1. Broken Heart

David and Emma sat on the stairs of the apartment, the same stairs that she had sat on many times before. She could feel David caressing her left arm, rubbing it in comfort.

"Emma," he said to her. "I'm so sorry."

She could hear her father but her mind was elsewhere. All she could see were flashes of green and Neal slipping away.

"How…" she said her voice and facial expressions still in a state of shock. "Am I… gonna tell Henry?"

She had no answers and neither did David. He moved his hand and began rubbing her back instead. Like any father he wanted more than anything to take away the pain she was feeling. He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her head.

David didn't know the particulars of what had happened but he could see the pain on Emma's face was more than he thought. For weeks Emma had gone around saying she didn't have feelings for Neal, to Mary Margaret at least, but it was clear to him that she did have feelings for him just in the way in what few moments she saw her daughter look at the man and it was even clearer now. One only showed that kind of pain if the loss was deep. David now had no doubt that Neal really was the one for Emma but he remained silent about it.

Emma subtly reached for the swan pendant that was no longer there. She took a deep breath as she could feel a new wave of tears begin to surface.

She stood up and took the railing to balance her. David had also reached out a hand to help as he also stood. Emma turned to face the direction of her bedroom upstairs.

"If there's anything we can do," said David.

Emma only nodded as she moved on auto pilot to the bedroom.

She lay down and wrapped herself up with the blanket and closed her eyes.

The scene began to replay over and over in her head as it had continued since her walk home. Tamara pointing the gun at Neal's head about ready to pull the trigger, Emma fighting with Tamara to keep Neal safe despite being shot once all ready, Tamara throwing the bean and then everything after from Neal saving her to him falling into the pit and her trying to hold on for dear life.

She had all ready lost him once she wasn't ready to lose him again.

"I need you," she had yelled to him. "I love you!"

Neal looked at her for a moment before replying, "I love you too."

And for a moment she let out a quick smile, more thrilled than ever that he had still felt the same way and then it was over, Neal dissolving into the portal and Emma laying there watching him disappear.

The tears were flowing more rapidly now than they had before. Emma couldn't help herself as she reached for one of her pillows and began to scream into it choking with her sobs.

Everything else around her, the people downstairs, none of that mattered. She was lost inside herself hidden away in her room to even think twice about her actions, not caring that her pain was out in the open.

Downstairs in Mary Margaret and David's room everyone turned and Regina sat up at the sound of Emma's scream.

"What the hell's going on," Regina asked.

David looked at Mary Margaret and the look didn't go unnoticed.

"What's going on," Regina asked again this time more persistent.

Mary Margaret stood up. "Maybe we should-,"

"I'm pretty sure she wants to be alone," David replied.

"David the love of her life just died I think the last thing she needs right now is to be alone." Mary Margaret caught the look that David gave her. "What you didn't think I knew? David I'm her mother of course I knew."

"Can someone fill me in here," asked Regina.

The two ignored her for a moment and continued to talk. "You don't think I know the signs of a woman who goes around claiming she's not in love? I used to do the same thing."

Mary Margaret left the room and began her walk upstairs.

She stood there for a moment as she stared at her daughter. It was heartbreaking to watch. Emma had been fragile before but never anything like this. It seemed that one move and her daughter would break, not that she wasn't all ready broken as it was but seeing her this way made her seem like class with cracks and that at any moment those cracks would finally give and there would be nothing but pieces.

Emma listened as her mother's footsteps made her way to her bed. Mary Margaret took up a fetal position that enveloped Emma in her all ready set fetal position as well.

Between the tears Emma whispered, "I'm sorry," in meaning for having disturbed her mother and the others downstairs.

"Shh, there's nothing to be sorry for," Mary Margaret said caressing some of Emma's hair and then rubbing her arm. "I am so sorry Emma. I know how much you loved him."

"I did," Emma finally admitted to her mother.

"Do you want to talk," Mary Margaret asked.

Emma sniffled through her tears, "No."

"When you're ready," Mary Margaret said still caressing her daughter. She pulled back and began to get up when Emma turned slightly.

"Can you stay?"

Mary Margaret let out a small smile, "As long as you need," she said to Emma returning back to her place.