"You have to stop doing that, or your mother's not going to let you keep visiting me," Emma exasperates to Henry as his skeptically eyes study every inch of her face in disbelief.
"Regina? She's here?" He questions, a sparkle of hope shinning so brightly in his eyes that somehow seem sadder than they usually express.
"Who's Regina?" She fires right back, so damn confused on what the hell her son is rambling on about today.
Most days she notices how he inherited her rambling mouth, but today she is starting to panic more than she usually does, but she won't allow her true feelings to show. That's how she landed in the psych ward to begin with. Maybe he is starting to lose his damn mind just like she had so many years ago, but she's been working very hard with the doctors to earn her freedom once again. However, deep down, she hoped this day would never come, she doesn't want her only son to end up like just like she did, in a mental facility with every privilege ripped away.
"My mom," Henry whispers, leaning into the table to keep his confession from prying ears. "Your girlfriend. Your one true love."
"Kid, I would never date your mom. I pretty sure that woman hates me. Did you forget that she's the one who put me in here to begin with?" She scoffs, but then her mind does wander to the dark woman, remembering the way she constantly eyes her closely. "Then again...she does give me these weird looks sometimes...but no, I would never date Fiona," she babbles on, shaking her head to wipe away those diluted thoughts.
"Fiona? Who's-"
"Henry! There's my boy," Fiona beams, gliding so effortlessly across the room toward their table with that evil little glint sparking so maliciously in her eyes.
Emma's stomach bottoms out from the anxiety that only seems to explode in hot flashes of rage every time this woman comes within a five foot radius of her. Why would Henry ever assume that she is or was ever dating this wicked woman?
"Madam Mayor," she politely greets the woman knowing her freedom is quite literally being held captive in this woman's icy grasp. However, when the formal name slips off her tongue something deep inside has her shuddering. It's all wrong, it's as though that name once granted her happiness, comfort even and now it feels like it's tainted, like this woman before her doesn't deserve that title. "I'm sorry, I didn't know he was coming today."
Fiona seductively bends over the table, leaning dangerously close into Emma's personal space. Her son's other mother is speaking to her, but her mind is drowning in fear and anxiety from the idea of this woman snatching away her freedom for another minute longer. As of lately, things have seemed like she's constantly walking in some hazy dreamland and she's unsure how long she's actually been in the facility. And she knows if she wastes another week in this place, she will end up losing herself completely.
Fiona and Henry are speaking now and before she can comprehend what is occurring around her, her son is swooping in to hug her goodbye. Her mouth curls into an even deeper frown because she doesn't want him to leave, not when he is the only thing left in her life that actually feels safe.
When her son is finally pressed lovingly up against her body and the anxiety is slowly ebbing away, he whispers in her ear, "Whatever she wants you to do, don't do it!"
Something in her gut clenches, telling her that she needs to listen to him, that something isn't right here. She eyes him closely, her face skillfully impassive after all the years trapped in this damn prison and that's when Fiona demands that she takes her medication. She knows in the back of her mind that she shouldn't, but she doesn't want to cause anymore problems with this woman, which will only result in a longer sentence.
So, she lifts the small cup with a smile on her face and tosses back the little pills to balance out the sanity in her head. A real Cheshire Cat grin stretches across Fiona's face before she slowly pivots on her heels and sashays away, leaving Emma to shudder from the woman's intensity. The mayor glances over her shoulder and smirks one last time, so Emma flashes the best smile she can muster up.
The second Fiona is out the door, Emma leaps to her feet and rushes to her room, spitting out the pills into the trash can. Her body is tingling all over and she knows she needs her mind clear for whatever she is going to face when she is finally released from this hell hole.
~~~~~
The Enchanted Forest; Present Time
Damn this curse and damn the Black Fairy for sending them all back to the Enchanted Forest. She's really growing agitated of constantly being tugged and forced into other realms and different time periods without her consent.
Regina watches the disturbing mind games the Black Fairy is playing on Emma through her magic mirror, because that's how sick and twisted that fairy is, forcing them to watch Emma suffer while all their hands are tied. Her poor Emma looks so tired, so mentally drained and there is not a damn thing she can do to help her or even shield her from what's to come.
"That bitch!" She shouts, stomping away from the mirror as the image completely vanishes from their view.
Everything is playing out exactly how it occurred the last time the Black Fairy cast her curse after Emma married Hook. Emma and Henry are lost in another curse in Storybrooke while Snow, David, Hook and Regina were all ripped away to the Enchanted Forest. Clearly the Fairy assumed Emma and Hook went through with their wedding, since the pirate somehow ended up in the Enchanted Forest as well.
Regina doesn't need to waste anymore of her time listening to everyone around her ramble about nothing that can be of use to her. She already knows the play by play of this curse and how everything will occur, so she decides to get to work with Zelena on a potion. She is growing rather impatient.
"I don't care what kind of magic it takes, I'm getting Henry and Emma back."
~~~~~~
Boston; Present Time
Henry did everything in his power to persuade Emma to believe in his silly reality, consumed with fairytale characters and other realms. He even tried to convince her that this Regina woman, was the Evil Queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and that Emma was her one true love. She couldn't continue with the insanity that was slowly spiraling both of them out of control, so she somehow managed to convince Fiona that she was now sane by burning some strange book and then she left for Boston.
As she sat alone in her apartment she spotted a notebook in her duffel bag. She carefully pulled out the brown notebook, inspecting a note taped on the top from Henry. Her son took the time to draw out the events that he believed to be true from the story book Fiona forced her to burn to prove her sanity.
There was a picture he sketched that instantly grabbed her attention. It was after he had eaten an apple turnover and ended up in the hospital. The drawing was of him when he was ten with Emma right by his hospital bed. A small voice of a woman whispered in the back of her mind, the tone extra raspy as her voice shook with tears swelling in the back of her throat.
"No matter what you think, no matter what anyone tells you, I do love you."
Her eyes fluttered closed and she focused all her energy on that one beautiful voice. The tone felt warm and familiar, but she couldn't place the sound in her head. She tried desperately to hear the voice once more, so she could attempt creating a face to match the mysterious voice. She begged her brain to grant her any vision, just something that might help as a clue to what Henry had said. Yet, nothing was coming in clear, her brain still as foggy and distorted as ever and before she knew it, that lovely voice was gone.
Why couldn't she remember that moment in time? Why couldn't she see the woman who haunts her thoughts?
In that moment she realized something was off and maybe there was some truth to what Henry had said. With that she snatched her duffel bag and was back on the road to Storybrooke, hoping to break record time.
~~~~~
When she arrives back in the quaint little town of Storybrooke, she finds Henry with a sword. A freaking sword, which is highly troublesome and she's thoroughly convinced now that he's the one that has lost his mind. He must truly believe in these silly fairytale stories if he's carrying around a freaking sword.
"You're back?" Henry gasps as she whirls him around by his shoulders to face her. "Does this mean you remember?" He hopefully inquires, those dark green eyes shining so brightly and she just doesn't have it in him to crush this world he created.
"No, no I don't remember, but I saw how much time and effort you put into those drawings. And one of your sketches really spoke to me. I don't know, maybe I am crazy, but I heard this strange woman's voice when I stared at it. I don't know who she is, but it felt...familiar," she confesses as her eyes trail down to the massive sword in his hand. "Besides you're holding a sword right now, so there must be some truth," she tries to joke around, attempting to make light of the crazy situation she has found herself in. "I believe," she states with a reassuring smile that hopefully helps ease her son's mind.
However, as they begin to walk away, a sharp gust of wind engulfs them, forcing their feet to come to a screeching halt as too many memories invade Emma's mind.
"I remember," she mumbles to herself.