page six

[fantasies]

[September hasn't been kind to Henry. First Snow, sent back home just to be cursed, and now he wakes up to find their (his, now) room is completely, terribly empty.

Alone. Again.

It's a long while later, but when he speaks into the journal, his voice is composed (if very, very small).]

The castle sent my mom home. Emma Swan. [a pause] I just, I dunno. I thought you guys should know.

[He knows he should be happy, that this means Emma can go back and break the curse like everyone at home needs her to. But he started out in Paradisa with his family whole and intact, and now....

And now he's just right back where he started.

He drags his sleeve at the corners of his eyes, and writes in a filter.]

[ Prince Charming ]

Do you wanna.... [He hesitates.] Can we get dinner?

----

Comments

[amiable]

Cinnamon? Did you want that instead? [ She looks back at the counter and is ready to get up. ]

[fantasies]

No, just... extra cinnamon. I like to put it in my hot chocolate.

[amiable]

Alright! I'll be right back with some, then.

[fantasies]

Thanks. [He looks sheepish.] Sorry to keep making you get up.

[amiable]

It's okay! [ She disappears for half a minute and returns with the cinnamon. She slides it over to Henry. ]

It's my treat, remember?

[fantasies]

Yeah.

[He smiles, and proceeds to dump a few shakes of cinnamon into his drink.]

It's really good, you know. [re: the cinnamon] You should try it.

[amiable]

I guess it is getting to be the season for it. That and anything pumpkin flavored.

[ She will definitely add a few shakes of cinnamon to her own drink now. ]

[fantasies]

I don't really get a lot of pumpkin stuff at home. My mom always makes apple pies.

[amiable]

Apple pie is delicious, though!

[fantasies]

I guess so. [He doesn't sound that enthused.] She makes a lot of apple stuff, though.

[amiable]

A lot? How much? [ Is there such thing as overdoing it with apples? ]

[fantasies]

We have a tree in our backyard.

[so that... might be an indicator....]

[amiable]

A tree? So you grow your own fruits? Do you have a garden?

[fantasies]

No, it's just the tree. It's kind of my mom's thing. Apples, I mean.

[amiable]

So you don't really like apples?

[fantasies]

[He stares down into his drink.]

They're okay.

[It's his mom he doesn't like, and what she did (does) with the apples.

And that right there makes him realize he should probably clarify.]

Oh, uh, she's not my real mom. The one who-- left is. She adopted me.

[amiable]

[ Uru's about to take a bite out of her donut and stops, her brow furrowing in deep thought. She remembers what he told her when he first arrived. ]

You said an-- [ evil ] a queen was your mom. That she put a curse on everyone where you're from, too.

[ Her voice is low and laced with pity. It must be hard to have family who harms others... ]

[fantasies]

Yeah. That's her.

[He resolutely does not look up.]

My real mom, Emma. She's the one who's going to stop her.

[amiable]

[ She observes him closely, as if waiting for him to show any sign of discomfort or anger. ]

Have you ever met her?