The Point of No Return. Proceed with caution. This is an upsetting chapter.
What is she doing? Is she really considering what she thinks she's considering?
After leaving city hall, and without premeditation, she begins driving in the direction of the Mills mansion. Thankfully Storybrooke is not a large town, since she has to drive through blinding tears the whole way there. Once she has reached her destination, she sits in the parked vehicle, sobbing uncontrollably and debating a hasty decision. Though she knows that it is always dangerous when she lets pain be her motivator, in her mind, she has nothing left to lose. Her greatest dream was taken away from her in an instant. Now nothing remains. She is left without hope and without a family. She feels herself caving in. In her heart she believes that if she stays in this town she will die. But she is not about to make the same mistake twice.
The unsuspecting teenager answers his phone on the first ring. "Mom?"
She swallows the lump in her throat and tries not to terrify her very perceptive son. "Hey, kid, come downstairs."
Henry pushes back the curtain over his bedroom window and spots the familiar yellow bug parked across the street. "I'll be right down," he confirms.
It's times such as these when Emma wishes she had been more diligent about her magic lessons. She could fix her frightening appearance effortlessly, if she had only paid attention to Regina.
The frustrated woman frantically searches the glove compartment for napkins to wipe her tear streaked face. Fortunately, her son decided not to race downstairs giving his mother a few extra minutes to calm. She checks herself in the rear-view mirror. Still not any better. Then she comes up with a brilliant solution. Sunglasses!
Why doesn't she wear sunglasses more often? She wonders. As hormonal as she has been lately, Emma reasons, she should probably start wearing sunglasses on a daily basis.
She had been so preoccupied with evaluating her stylish choice in eye-wear that she is startled by her son standing next to the passenger side door.
"Are you alright?"
It would be silly for Emma to think that her son wouldn't notice that she is wearing such a noticeable accessory. She quickly formulates an excuse.
"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I just…had my eyes dilated, is all." That seems like a legitimate excuse. Not suspicious at all.
"Oh."
She hates herself for lying to him, but she appreciates her son for not calling her out on her bullshit.
The streak of lying only continues. "You're mom's running late, so she asked me to feed you dinner."
He's a little surprised to learn that his mothers have bounced back so quickly. However, this is just the kind of thing that his brunette mother would do. She has always put his well-being first.
"Okay. Cool!"
He eagerly accepts the proposal, he is famished after all, and slides into the passenger seat of the yellow bug. But upon closer look, his mother's appearance is reason for concern. "Are you okay, Mom?"
She struggles to remain casual. "Yeah. I'm fine." But after a minute, she asks the nagging question, "Are you happy, Henry?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, here. Are you happy here, in Storybrooke?"
"I guess so." The teenager considers the question. "I'm happy to be back with Mom and Grandma and Grandpa," he confidently responds.
This wasn't the answer she'd hoped for, so the blonde woman tries a different approach. "But, were you happier in New York?"
This question earns some consideration. "I don't know. I was happy, but I didn't remember this place or my family."
That one word stings so much now, for she knows she will never have the family she so desperately desires. Now, she decides, is time to take control of her life and create her own happiness.
With renewed determination, she asserts, "We can have that again, Henry."
Without realizing, she increases the speed of her vehicle. Noticing the change in momentum, Henry vocalizes his observation. "Mom, you were supposed to turn there."
Without faltering, the young woman maintains her velocity. "We're not going to Granny's," she blankly informs.
His mother's unsettling demeanor is cause for uncertainty. "Where are we going?"
She bites her lip before being honest for the first time during their exchange. "We're going home."
The boy's confusion is evident. "To Grandma's?"
Her trepidation increasing, she clarifies, "We're going home to New York."
"But," Henry begins. "Our home is here. Our family is here."
That dreaded word finally sets her off. "Our family is broken!"
Though he hasn't known his birth mother for very long, he knows her well enough to realize the one thing that would cause her to behave in such a manner.
"Did something happen between you and Mom?" When his question is met with silence, he consequently realizes the answer and presses the issue. "Something did happen, didn't it?"
It serves her right, she realizes, for thinking that she could keep something such as that hidden from their son.
"If you'll just tell me, maybe I can help."
"I don't need your help!" She didn't mean for her aggression to be directed toward Henry. Unfortunately he was caught in the middle, as most children of divorced parents are. She backs off slightly, but maintains a firm tone. "We're leaving Storybrooke and that's final."
It's lucky that she keeps her eyes focused on the road in order to avoid both an accident and looking into her son's eyes. If she had been looking at him, she would notice the expression of betrayal, something she never wanted to see for the rest of her life.
Henry voices the heartbreaking truth. "My mom didn't ask you to come get me. You made it all up."
When his accusations are ignored, Henry fishes his phone out of his jacket pocket. This sparks a response.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm not going anywhere with you," he mumbles as he searches for his mother's number.
"Henry, put that away," Emma warns. But when her son refuses her order, she nervously asks, "Who are you calling?" The silence is answer enough and she voices her realization. "Regina?"
She doesn't even register the tears in her son's eyes when he explains. "I want to talk to my real mom."
Emma had not only betrayed her son's trust, she had broken his heart.
Fear overtaking her, she reaches for the threatening device. Only she overshoots her aim and opens the passenger door instead.
"HENRY!" she shouts. She was frightened before, but she has never felt fear such as this. "Henry, no!"
Unfortunately, the impervious teenager hadn't bothered to put his seat-belt on and struggles to remain inside the car.
Maybe it was magic, maybe it was instinct. Somehow the blonde woman manages to grasp enough of Henry's clothing to keep her son inside the car until she is able to slow down to a non-fatal speed. Seconds later, she loses her grip and helplessly watches her son fall out of the moving vehicle, onto the abandon highway, leading away from Storybrooke.
Pulling over to the side of the road, she catches sight of her son in the rear-view mirror.
Ignoring the bile rising in her throat, she races on trembling legs toward the boy's crumpled figure, immediately falling at her son's side. He is moving.
In an instant, she had almost lost the most important person in her world. She vows to never again put her precious child in such a position.
Kneeling beside him, she cries, "Henry, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Stay away from me!" he demands. But, unmistakably, his injuries have rendered him helpless.
"Henry, please," the blonde woman pleads. "Let me help you."
"Leave me alone," he insists, despite the fact that he is in a tremendous amount of pain.
At this moment all Emma wants to do is fall apart. Luckily, instinct takes over and she seizes control of a scary situation. "Henry, I need to get you back inside the car so I can take you to the hospital," she explains and attempts to help the injured boy into a sitting position.
"Don't touch me!" he protests. "I'm not going with you."
She understands that there is absolutely no reason that her son should trust her. Though, as much as he probably hates her, she must get him to the hospital. "Henry, I promise, I am taking you to Storybrooke's hospital," she assures.
He continues his objection. "I want my mom."
As much as she tries to deny it, it does hurt. But only one woman has earned the right to be called this boy's mother.
"I will call your mom and tell her to meet us there, okay?"
She only hopes, for Henry's sake, that her proposal sounds reassuring. Thankfully, at the mere mention of his brunette mother, Henry calms.
"Please help me get you back inside the car."
The blonde woman is sure to buckle her son in this time. Though, she understand that this is probably the last time he will ever be in her vehicle.
7777777
The normally tranquil bug has turned chaotic. The young sheriff is entirely grateful for the barely charged scanner she always kept with her. Even though Storybrooke is normally a quiet town, she was sure to always have it in case of an emergency. She attempts to balance the cell phone and the transceiver, which was probably not the best idea, as she races toward town. Henry's broken arm feels every sharp turn of the vehicle.
The queen was still recovering from the emotionally charged conversation that had just taken place in her office and is relieved when she sees the familiar face of the blonde sheriff appear on her phone. Calming slightly, the grateful queen acknowledges the caller.
"Emma?"
"Regina!" She didn't mean to shout, she is currently trying to balance a conversation with her and the hospital.
The older woman is instantly alarmed. "What's going on?"
"It's Henry." Emma begins to cry. She never has been able to hide her true emotions from the woman she loves.
The queen's heart stops as her mind jumps to the worst scenario imaginable. "Where is my son?"
"I've got him. We're on our way to the hospital," she explains, though she is anything but composed.
"What happened?" Regina is firm in her request for information.
The distraught sheriff hopes to buy herself some time. "I don't know."
But the concerned mother is having none of Emma's nonsense. "What do you mean you don't know?"
"I'm sorry Regina. It all happened so quickly."
"What did?" She is growing more frantic by the minute.
Upon reaching town, the scanner takes over the conversation.
Over the static, Regina hears Emma say, "I need a stretcher and EMT's outside Storybrooke's hospital. My son's been in an accident."
The queen feels faint.
The sheriff continues, "I'll be there in one minute." She redirects her attention to her son's mother. "Regina? Can you meet us at the hospital?"
"I'm on my way." She has no idea what to expect when she gets there, but nothing will prevent her from being at her son's side in his time of need.
7777777
The EMTs are already waiting outside with the requested stretcher when the yellow bug pulls in front of the emergency entrance.
Regina, who had reached the hospital in a puff of purple smoke, fights the tears clouding her vision and races toward her son who is carefully being helped out of the yellow bug. At first sight of blood, she screams, "Henry!"
Upon catching sight of his very worried mother, Henry cries out, "Mom!"
Only minutes ago he feared that he might never see this woman again.
Regina is absolutely certain that she knows best how to take care of her son and pushes past the EMTs. "Honey, let me see." But she immediately backs off when her child cries out in pain. She had accidently shocked him in her haste. The knowledge of which only upsets her more. The queen cannot stand being helpless where her son is concerned. The sound of her child in pain apparently caused her to lose control of her magic. Thankfully, at the moment of harsh awareness she is supported by quieting hands grasping her biceps from behind.
"Regina, it's okay. They'll take care of him," Emma soothes, she tries to sound reassuring. "You're upset. You're magic isn't working properly."
Accepting the younger woman's words, the queen noticeably relaxes.
Registering that Regina has calmed, the sheriff loosens her grip. "They'll take care of him. Don't worry," she reminds.
Regina's gaze remains focused on the most important person in her life as he is wheeled into the building. "I hurt him."
Despite the desire to leave forever, less than an hour ago, the blonde woman feels compelled to console and support her son's other mother. "That wasn't your fault. You were upset."
The queen is still too distressed to form rational thought. And, honestly, her head hurts from crying so much. "Emma," she begins, wiping tears from her eyes. "What happened?"
The young woman doesn't know why this question catches her off guard. Of course Regina would want to know what happened. She chooses her words carefully. "I never meant for him to get hurt."
The queen jumps to accusations. "What did you do?"
"After I left City Hall, I picked Henry up," Emma cautiously explains. "I wanted to talk to him." She has no idea where she is going with this confession. Is she actually going to tell Regina the truth?
"How in the hell did my son end up with a broken arm?!" The older woman's tone is terrifying.
"He fell out of my car," she hesitates, "while it was moving."
"A person doesn't just fall out of a moving vehicle," Regina clarifies. "What happened?" It is apparent that her patience has run out.
"I accidentally opened the door." She quickly amends, "I didn't mean too—"
"What were you trying to do?"
The younger woman promptly realizes that she might not live to see another day.
"Swan, you have five seconds," the queen threatens.
"I was trying to get the phone out of his hand and accidentally opened the passenger door."
She watches her words have an effect as the queen struggles to piece together the bits of information she has been given.
"Why were you trying to take his phone?"
"He was going to call you," she reveals. "He was upset because I told him that we were leaving Storybrooke." When the mayor doesn't respond, Emma checks to make sure that she hasn't killed her. "Regina—"
"How could you..?" "You," she has to pause in order to avoid breaking down. "You tried to take my son away?" She only hopes that by saying it out loud, it might somehow make sense. "After I just got him back?" That realization is noticeably the most upsetting of all.
Though, at this point, her efforts are purposeless, Emma begins, "Regina, I—"
"I don't want hear ANYTHING you have to say!" She begins to walk away.
"Regina, please…" the younger woman pleads.
The queen whips around to face the young sheriff. "Don't test me, Swan," she warns. "I am beyond furious."
But the younger woman doesn't give up so easily. She can see past Regina's tough exterior to the frightened woman beneath. "Please, Regina…"
The sight of the fireball is all it takes to silence the younger woman. Emma intuitively throws her hands up, ready to defend herself with magic if necessary. Though she knows that in a fight against Regina she would never win, she hopes that this woman will have mercy on her because of her unborn child.
Upon seeing this reaction from the visibly frightened woman, the queen is brought back to the present. She never wanted to threaten her son's mother, the woman who was once her lover, again. Unfortunately, she reacted before she could stop herself. She lowers her hand slowly and the fire gradually subsides.
"If you even come near my son again, a sleeping curse is nothing compared to what I will do to you." Although her delivery is calmer than before, her words are still laced with contempt. "You want to leave Storybrooke? For your own safety, I think that's a wise decision."