I open my eyes right as a ray of light hits my eyes and grunt, shutting them again quickly as I sit up and rub my face.
Looking to my left, I glare when I find a short man staring at me.
"What, never been behind bars before?"
I snort, "You have no idea,"
Suddenly his attention shifts to my right, "What are you looking at, sister?"
"Hey, Leroy—manners! We have a guest! So you are Henry's mother? How lovely for him to have you back in his life."
I turn to see an older man standing outside of the cell; I'm about to correct him when Emma sits up from next to me, "Actually, I was just dropping him off."
Leroy, who I've decided to call shorty, tsks, "Don't blame ya. They're all brats; who needs 'em."
The man standing outside the cell looks between the three of us uncomfortably as I turn my glare back to the short man. "Listen shorty-"
"Well, I'd give anything for one." The man outside the cell interrupts, "My wife and I, we tried for many years, but, uh... it was not meant to be."
"Well cry me a river."
Before I can hiss at him to stop being so rude, the sheriff from last night comes in and unlocks Short's cell. "Leroy! I'm going to let you out, but you need to behave. Put on a smile, and stay out of trouble." Shorty gives him a sarcastic smile, and me one last glare, before leaving. Flicking my fingers, he trips on his way out and I smirk.
Emma makes a face, "Seriously?"
The sheriff, thinking she's talking to him, gives us a mildly amused look. "Regina's drinks are a little stronger than we thought." I scoff, "We weren't drunk; there was a wolf, standing in the middle of the road." He gives us a disbelieving look. "A wolf. Right."
Suddenly the quick clicking of heels is heard and Emma groans quietly in protest of the noise. Leaning over, I give Emma a sly look. "How much you wanna bet it's Madam Bitch-"
"Graham? Henry's run away again, we have to-" She halts and a look of anger crosses her face "What are they doing here?" She looks to Emma furiously, "Do you know where he is?"
I snort while Emma shakes her head and stands to lean on the bars. "Lady, I haven't seen him since we dropped him off at your house, and-" she gestures to the bars she's leaning on "we've got a pretty good alibi."
The Mayor scoffs, "Yeah, well, he wasn't in his room this morning." I raise a brow, "Did you try his friends?" She frowns at me, "He doesn't really have any. Kind of a loner." I shift with a frown of my own, "Every kid has friends...Did you check his computer? If he was close to someone he'd be emailing them." Suddenly she narrows her eyes, "And you know this how?"
"Finding people's what we do." Emma interrupts, "Here's an idea; how about you guys let us out, and we'll help you find him."
~
Luckily, they agreed. Letting Emma sit in front of the kids computer, I kneeled next to her.
I few clicks later, Emma sighed. "Smart kid; cleared his inbox. I'm smart too, a little hard disk recovery utility I like to use." She muttered, waving the disk for them to see before plugging it in.
The sheriff looked on curiously, "I'm a bit more old-fashioned in my techniques. Pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, that sort of thing." I huffed a laugh, "You're on salary; we get paid for delivery. Pounding pavement is not a luxury that we get." Seeing an email show on the screen I nudged Emma, "What is it?"
"There's a receipt for a website, whosyourmomma.org—it's expensive. He has a credit card?" she questioned, throwing a confused look at the Mayor.
She gave Emma a deadpan expression, "He's ten."
Emma gave a low sigh, "Well, he used one."
"Pull up a transaction record, we can find out who he got a card from." Emma nods and does as I say before reading the name, "Mary Margaret Blanchard. Who's Mary Margaret Blanchard?
The Mayor scowls, "Henry's teacher."
~
As we walk towards the teachers classroom, I feel a similar wave of magic like I had felt at the town line when we first came here. It was stronger this time and- if I focused on it- it seemed to be entirely focused around one person. I frowned as we neared the classroom and heard the tail end of her lesson.
"-They're loyal creatures...If you love them and they love you, they will always find you." Just as she finished speaking the bell rang. "We'll pick this up after recess. No running!" The teacher chides as we reach the door. Emma and I pause to allow the children to run past, staring in disbelief as the Mayor shoves kids aside by their heads to enter the room. The teacher, Miss.Blanchard, accepts a pear from a student with a smile, yet to see the fuming Mayor. "Why thank you!" Looking up, she sees the Mayor storming towards her. I wince as I see her confusion. "Miss Mills, what are you doing here?"
"Where's my son?"
"Henry.. I assumed he was home with you."
"You think I'd be here if he was?" She snaps. "Did you give him your credit card so he can find her?" She gestures to Emma, who is standing next to me at the door of the room.
Miss.Blanchard turns her confused gaze to us, "I'm sorry, who are you?"
"I'm—I'm his--"
"The woman who gave him up for adoption." I shoot the Mayor a glare, rude.
Miss.Blanchard frowns and walks behind her desk to grab her purse, quickly grabbing her wallet. "You don't know anything about this, do you?" I ask.
She sighs, "No, unfortunately not." She opens her wallet to reveal that the card slots are empty. "Clever boy... I should never have given him that book-"
"What in the hell is this book I keep hearing about?" The Mayor snaps again.
"Just some old stories I gave him." Miss.Blanchard assures hurriedly. "As you well know, Henry is a special boy: so smart, so creative... and as you might be aware, lonely. He needed it."
"What he needs is dose of reality. This is a waste of time. Have a nice trip back to Boston." She scoffs at us and walks out in a huff, knocking over a stack of books on the way. Emma and I quickly help Mary Margaret pick them up.
"Sorry to bother you." Emma says apologetically.
"No, it's-" She pauses when she looks at Emma and I frown when suddenly that magic I felt earlier flares around her and she shakes her head. "It's okay, I fear this is partially my fault."
Emma gives her a curious look, "How's a book supposed to help?"
We all stand, having picked up all of the books. "What do you think stories are for? These stories? The classics? There's a reason we all know them. They're a way for us to deal with our world. A world that doesn't always make sense. See, Henry hasn't had the easiest life." She says, the trio leaving the classroom.
Emma scoffs. "Yeah, she's kind of a hard-ass."
"No, it's more than her. He's like any adopted child. He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face: why would anyone give me away?" I stop next to Emma as Mary Margaret seems to realize what she said. "I am so sorry. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean in any way to judge you..."
"It's okay."
Mary Margaret sighed, "Look, I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have; hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."
I looked at her curiously, "You know where he is, don't you."
She gave me a look, "You might want to check his castle."
~
I park in the parking lot near the play castle and relax in my seat as Emma hops out of the car. Turning to look at me she frowns, "Are you not coming with me?"
I shake my head, "I'll let you have a moment with the kid."
She eyes me curiously for a moment but nods. "Don't worry, I'll roll down the windows and listen in. If it starts sounding like you need help I'll step in." She sighs, giving me a tired smile but looking slightly relieved and shuts the door, walking over to the kid.
I roll down the window and pick at my fingernails idly.
"You left this in my car." Emma starts, handing the kid the book. Sitting next to him, she follows his stare to see what he's looking at and spy's the clock tower. "Still hasn't moved, huh?"
"I was hoping that when I brought you back, things would change here. That the final battle will begin."
Emma frowns, "I'm not fighting any battles, kid."
"Yes, you are. You're here because it's your destiny. You're going to bring back the happy endings."
"Can you cut it with the book crap?"
"Don't be a dick Emma!" I shout through the window. She flicks me off behind her back while the kid stares at her calmly.
"You don't have to be hostile. I know you like me, I can tell. You're just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty. It's okay; I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance."
I see Emma pause, "How do you know that?"
"It's the same reason Snow White gave you away."
"Listen to me, kid. I am not in any book. I'm a real person, and I'm no savior. You were right about one thing, though. I wanted you to have your best chance. But it's not with me. C'mon, let's go."
Henry stands to follow her, yelling "Please don't take me back there! Just stay with me for one week, that's all I ask! One week, and you'll see I'm not crazy."
"I have to get you back to your mom." Emma says sternly
"You don't know what it's like with her. My life sucks!"
"Oh, you wanna know what sucking is?" I wince and quickly get out of the car, "Shit shit shit-"
"Being left abandoned on the side of a freeway; my parents didn't even bother to drop me off at a hospital!" Emma begins to cry, "I ended up in a foster system and I had a family until I was three but then they had their own kid so they sent me back..." She stops as I lay a hand on her shoulder and collects herself. "Look, your mom is trying her best. I know it's hard and I know sometimes you think she doesn't love you, but at least she wants you."
"Your parents didn't leave you on the side of the freeway; that's just where you came through!"
Feeling that flare of magic again I frown, "What?"
He looks to me, "The wardrobe. When Emma went through the wardrobe she appeared on the side of the street." He turns back to Emma, "Your parents were trying to save you from the curse."
Giving a watery smile with a choked laugh Emma nods, "Sure they were. C'mon, Henry." He takes her hand and they walk to the car, Emry following behind them with a frown.
~
I park in front of the Mayors house and we walk up with the kid to the door. Emma knocks and shortly after the Mayor opens the door, and the kid runs past her and up to his room.
We all stare after him for a moment before the Mayor crosses her arms and turns back to us. Giving us a tight lipped smile, she dips her head "Thank you."
We nod and Emma sticks her hands in her pocket, "No problem."
"He seems to have taken quite a shine to you two."
Emma gives a small laugh, "You know it seems kind of crazy. Yesterday was my birthday and, when I blew out the candle on this cupcake Emry made me, I actually made a wish. That I didn't have to be alone on my birthday." I understood where Emma was coming from; she knew she had me, but the feeling of being alone without a family was a pain few understand. "And then Henry showed up.."
The Mayors look turned lethal. "I hope there's no misunderstanding here."
Emma startled "I'm sorry?"
"Don't mistake all of this as invitation back into his life." She said condescendingly.
"Oh.. I-"
"Miss Swan, you made a decision ten years ago. And in the last decade, while you've been—well, who knows that you've been doing—" I shot her a glare. "I've changed every diaper, soothed every fever, endured every tantrum. You may have given birth to him, but he is my son."
Emma fumbled, "I wasn't-"
"No. You don't get to speak—you don't get to do anything. You gave up that right when you tossed him away. Do you know what a closed adoption is? It's what you asked for. You have no legal right to Henry, and you're gonna be held to that. So I suggest you get in your car, and you leave this town. Because if you don't, I will destroy you if it is the last thing I do. Goodbye, Miss Swan. Miss Potter."
She turned to storm back into her house when Emma spoke up, "Do you love him?"
The Mayor whipped around, "Excuse me?"
"Henry. Do you love him?"
The Mayor stared emotionlessly, "Of course I love him." She said blankly and closed the door Emma, looking troubled, stumbled back a step. Emry sighed and grabbed her hand. The blonde looked lost as she caught her eye. "What do you want to do?"
~
As they approached the inn Emry had found called Granny's, they heard what sounded like an older woman yelling.
"You're out all night, and now you're going out again-"
"I should've moved to Boston!"
"I'm sorry that my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the Eastern Seaboard!"
Emry coughed down a laugh as an older woman and a young woman with red streaks through her hair came down the stairs. Emma shot her an amused glance, "Excuse me? We'd like a room?"
The both paused, "Really?" The older woman, Granny, Emry assumed, asked. They nodded and granny smiled and bustled behind the counter, grabbing a thick ledger. "Would you like a forest view or a square view? Normally there's an upgrade fee for the square, but as the rent is due, I'll wave it."
Emma and Emry shared an amused look, "Square is fine."
Granny opened up the ledger, "Now. What's the name?"
Emry gestured for Emma to use her name, "Swan. Emma Swan."
"Emma.." Emry jumped, hand flying to her hidden wand as she turned to see an older man behind them, a discomforting smile on his face. "What a lovely name."
Emma eyes him weirdly, "Thanks."
The man turned to face to Emry, appearing vaguely puzzled. "And who might you be?"
"Nobody worth noting."
He gave what she knew he thought to be a charming smile, "Surely that's not true."
Luckily she was saved from answering when Granny stuck a roll of money in his face. "It's all here."
The man accepted the money without bothering to count it, she rose a brow. "Yes, yes, of course it is, dear. Thank you." He turned to us again, "You enjoy your stay, Emma. And you too miss...?"
Emry gave him a sarcastic smile, "I prefer to not introduce myself to people when they're doing business. I'd rather know people on a neutral ground."
Frowning, the man nodded "Until we find neutral ground then, dearie."
When he left, the duo turned to face Granny incredulously. "Who's that?"
The younger woman frowned as she watched the man leave through the curtains. "Mr. Gold. He owns this place."
Emry frowned, "The inn?"
"No. The town." Granny stated. She seemed to shake out of her thoughts a moment later. "So! How long will you be with us?"
"A week." Emma said, "Just a week."
"Great!" Granny said, grabbing a key with a swan and a lion on it and handing it to Emma. "Welcome to Storybrooke."