Don't you ever grow up…Just stay this little..
Aricka Hatter and Henry Swan-Mills
Your little hand's wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight…
Adriana Mills holds her baby nephew carefully, knowing this was good practice for her firstborn when he finally made his appearance. “Shh… it’s okay Henry. Auntie Adri is here. I’ll never let anyone hurt you. Ever.”
Your little eyelids flutter 'cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in, turn on your favourite nightlight…
She set him down in his bassinet, ran a fingertip over his eyebrow. “Sweet Henry… I’ll do anything to show you how much I love you.”
To you, everything's funny
You got nothing to regret…
Adrianna watches her two year old nephew run away from Regina in just his diaper, giggling as he evades her sister’s attempt to wrangle him.
Swiftly, for a pregnant woman, she stepped in the baby’s path and swooped him up, kissing his chubby baby cheek. “Stop giving your mama a hard time, my Henry,” she chided softly.
I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that…
Adrianna watches Henry go to his first day of kindergarten, tears in her eyes as he wraps his arms around her leg and presses his face against her hip as he says goodbye. “Have an amazing first day; my little Henry,” she says. “Mama and auntie will meet you here after school, okay?”
Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little…
Just stay little; Adrianna thinks. Just be little a little bit longer. I’d give anything for you to be little and happy forever.
Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple…
Henry runs to his aunt, tears falling down his face as he tries to explain how mean the kids are in his class. Adrianna holds him close, doing her best to soothe her nephew.
I won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart…
Adri went to the principal the next day to complain about the treatment her nephew was facing. Henry was able to tell them what happened and the bully was properly punished.
And no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up…
““I’ll never grow up-!”” Adri read to Henry that night, telling him the tale of Peter Pan. “As you never will; either, will you my brave Henry?” She asks.
“I’ll be your lost boy forever auntie Adri,” he promises, snuggling up to her, putting a hand on her stomach. “I’ll protect my cousin too someday.”
“Of course you will,” Adrianna assured him.
You're in the car, on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off…
“Auntie A; why does my mom have to take me to the movies?” Henry complained. “The curse is broken. She can just poof me to the movies.”
“Henry; she enjoys doing mundane things like that with you, you’re her son,” Aricka says, rocking baby Maverick in her arms.
The curse had been broke, and she remembered her true identity. She had also given birth to her son, and had been reunited with her husband and daughter, Jefferson and Grace.
At fourteen, there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots…
“But she’s the Queen- I don’t understand.”
“Henry; all of this was to keep our family together. Safe from Cora. Away from her. We’re in a land without magic where Magic suddenly exists.”
But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she's gettin' older, too…
“And she knows you’re growing older; and so is she. Regina just wants to experience everything she can with you- give you the childhood she always wanted.”
And don't lose the way that you dance around
In your PJs getting ready for school…
“And she wants to cherish all these memories and experiences she gets with you. She loves you Henry. She never meant to deceive you.”
No one's ever burned you
Nothing's ever left you scarred…
Henry cries in Regina and Aricka’s arms when he finds out his mother became the new dark one. “I don’t recognize her,” he says. “I know she’s in there and she’s good but I don’t recognize her.”
“Oh. My Henry…” Aricka whispered, running a hand through sandy brown hair.
“We will fix this, my dear. Don’t worry.”
And even though you want to
Just try to never grow up…
“I don’t wanna grow up,” Henry whispered, hugging the book containing the story of his family to his chest. Aricka hugs him and kisses his temple like she would when he was littler.
“Henry.. you have to get older. You don’t have to grow up.”
Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said…
Henry listened as his family prepped for thanksgiving that year. His cousins running around the living room of Aricka and Jefferson’s mansion, his mother and mom laughing at something his stepdad Robin was saying.
The mundanity of a holiday after once again saving Storybrooke.
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is, someday, gonna be gone…
His little brother Roland runs in and collided with his stomach, crawling on top of Henry as they watched the thanksgiving day parade. “Snoopy-!” He exclaimed.
“Yeah, it’s Snoopy,” Henry says with a smile.
Aricka watched from the kitchen as her nephew interacted with his littler brother.
Don’t you ever grow up, Henry Daniel Mills-Locksley, she thinks.
Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh, darlin', don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple…
————
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