Chapter Text
On the 12th September 1978 at 11:15 pm a baby boy was found by a nun, Sister Bower, near St Matthews Convent in a small town a few miles outside of Reston, Virginia. This finding was promptly reported to the police and the baby was taken to the local hospital for a medical examination, which found no signs of a premature birth, serious injuries or neglect. For the records the baby was registered as “Baby Boy Matthews”, after the convent where he was found. The search for the birth family had begun in the early hours of the morning, however it soon proved fruitless as none of the neighbors had seen anything or anyone suspicious, no note or any other item which could be used to identify the mother had been left with the baby and no local hospitals had a record of a missing infant or of this particular infant being born at all. When a report was put out in the local paper urging any family members to come forward none had answered. All in all, it seemed that the baby had just appeared out of thin air.
As the search yielded no results the baby was registered under the name Robert Matthews by the Fairfax county social services department and transferred into the care of a temporary foster family in Reston until a more permanent guardian could be found.
***
“You know, most men would be jealous that their wife chose to spend her birthday with another man,” Robert said as he took out a pack of colorful birthday candles and a lighter from one of the cupboards.
“We’re not doing this” her tone sounded annoyed as she rolled her eyes but the small smile on her face gave away just how endearing she found it.
“Oh yes we are” he said as he neatly placed the candle in the cupcake and lit it “Your birthday is the one day a year you get a little wish magic” he slid the plate over and walked around the countertop, hugging Emma from behind.
“Wish magic. Seriously?” She gave him a side eye and looked down skeptically at the cupcake.
“Dead serious. I’ve never had a birthday wish that didn’t come true” he pressed a kiss to her temple “Now make your wish so I can give you your birthday present” one of his hands snaked around her thigh teasingly “Love the dress, by the way”
“Let me concentrate, since you want me to have the wish magic” she closed her eyes and after a moment, blew out the candles. She didn’t really believe in wish magic or birthday magic or whatever it is that Robert liked to think about when he blew out his candles. But she also saw no harm in indulging him, and a smaller, more childish part of her hoped that maybe he was right, maybe birthday wishes could come true. After all, she never knew her husband to be wrong.
The soft sound of candles being blown out was followed by a prolonged (and very unwelcome) sound of the doorbell.
Robert let out an annoyed sigh “I can deal with it. It’s probably some night time Bible salesmen”
“No, it's fine. I’ll open” she responded as she walked over towards the door, knowing how little patience her husband had for strangers. Especially those who came late at night.
“Great, I’ll open the booze” this statement was soon followed by a bottle that looked like it cost more than their rent.
“Where’s that from?” her eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“Mr Lavateli sends his regards” he responded lightly as Emma opened the door.
“Can I help you?” she asked the person behind the door though Robert couldn’t quite hear the other person's response as the bottle opened with a loud pop and he began pouring the champagne into glasses that looked far too cheap for such a drink. As he finished pouring he gave the doorway a startled look as a child came through it with the words “I’m Henry, I’m your son”
It was a boy, still wearing his school uniform, who didn’t look any older than ten and was carrying a book that looked way too big for him under his arm. Roberts' eyes just followed the boy, who in his part didn’t seem to notice him in the slightest as he looked around the apartment.
Robert was stunned. Incredibly stunned even. So stunned that he felt it was maybe best to stand still. Over his years in foster care he perfected the very valuable skill of standing very still and pretending he doesn’t exist.
“-Kid! Kid! I don’t have a son” to her credit, his better half seemed to have no idea what was going on either.
“Ten years ago, did you give a baby up for adoption? That was me” Roberts eyebrows shot up even more than before, if that was even possible. Emma had mentioned having a baby she gave up for adoption, the topic clearly seemed painful for her so he chose not to press at the time. Although, he expected that there was at least six more years until her long lost boy would try to find them. If he tried to find them at all.
“I’m sorry, I just need a minute” she looked apologetically at Robert before disappearing into the bathroom, leaving Robert alone to deal with her very determined and inquisitive offspring.
“Hello” the boy said as he finally saw Robert standing in the kitchen “Are you my dad?” his eyes lit up with such hope Robert felt bad diminishing it.
“I’m afraid I’m not” he responded awkwardly, the boy's eyes grew dull and his upset expression resembled Emma's, which in turn made Robert feel even more guilty “I am married to your mother so I suppose that makes me your stepfather”
As he stood still, Robert got an opportunity to take a better look at the boy. His clothes were neat, his hair was combed, his cheeks were plump like a ten year olds should be and while the boy seemed a bit uncomfortable in his presence, this seemed to stem more from the feeling of awkwardness every child has around a strange adult than from any previous unpleasant experiences. All in all, he just seemed like a normal, if a bit tired, little boy.
“Do you have juice?” he asked suddenly just as Robert was about to try and make small talk.
“We might” Robert responded as he turned to open the fridge, inspecting the admittedly meagre selection of food inside. Neither Robert nor Emma had ever particularly enjoyed cooking so their diets had consisted largely of take out and ready meals “You like grapefruit?” he asked, though he mentally cringed at the stupidity of the question. What kind of ten year old liked grapefruit?
“It’s fine, we should probably get going anyway” that warranted him a strange look from both Robert and Emma who had come out of the bathroom by now.
“Going where?” Emma asked suspiciously.
“I want you to come home with me” his voice made it sound like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“Okay kid, I’m calling the cops”
“And I’ll tell them you kidnapped me” Robert couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the nonchalant way the kid said it. He had to admit, this child had balls.
“That’s a good attempt, they might even believe you initially seeing as Emma is your birth mother” his eyes shone with amusement at Henry's audacity “But my wife has quite a rock solid alibi for the night. So I think we’ll be fine”
“No, wait. Please don’t call the cops” the urgency in his voice made Robert pause, a sense of worry stirring in his chest “Please come home with me”
“Where’s home?”
“Storybrooke , Maine”
“You know you don’t have to come” Emma said as they made their way down the stairs twenty minutes later, the kid was already waiting by the car
“And miss out on a trip to Storybrooke, Maine? God no” he said sarcastically. Truthfully, he didn’t particularly want to go to Storybrooke. He hated small towns and he especially hated Maine. But he also realised that his wife wanted him with her, even if she didn’t want to admit it. “It's fine, it's a Friday anyway. We’ll be back by tomorrow morning and spend Saturday in bed” his hand snaked around her waist “And I can finally give you your birthday present”
“You’re disgusting” her eyes rolled as she half heartedly slapped his hand away.
“You love it”
Storybrooke Maine was strange. The car ride had felt far longer than it should, however it was still very informative. During the four hours he was locked in the small space with Emma and Henry, Robert managed to find out that, according to the boy, his entire town was cursed by the Evil Queen, who was the Mayor and Henry's adoptive mother. He also found out that his mother was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming destined to save everyone. The boy came to this conclusion by reading the big book of fairy tales he carried with him. How the kid concluded that Emma was in fact the baby from the book was still unclear to Robert. A part of him approached the situation with humour, children had such a wild imagination at that age, it was almost amusing. However a smaller part of him felt a sense of concern for the boy, he couldn’t imagine what kind of home life the boy must have that he would hide in a world of fairy tales where his birth mother was a saviour.
As they arrived in Storybrooke, Robert could certainly understand why Henry would think the town is cursed. The air felt stale, as if even the air particles were frozen in place which created an eerie feeling of absolute stillness. Wind didn’t blow, insects made no sound, even leaves scattered across the streets didn’t move an inch. It was as if the entire town was on pause. Even Henry's shrink made Robert feel slightly unsettled, the man's manner of speech made him sound like someone out of an educational video for children rather than a real person. The entire town just felt incredibly surreal to him, like a very vivid dream rather than an actual place.
As they pulled up to the Mayor's house Robert couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. It felt very gauche compared to the other houses, too large, too white and just too much. It was something one would see in an expensive New York suburb rather than a small town in the middle of nowhere.
“Henry!” a woman's voice cut through the still silence as a woman emerged from the house. “Where have you been? What happened?”
“I found my real mom,” the kid said before running into the house. His mother stopped as if someone had punched her, as if seeing Emma had knocked the breath out of her.
“You’re Henry’s birth mother” Robert couldn’t help but feel bad for the woman, the anger and venom with which Henry said this must have stung.
“Hi” Emma responded awkwardly as Robert came closer to her and lightly touched her hand, drawing some attention to himself.
“How would you two like a glass of the best apple cider you’ve ever tasted?” the woman (Robert still hadn’t caught her name) said, having collected her bearings.
“Got anything stronger?” Emma asked as they walked inside the house. It seemed even more grandiose inside than out, if that was even possible. “How did he find me?”
As they talked Robert decided to take a closer look at the decor. The house was done in cooler tones, mostly limited to black and white with dark wood floors and a spiral staircase that looked like something out of a fairy tale book. The craftsmanship was impeccable on every item and the furniture arrangement must have been carefully curated by an interior designer, however something about it still seemed very off. Like an elaborate facade that hides skeletons underneath it.
What skeletons are you hiding, Madame Mayor?
“And you must be Henry's father” the woman's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
“Oh no, I'm not - no” he said awkwardly “I’m Emma's husband, here in a purely supportive capacity” he put on his best peacekeeping smile and extended his hand “Robert Matthews. I’m afraid I haven’t caught your name”
“Regina Mills” she said as she shook it and Robert suddenly felt like he just met someone very important, though he couldn’t quite place his finger on why. “Do I need to be worried about the actual father?”
“No, he doesn’t even know” Emma responded as Regina led them into the study, which looked as immaculate as the rest of the house.
“And do I need to be worried about you, Mrs Swan? Mr Matthews?” she asked, her tone growing colder.
“Absolutely not”
“You have a lovely home,” Robert said, trying to de-escalate the situation. In his experience, flattery and politeness were usually the best policy, especially when it came to politicians, however small. You always have to be at least a bit of an ego maniac to succeed in politics.
“Thank you, I designed it myself” she nodded, her gaze softening slightly.
“Well you certainly have an eye for interior design”
“Madam Mayor, you can relax.” the man from before said coming down the stairs, now that he was closer Robert could actually get a good look at him. He was handsome, in a rugged sort of way, though the tattered jacket made him look a little like a hobo. The accent added to the overall charm and made him sound even more mysterious, what did an Irishman forget all the way in Maine? “Other than being a tired little boy, Henry's fine.”
“Thank you Sheriff” Regina responded as Emma and Robert sat down on a leather couch while she sat down on a chair opposite them “I'm sorry he dragged you out of your lives. I really don't know what's gotten into him.”
“Kid's having a rough time. Happens.” As they continued to talk Robert preferred to remain quiet, getting the distinct feeling that this was definitely not his business. Instead he chose to look around the sitting room and sip his cider. And it was good cider, probably the best he’s ever had if he was being honest with himself. It tasted delicious, not too tart and not too sweet, with just enough of a kick from the alcohol to make it not feel like apple juice.
“Imagine having another one on top of it. That's being a single mom. So I push forward. Am I strict? I suppose. But I do it for his own good. I want Henry to excel in life. I don't think that makes me evil, do you?” that drew Roberts' attention away from the delicious cider, spiking his curiosity on what ‘push on’ meant in this context. If she was the type of mother who buries her kid in extracurriculars and homework it would certainly explain why he would find comfort in fairy tales. He supposed it would make sense, one has to be at least a bit of a hardass to find success in politics even on a local level, and a woman has to be twice as hard.
“I'm--sure he's just saying that because of the fairy-tale thing.” Emma stammered out, clearly also feeling out of her element in this.
“What fairy tale thing?” Robert had always prided himself on being able to read people, but this time he could truly not tell whether Regina was genuinely confused or faking it.
“You know what, it's none of my business. He's your kid. And we really should be heading back.” she said as she stood up, motioning for Robert to follow her. He looked down at his glass and quickly decided that he will likely never see this woman again and never try this delicious apple cider, so he decided to forget about propriety and just chugged the remainder of the drink.
“Thank you, Miss Mills” he said as he set the glass down and followed after his wife “Have a nice night”
“You too, Mr Matthews”
“So that was weird” Robert said after they drove an appropriate distance away from the house.
“That’s certainly a word for it” Emma sighed “Fairy-tales, really?”
“Not what you expected from meeting your firstborn then?”
“You can say that again,” she sighed. She was trying to hide it but Robert could see the cracks in her mask that showed the worry that lay beneath. It was a mothers worry. “I don’t understand what made him think I’m going to save everyone”
“Maybe he doesn’t want you to save the whole town, maybe he just wants you to save him” Robert glanced at the backseat, noticing the book Henry left there. That caused him to smile, it was certainly a move he could imagine Emma pulling “He left the book” he said with a chuckle.
“Sneaky bastard” Emma also couldn’t help but smile as she briefly looked in the back seat.
Which was enough time for a wolf to magically appear on the road.
The next thing Robert heard was the screeching of the tires, and the last thing he saw was his head rapidly flying towards the front of the car.