Once Upon A Happy Beginning

Chapter Twenty Six: Once Upon A Time... The End.

Henry

Mom comes rushing upstairs, and her husband, Robin. I can hear her frantic footfalls in their frenzied movement to my side. Robin, close behind, equally tense; he's worried, scared – am I hurt? Even little Roland is confused, chasing after Daddy and Regi-mama. Perhaps that's little toddler Robyn, following. Maybe with her little toddler steps puzzled for a whole myriad of reasons.

Mom is calling my name. Shouting out if I'm okay. It's a big house; of course it is. She's the Mayor and a Queen, it'd be bizarre if it wasn't. She wouldn't be able to hear me even if I did reply – tell her the truth, of course i'm not okay. How can I be? How can I think of one moment to be happy?

I think of my other Mom and my other stepdad. Would they be this panicked, petrified? Yes. Even the Mom might not see me as a small infant child like this Mom does, she'd still be horrified to hear what Regina-Mom did. Of course she would. I'm her kid, aren't I? I try to think of Killian. His reaction? Much like my Moms' I'd say. I love Robin with my entire heart but there's something to say for Killian that Robin doesn't get. Potentially it's just them being two different men. Or maybe Killian knew my dad. Maybe Robin has two kids of his own. Whatever it is, reluctant beliefs force me to recognise that Killian has more father-son love for me than Robin.

"HENRY!"

I don't answer. I just sob and cry. Ricocheting roars of depression bouncing off my bedroom walls. I clutch my navy sheets into fisted little balls, releasing them and squeezing it up again.

My door bursts open.

I don't need to look to know how heartbroken Mom looks.

"Henry? Sweetheart? Are you okay?" She drops to her knees by my bed, tentatively reaching her hand out to me.

"It's... Mom... My desk. My..." I can't talk. My voice is choked. She stays here, stroking her son's palm kindly, whilst her husband stalks over to the desk in the corner.

"This?" He asks, I hear a rustle as he lifts up what I don't need to see.

"You've... What have you written, Henry?" Mom asks, sterner. She's terrified; of course she is. Being an author is a scary job. The Author – well that prospect is a whole lot of worse.

"Read it." I find the strength to say. "You need to read it. Before Grandma and Grandpa do." I pause for a moment. "Out loud. I need to hear it again. I need to know it's true."

"Henry? What is this?"

"Just–"

Robin clears his throat. I forget to pay attention to any emotion anyone has. I just focus on the words he reads.

Once upon a time, in troubling times where villagers lived under fear of the Evil Queen Regina and of the curse set to strike in a few short weeks, Captain Hook found himself in a forest clearing... That wasn't where he was before. He was outside of his house, walking with his wife. Then they'd found the portal. The second time portal for himself and The Saviour. The pirate stood up hurriedly and made his way to his wife. He recognised the forest as his home away from home aboard his ship and knew that the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming might not last exactly long here. How Evil the Evil Queen currently was, he didn't know. Or if she even existed yet, but he wasn't risking his wife.

When The Saviour didn't move, the pirate captain became worried. Very worried. He yelled out, forgetting his precaution of before.

Thankfully, the Evil Queen didn't come to his aid.

He recognised the young couple's voices first and their tense whispers about evil traps. He called out to them, reassurances that he wasn't a threat. It was his wife who needed help. After deliberating, Snow White and Prince Charming rode into the clearing.

"Sir? Can we help?" The Prince asked.

"Dave?"

"Dave?" Prince Charming brandished his sword at Captain Hook. "Who do you think you are? My name is King James, rightful leader of Misthaven with my wife Queen Snow White!"

"David. David, twin of James, raised on a farm. Your wife first introduced herself to Red, the wolf, as Mary Margaret. Erm... You got together when you saw your wedding ring on her finger because of a whole thing with her trying to rob your carriage, your ex-fiancee Princess Abigail, daughter of Midas, on a troll bridge, and there was a dashingly handsome Prince Charles and his Princess Leia there? Please, Dave. I'm a friend... I... My wife and I, we're from the future. A better one than this, and I'm your best mate. My wife, she's pregnant and we fell through the time portal and... please Dave... Snow? Please. I beg you."

"What happened?" Asked Snow White, trustingly.

"That... That is a long story. You help save my wife, and I'll tell you."

"Deal." The princess told him.

Captain Hook, rode on the back of the Prince's stallion with an unconscious Saviour as Snow White talked to him. They rode on until Snow White asked: "So, who's your wife? In the future? Do we know her?"

"They are some unusual questions, milady."

"We can listen." The Prince said as he walked the horses along. And they did, eventually Prince Charming connected the dots and realised that his nine month old unborn Emma, was Captain Hook's nine month pregnant Emma.

Captain Hook was determined not to let The Saviour out of his sight for a minute, even whilst the wisest of dwarves and the most magical of fairies possible – The Blue Fairy – worked up on his wife, he couldn't leave her side. After much persuasion, the pirate was convinced by his father-in-law to bathe off the dusty mud of the forest.

As the Captain was departing the great bathroom, reattaching his silver hook; he heard a magnificent sound. The cry of his daughter.

Excited, he went to wake his slumbering wife but The Saviour did not arise. The Blue Fairy looked unusually grim and said the words that he didn't want to hear.

Later, still not moving from the Saviour's side, Snow White asked the name of her grandaughter.

"Elizabeth." Captain Hook said. "Elizabeth Emma Swan-Jones."

The he cried. He bawled his eyes out at the insignificant monstrosity of the truth. His wife. The Saviour, was dead.

THE END.