It had been 6 months since Emma Swan had come to Storybrooke at 12 years old after being removed from her 18th foster home in 8 months when social services found someone looking to adopt, so they gave them a call giving Emma's age and name then faxed over a copy of her records so that the person could read about Emma and then decide if they wanted her. 2 days after social services got a call back with conformation that they still wanted Emma.
(6 months ago)
Emma was taken to a big white house where a woman in a pencil skirt with a matching jacket was waiting in the driveway when Emma and the social worker got out of the car Emma was clinging to the woman's arm and standing behind her as if she were only a small child instead of a 12 year old.
"Hello you must be Regina Mills? I'm Laura Turner we spoke on the phone about Emma."
Regina looked at the blonde girl holding onto Laura's arm.
"Is this her?"
"Yes this is Emma."
"Is she alright?"
"Yeah she's just has some trust issues from her last foster home."
"What happened?"
"Well we got a call from a concerned neighbour who heard a girl screaming at someone to stop, when we got there we found the foster mother having sex on the couch with some guy and the foster father standing over Emma kicking her she also had a needle in her arm. Then the cops arrived and arrested the foster parents and I carried Emma outside, that's when the house blew up from the drug lab they had. What made me mad was not the fact that they had a drug lab it was the fact that they were using a child as a test subject."
"What effects did the drugs have on her and what damages did they do?"
"Well the drug she had in her system when we picked her up was a new type of GHB, so she was really out of it but once it had worn off the doctors did tests to see if there was any damage done from long term exposure, but apart from the memory loss from the drug she had just been exposed to and the bruises from the kicks she had no other signs of damage to her. Turns out her body is pretty resilient most kids would have had severe damage but there was none, we knew that she was constantly having drugs pumped into her from the hundreds of needle marks on her arms, legs even her stomach had puncture marks."
"If they wanted her to break they succeeded."
"They didn't want her broken they said they wanted her dead."
"If that's what they wanted why didn't they just give her a hot shot."
"You know how to kill with a narcotic drug?'
"About a month ago there was a drug related death in town there was a stain on the needle marking where the drug had sat before entering the victims body, now a dose that size wouldn't have killed him unless it was a hot shot."
Laura turned to Emma and bent down so she was eye level with the girl.
"Emma I have to go now but you have my number if you need me."
"Bye." Emma said giving Laura a hug.
While Emma watched Laura get back in her car Regina came up and placed her hands gently on the young girls shoulders soon Laura was gone.
"What would you like to do first sweetheart?"
Emma turned around shocked.
"What's wrong dear?"
"Do I really get to choose what I want to do?"
"Of course you can."
"Can I see my room first?"
"How silly of me not to show you your room first, I was just so excited to meet you I forgot all about showing you your room. Come on."
Once Emma and Regina got to the room that was now to be Emma's Regina placed the girls bag on the bed apart from the bed there was nothing in the room and Emma looked around with a slight sadness.
"I didn't decorate it I thought you'd might like to choose what you want in your new room and if you don't like the bed we can get you a new one."
"Really I can decorate the room anyway I want to?"
"Absolutely let's go shopping now and get the things you need and want then I'll take you shopping for clothes and any entertainment items you want."
Emma was ecstatic she had never gotten choices like these before.
They went to the hardware store and got paint for the walls along with stencils Emma chose ocean blue and sea creatures such as whales, dolphins, sea lions and mermaids, then it was on to get Emma new bedding which matched the paint Emma also chose a new bed it was a metal frame with a seashell on the head end.
By the time Emma and Regina had left the clothing store it looked like a tornado had hit it, Emma chose an iPod, iPad, iPhone, flat screen T.V., DVD/T.V. Recorder and a laptop, while Emma was busy choosing some DVDs Regina snuck into a jewellery store and bought Emma a necklace.
When the duo got back to the house Regina grabbed a pair of old clothes to change into so she could paint Emma's room.
Once Emma's room was painted and the paint had dried Regina helped Emma put the bed together then they put Emma's new clothes away and set up Emma's T.V., DVD/T.V. Recorder and laptop. Soon Emma's room was complete and it was time for lunch Regina made toasted cheese sandwiches after they had eaten Regina and Emma sat in front of the fireplace Emma had a mug of hot chocolate while Regina had coffee and she was watching while Emma seemed to watch the fire as if she could see something that no one else could.
"Emma?"
"Yes."
"I just want to let you know that I'm going to do my best to make sure that you are happy here with me, and you know you never need to be afraid to come to me if you need or want anything."
"What if I do something wrong? Would you hit me?"
Regina was horrified by the question.
"No never if I thought you were responsible I would ground you but I will never hit you. Why would you ask such a thing?"
"At my other foster homes if I messed up they would hit me."
"Well I promise you that, that will never happen here."
Regina took out the jewellery box and handed it to Emma.
"I got you something."
Emma opened the box inside was a silver swan with a light blue gem on the wing.
"It's beautiful."
Emma hugged Regina tightly.
"Thank you."
"You are more than welcome dear."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Certainly."
"Can I call you mom?"
"Sweetling you don't even need to ask you can always call me mom after all you are now my daughter and I love you so very much."
The next day Emma started her first day of junior high Emma didn't want to go for some reason, Regina had finally managed to get Emma to go to school when at lunchtime Regina got a call saying that Emma was rather upset and if Regina could come get her, Regina drove down to the school and picked up Emma and took her home where they sat down on the sofa.
"Emma why'd you get upset today?"
"We had English and the teacher asked me to read the passage and because I didn't read it he yelled at me and said I was stupid and to get out of his class."
"Why didn't you read it?"
"Because I can't read, I never learnt how to."
"Oh sweetling why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want you to think I'm an idiot."
"I would never have thought that. There's a teacher that I know of, she can help you learn."
Regina called Mary Margaret and asked to come over.
The bell rang and Regina opened the door.
"Come in Miss Blanchard."
"What can I do for you Regina?"
"As I'm sure you know I just adopted a 12 year old girl."
"Yes I met Emma today actually."
"Well I had to pick her up at lunchtime today, she was really upset because her English teacher yelled at her and called her stupid when she didn't read the passage he had asked her to, and the reason she didn't read the passage is because she cant read."
"Shall I get started now?"
"Yes please, she's in her room, top of the stairs 1st door on the right."
Mary Margaret made her way to Emma's room.
"Emma I'm Mary Margaret Blanchard we met earlier today."
"Hi."
"I'm here to help you learn to read. Shall we start?"
Emma allowed room for Mary Margaret to sit beside her, after an hour Emma had managed to finish a easy book when Mary Margaret got her to try a book at the reading level of a normal 12 year old Emma was getting frustrated at how difficult she found it.
"Why should I even bother I'm never going to get it."
"Yes you will Emma I believe that you can but its not enough for me to believe in you, you have to believe in yourself as well."
Eventually Emma was reading at the right level for her age.
"Thank you so much."
Emma hugged Mary Margaret.
"You are more than welcome why don't you go show your mom how well you can read."
Emma grabbed the book that she had been reading and practically flew down the stairs to her mom, when she stopped in front of Regina she opened the book and started to read it perfectly.
"Oh honey I am so proud of you, and to be honest I'm surprised that it didn't take that long to get to this level I thought it might have taken at least a week."
"Emma is a quick learner she just had to believe she could do it."
"Thank you Miss Blanchard."
After saying goodbye to Mary Margaret Regina went into the living room and saw Emma reading a book that she thought she had lost.
"I see you found something to read."
"Yeah it's really good."
"I thought I had lost this years ago, it was my favourite when I was your age. Would you like to keep it?"
"Really?"
"Of course baby girl."
"Thank you, you have given me so much"
