a/n: Alright, so I know I haven't written in a while but I want to start up again! I didn't like where 'Through Darkness' was going but I still love the main premise of the idea and I know a lot of people enjoy that story so what I'm going to do is tweak and tweeze and start a new. Let me know what you think of this one and know that I am very open to suggestions and pm me if you have something on your mind that you want to share. The story will have the same title and will focus mainly around Emma and MM/Snow. It is still AU, and Emma will have a romantic interest and will remain 16.

Disclaimer: I don't like to talk about the fact that these wonderful storylines and characters are not mine so let's just leave it at that.

Dark. That's the only observation she could make about the world around her when it was this late and she was in serious need of some sleep. The scenery and the road would blend together from time to time and she didn't know if it was because of the blur that her tears were causing, or because the bus was going much faster than it should be. She was currently in between sleep and consciousness and that bothered her. She'd been on full alert for at least twelve hours now and she wanted to remain that way for a while longer, but her exhausted body had other ideas and she had to fight to keep her eyelids from drooping. She wasn't possibly far enough yet was she? He'd find her; he always did and she didn't think that she'd have the will power to fight him off this time.

"Hey girlie, you goin' or stayin'?" she was interrupted from her thoughts by the impatient bus driver. Where were they anyway? The only thing she could see when she looked out the window was darkness and trees. Who the hell would put a bus stop here? She didn't seem to have the money for another ride though so she guessed this would have to do.

"Ummm, going. Are we still in Maine sir?" she asked hesitantly. She suspected they were but she needed to be sure and she hadn't been paying attention to road signs for the past hour.

"Sure are missy. Weird place for a bus stop, huh?" she nodded in response and tried her best to smile. The bus driver ha a kind face and she knew he would probably drive her to the next town with no extra charge if she begged but she had learned early on in her life not to trust anyone and she didn't beg under any circumstance, she'd rather go hungry. Besides she thrived in the woods. She didn't know why, it's not like she spent a lot of time there but it was a natural love and she always felt a weird sense of belonging amongst the trees and the wildlife. She stepped off the bus and gave the bus driver a small wave and quick thanks before she headed down the sloped highway and into the beckoning forest.

It was about seven hours later before she caught a glimpse of a town up ahead and she was pretty much dead on her feet. A few strands had fallen from her ponytail and were now framing her pale face. Normally she hated small towns but she didn't know how long it'd been since she'd eaten last, or slept for that matter and she needed to know that there were people still living and walking around.

As soon as her feet hit the sun soaked pavement her world began to spin out of control. She felt her knees buckle and braced herself for the fall that never came. What the hell? She looked up to see concerned and confused eyes before completely losing consciousness. The last thing she heard herself saying was 'I meant to do that" before the darkness washed over her.

a/n: So this is just a short story to explain how Emma got to Storybrooke but I'm going to delve into her relationship with MM and other townies. Let me know what you think!