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[henrydaniel]

picture prompt, text, lyric, w/e you can think of, hit me with it!

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posting my own prompt because I DO WHAT I WANT

[henrydaniel]

[ Henry's been off on his own now for a while. Years, and while he sends the occasional bird traveling through a portal to send word that he's fine, he hasn't seen anyone since the weeks following his 18th birthday when he took off on August's motorcycle and into another realm. There are ways, of course, if there's an emergency for him to get home or for him to call for help, but he hasn't felt the need, so he hasn't gone. There's so much to explore, so many other fairy tales to learn about from different cultures, and this is all he's wanted, to piece together whatever his story is going to be.

But, when he gets word that there could be a threat in Storybrooke via something like a game of telephone, Henry doesn't hesitate. He's 28 now, he can actually help, a swordsman, a hero, well traveled and versed in fighting to save people. Tossing a magic bean, he steps through into Storybrooke and is on Main Street outside of Granny's within seconds, sword in hand. He actually looks very much like David, dressed in similar Enchanted Forest-esque clothes, and he runs right to Emma's house, ignoring anyone who stops to stare.

Spoiler alert: everything is fine in Storybrooke, but he doesn't know that yet and doesn't even knock before slamming through her front door, calling out. ]

Mom!

[ He's looking around frantically, calling out as he does. ]

Mom!

[cursebreaking]

[It's been so long that she almost doesn't recognize his voice. Letters came every now and then, reassurances that he was alive and well, but Henry had been elsewhere for a decade. Ten long years-- the fact that she'd made him wait just as long before they'd ever even met one another in person hasn't escaped her, and while she doesn't have it in her to be bitter, she misses him.

Recognition aside, there's only one way to respond to that kind of urgency. She's in motion immediately, having been wiping down one of the counters in the kitchen when she'd heard the door burst open, and her gut drives her to move at an all-out run towards the entryway, her heart in her throat. It's him, she knows it's him, but for him to be yelling like that--]

Henry?!

[She looks a bit windswept as she comes across him just beyond the foyer, and even ten year older, it's undoubtedly him.]

What's wrong?!

[Because something has to be. Hugs and sarcastic comments can wait.]

[henrydaniel]

[ Once he has eyes on her, he relaxes somewhat. If she's okay, standing in front of him and fine, then whatever's coming hasn't happened yet. ]

I got word Storybrooke was under attack, that you're in danger.

[ He's still keyed up enough to have his sword out, holding it but pointed away from her, eyes still wide, waiting for something to happen, but then he realizes. ]

You're...not in danger?

[cursebreaking]

[He's so-- tall. Despite his concerns, that's what hits her the most. He'd already been taller than she was when he'd left, but it still strikes her.]

Hell of a 'hello' after ten years.

[But he'd been worried. She can't help smiling at that, and it comes out lopsided.]

I'm fine. Everyone here is fine-- who told you what?

[henrydaniel]

[ Oh boy, well. Sorry about that, mom, and he'll fix your door. ]

It uh...might have been...you know. From someone who heard a thing, who heard a thing from another person who may or may not be a fake soothsayer?

[ Henry looks a little sheepish now and puts the sword away. ]

You know how this family works. We even think something's wrong and here we are. And now here I am.

[ Which means he's hugging her now, tightly and murmuring down into her shoulder. ]

Missed you, mom.

[cursebreaking]

Sounds like a reliable source.

[Do you see these eyes of hers, kid? She's judging you. Judging hard.]

You're not wrong, though. Kind of how we do things around here.

[A pause, and her crooked smile wavers just a little. That moment of panic is past, and it's starting to sink in that he's really here-- and before she can do anything, he beats her to the hug, and she feels something well up within her as she puts her arms around his middle, hugging him tightly-- maybe a little tighter than necessary.

Ten years is a long, long time.]

Maybe I should see if that soothsayer is looking for part-time work if it means I get to see you more often.

[But she'd told him to go, to find his story, and she'll never begrudge him that. The embrace tightens, and she hides her face against his shoulder in turn, her voice cracking faintly.]

Missed you, too, kid.

[henrydaniel]

[ There are times he feels guilty for being away so long, and this is one of those times. When he's in his mom's arms and time catches up to him. Maybe no one actually ages in Storybrooke, but time still passes and people still changes. When he pulls back, he looks for those subtle changes in her eyes, then smiles and squeezes her hands before letting go. ]

Someone might be calling soon, by the way? I sort of showed up through a portal in front of Granny's and ran here with the sword and the panic...I was worried.

[ So if her phone blows up, he's why. Also, oops. But he also doesn't care because too many times something has been wrong.

Now that things have calmed down, though, maybe Emma notices a silver band on his left hand, maybe not. ]

You know I'd never stay away forever. Home is always home, time won't change that. But I am sorry it's been so long. Magic beans are a little hard to come by.

[cursebreaking]

[It's surreal, for him to be so much older and for herself to be virtually unchanged, at least physically. She has to wonder if this is what it was like for her parents, except for them, there was nothing in-between her birth and adulthood. Henry might have been grown now, but in her heart, he'll always be ten. She'll never forget the kid who showed up at her apartment and sat himself down at the counter with a glass of juice.

She pulls back just enough to smile wryly at him, her arms still hooked around him, fingers laced together behind his back for the time being.]

It's cute that you've been gone so long that you think that's weird here.

[Although he's not wrong, someone probably will call soon. This town doesn't have the best luck with portals. She doesn't notice his ring just yet-- if only because she's too busy studying his face, noting the ways in which it's changed.]

You were doing what you needed to. Working on finding your story, right? I've always known it wasn't forever, it just feels like it sometimes-- but whatever the reason? I'm glad you're here now. [Also:] I can't believe that you're even taller than when you left. I almost didn't recognize you.

[But only almost.]

[henrydaniel]

[ He can take the scrutiny, he expected it, even, and then he laughs a little, shaking his head. ]

What can I say? There's something in the water out there.

[ There's a very, very faint scar on his cheek, still visible with all the studying Emma's doing, but it definitely wasn't a major injury and it isn't a big scar, by any means. It faintly resembles his grandfather's, even, just a little higher up. And he studies Emma too, re-memorizing her face because he's been in a place with no modern technology, it isn't like he could pull up photos of her or charge a smartphone and FaceTime. ]

Okay, so, tell me everything that's been happening here, and don't hold back. How're grandma and grandpa? And Regina and Hook, and...everyone?

the first two psls are his moms this is so perfect

[henrydaniel]

[ Henry hasn't been home in ten years, and he's cutting it very close to eleven. A lot has happened, he's changed, and he has more than one surprise for his mother. It's why he's hunted for something to use as a portal for the past eleven months. Finally, magic bean in hand, wife and month old baby in the other, he lets out a breath and tosses the bean, crossing over into Storybrooke with his family.

His first stop should be home, but instead, it's Granny's - not the diner, but the bed and breakfast, and he grabs a room, not wanting to completely overwhelm Ella on her first day in a modern world. And maybe because he wants to be a little selfish, have this time by himself plus Lucy who won't have much to say. Knowing Ella's resting, he takes a small bundle swaddled and dozing with him to Regina's.

With a baby in his arms, he's less likely to be yelled at. Right?

Knocking on the door, he lets himself in, calling out. ]

Hello? Anyone home?

[ He's dressed like a Charming, including a sheathed sword at his hip. ]

[madehervows]

[Watching Henry leave had been the hardest thing she'd ever done. Letting him go was the right decision, but for the longest time after he'd gone through that portal, she wanted to hide her heart in her vault until he came back. She never went through with it, putting all her energy into keeping Storybrooke running and making sure it would still be there when he returned.

Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, months... Even with time passing however it feels, all of Storybrooke noticed his absence. The only thing that stopped them from going to find him was that they had no idea where in the realms he was. He could have been anywhere, so all they could do was wait. Emma and Hook decided to expand their family, Neal and Robin started growing up, things were good.

The day Henry comes back is like any other, and it's sheer luck that Leroy doesn't notice the portal and ruin the surprise by running through the streets yelling about Henry being home -- Portals are fairly common these days, with Anton having managed to finally grow a crop of magic beans and keep growing them. Now people could go come and go between Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest as they pleased, and shockingly, nobody tried to destroy either realm.

The Mayoral Mansion is quiet -- Zelena had taken Robin to a playdate with the other mothers, leaving Regina alone so when Henry's voice breaks the silence, the answering sound is of shattering glass. He might be older, it might have been eleven ten years, but she would know that voice anywhere.

He's home.]

...Henry? Henry! [The broken glass is forgotten as she rushes to the door, tears already forming at the corners of her eyes.] You -- Ten years -- I -- Henry.

[Regina stops just short of him, completely unprepared for the sight of him as an adult. It's not even the baby in his arms that's stunned her, not yet, anyway, because while she knew this would happen, it doesn't mean she was ready for it. Her son grew up and she missed it. She missed so much.]

You... You grew -- You have a baby?!

[henrydaniel]

[ Seeing her again isn't what he thought it'd be, and immediately he swallows heavily, fighting back a swell of emotion and blinking quickly. She looks the same but different, and it's only right now that the full weight of how much he missed her hits him. But he does manage a small smile at her reaction. ]

I grew up. And I tried to find a bean or a way home but it took until now, and...

[ He lets out a breath, looking at Regina. ]

I'm sorry it took so long.

[ He knows he could have tried harder, focused more on coming home, but now he's here, when he knew that this, her family growing, was something she couldn't miss, no exception. It still took him an entire year though, very nearly.

Very carefully, he pushes the blanket down so Regina can see that tiny sleeping face, only a few days old. ]

This is Lucy. Your granddaughter.

[ He's so proud, unable to keep the pride out of his voice or off his face. ]

[madehervows]

[With each year that passed, she knew that the inevitable reunion would only get harder and harder. But in the end, it doesn't matter because he's home and no matter what he's been through, he's still her son.]

It's okay, Henry. [It's said quietly, simply.] You had to find your story.

[She steps forward to get a better look at the baby in his arms, even if she can't believe he has a baby. Who is this child's mother? Is he married? Her heart starts racing as she tries not to think about the possibilities. There'll be time for that later; now she has to meet her granddaughter. With a last glance up (up! He got so tall.) at Henry]

And it looks like you found it. [Quietly:] Hi, Lucy.

[She stays like that for a few minutes, just watching the tiny face.]

[henrydaniel]

I did. And I wanna tell you everything, all of it.

[ He lets her watch Lucy as she sleeps, her little tongue poking out as she shifts and grunts just a little. Then, Henry nods toward the living room so they can sit and when Regina is, he gently and carefully places Lucy into her arms before sitting beside them. ]

She's only three days old. Her first big portal trip already in the books.

[ Henry knows his mom must want to ask every question in the book, so he holds up his hand now that it's free to show her he is indeed married, there were no shenanigans of that sort happening. ]

As it turns out, different realms have different versions of every story. And I met Ella. Cinderella. She's perfect and amazing and tried to knock me out the first time we ever met.

[ Which makes him grin. God he's still such a dope in love. ]

[madehervows]

If you leave anything out, you're grounded, young man.

[You might be married and almost the same age as her now, but she can still do that. Regina locks the door behind Henry, because things are calm but who knows what'll happen if someone saw the portal. Joining him in the living room, she just takes in the sight of her son holding his daughter. It's enough to make her misty.

Cradling Lucy in her arms, she shifts so they're both comfortable and Lucy won't risk being woken.]

And hopefully her last for some time. [She'll understand if they have to leave eventually -- no doubt, she has family on her mother's side -- but she's allowed to be selfish and want them to stay in Storybrooke as long as possible.] Seems like it runs in the family.

[She pulls her gaze away from Lucy's tiny face in time to see the wedding ring, and her heart skips a beat. She missed something else. Will it ever stop hurting?]

... Another thing that runs in the family. I hope you told her your grandparents did the same thing. [Regina laughs, quietly so as not to wake Lucy.] Is she here in Storybrooke?

[Okay maybe she doesn't have family on her mother's side.....]

[henrydaniel]

I did. [ He laughs softly, watching as Lucy's eyes open just for a second before she's seemingly uninterested and they close again. ]

And Ella's here. She's here and we're staying, mom. We're a family, and she needs a lot more of that. I mean, you know the story, and it's not completely similar but it's close enough. In this version, her step-mother set her up for murdering the prince.

[ True enough Ella had gone there to kill him herself, but she hadn't, so. ]

But the kingdom is safe now, Tiana's the queen, everything's been made right and at the end of the day, even if home isn't really a place? I miss the people. I want my daughter to grow up here. I want you to always know her, to have something special with her. Maybe start a height chart of her own once she can stand.

[ Now that he's home, now that he sees his mom holding his baby, there's so much he wants. He can do this. He can find the line between needing adventure and being an amazing dad. ]

[morethan084]

[Of course working for SHIELD definitely had its risks, but, she didn't think she would end up somewhere completely different to where she had been a moment ago. A literal portal had opened up, and before she even had a chance to really figure out what the hell was going on, she was pushed through by the person she had been fighting.

Landing on the uneven ground of a forest, Daisy laid there for a moment as she tried to catch her breath. Pushing herself up just a little she turns around to see the portal was gone. Quickly getting to her feet in a panic, Daisy looks around and all she can see is trees for miles.

Aimlessly she starts hurrying around the area, hoping to find the portal again. Slowing her footsteps when she thought she heard another pair, Daisy's hand reaches for her gun and she quickly draws it, turning off the safety as she spins around and aims at whoever it was behind her.]

[henrydaniel]

[ Henry'd seen the portal from where he'd been camped out, alone while trying to find some rare mushrooms for Regina. Ever since they came back to the Enchanted Forest, he'd thought there'd be an opportunity for him to find and write his own story. So far, nothing had really panned out the way he'd thought. It felt like something was always right there, a story waiting to happen, but he just hasn't been able to get to it. Honestly, there was more excitement in Storybrooke.

So, he can't help investigating where the portal opened and one hand is on the hilt of his sword, drawing it when he hears footsteps ahead. But the trees are so dense, he can't fully see. ]

Who's out there? I saw the portal open, you don't have to hide.

[morethan084]

[So someone had seen her come through, and they weren't shocked by it? Gun still drawn, Daisy steps out from between the trees.]

I'm not hiding.

[Gun trained on him, Daisy's eyes wander over him on the look out for any possible weapons before locking eyes with him.]

Who are you?

[henrydaniel]

Wow, okay. Guns. Awesome. Do you always greet people in a new realm with your gun out or is this customary for wherever you come from?

[ As a show of good faith, he sheathes his sort, though he does keep one hand on the hilt of it. ]

My name is Henry Mills. And you are...?

[morethan084]

New realm?

[He knew what a gun was and this place looked like Earth. At the very least she knew he wasn’t Asgardian. Watching him put his sword back, Daisy cautiously lowered her gun. Turning the safety back on for now at least.]

Skye.

[Like hell she was going to give him her real name right now.]

How do you know what a portal is, Henry?

[henrydaniel]

Well, Skye, it's how we travel from kingdom to kingdom when we can. But they're super rare so, question right back at you: How did you get one?

[ He hasn't used one in years, hasn't even seen so much as a hint of one around. ]

[morethan084]

Kingdom to Kingdom? What? Are we in Cinderella world?

[Well... She’s not wrong, but she doesn’t know that. Which is why she’s totally mocking him.]

I don’t know. Someone else opened it and I fell through.

[henrydaniel]

[ Henry pauses and looks at this woman, some apprehension in his features now. ]

What do you want with Ella?

[ Not that he knows her personally, but she is a princess and he is a prince. Well, more of a knight right now, technically but whatever. The point is, he protects people. ]

What realm are you from? I'm assuming one without magic.

[morethan084]

[Daisy barely has time to answer his first bizarre question before he’s asking a second.]

Is that not a common thing?

[Unless by magic he meant powers like the one she possess. Not that he knows about that.]

I’m from Earth. You know. Earth.

[Good description.]