A OnceUponATime FanFiction for those of us who can`t wait `till Sunday. This picks up where Lady Of The Lake left off. Enjoy!

One-shot

Once Upon A Time

Try With Me

Emma lay awake on the ground, her head resting on her balled up jacket. The night is cooled from a chill in the air but the low temperature didn`t bother her. She didn`t notice the goose bumps on her skin; her mind was somewhere else.

"Please be okay."

"I promise, Henry is safe."

Realizing she spoke aloud, Emma turned to Snow who wore a reassuring smile. Emma couldn`t make her lips do the same.

Snow turned, leaves crunching beneath her body as she settled on her side, facing Emma.

"A lot has changed, but your father hasn`t. I know he is doing everything in his power to keep his grandson safe."

Emma gave a small nod, but doubts lingered in her mind; Regina was powerful. Emma knew that all too well.

"We will get back to them, Emma. We will find them and we will bring them home." Snow said firmly. "This is where we`re supposed to be. This is where we`ll finally be a family."

"Henry would love it here... Ogres and all."

Emma matched her daughter`s smile.

"I know you miss him."

"More than anything."

"And he misses you."

"You think so?"

Snow frowned at the look of worry and doubt on Emma`s face. "You don`t?"

Emma blinked her eyes to the sky, millions of stars lighting her vision`s path.

"Emma?" Snow prodded.

"Regina... she`s his mom...Im not... I wasn`t-"

"No, Emma, no. Don`t think like that. You are just as much Henry`s mother as Regina is, if not more. You gave birth to him. He`s apart of you."

With tears glossing her eyes, Emma bolted upright, her head shaking in argument.

"I had him, behind bars of all places, and when i did, they took him away and I didn`t argue. I didn`t fight them. I knew he was better off without me. I had no way of taking care of him. I was living from tiny apartment to tiny apartment, from one crappy job to the next... I didn`t know how to be a mother- i still don`t... So i let him go... I never thought id see him again. But that didn`t matter. I had to give him-"

"His best chance," Snow finished.

Emma gave a faint nod as silent tears fell from her eyes.

"Oh, sweetheart," Snow murmured while cupping Emma`s cheek in her palm and wiping the drops of salty water away.

"I carried so much anger towards you for so many years, but what a hypocrite i am, huh? I did the same thing to Henry- no, scratch that, i did worse... You and David... Prince... You and..."

With a soft smile, Snow said, "You can call him Dad."

"You guys gave me away to save an entire realm of people. You did something amazing. But me? I was scared. I sucked at pretty much everything i ever did in my life...I didn`t want the chance to fail Henry."

Taking Emma`s hand in hers, Snow went on to say, "Henry found you because he needed you. Because he missed you. You did the right thing. You didn`t turn him away. You didn`t leave him. You stayed in Storybrooke because of him, to be with him, to make sure he was safe. You fought tooth and nail for him. When Regina made him feel like he was insane, you never did. You were there for him when he needed you. Thats what matters."

"But-"

"No, Emma," Snow said with force. "That little boy loves you more than you know. And you love him too. If you didn`t, you wouldn`t have been able to save him. You wouldn`t have saved us all. You`re a hero, Emma. And i know Henry sees you that way. "

"i don`t care about being a hero. Not anymore. I don`t want to be just that for him. I want..."

After a moment of struggled silence for Emma, Snow found her daughter`s eyes while nodding in understanding. "You want to be Henry`s mom... Just like i want to be yours."

Emma`s frown furthered. "I was on my own for 28 years... I don`t know how to be your daughter."

Snow put on a brave face and said, "Well, lucky for us, i don`t know how to be your mom... But id really love it if you`ll let me try."

With fresh tears leaving faint trails down her cheeks, Emma nodded while wrapping her arms around Snow and embracing her mom.

And They All Lived Happily Ever After... ;)

Please Review! Much appreciated!