Savior Returns

Emma's heart swelled with emotion as she allowed Henry into her home. Her son, whom she had given up for adoption all those years ago, was standing right before her. She dropped to her knees and pulled him into a tight embrace, cherishing the warmth of his presence as if a missing piece of her had been restored.

"Kid, what are you doing here? Where are your parents?" Emma inquired, concern etching her features.

"I have a Mom, and she doesn't know I'm here," Henry replied, standing at her counter, his words laden with a sense of purpose.

Emma furrowed her brow again, trying to make sense of the situation. "Give me a minute," she said and hurried toward her room to change into jeans.

As she dressed, she heard Henry's voice from the kitchen. "Hey, do you have any juice? Never mind, found some!" Henry's youthful enthusiasm filled the room as he made himself at home. Emma couldn't help but smile; he was undeniably her son. She joined him in the kitchen, feeling a sense of déjà vu.

"You know, we should probably get going," Henry suggested, placing the bottle of juice on the counter.

Emma crossed her arms, her mind racing with her plans and the curse she needed to break. "Going where?" she asked, her tone filled with curiosity.

"I want you to come home with me," Henry declared.

Emma's mind began to whirl as she considered what she had to do and why she had made the painful decision to give him up all those years ago. She moved toward her phone, contemplating her next steps. "Alright, kid, I'm calling the cops."

"Then I'll tell them you kidnapped me," Henry replied matter-of-factly, his determination unwavering.

Emma sighed, realizing that Henry possessed a level of cunning and determination that reminded her so much of herself. "You're not gonna do that," she challenged.

"Try me," Henry retorted.

That's when Emma's innate intuition, her superpower, kicked in. She had always been able to read body language, and it was now clear to her that Henry was lying. She started dialing her phone. "Wait," Henry implored desperately. "Please don't call the cops… Please? Come home with me."

Emma hesitated, the weight of her responsibilities pressing upon her. "Where's home?" she finally asked.

"Storybrooke, Maine," Henry replied. Emma paused; she had never heard of such a town, having spent most of her life in Maine.

"Storybrooke? Seriously?" Emma asked, skepticism lacing her words, although Henry's unwavering gaze made her question her doubt.

The kid nodded, affirming his words. "Alrighty then," Emma conceded. She was heading to Portland anyway, and a short side trip to Storybrooke wouldn't derail her plans.

Just as she was about to confirm her decision, her phone rang in her hand, startling her.

"Mom!" Emma answered the call. Henry perked up, eavesdropping on the conversation.

"Happy Birthday, Emma!" her mother's voice filled her ear. "Are you ready to head up here tomorrow?"

"Yep, I think I'm heading up there tonight, though. I have a visitor," Emma explained.

"Who?" her mother inquired.

"Henry," Emma replied. "Your grandson."

"What?" her mother exclaimed, her surprise evident.

"It's a long story; I'll tell you later," Emma assured her.

"Is that Snow White?" Henry piped up from his seat. Emma blinked and looked at her son.

"Kid, you and I need to talk. Let's get you back to Storybrooke," Emma said, determined to uncover the truth. She headed into her room to gather the bags she had packed for her trip to Maine.

On the road back to Maine, Henry pulled out August's book, startling Emma. She couldn't help but be curious. "So... is that a good book?" she asked, wondering what her son thought about their family's peculiar story. "What are those fairy tales?"

"They're not fairy tales. They're true," Henry asserted, his words sending a shiver down Emma's spine.

Emma decided to play it cool, hoping to learn more about what Henry knew and how he had become entangled in this strange world that was her life, a world she had tried so hard to keep him away from. "Of course they are," she whispered.

"Use your superpower, see if I'm lying," Henry challenged.

Emma reluctantly assessed him and muttered a curse under her breath. "Just because you believe something doesn't make it true," she countered.

"That's exactly what makes it true," Henry insisted. "You should know more than anyone."

"Why is that?" Emma asked, genuinely curious.

"Because you're in this book," Henry revealed. Emma sighed, realizing that their problems were even more complex than she had imagined. "Yep, and you're gonna fix them," Henry stated with unwavering determination.

"We have a detour," Emma announced as she veered off the freeway toward Portland to find Snow.

Frantic knocks on the door followed by Snow's surprised expression greeted them. Emma knew it was time to begin unraveling the mysteries of Storybrooke.