Beane Odette - Reawakened - A Once Upon A Time Tale

— Sure.

He did, and when he got to the car, they sat in silence for a few moments.

— Henry, — she said finally. — Have you ever thought about what’s keeping us here?

— The curse, — he said immediately. — That’s what’s keeping everyone here.

She shook her head sadly.

— You once told me that I’m different. That I can leave.

He nodded.

— Then aren’t you different, too? — she asked. — Because you’re my kid?

— Yeah, — he said. — Why?

— I need to ask you something, then, — she said. — Okay?

He waited.

— Do you want to get away from Regina? Come live with me?

An enormous smile appeared on Henry’s face.

— More than anything, — he said.

This is right, Emma thought. This feels right.

— Good, — Emma said. — Then buckle up.

— Why? Where are we going?

Emma put the car into gear.

— We’re leaving Storybrooke.

It had all happened so fast — snow, her memories of Charming erased, had been intent on finding the Evil Queen and killing her once and for all, and only moments after Charming had finally awoken her to her love, and to clarity, George’s soldiers hauled him away. It was as though they were doomed to be apart; forces conspired to keep them away from each other. Just when he found her, she lost him. She wasn’t going to let it happen again.

She had an army.

And this time, she was going to find him.

Her army was, admittedly, not of the traditional sort. She had the seven dwarfs, Red, and Granny. They had traveled to King George’s castle with the aim of rescuing the prince. They hunkered down to make their final preparations. Snow again scanned the gates with her spyglass, then pressed her back against the stone wall, behind which they were all gathered.

— There’s a half-dozen soldiers on each parapet, — she said.

— We’re going to need air support, — said Granny.

— Air? — said Grumpy. — I know just the person who can help us. Someone who owes me a favor.

Before Snow could ask him what he meant, they heard a rustling in the nearby trees. The dwarfs and Snow all drew their weapons, but were glad to see Red emerging from the forest.

— Don’t shoot, — she said. — It’s only me.

Snow saw a dried trickle of blood near her mouth and decided it was best not to ask whose it was.

— What did you learn? — she said.

— Your prince is still alive, — said Red. — And the Queen is here.

Snow felt elated by the news, but wary of the Queen’s presence. Storming a castle protected by King George’s men would have been hard enough. The Queen, and her magic, presented a new layer of difficulty.

— It’s a trap, — said Granny.

Snow nodded grimly.

— We can’t stop now. — She imagined him inside, chained up, at the mercy of two exceptionally cruel people. — But I’ll understand if any of you want to turn back, — she said. — I can’t ask you all to risk your lives.

She looked at the dwarfs, one by one. She looked at Granny and Red. No one moved.

— Okay then, — she said. — There’s no time to waste. — She turned to Grumpy. — Grumpy? That air support would be lovely.

He smiled. — Did I ever tell you about the time I fell in love with a fairy, and we made a plan to run away together? Man oh man, — he said. — It was something else. — He nodded at his friends, said, — We’ll be back, — and hustled off, into the woods.

— Why is the Queen doing this, do you think? — Red asked Snow, sitting beside her against the wall.

— Because of a mistake I made as a child, — Snow said. — My father was supposed to marry her, but she loved someone else. A stable boy named Daniel.

— What happened? — Red asked.

— They kept their love a secret, but I found out, — Snow said. — I broke her trust and let the secret out. And because of that… — Snow sighed. — Daniel had to run away and their chance of love was ruined.

— He left her?

Snow nodded sadly.

— She never saw him again.

— I guess I never thought of the Evil Queen as ever caring about love, — Red said.

— She did once, — Snow said. — And I destroyed her chance at happiness. Now she wants to destroy mine.

Emma and Henry sped through town and were nearing the edge of Storybrooke before Henry spoke up again.

— I don’t want to go, — he said. — What about — what about my stuff? — He looked in the backseat, saw Emma’s small bag. — Is that all you have?

— All I need. — Emma nodded. — We have to get away from here. From her, — she said.

— No, no, — Henry said, shaking his head. — Stop the car.

She hadn’t heard him like this before; he tended to get excited, yes, but right now he sounded afraid. Emma wasn’t sure this was the right thing to do.

— You have to stay in Storybrooke, — he said, — because of the curse. You have to break the curse!

She shook her head, knowing he was close to tears.

— No, I don’t, — she said. — I have to help you. Those are different things.

— But you’re a hero! — he cried. — You can’t run! You’re supposed to help everybody.

She thought of August’s argument out in the woods. It was the same thing. Help others before you help yourself. But Emma had never lived that way, and she wasn’t about to start now.

— Look, kid, — she said. — I know it’s hard for you to see it, but I’m doing what’s best for you. That’s what you wanted when you brought me to Storybrooke. That’s what I’m doing.

— I want you to do what’s best for all of us, — Henry said, almost arguing with her thoughts. — I thought you were believing. I thought you were starting to get it.

— Henry…

— You weren’t?

— I don’t know what I was doing But now I see it clearly. The problem is the place. This place. Storybrooke.

— But the curse, — he said, shaking his head. — You’re the only chance to bring back the happy endings…

There was nothing she could say, so she didn’t bother trying to comfort him. He would figure it out eventually. She watched grimly as they approached the sign marking the edge of Storybrooke, thinking, for the first time, of what their lives might look like in Boston. They could…

— Henry! — she cried.

It happened fast. He reached over and yanked the wheel to the side, and it was all Emma could do to keep the Bug from rolling. She corrected the steering, hit the brakes, and whipped the wheel back the other way to make up for their momentum to the right. The Bug spun but didn’t roll, and they came to a stop perpendicular to the road.

She looked at Henry.

— What are you thinking? — she said. — You could have gotten us both killed!

But her heart stopped her from saying more. He was crestfallen. Tears in his eyes, snot bubbling out of his nose, he strung together a series of fragments:

— …We can’t go… please… please don’t make me… Everything is here… your parents… me… your family… we can’t go. Don’t make me go.

He hung his head, and Emma reached over, pulled him toward her. This wasn’t the way. It wasn’t going to work like this. She’d have to find another way.

— Okay, — she said. — I’m sorry. We’re not going. — She shook her head. — I’m sorry.

After a few moments, and after Henry calmed down, Emma turned the car around and headed back to Storybrooke. She dropped Henry off at home and went back to her apartment. Inside, she found Mary Margaret in the kitchen, making breakfast.