Blast From the Past

As the group returns from Neverland, victory at their heels, a surprise awaits Emma. Kyra O'Malley arrives covered with the blood of a man who used her and abused her. Just as Emma is pulling up to the docks Kyra is driving into town looking for an old friend to help her. Relationships develop and surprises ensue.

Emma hugs Henry to her side as Hook docks the ship. She couldn't believe they finally made it home. She grins as she sees everyone from town cheering. Finally everything can go back to normal. Well, as normal as anything can get in a town filled with fairy tale characters.

Neal walks up next to her and wraps his arm around her shoulders, "Maybe now we can actually be a family."

Emma kisses him lightly on the lips, "That is the hope. No more falling through portals."

Henry laughs, "Trust me, I am going to avoid them like a plague."

They all laugh and none of them notice the jealous look in Hook's eye as he secretly watches them. He walks toward the dock and lowers the plank so they can all go ashore. He walks off and waits. Gold is the first down looking around for Belle.

She runs up to him with a large grin and throws herself into his arms, "I knew you would come back for me!"

Gold swings her around, "Of course, sweetheart. I have missed you."

Belle pulls back and kisses him, "I missed you too."

Hook rolls his eyes. Even the bloody crocodile had someone to love. He grimaces. Now he was jealous of Rumpelstiltskin. That was ridiculous. Next down was Regina. No one ran up to greet her, but she didn't care. She was smiling up at Henry, who was the next down and hugging her once again.

Snow and Charming were next to step on the dock and a flood of people run up to them in excitement. A loud mumble of voices fill the air as they talk at once. Neal and Emma were the last to step on the dock. Neal was grinning at his old/new love, but Emma was frowning. Hook follows her line of site to a black car that was pulling up.

Emma gasps as a dark haired woman stumbles out covered in…blood? Emma takes off down the docks yelling, "Oh, my God, Kyra!"

Kyra O' Malley runs her hands through her already disheveled hair. He was late. When he was late that could only mean one thing. Something she knew would cause trouble. Something she feared every night. She didn't know how much longer she could handle this. She didn't even how this was her life. She used to be stronger than this.

She jumps when the door slams open and closed. He turns the corner and she sees the glazed over look that tells her all her suspicions are true. He was drunk. She had to be careful. He stumbles over to her, "Get me a beer, woman."

She shakes her head and stands strong, "I only stayed long enough to tell you that I am leaving. I figured I owed it to you to say this to your face."

That was her mistake, her pride. He charges at her and grabs her roughly by the shoulders, "What did you say? You can't leave me. You belong to me."

She pushes him away with some effort, "I belong to no one, myself!"

He slaps her and what happens after is all a blur before she finds herself in her car in a dress drenched in blood and tears falling down her bruised face. She drives throughout the night and until morning when she sees the sign for Storybrooke. She drives until she sees the yellow bug that was her friends. She looks at the dock and sees her stepping off a…ship? That was different. She opens the door and exhaustion takes over as she stumbles out.

She looks up when she hears Emma yell, "Oh, my God! Kyra!"

Emma reaches her and she falls into her friend's arms. All the bruises and fear catch up with her and she is sobbing into Emma's embrace.

Emma leads Kyra up the stairs to the loft she shared with Mary-Margaret who was close behind with Henry, David, Hook and Neal. She opens the door and sets her down on the couch. "Are you sure you aren't hurt? That is a lot of blood."

Kyra looks shakily down at herself, "I-it's not m-mine."

Emma gasps as she takes in the gravity of the situation, "Kyra, honey, what did you do?"

Kyra rubs her hand over her face, "I don't know. It all happened so fast."

Emma takes her hands, "Start from the beginning. The who, the what, everything."

Kyra nods, "I met him a year ago. He was so amazing and sweet. For the first time I fell in love with someone who loved me back. Or I thought he had. We moved in together and for the first month, it was perfect. Then he started coming home late at night, drunk. He would yell and call me horrible names and accuse me of things I never did. He would always apologize the next day." She wipes away the tears from her face, "I would always forgive him. And then one night he came home, drunk and he hit me."

Emma pulls her in for a hug, "Oh, Kyra. I am so sorry."

Kyra pulls back, tears falling faster down her face, "I had to hide the bruises under make up and dark sunglasses. I wore long sleeves in the summer and I kept forgiving him because I didn't think anyone else would ever love me."

Emma wipes at the tears on her friends face, "Oh, sweetie, you know that isn't true."

Kyra closes her eyes, "I didn't. I still don't. Then last night I put on this beautiful dress and just stared at myself in the mirror. I was ashamed at what I saw. Bruises healing on my arms and legs. I packed to leave right then, but I had to tell him, to his face. But the hour got later and… and I knew. He was drunk again. I should have left, but my pride got the better of me. He got home and I told him and he came at me and the next thing I know I am holding a knife covered in his blood. I freak out. I hit the road and call an ambulance. I remembered the last time we talked you said you were here." She looks into Emma's eyes, "I didn't have anywhere else to go."

Emma runs a hand through her hair, "Do you know if he is alive or…" She couldn't say it.

Kyra shakes her head, "I don't know."

Emma sighs heavily, "Ok, I will take care of this. Everything is going to be fine. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Kyra hugs her and feels as if she is breathing again, "Thank you, Emma. I knew I could always count on you."

David is the first to speak up, "Um, I don't want to be rude, but how do you know each other?"

Kyra smiles up at him, "Emma is my foster care sister. She has saved my life more times than I can count."

Emma laughs, "And you have saved mine just as many."

Neal awkwardly smiles, "Hi, Kyra."

Kyra's head snaps up faster than anyone thought possible, "Neal. What the hell are you doing here?" She looks at the guilty look on Emma's face, "Oh, hell no! Emma Swan if you are back with this horrible man, I will…" She stops short, realizing what she was about to say, "Be so pissed." She finishes lamely.

Emma shrugs, "It is kind of a long story."

Kyra shakes her head, "Well, you will have to tell me it as I take a shower. You will also get me some clothes and burn these ones." She glares at Neal, "And you! Don't leave! I am going to give you a piece of my mind when I am done." She looks at the rest, "Emma hasn't introduced us. I am Kyra O'Malley."

David smiles, "I am David and this is my wife Sn-Mary-Margaret." He corrects himself when Emma shakes her head.

Kyra looks at the boy and grins, "Well, you must be Henry. It is so wonderful to finally meet you. Sorry you have such a horrible father."

Henry laughs awkwardly, "Um, hi. Nice to meet you?"

She looks at the man in the leather and hook, "If I were crazy I would think that you were Captain Hook…but that would be impossible."

Hook quirks a brow, "You can call me Killian Jones."

Emma pulls her up the stairs, "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up and I will tell you everything."

Hook watches as the two ladies ascend the stairs. Kyra. Such an interesting woman. She had dark auburn hair that curled around her face and bright blue eyes. Her story had saddened him. He might be a pirate, but a woman like that or any woman never deserved to be treated in such a way. He shakes his head. Why was he so enraged for this girl? It's not like she meant anything to him. Maybe it was the broken look he saw in her eyes even when she was smiling. Or maybe it was the fact that she didn't like Neal.

David sits down, "I don't know if having that girl here is a good idea."

Snow frowns, "Why? She needs help."

David shakes his head, "She might have killed someone and if she is traced here…"

Snow glares down at her husband, "Is that it? She was in a horrible situation and she reacted the way most would. Don't act like you have never killed."

David looks up at her, "But that was when…"

She puts her hand on her hip, "When what? We were being attacked? Hmmm…in my opinion this is the same thing and we will protect her. She seems to mean a lot to our daughter."

Neal shrugs, "I don't know. She can be bad news. She is kind of a…wild one."

Hook smirks, "And how old was she when you last seen her?"

Neal frowns over at him, "I don't know that was ten years ago. She is 4 years younger than Emma. So 14 or 15, I guess. Why is that important?"

Henry laughs at his dad, "She was a teenager. Every teenager you meet is a wild one at some point."

Hook grins at the boy, "Exactly. We were just in a land that proves that. Only they do stay wild forever."

Snow walks into the kitchen and starts preparing hot chocolate, "Well, I say we give her a chance. If Emma trust her, then so do I. And we will not kick her out of town simply because she acted as any one of us would in that situation. We are not discussing that any further." She looks at David, "Got it?"

David looks down at the ground and nods, "Yes, dear."

Hook laughs and sits on one of the stools. It had been a hell of a day and he was bloody drained.

Kyra wraps the towel around her and stares dumbfounded at Emma. The sanest person she ever met, who was being completely crazy. But the look on her face as she told the story made Kyra want to believe her. Emma had always been the one to have two feet firmly on the ground while Kyra had her head in the clouds. If Emma believed this to be true then it must be.

Kyra finally finds her words, "So everyone I just met is from fairy tale land."

Emma nods, "The Enchanted Forest, but yes."

Kyra sighs, "And you were sent through a magic wardrobe so you could be their savior?"

Emma grins, "Yes. Why are we repeating all of this?"

Kyra shakes her head, still in shock, "I just…This is you. You barely believe that I am real. Normally, I would call the asylum and have someone committed for telling me this. But you…If you believe it then so do I. I always wanted to meet Snow White."

Emma laughs, "Well, the stories are a little different than what you and I have been told."

Kyra nods "Aren't they always. You are going to have to tell me the real versions or… I could interview the town. For myself. I would never tell anyone."

Emma throws a shirt and pants at her, "Get dressed. We will discuss this later."

Kyra does as she is told, but before she can put on the shirt Emma stops her, "Oh, my God, Kyra. That looks bad."

Kyra looks down at her ribs and winces when she sees the bruise spreading from her hip to her bra, "Yeah. He might have kicked me a couple of times before…It hurts like hell."

Emma touches it gently and Kyra gasps, "We need to get some ice on this."

She pulls her out of the bathroom and down the stairs. Everyone looks up and Snow's eyes widen, "She is naked."

Kyra frowns and looks down at herself, "No, I'm not. I am wearing pants and a bra. Geeze you act like we are…Oh right, fairy tale people."

Emma laughs and pushes her gently down on the couch, "Let me get you some ice."

Snow gasps when she sees the bruise, "Oh dear, do you need to see a doctor? We should take her to the hospital."

Kyra shakes her head, "No, no I am fine. I can't…I won't…"

Emma hands her the bag of ice, "The last time she was in a hospital was when she was 7 and her parents…"

Kyra smiles sadly, "My parents died. They were in a car accident and the doctors said there was nothing they could do to save them." She winces as she puts the ice pack on her side. She didn't like to think of that time. It was one of her worst memories. She had many, but none would ever top that one. "The only upside was meeting Emma. I don't think I would have survived if I didn't know her."

David, who was trying not to look at her still, speaks up, "But your ribs could be broken."

Kyra laughs at his obvious embarrassment, "You don't have to worry, Prince Charming. I am perfectly fine. This will heal and I will be back to my normal wild ways. Right Neal?"

Neal looks away, ashamed that she had heard him, "I guess."

David walks into the kitchen, "So you know who we are?"

She nods, "Yep and if it had been anyone, but Emma telling me, I would be out the door and out of town by now thinking everyone here was crazy."

Hook leans against the wall, "So, where do you plan on staying?"

She raises and eyebrow, "Is that an offer?" She laughs at his surprised look, "I am only teasing. I figure I will stay at that inn that I saw when I was driving into town."

Emma protests, "No, you should stay here."

Kyra looks around at the crowded place, "Sorry, but I like my own space and this place already seems to be filled to the brink."

Hook pushes off the wall, "Then allow me to walk you since I am heading that way, lass. I am sure you could use some air."

She grins and sets the ice down, "A pirate and a gentleman. Never thought I would see the day." She pulls on her shirt and misses the frown Emma sends her way, "Let's go, Captain Hook."

They walk out and the loft falls into silence with everyone looking at each other worriedly.

A/N: So Kyra is a character I created. I thought it would be interesting if someone from Emma's past showed up with loads of drama. She has a traumatic story thus far and as you get to know her more you will see why her and Emma are so close. She will also shed some light on Emma's tragic past as well.

It hurts me to write a story where Emma chooses Neal, but it will all work out in the end, I promise and hopefully you will like it as well.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please, please review with any thoughts you might have. I will try to update as much as possible. :)

XOXO