CHAPTER 4

"… And Grandpa said he's going to teach me to use a sword," Henry chattered on happily as they continued to make their way through the dilapidated castle.

Emma had tuned him out long ago. She had been too busy trying to figure out how they were supposed to turn this hellhole into a home.

She'd gone through all of the rooms on the top floor trying to figure out what would be considered livable. She'd found 3 rooms so far that were still intact. Her parents had taken the largest one. And Rumple and Neal were sharing the second one. The third she'd left for Henry. None of them had appealed to her.

She turned the corner with Henry hot on her heels. They found a set of stairs that led to the tower. When she opened the door, all she could do was stand there and gape.

The place was perfectly preserved. The purple and black décor led to only one conclusion. This was her room.

Henry slowly entered the room behind her, "was this my Mom's room?" his eyes were large as they took in the surroundings.

"I guess," Emma said as they slowly did a tour around the room. There was a huge king sized bed with tons of fluffy pillows and silk bedding on one side of the room with a large floor to ceiling fireplace just across from it. There was a large desk that still held a pen and ink set and some stationary that she instantly recognized as Regina's. In the corner stood a changing screen with an old nightgown tossed carelessly across the top of it.

They found a doorway that led into a bathroom. The large claw foot tub in the middle looked like it could hold 4 people comfortably. That sat in front of another floor to ceiling fireplace. In the corner looked to be a toilet that she prayed functioned as one. She'd been horrified when her Mother had explained the process of chamber pots to her. She knew there was no way she was using one of those things.

Back out in the main room, she saw that there was a huge vanity that took up almost an entire wall. There was a full silver plated vanity set laid across the top with bottles of perfumes in glass bottles. Henry walked over and started fingering some of the items.

"Don't touch anything!" Emma said sharply from the corner. Her cheeks went red as Henry jumped slightly from her tone. She began to fidget, "I mean – I think it's best to leave things as they are."

Henry looked at her strangely but let it go, "I'm hungry. I'm going to see what Grandma's made for lunch." With that, he left her to her own private thoughts.

Emma had no idea what had gotten into her. He really hadn't done anything wrong. But seeing him touching Regina's things had just rubbed her the wrong way.

She shook it off and dropped the bag she'd managed to quickly pack with her onto the bed. She slowly lowered herself to the bed as a chant of,'You can do this! You can do this!'played in her head.

She had no idea what the hell she was doing. But she knew it had to be done. Staying in Storybrooke would've only culminated in more warfare and she was so tired of fighting. She was done with being the Savior and wanted to just move on with her life. And here was as good a place as any.

Here she wasn't the girl who'd grown up a foster kid that no one ever wanted. Here she wasn't the criminal who'd had a baby in prison. And Henry didn't have to walk around knowing that he'd been given up by a criminal.

He wanted her. And she wanted him. That was all that mattered. Or it should. Then why did her chest constrict at the thought of never going to back to the only place she'd ever been prepared to call home?

She looked around the room but there was no joy in her as she quietly told herself, "Welcome to home sweet hell."

MF

"How did you find me?" Cora winced as she pushed the words from her still raw throat. She was still in a considerable amount of pain but she actually didn't mind it. It reminded her that she was alive. For that she would be eternally grateful.

Zelena shrugged as she filled the spoon with more broth before bringing it to her Mother's chapped lips, "magic."

Cora nodded and smiled sadly. She reached out and placed her hand on top of her daughter's, "I'm sorry. For everything."

Zelena dropped the spoon back into the broth before placing it to the side buying time as she collected her thoughts. She had dreamed of this ever since her adoptive Mother had died. This being face to face with her real family.

She had thought she would feel nothing but anger at the woman who'd abandoned her in a field. And for the longest time she did. That was – until she'd learned that Snow White had planned on poisoning a woman she'd waited her whole life to meet.

Then the only thing she'd felt was anger at the woman for her audacity. And fear that she'd lose out on another family before she'd even gotten a chance to know them. It had spurred her on to quickly ensure that didn't happen.

She'd arrived too late to stop her Mother from being poisoned. But she'd managed to make it over to Regina's crypt just in time to give her the serum to counteract it.

Now, here they sat in a cabin on the outskirts of Storybrooke together. There was so much they needed to discuss. So much they needed to talk about. But the most important thing right now was getting her Mother through this.

She nodded at her Mother and placed her hand on top of hers, "I know."

She helped her Mother lie back down and made sure she was comfortable before making her way over to what had become her spot. It was a worn yet comfortable chair in the corner of the room. The two sat lost in their thoughts as the shadows on the walls went from long to short.

CF

It had been a long and tiring day. Her Mother and a few of the other females from Storybrooke had stayed behind and tried to get the castle as organized inside as one could considering it looked like a bomb had been set off inside the place. Emma was still confused as to how they thought they would make a mass of crumbling rock mysteriously turn into a home.

Emma and Henry had gone with her father and the other men to inspect the lands. They needed to figure out what they did and didn't have and begin to sort out how to rebuild their kingdom. Or so she'd been told.

From Emma's position, the place looked like a dump that should be condemned. She had no idea how her parents sunshine and hope speeches was going to pull off bringing this place to the former glory she'd spent the past few weeks hearing about.

"How's it going Emma?" Neal asked breaking through the fog she'd fallen into.

She tried to conjure up a smile but gave up pretending. Though she and Neal weren't where they used to be – and truth be told she was certain they never would be again – he was right now the closest thing to a friend that she had. "Do you think we did the right thing?"

"Coming here?" he asked waiting for her nod before continuing. He stared ahead of him as he tried to answer her honestly without hurting her. He didn't want to be here. And he knew it was a bad idea when Henry and his Father presented it to him. But the Charmings had ushered them all along insisting the Evil Queen was hot on their tails and it would be now or never.

"I spent my entire life wanting to get away from this place. I've built myself a good life back home. I have a good job. Decent salary and benefits," he shrugged. "I'm trying to do the right thing. I guess right now that's all we can do. For us. And for Henry," he added reminding her of why they were really there.

"Right," she nodded. "For Henry." Wanting to be as good a parent as Regina had been to him was the one thing that consumed her. And she couldn't help but feel that she had already failed him though she'd done the best that she could.

"Mom! Dad!" Henry cried eagerly as he ran up to them. "Guess what? Grandpa's going to teach me how to hunt. He said once we find a blacksmith, he'll even let me have my own sword," he jumped up and down excitedly before turning and running back to join David.

Neal and Emma exchanged shared looks of horror. They fell into step beside one another as they began to head back to the dilapidated castle. Each were lost in their own shared feeling of impending doom.

Once back at the castle, they'd set about collecting enough firewood and water to last them throughout the night and most of the next day. Her Father had shown her and Henry how to start a fire and some basics on fireplace care and maintenance. She had never seen Henry smile so bright as he basked in his newfound skills.

After making sure that every room had enough water, firewood, and fires going, they'd each went their separate ways to prepare for dinner.

As Emma washed up as best she could in the wash basin with the limited amount of water she had been prepared to carry up 4 flights of stairs, she had plenty of time to think through her ever changing life.

She was still a little weirded out by the fact that she had parents. Let alone ones who were roughly the same age she was. And Henry. She could never stop being thrilled that she had her son in her life once again.

She ignored the voice in her head that tried to substitute Regina's name everytime she thought the word son. Henry was hers. He wanted her. He chose her and her family and they had beat back the Evil Queen. It seemed to be enough for him. It should've been enough for her. Then why did she still feel so heavy?

After she was sure she'd scrubbed enough she went back into the bedroom. She sighed as she stared at the large poofy dress that her Mother had laid out for her. It was an outrageous dress that screamed how little her Mother knew her. And even worse – it was pink.

She swallowed down her disgust and put the dress on anyway. Then she ran Regina's brush through her hair trying not to notice the scent of the woman everywhere around her. After slipping on the shoes her Mother had supplied for her, she made her way downstairs.

"Emma!" Emma winced as her Mother screeched her name throughout the room. She was standing surrounded by King Midas - who'd made sure that everyone understood that he was to be properly addressed now that they'd returned home – her Father, Neal, Henry and Rumpelstiltskin.

"We were just discussing some of the wonderful events we have coming up soon," Snow gushed as she handed Emma a wine glass filled with a gold colored liquid once she had joined them ignoring the fact that they were dressed up in a decaying building. Emma took a small sip then sputtered as she choked on the fetid stuff.

"It's an acquired taste. You'll get used to it," her Father winked at her.

"I'm hungry. When's dinner?" Henry interjected as he pulled at the stiff collar of his top. His Grandmother had made him dress up in a ridiculous outfit complete with tights. He was dying of boredom. And the cold, filth, and smells not to mention all the work he'd done today carrying buckets of water back and forth from the house to the house had left him sore and in a bad temper.

Midas sneered down at him, "children are meant to be seen and not heard."

Henry quickly quieted as he was not used to being chastised. Emma was about to step in and say something to Midas but her Mother jumped in first. "Well, dinner is ready. King Midas would you be so kind as to help a lady to her place?"

Midas smiled as Snow's charming demeanor did the trick of momentarily distracting him. He took her hand as he led her into the large dining hall where the women had managed to put together small bits of food and prepare a meal for everyone.

David reached for Emma's hand before whispering in her ear, "the rules here are different. But you'll get used to it also."

Emma frowned hoping that would never be the case. But looking down into Henry's hopeful little face had her inhaling a deep breath and pushing down her untamed instincts. She would've loved to put Midas in his place for speaking to her son that way. She instead settled for glaring daggers into his back.

Emma was sitting at the table idly listening to Henry chatter about his day as they waited for the meal to begin when her spidey senses started to tingle. She glanced around the room wondering what it was that making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up when she got to where Midas sat across from them. Her uneasiness only grew when Henry noticed his glare and he began to quietly fidget in his chair. She stiffened at the venom she read radiating off of him as the man didn't even bother to hide his disdain.

Snow clinked her glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention as she stood at the head of the long table beside her husband, "I want everyone to know that we are all grateful to be surrounded by loving friends and family back home where we belong. There has been a lot of sacrifice. But in the end what matters is that the good guys won. Evil has been defeated. And we will rebuild our land back to its former glory."

"I do not break bread with bastards," Midas growled from beside his hostess. An uneasy silence quickly descended upon the group as everyone became embarrassed at his outburst.

Emma looked around confused as to who he was talking about before she realized who it was he was referring to. Her face reddened as her anger grew. She stood up pushing back her chair with a loud scrape fully prepared to let him have it.

"Henry," Snow called out softly interrupting her. "Why don't you head into the kitchen where it's warmer? You can read through your storybook and do research while you eat your dinner. That'll be much more fun than sitting around listening to a bunch of old people talk," she gushed with a smile so full of sugary sweetness Emma was sure she developed a cavity just from listening to her.

Emma stared at her Mother with her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe that she was actually allowing this man to talk to and about her grandson that way.

"I'll go with him," Neal offered quickly. He rose and clapped his hand on Henry's shoulder, "Come along Henry. We can have some father/son fun with just the two of us."

"But – I want to stay," Henry's sad voice broke Emma's heart.

She turned to her Mother with fire in her eyes, "Don't worry Hen. I'm going with you." As a family, the trio rose and began to make their way from the room.

"Emma!" Snow's voice already sounded her disapproval before she even began talking. Emma however, was already following Neal and Henry into the kitchen.

"Well that was fun," Rumple said as he placed his napkin on his lap. "I can't wait to see what other good times you have in store for us." He raised his glass to his Charming hostesses, "Cheers," he said as he giggled into his honey mead wine.

MF

Regina had spent the past couple of days feeling restless. She'd spent her day working on plans for the town that she could see in her mind's eye. She'd stopped only when her muscles began to protest their cramped position from sitting hunched over her desk all day. Then she'd taken a shower and poured herself a drink hoping that it would relax her. Now she sat in her study in front of a roaring fire with a bottle of her homemade apple cider beside her.

It seemed to have the opposite effect. Ever since the impromptu town meeting in her living room she'd felt a nervous energy flooding throughout. She figured it was her grief over losing her son and had hoped burying herself in work hoping that would help keep her distracted from her inner turmoil. Yet it seemed nothing would calm her nerves.

Though she was physically exhausted from working all day, now that she had nothing to occupy her attention her mind had decided to go into hyper drive. The emptiness of the house seemed to mock her as she recalled all the times she'd been exhausted from chasing her little prince around all day and wanted nothing more than the peace and quiet that was now slowly pushing her toward insanity. She hoped a bathful of liquor for her brain would help. Though she was feeling tipsy, it wasn't enough to put her out of the misery of the sorry state her life had fallen into.

When the doorbell rang she frowned over at. For some reason she'd known it was coming. Could feel it in the air. She also knew whatever was on the other side of that door would change her life forever.

She slowly rose from her seat in front of the fireplace. Her heart was racing as she drew nearer to the door but not from fear. Or rather not a fear of being hurt in anyway. It was more a fear of the unknown that she knew was yet to come. Her magic had returned to her and she could defend herself if needed. But she had already made up her mind not to even bother to try. She had nothing left to live for and if someone wanted to finish her off she would welcome her end with a smile.

Whoever was there had given up on the doorbell and had now resorted to knocking on the door so hard that it shook within its frame. She unlocked the door and took a deep breath. She squared her shoulders and pulled the door wide ready to stare whoever was there unflinching in the eyes.

What she saw sucked the air right out of her lungs. Tears immediately welled in her eyes before spilling over. Her knees became weak and were it not for the strong arms that engulfed her she knew she would've fallen right to the floor.

The blonde stepped forward and pulled her beloved into her arms. She held the trembling brunette close to her as her own tears joined those of her lover. She took a breath to quell the nerves quivering in her belly. She held her tight as she pressed kisses tenderly against the hair and temples of the woman she'd spent the past 28 years dreaming about. "Hello my love," she whispered.