Breaking Barriers

Confronting the Swan

'I'm going to kill her for this!' Regina thought as she lay in bed that night. 'But I guess you can't expect much less from the dark one.'
She shivered as she remembered the night Emma took up the knife in Rumpelstiltskin's place. She wondered where the creature had gone after Henry had slashed at it. And when would it come back?
"What's wrong, Regina?" Robin Hood said, laying next to her.
"I'm just thinking about Henry." She said. "And the creature Emma magically conjured up with who-knows-how-much dark magic."
"You shouldn't dwell on it." Robin said. "It may come back, but when it does, we'll be ready for it."
"I suppose." She sighed. "But I just can't believe Emma would do this. Make Henry choose between me and her. Even when I was the evil queen, I wouldn't do that to a person."
"Yeah, you would execute the person instead of making them choose." Robin snorted.
"Oh, shut up." She snapped.
"Alright, alright," Robin laughed. "We'll talk to Swan in the morning, okay?"
He kissed her on the forehead and wrapped his arms around her.
"Fine." She said. She soon fell asleep in the arms of her sweet Robin.

That night, Henry couldn't sleep. He couldn't get rid of the adrenaline rush he had when fighting the monster. He had defeated it. Him! He wished Violet had been there to see it. Then she would see how brave he was, and they maybe, just maybe, would have a chance together. Sometimes he wished he hadn't broken that magical pen so he could write them a happily ever after. But then he remembered Isaac and the trouble that had caused. No, he would have to make her fall for him on his own. He couldn't get all this off his mind, so he decided to go downstairs to the kitchen to get some toast or something.
'To help calm myself down.' He thought. As he walked down the stairs, he felt the presence of magic in the kitchen. What could that be? It felt wrong somehow. Sad, dark and lonely. As he walked into the kitchen, to his surprise, he saw Emma. She was standing there with her arm crossed.
"I've been waiting for you." She said.
"Me?" He said. "How did you know I'd be here?"
She uncrossed her arms and began walking towards him. He took a step back.
"Henry, it's just me." She said. "Emma."
He felt mixed feelings of anger, sadness, and fear. He didn't know what to think of her now. Because of the whole incident with the egg, plus she was now the dark one.
"What do you want?" He said.
"Henry," she said. "I want you to come with me. To Boston."
She bit her lip. "Maybe I didn't do the right thing. Maybe the monster wasn't the best solution to this."
"No," he said angrily. "It wasn't. You can't just make me choose like that. It's not fair."
She looked at him sadly. "I just want you to be with me."
A tear slid down her face. "Because I don't know what I'd do without you. You're what keeps me from becoming like Mr. Gold."
"But you have become like Mr. Gold! You tried to make a deal with me last week!" He said.
"But," she said. "I did that for you. To help you decide between me or Regina."
"No, mom." He said. "You're thinking of no-one but yourself."
"I'm sorry," she said. "I... There's just so much I have to deal with now and I don't think I could-"
"How about you stay here and don't make anyone choose?" He interrupted.
"You said it yourself," she said. "I'm becoming more and more like Mr. Gold. Everyday, he's- he's watching me. Watching everything I'm doing. If I leave, that will get rid of my dark magic forever. But I won't be able to come back."
"Is there any other way to get rid of it?" He asked. Henry grabbed the bread out of the bread box and popped it in the toaster.
"No. Not unless I go back to Camelot." She said.
"Then do that! Just don't make me choose!" He shouted.
"Keep your voice down!" Emma hissed. "Regina and Robin are still sleeping."
"Sorry," he said. "But please, get magic beans or something. You can't make me do this."
"You know Regina burned all the magic beans. I can't. This is my only option."
"But-" Henry started.
"No." Emma firmly said. "This is my only choice."
She left in a puff of smoke. He sighed in relief. This had been a long night for him.
"Emma's been off the rails lately, hasn't she, lad." He suddenly heard. He swiveled around and saw Hook standing at the doorway, leaning against the post.
'Not again' Henry thought.
"You're not much better." Henry said angrily. He didn't want to deal with this right now.
"Aye, that be true." He said. Then he grinned and took something out of his pocket. "I've got something here that may help you."
He flicked it over in Henry's direction, who caught it in his hands.
"A magic bean?!" He cried. "Where did you get this?"
"Well, the fields haven't been completely stripped of magic beans you may say." Hook said. Henry narrowed his eyes.
"Why are you helping me?" He asked.
"Oh, I'm not doing it for you." He laughed and disappeared in a black puff of smoke. Henry's toast popped. When he took it out of the toaster, to his surprise he saw these words burned on the surface of his toast,
"CHOOSE ME"