook rubbed his nose nervously. He and Henry had connected in the weeks before he got his memory back and he genuinely cared for the boy. He didn't like seeing him so despondent. "I know this might not be my place Swan, but would you mind if I had a talk with Henry."
Emma scrunched her face in confusion. She was a little uncertain when it came to having Hook in Henry's life. She knew that they had formed a relationship of sorts before the Wicked Witch was defeated but that was before she and Hook had started dating. It's not like she was crazy to be cautious. The last boyfriend she had let into Henry's life had turned into a monkey and tried to kill her. "What makes you think you can help?"
"I happen to know something about seeing your parent when they're at their absolute worst," he replied. Hook rarely spoke about his relationship with his father. If anyone asked about it he only said that he left when he was a boy to never return. He hated to dredge up his history with the man but he would do it if there was a chance to help Henry.
Emma thought for a moment before walking back over to Henry. "Change of plans kid. I got a call about a disturbance so Killian's going to look after you while I check it out, okay?"
"Fine," said Henry shrugging his shoulders. Emma gave Hook a nervous before she left. He tried to comfort her as much he could using only his eyes.
"Get your cocoa to go Henry, we're heading down to the docks."
Weeks ago Grumpy had asked for Hook's help to repair his old boat. Now normally Hook wasn't one for charity work but there was something about being on any type of sea vessel that calmed him. He always knew what he was doing on a boat. He could be perfectly in control. That's what made it seem like the perfect place to have his conversation with Henry. There was also the added bonus that as long as they were in the water the boy wouldn't be able to storm off if things got uncomfortable.
He had told Henry that they were testing the boat to make sure that all the repairs held up in the water. Setting up the boat had been relatively easy and it was holding up just fine but that was the easy part. Now that they were on the water Hook was having difficulty finding a way to start the conversation. Luckily for him, Henry wasn't one for hesitation. "I know my mom told you to talk to me," he yelled from the deck.
"Now how would you know that?"
"She said she got a call but her phone didn't ring. She gave you a nervous look before she left and you've now taken me on a boat which you always do when you want to connect with me somehow. "he answered.
Hooked smiled to himself. The boy must've got his perception from his mother. "Well you are right we are going to have a conversation but your mother didn't ask me to do it. I asked to her to talk to you."
Henry looked at Hook dubiously. "Please tell me you're not asking permission to propose because the last guy who did it tried to kill her and I don't think she's over that yet."
"Well that's somewhat disappointing lad but that not what this is about," said Hook taking a seat on the deck. "As a matter of fact this about your other mother Regina."
Henry went rigid with the mention of his mother. He hadn't talked to or about his mother since the curse broke. That night in the Sheriff's station had revealed a lot of things. Things he didn't necessarily want to address. "I don't want to talk about her right now."
"You haven't wanted to talk about her for a week now so I'm not surprised." Replied Hook. "If you're not willing to talk then maybe you can just listen. Have I ever told you about my father Henry?"
Henry shook his head. He'd never really asked Hook about his past.
"Well he wasn't the greatest role model for a young boy." Hook continued. "He wasn't without love but the moments he did have love were few and far between. Sometimes he was a loving father and others he was a violent drunk. When he came home it was coin-toss on which man you would get. A few weeks after my eighth birthday he went out to local pub and my brother and I never saw him again."
"Why are you telling me this?" asked Henry.
"Because I know what it's like to see one side of your parents that you can't reconcile with another" said Hook. "I had a father who would tell me tales of the sea one night and then flip tables and throw dishes at me the next. I was almost half convinced he was two separate people. As much as that man terrified me I would give anything to see him again because there are things I still need to say. The chances of that happening for me are extremely slim but you Henry have a chance to clear the air with your mother. And I think you will regret it more than anything if you don't take that chance. I know your mother hurt your feelings that night-"
"She didn't hurt my feelings!" interrupted Henry. "I hurt hers.
"What do you mean?" asked Hook.
"That night in the sheriff's station my mom didn't really say much about me she just said stuff about how I made her feel. I was the one insulting her. I kept screaming at her that she was the Evil Queen and there was no way she could truly love me. I was awful to her." He explained looking at his shoes.
There were few times in his life that Hook could say he was genuinely surprised but this was one of them. This entire time he and Emma were so sure that Regina had said something to scare Henry away from her but Henry wasn't mad about what she'd said about him. He was upset about he'd said to her.
"Henry anything that you said that night it wasn't how you truly felt and your mother knows that." Said Hook.
"Today," corrected Henry. "It wasn't how I truly felt today. Before Emma came I felt like there was no way that my mom could truly love me."
"Henry just because she was the evil queen in her past doesn't she hasn't changed enough to love you. We've all seen how far she's come."
"It wasn't about the evil queen." replied Henry. "Around two years before the curse my mom finally told me that I was adopted. At first it didn't bother me that much I thought it just meant that my mom had chosen me to bring home. But when I went to school I had to hear all the other kids talk about their biological parents and I realized that everyone's parents kept them but for some reason mine didn't. After that I kind of convinced myself that the reason they didn't keep me was because they didn't love me enough. Then I thought if the people who have a blood connection to me couldn't find a reason to love me there was no way my mother ever truly could. I convinced myself that she was only pretending. I believed that so much that I finally just wanted her to admit it. So I started acting out at home. I ran away, I had tantrums, I refused to do my chores. I did everything I could to get her to finally say that she didn't love me."
"She never said it did she?" asked Hook already knowing the answer. If there was one thing anyone in this town knew it was that Regina had always loved her son.
"No she didn't." answered Henry. "I felt so frustrated even Grandma started to notice. That's when she gave me the book. I want to say that I believed in the book because it was true and I could feel it but that's not right. I believed in the book so much because it gave me an explanation. It explained why Emma gave me up; it was because she had a higher destiny and she wanted me to have a safer life than I would have had if I was with her. And my mom was only keeping me around because she knew she could use me against my real mom. I believed that from when I went to get Emma all the way up until she woke me up with true love's kiss. She had finally broken the curse and I thought that it was finally the moment that my mom would stop pretending. Right after she realized the curse broke she walked over to me and I thought for sure that she was going to tell me that she hated me for everything and she never wanted to see me again. Instead she looked me in my eyes and said 'no matter what you think, no matter what anyone tells you, I do love you.' I think that's when I finally started to believe her."
Hook had never heard that part in the story of the first curse. He supposed that was when the queen had truly began her journey of redemption. "I don't understand Henry. If you know that your mother loves you then why have you avoided her for this long?"
"Because every time I tried to put a rift between my mom and me she has never given up on me. She would always seek me out and try to find a way back into my life. This time she didn't seek me out. That night in the station she let me know just how much I had hurt her. All the times I rejected her and told her she wasn't my real mom. The things she said that night didn't scare me because they were mean. They scared me because they were true. I've hurt her so many times before and I think this time she doesn't want to give me a second chance."
"Henry that's not true. In fact if I had to make a wager I would say that the reason your mom hasn't contacted you is because she's afraid."
"You're wrong. My mom's not afraid of anything," said Henry.
"Oh Henry you are forgetting that because of our similar backgrounds I can understand your mother quite well." Countered Hook. He didn't dwell on it much but Hook recognized that he and Regina had very similar paths in life. They had both watched their first loves get their hearts crushed, spent major chunks of their lives searching for revenge and then come to love the child of the person they hated the most. More importantly they had both abandoned their pursuit for revenge for one of love instead. "Because we're so similar I think your mother's biggest fear is the same as my own."
"What's your fear?" asked Henry.
"Losing the person I love the most." He answered honestly. "Henry I think the reason your mother hasn't sought you out is because she's afraid of what you'll say when she does. During the curse you saw your mother at her most unlovable and she might be afraid that you still see her that way. As long as she doesn't talk to you she can still hold onto the hope you'll forgive her for that night."
"But I've already forgiven her."
"She won't know until you tell her." Replied Hook.
Emma stood by her yellow bug near the docks tapping her foot impatiently. Hook was making his way over with Henry and she was still worried about him. She never should've let him had this talk with Henry. It would only make things worse she was sure of it.
"Hey Emma." Said Henry walking to the passenger side of the car.
"Hey kid. How was the boat ride?" she asked awkwardly.
"Pretty good. Would you mind dropping me off at the mansion? I kinda want to see my mom now." He asked.
"Really?" said Emma shocked. "Uh, sure. Yeah." When Henry got into car Emma smiled at Hook and mouthed 'thank you."
Coming up next: Regina and Henry finally talk about what happened during the curse.