This took so long, but I could never abandon it. There was a time jump of a month or son because I needed to get things going! Enjoy.
Oh yes, I am now on tumblr as moralpass follow me maybe? (;
Henry lay awake hours before he was due to rise. Something about this day didn't feel right, and he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling bringing him to a cold sweat coating his upper body. He didn't feel sick, he just felt... off. It was nearly sunrise, the surrounding sky shone early blue past the trees, Henry's gaze cast out the window and he tried to soothe himself back to sleep. He'd awoken when it was still pitch black outside, when a dream ended basically slapping him conscious. Shaken by it's contents, Henry refused his body sleep afraid that he would fall back into it a land like the last, or even worse; so he lie in his bed as hours blurred together unnoticed as he waited for the comfort that came with morning.
The sun peaked over the East, rays cast through branches and reclaimed the land. Floorboards creaked beyond his door and he was relieved for her presence, feeling less isolated that he realized he had. He stood and made path to the kitchen where he knew Emma would be.
"Morning! I didn't expect you up so early." Emma said, smiling when she saw him.
Henry returned the smile weakly. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep." He told her.
Emma's features flashed concerns, her son looked under the weather, more so than for it to be only since it's morning. "Are you okay?" She pressed the back of her hand against his forehead, his skin cool to the touch. "Well, at least it's not a fever." She added.
"Yeah, I'm okay." He gave another weak smile and sat on a barstool across from her pace at the sink. "Breakfast?" He asked, brightening at the prospect of food.
"What sounds good?" Emma asked, also hungry she turned to examine the fridge. Turning when she came up dry, her son already knew what she was going to say next.
"Granny's?" He asked first with a sheepish smile.
"Granny's." His mother concluded, and they wordlessly went their separate ways to dress. They met minutes later by the front door.
The drive was scenic as always, but they'd grown accustom to the beauty and no longer relished in it. Summer being just over halfway through, vegetation still glimmered green in the morning sun. Flora and fauna rushed past the window glass until the clock tower peaked through, followed by the rest of the town. The bug pulled into a space across the road from Granny's, and the two stepped out.
The booth they'd grown fond of at the back was taken by nameless faces, so they took residence at the bar where Ruby was wiping down a previous customers mess. The brunette smiled at them, disregarding the dirtied rag.
"Hey guys!" Ruby greeted. "The usual?" She asked, upon their nods she wrote down the order bringing it to the window before returning. "So what's up, Em, haven't seen you out and about lately?" She questioned, resting her elbows on the now clean countertop.
Emma swallowed the coffee she'd been passed, Henry doing the same in sync with his juice. "Just getting the house together, plus I have paperwork and books to read before I start work next month." She told, only feeling slightly guilty after ignoring her friends for the past 3 weeks, but she could tell Ruby wasn't going to hold it against her.
"That's a pain, if you need any help you know where to ask." The waitress reassured, and Emma couldn't help the warm smile that brightened her features at the woman's kindness.
"I know. How about you, what's new in Ruby Lucas' adventure book?" Emma joked, receiving an eye roll.
"Ugh, I've been working non-stop all month, I even had to cook last week when Granny was sick. So much grease, I'll never do it again." Ruby said with a look of disgust.
"Ruby, quit playing poster child for first world problems, and get to work!" Granny swirled in from the kitchen, barking orders.
"Ugh, your food will be ready soon, guys." Ruby groaned and pushed herself off the bar.
Their usual of french toast and french fries for Henry, and pigs in a blanket with a side of eggs for Emma, came within minutes. As expected, it was delicious and they anaged to scarf it down just as fast as it'd been placed before them.
The two stuffed bodies left after saying goodbyes to Ruby, and a quick one to Granny who was nearly too wound up to notice anything that wasn't slapping her in the face. Emma turned the radio on once in the car, growing tired of Henry's silence which was filled with classic rock. Emma had always loved music, she had favorites but she'd listen to anything without complaint. Rock music was high on her list, the 60's being her go-to era and she could just go on for days about anything 80's. Henry hadn't shard her love for musical arts, or maybe he just hadn't em braced it yet, she hoped he would soon because she felt music was an escape to a whole new realm. A realm where anyone could just lose themselves, and she'd found herself discovering it and wishing never to leave.
Pulling up in front of the house, Henry shuffled to the front door and pushed it open. Emma found him already stuck in the sofa reaching for the remote as the door clicked shut. She joined his viewing party of Cartoon Network for a few minutes before she tried to remember what day it was coming up dry and checking her phone she saw it to be Wednesday.
"Hey, don't you have a riding lesson today?"Emma asked, and Henry turned to face her with a curious look.
"I don't even know what day it is." Her son confessed, and they both laughed.
"I didn't either!" Emma said through giggles. "Apparently it's Wednesday." She told him.
"Oh, then yeah I do, at six though. Grace is riding in my lesson today." Henry told her, turning away as he blushed. Emma smirked at his schoolboy crush on the girl.
"Ooh, are you excited?" She asked, and he nodded. "Nervous?" Emma asked again, tilting her head slightly to look in his averted eyes.
"A little, I feel weird today I don't know why." Henry admitted, locking eyes with his mother, who was sporting the 'worried-mom' look. "But I'm fine, Miss Mills is letting me do jumps today." He added, his body tingled in excitement and something else that he couldn't name.
"That'll be fun." Emma smiled, even though she could see Henry's unease like a bad smell in a cartoon, she always encouraged independence so she decided he could decide for himself if he was to attend his lesson or not.
"I'm going to shower." Emma told him, ruffling his hair as she left the room.
Henry nodded and turned his attention back to the television, he couldn't focus on the movement of the characters and began to drift nothing as he stared at the nearby wall. His discomfort that had appeared this morning was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He'd never been unable to compose himself as he had found himself today. The buzzing and cold sweat made its home in the small of his back making it impossible to sit or stand comfortably.
He wished for sleep, and was soon granted as he refused to break his staring contest with the greenish walls. Dreams didn't come as his conscious danced in the dark to pass the time.
Cutting across the ring, she tried to ease herself into Bourbon, a greenie that had been brought in last week with a young girl. The pair worked wonder when they could, but needed some fine tuning Bourbon more so that his rider. Lead changes were not the equine's strong suit, and she'd been tirelessly galavanting across the rings diagonals for the better part of an hour. It was a hit and miss with this horse, he'd switch leads easily one go but would fizzle the next, it was exhausting to Regina.
Rome wasn't built in a day, dear.
Regina reminded herself as her watch notified her it was time to move on. The bay coat of her steed was slick with sweat, which had pooled white under the saddle pad and girth. A quick rinse down later she wicked away the majority of the water and returned him to his stall with a few carrots to merit a job well done.
She made her way back into her office forgetting her schedule after the rather demanding ride she'd just finished. It was nearly 2 p.m. and the sun was high in the cloudless sky, the rays leaving an uncharacteristic heat in its midst. She was sweaty, and hoped she'd have time to shower before her next appointment. Sinking into her chair the blue appointment booklet was flipped to the correct date, she skimmed through the multicolored entries finding that her next lesson wasn't until 6 with Henry and Grace. Smiling at the promise of her favorite students, she read again that she had been promised to exercise another client's horse but that would have to wait. Regina stood slowly to leave as the phone rang.
"Regina Mills speaking." She spoke into the phone.
"Hi Miss Mills, it's Jefferson." The man's voice came through slightly muffed by the line.
"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Regina asked sarcastically.
"Ha-ha." He mocked, monotone before continuing. "I was wondering if you were free to move Grace's lesson up to 4 instead of 6?" He asked.
Regina wilted and sighed internally. "I don't appreciate your short notices, but I can do that." She informed him.
"I know, something just came up. Thank you." Jefferson replied.
"Hm." She purred. "Don't let it happen again." She told him, and hung up.
Making her way to the shower, she stopped short on the stair picking up a yellow piece of lace. A winning smile painted itself on her face as she recognized them to be Emma's.
"Miss Swan you minx." Regina licked her lips as she pocketed the undergarment, back on track to where her shower waited.
Her rinse had turned into a deep cleanse, she scolded herself for divulging as she saw it was 3;24 p.m. Throwing her hair up in a towel, she paced her closet for something to wear. Shorts were a bad idea, as the dust kicked up from the ring would cake on her smooth skin after only minutes. Spotting gray yoga leggings she pulled the comfy fabric on followed by a deep purple tank. Now happy with her apparel, she pulled dark locks into a bun atop her head followed by rounded sunglasses as she skipped down the stairs.
Just in time, she was in front of her largest barn to see Grace and Bunny emerging. The girl gave a bright smile, which was returned as Regina swung the gates open so she could enter. Grace didn't need much instruction as she went through her warm up routine. Regina went about fixing the jumps to the height she felt acceptable for the pair, then she observed from her post in the center as the girl maintained perfect form atop the dappled grey pony.
Regina was impressed when she'd called for a lead change, still stuck on them, and Grace complied perfecting the move in either direction. The lesson went by quickly after she'd allowed Grace to course herself through the jumps, creating a pattern of her own design Grace steered her horse to one destination at a time.
Regina clapped as Grace met her in the center, red-faced from her efforts she beamed at her trainer's approval. "Wonderful job dear! I think you can expect nothing but blue this season." Regina praised patting Bunny's shoulder.
"Thank you, we've been trying. Bunny makes everything easier for me." Grace said stroking the peppered gray mane with her gloved hands. Bunny stood looking incredibly pleased , chewing on her bit.
"I'm glad, it's a great match. Don't forget to put her flymask on after you've showered her," Regina flicked the crust away from the unblinking eyes of the equine, revealing more than a few fly bites. "She's getting eaten alive." Grace nodded before disappearing into the barn to do the rest of her duties.
Regina sat at the table on the outskirts of her arena observing the birds and wildlife that coexisted around her. All of her years traveling she'd seen many wonderful and beautiful places, but none meant as much to her as her hometown. Losing herself in the world she only caught a glimpse of Jefferson's car speeding away, leaving her alone.
She closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh air, which had become cooler since the last time she'd taken notice. An engine could be heard down the drive and she smirked, she'd never forget that sound, the sound that told her Emma was near. The yellow bugged pulled into it's usual space, and out popped Henry, followed by Emma.
Henry waved to her quickly before fading into the barn. Today he was moving on to Cass, a palomino pony that had just a little more juice than Patch. Cass was also more Henry's size, and he could tack her up without assistance.
"Hey." Emma said as she sat beside Regina.
"Hey." Regina smiled, pulling Emma in for a light kiss. "Mm, you smell like coconut." Regina hummed, breathing in the new scent.
"Yeah," Emma flushed, closing her eyes and resting her forehead against the brunettes. "New shampoo, do you like?" She asked, pulling away.
"I do." Regina told her. "Very tropical." She smiled. They'd been together over a month and intimate moments were becoming more frequent, not that either was complaining. Henry was still unaware of their personal developments as anything but friends, Emma wanted to tell him but wasn't sure how to approach. He was a smart kid, sometimes eerily so, but he hadn't asked yet, so she hadn't told either.
The two went into the world of small-talk and shameless flirting until the clunking of hooves notified them of Henry and Cass' arrival. Regina gave him a smile, which he tried to return but it never reached his eyes. This didn't go unnoticed by her, but she would talk to him in a more private setting. Henry sat atop Cass for the first time, this development felt strange since the horse was much shorter than Patch and a bit less wide. He felt more in control of the palomino though, and it set him at ease as he did his warm up laps.
He'd mastered walk, trot, and canter and was excited to begin the next step; jumping! Regina had been waiting for this day as she knew Henry had all the potential to become a great rider. She set a crossrail at the center post and stood beside it, waiting for Henry to meet her.
"You look good on her." Regina pat his thigh, then the horse's shoulder.
"Thanks, I like her." Henry smiled down at the horse.
"Im glad. Are you ready to jump?" She asked clasping her hands together in anticipation.
Henry swallowed, his unease from earlier returning to him. The small of his back began again to buzz and sweat.
"Hey." Regina whispered when she saw him tense. "Don't be afraid, remember when I said that your horse will share your emotions?" He nodded. "Relax." She said, and he tried. "You can pick up from the gate until you are centered with this jump, use your legs when you turn so it's not too sharp. You may keep a posting trot, but she will likely pick up the pace a few length before, let her, if you pull back she will get confused and refuse to jump." Regina instructed, smacking the horse's behind as the pair trotted off.
Henry tried to be calm, but he couldn't he felt about to vomit and the bouncy gait he kept wasn't helping any. Cass' ears pricked back and forth trying to figure out why this small human was so afraid of her, she looked about trying to find something scary too but saw nothing.
Henry turned her attention to the center, they were headed straight for the 'x', Cass' ear pricked forward as she excited herself for the jump.
"Two-point!" Regina called, Henry's heels sank down as he leaned forward. Cass began to canter and Henry squeezed his eyes shut. He felt the change in momentum, clasping on to the blonde mane, not letting go until they hit the ground and loped away towards the gate. He turned her to the left, patting her right shoulder in praise. They slowed to a walk and headed for where Regina stood. She gave him a thumbs up, before motioning for him to do it again. He did, gaining confidence as they trotted to the jump. This time Cass didn't pick up the pace and plopped unceremoniously over the jump, jittering Henry who was expecting something more spectacular. Regina laughed when his head bobbed from the awkward impact.
"Well done, dear. Let's try something that's a little but harder to walk over." Regina said as she raised one of the poles to rest atop the other. Henry eyed the new obstacle before declaring it too big, though it couldn't have been over two feet, that was still half his body size. Too big, he shook his head. "Same thing, but raise her to a canter as soon as you are on a straigth path to the jump." Regina told him, leaning back against another jump.
"I can't do it." Henry stated, causing Regina to look at him in shock.
"Henry you know my rules." Regina warned.
"I know. I'm too scared Miss Mills, please." He begged.
"You know what happens if you step out of this arena before I tell you to. If that's what you want, go ahead." When he didn't move she continued. "Or, you can just do as I've told you and face your fears, I guarantee you'll feel better if you do." She reassured, waiting for him to decide. His answer was in the form a a squeeze, causing Cass to trot away.
Henry was unsure of himself, he tried to keep Cass going as slow as possible as he headed for the now vertical rail.
"Canter!" Regina yelled, Henry jumped and lost his footing as her voice sounded. Cass felt his weight shift, and picked up at a quick canter. Henry wanted to scream but he couldn't he was almost to the jump. The boy couldn't decide what would be worse when he realized he didn't have time to think; he yanked the reins all the way to the left, but it was too late. Cass had already taken off when her head was forced all the way to the left, her balance was compromised as both hooves were entrapped by the poles. Henry was thrown forward, doing a somersault in the air before he landed on his head.
Regina heard something break when Henry hit the ground, it was sickening and deafening, and she was helpless to watch as Cass fell to the right of Henry, missing him by a hair's length. The horse scrambled to her feet before walking towards the gate.
Emma flew over the fence and sprinted towards her son, careful not to touch him as even she heard the break. "No, no, no." She mumbled as her son lay unmoving before her. Regina fell to her knees, unable to process what was happening.
It's all my fault.
Regina repeated to herself as she refused to look at Emma who was screaming for her.
"Regina!" She cried, their gazes lock. Regina's eyes flooded in dread and confusion, Emma's had fear on display with no room for anything else as tears fell.
"I'm sorry." Regina mumbled, Emma could just make it out.
"Regina! Stop it now, you need to call for help!" Emma instructed. Regina nodded and stood her legs threatened to give out as she ran shakily to her office. Dialing emergency services, words came out of her mouth without second thought, which was a blessing because she didn't have one. Paramedics would arrive in three minutes.
Her legs took her back to Emma who sat over her son, stroking his cheek, tears falling on to his stripped shirt.
"Three minutes." Regina managed, and Emma nodded. The woman sat in silence, Regina staying back so she didn't cross any boundaries. Sirens wailed in the distance, coming closer and closer until there were blaring up her driveway. The medics jumped out, one was pushing Emma off Henry in a moment while two others rushed gurney out on into dirt by the gate.
"Broken neck, you're going to have to come closer!" The man by Henry's side called. His partners nodded and pushed the gate open, they were in front of the other man in record time.
Henry limp body was placed onto the gurney and strapped down to restrict movement before they sailed out of the dirt. Emma hopped into the vehicle after the gurney was in place. Her lost eyes met Regina's once more before the red doors slammed shut, and they were gone.
I have already started the next chapter so it won't be long. Don't hate, you knew this was coming. Mistakes are mine, again.
