Everything was falling apart…literally, but what really boggled Emma's mind was that people remembered. The town's people remembered the lives they had lost. Mary Margaret and James with Henry's help had begun to rally the townspeople against Regina, whether by small gestures of defiance or grand challenges. All and all Henry had been right along. Some people were in hiding throughout the town cowering as Regina organized her forces; while the rest filled Granny's debating the best course of action against her. It seemed that the while this wasn't their world, their essences had never been erased and the magic that brought them here and kept them here protected the very magic that could undo it. How much could be undone was still a question.
Sighing, Emma glanced around the over packed diner. Henry wasn't there; he was under lock and key by Regina who was now pressing further charges of child endangerment against Emma. Though what laws really took precedent when your original world was an Enchanted Forest was throwing everyone for a loop. It was odd…the more people remembered the more wary of Emma and the more dependent on Emma they became.
Maleficent or Annabeth…whatever her name was had deserted Regina, while others like Graham stood reluctantly at Regina's side, much to Emma's secret dismay. He had betrayed her, betrayed everything, it was all a rouse to spy on her for Regina. She had let him into her heart, let down the walls she had spent 28 years building. She missed him, she missed Henry, and perhaps she even missed the life where she had been alone, where no one had needed her. Running a hand through her hair, she sighed again. Perhaps she needed a breath of a fresh air; no one would notice she stepped out. It would only be a minute.
Outside the diner the streets were deserted and while she could still hear the people inside, the atmosphere was silent and still. The eerie chill sent a shiver down her spine. Stepping forward across the sidewalk into the street to stare up at the old clock tower she contemplated what the future may hold.
"Miss Swan," a chilling voice whispered. Mr. Gold stood before in the shadows, and Emma could just barely make out the smirk he wore as he continued, "What a pleasant surprise."
Tucking her hands in her pockets and glancing back at the diner door, she narrowed her eyes at him, "What do you want?"
Smirking, his eyes practically lighting up, "I have come for what was promised," and at her look of confusion he elaborated, "Remember Emma we made a deal." His voice made her skin crawl with how sinister he sounded.
"What does that matter now?" she asked squaring her shoulders. She watched him circle her trying to maintain the appearance of confidence as his intense stare sending shivers through her.
"It matters all the more now; you see I don't think I ever forgot. Some things just seemed to come to me. I knew who to go after, who I could control…until you came along," his smile was vicious. "What I want Emma is to come out of this unscathed. I may have wrote the curse but I never used it," raising his hand as if taking an oath, his voice laced with laughter and sarcasm. "You have that ability."
"At what cost," she demanded. She couldn't let him see that she already knew what it would be. She didn't want to let him know that she would be devastated by it. No, she had to keep the Emma Swan – I don't need anyone - face up.
Smiling, "You are learning quite quick…everything comes at a cost!" Laughing he continued, giving sideways glance at the occupants of the diner, "They haven't realized it yet, but we can never go back. That world is gone, but what they also haven't realized yet is that Regina can be banished because it's her magic that holds us all in."
"How?" Emma asked, sensing a large but coming up.
"A sacrifice is what made this happen and a sacrifice is required to undo it. One sad story for everyone else's happy endings," he chimed staring her in the eye.
"What's in it for you?" Emma asked skeptically.
"Ah," he laughed maniacally, "I can get out and see the world. Find more deals."
A realization dawned on her, "Not everyone ended up in Storybrooke did they?"
"Whatever gave you that impression," he snarled at her. Her line of questioning striking an obvious nerve.
"If you can get out, you'll be able to pursue any lasting debts that the boundaries of Storybrooke prevent, while maintaining your current memories of that time and this one." Emma all but shouted at him.
"Very smart, deary," he smiled leaning forward, "I always knew you'd be, and I knew this moment would come from the time Snow White begged for information. I have foreseen all the will transpire, and I know your choice." He shouted with venom, his eyes glazing over in a rage.
"Then why even ask," Emma demanded.
"You must accept this price; accept that you shall spend the rest of your days with never a happy ending in sight. Every joy will be ripped from you with time and given to another, every dream you have will be achieved by others at your expense, and every hope for your future will be trampled with time one by one. It will be a fate worse than exile." He finished in a whisper. "Can you take that, Emma Swan?"
"Yes," she whispered as each and every moment spent here in Storybrooke flashed before her eyes and broke her lonely heart, "Nothing worse than living 28 years alone."
"You'd like to think that wouldn't you?" He snarled laughing at her indignation. "So be it." The wind began to whip around them, harsh and brutally picking up. The howls of the wind as it whipped through the buildings and down the main street seemed to drown out everything else for Emma. She was alone on the street with Mr. Gold or Rumpelstilskin, who was laughing maniacally. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes she tried to remember everything that had happened since her 28th birthday, to treasure for the rest of her life. Her eyes were clenched brutally shut against the wind, which only increased in ferocity, when she heard him shout her name.
"Fool. She made a deal!" Mr Gold howled as Sherriff Graham and Henry ran down the street.
"Take me instead!" he shouted as he held his hand up for Henry to stop. The boy's face was red with tears as he looked on at Emma.
Emma stood staring in disbelief at the confrontation that was now taking place.
Taking a deep steadying breath Graham shouted again over the wind, "I want to take her place."
"Why?" Emma asked in utter confusion.
"Because I love you, Emma Swan," he said breathlessly before her, reaching out to take her hands in his, "I have never wanted to be the cause of your pain and refuse to do so any longer…Please forgive me."
Disgusted and angered Gold yelled, "How dare you, she has made a choice. You cannot change it!" His face contorting with rage with every syllable he spoke.
"Please Emma," Graham whispered, "Please don't do this." His eyes begging her to understand, and in them she could see his resolve and love for her.
"That is enough!" Gold yelled, as the earth seemed to shatter around them. The screams of glass shattering and buildings and roads bending in unnatural ways, and the howl of the wind all around them causing them to brace themselves.
Graham pulled her tight against him, burying her face in his chest. Clenching her eyes tight against the abrasive force of the wind she whispered for him only, "I love you, too." Her voice heavy with emotion as she felt tears begin to sting at her eyes, "I will always love you, Graham."
Henry raced to their side, and as Emma and Graham held him tight, something happened.
Everything stopped. Emma peaked open her eyes, first looking to Henry and then to Graham, "What's happened?"
"What is going on?" Gold shrieked with barely suppressed rage.
It was a tinkling laughter that made them all turn toward the diner. Maleficent stood smirking, her head slightly tilted and her eyes filled with unrestrained laughter, "Silly fool," she laughed menacingly, "thought he'd be the one to make a curse that could beat true love," she laughed condescendingly. "Guess you'll just have to keep working on that," she chirped as she began to walk away, her stilettos clicking across the broken pavement.
"I will be back to claim my deal," He roared.
"Not so fast buddy," Emma shouted her voice full with passion, "I delivered my part of the deal, and you dropped the ball. Deal over!"
Gold yelled with unadulterated rage as the winds began to pick up again, surrounding and consuming him until suddenly there was pop, and yellow dust shimmered to the ground where he had once stood.
"I knew you could do it," Henry whispered as his hand clenched Emma's tightly.
Smiling down at him, she laughed, "I did have a lot of help from a certain kid."Ruffling his hair for good measure, "I love you, Henry."
Launching into her embrace he whispered, "I love you too, Mom." They held each other tightly, relishing in it.
Well to say the least Mr. Gold and Regina disappeared, and everyone else…well they lived happily ever after. The end…sort of.