happy endings | ouat (slow updates)

henry's pack

post s01eo07 & pre s01ep08 - henry's pack

Henry's nerves were shot. He wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but he knew he felt like he was simultaneously going to pass out and throw up at the same time. It had been twenty-seven excruciatingly slow minutes and eighteen painful seconds since his mum and Graham had descended to retrieve the egg.

And then he heard his mom's voice. The actual words themselves floated over his head, but the overwhelming sense of relief hit him full-force. Though it had not been long since he had dragged Emma into his life, he could not imagine it without her- especially not now that she finally believed.

Rumplestiltskin began to operate the elevator, and soon after Henry had himself wrapped in his mother's arms. It took him a second to blanch at the sooty substance that she was covered in, and for Rumplestiltskin to cough bemusedly.

"Sorry to break up the reunion," he said, his smirk so prominent you could hear it in his smug tone. His eyes flashed over to where Graham was watching awkwardly as the other two embraced. "But either I'll be needing the egg or I'll be removing his heart."

Henry was a bit disappointed by the egg in question, barely larger than Graham's fist as he handed it over to Rumplestiltskin. It was the kind of gold that looked fake in the light, and it's intricate pattern seemed unnecessarily flamboyant.

It seemed that Rumplestiltskin didn't care. He smirked another one of his smirks, terrifying and intriguing Henry at the same time with the ferocity of his apparent victory. In that moment, he understood what he'd learnt at school about predators luring in their prey. Rumplestiltskin ran his fingers over the design in well-practiced circles. "Thank you, Huntsman."

Graham flinched at the title, but disguised it with a shrug and a ghost of a smile. He crossed the room to Emma and Henry, and then made his way past them towards the door. Emma motioned to follow him, but Henry stated rooted in his place- eyes fixed on Rumplestiltskin and the egg.

"Why? What's inside the egg?"

He didn't expect a response, let alone the one he got. "Magic. Or at least, the thing that's going to bring it back."

"You can't!" Henry exclaimed, panic overwriting his curious gaze immediately. His relief had been short-lived. "The Queen, she'll... she doesn't need any more power than she already has. With magic, she'll be unstoppable. She'll come after me, and Graham, and my other mom."

"While I can not deny that our illustrious Mayor will doubtlessly come for you, Henry, she will by no means have the upper hand. It was my curse, as she forgets, and as long as it remains intact she will never know magic is back. It will remain our secret, until the time is right. This is meant to be the land without magic, after all, so there will be no purple clouds heralding its arrival. Magic will be right under her nose and she'll ignore it just like everybody else."

"What's in keeping it secret for you?" Emma asked, drawn back into the conversation despite herself. Graham still lingered in the doorway behind her, his stress palpable.

His smirk expanded, something Henry hadn't thought to be possible. "You still owe me a favour, dearie. It'll be no use to me if you're dead."

"Come on, Henry," Emma insisted, putting an arm around his shoulders and guiding him out of the clocktower and down the street. His gaze was despondent as he shuffled down it, and the adults slowed their strides to keep up with him, casting wary looks around them.