Prologue
As I walked down through a cold and windy forest, I stuffed my hands in my pocket. Brr, I thought, I didn't think it would be this cold here. I looked around quizzically, And where is here? I looked around for any sign that could tell me where I was. Finally, I saw a sign, Entering Storybrooke. I guess I was in a Once Upon a Time universe, but the sign looked brand new. Why am I here? I looked around warily, before trying to find out what year it was here. I could tell from how the time steam felt all around me that it was exactly twenty-eight years before the start of the show. I don't think I'm needed here for almost thirty years, why did my powers bring me here.
Suddenly, as if answering my internal question, I heard a worrying sound, the soft sound of a child crying. I hurried towards it, wondering why any child would be out in the rain like this. There was no reason, really. It was unsettling. Concerned, I took off in a run.
In a few moments, I came across a small bundle tucked in a hole in the side of a tree. Immediately, I knew that the baby was the lovely Emma Swan, so I picked her up and tried to calm the screaming child. Almost as soon as I started rocking her gently she quieted down, staring at me with an inquisitive look on her face. I smiled softly down at the small newborn, before looking around to see where Pinocchio could be. He would, after all, be the one to deliver Emma to safety. Even though I was going to change a lot of things in this time stream, there were still things that had to be kept the same. Oh well, I guess I have to go look for him as well, though I don't know how they got separated. I hope he's okay.
After about an hour of looking, I was starting to get worried. What if something had happed to the poor boy and I hadn't been there to stop it. I decided to get a better vantage point by flying to the top of one of the surrounding trees. I was about to fly up, when I remembered the small baby in my arms. I wonder, I thought quizzically, is this one of the universe where I'm a sorcerer or am I just a winged heroine? Let's find out! I snapped my fingers, pleasantly surprised when a small crib appeared in front of me. I guess I'm a sorcerer here. Cool.
I placed the tiny girl in the crib gently, just now realizing that she had fallen asleep at some point during the search. Before I flew up, I decided it would be a good idea to place a small protection spell on the crib, just in case. I nodded decisively, proud of my work.
I shook my wings out of their tattoo form, before leaping into the air. Once I got up to the tree line, I looked around trying to find any sign of the once wooden boy, but there was nothing. How would I find the small puppet?
Suddenly, a thought occurred to me, and I face-palmed at my stupidity. I could look through the time stream! I groaned, thinking about the hour I had just wasted, before immersing myself in the sweet embrace of the time stream. Not sure how far to go back, I simply estimated the time frame in which the boy's father would send him through, but he wasn't there. My face scrunched up in confusion. I scoured the time stream for any sign of the boy, but there was no trace of him. How was that possible? He should be here. Wait, go back, I think I see what happened.
Pinocchio never came through because in this universe the tree really could only carry one over. They were going to send a pregnant Snow over, but she went into labor before they could. What do I do now, what's going to happen to Emma? With Pinocchio now being here there was no one to take care of her. Well, there was one person, me. Strengthening my resolve to help the poor girl, I spread my wings and glided down to where I had left her.
I looked at the small form, wondering how I was going to make this work, but I had made up my mind, so I was going make it work. I was going to take Emma with me and raise her as my own, with the Doctor's help of course. I picked her up, smiling lovingly down at my sleeping daughter, and flew though the dimensions landing in my wife's universe.
I could tell she was surprised to see me, I wasn't supposed to be back for another couple days, at least. She barely even noticed the bundle in my arms at first.
When she did, she sighed and gave me a slightly scolding, slightly exasperated look and said, "Winter, we talked about this, you can't go around stealing other people babies. It's not okay, darling."
"No, no," I said, giggling at the memories, "you have it all wrong. I didn't steal the baby this time. This is Emma from a Once Upon a Time universe where the tree really could only hold one person." At the Doctor's incredulous look, I sighed and continued, "She didn't have anyone there, I couldn't just leave her there. Who knows what could have happened to her."
She sighed, before conceding, "So, I guess that makes us moms, huh."
I smiled brightly at my loving wife, "Yep!" my wife shook her head, lovingly. I could tell we were going to be great mothers.
Right when I thought that, Emma woke up and started balling her eyes out. The Doctor and I shared a look, I guess this starts now.
