A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for not updating sooner. I had another story that was drawing to a close so I decided to focus on that until it was finished (which it now is). I hope you don't mind. I'd like to say a quick thank you to everyone who has reviewed and added this story to their alerts/favourites. Anywhos, this chapter is shorter than some of the others, but I hope you'll still like it.

The Wishing Well

"Here, Kid," Emma muttered, picking up the map and compass off the dashboard of her VW Beetle and handing them to her son. "So where are we going?"

Henry surveyed the map for a few moments, working out whether it would take them too long to get where he really wanted to go. Without answering his Mom, he opened the car door and climbed out, sliding the backpack he took everywhere over his shoulder. Absorbed in the map, he began walking in what he thought was the right direction.

"Henry, wait!" Emma called.

"Hurry up!" he shouted back, still not stopping.

"Kids," she muttered to herself, jogging after him. Henry had only recovered from his bout of illness a few days before, but the change in him was remarkable. Whilst he had been ill, Henry had had barely any energy. But out in the rough country outside Storybrooke he was walking full steam ahead, the bounce back in his step. That didn't mean to say he couldn't catch something else, so Emma took the extra precaution of tightening his scarf as she caught up to him.

The two of them had been walking for ten minutes and Henry still hadn't told her where they were going. Every so often however, he would stop to look at the map then hold the compass up and spare it a confused glance before shrugging and setting off again.

"Need some help with that compass, Henry?"

"I think I got it," he told her, unwilling to concede defeat.

"Remember, just put the bunny in the hole," she said, reminding him of one of the navigational tips she'd given him in the car when teaching him how to use the compass.

"Yep, the bunny is in the hole," he replied with a grin. "See?" He held the compass up for Emma to see that the North arrow was indeed level with the arrowhead marked on the edge.

She ruffled his hair, proud that so far he seemed to have understood how to navigate with a compass.

"So, am I allowed to know where we're going?" she asked, puffing as they walked uphill. She'd been looking around but all she saw was grass, trees and more trees. Nothing that would tell her where they were. There were too many trails in the area and they all looked too similar. After all, how different could two trees look?

"No, it's a surprise."

"A surprise? Why does everything have to be a surprise?" she muttered to herself. She thought it was James' influence. He was forever coming home from the animal shelter or the town hall after holding a meeting, a bunch of flowers or chocolates as a surprise gift for Snow. Henry must have been picking up on it. "Do I at least get to know how much further it is?"

Henry dithered for a few moments before telling her that they were only about a mile away. Just knowing how much further they had to walk wouldn't give her too much of a clue, he thought. But Emma didn't stop questioning him, enjoying teasing him as he reiterated time and time again that their destination was intended to be a surprise.

Despite her hints, Emma was surprised when they got within eyesight of the Wishing Well.

"The Wishing Well?" Emma asked, receiving a nod from Henry in reply. "Well done, Henry," she said of his navigation. He'd only learnt the skills that morning, but already he was excelling at them.

He grinned jubilantly at the praise. Praise had never been freely given when he'd been living with Regina.

"So, what do you think? Have a drink?"

"Sure, I brought cups!" Henry responded, shrugging his bag off his shoulder and delving a hand inside before pulling out two mugs he'd obviously taken from the apartment.

Taking the mug Henry held out to her, Emma caught sight of the M for Mary-Margaret painted onto the side and sighed unhappily. She still missed her friend. Taking her sigh for impatience, Henry began tugging on the rope hanging down the side of the well to raise the bucket somewhere in its depths. As soon as the bucket was high enough, Emma reached in and pulled it onto the edge of the well, dunking her mug and Henry's inside to fill them.

"Careful," Emma laughed, as Henry sloshed his water everywhere when he took his mug from her.

"Cheers!" he exclaimed, bashing his mug against Emma's a little over-exuberantly and soaking both their hands in water.

Emma and Henry sipped at the water, marvelling at its fresh taste. Emma didn't remember it being so invigorating the last time she drank it with August, and she thought there was even a slight taste of some fruit or something that hadn't been there before. She couldn't put her finger on what it was; but something was definitely different.

"So what did you wish for?"

"Mom!" Henry said, appalled. Emma smirked. "I can't tell you that! It won't come true. Besides, haven't you read the plaque? You don't have to wish for something for it to happen." Emma couldn't help smiling at his knowing tone, walking past him to read the plaque. She vaguely remembered August telling her something about the well and the plaque, but it felt like so long ago and she'd forgotten.

"Right. Magic lake. Power to return something lost. Got it," she mumbled, reading the plaque. "So I guess this probably is magic then…"

"Uh huh," Henry replied excitedly.

"Do you know something I don't?" Emma asked him, suspicious of his enthusiasm when he'd previously seemed wary of magic.

"No," he answered, not managing to convince Emma what with her 'superpower' and all.

Humouring him, however, Emma changed to conversation topic. "So got any food in that bag of yours?"

Henry rolled his eyes, reaching into his bag and pulling out two Apollo bars. He waved them in front of Emma's face before handing her one and unwrapping his own candy bar.

Viewing her bar with some amusement, Emma said, "I think you've got a bit of a candy addiction." It seemed to her that Henry always had a stock of his favourite Apollo candy bars.

"Duh, I'm ten," he grinned, showing her chocolate covered teeth.

"Monster," Emma laughed.

Henry snorted as she pulled him towards her and began tickling him.

"No, no, stop!"

Releasing him, Emma ruffled his hair again and handed him the second candy bar. "Keep it."

Henry beamed and stuffed it into the pocket of his jeans, saving it for later.

"So…are we done?" Emma asked.

"No," Henry told her, picking the map and compass up and setting off again.

Sighing, Emma finished her water and followed him, left to wonder what else he had in store for her and what the consequences of drinking the well water might be.

A timeline for reference so you can hopefully avoid confusion:

Reunion (Chapter 2) – Same day as the breaking of the curse

Parents together (Chapter 6) – 1 day later

Wooden Man (Chapter 8) – 2 days later

The Big Bad Wolf (Chapter 4) – 2 days later

Up Goes the Beanstalk (Chapter 7) – 1 week later

The Wishing Well (Chapter 9) – 1 and ½ weeks late

Huntsman (Chapter 3) – 2 weeks later

Storming (Chapter 1) – 1 month later

Whole town Chapter (Chapter 11) – 1 month later

Dreaming (Chapter 5) – 5 weeks later

Grumpy Chapter (Chapter 10) – 5 weeks later

A/N: Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what some of you think of this chapter that links with chapter one, so leave a review if you've got time. I do love hearing what you guys think. Also, don't forget that I'm still looking for prompts for other encounters Emma can have with the fairytale characters, otherwise there will only be two more chapters before this story finishes.

To the anonymous reviewer who made a prompt: I'm going to work the meeting you want to see into the whole town chapter I have planned for chapter 11, if you don't mind.

Much love, SabreDae

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