The curse catches Snow during child birth and Emma is brought to Storybrooke along with everyone else. Regina allows the Charming's to stay together as a family because when researching the real world she discovered the rebellious nature of teenagers and what could be better than Snow raising a rebellious Emma and only managing in pushing her further away?
A/N: This is my first fan fiction so please comment I would love the feedback. Also just so you know the curse affects Emma and a few others slightly differently the differences will be explained in later chapters.
Regina let a full blown smile grace her lips as she stalked through the palace halls. She had finally done it, she had finally won. The curse was on its way and it was too late for any heroes to win. She would finally have her revenge on Snow White. The weeks she had spent preparing for this day came back to her, all the plans she had made and the beautiful wonderful opportunity that presented itself.
Regina walked into chambers where Snow lay on her bed with her idiot of a husband at her side. Snow's screams reverberated around the room. Child birth was never easy however it seemed Snow was having a very had time. When the idiot shepherd realized she entered the room her jumped up from his place on the floor. His sword slid out of its scabbard forming a barrier between her and what he thought she wanted.
"Put that thing away before you hurt my feelings. I came here personally to bring you good news. Don't you want to hear it?" Regina asked.
"Wh-What?" Snow gasped from the bed.
"Ignore her Snow" Charming told his wife. "Nothing she has to say matters. Just focus on Emma. I'll protect you both."
"How Charming of you, but that is what I came here to tell you: that you don't need to worry about me. I've decided that to let you all be together. My curse will still whisk us all away to a different world without your memories but you'll be together. What you make of that life will be completely up to you, and I am warning you right know that any unhappiness you experience will be over you own doing." Regina told them barely keeping a lid on the excitement in her voice.
Confusion flashed across Charming's face and his sword lowered just the smallest amount.
"What does that mean, Regina?" Snow asked.
"It means dear Snow that my revenge will be me sitting back and watching as you bring about your own unhappiness by driving a wedge between yourself and you bundle of joy."
A cloud of purple smoke descended on the room and its occupants as the last word slipped from Regina's mouth.
8 years later
"Emma, Happy birthday!" Mary Margret greeted as she entered her daughters room. The room was a light pink as it had been since she was a baby and pictures of flowers decorated the walls. In a sharp contrast to the neat and feminine walls the room was a mess. Mary Margret winced inwardly as she made her way through the mess her daughter had created. She swore that Emma had just cleaned the room only a week ago. Shaking her head she focused her thoughts in the direction of Emma's birthday, she could let the mess go for now it was no reason to spoil a birthday.
Emma's blonde curls were disheveled around her head and she looked so sweet an innocent. Mary Margret's heart swelled with love and joy.
"Morning!" Emma greeted cheerfully. To Emma the last few weeks seemed to stretch forever until at last her birthday finally arrived.
"Come on let's get you ready for your party." Mary Margret had finally made her way over to Emma's wardrobe and was going through her clothes looking for something that was nice and presentable. She spotted a pink and white dress in the back and pulled it out with a smile on her face. She had bought the dress for Emma at Christmas but had yet had the chance to see Emma wear it. The smile on Emma's face deflated as her mother pulled the frilly monstrosity. "Mom that dress is too…fancy for the party. Where going to be in the park I need something I can run in and play in." Emma whined. Her parents were going overboard with the party and had invited her entire class and the last thing she wanted was to show up in a dress, much less a princess pink frilly dress at that.
"Nonsense. Just because we are going to be outside doesn't mean you can't wear a dress. Besides as the birthday girl you need to look nice and this dress will look beautiful on you."
Despite her protests her mother efficiently wrangled her into the dress.
"There see you look beautiful." Mary Margret said.
"I don't care about that! It's uncomfortable and I won't be able to play." Emma whined for what felt like the hundredth time.
"Come on, your father's waiting for us downstairs." Mary Margret said. Not seeming to hear her daughter's complaints. Emma sulked as she followed her mother down the stairs. Her father seemed to pick up on her sulky mood and tried to cheer her up by complimenting her dress and how pretty she looked. The compliments only made Emma sulk more but her mother beamed taking David's compliments as support for the outfit choice.
Emma was silent as David drove them to the town park her mood however was forgotten when she arrived and saw the park all decorated with balloons and steamers and a bounce house set up next to the playground. A brilliant smile broke out on Emma's face and she was out of the car as soon as it was parked.
It didn't take long before the other kids started arriving most placing presents down on the table before running off to play. Emma was sitting at a table watching everyone around her. She was waiting for one of her actual friends to arrive.
"Nice dress, where'd you get it off a baby doll?" Ruby asked. Emma turned around to see her best friend Ruby standing behind her. "Wasn't my idea." Emma told her. Ruby smirked but didn't bring up the dress again. "So why you just sitting there like a lump on a log? Let's have some fun."
Before they got the chance Mary Margret called. Emma glanced across the park and cringed standing beside her mother was Ashley Boyd. Ashley was the biggest goody-two-shoes in the entire school and Emma couldn't stand her. The feeling was mutually but that hadn't stopped her from showing up. Emma approached wearily and as she did she heard the tail end of the conversation.
"Thank you very much for inviting me Mrs. Nolan." Ashley said in fake sweetness.
"I'm glad you came. It is nice to meet some of Emma's friends. Getting her to talk about her day is like pulling teeth let alone getting her to talk about her friends. Emma wanted to turn around but her Mother looked up at her before she got the chance.
"Emma, there you are. You should say hello to all your friends it is not nice to ignore people when your hosting a party." Her mother said. Her mom leaned down and under the pretext of straightening her dress she whispered. "Ashley likes your dress. I told you, you look beautiful." Emma said nothing and as soon as she got her chance she made her escape for her mother and from Ashley and hopefully the word she was quickly becoming to hate "beautiful".
Emma quickly stopped caring about the fact she was in a dress and started enjoying herself and actually played. Emma went in the bounce house and interrupted the boy's game of baseball proving to Seth that she could so to pitch better then him even in and dress. Currently she was on the monkey bars Ruby dangling in front of her. They were half way across when Mary Margret came racing up behind them.
"Emma!" Her mother's voice startled both girls. They both jumped but only Ruby fell off the monkey bars and landed on the ground in a big heap.
"Shit! That hurt!" Ruby screamed. Mary Margret gasped shocked at the girl's language. Deciding now wasn't he time to bring it up she turned her attention back to Emma who was still on the monkey bars. She grabbed Emma around the waist and pulled her down.
"You can't go on the monkey bars with a dress on Emma. Anyone could see up under it. If you want to play on a jungle gym you need to wear the proper clothes." Mary Margret lectured. "You need to be more careful. We'll talk about it more later for now…why don't you go play with Ashley."
Emma turned to glare up at her mother. She made it sound like it had been her idea to wear the stupid dress. Like she didn't know that a dress was not the type of clothes one should wear if they were going to be running around and playing. What really annoyed Emma however was the dismissal. Emma ignored her mother and turned back to her friend. Her actual friend not some snotty girl who she didn't like that had shown up at her party.
"Are you ok Rubes?" Emma asked.
"Huh? Oh yeah I'm fine. My knee is a little scraped but it's all good."
"Emma." Mary Margret warned.
"We should probably clean out the cut." Emma told Ruby still ignoring her mother. Ruby looked back in froth between mother and daughter but said nothing more as Emma hurriedly dragged her away from Mrs. Nolan.
The party had been over for hours and Emma was about to go to bed. Thinking it all over Emma decided that despite the bumps she had had fun today. Emma was just about to turn off her bedroom light when her bedroom door opened. Emma had to forcibly swallow down her urge to tell her mother to knock next time.
"Emma, I need to speak to you about today." Mary Margret said.
"What is there to talk about?" Emma asked
"This afternoon who was that girl you were with on the monkey bars?"
"Ruby. Ruby Lucas. Why?"
Mary Margret moved further into the room and sat on her daughter's bed.
"Because, I don't think you should hang out with her anymore."
Emma said nothing she just sat there staring at her mother like she had gone crazy. Why on earth would she stop hanging out with Ruby. Ruby was her best friend.
"I know that this is difficult for you to understand but Ruby isn't a good influence for you Emma."
"Why? Because I was having fun and went on the monkey bars? Sure I was in a dress but I told you I didn't want to wear it. I wanted to be able to play. No one else was wearing a dress because they all know that you don't wear a dress to the park." Emma argued.
"It isn't about that…well not really. The problem is about Ruby and how she…behaves."
"What is that suppose too mean?"
"She is only eight, I don't know how she knows any swear words but she does and that is not the kind of person I want you hanging around with. Like I said she is a bad influence and I don't want you picking up bad habits from her. I know she is your friend but you should try distancing yourself from her. Maybe try hanging out with Ashley a bit more. You barely talked to her and she seems like a very nice girl."
"I don't want to hang out with Ashley I can't stand her. And Ruby is my best friend. I'm not going to distance myself from her. You can't control who I can and can't hang out with!" Emma yelled.
"Emma I am your Mother-"
"No! I don't care if you're my mother or not. She is my best friend you can't tell me not to be friends with her just because you don't like the fact she swore. Have you ever heard me swear before? No, you haven't even though that isn't the first time Ruby has sworn around me. So what if she knows a few words that doesn't mean I am going to go around copying her. I am my own person and I can make my own decisions. I don't need or want you telling me right from wrong. I am old enough to do that myself!"