Chapter Eight: School

If John and Michael Darling had thought leaving Henry at Mayor Mills' for the first time was bad it was nothing compared to escorting him to Mary Margaret's classroom door. Not on Henry's part though- he was tentative entering but Mary Margaret instantly seemed to put him at ease. Or perhaps he was just being brave like they had asked of him. No, it was the two of them who had hugged him a second too long and had forced themselves to swallow a lump in their throats when he walked through the door.

They had gone off to their respective jobs trying to keep their heads held high and their minds on their work. But as the lunch rush died down in the diner it was Michael who this time received a phone call from his older brother. "Is everything alright?" he had asked, a little concerned to be hearing from him. "Did something happen down at the station?"

"No," he heard his brother sigh into the phone before there was a long pause. "I just… do you think he's alright? I mean, what if he didn't have the supplies he needs? What if he trips and falls during recess and Mary Margaret-"

"John," Michael comforted, honestly quite surprised at this side of his brother. "I'm sure he's going to be just fine. He'll tell us all about it tonight when we pick him up from Regina." He took a moment before thinking of something. "Put Graham on the phone."

"What?"

"You heard me." A moment and a few shuffling sounds later, he was welcomed by the deep accent. "Hello, Sheriff. As I'm sure you can tell my brother seems to have a case of the blues today. So would it be at all possible to let him out a few hours early so he could pick Henry up from school and bring him here for dinner."

Graham let out a laugh. "I definitely think we could make it work. It's not every day someone's son has their first day of school. I'll take care of it."

"Thank you, Sheriff. I'll be waiting here for them. Have a great day." He hung up the phone with a flourish before searching the diner to find Granny. He now had to secure the night off for himself as well. She had reluctantly agreed, secret smile on her face while she talked about Ruby's first day of school. She reflected on how Ruby didn't look back as she fearlessly ran through the door in her new red jumper. She had even forgotten her lunch in her haste. Michael decided not to dwell too much on the fact that those memories were unfortunately fake. He then placed a quick call to Regina, who was willing to trade a Friday night for some time together on Saturday. She was just as eager to hear about how Henry's first day had gone but would of course allow his parents to have him for the night.

It was around three when John came through the door, leading a babbling Henry by the shoulder to a booth. Michael slid in across from the two of them, giving his "nephew" a large smile. "So, I'm on pins and needles. Tell me everything."

"I can start from the beginning if Dad doesn't mind," Henry had agreed with a look at John. He gave a nod, placing a hand on his son's back. "Okay, so I went in there and gave Mary Margaret- I mean my teacher Ms. Blanchard the pear you had suggested." Michael nodded, giving John a look. They had both thought it was a better idea than an apple given her actual identity. "She said it was very polite of me to do that and gave me a seat right up front. It goes in the order of the alphabet so I get to sit up front."

"Well, that's the most exciting place to sit," Michael agreed, caught up in his enthusiasm. "You got really luck, and on his first day too." John gave a nod as Ruby delivered their drinks, giving a sigh at the number scrawled upon his napkin.

Henry continued to recount the epic tale of his first day of school to his captivated audience all through dinner. People from around the diner were soon gathering around to hear parts and chime in as well. Leroy had commented that Henry needed to stick with school or he'd end up like him. Granny agreed that naptime was a pretty great thing. Billy the mechanic was personally a fan of snack time. The two brothers had long since realized the pull their son seemed to have when I came to anyone in town. He just drew them in and put them at ease. They weren't sure if it was the power of the pixie dust or simply of Henry himself. He seemed to be a very special kid.

They took him home and he practically collapsed into his bed, exhausted from what had quite possibly been the most exciting day of his young life. He then proceeded to wake John up at four the next morning because he was so excited to go back and do it again. "Today we're going to build bird houses!" He was so excited that he was almost teary-eyed when John was forced to explain to him the concept that is was Saturday and thus he did not have any.

-FAWH-

Michael could remember a time when he had a nice, clean, white fridge to admire when they had first moved into this house. Nowadays you were lucky if you could find a patch of it among the drawings and pictures Henry had insisted on hanging upon it. Not that Michael particularly minded. Henry seemed to be a pretty good artist. Perhaps it was genetic since he and John didn't have an artistic bone in their bodies.

Henry had just hung one up from school that seemed to fit with a theme nowadays. It was himself with a crown saving Rapunzel from her tower. At least that what it seemed like. The five year old may have been an excellent drawer, but his coloring still left something to be desired. He just got so excited he couldn't quite keep inside the lines. But the picture matched other various drawings of Henry slaying a dragon and the group of them in a castle.

Henry was definitely enamored by fairy-tales, particularly the ones that he and John were telling him from the book. He dreamed of becoming a hero someday, talking about how he would sweep a princess off her feet. The two brothers had seen no trouble in the behavior, especially since he was literally living in a world where these stories were reality. He could see Henry growing up into a valiant knight some day. He would be able to win over any princess.

He had become quite popular among his fellow students, especially the females. Every week the two tried to have a play-date of some sort and Henry usually chose the girls to spend the day with. Mary Margaret had told them tales when she dropped of the daily casserole of how he would stand up to anyone being mean to a girl simply because it was the "chivalrous" thing to do. "Good thing we'll never have to get him through dating," John had remarked about that afterwards. "You know both of us have never been on a date in our life."

It was one of those jokes that at one time they would've laughed about, but nowadays it had merely become a painful reminder on two levels. The first was the two were beginning to realize just how much they had missed out on. They were aware Pan had subjected them to crappy childhoods, but they were starting to become aware of how much they lacked in adult experience. Neither had been on a date or kissed a girl before. There had never been the time. They were by no means going to be the best outlets for life advice farther down the line, but they hoped that once Henry knew the whole truth he would understand.

The second, and in many ways worse, was that they were never going to see Henry reach that point. They continually reminded themselves when they became too complacent in their lives that over half their time was up. It was a bitter pill, but they tried to swallow down all the hopes and dreams they started having for their son- that he would graduate school, find a girl and settle down eventually, and basically live a life where he was happy and with them. Those weren't in the cards, and the two tried to keep that in mind as their family seemed to solidify more and more. So they tried to make the best of the time they had and go above and beyond.

And this is where those weekly play-dates came in. They were going to do everything in their power to make sure Henry had friends and interaction with kids his own age- despite the fact they wouldn't grow up with him. This Sunday it was his friend Bonnie, a little brunette of six years old who dragged a stuffed sheep with her wherever she went. Michael and John were able to guess her true identity quite easily, and were a little concerned where the actual sheep had ended up. There was no farm in Storybrooke.

Bonnie's mom was the type who dropped her off and then came back after dinner to pick her up. Most parents stayed- Michael would make snacks- and the sets of parents would converse about their kids and the day. It was funny that in giving Henry a social life they had managed to gain one of their own as well. The two brothers had gone from absolute shut-ins to knowing practically everyone in town through work or school. The two liked to imagine it was more than the pixie dust, but that they were in general capable of making friends if they put their best foot forward. It was quite the turn-around to be in a place where they felt capable of being open with people, and it was happening slowly but surely.

Like having a six year old chasing Henry around the house with the sheep dragging along behind her. Hopefully she hadn't done that with the real ones. "Bonnie, is peanut butter and jelly alright?" Michael had asked as they passed through the kitchen.

"Yes, Mr. Darling!"

"Call me Michael, Bonnie. Henry, go ahead and have a seat with her." Henry immediately pulled out a chair for Bonnie before hopping into his own. Michael got started on the sandwiches, ears listening to the conversation the two were engaged in as John came to take a seat as well.

"Bonnie, how are you doing today?"

"I'm good, Mr. John. Thank you for having me over."

"Any time. We love to have friends of Henry's over."

"I know. That's why everybody at school knows you're the coolest parents," the little girl said with emphasis.

"Well, hopefully he'll remember that when he grow older and becomes embarrassed of us," John replied with a laugh. He had been smiling and laughing a lot more since Father's Day- almost as if some sort of weight had been lifted from him. But as soon as the comment was made, Michael heard the heavy silence that followed and knew exactly what his brother was thinking. He was thinking about how they'd probably never make it that far.

Just as he was about to ask for some assistance on the other side of the kitchen when he heard a chair scoot and from the corner of his eye saw Henry approach his brother. "Dad, you'll always be the coolest. No matter what," he said before throwing his arms around him. This seemed to be enough as John gently patted him on the back. But then he saw another figure approach from the other side. He held his breath as Bonnie wrapped herself around John seeking to comfort him as well.

But John accepted it. He didn't flinch. He didn't look unhappy. "Thank you, Henry. Thank you, Bonnie." She hugged him for longer than Henry did, but he didn't seem to care. She only pulled away when Michael brought the sandwiches in and the two practically inhaled them. They four made pleasant conversation and the two brothers proceeded to join them for a game of Knights and Dragons following afterwards. Soon enough it was time for Bonnie to go home. John had insisted to her mother that if she ever needed someone to look after her they'd be more than happy to.

The two sat at the kitchen table that night when Henry had been put to bed, exhausted from his games of Princes and Princesses. "You know, parenting looks good on you," Michael commented gently to his older brother.

A year ago his brother would have glared at him and immediately retreated up the stairs. A month ago he would have taken a shuddering breath and tried to process the whole situation. A week ago he would have told Michael to stop joking because it wasn't funny but with a smirk on his lips. But today… today John gave a smile, looking down at the table.

"I think it suits me quite fine, too."

XXX

"Uncle Michael," a voice whispered. "Uncle Michael, wake up."

Michael groggily opened his eyes to see Henry perched on the bed gently shaking him. He looked at the clock to see it was about two in the morning and let out a groan. "Henry, what are you doing up? You have school tomorrow."

"I know," he said, fidgeting. "But I had a bad dream." He didn't need to say anymore. Michael instantly scooted over so he could lie down next to him. "I'm sorry."

"Hey, kid, you don't have to apologize for bad dreams. I used to get them all the time," Michael soothed, running a hand through Henry's hair.

"Really? What were they about?"

It wasn't that Michael couldn't remember- most of them he did to vividly. But he wasn't sure he wanted to traumatize his kid with what he had gone through in Neverland. The promise to never lie was at the back of his mind though, and it was clear Henry was ready to hang on his every word. "For a long time it was just John and I. Our parents died and left us by ourselves so we ended up in an orphanage- where kids without parents go. I used to get really lonely and sad, so I had bad dreams where I was all by myself in a forest. I couldn't find anyone so I would just cry." He left out what the island was, but there was not a lie in there.

"What did you do?" the small voice asked.

"I would go to your dad- he was in the bed next to mine- and he would let me sleep with him. And it happened a lot, so don't hesitate to come in here. The door is always open."

Henry nodded. "In mine I was all by myself too."

"Well, that's not going to happen. You have your dad, me, Regina, Miss Blanchard, Ruby, Granny, Sheriff Graham, and even Leroy if everyone else somehow vanished."

Henry scrunched his nose. "I don't want to be stuck with Leroy." Michael had merely smirked and then watched as Henry drifted off quite quickly- snoring quietly just like when he was a baby. He had neglected to tell him what happened when you stopped being young enough to sleep in someone else's bed and were still plagued by nightmares as he too often was. But if one good came from Henry only being with them until he was ten it was that he would never reach that point. He would never grow up and have to face the fact that nightmares only seem to get scarier as you get older because real things start being put on the line. And you had to face it all by yourself. Like you older sister. And your son.

It was only when Michael woke up the next morning to John knocking on the door that he realized he had ever fallen asleep. It had been the least restless night in a long while, and the reason soon became apparent. There was a five year old curled up against him and in that moment Michael realized that perhaps there was never an age where nightmares required being faced alone. Teamwork seemed to go a really long way.

XXX

It was Henry's sixth birthday and John was already shaking his head when Michael brought in the big box from the two of them. He knew what was inside, and he still knew he was going to regret agreeing to this.

The whole town was gathered in Granny's as had become his birthday tradition. The number of people seemed to grow every year with the one being crowded with parents and children in addition to the regulars. Bonnie, Piper, and Jack were perched towards the front as was what seemed to be the traditional ceremonial honor of best friends. Henry sat in a booth with John next to him and Regina sitting proudly on the other side- still riding the high from the glasses she had bought him last year that still never left his face. This year her gift of a bicycle had been among the top of the list as Henry tore through packages in a complete frenzy, though thankful for each one because John and Michael had taught him proper manners. Everyone in town loved Henry, but this year was the first time John felt they had come to show their love for the whole Darling family. It was a bit overwhelming at moments.

But the big box. It had all started a few months before the party on a rainy day. Henry had his seven year old friend Piper over and the two of them had gone to play in the puddles. When Michael called them inside for lunch he noticed a particular slimy thing on his table.

"Henry Darling, did you put a worm on my kitchen table?!"

"But he's my new pet!" their son had exclaimed. "I named him Wormy. Piper has one too." Michael instantly removed them, but at Henry's pleading had buckled and placed the two worms in a small jar with some dirt. Piper's mom had insisted the Darlings could keep both of them- much to her daughter's dismay. So the family had two new pets and Henry had carried that jar with him everywhere for the next few days- Michael always a step behind disinfecting whatever he touched. He tried to take it to Regina's, but the Mayor would have none of that no matter how much she liked him.

But John had come home from work about a week later and found Henry in his room poking at the dirt while Michael made dinner. "Hey, I thought we talked about how many germs there are in there?" he remarked sternly.

Henry looked up with his wide innocent eyes. "But they're not moving. I was just trying to wake them up."

"They need some sleep. You wouldn't like it if I woke you up in the middle of the night while you were sleeping, would you?"

Henry shook his head, but felt a need to add something. "But I've been trying for like an hour." Now his concept of time wasn't perfect yet, but John instantly got a feeling as to what was wrong. He took a seat beside his son and looked at the jar- seeing that both worms had indeed shuffled off the mortal coil. But how to explain that to the five year old who lived in a town where literally no one aged.

"Henry… these worms… they aren't alive anymore," he began, but it was clear his words weren't clicking. He tried to remember what some of the parenting books had said. "Everything reaches a time where their body stops working. For everyone it's different, but it happens. And when that happens they're gone. They don't come back. So your worms… they aren't moving because their body stopped working and they won't come back. They're dead. I'm sorry."

The tears hadn't stopped for days. Miss Blanchard said he was inconsolable at school and Regina had reported he hid in her closet all afternoon to be by himself. There of course had been a burial in the backyard with flowers and a little stick marking the grave, and though that seemed to help it was clear Henry wasn't himself for at least a week. Which of course led to a discussion late at night by the kitchen table.

"If someone told me one day I'd be having a worm funeral for my son," John quipped, "I don't know what I would have said to them."

Michael was awfully quiet, but spoke up after a moment. "We should get him a real pet- something sturdy. We had Nana when we were a kid." John just gave him a look. "I'm serious."

"We'll be the ones who end up taking care of it. No."

"Then I'll do all the work. John, this could be really good for him. Every boy should have a pet." John lost any will to argue after that. He wasn't happy, but he remembered Nana better than Michael did. He had loved that dog and he couldn't argue with the fact that a boy, especially his boy, should not be denied one of life's simplest pleasures.

And so the big box was set in front of Henry. "This is from me and your dad," Michael had said as he slid in beside him. Henry undid the ribbon and lifted the lid, becoming absolutely ecstatic when the head came peeking up and two dark eyes stared at him curiously.

"It's a puppy!" he had exclaimed, Michael helping him to remove him from the box and into his lap. "Thank you Dad! Thank you Uncle Michael! This is the best present ever!" The dog had been a mutt from the pound with no story origin as far as they could tell. And he was at the very least going to stay small. His fur was tan with ears that stuck up and folded over. He let out a yawn before proceeding to sniff Henry as the other kids surrounded him wanting a closer look.

"What're you going to name him?" Jack asked.

Henry studied the puppy carefully. "I'll name him… Oswald!"

John couldn't help but smirk as everyone nodded politely. "Henry, there's just one problem. That's a girl dog."

"Oh. In that case I'll call her… I think I'll call her Alice after that book I like you to read to me, Alice in Wonderland. Does that sound okay Dad?"

John smiled and put a hand on the dog's head. "I think it sounds perfect." Henry then took off from the booth with his friends to let the dog scamper about. He saw Michael lean over to him.

"You won't regret this, John."

John watched as the puppy started biting one of Leroy's shoes. "Oh, I think I already do."

XXX

Author's Note: Hello everyone. I know it's been a while, but I'm back. Things got hectic and I kept pushing this off but no more shall I because I've got a lot of ideas I need to put to use! Thank you all so much for your continued support and I genuinely promise I am making an effort to do at least a chapter a week. I hope you enjoyed and there will be some fun things next time!