Disclaimer: Alas, I own nothingggg.
Emma had never encountered a monster quite like this. The creature rose from the water with a warm smile. Her father had told her about fighting the siren but she never dreamed she's meet one. She snorted in amusement at the thought that this thing could ever be compared to Disney's Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Then again, a year ago, she would have never dreamed she had parents, or that fairy tales she grew up hearing about were real and that she was the one who was supposed to save them. A week ago she would have never dreamed she would return home with her mother, Snow White, to the Enchanted Forest. Then she went back and now, here she was again, only this time, alone. No mom, no Mulan, alone.
"Do you find something amusing?" The siren asked.
"Not something you would understand." Emma shot back.
"I've never fought a girl before." She said with an interested smile as she walked on water towards Emma.
"I guess we're even then cause I've never fought a siren before. Dragons, check. Sirens, not so much." Emma said.
"I wouldn't say even." The creature sneered as it scooped up some lake water and splashed itself.
"Ahh girls and their crushes." It said turning its eyes upon Emma once again. How was Emma supposed to fight that?
"He's not for you." Emma said trying to sound casual as opposed to terrified at the prospect of having to cut into Neal. Neal, the only person she trusted, the one whose child she bore. Emma forced a smile and then even went so far as to laugh. "Try again." Emma said with a smirk. The creature seemed flustered for a moment but regained its composure and splashed itself again.
"Is this more to your liking?" It hissed. Damn, this siren was good. August's usually kind eyes seemed wrong in such an evil smile. "I see the dilemma playing across your face." It mocked.
"Not so much." Emma said once again mastering her composure and forcing a laugh. "If you want a fight you'll have to try harder than a writer." Emma said. "My dad, prince charming, told me a story once. He said he killed a thing like you." Emma said trying to push buttons to see if it would help. Nope. It only made the situation worse.
"You're strong." It hissed as it once again splashed itself. "However, you do not seem to know how my powers work." Graham smiled at her. Emma gasped. She missed the late sheriff. She wanted to hold his hand. To hear his laugh, to kiss him one more time. "The water can feel your love." He smiled. His funny accent making the words sound familiar. Emma focused on not running to his arms and not crying. His voice. It sounded like joy and love and home. "It takes on the form of who you love so I know that it's working. I can feel your anger, your hatred, your love. We're creatures of love Emma." Graham said holding out a hand to her. "Come here." He smiled warmly, lovingly.
"Who's next on your list? Any other options cause I'm not going for that one." Emma said flicking her sword at the creature. "I admit, I love these guys but I want to give you a chance so you'll have to find someone I'm actually afraid to hit. These guys, they're idiots, and they could all use a good beating." Emma said with a smirk.
"You can't push the fight off forever." It said smiling as it, once again splashed itself. Blue eyes turned to Emma. "How about this one love?" Hook asked. He smiled cunningly at her. His hook shone off the lake water. Damn, this thing was good. Emma was afraid who'd she see next. He smiled at her pause. "You usually have a snappy retort. Is this the one?"
"Hook could definitely use a nice thrashing." Emma grinned. Hook, the only one who ever made her feel like he truly wanted to know more about her. He wanted to know her, wanted to love her, but as always she pushed him away. She was ever afraid of trusting people, letting them in, even after she found out about her parents. She had grown up on the belief that she was unwanted, unloved, irrelevant. She was nothing, no one, and not important. She was forgettable, abandonable, unlovable.
"Hmmm..." Hook smiled as he walked to the edge of the water, standing very close to Emma. "So you love all of these men, but none of them are enough for you." He smirked in that oh-so-sexy Hook way. "High standards." He mocked. "Looks like I'll just have to change my approach." He smiled as he dove backwards into the water. Emma watched the surface, waiting for something to happen when she was something emerging from the water. He smiled at her. Emma gasped. He laughed she roared in anger as she charged the monster.
"Henry... Is... Not... For... You!" She said slashing madly in between each word. She heard a cackle from Henry's lips. It was such an unusual noise coming from the usually happy, kind, boy. The monster had intended it to upset her but it only made Emma fight harder. Seaweed snaked up her legs and began pulling her to the bottom of the lake but Emma was unaware. She was busy attacking the fake Henry. With one wild slash of her sword the monster was vanquished. With that death the seaweed released Emma and the body turned back into its natural form. Emma slummed onto the beach. She dropped the sword and cried. She let the tears fall from her eyes and she couldn't stop them. Once the faucet was turned on it had to run until it ran out. She cried because Neal was gone, shot and then fell into the portal. She cried because Graham was dead because she didn't believe. She cried because August had died protecting her. She cried because she had pushed Hook away. She cried because she would never be able to have any of the men she loved and she cried because she had just killed her son. She wanted to be held, wanted to be loved, wanted to be alone, and wanted to be surrounded. Emma cried and cried because she had no one. She was alone and she was scared and she was broken. She screamed and punched the sand and cried. She cried until she had no tears left to cry and then she just hiccupped. She fell asleep on the cool sand under the stars of another world surrounded by nothing and no one. When she woke up she was in her bed. In Storybrook. Henry was with August and Neal in the kitchen making breakfast. Hook and Charming were arguing and Mary Margret was making her bed. Emma sighed, she was home, it was a dream. She sat up and looked around.
"Sleeping beauty finally awake?" August called over to her with a wink and a smile to her.
"We've managed to work together long enough, with Henry's help, to make pancakes." Neal announced.
"How did you sleep mom?" Henry chirped happily. Emma thought about telling them about her dream. She thought about how it would sound and decided to skip the Wizard Of Oz moment.
"I slept good kid." Emma said smiling at him and getting up.
"Emma, settle this." Hook said as he and Charming turned to her.
"Settle your own arguments boys." Emma said smirking at him and pouring herself some coffee.
"You have a bit of bed head." August said running a hand through her hair.
"Dude." Neal growled. "Paws off."
"I'd have to agree with Balefire on this one mate." Hook sneered as he appeared next to August.
"Let's not fight." Emma said sipping her coffee as the three watched her. "At least not after I had such a pleasant dream of my true love." Emma said grinning. The three turned to each other with equal stares of surprise. Emma snaked away and sat with Henry on the stairs.
"Who?" Henry whispered looking her in the eyes with a warm smile.
"I'll tell you my whole dream. But later kid. Right now, I'm starving. Let's get some pancakes." She said grinning. They went over to the kitchen to find August, Charming, Hook, and Neal in an argument.
"You started this." Mary Margret said smiling as she began serving the pancakes.
"Why's Charming in there though?" Emma asked smiling.
"He's convinced its Graham." Mary Margret said smiling wistfully.
"And what do you think?" Emma asked her mom.
"I think if you are anything like I think you are, then you love them all. You love so many people but you never let yourself trust them." Mary Margret said thoughtfully. Emma was surprised at Mary Margret's astute deduction. "I think you should know that they love you too. August, Hook, Neal, even Graham did. They love you and if you ever did decide to trust them I think it could develop into true love for any of them." Emma smiled, she wasn't alone after all. She cut up her and Henry's pancakes and they ate in happy camaraderie as the boys fought over who Emma should end up with. Who would be Emma's happily ever after? They didn't know yet but for now, she was relevant and wanted and loved.