Once: Pilot Script

Act 2

BEAT. Emma stops short. And her shock tells us everything.

HENRY
That was me... You gonna eat that cupcake?

Henry doesn't even wait for her response, he goes right for the kitchen table and the cupcake. Emma just blinks.

EMMA
Uh -- would you... gimme a sec?

Henry nods, chewing on the cupcake. Emma backs into --

INT. EMMA'S APARTMENT - BATHROOM - SAME

Emma faces herself in the MIRROR. And now the tough facade FALLS. WHAT. THE FUCK?!? For ten years she's put this out of her mind -- and now here he is. The emotions -- guilt, terror, anger, sadness -- well up. SHE WHISPERS TO HERSELF --

EMMA
Okay. Keep it together. Keep it together. Don't freak out.

She stares into the MIRROR as -- calling from off camera --

HENRY (O.S.)
Hey! Do you have any juice?

HOLD ON Emma. Just staring in the mirror.

14.

HENRY (O.S.)
Never mind. Found some.

Now Emma shakes it off, her self defense mechanism kicks in. She has to DEAL. She moves out and we CUT TO --

INT. EMMA'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - SAME

The kitchen table. Henry finishes the cupcake, Emma sits across from him. UNCLE BUCK STYLE. She just looks at him. He just looks at her. THEN --

EMMA
How did you find me?

HENRY
I'm resourceful. Y'know, this isn't going the way I thought it would.

EMMA
And how did you think it would go?

HENRY
If this were Oprah, there'd be lotsa crying and hugging.

EMMA
I'm not the hugging and crying type.

HENRY
Everyone is. Just give it time. We should probably get going.

ON Emma -- WHAT THE HELL IS THIS KID TALKING ABOUT?

EMMA
Going... where?

HENRY
I want you to come home with me.

And now Emma's been pushed to the limit. Fun time is over. She gets up and goes to get her CELL PHONE, starts to dial --

EMMA
Okay, kid. That's it. I'm calling the cops.

15.

HENRY
Great. And I'll tell them you kidnapped me.

Emma's shocked, but has some respect for this kid.

EMMA
...Excuse me?

HENRY
I'll tell them my birth mother missed me so much she tracked me down and kidnapped me. I tried to fight but she was so much bigger. So much stronger...

EMMA
You're not gonna do that.

HENRY
Try me.

EMMA
(studies him; then --)
Look -- you're pretty good. But here's the thing. There's not a lot I'm great at in life. But I do have one skill. One -- let's call it a super power. I can tell when anyone is lying. And you, kid -- are.

ON HENRY. Beat. His face falls. He's caught. And now we see the SCARED TEN YEAR OLD peek out --

HENRY
Please don't call the cops. Just come home with me. Please.

EMMA
(stops pushing; softens)
And where's home?

HENRY
Storybrooke, Maine.

EMMA
"Storybrooke?"
(off his nod)
Seriously?