The Truth About Emma Swan - COMPLETED BUT UNDER EDITING

Part 72-Truth And Lies

"A little what Dad?" I gulped back my fear. Something's worse, somethings gone more wrong. He can't finish his sentence, Mum's getting worse. Mum's not getting any better and I know what that means.... She won't be back with me soon. Oh Mum... I thought she was getting better, I cried myself to sleep every night but I managed to wake up with the hope that I'd go visit her and she'd have her arms open wide waiting for me to jump back into them, or ruffle my hair and tell me how much I've grown. These words are going to kill me, but I need to hear them.

I can't tell him can I? I can't do this. I have to do this. I have no choice but to do this, I can't lie. I'm the only thing he has and if I lie, that's not being a good father, he needs to hear this, from me. "Lad, I'm so so sorry, I don't want to tell you anything else but..." I gulped back my tears and looked at the floor then back up at Henry who was barely holding himself up.

"Towards the end of recovery for Emma's operation, the doctor's realized an abnormality which they ran tests on..." I didn't want to finish my sentence, so I stopped and looked up at Henry who was wiping the tears of his face, trying to hide them, although I hadn't even finished or stepped into the deep end.

I wiped the tears of my face and tried to stay strong but something inside me knew I couldn't, and the one thing I needed was a hug from my Mum, but I couldn't get that so a hug from Dad was the next best thing and well, I needed something and it looked like he did to so there was nothing to loose. "Dad...?" I hesitated in answering as my words choked me and were vacuumed out of my throat.
"Hey lad it's okay come here..."

It's like he read my mind, he knew what I wanted without me even asking and that's why he's so much like Mum, that's why he's my Dad. I walked over and wrapped my arms around him and felt him lift me up into his arms. I finally felt home. In my Dad's arms I felt home. "Dad, you can tell me now."

This is it. Oh god I can't do it, I don't want to do it. I have to do it. With my arms wrapped around Henry I don't know if it's the right time. God, it's never going to be the right time but I have to do it. I have to tell him about this, it's going to kill him but he's got to know, he's got to know. "She has a stomach cancer lad..."

Those six words out in the open and that's it. I'm trying to think positive - hey it's okay! It's all over! The thing which I dreaded is gone, but it's not gone. It's not gone because the worse is yet to come, so I, so we better get ready.

I gulped down my tears until I could no longer and cried into Killian's shoulder. "W...what? M... Mum?" I couldn't breathe. All my emotions came at me at once and I couldn't stop them. It was like a rainfall but it was so ever going it was like a river. "Oh lad I'm sorry..."

I watched as Dad tilted my chin up and rubbed his finger down my cheekbone. "I was going to tell you, I didn't want to...." I stopped him before he could feel anymore guilt. "You didn't want me to be upset, you were thinking about me." I took a deep breath. "You were being a good Dad."

"I'm glad you understand lad, I'm sorry, I would've let you come and visit and I would've told you, but I didn't want you to get upset." I gulped and wiped Henry's tears with my hand, wrapping my hook tighter around Henry's hip. "I understand." I heard him muffle below my face.

I'm glad he understands. I couldn't face it telling him, but I couldn't face it if he knew and it broke him. I think this is breaking him too. Oh lad, I'm so so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. If I didn't run after your Mum, she wouldn't have fell. It's all my fault. I closed my eyes and caught the tears before they fell. He doesn't need to see you cry Killian. Be there for him, be there for him.

"So Dad, how are you holding up?" I looked up at Dad who had his eyes tight shut. "Dad...?" I tapped his shoulder. He's broken. My Dad's broken. He shouldn't have been through this alone. I should've fought to come see Mum, to see him. "What? Ah sorry lad." He stroked my cheek. "Are you okay?"

"Honestly, Henry I'm not okay. I've not been okay. I keep thinking and thinking about everything which happened, and how this all could be different if I paid more attention to your Mum. But now she's gone and I can't do anything about it. I failed. When we started going out, I sweared on her name that I would do anything for her, always be there and wipe her tears. Now I can't. I'm trapped her with no one to wipe my tears and I can't wipe hers because she's not even here."

I looked around. "Lad I'm sorry." I sighed, everything exploded out of me and now Henry has to hear. He doesn't need to here. He just needs to worry about himself and I'll worry about Emma and me. I sighed and turned away from Henry, releasing my grip and walking over to the wall and leaning against it.

"Dad... This isn't your fault." I watched as he walked over to the wall. Why does he think it's his fault? It isn't. Nothing is anyone's fault. He's so out of hope he's blaming himself. He shouldn't do that. He should never do that. "Aye lad, I know I'm sorry for exploding on you, you didn't need to hear that." I walked over to the wall with the book gripped under my arm.

"I have something for you." I turned my head towards Henry and he leaned on the wall against me. "What is it my boy?" I attempted to fake a smile and watched as he pushed the story book towards me. "Your book?" He nodded. "What's it for?" I watched as he opened it up to the tale of when me and Emma first met.

"I don't need my stories anymore. They used to be my everything and now I don't need them because everything is right infront of me." I smiled. I'm his everything. Me and Emma are his everything. "Lad... I don't know what to say... Your my everything as well as your Mum, thank you."

I patted his back and smiled, the first real one in forever and watched as he hugged me and left the room, still smiling and waving as he left the hospital with Regina as I watched through the window and waved back.