Changing is hard

Part 7

Emma

I am standing outside of her house. That house is the only place I can think of Henry being. It is an odd feeling. Standing on her porch and knowing that she isn't there. That she isn't even in town. I have tried calling her but she didn't pick up. I go to the door and try to open it. To my surprise it is unlocked and I make my way inside. I look around the first floor. As I do it I can feel goosebumps on my skin and a cold shudder running down my back. I can't find Henry so I make my way upstairs. First I go to his room and see that he isn't in it. So I go to Regina's bedroom. I slowly open the door and can see a sleeping Henry laying on the bed. It is weird to be in her room. I feel like I am intruding her personal space, perhaps I do but who cares? She isn't here anyway. As I look at Henry I start feeling worst then before. If that is even possible. Evil queen or not, Regina is still his mother and he misses her. But he is my son too and I hate seeing him in such an amount of pain. I go to the bed and wake him. As he slowly wakes up I hear him saying mom. Hearing him say that brings tears to my eyes. He hasn't called me mom since Regina left. When I look at his face though I realize that he hasn't meant me. I want to cry more. He looks at me with that hurt and cold look.

"What are you doing here Emma?" He asks.

With that asked and the way his voice sounds he reminds me so much of Regina. It hurts to hear him using this voice with me. I am his mother damn it! But maybe just not the one he needs right now. My anger towards Regina rises again. What did she think? To put him in so much pain. Did she even think about the feelings of Henry or just about herself and what was best for her?

"I have been looking for you." I kneel down so I can look him in the eyes.

"Henry, you can't just run away like that. Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

"Yes and I am sorry but I miss her!"

"I know but you can't run off like that. Let's go home."

I stand up and look at him. Expecting him to stand up too or to at least move. But he just looks at me with a frown.

"I am home. I won't leave."

I look disbelievingly at him. The longer I look at him the more I realize that he meant what he said.

"Henry you can't stay here by yourself."

"Well that's a pity because I will stay. You can sleep on the couch downstairs if you want to but I won't leave this room."

I can see it in his eyes. The determination. So I make my way downstairs and get comfortable on the couch as I slowly drift off to sleep.

Snow

A good warm shower does wonders if you asked me. When I got home I have found a note from Emma -Searching for Henry- I don't really think that Emma needs to search long. There is only one place where Henry can be. The mansion. Who wouldn't be in the home of their mother in his situation? As I make my way to my bedroom I see someone at the window. It isn't David. It's a person I honestly expected sooner but didn't want to see. Shit!

"Hello Snow." She greets me as she turns around to look at me. I can't move and my mouth is dry. I swallow once and take a deep breath before replying.

"Cora."

"I see you have grown into a woman." She states with a smirk.

"Well, time does that to you eventually. Why are you here?"

"Do you really need to ask that? Because I want to see my daughter of course."

I nod and hope that she doesn't know that Regina left. As I look at her again she starts to speak again.

"You can surely imagine how confused I was when I realized that she isn't here."

Shit!

"So I ask you dear Snow. Where is my daughter?"

With each word she gets closer to me. I take a deep breath.

"Well I don't know." I state.

"I don't believe you." She tells me.

"But it's the truth."

She glares at me with that expression. The one that tells you it's better to run now. That expression that Regina used when she haunted me. It shakes me to the core but I try to ignore it. With one last step towards me and a glare that could kill Cora disappears in a cloud of smoke. I let go of the breath that I wasn't even aware I was holding. I practically run to my phone and call the first person that should know that Cora is back. It rings, rings and rings. Voice mail damn it. I hang up and try it again. As it rings once more I pace around the room. Voice mail again. This time I leave her a message and hope that she hears it soon and calls back or comes straight home!