Summary: Long ago David Nolan's daughter- Emma- was born. Shortly after her birth she was kidnapped by his adoptive father and shipped off, David has been searching ever since. When Emma was 13, David found her. She had been bouncing around foster homes all her life. He only wished he could have found her before Kathryn's death. Eventual Snowing and CaptainSwan. Definite Daddy!Charming. AU.

Chapter 1

David Nolan- Sheriff of Storybrooke in Maine- was chasing down leads on his daughter, like he had been for the past 13 years. His one and only deputy- Graham Humbert- walked in. "Hey boss."

"Hey." He said absentmindedly.

Graham looked over at him. "Anything?" He asked, already knowing what his boss was doing.

David sighed. "Not yet. Just dead ends, nothing-" He stopped mid sentence. "Oh my God."

"What is it?"

The sheriff looked at Graham, then back to the archives on his computer screen and read it to him. "7 year-old boy finds infant child on the side of the freeway. The infant was found in a white-knit blanket with the name 'Emma' knitted on it, in purple." He read, then printed the article.

"Holy hell mate." Was all Graham could manage to say. "That's a real lead. A promising lead. Where?"

David squinted his eyes at the small print. "Michigan." He breathed out. He looked up at his deputy. "I'm sorry Graham, but-"

"Mate, no need to apologize. This is a real lead, go pack a bag, I'll book your flight."

XXX

The next evening, David Nolan found himself in the office of social services in Michigan. "Um, excuse me ma'am." He said to a woman at the front desk. "Do you know anything about this?" He asked, showing her the article.

She looked over the article and saw the date. "I'm sorry sir. This was before my time. I'll grab my boss and see if she remembers."

The young woman left and came back a few minutes later with a woman that was in her mid thirties maybe. "Hi, the name's Jenna Davis. What can I do for you?" She asked him, leading him to a private room.

"My name is David Nolan. Do you know anything about this?" He asked, holding out the previously printed article.

The woman sighed. "I could never forget it. It was my very first case." She looked into David's eyes. "Who are you? Why do you want to know about her?"

"Emma. I think… I think she's my daughter."

Mrs. Davis' eyes widened. "You abandoned her like that? What-"

He cut her off, shaking his head. "What? God no!" He sighed. "She was kidnapped when she was a few weeks old. I've been looking for her for the past 13 years. My adoptive father- George- he wanted to hurt me and he did that by taking Emma. I'm the sheriff of a small town in Maine- Storybrooke- my wife Kathryn and I divorced 2 years after Emma's disappearance. A few months later, she was in a car accident, she didn't make it. It's been just me following every lead, for the past 9 years." He chuckled darkly. "I almost thought I was hallucinating or dreaming when I found it in the archives."

"Wow..." She said, truly shocked about the new intake of information. "I'll have to check out your story- of course. If it all pans out, I'll make some calls and find out where she is now."

XXX

David wakes up to his phone ringing at 7:30 the next morning.

"Sheriff Nolan." He answered.

"Mr Nolan? Hi, this is Mrs. Davis. We met yesterday." She started. "Well, we know where she is, but you will need to give blood tests to confirm your parentage to Emma."

"Of course. Of course. I would expect nothing less." He told the woman. "Where is she?"

"St. Paul, Minnesota. You'll meet her social worker at a the health clinic for your blood test tomorrow morning."

"Thank you so much Mrs. Davis. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this. Thank you."

David almost immediately checked out of the hotel and started the 12 hour drive to St. Paul, Minnesota.

XXX

Emma was sitting in a bed at her group home reading a book to 6 year-old little Rosie, her social worker walked in a few minutes ago and waited until they were done.

"The End." Emma said and looked up at her social worker in the doorway. "Okay Rosie. I'm gonna go talk to Miss Cassie." The little girl nodded and Emma walked over to the social worker- Cassandra Stone.

"Sweetie, follow me. We need to talk about something." Emma followed the social worker outside. "I got a call from Michigan. Do you remember Mrs. Stone? Probably not, you haven't seen her since you were 8. Anyway, I got a call from her and some new information was brought to light regarding your case."

"What do you mean new information?"

Cassandra sighed. "We think we found your father… Well he found us more like."

"I don't wanna see him! He abandoned me! He left me-"

The social worker cut her off. "Emma, listen to me. That's not how it happened." Cassandra pulled her laptop out of her bag and pulled up a video clipping from 13 years ago. "You were kidnapped honey. Watch."

"Hello. My name is Kiley Jane, and I'm here with David and Kathryn Nolan regarding the recent kidnapping of baby Emma Nolan." The woman looked over at the couple. "Sheriff Nolan, I'm aware that you're not ethically allowed to work your daughter's case, but are you aware of any new leads?"

"No." He told her, then turned to the camera. "Please. If you have our daughter, just bring her back to us. We just want Emma back. She's our world."

The camera turned over to Kathryn. "Whatever that man in paying you to keep her hidden away. We'll double it, triple it even. We want her back, we want Emma back."

"Thank you so much for your time Mr and Mrs Nolan." The camera showed the Nolan's walking off. "If you have any information on baby Emma. Please call the police. "Emma Ruth Nolan, if you're out there, we'll find you." She said into the camera. "That's all I have for you folks today. My name's Kiley Jane and I'll see you tomorrow."

By the end of the video clip, Emma was in tears, she looked over at her social worker. "That's the people in my locket." She said, more to herself.

"What honey?"

Emma opened the locket that was hanging around her neck. "I've had it since I was a baby." She breathed out. "I don't understand." She cried. "All this time, they've been looking for me?"

"Your father has, yes. But you're mother died when you were about 4."

Emma wasn't really sure how to feel about her mother. 'Should I be grieving?' She thought. 'I didn't even know the woman.' Emma sighed. "Oh… But the dad still wants me? Even after all this time?"

"Sweetie, the poor man never stopped looking for you."

Emma smiled. "Cassie. I have a full name… a real full name." She said, no longer able to keep her smile at bay.

Cassie mirrored Emma's smile. "That you do. We're going to the health clinic in the morning for a blood test." Emma nodded, but didn't say anything. "Honey are you alright?".

"I… I don't know."

XXX

"Congratulations Mr. Nolan. You're Emma's father." The lab technician at the clinic told him.

David smiled. "Thank you." Just then a woman in her thirties with red hair walked in the room with a blonde teenager with glasses on.

"Hello Mr. Nolan. My name's Cassandra Stone. This is Emma, your daughter. I'll give you two a minute alone." She walked away.

Emma looked up at him. "Hi..." Emma said nervously.

David smile brightened even more, if possible. "Hi Emma. I'm your dad. I mean, you don't have to call me dad right away or if your not comfortable with it. I mean if you're ever comfortable with it at all. Totally, absolutely up to you" He rambled on and on. "I'm rambing aren't I?"

Emma smiled at his nervousness, it even managed to calm her a bit. "It's okay."

"Is it okay if I… Can I hug you Emma?" She nodded shyly. He pulled her into a hug and a few tears manages to slip out of her eyes. He was crying as well, not wanting to ever let go. "I've waited so long for this moment." He whispered.

Emma pulled back and wiped her tears. "So..." She said kind of awkwardly.

"Are you hungry?" He asked her. Emma reluctantly nodded. "We can go talk to Miss Stone and ask her if I can take you for a bite. I saw a small diner down the road. If you want."

Emma nodded and as if on cue, Cassie walked over. "How are you guys doing over here?"

"Good." Emma told her. "David wants to know if he can take me to Mickey's." She said, referring to the diner.

Cassie nodded. "I just need to speak with you first." She looked over at a semi-panicked David. "Nothing to worry about. We'll be back in just a minute." He nodded. Emma and Cassie walked over to where David couldn't hear. "Well?"

"He's nice." She shrugged. Cassie smiled at her. "What happens now? Do I go live with him now?"

Cassie smiled at the teenager before her. "If you'd like." She noticed Emma nervously biting her lip. "What is it?"

"What if he gets tired of me?" She asked her social worker, near tears. "What if we get along at first, but then he gets tired of me… like everyone else."

Cassie truly sympathized with the girl. "Honey. That man has been looking for you for the past 13 years, non-stop. Do you think he did all that, just to give up on you?" Emma shook her head a smile forming on her lips. "So, what do you say? Let's have your father sign some papers so he can take you home. You've been in the system far too long."

Meanwhile, David was on the phone with his deputy. "It's her Graham. It's my daughter. I have my little girl back." David looked up and noticed Emma and Cassie walking towards them. "I gotta go Graham. Talk to you in a bit. Bye."

"After you sign some papers, you guys are free to go wherever you please."

So? What do you think? Just a little idea I had, before I went to bed Monday. Leave your thoughts in the comments!

~Jasmine