Paths

snoopykid asked for a oneshot of Emma asking Henry: "If you didn't get the storybook, would you still have tried to find me?" She asks because she is conflicted with her memories with Ingrid and what could have been. Would she still have ended up on the path she ended up on?

"I feel like this book changes around depending on what's going on." Henry said, contemplating. "I mean, the stories of my other mom and your parents came up when I first read it, and as time's gone on it's edited itself to include the stories of whoever we've needed to find out about. It's pretty cool."

"Well kid, you're the Author now, I guess it'll be up to you to control the stories." Emma said, ruffling his hair affectionately. "You control everyone's paths, spooky."

"Well not quite everyone's. I can't control anyone who isn't from a world with magic. So your brother, I couldn't control him." Henry explained. Emma nodded, understanding. But then it got her thinking about all the decisions that had been made without the intrusion of the Author in this world. By the time Emma had been born he was locked away and unable to change anything. Every decision had been the one of the person making it.

"If you didn't get the storybook, would you still have tried to find me?" She asked him nervously. Henry looked up from where he was reading the Woodcutter's (Michael Tillman's) story. He could see that his mom looked worried.

"I think so, I just wouldn't have known about the curse. Why?" He responded.

"Well that storybook seems to have impacted all our lives whether the Author directly wrote anything or not. I was just wondering how things might have been different for all of us. What if you hadn't gotten that storybook from Mary Margaret? What if Ingrid hadn't gone gaga and actually adopted me?" Henry now understood what brought this on.

"I think we always would have found each other." Henry said, taking her hand. "After all, in this family we always do." He pointed out. Emma smiled at him. He had that little twinkle in his eye- the twinkle only Henry's never ending provided. Henry always knew exactly what to say to cheer her up.

"Thanks kid, I needed that." She said. Henry rested his head on her shoulder.

"It's what I do."