Love [Neal Cassidy || OUAT || Double Swan #4]

42 - Operation Mongoose: Part 1

Henry and Calla were walking in the woods with a copy of Isaac's story.

"Many deadly traps were set to protect the forest hideaway, a pit trap under the cedar tree..." They saw a bed of leaves in a random square shape and they walked around it, "A falling log hung just beyond..." They saw a large log and a tripwire, Henry picked Calla up and stepped over the tripwire, "And finally, at the centre of the willow forest, there was a rustic version of... Home," Henry read and he saw a tree stump as he put Calla down, closed the book, putting it away and they walked towards it.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Henry called out.

"Turn around slowly and step away from Calla," They turned around and saw Regina pointing an arrow at Henry, "Who are you? What do you want?" Regina asked.

"My name is Henry. And I'm your son," Henry said.

Back at the village, Isaac was walking back to see if Henry was dead.

"Come on, Henry. Please be dead. Please be dead. Please be dead," He saw Henry gone and a dead ogre in front of him, "I should have remembered. I wrote the book. The Ogre Slayer," Isaac said.

Back at the stump, Regina, Calla and Henry were inside, Henry and Calla were trying to convince Regina about the alternative universe.

"But we're telling you..." Henry said.

Regina picked Calla up to get her away from Henry, "That we're trapped inside a book?" Regina said.

"Yeah," Calla and Henry said.

"And I'm supposed to live in a place called Maine? Where I became your," Regina pointed to Henry, "Adopted mother after someone named Alana gave you up and kept you a secret from someone named Neal until you found him in a place called Manhatten?" Regina said as she put Calla down.

"Come on, mom. You can remember," Henry said.

"Well, now that I think about it..." She walked to him, "This does make me wonder one thing. Who sent you? Why do you have Calla?" Regina said as she threatened Henry with a knife.

"Mom, please. Nobody sent me and Calla's my cousin," Henry said.

"Stop calling me that! Are you working for the Queen? Calla doesn't have a cousin," Regina said.

"No. I'm trying to help you," Henry said.

"Gina, stop!" Calla said.

"Help me, what?" Regina asked.

"Find your happy ending. In our world, we called it Operation Mongoose," Henry said.

Regina chuckled and put the knife away, "That is a very silly name," Regina said.

"You thought it," Calla said and ran to Henry, they hugged.

"I'm okay," Henry said.

"You actually believe this. So you're crazy and you've made Calla crazy," Regina said.