A/N: This has been the most amazing thing! I have enjoyed writing this story and I hope you will enjoy reading it. So many thanks to Sara (DitchingNarnia), for the awesome video from which this story is based. Thanks to my every helpful beta, Jenn (jleigh1780), who reads and cheers and makes writing fun even on hard days. Thanks also to Kelly (kjdawson80) for reading and cheering and keeping me up to date on the never ending adventures of the Jerk!Cat who was Harry Houdini in a former life... probably. I hope you girls love this story too. You all had a hand in seeing it come to fruition.

This was originally posted as a part of SwanQueen Big Bang on A03. A very wonderful video can be found there that I highly recommend you watch in conjunction with this story.

Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup. All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle. You can only know a good wine if you have first tasted a bad one. ~ Paulo Coelho, Brida

Prologue

In the days and weeks since returning from their fruitless trip into the underworld to rescue Hook, the citizens of Storybrooke have fallen back into the simple routines of life. For the first time since before the Queens of Darkness arrived, there is relative peace in the town and everyone is happy about that. Everyone except Emma.

Emma has always fit into the town's hierarchy as Savior. That's been her place, her title, her identity. But if there is nothing from which to be saved… well, she doesn't belong anywhere. At least, she doesn't think that she does. She isn't really the Savior. She is no longer really the Dark Swan. She can't even just be Killian's girlfriend since he was truly and irrevocably dead when they reached him in the underworld. No. She just doesn't belong anywhere anymore.

In addition to this sense of displacement, she has still been plagued by the whispering voices of the Dark One's dagger despite being freed of its power. Idle time has made those voices louder over the months. The only time she finds her own peace is when she is busy. But with no crime to fight, no monsters to banish, idle time is all she has. What she needs is a hobby.

At first, making dream catchers had been a good way to keep herself busy, but now it doesn't seem as interesting. Since she used the dream catchers to steal everyone's memories, making them conjures up visions of a bad past and seems in poor taste. To be honest, Snow and David look at her funny when she does make them and the last thing she needs right now is more looks from them. They just don't understand. No one does. Well, except for maybe Regina.

Recently, the former Evil Queen had tried to talk to her about that understanding, to let her know she had a friend… and an ally.

"I know. It hurts, doesn't it?" Regina had said, leaning on the edge of Emma's desk. Her brown eyes had been full of sympathy. "I've been there too. Our actions are our own, but fate pushes us."

"I'm ok, Regina. I don't need a babysitter." Emma had replied, sounding like a bored teenager tired of hearing a lecture from an adult.

"But maybe I need you." Regina had said with a sad smile. "Look, I know you, Emma. It took a long time but I really… know you. There is nothing you can't come back from if you just tell us."

Regina's words had given Emma pause. She hadn't confided in anyone about the emptiness or the voices, but somehow, someway, Regina always seemed to know. It had become their default setting to see and know each other when no one else did. But Emma wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to share this dark place with anyone. Not even Regina.

So, to fill her time, Emma had begun taking long walks alone through the woods of Storybrooke to think, to clear her mind, to try to work through her own depressed feelings. It was on one of these long walks to nowhere in particular that Emma stumbled upon something that would change everything.

A vineyard.

It was just after the first snow of the winter, and the whole world was blanketed in white. Emma had gone out as usual for a walk, but the weather wasn't cooperating. As she walked along she decided to leave her usual path, veer right toward a clearing and hopefully find the road. She was cold and tired and the walk wasn't clearing her mind at all today.

She had stumbled upon the vineyard then purely by chance. It had stretched out across the clearing as far as she could see in the cold, white world. Approaching the first row, she felt the plant. It wasn't dead but it was in need of care. She wondered to whom this place might belong. She knew everyone in town and she had never heard of anyone growing grapes or producing wine. As far as she knew, Regina was the only person who made their own alcoholic beverages—the best apple cider anyone ever tasted.

Emma trudged through the snow, examining and wondering. What kind of grapes grew here? What had become of them up until now? Had someone been growing them or were they abandoned? Her heart clenched at the thought. Life went on, even when you were abandoned. How well she knew.

When she reached her house that day, Emma had walked on past it to the Town Hall and the records department. No one questioned her as she began rifling through files. She was, after all, their Princess, heir to the throne if she wanted it, the Savior, the former Dark One, the Sheriff and, not least of all, she was known to be personal friends with the Mayor. That alone afforded her carte blanche with most citizens who had learned to no longer fear the Evil Queen but respect the woman, the hero, she had become.

After several hours of searching, Emma had discovered that no one technically owned the vineyard. The land was Regina's but she had never used it. The vineyard itself wasn't even listed on the town records as existing. So technically… it belonged to no one. At least, that was what she told herself every day she went there and worked, clearing weeds, pruning vines and tending the plants.

They don't belong to anyone… they don't belong.

Emma Swan had found her hobby.