Moments with You

Emma took a deep breath and when David turned around Emma looked at her father, "I'm sorry," she said to him. "I shouldn't have said those things to you this morning. Not with Mary Margaret in the room. I should've talked to you privately about it."

Mary Margaret looked at her daughter, "No it's okay. I needed to hear that and you were right. Sometimes tough love is needed so thank you."

Emma smiled at her mom.

"If you don't mind me saying," said David. "Sounds like you have some kind of experience with that sort of thing?"

"Yeah, I do."

"From being in the system," Mary Margaret asked trying to be subtle.

Emma gave them a look, "How much did you hear?"

David shrugged, "It's a small apartment."

Emma took a deep breath as she leaned over the counter. "I'll admit he broke me. I was all ready broken enough as it was but what Neal put me through-," Emma shook her head not wanting to get into the specifics even though they had heard the part of Neal being the one to send her to prison. "I got eleven months and after that and after I gave up Henry I had to be the one to get myself together. No one could do it for me. Not my doctor's, not my prison guards, no one." Emma was too lost in her thoughts now to even pay much attention to the fact that her parents were staring at her. David was listening as he cooked. "Sure they could lecture me all they wanted, tell me what to do, tell me who I was and what was best but none of it mattered until I decided."

She shook her head and backed away from the counter, crossing her arms. She watched as Henry sat at the table drawing. Emma turned back and looked at her parents.

"I spent five minutes with Henry and eleven months agonizing over Neal, hating him even but with them a part of my past I knew I had to get my life together and so I did even if I had no intention of ever seeing either of them again." She shook her head, surprised she had just confided to her parents with all of that. "Wow, I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean-,"

Mary Margaret smiled and took hold of Emma's hand. "Don't apologize," she said to her daughter. "I'm glad you told us. You once said that we didn't know who you were before Storybrooke so this helps to fill in a lot of blanks."

Emma smiled back and then sighed.

"I'm just sorry it wasn't the kind of life you wanted for me."

Henry got up from the table and walked toward his family. "Dad and I really are a like in that way aren't we," he asked. "We keep surprising you."

"Yeah kid you do."

"Is that a good thing," he asked.

"I'm not sure yet," Emma replied. "Though at this point I should probably get used to it," she said smirking at him.

Emma turned to Mary Margaret, "Are you going to be okay?" she asked concerned for her mother.

Mary Margaret nodded as she helped David in their small kitchen. "I think so. I haven't felt this hopeful in a while."

Henry turned back to the table and back to his drawings.

"It wasn't your fault you know," said Emma, "Not directly anyways. Gold used you just like he's used us before."

"Maybe but it was still my choice. Hopefully now though I can finally accept what happened and try to move passed it, at least learn from it."

"You will," Emma said with a smile. "I think this family has proven we can get through anything. We just have to rely on that faith and on each other."

David smiled at his daughter. He then looked at the food. "Okay I think this is about ready.

Emma turned around, "Henry why don't you come and help set the table."

Henry nodded and began helping.

Their family had hit a rough patch but now they felt more confident than ever that they could get through it. None of them had to face their problems alone. Though space was often a good thing and sometimes necessary even at least they all knew they had each other to go to when they were ready and now they were. They would handle this and anything else that came their way as a family.

END