I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Week 4

WEEK 4

**

You'll have your looks, your pretty face
And don't underestimate the importance of body language

**

The sound of knocking wakes Emma up.

For a second, she thinks that she's back in her apartment in Boston and that it's their landlord, banging on the door for the rent check, but awareness slowly seeps in and she sits up, surprised. She doesn't know anyone in LA. Or at least, not anyone that would be knocking on her door right now, because none of the people she knows in LA know where she lives.

But the knocking continues. Maybe it's Lily and she's locked herself out – which would certainly not be a first, and would also explain why she isn't answering the door. Emma stumbles out of bed and heads for the door. Lily so owes her breakfast for this rude awakening.

"Seriously, how did you manage to –" Emma starts, tugging open the door, only to stop abruptly as she takes who is actually banging on her door. "Henry?"

"Hi." He grins up at her.

"Hi." She replies, looking past him for any sign of Regina in the hallway, but there's no one else there besides Henry, who just marches right past her and into the apartment like he belongs there.

"Do you have any juice?" He's asking by the time Emma manages to shut the door. "Never mind, I found some!"

"Henry, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school? And where is your mother?"

"Do you guys like, not have any glasses or dishes or anything?" Henry is digging through the various cupboards in the kitchen and Emma realizes that she doesn't know whether they have glasses or not. They didn't pack any to bring with them that she knows of, and pretty much every meal she's eaten since she's been here has been at restaurants, the studio, Regina's, or take out. She's been drinking out of her water bottle, which Regina had given her after their first rehearsal, stressing the importance of drinking lots of water. So Emma has had no need for any glasses or dishes.

"Henry!" She tries to say it in that 'mom tone' that she's heard Regina use and she's sure she hasn't actually accomplished it, but it's enough to stop Henry's movements from where he's drinking from their orange juice container. Orange juice that Emma didn't even know they had.

"School doesn't start for another hour." Henry finally says to her. "And I wanted to come see you this morning because I know you were really upset last night, but I wanted to tell you that you don't need to be. You were awesome and I mean, yeah, you kinda messed up a little bit and cried on national TV, but I've been checking social media and everyone thinks it made you totally likeable. They're upset at the judges for being mean and they're all voting for you, so you don't need to worry about anything."

Emma blinks at that. "Okay. That's... great? But Henry, you didn't answer the most important question I asked you. Where is your mother?"

Henry looks down then, avoiding her eyes and Emma's stomach sinks. It sinks even lower than it had the night before. "Henry?"

"At home." He mumbles and no, no, please no. Please don't let what Emma is thinking be true.

"How did you get here, Henry, if your mom is still at home?" She's praying that he'll say that Claude brought him and is going to drop him off at school when he's done with his little pep talk, but he doesn't.

"I called a car."

"You called a – Henry! Does Regina know where you are?"

"No?" He whispers, his voice going up like a question when it is so clearly not a question at all.