Take Me Away
Chapter Three
"You lost my son?" Regina seethed. "How do you lose my son?"
I flinched, the guilt doubling in my stomach. I felt like I was gonna vomit, but oh how much more screwed I'd be if I puke in one of Regina's potted plants.
"Regina, relax, I'm sure Henry's alright," Mary Margaret attempted to soothe her but Regina just directed her lethal glare from me to my sister.
"Don't you dare tell me to relax," Regina ground out. "I've sent out everyone and looked through every inch of Storybrooke and Henry's nowhere to be found. Clearly he's not here, and if he's not here who knows what could happen to him?"
"Regina, I am so sorry," I murmured. My throat felt tight as I imagined all of the things that could be happening to Henry right now. Flashes of vicious murder spun through my mind and I felt like I was going to yank my hair out if Henry didn't show up soon.
"Did I tell you to speak?" Regina snapped. My lips sealed themselves together and I shrunk back into the corner I stood in.
Most people can't even get a flinch out of me, but Regina … boy is she something else. The woman practically radiated power and anger, and something about her seemed so wrong that it made my skin crawl. We never argued since I avoided doing anything wrong, and if she were to yell at me over something I wasn't at fault for she knew I would go right back at her.
But this was different.
This time I was at fault and Henry was gone.
She could yell at me all she wanted. I knew I deserved it. I just lost the kid who was practically family to me. Oh god what was I going to do?
"If my son isn't home by tomorrow, I will see to it that you regret ever waking up today," Regina snapped.
"Regina!" Mary Margaret exclaimed. "She's just a kid. This has gone far enough."
The pair started arguing but my mind shut them out, my thoughts overwhelming me.
If something bad happened to Henry I would never forgive myself. God knows Regina would never forgive me either, and as mayor of Storybrooke she could probably get me and my sister kicked out of town. That would so make my week better. We would have to live on the street and beg for money. Or work the corner. Oh god that would be so bad. Maybe we could move to New York and live amongst the city people. I've always wanted to see the Empire State Building.
Oh god, Mari, you're wandering. Pull it together!
Right, right – together. I can do that. Maybe.
God when I get my hands on Henry I'm going to shake him senseless!
Henry showed up at 10:26p.m.
My lungs began to function again the minute he walked through the door and slammed right into me. Second time today, and still as painful as the first.
"God Henry I think you fractured my –! Oh my god, Henry!" I cried. I threw my arms around the kid who buried his face in my shoulder. His cheeks were cold and his grip was tight as hell. "Where have you been?"
"I found her." He said it with so much relief I felt my heart skip a beat. I didn't even have to ask.
He'd found his birth mom.
Oh shit.
He'd found his birth mom.
Pulling back, I held him by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Henry, please tell me you didn't bring her here," I murmured. Glancing outside, I saw Regina talking to a flustered looking blonde woman around Mary Margaret's age. Oh no. The sheriff walked in, the awkward look on his face confirming the identity of the blonde outside.
"I told you things were going to change," Henry rushed. There was a light in his eyes so bright it hurt. "I found her, Mari." I wrapped my arms around the kid once more, hugging him as tight as I could.
Birth mom. Henry found his birth mom. I swallowed hard, knowing things were about to get real messy real quick. Regina was not the type to play games. If she felt threatened by, oh let's say the mother of her adopted child - she would do everything she could to eliminate the threat. If she forced out Henry's birth mom, the kid would be crushed!
But it was Regina. There was no room for argument, really. If she wanted the birth mom gone, she would be gone by morning and Henry wouldn't even get to say goodbye. I was certain the kid knew this so I refrained from mentioning it. Instead, I switched into sister-mode.
"I missed you Shorty. You had me really worried," I said softly. He hugged me tighter, making it a bit hard to breathe.
"I'm sorry. Did you get in trouble?" he asked hesitantly.
"Pretty sure I'll be fired once your mom gets back in here, but it's no biggie. I'm just so damn glad you're home. Never do that to me again, understood?"
"Understood."
Regina came back in five minutes later, a forced smile on her face and Henry's birth mom behind her. "Where's Henry?" she asked calmly.
"He went up to his room," Mary Margaret answered. Regina nodded, making her way to the bar and serving herself and the mom some drinks before turning to look at me.
"I expect you here bright and early to pick up Henry for school, and I expect you to stop by my study first. Clearly, we need to exchange words," she said crisply. With that, she turned on her heel and walked toward her study with Henry's birth mom, the pair soon disappearing from my line of sight.
I let out a sigh, nodding to Mary Margaret. "Let's go to the diner. I need to drown my sorrows in some cinnamon hot chocolate." Mary Margaret nodded and we left without another word, closing the door behind us and walking toward Granny's.