Authors Note: this is definitely a SQ story so you have been warned. Also I forgot to say the disclaimer bit, I don't own OUAT or any of the characters. I just wanted to play with them for awhile. If I did, then SQ would definitely have happened by now :)

Explosions could be felt and gunfire could be heard, she felt the air getting thick and found it hard to breathe. Her leg was in agony as she held her hand against it trying to staunch the bleeding as she tried running. She could hear cries and screams deeper in the building. She picked up her pace ignoring the shout of her CO to turn back. She wrenched against the grip on her arm and started hobbling towards the screams.

"Sergeant?" The man tried to rouse her again, "Sergeant Swan?"

She shot up in her seat and tried to catch her breath, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"We've landed. We're back home."

Lulled by the sounds and vibrations of the plane she had fallen asleep. She attempted a smile but it looked more like a grimace and after rubbing her still sore leg she rose from her seat, straightening her dress uniform. She attempted to still her shaking hands and collect her duffel bag as she followed the rest of her team off the plane.

The Colonel, a man in his 50's with salt and pepper hair, was waiting for her at the bottom of the steps.

"Sergeant, I hope the journey was alright. I'd like to speak to you for a few minutes if you don't mind."

"Of course Sir." She followed him in silence to his office, placed her bag to the side of her and stood to attention awaiting orders.

"At ease Swan." He sat down and took out a file. "I have the report here of what happened whilst you and your team were out on patrol. Now I know you did what you thought was right but you know you can't disobey a direct order from your CO."

"Sir please let me.." She had taken a step forward. He held up his hand and she stopped, returning to her original stance.

"No Sergeant. It's out of my hands. As you should be aware, whilst you were in hospital recovering there has been a formal investigation."

"Sir! Please. I thought there were chil-"

"Swan! This is not my decision, it comes from higher up. The board has decided that although you thought you were doing the right thing, you did disobey orders. Your record up until this point has been unblemished but this was too big to let go. They have therefore decided to honourably discharge you from your duties as Sergeant in our army. It saddens me that it has come to this but i hope in time you will be able to see this as a fresh start. You have until the end of the week to pack up your things and leave base. Your last pay check will go through accordingly and your pension will remain for your future so don't worry about that. Now go, do something good with the rest of your life, just don't sit around and mope, that's not going to bring back Jones."

She stood stock still, trying to think of something, anything that could make this better.

He looked up at her with saddened eyes, "You're dismissed Swan."

She saluted and left his office, her thoughts pounding in her mind. What would she do now? Where would she go? How did she let this happen?

She arrived home to her one bed, sparsely furnished apartment and threw her bag down.

"Goddammit!" She screamed and kicked her bag once for good measure.

She leant heavily against the kitchen counter and thought about getting a beer from the fridge. Just as she pushed herself away from the counter there was a knock at her door. She huffed wondering what could go wrong now as she walked over. She took a deep breath and opened the door, shocked to see a child on the other side smiling nervously up at her.

"Hey kid. You lost?" She asked puzzled as to why a child would be knocking on her door so late in the evening.

"Are you Emma Swan?" The short brown haired boy asked.

"Uh yeah, do I know you?" She was even more confused now as she ran her hand through her golden hair.

"Did you give up a son ten years a go for adoption?"

"Wh-what?" She stood there with a look of pure shock on her face as she dropped her hand to her side.

He smiled "Hi, I'm Henry. I'm your son." He pushed past her and settled onto the sofa, taking his backpack off and swinging his legs out in front of him.

Emma finally came into her senses and shut the door, spinning round to see the kid. She stomped over and sat on the coffee table in front of him, "let me get this straight, you came all the way over here, finding me through whatever channels and claim to be the son I put up for adoption?"

"I AM the son...your son. I need your help."

"Are you sick?" She grew concerned and leant forward, placing her elbows on her knees.

"No nothing like that. I need you to break a curse."

"Excuse me?"

"A curse. I'll explain everything when you take me home."

"Where's home?"

"Storybrooke, Maine."

"Fine" she huffed, "let me get my things." She stood and picked up her duffel bag, no point unpacking she thought. She contemplated changing out of her uniform but figured she'd be home in no time so what was the point. She shoved some clothes into the bag she could change into once in this Storybrooke place. The sooner she got this kid home, the sooner she could wallow in her misery for the next however long.

"Come on then kid, lets get you home."

As she drove the kid home in her yellow, rusty but reliable beetle he told her all about the curse and how as the saviour it was her destiny to save all these fairy tale characters. She didn't believe it for a second but due to her special ability she knew the kid believed everything he was saying.

"So let me get this straight kid...The evil queen decided to enact this curse that would take away happy endings so she could claim another land and have more power?"

"That's most of it yeah."

"So...who's the evil queen?"

"The mayor."

"Right of course, that's the one with the most power in a small town...So who's the Mayor to you?"

"..."

"Henry?"

"...My grandmother."