Cursed Hearts

A Rejected Destiny

Being back at home had been nothing like he expected. Normally he was thrilled to return to the town he grew up in- it was always a whirlwind, the best traits in all of his family and friends emerging just for him. Everyone smoothed over any indiscrepancies when Henry Mills came back, and he didn't mind one bit.

His current visit, however, was exactly the opposite- the entirety of his family had been exposed, unearthing some things he hadn't seen in years. It had all started with Roland telling his secret about him and Grace, and that felt like an eternity ago.

Although he and his brother had moved on from that incident, something far worse had emerged in its place. Roland had always been anxious and high strung about things, but the most recent events had sent him spiraling. He couldn't have a conversation with him without becoming irritated. After a few failed attempts at asking him what was truly going on inside, Henry simply stopped trying, keeping him at a distance and silently observing what he was seeing.

His mother was trying her hardest to put on a good face, but he could sense the pain that resided just below the surface. What caused Henry the most anguish inside was the fact that Roland hung around Regina like a skittish guard dog, always asking her if she was okay or grabbing her something. Henry didn't know how she still remained sane. It had only been three days, and he felt like he was going to explode. He know things couldn't keep going the way they were going- someone had to give, and it wasn't going to be him.

When he emerged downstairs, however, the ambition to create change dropped significantly- Roland was making pancakes in the kitchen while their mother sat alone on the couch, a stoic look on her face as she stared off into the distance. Seeing her like that only brought up unpleasant memories from the last time Robin was stuck in the Enchanted Forest. It was a time almost as hopeless and dreary as their current situation, and Henry remembered it well.

"Are you okay Mom?"

Her attention was regained after the third time calling her name- she looked surprised to see him standing in front of her.

"Did you get any sleep last night?"

The answer to the question was obvious from the dazed look she was giving him. He knew she was dealing with ghosts from her past, but living life that way was a clear path to destruction.

"I finished looking through the last of my spellbooks from the vault. I... I have no idea where to go from here."

He put an encouraging hand on her shoulder. "We'll think of something. With all of the smart people in our family, we're bound to figure it out."

Regina released a small smile, but her son could tell that she was exhausted from the fight. With their options getting smaller, they needed all the reinforcements they could get.

"Have you talked with Emma about any ideas?"

He knew he was striking a sensitive chord within her by bringing up Emma, but he knew that was one of their last options. Regina hadn't spoken to Emma or Snow since she returned to her body, not due to spite, but because the knowledge of the two women knowing such a dark truth was something that tore her up inside. She didn't have to admit it to Henry- he sensed it so strongly that he avoided bringing it up for days. But, unlike Roland, he couldn't sit idly and allow her to remain in the cloud of trauma that she had grounded herself in.

"Emma's been busy with work, I don't want to bother her," Regina replied, though they both know that was a lie.

Sensing the tension in the conversation, Roland abandoned the pancakes and returned back to their mother's side.