entrancelogs | [closed] just know you're not alone

Entry tags:

[closed] just know you're not alone

Who: Regina & Henry Mills
Where: 8th: Henry & Emma's room, possibly elsewhere. 11th: Regina's room
When: Backdated to January 8th & 11th (After Henry's chat with Peter Pan)
Rating: G-ish? It's family bonding and bombshells being dropped, shouldn't get too high.
Summary: 8th: With Emma having vanished, Regina's jumping at the chance to spend some time alone with her son. | 11th: Henry has a message to pass on from a mysterious stranger. (Could this be creepier?)
The Story:

8th--

[With Emma gone, Regina should be happy. (She is, just not as much as she'd thought.) Perhaps it's what Emma's gone back to that's keeping her from being too happy. (She wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even Emma.)

But with Emma gone, she can take this chance to spend some time with her son. After her arrival, she'd taken the room across the hall and given them some space. As much as she could from across the hall, at least. She'll deny that she's the one that needed time, should anyone ask. But it's the real reason.

But the morning of the 8th leaves her standing outside Henry and Emma's shared room. Hand raised to knock at the door, but her body's frozen. He'd been happy to see her, and she'd been so, so happy to see him. But her relationship with Henry is fickle, who knows what it's like when Emma has been the only constant mother he has.

Eventually she knocks.]

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11th--

[The 11th brings a lot of things, another conversation between Emma and Regina that's too many things to classify here, and across the mansion, a reveal that doesn't count as a reveal because the revealee doesn't know who the revealer is.

After her conversation with Emma, she'd retreated into her room. She's been spending a lot of time there lately, slowly adjusting to Wonderland and everything it holds. Every day she's thankful it isn't her Wonderland, because if it had been? The whole place would be on fire.

But today, there's no fire. Just Regina curled up on a lounge, with a glass of water.]

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[When Henry peeks his head around the door to see who knocked, he keeps it nearly completely shut, one hand behind him telling Lucky to Stay. It's been rough for the boy, loosing Emma after everything else that wonderland has been throwing their way. But people have told him she'll be back, and he believes. After all. That's what he does, isn't it? Henry is the boy who believes.]

Oh!

[Regina. Henry smiles, it's small but it's there and then he pauses.]

Um... [He looks over his shoulder, and aside from Lucky, the place is definitely not up to her standards of clean or organized. Instead, he grabs his jacket and slips out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He beams this time, and it's that same smile he wears any time he hides something.]

I was just going to go for a walk. Do you want to come?

[Yes, clearly Henry is a Grade A liar.]

[She knows that smile, young man. Don't think you can hide whatever it is from her for too long. A mother always knows, after all.

Don't mention all the things she didn't actually know about.]

I was just coming to see if you wanted to do something, [to keep your mind off Emma.] so I'd love to.

[Not that she has any real idea where they could go, or what they could do. She's letting the obvious lies slide for now, merely happy that he wants to do something with her.]

Why don't you lead the way?

We could go to the diner, or to the gardens. The diner has really good food and amazing hot chocolate. The gardens are pretty but I liked them more when there wasn't snow. We could... build a snow man though.

[His hands are in his pockets for now, but he walks almost directly beside her, down the hall toward the stairs.]

There's also a music room, and a library. Or we could go to one of the tea rooms.

[Because offering choices is the same as offering distractions.]

Why don't we build a snowman first, and then visit the diner after we've worked up an appetite?

[And she won't even use magic to build it. She puts her hands into the front pockets of her own jacket, letting Henry lead the way.]

We'll start there, and then you can decide where we go after that. How does that sound?

That sounds great. Do you have gloves? I have an extra pair, if you don't. And a scarf.

[He might even have a pocket full of spare buttons. So maybe he's had snowmen on the mind for a while now.

He leads her straight to the front doors of the mansion, a bit of excitement in his step. It's a good distraction from missing Emma, and he has been trying to find those to keep his spirit up and not think about her being gone.

She'll be back soon. She will.]

And we could get some branches from the garden, I know where to find good ones.

I do, you never know when you're going to need them.

[She is a mother, after all. It wouldn't be right of her to go anywhere without the items she normally insists Henry takes with him on days like this.

It's hard, even for her, to not think about Emma on the walk to the gardens. If people were right, and she's gone home to experience more of future events, there's every chance when she comes back she won't remember anybody but Henry.

She's not expecting the sudden temperature drop to be that extreme, so she pulls her coat tighter and rubs her hands together.]

You'll have to show me how to build a snowman, Henry. But I'm sure you'll be a good teacher.

It will be really easy. The hardest part is lifting the pieces when you're done but I think between the two of us we can do it.

[Henry tugs his own gloves on over his fingers when the doors are open, and the cold makes him shiver, but like any kid excited about the snow, he only grins at the biting cold of winter and looks for the best place for them to start.

What he does next, he does without thinking in his excitement, but he does it all the same.

Henry grabs her hand to lead her to the best open patch of garden. The least disturbed smooth expanse of snow.]

Come on, this way.

I'm sure we'll figure it out. How hard can it be?

[And she's honest to god smiling. Henry hadn't wanted to do anything like this for a long time, even before he tracked down Emma.

Let alone wanted to take her hand and lead her to the best possible patch to make a snowman. To hell with everyone else, Wonderland was the best possible place for her to end up.

When they get to an almost pristine patch of snow, she pulls him back so he stops.]

What do you think? Here?

Yeah, this spot looks pretty good.

[Henry dropped to his knees in the soft snow, pulling handfuls of it toward himself and pushing it together to form a larger than average snowball, packing more onto the sides.]

You start out with a small one like this and then you roll it around in the snow until it's big enough to be the body!

[You would thing Henry had ever built a snowman. He hadn't. But he had watched other people do it. And it had been enough to leave an impression.

[It's a little awkward at first, and she can't help but just kind of uselessly stand around. Her outfit is going to be ruined!!

But this is a once in a lifetime chance, so eventually she joins Henry on the ground. There's a bit of waffling over what to do, but a few minutes later she's imitating Henry and making a suitable snowball.]

Like this?

[She gets an A for Effort and like, a D for everything else. But she's trying.]

[Henry had spent the earlier part of the morning in the diner, where he met Pan. Of course, Henry's lack of knowledge of the future in store for him or the true nature of Pan meant that he had no idea the encounter was anything to upset either of his mothers.

Though, if he expected one of them to react badly, it would be Regina. She did have a habit of not having the friendliest histories with (or opinions of) most of the other people Henry met or made friends with.

Emma is back, and Henry's very grateful for that, but still, he comes to Regina's door, waiting a moment before knocking at the door, a book tucked under his arm that he had borrowed for a brief moment of time. Because Henry really was trying.

He wanted things to be good between everyone, and the only way to do that was to try and make everyone get along. Even Emma and Regina. He was confident he could do it, even if he was still learning whether or not Regina was going to keep trying to be... well. Not the Evil Queen, mostly. He'd honestly settle for civil with everyone else.]

[When she hears the knock, she's almost hesitant to answer it. It's surely just more bad news, perhaps even an angry mob. Her secrets are anything but, here, she wouldn't be surprised.

But she doesn't leave Henry waiting long, opening the door manually as opposed to magically. If only because it allows her some measure of privacy. Which is instantly thrown out the window when she sees Henry.]

Henry? Is everything okay?

It's fine I just thought...

[He hesitates. He could easily wave this off, but he tucks the book under his arm and smiles up at her, pushing aside his uncertainties. This will work. He is sure of it. If he gives her a chance she can become a better person.]

I borrowed a book I thought you might want to see! And I thought maybe we could have hot chocolate and lunch ... if you wanted.

[He's clearly bothered by something, but if there's one thing she's learned it's that if she presses the issue, he'll clam up.]

If you're sure. You know if something's bothering you, you can always tell me, right?

[It's more for her than it is for him, but the reassurance should help him anyway.]

That sounds great, Henry. Let me grab my coat and we can go.

[She moves back into the room, leaving the door wide open so Henry can see in. The decor is much like their house in Storybrooke, with one key feature missing: there's no mirrors.

When she has the coat on, she returns to the door.]

Ready?

[He may not reply, but he does nod and smile. He waits for her, curiously looking around the room.]

I'm ready! Can we go to the diner?

[Maybe his new friend would still be there.]

They have really good sandwiches.

[For everyone's sake, he better not be.

She closes the door behind her, putting her hand on Henry's back to guide him to the diner.]

We can.

[She glances down at the book under his arm as they walk. Hopefully it's not a repeat of the last time, but since he wanted to show it to her, it can't be.]

So what's this book about?

Well it's actually more of a picture album.

[One he was featured in, even. He's happy to go on about his book and his day so far on the way to the diner. If everyone is lucky, the public nature of the place will force Regina to keep some control over her reaction.

Currently. Henry is still under the belief that Regina rescued Pan. That the other 'boy' was his friend.]

One of the other people who lives here. She's been taking everyone's pictures and it's a really cool album. I haven't looked through all of it yet, but I wanted to show you.

[Because she liked to know about things he did, and given how many secrets he had been tiptoeing around with her, he wanted to show her that he was working on making things right. That he did trust her even if just a little gesture. And besides, then he could ask her about the boy.

Even if he wasn't in the diner, his picture was probably in the album, and Henry could look him up to show her. Because he was a curious boy and he needed to know.]

[That clears that up, and it's a relief. She's aware of the book, and she's even in it. It seemed easier to go along with the girl than to refuse, since she was asked while she was still recovering from everything.]

The photo album? It looks like it's grown since she asked to take my picture.

[Since why not ruin the surprise of her being in it for him. But the fact that Henry's clearly trying, for her sake is enough to soothe any potential worries.

When they make it to the diner, because there's only so much walking you can actually thread out, she directs them to a booth. Away from everyone else, of course.]

Since you've been here more than I have, I leave my order up to you, Henry. [She's smiling, more genuine than any of the others people might've seen.] What do you recommend?

Soup and grilled cheese! It's the best. Especially since it's so cold out.

[He sits across from her, kicking his feet a little and sliding the album over to the side, out of the way.]

Yeah, she's getting a lot of pictures! I didn't look through them all yet, but I wanted to.

Soup and grilled cheese it is. I hope it's better than Granny's.

[It's a light barb, said with a smile, but really. How do you screw up something like that? She pays no attention to the album, no reason to think there's any meaning to it besides something Henry wanted to show her.]

I haven't seen any of them besides my own, why don't we go through it after we eat?

[You don't want to argue on an empty stomach, after all.]

Okay.

[Henry is happy to order for both of them with a bright smile on his face. Her barb aside, he was pretty sure Granny's grilled cheeses were better, but he wasn't going to say as much.

He did, however, immediately dive into his food the moment it was set in front of him. He at least managed to eat with manners, other than the dipping his grilled cheese into the soup. But can she really blame him for that? (Probably)]

Is this what the other Wonderland looks like?

[Regina eats slower, and neater, from years of etiquette training under Cora that couldn't be forgotten. But she enjoys the meal, and the warmth it brings her.

But his question surprises her, and she slowly swallows. She's not surprised that particular story was in his book, everybody's seemed to be. Despite how absurd it sounded.]

Not quite, it's much bigger. [She hesitates, because even if she doesn't regret what she did to Jefferson there, she's not proud of it either.] And there's no mansion, only the Queen of Hearts' castle and maze. But I didn't spend much time there.

[Right now, Henry isn't judging. He's still trying to find a way out of Wonderland, for all of them, and if it was similar, then maybe they could find a way out with knowledge of the other Wonderland...

It was possible, right?

He frowned a little, sandwich gone and poking at his soup with his spoon.]

Oh.

[The book had not had that many pages on what Wonderland looked like, so he couldn't be sure.]

That's okay. We can still find a way out of here. We'll just have to look harder.

[Was that Henry hesitantly including Regina in Operation Dormouse? It just might have been.]

So, how is it.

[It being the soup he gestures to, with a small smile. Engage Distractions! Form of: Soup discussion.]

[Admittedly, it kind of ruined the mood. But mostly because Regina hadn't expected such a sudden question, sometimes she forgets how much of her previous life Henry actually knows about.

And the times she remembers that are the few times she feels like a monster.]

If the tale of the Queen of Hearts is in your book, you'll know why I didn't want to spend much time there.

[That's as much as she's willing to say on that subject, unless Henry asks of course. But she's thankful for the distraction, even though she totally knows what you're doing Henry.]

It's good! Maybe not as good as Granny's, but it's good. [You win this round, Granny. She hesitates, putting the spoon back in the bowl.] I'm glad you wanted to spend time with me. [Whoops, try not to emotionally manipulate your son, Regina.]

[Wow Regina Wow. But Henry just offers a little smile and a nod, setting his spoon down. He wasn't entirely willing or ready to eat so much right then But he rested his arms on the table (no elbows) and watched her. He was trying really hard to make this work. He wanted things to be... the way they almost were before.

And while he still wasn't sure he could trust her, he couldn't expect her to be a better person if no one believed in her. Belief was almost as important as love. And he had a feeling she needed it. Even if it was hard. No one ever said being a hero would be easy.

Instead he slid the book back over, flipping through it to distract the conversation away from the topic of Wonderland. Should he tell her who his friends were? Was that safe?

He hoped so, because it was better if she knew than not. But before he found James or Luke in the book, he stumbled across a familiar face and his brows furrowed at the name.]

Peter Pan...?

[Why had Peter told him he was a lost boy? Henry wouldn't have treated him any different knowing he was Peter Pan. Maybe he didn't remember somehow? The words were nearly a whisper of confusion but Regina was right there. It was almost a guarantee she heard him.]

[Henry's belief is a powerful thing, and now it's something they can actually measure in terms of power. The fact that he chooses to believe in her may very well be the one thing that keeps her on the straight and narrow.

The silence is nice, peaceful. The cause might've been awkward, but sitting here with Henry without threat of an angry mob, Emma or any of the other dangers they've faced is rather nice.

There's a clattering sound when the spoon drops from her hand and hits the side of the bowl.]

... What did you just say?

[She doesn't want to grab the book away from him.

But she totally does. And when she sees what he's referring to, she stares at the page for several moments.]

Henry, Henry. Listen to me, okay? You need to stay away from Peter Pan. He's incredibly dangerous, and you can't trust a word he says. Promise me you'll stay away from him.

He told me his name was Rufio

[Confusion, surprise. More confusion. Regina's sudden change of mood catches Henry off guard and he pulls back a little. Why did she get so upset? Peter Pan couldn't be that bad. Except even 'Rufio' had said something about him.

Something that made him suddenly very nervous. You never know how far Pan's reach goes. But he's so surprised by the sudden change that rather than argue he just nods, wide eyed and confused at first.]

I... I promise.

[But wait.]

Peter Pan is dangerous?

[There it is. The hesitation. Peter is supposed to be the good guy. Forever young Peter Pan and his lost boys, fighting the terrible Captain Hook and his pirates as they terrorize Neverland. I don't understand.]

How?

[She isn't proud of her reaction, and the way Henry shrinks back. But if Peter Pan is here, then her priority is keeping Henry safe.

She's accepted that sometimes keeping him safe means he won't like her.]

Henry...

[She trails off, because she really doesn't want to answer that question. Doesn't want to give Henry more information about his future than he might already know.]

Greg and Tamara were acting under his orders when they tried to destroy Storybrooke. [She swallows, the words caught in her throat and briefly looks away.] And when they kidnapped you.

[She can't tell him that Pan wanted his heart to keep himself young. Can't tell him that his grandfather nearly died saving him, or that Storybrooke is in danger again.

Can't tell him that she gave him up to save everything and everyone.]

Edited 2014-02-23 12:14 (UTC)

No- He can't ... He's supposed to be the good guy.

[Henry doesn't, for once, sound like he believes his own words. But 'Rufio' lied to him, and if he was really Peter Pan, then why did he lie? Not to mention all those things he had said about Pan.

If even Peter Pan himself said Pan was a bad person, it was probably true. It was just difficult for Henry to wrap his head around.

Did you think you were getting off that easy Regina? You're not.]

Why did he have me kidnapped? Why would he want to destroy Storybrooke, I don't understand.

[At least he doesn't ask what Regina did to him. Mostly because he really didn't want to know.]

[When has Regina ever gotten off easy with Henry?

The questions aren't unexpected, and she can't blame him for wanting to know. She would too, but there's a difference here. Henry might be able to handle things other kids his age can't, but she doubts he can handle being told that Pan is technically his great-grandfather, who wanted his heart so he could live forever.]

Henry, I know you've been through a lot.

[And there's a pause because most of it was because of her.]

But there are some things you're better off not knowing until they happen for you.

[Is that satisfactory? Not at all. Does she actually believe he shouldn't know the truth until he's experienced it? Yes.]

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[closed] just know you're not alone

8th

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11th

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