Tangled in Red

Chapter Three: tell me there's a counterspell

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon A Time.

A/N: Oh lawd. I must be back from the dead.

Emma stares, eyebrow quirked, at her son when he hops into the bug and slams the door. She instantly takes note of his crossed arms and the familiar scowl on his face. "You wanna tell me what's up, kid? Or should I chalk it up to puberty?"

His death glare shifts toward her, eyes narrowing in exasperation. The expression looks so much like one of Regina's that it leaves her momentarily uncertain and she almost misses Henry's response. "I did a spell to help mom find her real true love and she grounded me."

Emma blinks numbly at the explanation. Her gaze shifts to the annoying red string tied around her finger then back up at her still brooding son. "You did what?"

"A spell to..." Henry hesitates when he notices the twitching of Emma's eye. He was sure Regina would've explained it to her to make sure he still served his punishment while in the care of his other mother. From Emma's reaction it looks like it's news to her and she doesn't seem the slightest bit happy about it. In fact, he's pretty sure she's freaking out and that means he needs to tread carefully. "Help find my mom's true love?"

"This spell," There's an obvious strain to her voice that has him even more worried. "It have anything to do with the red thread of fate?"

At the mention of the red thread a spark of excitement flashes across his features. His trepidation over the subject momentarily forgotten. "Yeah. Its actually a pretty cool spell because it uses the thread of fate to strengthen the bond between two connected soul mates. The connection pulls them closer and won't stop pulling until they find each other."

Emma pales at the explanation. The damn thing is going to keep pulling her around like a rag doll until she finds the guy on the other end of it? She doesn't even know if she wants to find whoever it is. Her soulmate could be someone out there in the "real" world. Oblivious to magic, to true love, to her entire crazy life. How could she bring someone into this mess and expect them to just accept it? She sure as hell didn't believe in the beginning. Sometimes she still can't wrap her head around it all.

"Kid, please tell me there's a counterspell."

His look of excitement dissipates at that, a little half scowl half pout hybrid taking its place. "I thought you cared about my mom. You keep apologizing for ruining her chance with Robin but you won't even help me-"

"Henry." It comes out a tad harsher than she anticipates and sounds like regret, pain, and pure frustration all rolled into one. It sounds like maybe she cares too much, cares so much more than she's willing to admit. She ignores the thought and ambles on, cautious of Henry's wide eyes and dark frown. "I'm sorry, kid. You know I care about Regina and you know I feel bad about what happened with Robin. Trust me, your mom has absolutely nothing to do with why I want to undo the spell."

His brows furrow, eyes scrunched and lips pressed into a thoughtful line. Then it dawns on him and a huge smile breaks out across his features. It's as though he just received the greatest news. "You're my mom too! The spell worked on you both!"

Emma simply presses her forehead to the steering wheel and groans, fully prepared for the ambush of excitement headed her way.

"We have to find your true love, Ma! And mom's too! Then everyone will be happy again and everything can go back to the way it used to be. We can be a family again."

That ball of something beneath her chest, that thing sinking down into her gut and festering, is no match for the way she feels when her son fixes his wide hopeful stare upon her. In all the chaos she didn't realize how deeply her issues with Regina were affecting their son. Her heart falters and she can't, she can't not give him whatever it is he needs to feel happy and safe and loved. Her gaze travels down to the glowing string around her finger and she takes a moment to steel herself.

"Under no circumstances does Regina fins out I'm helping you." She shifts the bug into first gear and gives the kid a pointed look. "And you're still grounded for however long your mom says you are."

Henry's punishment ends two days into the week he's with Emma. He immediately uses his newfound freedom to start the search for his mothers' true loves. The first thing he does is attempt to convince Emma to use some kind of locator spell. Emma turns down the idea before he can even finish explaining. It's then that she restricts him from using any magic whatsoever. Henry grudgingly agrees and promptly moves onto his next method; using Emma's ability to see the thread. Meaning the kid's got her roaming all over town with him attached to her hip. Asking about every red thread or lack thereof attached to every single person they come into contact with. Emma gets tired of him using her as his own personal blood hound real fast.

It's Friday evening, a day before Henry goes back to Regina's, that Emma finds herself sprawled across her living room sofa in pure exhaustion. Only half listening to the new plan of action Henry's begun to fabricate. She's dozing off when she feels it. A horrible, painful, burning sensation creeping from her fingertips all the way up to her shoulder. A scream bubbles uninhibited, up and out of her throat and it's almost comical the way Henry jumps up out of his seat, but Emma really can't find the time to laugh with her arm feeling like it's literally ON FIRE. Her son, however, seems to find the expression on her face and the wild waving of her arms completely hilarious. If the way he's pointing at her and cackling like a demon child is any indication.

"That's it!" Once the sensation dissipates she glares down at the taunting, brightly glowing string with pure indignation. She's seriously fed up with the thing hurting her for no apparent reason. Her features contort in fury and unfettered determination as Emma grabs a hold of the red string and begins to pull. "I've had enough of this piece of-"

Henry watches her brows set, lips purse, and stance widen as she begins to pull at the invisible string and he tries. He really tries his hardest not to start laughing again but he's incapable of holding the uncontrollable giggles back. She just looks so ridiculous.

"I don't care if this guy is all the way across the world," She gives a harsh tug, ignorant to her son's giggle fit. "I'm going," Another tug accompanied by the flash of a camera she doesn't notice. "To pull his ass," A slight repositioning of footing and then a hard pull, "Here!"

"That's it!" The damnable string has been bothering her all week, causing her to drop things or tripping her mid step. Regina moves her glare away from the spilled glass of cider currently staining her floor and toward the sliver of red around her finger. She grabs a hold of it and conjures a fireball, delighting in the way the string catches fire. Her satisfaction ends abruptly when the fire snuffs out, the string remaining whole and glowing even brighter than before. Almost as if it's taunting her.

She huffs and goes about magicking her floor clean. Starts to fix herself a new glass of cider when the line suddenly, violently, tugs. Causing her entire arm to fly up and the glass decanter to go soaring across the room. She grimaces when she hears it shatter against one of her favorite paintings. She stares in abject horror at her ruined painting and growls out an, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

She's so distracted by her rage that the next aggressive pull of the string takes her completely by surprise. Pulling her toward her front door and forcing her to brace her palms against the doorframe in pure resistance. She refuses to let fate lead her to heartache once again.

The moment the little red thread starts to become visible to him (and his amusement has reached a manageable level) Henry jumps right in to help Emma pull. Despite their combined effort the cord refuses budge. "Ma, this guy is really strong."

"Or just really stubborn." Emma grunts out with an annoyed roll of her eyes. It would be just her luck to land a soulmate as pigheaded and uncompromising as her son's other mother.

So engrossed in their magical tug of war, nether Emma or Henry notice the knocking at the front door. They don't realize Snow and Charming (with baby Neal in tow) are in the apartment at all until they're standing right in front of them.

"What's going on in here?" Charming takes in their odd behavior with a raised brow.

Any response Emma or Henry might have is interrupted by Snow's loud, excited squeal. Her doe like eyes zone in on what Charming can only deduce is thin air. Has his entire family gone completely mad or are they playing another silly prank on him?

"Emma! Is that what I think it is?!"

"If you think it's the red thread of fate connecting me to my soulmate then yeah, it is. And right now?" The blonde glares at the string clutched tightly in her hands. "My supposed soulmate is being a total asshat."

Without looking away from the aforementioned thin air, she hands baby Neal over to her equal parts confused and suspicious husband. Another, somehow giddier, squeal leaving her as she rushes over to help pull.

Regina curses and barely catches herself before she stubbles reluctantly down her porch steps. Despite the sheer amount of will power she posses it seems it isn't enough to subdue her soulmate. She detests the power he still has over her. He made his choice and yet she's being taunted by the reminder of the bond they share. The very one he turned his back on.

Lately the thought of him has made her stomach churn with distaste and her head swim with rage. She's so far past the hurt and yearning the mere mention of that forest dwelling moron once instilled within her. The first thing she's going to do when she sees Robin Hood is-

"Curses!" The string gives another harsh pull that has her breaking into a brisk walk. A brisk walk that soon turns into a mild jog before finally transforming into a full out run. Regina is far too preoccupied attempting to run in high heels to take note of the many petrified and curious stares being thrown in her direction. Most passersby have the good sense to move out of her way. The exception, of course, is standing just across the street from her. Giving her a bright, oblivious smile as his zombie wife glares at her and the little boy in her arms struggles and claps his hands in excitement. She's about to conjure the deadliest fireball in her aresenal and tell him to stop his incessant pulling when she sees it. That damnable little red thread at his finger is swinging contentedly between him and Marian and the realization literally knocks the breath right out of her.

No. Literally. The breath has been knocked right out of her lungs from her sudden collision with Robin. His arms automatically wrap around her upon impact and now, well now she definitely notices the attention her little run through town has garnered.

"Let go of me this instant!" It's barely a muffled scream against his chest but the accompanying slapping of her free hand at his bicep seems to get the message across.

He gives her a confused look, his thick brows furrowed and mouth agape. "You ran into my arms."

"I was being pulled," She glares and barrels on before he can interrupt with some (no doubt) smarmy response. "By a magic string. And you were too oblivious to move. Now," She fixes him with one of her deadliest glares. "Let. Go."

He opens his oafish mouth to respond when yet another tug pulls at Regina, forcing Robin to move along with her. "I'll let go once you stop pulling me away. A magic string, Regina? Really?"

"I am not pulling you anywhere. My idiot soulmate, who is on the other end of this magic string, seems to be an impatient fool and you are merely in the way."

"What? I thought I was your-oof!"

His back collides with a lamp post, stunning him into releasing Regina. The moment she's out of his arms she's being yanked away and forced into another run. The look of pure and utter confusion almost has her complimenting her soulmate's timing. Well, right up until she feels the right heel of her favorite Jimmy Choo's break. The idiot on the other end of this thread will feel her wrath.