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Chapter 37: The Little Match Boy

Once upon a time, there was a little girl that sold matches…

"The Little Match Girl" had always been one of the most depressing fairytales in Henry's opinion. Yet, he seemed to be living her life right now.

He wasn't being over dramatic.

His grandparents had kicked him out and he really had nowhere to go. He guessed he could go to Grandma Cora's, but something about that place gave him the creeps.

And Henry really just didn't want to talk to anyone. It was sort of hard, considering that the last time he talked to someone they told him to get out. Just because who he was.

Henry remembered the first time he came to a revelation that he was gay. It just sort of clicked. He never was your stereotype of a gay guy. He wasn't into fashion—save for men in leather pants—and he didn't care about Cher and he really didn't have any plans to join a glee club. But he also knew he didn't like girls.

He was pretty sure of that as soon as Paige's supposed tits started growing in.

There were other things as well. He found a lot of his classmates immature and gross. That didn't mean he was a manners freak himself, but the whole boys like gross thing totally was passé to him.

Then again, he grew up with Regina as a mother and she was a control freak in everyway that mattered.

He wanted his mother though.

It was weird. He never thought that he'd want Regina, but somehow he thought, maybe just maybe she'd understand.

If she didn't pull your heart out for being a freak.

That voice in the back of his head had gotten persistency louder since talking to Grandpa and Grandma Charming.

Henry had always been a little bit self-conscious. You couldn't help but be when you had a mother like Regina. People expected something of the mayor's town and when their memories were returned, of Charming's grandson. And Henry just couldn't live up to that image. As made evident by his grandma's reaction.

For all these years, he had thought Regina had been the crazy one.

The stories always portrayed Snow White as being this kind princess, and she was kind. Henry had seen it, but the version of his grandma he saw today…

She wasn't mean.

He told himself that.

She wasn't deceitful either.

She was honest.

And she never said, not once that she hated Harry.

But the way she looked at him.

The way she and David looked at him.

He sighed heavily. He didn't even know where he was. He had just kept walking when they told him to leave and now he was somewhere in the middle of the woods.

He checked his cell.

He had reception.

Barely.

He knew what he should do. Call Emma. But for some reason, he didn't press her number. He didn't want to talk to her.

He wanted to talk to his mother.

Regina didn't pick up.

Not that he hasn't expecting it. He didn't know what the big deal was about Moe French, but apparently because he was arrested over the town line. She had to be there.

Oddly, Henry missed her.

While Regina wasn't exactly mother of the year and didn't let him have cookies whenever he wanted like Emma did, there were some things about her that he really liked and missed.

Like her barbs on Snow White.

Okay, usually he loved Mary Margret. And he still did, but she had hurt him today where a part of him. Just a small hateful part, understood why his mom gave her that apple.

Of course, he shuddered that there was a part of him that found it was okay to think that way. But then he remembered how she told him to get out. The way that David looked at him.

They weren't heroes.

At least not today.

Maybe he was silly for having a concept of heroes and villains. But Henry really did believe in the book that there was a good and evil. But now, well, good was acting a little evil. Or maybe he was evil.

That actually made more sense because the book wouldn't lie, would it?

Not about Snow White and Prince Charming, universal heroes. But heroes didn't kick their own grandson outside of their house just because of their sexuality. That was something you only saw out of Lifetime movies. And apparently, Henry's own life.

Maybe that's why he kept his secret so long. He had wanted to tell anyone. And he sort of did tell Emma. Unless she was clueless, which he doubted, she would pick up on his obsession on men in leather pants too.

Straight kids wouldn't talk about Hook's butt for instance.

And Emma didn't seem to mind.

Or at least that's what he thought. But maybe she would mind. He didn't think Mary Margret would care either. But look at what happened.

Henry sighed heavily.

The way she stared at him…she thought he was some sort of monster.

And maybe he was.

He was never going to be like his grandfather. Never going to be the prince in shining armor, riding the horse. His run in with his mother's zombie boyfriend had dashed that idea. And the whole idea of using the sword was almost archaic, though he did appreciate Grandpa Charming for trying to teach him the pointers.

Not liking to fence or riding a horse, didn't equal instant monster status but it also didn't answer instant prince either.

And that was what Mary Margret had kept telling him throughout their…what? Conversation? It hadn't been a conversation.

It had been her freaking out.

Her freaking out and screaming at him, after he told him his painful secret.

His shameful secret.

Because despite the PSAs, he didn't feel special. He didn't like the fact that he couldn't be himself without some skeptical eye on him. Especially in Storybrooke where everyone grew up learning about how happy princes got with happy princesses.

And people like Henry, they didn't exist.

Then there were guys like Harry. Beautiful guys that wouldn't pay attention to him because they weren't gay. He didn't blame Harry or really any crush he had, they were entitled to their feelings just as much as he was entitled his. But it hurt so much, having unrequited love.

Sometimes Henry didn't even know how he dealt with it. Used to he believed that he would get a happy ending, that one day he'd find someone to spend his time with that his family would accept him.

But after tonight, he just didn't know.

He knew that Regina and Emma could be different. But Henry didn't even want to bother after what happened with Mary Margret and David.

Out of all the people, he thought they'd be the easiest ones to tell the truth. Snow White talked to animals—in the cartoons—and in real life she nursed baby birds back to health. He thought she'd be understanding.

He wanted to laugh though now, knowing the circumstances. He wondered if she'd help a injured same sex penguin couple, probably not, if the look of malice she had on her face when Henry announced he was gay was any indication.

And David, he was no better. Just sitting there starring at Henry and not defending him once.

You could tell by the way he looked at him, that he agreed with his wife. Henry was a disgrace.

He sighed heavily. He could feel his body shake. He didn't realize he was so upset. Yeah, he was upset…but.

He hadn't had time to really think about it. After they told him to leave, he had just kept walking and ended up here in the woods.

Not very smart. He should've gone to the sheriff's office, the mayor's office, even his mom's crypt. But the woods?

At least he was alone here, he thought as he leaned against a tree.

A temporary solution for sure. Not a permanent one by any means. He couldn't very well sleep out here. The idea of camping had always given him the creeps. He was really glad he had a mother that agreed with him about his disdain for the great outdoors.

Emma though was different. She told him that camping could be fun. And Henry had believed her. They had even been planning a trip out here in the woods, but now being alone. Henry didn't want to experience that joy.

Maybe if he walked around a little more, he could get some better reception. Call someone.

He could call his mom again. Maybe she'd pick up this time. Or suck it up and call Emma. Maybe he could even call Grandma Cora.

Okay, that one was a last resort. But at least Grandma Cora accepted him, unlike Grandma Snow.

Who would've thought?

Henry looked around him trying to pinpoint where he was. He wasn't exactly a boy scout and if there were just trees around him. Nothing really special. Not that well where everyone climbed out of when they went to another realm.

Another realm.

Henry smiled, maybe there was a realm out there for freaks like him. Where they wouldn't be given hateful looks for being the way he was.

He was over thinking things, he knew. But he still couldn't help but hope and wonder.

You're being over emotional, the logical part of his brain thought as he walked through the forest trying to find a clearing or something where he could call his mom.

There was no need to be this upset.

But it still hurt.

She was his grandma.

She might've not known it till less than a year ago, but she had tried making it up to him. She had even knitted him a sweater. And she said he made her proud until today.

Today, she said she wanted him out of his house.

Sighing Henry saw a clearing and looked at his phone. Two bars.

His mother picked up on the third ring. Her voice sounded distant, but she was there.

"Henry, are you okay?" She asked.

"Mom." He said. "Can you…can you come home?"

He was surprised at how he sounded. Not brave at all. He sounded like he was almost crying. And he guessed he was. He was upset. He needed his mother.

"Henry, you know I want to come home, but this Moe French thing it's complicated. He's actually using the fact he was drunk as a defense. Can you believe it?"

"Please, Mom." He said ignoring her rant about the American legal system. "I can't stand it here."

Regina sounded shocked. "What's going on? Is Emma treating you alright? Do I need to have a chat with her?"

"No."

Emma was treating him fine. She might've been a little oblivious to everything that had been going on lately, with Regina being in Augusta and the Gold family mysteriously going on vacation, but she had taken Henry out for ice cream just last night. And they were planning on having a marathon of horror movies tonight.

Oh, wait. That was until he was kicked out of the Charmings. He doubted that they were going to allow him to watch Netflixs on their TV.

Regina sighed heavily from the other end. "Then what's wrong, honey."

Honey.

She hadn't called him honey in such a long time. Not since he was little. Hearing it now, he missed her more than before.

Henry sometimes wondered how things would've been had he never found the book. Would he and Regina have been happy? There was a part of him that knew that eventually he'd realize that something odd was going on in town. No one aged. Each year, his class stayed behind and he moved up a grade.

Would Emma show up in town without his intervening?

Did it really even matter?

That was something Henry really was starting to wonder.

"Henry!" Regina said on the phone. "What's going on?"

The reception cut out then.

Henry sighed.

He hoped she would come home.

Why should she?

Really, why should she come home from a freak like him?

"Shut up!" He said out loud.

He surprised himself. Was he becoming one of those crazy people? One of those people who talked to himself. Maybe he really did need to start seeing Archie again.

Ugh.

He hated talking about his feelings. Everyone said he would feel better if he discussed his feelings and what did it end him up with. With grandparents who hated him and being stuck in the woods.

Henry frowned as he looked at his phone. To call Emma or not. He really wanted too. But he also didn't want to deal with the whole issue of talking to her about, well, being himself.

He had had enough of that. And he knew the Mary Margret Broadcast Network was probably going to be having kittens about it with Emma.

Cora?

She had magic. She could come get him. Bring him to the house, he thought.

But she was creepy. Even though Henry had no recollection of her ever doing anything to him, there was just…

No she'd help him.

Odd, how his thoughts changed so suddenly. And he started calling Cora's number. And she picked up.

Yes, Cora had a phone.

Heaven forbid anyone should come to Storybrooke without getting a cell phone.

It was just a burner, one she had Hook knick for her. But she still gave Henry the number because he was her special grandson as she called him.

"Henry?" She said.

"Grandma," He said. "I need to be picked up."

"Do you?" She asked. "Why, is everything okay?"

"No…" He said. "Can you poof over here and get me?"

"I'd love to, darling, but I'm having tea with a friend. He came a very long way to get here. Call your mother, I'm sure she'll get there."

"But Grandma."

Click.

Emma was next.

She picked up on the first ring.

"Kid, where are you?" She asked.

"The woods." He said, "Emma I…"

"I don't want to hear it." She said. "What Mary Margret said is crap. I'm coming to get you and we're going to go to Granny's. I'm NOT dealing with my mother tonight and we're going to watch a horror movie if it kills me."

Henry smiled. "You're really going to come and get me?"

"Of course," Emma said.

But she never showed. At least Henry never saw her come before he found himself dizzy and passing out on the forest floor.