Love, Fate And Magic
Chapter 2- Love Or Life?
Emma nodded to the mayor before slipping out of the door into the night. It felt oddly cold for the time of year, and a shiver ran down Emma's spine as she glanced back at the mansion. Many strange things had happened to the blonde over the years, but none of them matched with the meeting she had just had with the mayor. Emma shook her head, not sure what to make of this whole thing.
She looked back when she felt eyes on her, and caught a glimpse of Henry in the window, before he disappeared from view. Emma frowned up at the window, wishing to know what had caused Henry's very vivid imagination to become a reality to him. Sure kids in bad situations created an alternate life in their heads to escape their lives, but how bad could Henry's life be? He had a lovely home and loving, albeit slightly intense mother.
Emma tried to push the thoughts from her head, convincing herself it wasn't her problem to fix, and he was only her kid technically. As far she was concerned, she had as little purpose in his as cockroach did. He was better off without her.
The blonde nodded to herself, and slipped back into the bug and brought it life again. She glanced once more at the house before driving off down the street, pushing this bizarre night into the back of her mind and focusing on the road ahead.
Zooming off down the rain covered road, Emma kept shaking her head, hoping to knock the thoughts about Henry and Regina from her mind. But for some reason they were stuck. Regina's face kept appearing in her mind, flashing like a beacon. Emma was sure she had seen Regina before, and not just in a passing. Everything about her was familiar, like the piece of a puzzle that makes the rest of the image clear.
Continuing down the road, Emma glanced down at the front passenger seat, noticing Henry had left his fairy tale book there. Shaking her head with a slightly smile she muttered to herself.
"Sneaky bastard." Emma panicked when she looked back at the road, seeing a wolf standing there, staring right at her. The blonde immediately braked, but skidded on the wet road, swerving dramatically off to the side and crashing in the cheery welcome sign she had past earlier. The bug smacked into the sign, causing Emma to hit her head hard on the wheel. Knocking her out cold.
Xxxxxxx
The blonde awoke suddenly to the sound of whistling nearby. Opening her tired eyes, she turned to find the source of the noise. Emma locked eyes with bearded man with a balding head, staring at her from the other cell. Wait cell?
"What are you looking at, sister?" he said, his voice was gruff. Emma sat up, looking around and taking in her surroundings. Yep she was in a cell.
"Hey, Leroy, manners! We have a guest." The blonde stood from her bed, walking over to the bars on unsteady feet. Her eyes landed on an older man outside the cell, wearing overalls. "So you are Henry's mother? How lovely for him to have you back in his life."
"Actually, I was just dropping him off." Emma replied, rubbing her throbbing head.
"Don't blame you. They're all brats. Who needs them?" said Leroy.
"Well, I'd give anything for one." Said the older man, moving towards the cells. "My wife and I, we tried for many years, but he was not meant to be." Emma wasn't sure how to respond.
"Well, cry me a river." Emma frowned at the short man.
"Leroy, if I'm gonna let you out, you need to behave." Emma looked over to see the sheriff from last night walking through the station towards Leroy. "Put on a smile, and stay out of trouble."
"Seriously?" Emma asked as he came over to her.
"Regina's drinks, a little stronger than we thought." Emma huffed at him.
"I wasn't drunk. There was a wolf standing in the middle of the road."
"A wolf. Right." The blonde sighed heavily, knowing how stupid it sounded.
"Graham? Henry's run away again. We have to…" Regina burst into the station frantically, only to stop dead when she caught sight of Emma. "What is she doing here? Do you know where he is?"
"Lady, I haven't seen him since I dropped him at your house. And I got a pretty good alibi." Emma leant against the bars, trying in vain to ignore the familiar feeling in her stomach again.
"He wasn't in his room this morning." Regina snipped.
"Did you try his friends?"
"He doesn't really have any. He's kind of a loner." That's clearly genetic, or everyone in this town is a terrible friend.
"Every kid has friends. Did you check his computer? If he's close to someone, he could be emailing them." Emma felt her professional head kick in.
"And you know this how?"
"Finding people's what I do." Emma didn't miss the way Regina visibly tensed at her words. "Here's an idea. How about you guys let me out, and I'll help you find him?"
Xxxxxxxxx
Emma fought the urge to look around Henry's room. She couldn't help but feel curious about the kind of things he was into. However, Emma felt if she so much as moved a paperclip, Regina would bite her head off. The blonde fired up the computer, and immediately got into his emails and was impressed to find them cleared.
"Smart kid. Cleared his inbox. I'm smart too, a little hard disc recovery utility I like to use" Emma held up the small memory stick and plugged it in.
"I'm a bit more old-fashioned in my techniques. Pounding the pavement. Knocking on doors. That sort of thing" Graham said, watching Emma as she worked through the emails.
"You're on salary. I get paid for delivery." The blonde kept her eyes fixed on the screen, not daring to meet the chocolate eyes that were boring into her. "Pounding the pavement is not a luxury that I get."
"Sounds like fun." Graham smirked, but Emma ignored him.
"Ah! There's a receipt for a website. ." Emma clicked on the email, opening up the page. "It's expensive. He has a credit card?"
"He's ten." Emma rolled her eyes.
"Well, he used one." Regina huffed, crossing her arms. "Let's pull up a transaction record…Mary Margaret Blanchard. Who's Mary Margaret Blanchard?"
"Henry's teacher."
Xxxxxxx
Emma tried to weave around the sea of children, not wishing to concuss any of them by bargaining past. However Regina cared little for the wellbeing of the children, and pushed straight through into the classroom.
"Ms Mills what are you doing here?" The teacher asked, frowning at the mayor.
"Where is my son?"
"Henry? I assumed he was home sick with you." Emma hung back, watching the rather unfriendly interaction before her.
"Do you think I'd be here if he was?" Regina spat. "Did you give him your credit card so he can find her?" Both women turned to look at Emma, who shifted awkwardly.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Mary Margaret asked, looking at Emma who stuttered over her words.
"I'm his…I'm his…"
"The woman who gave him up for adoption." Regina answered for her. Silence fell between the three women. Mary Margaret dropped her bag to the desk, riffling through it.
"You don't know anything about this, do you?" Emma asked, watching as the teacher pulled out her purse.
"No, unfortunately not." The pixie haired woman stared down at her purse, sighing. "Clever boy. I should never have given him that book."
"What in the hell is this book I keep hearing about?" Regina snapped.
"Just some old stories I gave him. As you well know, Henry is a special boy." Emma cringed at the word "special"; the word had been used far too many times in her case for it to be a positive thing. "So smart. So creative. And, as you might be aware, lonely."
Lonely. Now that was a term Emma was all too familiar with. Connecting with people was just something she couldn't do, whether it was emotionally or physically. She had often been described as heartless by some. Emma shook her head, she had a heart, it just often felt like it was made of stone from time to time.
"He needed it." The blonde snapped back into the conversation.
"What he needs is a dose of reality." Regina countered. "This is a waste of time." The mayor turned to leave the room, but hesitated by Emma, as if something was trying to stop her from leaving.
"Have a nice trip back to Boston." She finally said, and barged out of the room, knocking several books to the floor as she did. Emma stared opened mouthed after her, completely shocked by the woman's bizarre behaviour.
"Sorry to bother you." The blonde said, bending to retrieve the books.
"No, it's okay, I fear this is partially my fault." The teacher shrugged, glancing back and forth between the books and Emma.
"How's a book supposed to help?"
"What do you think stories are for?" The brunette asked, "These stories, the classics, there's a reason we all know them. They're a way for us to deal with our world. A world that doesn't always make sense." They two walked from the room, as the teacher talked.
"Henry hasn't had the easiest life."
"Yeah, she's kind of a hard-ass." Emma pointed out, frowning at the thought of the mayor.
"No, it's more than her. He's like any adopted child. He wrestles with the most basic question they all inevitably face." The pixie haired woman said. "Why would anyone give me away?" she stopped and turned to Emma, who kept her eyes on the floor.
"I am so sorry. I didn't mean in any way to judge you." Emma nodded slightly, trying not to let her feelings through. She knew what it was like to wonder who your parents were. Emma didn't even know if she had parents at all. She shook her head, not wanting to think about the tricky past.
"It's okay."
"Look I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have. Hope." Emma felt her insides do several leaps at the word "hope". That was something she had long since given up on. Hoping for things had never gotten her anywhere.
"Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."
"You know where he is, don't you?" Emma asked.
"You might want to check his castle."
Xxxxxxxxxx
Emma should have guessed a kid like Henry would have a castle. It seemed fitting. Climbing up onto the wooden structure, Emma sat down next to the small boy.
"You left this in my car." She handed him the book, watching him closely as he kept his eyes on the sea. "Still hasn't moved, huh?"
"I was hoping that when I brought you back, things would change here." Emma sighed heavily. "That the final battle would begin."
"I'm not fighting any battles, kid."
"Yes you are, it's your destiny, you're going to bring back the happy endings." He said, looking at her. "You've fought battles before!"
"Can you cut it with the book crap!" Emma snapped at him, but he merely smiled.
"You don't have to be hostile. I know you like me. I can tell." Emma frowned at him. "You're just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty."
"I…"
"It's okay. I know why you gave me away." He smiled up at her. "You wanted to give me by best chance." Emma was speechless. She quickly looked away, not wanting to appear vulnerable.
"How do you know that?"
"It's the same reason Snow White was going to give you away. It's the same reason you made your sacrifice. You wanted to protect the people you love."
"Listen to me kid, I'm not in any book. I'm a real person. And I'm no saviour." Henry didn't seem to waver at her words. "You were right about one thing, though. I wanted you to have your best chance…but it's not with me." Henry stared down at his book, sadness in his face. "Come on, we've gotta get you back."
"Please don't take me back there." He said, running after her. "Just stay with me for one week! That's all I ask." He pleaded. "Just one week, and you'll see I'm not crazy."
"I have to get you back to your mum."
"You don't know what it's like with her. My life sucks!"
"You wanna know what sucking is?! Being in a car crash and losing all my memories! I've been alone my whole life! I don't have a clue who my parents are, or if I even had parents! No one ever came looking for me, I was forced to live on the streets!" Emma took a shuddering breath, realising she was crying. "Look, your mum is trying her best. I know it's hard, and I know sometimes you think she doesn't love you."
"You didn't get in a car crash. The curse you casted took your memories of your life and sent you to this world. You were trying to escape the Evil Queen!"
"Sure I was." She said, giving up trying to fight him on this. "Come on. Henry." She grasped his hand, leading him away.
Xxxxxxxxx
The door opened to reveal Regina, looking over at her son with an unamused expression. Henry ran off inside, passing his mother without even saying a word. Emma stood awkwardly as Regina came back outside.
"Thank you."
"No problem."
"He seems to have taken quite a shine to you." Regina said, surveying Emma.
"You know what's kind of crazy? Yesterday was my birthday. And when I blew out the candle on this cupcake I bought myself, I actually made a wish. That I didn't have to be alone on my birthday. And then Henry showed up."
"I hope there's no misunderstanding here."
"I'm sorry?"
"Don't mistake all this as an invitation into his life." Regina said coldly. "Ms Swan, you made a decision ten years ago. He's not yours." Once again Emma felt that same feeling rush through her, and this time she couldn't help but act on it.
"Ms Mills, have we met?" Regina looked taken aback by the question.
"Of course not." Emma saw it immediately, a lie.
"It's strange. I'm excellent with names and faces, it's my job. However, before Henry brought me here I had never heard of Storybrooke, or met any of these people." She paused for a moment, taking in Regina expression. Emma had never seen someone so skilled at hiding their emotions, but Emma could tell there was something intense going on behind the dark eyes.
"What are you saying Ms Swan?" Regina asked.
"I'm not sure. But when I look at you, I know I've seen you before, I just can't place where. Everything about you seems familiar, but yet it's all new." Emma narrowed her eyes at the mayor. "Don't you think that's odd?" Regina didn't answer for a moment, and Emma could see a war going on inside the older woman.
"Ms Swan I assure. We've never met before." Emma nodded, and Regina turned to go back inside, but she stopped when Emma called to her again.
"Do you love him?"
"Excuse me?"
"Henry. Do you love him?"
"Of course I love him." The mayor said nothing more and stepped back into the house, slamming the door behind her.
A/N: A car crash huh? Simple muggles. How long will it be till Regina drops this cold wall? And how long until Emma remembers who she's? Or will Regina tell her? Who knows, but you'll find out soon enough. Please review and tell me your thoughts and I'll have the next chapter out as soon as possible. Till next time Kids.