Author's Note: I wrote this for a friend of mine and I am finally now getting it up for her. =) Also, as a trigger warning I have focused a lot on Emma's time as an orphan and if that is a problem please do what is best for you.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.


Chapter 1: Fairy Tale Dreams

Emma Swan was an orphan, she had been left on the side of the road for someone to find, hopefully. Three days later a passerby had heard the cry of baby her. Following the sound the person was surprised to find a new born baby wrapped in a blanket. Over the years of her short life she had spent most of it at the orphanage she had been brought to. Her short life was a tragedy, at the age of five Emma still hadn't been placed in a home. She had been looked over and the feeling of being unloved and unwanted now held a permanent place in her small heart as the tears rolled down her face night after night. Only then did the walls that the strong little girl build come down. She kept the other children happy, smiling and laughing while she herself was breaking inside. Emma was a strong child, more so than most of the other children.

A month before her sixth birthday a couple had come in looking for a little girl of their own. They were unable to have children and wanted to be able to give a child a warm loving home that they would not have otherwise. When they had walked into the playroom, where all the children had been spending the afternoon, they had taken one look at the strong girl comforting a toddle and trying to explain why mommy and daddy weren't there. They're hearts had broken and a few days later they came back to take Emma to her new two-story blue home.

The couple was gentle and sweet; they bathed her and fed her hot meals of the most delicious food. The treated her like a princess buying her new clothes and sweet candies that she had never had. They loved her and wrapped her in their love more and more day after day. The warmth that had been slowly leaking out of her heart was being slowly coming back. She felt loved and wanted in this new home with these new people. In just a month Emma felt as though she were their daughter. Emma loved it.

The pain she had felt at the orphanage was disappearing, she no longer cried herself to sleep every night and if there were ever tears Emma found herself wrapped tightly in the arms of her mother and father. They were always there to chase away the bad dreams or reassure her that no one was going to take her away from them. Her smiles were genuine and she was beginning to love the people that had adopted her. They read to her bed time stories of fairy tales that Emma had only wished to be true and for the next few months Emma had her happily ever after. Days of dressing up as a princess, tea parties, and piggy back rides, picnics in the back yard, falling asleep under the stars, and hot chocolate with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon to warm her up. Emma couldn't have asked for more loving parents or a happier time. Sadly, Emma learned all too young that no good deed goes unpunished.

One night about five months after her adoption she overheard a phone conversation the babysitter was having. Her parents had gone out to dinner and a movie which meant that Amanda was over. Emma loved Amanda, she was funny and she always let Emma watch Peter Pan, her favourite Disney movie. Amanda's tone dropped, she knew that Emma was in the other room possibly listening and when the news came it hit her like a train. In the other room Emma had been listening, she didn't understand the magnitude of most of what was being said but her six year old brain heard the panic in Amanda's voice as she asked how, and what would they do with Emma. She sat and listened hearing less and less as her fears took hold. Something bad had happened to her parents, they weren't coming back; Emma was going to have to return to the orphanage. She was shaking, she didn't want to go back, she wanted her parents, the fairy tales, the tea parties, and she wanted to be happy.

Emma didn't know what to do. She was shaking and trembling, terrified of what was going to happen. All she knew was that she had to get away; she had to run, because running was easier than trying to understand why life was so cruel. She ran as fast as her little body could take her as tears blurred her vision. She didn't know where she was running to anymore; she just knew she had to run away. Slowly the ground changed and she felt her bare feet go from touching soft wet grass to the squishy moss and prickly pine needles of the forest. Emma slowed and stopped looking at her surroundings. She had no idea where she was, she was terrified. Crumpling, Emma remained on the floor of the forest trying to hold herself together and wishing of the places in the fairy tales.

She thought she must have slept a long time when she awoke to the bright light of the sun filtering through the branches as it rose overhead. Shaking her head Emma tried to figure out where she was. She had little knowledge of forests and nothing to protect her. Hearing water moving not too far away she decided that she would get a drink and then follow the stream to hopefully a town where she could make her way from there. Emma wasn't sure where she could go. She was six with no family anymore. As the thoughts passed through her mind again she was overcome with the pain of losing her only family. Curling tightly into a ball Emma continued to cry until the tears seemed like they wouldn't come anymore. With dirt smeared on her face and tear stains on her cheeks Emma slowly made her way to the sound of the water.

When at last she reached the bank of the stream her breath caught. It was so pretty. The river was wide and shallow as it moved slowly over the smooth rocks of its bed. It reminded her of a place from one of the fantastical stories her mother had told her. The forest covered the rolling hills to the sea which Emma could see from her present position. The great beauty of the blue expanse astounded her and she wanted nothing more than to explore it on one of the many ships that she saw. She couldn't remember any sort of river like this by the house where she lived and worry started to gnaw within her. She didn't live anywhere near the ocean. How far had she really traveled last night? Young Emma moved forward to cup her hands and take a sip of water, closing her eyes loving the cold refreshing water. Suddenly she heard a loud stampede and men yelling from the other bank and moved to hide beneath the foliage. Emma could place the sound of the pounding. It was like no car or bike that Emma had ever seen and thinking about it the only thing that would sound remotely close to it would be horses. It startled Emma, not knowing what was coming.

Emma tucked herself as far under the foliage as she tried to hide and blend in with the surroundings. Holding her breath, waiting for the men to pass Emma bit her lip and starting rocking back and forth. She just wanted her parents back, she wanted to be back in bed and warm and happy. The tears left her eyes before she could try and stop them. She covered her mouth trying to stop the sounds when the men crossed the river right by her. They stopped and made camp only yards from where Emma had been hiding, making it impossible to leave without gaining their attention, and that was something she did not want.

Taking a moment to look at them Emma realized how strange their clothes were. All of these men wore tight pants, varying in shades of brown or black, tucked into boots with loose white shirts and dark vests revealing most of their chests. Emma found it strange and couldn't figure out as to why they would be dressed like that, maybe they were acting in a play, or in the circus, Emma thought. Hopefully once they were asleep tonight she could slip away unnoticed. Watching them as they moved around the small opening Emma looked on with strange fascination as the men began to set up a campfire and pulled out old looking pots to begin making a meal, which smelled rather appetizing, though Emma had no idea what was being made. Emma's stomach growled loudly as the smell reached her nose. It had sounded like a large animal growling and she had hoped no one else had heard it. Covering her stomach to help the noise Emma tried to distract herself while waiting for darkness to come.

Emma had drifted into a fitful sleep when she thought she heard the brush being pulled back and footsteps approaching. A hand around her arm pulling her out from her hiding place brought Emma from her dream reality only to find herself to be surrounded by the men she had been watching. Scared, Emma began trying to fight against them hoping that they would let her go and she could be on her way, whichever way that was. The tall gruff man holding her arm was about to start yelling when he looked down and noticed that she was nothing more than a scared little girl that had been kicking and hitting to protect herself. He released her in a moment moving down to her level as a small little boy peered around his back.

She was trying not to cry but she was trembling so hard that she could barely keep it together.

"Shh, shh. It's okay little one." His voice softened as he gave her a small smile. "Are ye alright lass?" His accented voice sounded like a worried father, but after years of not trusting adults she continued to fight against him. "Can ya' tell me yur name miss?" He hoped that maybe he could calm her down, she was so scared and the man's heart softened as he looked over the dirty frightened girl in front of him. He wasn't sure why she was still fighting but wanted nothing more than to comfort her even as she shied away from him, trying to protect herself from the harsh reality she knew.

The little boy that had been hiding behind the man that was trying to talk to her crept around his father. "Name's Killian." He gave her a slight smile while still standing close to his father.

Emma didn't like adults. They had beaten her, left her, listened to her crying and done nothing, made her go hungry, and completely forgotten about her. Though her parents had shown her love Emma knew they were gone and the walls that had protected her before came back up with a speed that was startling for a six year old. However Emma was used to other children giving up information, it was how they were, they would come to her seeking comfort. The boy looked her age as she ran her eyes up and down him to judge whether or not he was okay to trust. She worried he would turn on her but there was something hidden that Emma had no clue about and decided she would test the waters.

"Emma." was her only response before adding, "Can you tell me where I am? I don't recognize the woods." Emma didn't stutter, no matter how nervous she was and having to test the waters at this moment made her more nervous than she had ever been. Emma remained the look of being strong as she crossed her arms in front of her standing up straight and sticking her chin out. She wouldn't let the adults bully her, she'd had enough of that.

"You're in the enchanted forest, just north of the port." Killian was smiling widely now, proud that he could tell where they were. All of the trees had looked the same to him but within the last month he had been working hard to know where he was before he reached a town, on sea and on land. Killian watched her carefully noting the persona she was putting on and the emotions flicking across her face. She was scared and confused, tired, hurt but amongst all those things he could see how hard she was trying to keep a straight face.

As she words rolled off of his tongue Emma did all she could not to let the emotions overwhelm her. She wouldn't cry, she had to be strong; she had always been the strong one. The shock of his words reflected in her face. Her eyes opened wide as she truly could not believe his words. This was a dream; it had to be a dream. Emma knew that the Enchanted Forest wasn't real, it wasn't possible but all the same her surroundings were not that of her home or anywhere near her home.

"Emma, come with me, okay?" Killian's small voice broke into her thoughts. He brought her to the edge of the river pointing out at the trees and ports below them. He could see the moment where she accepted the knowledge and didn't ask questions. She continued staring out into the ocean as he took a relatively clean cloth from one of his pockets and dipped it in the water before gently removing the dirt and tear stains on her face. He hummed softly letting the melody emanate from his core hoping that it would keep her calm. She allowed him this. Usually preferring to be the one taking care of the others Emma stood in front of this boy, this boy that was kind and sweet and was trying to take care of her.

"This isn't my world. I don't know how I got here." Emma's words interrupted Killian's thoughts and actions, leaving his hand in mid-air as he was confused to what he just heard.

"What are you talking about? There is only the Enchanted Kingdom and the surrounding realms," he paused realizing he had forgotten one other place. "And Neverland." He was confused, not understanding what the little girl could mean by talking about other realms.

"I come from a city named Philadelphia." Emma stumbled over the name slightly. "In my world this place is a fairy tale." Emma watched the little boy carefully as the words that came out of her mouth were matter-of-fact. She was still reeling inside from all that had happened. She wanted to cry and scream but knowing that did her no good she stood looking at the boy, waiting for something to happen.

"Well then," Killian said with a flourish of his hands, "I demand that the lady enjoy every bit of this fairy tale." Killian was perceptive, even at his young age, he could see there was a lot more going on in her life than she had let on as well as that she had not lived a happy life. He hoped that however long her time in his land would be better as he would be the best gentleman he could and allow her to want for nothing.

A smile tugged at her lips at his flourish, loving the display. Thinking it nothing more than a fairy tale Emma curtseyed, somewhat awkwardly, "Why thank you good sir but what ever shall we do first?" Emma's heart felt like it was ripping. Her father used to play the same role that Killian was playing and it made her miss him all the more. Killian had taken to watching Emma's face closely, she was somewhat of an open book to him and even though his words were to make her happy and lighten the mood he could see that she was putting on a smile to make him feel good.

"You're allowed to miss them." His voice was soft as he stood closer to her, saying the words with a clarity that an eight year should not have. He could tell by the look on her face what had happened, the tear stains, everything made sense. He had lost his mother when he was three and knew the pain all too well. He saw it mirrored in every one of his father's features for the last five years. Pain of losing someone you loved was an emotion that Killian knew how to pick up well.

The minutes passed to hours as Killian played with Emma, telling her stories and making her laugh a true and heart felt laugh. Emma couldn't believe that this boy could mean so much to her in such a short amount of time. But as Emma drifted to sleep sharing the boy's pallet she knew that she would sleep well tonight. His small arms curled around her making her feel safe and secure. There would be no beatings ever again. No pain, just rest and Emma smiled at that thought. She had never been really taken care of and here this boy that was a little more than a stranger seemed to know exactly what she needed. She moved closer to him, enjoying his warmth and security. There was a softness that settled in her heart, a beginning of a connection that would never be broken, no matter what should meet them.

The moon rose tall overhead and something woke the children up, something they couldn't identify. They stared at each other for a minute trying to figure out without words what was happening. That was when they saw it, Emma was fading the magic that allowed her to spend time in the Enchanted Forest was calling her back to where she belonged. Her eyes went wide, "I don't want to go." She whispered to Killian clinging to him in desperartion. Killian hugged her back tightly letting her know that she was cared for and thought of. Before disappearing completely she felt a cool weight settle over her chest. Looking down she found a silver locket beautifully engraved.

"Anytime you need a smile or a reminder or me," he ended that part shyly "Hold it in your hands against your heart wishing to be with me and it will bring you to me." He smiled at her knowingly. She didn't have the ability to say thank you before she disappeared from his small arms being taken back to the small woods behind her house.

Emma looked around at the trees, she was back in Philadelphia and she was "home" but the air around her was colder, and suddenly the missing presence of Killian pulled at Emma's heart. She sighed and sat down trying to process all of the emotions. She missed Killian, his smile and laughs were contagious making her want to do the same. There was something about him that she couldn't quite place but it meant more to her than anything she had ever known. However it was all too soon taken away, Amanda ran into the clearing picking up Emma and crying. She had been terrified when Emma had quickly run out of the house. Held in Amanda's arms Emma wished they were Killian's. Amanda's too tight hug was making it hard for her to breathe and the sadness on her face was only a reminder that she would be returning to the orphanage.

It was two days later that Emma had been returned to the orphanage. It was no surprise to her, she knew how that this would have happened eventually but Emma wanted to stay, to go back with Killian, at least she would be happy there. She sighed wrapping her small hand around the locket that hung around her neck underneath her shirt and sighed. A few weeks later Emma had been told that there was a foster family had decided to take her. When they came to pick her up the man and woman stood in the door with smiles that didn't quite meet their eyes. Emma smiled up at them, hoping that this time would be better, that maybe this time she would never leave. Maybe, just maybe, they would be her parents forever.


Thanks for reading please remember to review!

-Annika