Always and Forever

Plotting

"I'm getting off that easy?"

"We'll talk later. Get Roland let's have dinner. I made hot chocolate and sandwiches."

Roland comes strolling in. "These sandwiches look so yummy, Mom."

"I love that you call me 'Mom' now. But are you sure you're okay with calling me that?"

"Of course. You have become my Mom. From when you and Dad were together, you always treated me just like you did, Henry. Now I'm living with you, and you take really good care of me. You are my Mom, now."

I try to blink my tears away before they could start falling. "I love you so much, you know."

"I love you, too!" he says with the biggest smile. "Will you and Emma get back together? I miss having her here with us."

"Hopefully one day, Sweety. Now eat up."

We sit down eating together and Roland tells me all about how much fun he had with Neal and fishing. After we finish eating, Roland said he wanted to go to sleep. So I tuck him in and kiss him good night. When I come back downstairs I see Henry sitting on the couch staring into space.

"What's on your mind, Prince."

"I hate Hook. I hate what he did to our family. I hate having to be around him. I hate how controlling he is with, Ma."

"I know, Sweety. Me too."

"It was so hard not punching him in the face today."

"Why do you go if you don't want to be around him, Honey?"

"I would much rather be home with you. But, I go because of Roland. I want to make sure he's safe. I want to make sure she's safe, too."

"As much as I'd hate to admit it, I do think she's safe with him. He won't hurt her."

"He could, by taking her away."

"I think about that too. I finally fell asleep. Into a deep sleep, and then I had a nightmare."

"Tell me about it?"

"I dreamt that she said she didn't love me. That she was in love with him. I tried to tell her that he gave her a love potion, and that she is truly in love with me. She said that we were just friends. Then he dropped a magic bean into the ocean and took all of you. I get scared every time you guys go fishing with him. I can't help but feel, he's waiting for the right opportunity to take you guys into another realm, leaving me alone here."

"Can I kill him if he tries to?"

"No killing, leave that to me." I say with a smirk.

"You wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Not without reason, dear. But you're right. I wouldn't hurt him. It would hurt her."

"I wanted to tell her so bad, Mom. She can't breathe without him hovering. The only reason I haven't is because of you. You need to tell her. He told me I need to get over it, that they're together. He's a jerk. It takes every ounce of my strength to not hurt him."

"Don't let him get under your skin. We will get her back. Tonight reassured me."

"Oh yeah?" He says raising his eyebrow in curiosity. He definitely is my son.

"Yes." I smile. 

"So what happened, when she came?"

"Let's just say, I can see that I still have an impact on her" I say, winking at him. 

"Get your woman, Mom."

I chuckle. "I just don't know how yet."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Why won't you just take the easy way. By telling her the truth and locking him up for good?"

"It's not that I don't want to. I just don't want to hurt her. It would probably be easy for me to hurt him, but I don't want to be that person anymore. I surely don't want to set that example for you and Roland either."

"You know we all don't see you as the Evil Queen anymore, right? Everyone in this town adores you, Mom."

"I believe that you and the Charming's don't see me as that."

"You're good, Mom. You just had a tough life. But you turned everything around." He says softly pulling me into his arms, and holding me tight."

"When did you get so smart, so sweet, and so big. I can't believe how grown up you are. And to be able to have me cuddled up into your side now, instead of the other way around."

"I'll always be your little Prince. I'm just happy that I get to console you now, like you did for me all those years raising me."

"Thank you, Sweetheart." I nuzzled into his side more comfortably."

"Now, what's our plan?" He asks with his chin resting on my head.

"You're always the one coming up with the plan and an Operation name. You tell me."

"Operation True Love. We just need to have more family outings. Our family. Then she'll start opening up to her feelings. We just need to make her realize Hook is controlling her, so she can start pushing back."

"How do you suppose we do that?"

"Ma, doesn't like feeling like she's not in control. Right now, she probably hasn't done anything about it because, one - the potion, and two - no one has called it out to make her pushback. So that's what we do. We start pointing out subtly how controlling he is. She'll fight back, and he'll have to let loose a little bit."

"Even if he gave her some semblance of freedom. He'll still be lurking close by."

"That doesn't matter."

"What do you mean?"

"He can't come out and do anything. If he does, it will just irritate her more and push her more towards us."

"Hm, maybe you're right, Henry."

"Aren't I always?" He says with his shit eating grin, looking just like his mother in this moment. 

"You are your mothers' son. Sounds like we're on for Operation True Love."

"YES! So we begin tomorrow. It'll be easy to get Roland to beg Emma to join us for a nice day at the park. Will be just us four."

"We can call her tomorrow. For now, let's get to bed. It's getting quite late."

"Fine. Good night, Mom. I love you. Sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams My Prince. I love you, too."

We part ways at the top of the staircase. I head to the guest bedroom, too tired to do my nighttime routine. I flick my hand and changed into pjs and magic'd my routine to be complete. I slip into bed and instantly fall asleep thinking about our plan to get Emma back. I can't wait to have her back in my arms.