Simple Words

Before Henry opened his eyes in the morning, his other senses awoke first. It was something with the combination. The sound of water running, the smell of pancakes and coffee. He knew smell was an interesting sense on it's own. It had the strongest ability to bring you back to old memories. While his consciousness had not fully moved into gear, the smells and sounds threw him back to memories of home. Not the apartment and not the house he had lived in with Emma and Neal, but the home he had grown up in for over ten years.

His eyes snapped open and his mind spun. It winded down slowly as realization sunk in and he remembered where he really was. He sat up and looked around the room. He heard the water stop but there was still movement in the kitchen.

He got up and threw his shirt back on, trying to shake and pat the wrinkles out of it. He hadn't been prepared to spend the night here, so he figured this would have to do. He grabbed his phone and saw a message from Emma about finding a flight for today.

At this point, he didn't really know what the mast plan was. He should have spoken up sooner. Things weren't as he predicted and it looked like he'd have to play it by ear. Whatever he wanted to do though, Emma was coming today. That, and the fact that this was a big day for Regina, meant he may not be getting any one on one time with his mother at all. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do now.

One of the biggest reasons for coming was to properly apologize. Now he had technically done that, but had he really shown her how sorry he was? Not really. And Emma…well the point was that he do this, not her. It wasn't fair to her that she had to step in like this.

Trying not to worry too much, Henry finally stepped out of the room. He followed the same way back down the hall and towards the sounds he heard. He paused when he saw Regina and Luca faced away from him. Despite the strong memories of their years fresh in his mind, this was so different.

Not just the setting, which was obviously different. Different kitchen, different house, different state. It was Regina. Everything about her right now was foreign to him. Appearance wise, her hair grabbed his attention. It was just a tad longer than when she'd left, but it was how the top half was pulled into a pony tail in such a casual manner that actually shocked him. He'd never seen it like that before.

There was also the change in demeanor, though this wasn't the first time he noticed it. He'd noticed that first actually, from the moment he saw her at school the other day, her skin practically glowing in the California sun. Her posture was just so carefree and without all the tension she used to carry constantly. When she turned slightly, he saw the side of her face, an easy smile there. She brushed her hand over Luca's back as she placed a plate in front of him.

"Thanks, Mum." He smiled up at her.

"You're welcome, sweetie." She went to turn back to the counter when her eyes caught sight of her other son. "Henry." She definitely seemed to take a second to process the sight as well, but recovered faster. "Take a seat. I'll get you a plate." She gave him a soft smile and he nodded.

He felt uncomfortably out of place but he tried to work through that. He sat down facing Luca and saw the younger boy look him over slowly. It seemed that despite yesterday, Luca was still being cautious around him and Henry actually appreciated it in a weird way. He didn't want them to be weary of him, but it was a good thing to know that Luca was looking out for their mother. Someone had to, Henry figured, and he knew it hadn't been him in a long, long time. Regina returned only a moment later with a plate of pancakes and a glass of juice.

"Thank you." He met her eyes and she seemed to be relaxing more by the minute.

"You're welcome." She brought her own food to the table and took the seat at the head, right in between the boys.

This was a first in general. While they had shared meals in the past, this was the first time ever it was just Regina and her two sons. They had always had Emma there and sometimes more people. But never once was it just the three of them. It was strange, but then not as bad as some may have thought in the past.

"Well, Henry…" Regina started after they had spent most of the meal in silence. "We have to go pick up Lilly. Then I promised her we'd go to the park, so-"

"Right, yeah, I understand. You could drop me off-"

"Henry." Regina stopped him and then waited until he met her eyes. "I was wondering if you'd like to come?" She finished and Henry looked completely thrown by the request. This was a big moment for them. He felt like an intruder already.

"But you're like…bringing her home for the first time right? I don't think I should-"

"It's okay. It's not like it's her first time here. It's up to you, but I think it would be nice for her to meet you." She did sound genuine about it.

Henry was a bit conflicted because he really didn't want to be a burden on her. Lilly was a big surprise to him and he was having trouble figuring out what he should do. But then she was asking him to come. It was a small offering that he was having a hard time not grabbing up.

Seeing her again, talking to her, interacting with her…Henry didn't want that to stop. It might be selfish not to want to give her up, but then again, she had asked. He really didn't really want to go back to that motel room alone. Maybe not all plans were off.

Regina didn't mean for the car ride to be so silent. She didn't want everything to be so awkward, but it was hard to avoid. She didn't want to talk too much about Lilly, as she could already see how it was affecting Henry, though he was doing an impressive job at appearing indifferent. If she didn't know the boy so well, she'd probably never notice. It was enough that he was going to be meeting her less then twelve hours after reuniting with her and Luca. She could see it was a lot for him.

But then she had barely slept last night. Henry was here. He was here. Right here and while Regina was so completely confused and overwhelmed by his abrupt appearance, she was even more bothered by the thought of just sending him off again. Of just letting this opportunity slip through her fingers. She knew it might be selfish. She was used to that feeling. But she just wanted them all right now. Luca, Lilly and Henry. Whatever was happening, probably wouldn't be easy, but for the moment, she just wouldn't stand the thought of letting any of them go.

She really needed to talk to someone about this. She had called Susan to tell her the news about Lilly, but then they both acknowledged that they should catch up in person. One of the things Regina loved about Susan was her way of simply understanding. She was good at reading people in general. Knowing their moods and having the ability to react appropriately. It was a blessing to Regina who needed people to talk to who wouldn't push her. She still needed just a bit more time before she tried to explain all this though.

When they pulled up outside the home, her smile just couldn't be suppressed. She'd done this plenty of times. She loved Lilly and had made a routine of getting her out in the sun more. Taking her to the park or a movie, whatever to get her away from the home for a few hours and allow them more time to bond.

But this was the first time that she didn't have to bring her back. There was no one to check in with. No curfew or time frame to abide by. No permission to be needed. In whatever capacity, she was finally Lilly's guardian. Her parent. Her mother.

She saw Becky standing outside alone and while that might have concerned her for a second, as she saw a suitcase there in her hand, Regina relaxed and excitement flowed through her.

"Luca, can you open the trunk?" She asked as she unbuckled.

"Yeah, I can get her bag too."

"Thank you. I should be back out in a minute." She glanced back and Henry nodded. They got out and Luca took the suitcase while Regina looked to Becky.

"I figured you'd like to go get her yourself." Becky smiled warmly and Regina returned it.

"Yes, I definitely do." She glanced back as Luca got back into the car, before she turned back and went back inside, taking the familiar route to Lilly's room. When she poked her head inside, she saw Lilly on the floor, the doll Regina had given her on her birthday in hand, and watched her for a few seconds until the little girl seemed to sense her and glanced towards the doorway.

"Regina!" She jumped up and practically launched herself into Regina's arms. She caught her and pulled her into a snug hug.

"Hello Princess." She kissed her head and Lilly pulled back to grin at her. Regina sat down on Lilly's bed, turning her to sit sideways on her lap.

"We going to the park!" She exclaimed and Regina laughed.

"Yes."

"Can we stay all day?" She asked, as she always did. Regina had been pushing their time a little longer each time and Lilly always tried to see how long they could go for.

"Well, not all day." She said and smiled at Lilly. "I thought you'd like to go back to my house today." She tilted her head and the little girl was instantly excited.

"Yes I do. I do want that." She said quickly and Regina was growing further and further excited as well. "Can I spend the night? Miss Becky says I've been very good. She might let me if we ask her really nicely." She batted her eyes and in this moment, the only thing that didn't make her happy was the chance of them not being able to make this permanent one day.

"You know, I think I have an even better idea." She paused for a just a second and made sure they held eye contact. "How would you like to come live with me and Luca?" She felt just a hint of nerves in the split second it took Lilly to comprehend her words before her little arms were tightened like a vice around her neck. "Is that a yes?" She asked with a laugh.

"Yes!" Lilly squeezed her neck and rather than pull out of the hug, Regina just adjusted her legs again as she stood up and held the girl to her. She turned her head and placed a few more kisses on Lilly's head, earning her giggles of joy.

She hadn't truly been worried whether or not Lilly would be excited. The girl had flat out asked Regina if she could live with her on several occasions. It had been torturous to Regina to get through those conversations. She couldn't give her hope if she wasn't a hundred percent sure it would work out. That would have been far more cruel than to ease out of those conversations as she had learned to do, with some help from Becky and Susan who had dealt with these children long enough to be able to offer advice.

It had broken her heart though. She had loved Lilly from day one and not being able to say yes, like she wanted to, had killed her. Especially when she saw how well she had taken to Luca. Starting as the girl who wouldn't even speak during their first few meetings, to her running around and getting piggy back rides from her son, laughing the whole way, was a huge transformation and Regina couldn't bare the thought of taking any of that away. She had always wanted to give her what she deserved and now she was.

Regina bent and grabbed the doll and the small bag in her room before walking her daughter back to the car.

When his mother had started to walk away, Luca got back in the car, though he didn't just buckle up and wait. Instead, he turned slightly and looked at Henry.

"That was you at school, wasn't it?" He had his eyes narrowed slightly as he looked closely at Henry.

"Yeah."

"I thought I was crazy." He shook his head before regarding Henry again. "So why exactly are you in school?"

"That's what you want to know? Not, why am I here? What do I want? How did I find you in California?" He wasn't sounding rude. He was genuinely curious.

"I understand your birth mother used to spend her time finding people, and as far as I know, you've always been smart. I know you found Emma all on your own when you were only ten. I'm not quite as shocked as Mum is that you managed to track us down. As for what you want and why you're here, I love Mum very much. If anything ever happened as it did between you two, I believe I would do anything to say sorry and have her back. As I said, you're smart and she is still your mother. Again, I'm not as surprised."

"Um…thanks." He caught the compliments in there and chose to start with that. "You're pretty smart too." He said genuinely, having not expected Luca to say all that.

"Thanks. But you still haven't answered my question." He watched as Henry shrugged.

"I'm…thinking ahead."

"What does that-" Luca stopped when he saw Regina and Lilly stepping from the building. His confused expression changed into a smile instantly. "We should switch places. She's really shy around strangers at first."

"Oh, yeah okay." Henry nodded and they both got out of the car. Henry turned just as Regina reached them and he stopped to see her. Regina smiled at him.

"Lilly, I want you to meet someone. This is Henry." She looked back at the little girl who was exactly as Luca had said. She gave one glance at Henry before immediately turning her face back into Regina's neck. "She'll come around." She reassured and Henry nodded.

Regina walked to the other side of the car and put Lilly in her seat. She kept the shy demeanor for another moment until Luca took the spot next to her and got her giggling again with a few funny faces. Regina gave him a warm smile and closed the door before getting behind the wheel.

Henry got up front and again, was hit with a weird wave of déjà vu. It wasn't bad though. It gave him an old, but familiar sense of comfort. He looked at his mother and she caught his eyes, the smile on her face coming even faster this time.

When they got to the park, Henry got to see that more carefree side to Lilly. She definitely was not one for interacting with strangers, but she very obviously loved Regina and Luca. She ran from one to the other freely, smiling and laughing the whole time.

Henry stayed out of their way. While Lilly had been a random and surprising thing for him, he could see now that there was a reason his mother had chosen to foster her. They were much closer than he would have guessed and he was seeing just how settled they really were here. He wasn't too worried about that though.

He found himself actually smiling quite a bit. He had had so many thoughts and predictions about how they would be. And then many predictions about how he would be with them. How they would react to him. Nothing was quite like he'd imagined, but that seemed okay now. The genuine joy on her face was something he didn't realize he had longed to see this much.

It was bothering him though, in a way. Because the longer he watched her, the more he wanted to be a part of it. He had come to terms with his mistakes and regrets before coming here. He didn't need the reminder that he could have had this all along. He knew that. The part that was bothering him, was whether or not being here was going to hurt or help.

He wanted to help. That was the goal. But looking at how happy she was now, what if she didn't feel the way she did before? They hadn't had enough time to talk. He had no idea how she truly felt.

At some point, after he had taken a seat on a bench to watch, Regina left Lilly to build sandcastles with Luca, and came over to him. She took a seat right by him, turning to make sure she could watch over her other kids easily. Henry didn't know why he suddenly felt so nervous again, but he did.

"I never thanked you." She started and Henry glanced at her curiously.

"For what?"

"For jumping in front of a car to save Luca." She gave him a smile and he nodded. "It was amazing. Thank you for that."

"You're welcome, but I kind of owed him." He said and saw her immediate confusion. "From the mine." He clarified, but she still shook her head. "He never told you?"

"I…don't think so."

"The wall didn't just fall in on him. He got hurt because he saved me. I definitely owed him." He watched Luca and Lilly playing and Regina took a second to absorb the information. She kept on studying him as he sat quietly.

"Are you alright?" She asked and Henry immediately looked back at her.

"Yeah…of course." He tried to shake it off but she kept watching him.

"What is it?" She spoke quietly and he got a little lost in her eyes, forgetting himself.

"You're…so happy." It wasn't what he meant to say. Not at all. But he had been watching them this whole time, thinking just that and it's what popped out. He was still mentally scolding himself when he saw Regina studying him again.

"Why did you come here, Henry?" She asked her earlier question again, hoping for a bit more enlightenment. He bit his lip and took a moment to gather himself, before finally giving in.

"I messed up, Mom." He looked down at his hands and Regina took a deep breath, trying to decide what to say. Before she could though, he continued. "Everything that I said to you…the night I saw you and Emma, the things I said-"

"Henry-"

"No." He looked at her. "What I said to you, calling you evil and accusing you of taking my happiness. None of that was right. It wasn't even true." He shook his head, the familiar guilt building up again.

"Henry, it's okay-"

"No it isn't!" He immediately ducked his head after yelling out, seeing Luca glance their way as well as a few others in the park. Regina looked around as well before scooting just a bit closer.

"Henry, look at me." Regina reached out slightly, but then retracted her hand and cleared her throat. Henry hesitantly looked back up and met her eyes. "I understand why you felt that way. I took a lot of people's happiness. And I know I took yours-"

"You didn't. I said you did, but you didn't. I did. I took yours and Emma's and I'm sorry. I-"

"Shh, Henry, stop." She immediately leaned closer to him again as his emotions took over.

She couldn't help it. She lifted her hand again and this time, slowly reached for him. It had been so long since she had touched him. She might not have seen him in a long time and been affectionate with him in even longer, but she still knew him. They'd each grown in different ways, but this was still Henry.

She gently reached a hand for his cheek. He didn't pull away. He actually leaned into her and she cupped his chin like she had so many times before. She smiled and looked into his eyes. She knew what he needed to hear now.

"Henry…I love you. And I forgive you." She held his gaze and the second she saw that first hint of water in his eyes, she moved her arm around him and he just fell into her.

He'd been thinking about this for awhile. Even when he'd still been so angry. Then when he'd been confused. When he'd started feeling truly lost. When he'd started really thinking about his actions. When he'd objected at the wedding. When he joined Emma in her search for his adoptive mother. When he started feeling desperate himself. When he'd seen Luca's name on that screen. When he'd gotten on the bus. And then from the second he'd finally seen his mother again.

He didn't know the last time he'd hugged his mother. It was something that truly bothered him. Was it when they were still in Neverland? That's what worried him. It was so long ago. But right now, for just a moment, he could pretend like no time had passed. If he closed his eyes, it was like they were home again, in the house she raised him in and nothing had ever changed.

He felt her hand go to his head, the other still wrapped around him. He didn't want it to end. He knew it had to. They were still at the park. Luca and Lilly were there and Regina had to give her attention to them as well. They had to go about their day and to do that, he couldn't just cling to her like this. But he stayed for a few more seconds. He stayed in the arms of the mother he turned away. The same mother he was bound and determined to be with again. He stayed just a few more seconds before finally pulling back.

He used his sleeve to wipe at the spot on his cheek he knew a tear had fallen. He cleared his throat and tried to gather himself. When he looked at Regina again, she was smiling softly.

Regina, for her part, was still trying to absorb everything, but was feeling something different now. Last night, she had been so thrown. So overwhelmed. She had heard Henry's words and could tell they were genuine, but it had been too hard for her to respond. With the news of Lilly as well, the emotional conflict had been too much.

Today, right now, Regina could see how hurt he was. She could see the emotions in his eyes. She could feel the truth of his words. But more than all that, she was seeing her little boy again. She wasn't seeing the teenager that had screamed such hateful words at her. She was seeing the little boy that had saved her soul. The child that she would love always and no matter what. Two years didn't seem so substantial right now.

"You are happy…right?" Henry looked up and Regina lifted her fingers to his bangs. It was difficult not to touch him now.

"Yes." She said honestly. She tilted her head. "Are you?" She saw the answer before any words were spoken. She was expecting to either hear that truth, or the opposing lie. Somehow, he managed to surprise her.

"I'm working on it." He gave a little smile that brought her back to him being her little boy again and she matched it, though she did narrow her eyes slightly.

"You're not just here to apologize, are you? You have a mission, don't you?" She was still smiling as she watched him and Henry sighed.

"Don't I always?" He looked away and she patted his knee.

"Yeah, that's my boy." She spoke very softly, but Henry caught it and looked at her again.

"I really missed you." He was just as quiet.

"I missed you too, Henry. Very much." She ran her fingers through his hair again.

She knew everything wasn't this easy. It wasn't as if she'd just forgotten all that had happened with a few simple words. She could remember Henry's voice from that night as if he'd spoken yesterday. In the times she let herself reminisce, the emotions were right there waiting for her to tap into again. But her son wanted forgiveness. He needed it. And what she realized in that moment, was she did too.

Right now, she felt lighter. She felt that weight lifted like it was a physical burden she had carried on her shoulders all this time. It was liberating.

It wasn't over. Everything wasn't resolved. It's never quite so simple. But then why would life start getting simple now? Regina felt a peace in this moment that she hadn't in a long time, if ever.

She looked over as Lilly got up from the sandbox before running over to where she sat with Henry. She still eyed Henry wearily, but seemed to be getting just slightly more comfortable with his presence. She climbed up into Regina's lap and watched him. Henry gave her a small smile.

"Is it lunchtime yet?" Luca ran over and stood in front of them. Regina smiled as she tucked some of the falling hair from Lilly's pony tail back behind her ear.

"Hungry?" She asked, though she was pretty sure of the answer.

"Very much." He nodded.

"Alright. Lets go." She lifted Lilly up as she stood and they all made their way back to the car. Before they all got in though, Henry tapped Luca's shoulder. He nodded towards the back and Luca shrugged.

"She won't talk to you." He said and now Henry shrugged. He just got in the backseat next to Lilly casually.

"Hi." He got a small glance from her before she faced forward again. Henry just smiled softly and buckled up, watching out of the corner of his eye as the small child snuck glances throughout the drive.

That lighter feeling they had from their talk seemed to carry on. The void between them had decreased and it was obvious, not only in the palpable decrease in tension, but in their visible demeanor towards each other. Luca noticed how the smiles came easier. The lessening in hesitation before speaking to the other. Even Lilly almost broke and giggled at something Henry said. She managed to look back towards her food just in time.

Luca very nearly even experienced the green monster a bit. He was good at avoiding it. He was very rarely, if ever, jealous. He hadn't even thought of it in Storybrooke, and then there had been no one to be jealous of in the year and a half on the road. It wasn't really until Lilly that the thought even entered his mind.

It was never a lasting feeling though. Regina checked in with him as soon as the little girl was in their lives and often since. She was careful about it and had been beyond reassuring when it came to her love for him. He would never doubt it, but then when he had seen how she had taken to Lilly, he didn't mind being reminded how special he was to her. By the time she asked how he felt about Lilly becoming part of the family, he knew he didn't have any reasons to feel insecure.

It was just interesting how quickly Lilly was adapting to Henry's presence. Not even Damian could get a laugh out of her yet and he had been trying for awhile. Now he was going to be jealous.

"Are we gonna go back to the park?" Lilly asked, looking at Regina. Regina glanced at Luca before turning to her.

"Well, we'll go for a drive first and we'll see." She said and Lilly seemed satisfied. Luca grinned though and Henry watched them curiously. When she carried Lilly out, Henry paused by Luca.

"What did she mean by that?"

"She means we're going to drive around until Lilly falls asleep and then we'll go back home."

"Ah, gotcha." Henry nodded and got back in the car.

Sure enough, it didn't take long. Less than twenty minutes had gone by before Lilly's eyes started fluttering. Her head tilted and rested against the side of the car seat. A few more minutes and she was out like a light.

"We're good." Luca glanced back and then at Regina. She smiled and made a few more turns, bringing them back on a familiar street and to the house within minutes.

Regina pulled into the garage and got out of the car. The boys did as well and they each received Lilly's bags while Regina pulled the sleeping girl from her seat. Lilly only stirred briefly from the movement, her arms coming around Regina's neck and her head falling to her shoulder. Regina adjusted her onto her hip and held her keys in the other hand. They all walked out of the garage together and stepped on the walkway to the front door.

Regina was fiddling with her keys to pull out the one for the house, when they reached the front porch. She might have walked right into her had she not looked up then. But she did. She barley glanced up before freezing completely in her spot. The boys on either side mimicked the action.

Emma's eyes were glued to Regina as she stood slowly from the front step. Her jaw dropped open and closed a few times before she took a small step forward and gave the smallest, most hesitant smile.

"Hi."

I know you're really looking forward to the reunion, but i couldn't just skip over the other parts.

Now, i know that every chapter surrounding Henry gets a lot of strong reactions and that is wonderful. I only ask that if you are so nice as to review, just please go easy on me. :) Nothing kills my writing momentum faster or more effectively than a review that is only negative. Thank you. :)