Time Will Tell

Chapter Eleven

Storybrooke; The Past

Twenty-three dreadful years trapped in this tiny, trifling town. When Regina cast Rumpelstiltskin's curse, her only objective was to find Emma. She had no idea how big the land without magic would actually be. It was nearly impossible to find one person in the state she was summoned to, let alone fifty of them. She wouldn't even know where to begin without knowing what Emma's last name could be.

Since the curse was already cast and there was no turning back on the plan, she decided she could use it to her advantage and seek a little revenge out on the people that double-crossed her in the past. Starting with everyone that was involved with taking Daniel and Emma away from her, they would each pay the ultimate price. She snatched away all their memories, fulfilled their minds with pitiful new ones and ripped them apart from their loved ones. However, the most important reason as to why she stole everyone's memories because she knew if she ever did find Emma, every pathetic soul following so blindly behind Snow White would try and keep the Queen and the princess apart.

After eighteen years of the same routine, day in and day out, Regina was becoming utterly depressed. It wasn't too long before she became defeated, giving up hope on finding Emma. Sure she cursed many, winning the revenge she longed for after so many years, but not one person was aware. She could only share that delicious glory with herself and there was no fun in that. There was still a hole in her heart from missing her loved ones and no amount of revenge could ever fill that bottomless pit.

Eventually, she realized that she needed to feel something again. After speaking with Dr. Hopper, she concluded that she needed someone to share her life with and that resulted in the idea of adopting a baby. Just maybe a baby could fill the empty void that was eating away at her soul.

That was five years ago...

"Mommy?"

There's a little familiar tug on her pants, quite literally pulling her from those wandering thoughts. Her heart expands from his little voice, persuading her lips to blossom into a giddy grin before reaching down to swoop of her son. He's beaming at her as she places a soft kiss to his cheek and gently settles him down on the counter. She then proceeds to kiss his tiny nose for good measure.

She dips her finger into the extra flour that was left behind from her baking and playfully smears it upon Henry's freckled nose. He giggles, those adorable baby giggles and like always, she is instantly reminded of Emma. Truthfully, she hasn't thought about her in years and every time she's about to, she pushes those torturing images away. It's been too long now and if she continues to think about the beautiful princess, she will only drown.

However, as of lately, those distant memories have been demanding her attention a little too much. Henry's giggle always reminds her of Emma and she cannot possibly wrap her head around why? Maybe it's because their laughs always sound so young and free, full of life and not a care in the world? Yet, there's something in her gut that's screaming to her, that it's so much more than that.

"Mommy, can you believe I'm five!" Henry exclaims with his little hand coming up toward her face while wiggling all five fingers.

"I cannot, my prince. What happened to my baby?" She playfully pouts out her bottom lip adding to the dramatics just for him.

"It's okay mommy, don't cry. I'll always be your baby, right?" He innocently questions, and she cannot contain her smile as she reaches for his head, pulling him in for a kiss upon his forehead.

"Always," she murmurs against his warm skin, her eyes glistening from the love swimming so happily through her blood.

Henry's smile is a mile wide as he pulls away from her embrace and leans across the counter to turn up the radio. He stands up on the counter, wiggling around and showing off his best dance moves and she wants to scold him for standing on the counter, but the way his face is lighting up while he shakes his little butt, just warms her soul. She can never say no to his smiling face...just another thing she notices that her son has in common with the blonde.