A/N: So this is a story that was inspired by my other fic, Emma's Trip Around the World. I had several requests for an Emma/Hamish spin-off, and here is the first chapter. This kind is more of a set-up, so there will be more Emma/Hamish in later chapters. Also, you don't need to have read ETAtW to read this fic as they are totally different circumstances. I hope you enjoy it! :))

Emma loaded the last box into the back of her yellow bug. The daylight would be fading soon and she had to leave before Mary Margaret got home. Emma would have to steer clear of the apartment – tonight she was taking Henry and they were leaving this place. Jefferson was bad enough, but August had been the last straw. She didn't know what it was about this town, but it wasn't safe. She would get Henry the help he needed, where people didn't encourage a young boys delusion.

A twinge of guilt nagged at her, not only was she abandoning her responsibility here, she was leaving behind the best friend she'd ever had. She tried to justify it by telling herself that at least she wasn't abandoning her son again, as if that somehow made it ok. But she would be committing a felony in taking her son, she knew that. She slammed the trunk closed, driving back to the Sheriff station.

Regina would be out for blood come morning, and Emma almost wished she could see the mayor's face when she realizes Henry is gone. It was a relatively short drive to Canada, and if she could sleep for a little while at the station, she could drive even longer throughout the night. Emma saw Henry making his way into the station as she parked her car.

"Hey kid…" she said, exiting the car.

"Hey Emma…" he rushed to her side, hugging her tightly as if this was his last chance. This was it. In a few short hours he would be hers and she'd never have to worry about Regina interfering again. The police, however, would be a different story. But it didn't matter, she told herself again, she needed to get Henry away from all this.

"How'd you like some pie?" Emma offered, feeling overly generous. His eyes lit up as a broad smile formed on his lips.

"But it's just before dinner…" Emma nodded. "And pie is bad for me…" she nodded again with a smile.

"I'm in a very good mood and I'd like some pie." Henry shrugged and took her hand, and the pair began walking the short distance to Granny's.

"So, I was thinking for operation cobra…" Emma never got to hear the rest, feeling a strange tingling and pulling sensation in her abdomen as she was vaulted backwards.

Gold had been cleaning an antique when he felt the undeniable surge of magic so close by. It was strange to feel that power again, given how much time had passed. But it was too soon, the curse hadn't been broken yet. He stepped out of the shop to investigate, only to see Henry looking around in stark terror, calling Emma's name. By the time he reached him, the young boy was shivering with shock.

"Henry?" he said softly, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Did…d-did you see it?" Henry stammered breathlessly, tears streaming from his wide eyes. Gold knelt down in front of him with difficulty, panic gripping his heart.

"See what, Henry?"

"W-what took Emma…?" His blood ran cold as ice at his words, and Gold knew Regina had followed through on her threat.

"Emma was with you?" Henry nodded numbly. At that Gold rose to his feet, "Come on lad, I'll take you to my shop and you can tell me everything that happened."

The walk was short, an oppressive weight bearing on his shoulders. Emma didn't mean much to him personally, except that she was the key to finding Bae. And that made her the most important person in the world right now. He had been overly confidant in his conversation with Regina, revealing too much. He should have known better than to back Regina into a corner and threaten to take what she has worked so hard for. Those are the only times she is truly ruthless and creative in her attempts to keep what she wants.

The bell rang over the door and Gold locked it behind them. He led Henry to his office, pulling out the chair behind his desk.

"Here Henry, have a seat. Now, tell me what you saw." Henry shook his head, his breath coming in quick pants.

"I didn't see anything. We were walking to Granny's, a-and…and then she was just gone."

"Ok, alright, just breathe." Gold sighed heavily as he left the boy alone to collect himself. The curse hadn't been broken, so it stood to reason she was very much alive. He just needed to find out exactly what had befallen her and where she vanished to.

"Do you know Miss Blanchard's phone number?" Gold asked. Henry nodded frantically. "Call her and ask her to meet us here." Henry picked up the receiver of Gold's office phone, and paused to meet his eyes.

"Mr. Gold, do you know what happened?"

He tried to smile, to offer some comfort if not a little hope. "I just might. I don't want to leave you alone, which is why I want you to call Miss Blanchard." Henry dialed the number.

"She's on her way…" Henry said softly, hanging up the phone.

Mary Margaret must have run, for she was banging on his door in record time. She probably thought Henry was in some kind of mortal danger, no doubt. He let her in, and brought her into his office. She rushed to Henry, checking him over for any injury or distress.

"What happened? Is Emma ok?" she demanded frantically.

"Miss Blanchard, please sit down." Henry gave up his sit behind the desk, and Mary thanked him as she sat down. "What I am about to tell you will not be easy to hear and will be even harder to believe."

"Oh god, is she still alive?"

"Technically yes, but that's beside the point." Her eyebrows met in confusion as Gold continued, "What Henry has been saying about this town being cursed and frozen in time is true."

"I knew it!" he exclaimed as Mary whispered an incredulous, "Excuse me?"

"Wait – you knew? Why didn't you ever say anything?" he asked.

"Because, Henry, Emma needed to believe on her own and you were doing a fine job in helping her do that. The curse was weakening and Regina knew it."

"Mr. Gold, can I speak with privately for a moment?" Mary's voice had taken on the tone of a teacher admonishing one her pupils.

"No. Regina knows if Emma dies than the curse is automatically broken. She found a way to keep Emma alive but out of Storybrooke. Now, I am going to speak with Regina and find out exactly what she did, will you stay with Henry?" he asked, focusing his gaze on Mary.

"Of course." By then Mary's eyes were far off, no doubt remembering how Henry told her she was Emma's mother. She would have endless questions and doubts, he was sure, but he couldn't worry about that now.

Emma stirred, coming back to herself slowly. There were arms around her and Gold's panicked voice filled her ears; distant, despite that she was in his arms. She tried to pull away, but her body felt as though she had been hit head on by a mack truck, though nothing felt broken. A shiver tore through her; it was much colder than she remembered it being and instinctively curled closer to his warmth. His arm tightened around her waist, and she felt his finger's on her neck. She slapped his hand away with listless hands, forcing her eyes open.

She was met with wide, vibrant brown eyes that stared at her with a mix of concern and shock. But his face was young, much younger than it should be and he wore a police uniform instead of the snazzy suits he's known for. Emma pressed her palm to her temple, realizing this must be some kind of dream; or rather a nightmare given the presence of Mr. Gold. Why was he of all people in her dream, especially so young and good looking?

"Gold…" she murmured into his chest. Her vision blurred as the world swam around her. Then her arm was being draped around his neck and his arms pulled her tighter against him as he attempted to lift her from the cold damp ground.

"No…" she whimpered, weakly pushing back against him. "Let me go…" His hold loosened but didn't let her go.

"Are you alright, lass?" the man asked directly, helping her to sit up. Emma's shoulder was against his chest, his arms still secured around her. Under normal circumstances she would have fought him, but her head was spinning just from the effort of sitting up. The sun was hidden beneath an overcast and gray sky, the damp cold setting immediately in her bones.

"What happened? Where am I?"

"I was hopin' you could tell me what happened. But yer in Lochdubh…" he replied, his accent thicker and much more pronounced than usual.

"Loch – what?" Emma looked around at the vast openness of the field of tall grass she found herself in. They were beside a hill and Emma could swear that she heard sheep nearby. There is no place like this in Storybrooke anywhere. "Where exactly am I?"

"Scotland…" Everything stopped as Emma stared incredulously at the man holding her. It wasn't possible, she was just in Maine. Emma released a trembling breath, her eyes burning with unshed tears as panic gripped her heart.

"If this is your idea of a sick joke, Gold, it isn't funny…" she said breathlessly, her chest heaving for breath. His expression was blank as he stared at her, his eyes empathetic and concerned.

"Gold? Sorry, lass, name's Hamish…Hamish MacBeth. And I think you took a quite a blow to yer head." Emma played over the events in her mind, trying to figure out what actually had happened. She had been with…

"Henry?!" Emma forced herself to her feet screaming her son's name frantically as a wave of dizziness passed through her. She fell back against Hamish, "My son…Henry; where is he?" But she knew, with every fiber of her being she knew, that she didn't get here naturally and Henry didn't come with her.

"If he was with you, I'll find him…" she crumbled then, crying at the thought of losing her son, of ending up half-way around the world with no idea how she got here or how to get back.

"Come on, lass, let me take you someplace safe…" He said softly. Emma let him keep his arm firm around her waist to steady her as he walked them to his land rover. He opened the door, helping her climb into the passenger seat – on the left side of the car.

"Jock, let's go, boy…" he patted his thigh, and the small dog barked as he chased after his owner.

She had been with Henry, they were walking and there was that tingling in her stomach. The next thing she remembered was waking up in Hamish's arms – who just for the record could be Gold's twin. He climbed in beside her, and started the car.

"Did you see what happened?" she asked.

He didn't look at her as he replied, "Uh, no..."

Despite her panic, Emma could still see when someone was lying. But right now she didn't have the energy to argue, or question him further. She drew her knees up to her chest, opening the window for fresh air. She closed her eyes, hoping when she opened them, this will all have been a bizarre nightmare.

Gold entered Regina's office without knocking and without greeting, walking right up to her desk.

"What have done with her?"

"Mr. Gold, how lovely to see you…"

"Where is Emma?" he repeated, barely containing his violent urge to harm her.

"She's alive, as you can see the curse is still intact." She replied glibly.

"Emma was with Henry when she vanished, your son is quite traumatized." He said, hoping to make her feel guilty. A barely noticeable clench of her jaw was her only response. "You truly are a piece of work, dearie, cold as ice and twice as dense…" he placed his hands on the edge of her desk, leaning closer to her face. "What. Have. You. Done?"

"I simply used the last of my magic to send Emma where she will be alive, but out of my life and Henry's life forever. A type of…banishment spell." He wanted to slap the smug smirk of triumph from her face. He straightened, tapping his cane on the ground.

"And where did you send her?"

"Actually when is the more appropriate question, and before you ask I didn't get to choose, I just sent her away."

He huffed, shaking his head at her ignorance.

"Has it occurred to you, Regina, that if you sent her back too far, Emma will never have given birth to Henry and he will cease to exist?" It gave him no joy to say it, the irony of the situation would be comical if it didn't hit so close to home. But he relished it as her smile faded and realization dawned in her eyes, "Congratulations, Madame Mayor, you're about to get everything you ever wanted…at the expense of your son's life."

"No, you have to help me keep him." There was regret in her eyes now, and genuine fear.

"I don't have to do anything. This is your mess; you fix it…and don't be surprised if Henry wants absolutely nothing to do with you."

Gold left with a knot in his stomach. Regina said herself she used the last of her magic to cast this curse; she wouldn't be able to reverse what she'd done. He had planned on restoring magic once Emma had broken the curse, but now he would have to get creative. He had no idea where to start, but he was not giving up, not when he was this close to finding his son.

As always, feel free to leave a review with your thoughts :) I'm probably going to keep the chapters short to encourage faster update times.

P.S.: If you are reading Emma's Trip Around the World, do not worry, that story will be finished I promise. The ending has been a bit more challenging than I thought and I don't want to screw it up. So, hopefully sooner than later I will have it finished. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this little fic series. :)))