Disclaimer: I do not own Once upon a Time. This story will be mostly cannon based at the beginning as I can't do much with it until later. Please Read& Review, constructive criticism is welcomed also.
Enjoy!
Milah, a small girl with dark brown hair that fell in curls around her shoulders, sat patiently by the window of the spinster sister's home waiting for their return. Honey coloured eyes gazed sadly towards the dirt path leading to the stone built house before drifting around the open area of her home. She sighed, it had only been a few weeks since she came to live with to two widowed women when her father left, they had welcomed her with open arms and hearts, they taught her 'womanly tasks' such as cooking and sewing and had even let her try one of the spinning wheels they owned. The lovely women had even thought to changed her name, something more fitting a young girl like herself. They, and the rest of the village town called her Milah, instead of the name her father had given her- Rumplestiltskin.
Milah stared at the burning embers of the open fireplace, orange-red flames flickered and crackled in efforts to warm the room and the large pot hanging over it. A small frown tugged at the young girls pale pink lips, it was unusual to see such frown as Milah almost always wore a mischievous smile, one that often got her into trouble for no good reason. The frown which marred her youthful face was for a simple reason, she missed her father and although she appreciated everything the kind spinster's did for her she wished he was still here.
Before Milah could dwell any further into her misery, a cheerful laughter came from outside her home, drawing her attention once more, she noticed the sky was a startling blue and many birds where flittering about in the sunshine, two women, each carrying their own leather pouch of gold coin, strolled arm in arm up the small incline to the same stone house she currently resided in.
*Line break*
Prince Charming urged the steed beneath him to run faster, he was almost with his true love and he had to find her. His horse began to slow, however, when the worn down forest paths became covered in a blanket of pure white snow, Charming pulled the reins, a silent command for the horse to stop before a group of seven dwarves, each had removed their hats in sorrow as the surrounded a glass coffin with many white flowers around it.
"Stop, your too late." One dwarf stepped forward looking more angry than sad, his brethren stepped up behind him as the Prince dismounted his steed.
"No, please." He begged, tears sprung to his eyes as he gazed towards the glass casket.
"She's gone Charming. I'm sorry, grumpy is right, you were too late." A white haired dwarf with round glasses perched on his nose whispered sadly.
Charming swept his eye over the seven brothers, pleading.
"Please, just let me say goodbye." The dwarves, knowing their own grief could not match that of the loss of a true love slowly removed the clear lid of Snow White's resting place to allow her love to say fare well.
Charming kneeled next to her still body and softly pressed his lips against hers. And with such a simple act of true love, a pulse of pure magic swept over the kingdom,breaking the sleeping curse.
Snows eyes snapped open while her Prince moved back in awe of what had happened.
"You found me." She cried with joy, wrapping her arms around Charming's neck.
"Did you ever doubt I would?" He replied with slight sarcasm. Snow raised a brow.
"Honestly? The glass coffin gave me pause." She laughed.
Charming gave a soft chuckle, "No matter what happens, I will always find you." He said softly.
"Do you promise?" Snow replied, green eyes glimmering with hope and joy.
"I do." Prince James said staring into his almost wife's eyes.
"And do you Snow White, take this man to be your husband?"
"I do." Snow spoke softly, but loudly enough for the room of people to hear.
The bishop was about to continue the ceremony when the doors slammed open and Regina, the evil queen waltz in.
"Its the queen run!" Happy exclaimed.
"No! She's not a queen anymore. She's nothing but an evil witch." Snow shouted above the ruckus, grabbing Charming's sword from its scabbard pointing it towards Regina, "What do you want?"
"I want nothing," she laughed, "I merely wish to give you a gift." She smiled, it fell quickly when Charming sneered.
"We want nothing from you." He snapped.
"But you shall have it." She sneered back, "My gift to you, is this happy, happy day." Regina circled the room slowly, "For soon your happiness shall end.
The evil queen moved towards the still open door before she could leave Charming grabbed his sword from Snow White's hand and threw it at her shouting, "Hey, Regina!"
The queen and the sword disappeared in cloud of black smoke.
**Some where in Boston**
A young boy with brown hair and pale skin sat alone on a bus heading for Boston, in his lap was large book filled with fairy tales, he was currently reading the story of Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding. An elderly woman glanced at him with soft smile.
"That a good book?" She asked kindly, noticing how the boy's eyes rapidly read each word. He looked up at her.
"This, it's more than just a book." He replied, the old woman nodded.
The bus pulled into the station and the brown haired boy hurriedly packed his book away into his backpack, before filing off of the bus with the other passengers and looking for a cab, once he found one he knocked on the window, drawing the drivers attention.
"Do you accept credit card?" He asked, showing the blue, plastic rectangle.
"Where you headin' chief?" Was the reply as the kid happily slid into the seat and gave the address.
Emma Swan opened her apartment door and kicked of her painfully high, platform shoes and made her way to the kitchen island. She had just gotten back from a 'date' where she caught a guy who had skipped bail not to long ago, Emma tried to forget about it as she pulled out a tiny cupcake she had bought and grabbed a blue star shaped candle. Sticking the candle in her boring cupcake, she lit the wick and watched the flame almost painfully.
"Another banner year." She sighed, closing her eyes and blowing out the Orange flame, making a wish for the first time since she was a child.
Emma snapped her eyes open when someone knocked on the apartment door twice, she wasn't expecting anyone but got up to answer the door anyway.
Her long blonde hair fell across her shoulder as she leaned forward, opening it. She looked around seeing no one until she glanced down, finding a small ten year old boy wearing a backpack and a smile.
"Are you Emma Swan? I'm Henry, I'm your son." He quipped, before stepping around the shocked blonde woman and into her home.
"Woah, Kid, hold on, I don't have son, okay?" Emma adamantly denied, following the kid back into the kitchen.
"Ten years ago did you give a baby up for adoption?" It was a rhetorical question, they both knew the answer, "That was me."
"Just, give… give me a minute." Henry gave a short nod exploring the kitchen, while Emma moved towards the bathroom nearly hyperventilating. She never thought the son she had given up would come looking for her, especially not after ten years.
"Have you got any juice?" Henry called Emma looked toward the door before staring in the mirror, "Never mind, found some."
That was when she decided to leave and get this kid back home, or call the police, someone was probably missing him.
"You know we should probably get going." He said after swallowing a mouthful of Orange juice.
"We are not going anywhere, I'm calling the cops to take you home." Emma grabbed the phone from its hook, catching Henry's smirk.
"Then I'll tell them you kidnapped me."
"And they'll believe you, because I'm your birth mother," Henry nodded at her, "but see here's the thing kid, there may not be a lot of things I'm great at but I have a superpower. I can tell when anyone is lying, and you kid? Are." She began to punch in the numbers.
"No wait, please. You have to come home with me." He pleaded.
"Alright, where is home?" She asked, causing Henry to grin.
"Storybrooke, Maine." Emma sighed through her nose.
"Seriously, Storybrooke?" She asked with a raised brow.
"Mhm." He nodded in agreement.
"Okay then, let's get you back to Storybrooke." She headed to her bedroom after gesturing for Henry to wait a minute until she changed.
**Enchanted forest**
Snow White stood on the balcony, looking across the land, her hands sat gently on her large, pregnant stomach.
"What's the matter, Snow?" Prince Charming asked, stepping towards his wife.
"Nothing." She sighed turning to look at him.
"You're thinking about what the queen said again, aren't you?" Snow tried to move past him, "Please, Snow…I can't keep having this conversation, you need to move past this and forget about it. We are having a baby!" He replied, acting upbeat and cheerful for her benefit.
"Charming, I haven't had a restful night sleep since our wedding." Snow moved again, this time pushing past her caring husband and further into their chambers.
"Because that's what she wants, to get inside your head. They're only words, she can't harm you, Snow." He spoke softly, trying to get her to understand. Snow turned to him looking slightly annoyed.
"She poisoned an Apple, all because she thought I was prettier than her. You have no idea of what she is capable of."
Charming could see there was something else Snow White wanted though.
"What can I do to ease your mind?" He sighed, already knowing but not wanting to believe.
"Let me go to cells and talk... to her." She pleaded. Charming closed his eyes.
"Please Snow, don't do this…" Snow cut him off.
"She can see the future, Charming. She can tell us what kind of life or baby will have-" Charming interrupted her near hysterical rant.
"She's dangerous! There is a reason we keep her looked up." Snow White's warm green eyes turned vicious.
"Can you promise me our child will be safe? Guarantee it? Because she can." Her eyes went big and round as she pleaded once more.
"All right, but only for our child." He sighed, giving in to his love for her.
**Highway**
Inside Emma's yellow bug Henry was once more flicking through his storybook before he looked towards his real mother, hoping to prolong the journey back.
"I'm hungry, can't we stop somewhere?"
"This isn't a road trip kid, we're not stopping for snacks, okay?" Emma replied, not removing her eyes from the road.
"Well why not?" He asked, he was pretty hungry.
"Quit complaining, kid. I could've put your butt on a bus and I still could."
"You know, I have a name? It's Henry." He answered softly, feeling sad that she wouldn't call him it. His sad tone caught Emma's attention and she glanced at him a few times, trying to focus on the highway ahead.
"What's that?" She asked, noticing the brown covered book. Henry looked up from the picture of a character and eyed Emma cautiously.
"I'm not sure that your ready yet." Was his answer, before going back to the pictures.
"For some fairy tales?" She laughed a little. Not entirely sure what the kid's angle was.
"There not just fairy tales. They're true. Every story in this book actually happened." Emma could tell by his tone of voice he believed passionately about it.
"Of course they did." She replied monotone, not exactly sure about how to handle it.
"Use your superpower, see if I'm lying." He challenged, noting the disbelief in her tone.
"Just because you believe in something, doesn't make it true." She huffed, glancing to the side.
"But that's exactly what makes it true. You should know that more than anyone." He responded with the same amount of conviction.
"And why's that?" She dared to ask him, Emma wasn't sure if she wanted the answer.
"Because your in it." He smiled, Emma really didn't like that answer.
"Oh, kid. You've got some problems." She sighed again.
"Yup." He continued to smile at her, "And you're gonna fix them."
**Enchanted forest-past**
The walk from Snow and Charming's chambers to the castle dungeons wasn't exactly a long one, they had met a dark skinned guard wearing a long cloak with the hood pulled over his head just out side the dungeon entrance.
"When we reach the cell, stay out of the light." Was the first thing the guard had said since greeting them with a torch, "and whatever you do, do not let her know your name," he continued, "If she knows your name, she will have power over you."
The couple stopped in the shadow of an alcove as the guard stepped forward.
"Rumplestiltskin. Rumplestiltskin! I have a question to ask of you." He shouted into the dark and seemingly empty cell they had reached.
"No you don't." A high manic giggle echoed as the infamous imp climbed down the cell bars, rather like an animal, "They do, however. Snow White and her darling Prince 'Charming'." She cackled insanely.
"You insult me dearies, step into the light and take off those ridiculous robes."
Snow stepped forward first and removed the white hood of her robe, before her stood a creature of great power, greenish gold scales glittered across the creatures face, curiously Snow glanced down further to where the scales disappeared beneath layers of cotton and leather, which accented the breast of what, Snow assumed, was once a pale skinned woman.
"Isn't that much better?" She giggled a little. Charming followed, immediately jumping into action.
"We have come to ask you about the queens-"
"Yes, yes. I know why you are here." Rumplestiltskin snapped, cutting Charming off completely as he stood stunned a moment, "You wish to know about the Queens little threat."
"Please," Snow took charge, "Please, tell us what you know about it."
"Feeling a little tense aren't we?," Rumplestiltskin grinned, showing rows of teeth, "Fear not, for I can ease your mind. But. Its gonna cost you something in return." She stared into Snow Whites eyes, eyes her children will inherit.
"No. We're wasting our time here Snow." Charming tried to pull her back, but she took a defiant step forward.
"What do you want?" Rumplestiltskin placed her fore finger on her chin in mock thought, pretending to ponder it for quite moment.
"Oh…simply the name of your unborn child?" She grinned wider, enjoying the outrage on the prince's face.
"Absolutely not!"
"Deal!" The spoke at the same time, Snow took another small step, "what do you know?"
'Of course, Snow White's word will always outweigh her Prince.' Rumplestiltskin thought to herself, closing her eyes for a moment.
"Ah. The Queen has indeed created a powerful curse. Oh, and it's coming, soon you shall all be in a prison. Just like me, only worse! For your prison, all of our prisons- will be time. And time will stop. And we will be trapped, someplace horrible, where everything we hold dear. Every thing we love will be ripped from us while we suffer for all eternity, the Queen shall celebrate, victorious at last! …No more happy endings." She finished dramatically.
"What can we do?" Snow continued to question, hoping for a way to help.
"We can't do anything, Dearie." She breathed heavily through her nose, seeing the future was exhausting.
"Well, who can then?" She asked, confused, because good couldn't lose.
"That little thing, growing inside your belly." She reached between the bars of her cell to touch Snow White, Charming drew his sword and smacked away the Imps hand with a sneer.
"Next time, I cut it off." He threatened. Rumplestiltskin regarded him while clicking her tongue in thought.
"The infant is our only hope," she looked to Snow again, "get the child to safety. Get the child to safety and on its," she closed her eyes in concentration, "twenty-eighth birthday, the child will return. The child will find you-and the final battle will begin!" She had began to laugh gleefully at the thought.
"We've heard enough, we're leaving Snow." Charming begun to pull his beloved away before Rumplestiltskin screamed indignantly.
"Hey! Wait! We had a deal! Tell me her name! We had a deal! I want her name!" She screamed, shaking the bars of the cell keeping her caged.
Charming turned with a slight smugness, "Her? We are having a boy." He then continued to walk away, Rumplestiltskin finally calming down and releasing the sharply carved bars.
"Missy, missy. You know I'm right- tell me, what's her name?" She crowed. Snow had stopped, listening to Rumplestiltskin's deranged screams, if her child's name was the price of knowing that good will win, she would give it.
"Emma. Her name is Emma." Then she and her Prince left the dungeon.
"Emma." The imp echoed thoughtfully.
**Storybrooke**
It had started to rain not long after they reached Maine, Emma was glad to finally see the welcome sign at the small town's limits. She slowed the tiny bug down while driving through what appeared to be downtown, she glanced back at Henry who looked like he was about to fall asleep.
"Okay, kid, I need an address." She said loudly, jolting him from his daze.
"Forty-four, not-telling-you street." He answered almost immediately. Emma slammed in the brakes, Her car coming to a complete stop, angrily she got out and slammed her door shut, Henry followed suit.
"Look, it has been a very long night, and it's almost, eight-fifteen?" Her anger was forgotten as she started at the town clock.
"That clock hasn't moved my whole life. Times frozen here." Emma turned, confused.
"Excuse me?"
"The Evil Queen did it in her curse. She sent everyone from the enchanted Forest here." He explained.
"Wait, hang on. The Evil Queen sent a bunch of fairy tale characters here." She repeated, making sure she heard him right.
"Yeah, and now they're trapped."
"Frozen in time, stuck in Storybrooke, Maine. That's what you're going with?" Emma rose a disbelieving eyebrow.
"Its true!" Henry cried, not understanding why Emma didn't believe him.
"Okay, so why don't they just leave?"
"They can't. If they try, bad things will happen." He explained, Emma noticed a man with short curly hair walking a Dalmatian across the road they had stopped at.
"Henry," he called, "What are you doing here? Is every thing all right?"
"I'm fine, Archie." Henry replied, petting the dogs head with smile. Archie smiled down at Henry before he noticed Emma, reaching a hand out for her to shake.
"Who's this?" He asked. Emma gave a tense smile.
"Just someone trying to give him a ride home." She replied, Henry jumped in with the facts.
"She's my mom, Archie."
"Oh…I see." Was all he could say, he had know Henry was curious about his birth mother but he never thought he'd go find her.
"You know where he lives?" Emma asked, desperate to get him back.
"Oh. Sure, yeah just, right up Mifflin Street; Mayors house is, uh biggest on the block."
"You're the Mayor's kid?" Emma asked looking back to Henry, who could only give a sheepish grin.
"Uh. Maybe." Archie jumped into the conversation before it could escalate.
"Hey, where were you today. You missed our session." He asked, clearly concerned.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I was on a field trip." He lied. Archie crouched down to his level, trying to speak quietly.
"Henry, what did I tell you about lying? Given in to ones dark side, never accomplishes anything." Emma decided that would be the right time to pull Henry back.
"Oh-Kay! Well, I should really be getting him back home." She tried to sound polite, Archie seemed to understand.
"Yeah, sure. Listen have a good night and uh, you be good Henry." And with that he walks away.
"So. That's your shrink?" She asked, looking down at the boy, who gave a small glare.
"I'm not crazy." He snapped, Emma held up her hands in defence.
"I didn't say you where. Just-he doesn't seem cursed to me. Maybe he's just trying to help."
"He is the one who needs help. He doesn't know."
"That he's a fairy tale character?"
"None of them do, they don't remember who they are." The two of them had moved back to the car and opened their respective doors.
"Convenient. Alright, I'll play along, who's he supposed to be?" She thought to humour him for what bit as they got in the car and Emma started the engine.
"Jiminy Cricket." He answered, like it was obvious.
"Right. The lying thing." She nodded along, "Thought your nose grew a little bit." She joked.
"I'm not Pinocchio!" He laughed buckling his seat belt.
"Of course not, cause that would be ridiculous." Emma smiled, she really did like the kid. They started driving again.
**Enchanted forest-past**
Snow White, Prince Charming, Red, her Granny, Doc, Grumpy and Geppetto with Pinocchio at his side and Jiminy Cricket where at a round table discussing what to do about the on coming curse, surrounded by several guards.
"I say we fight!" Charming declared, slamming his first down on the wooden table. Jiminy flew up to him, his tiny umbrella resting in one hand.
"Fighting the Queen is a bad idea. Giving into ones dark side never accomplishes anything." He said softly. Charming took a step back regarding everyone.
"And how many wars has a clear conscious won?" He asked Jiminy, "We need to take action, before she can inflict her curse."
Doc watched for a moment, "Can we even trust Rumplestiltskin?" Charming nodded a little.
"I've sent men into the forest. All of the animals are buzzing with the Queens plan. This is going to happen, unless, we do something." He looked around the table again, watching granny continue to knit a cream blanket.
"There isn't any point. The future has been written." Snow spoke, he voice heavy with exhaustion.
"No. I refuse to believe that. Good doesn't just lose!" He nearly shouted back.
"Maybe it can." She sighed sadly, all hope and fight had left her.
"No, not as long as we have each other." He whispered to her, "If you believe her about the curse, you must believe her about our child. She will be the saviour," he looked up as the doors opened and the blue fairy, along with more knights entered carrying a tree stump.
"What the hell is this?" Charming inquired, hiding his anger well.
"Our only hope at saving that child." Blue smiled softly as her wings fluttered behind her.
"A tree? Our fate rests on a tree?" Grumpy snarled, he didn't like the blue fairy much, "Lets get back to the frightening thing." He nodded towards the Prince.
"The tree is enchanted." Blue explained, ignoring the dwarf, "If fashioned into a vessel it can ward of any curse. Geppetto, could you build such thing?" It wasn't much of question, but it was best to ask.
"Me and my boy, Can build it." Geppetto placed a hand on his sons head and ruffled his hair. Blue smiled again.
"This will work. We all must have faith, however, there is a catch. The enchantment may be powerful, but all power has a limit. This tree can only protect one." She delivered the blowing news as softly as she could. Snow and Charming share a look.
**Storybrooke**
Emma pulled up in front of the Mayor's home and begun to walk Henry up the garden path.
"Please don't take me back there." Henry begged once more.
"I have to. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you." She answered, looking straight ahead.
"I don't have parents. I just have a mom and she's evil."
"Oh come on. Now I know that's not true, maybe it just seems that way." Henry was about answer when the door to the grand house opened and a woman with short, dark hair wearing a dress suit and heels came running out, shortly followed by a man wearing a sheriffs uniform.
"Henry? Oh god, Henry. Are you alright? Where have you been?" The woman, Henry's adoptive mother, asked concern and worry dripping from her voice as she reached down to hug him. Henry pulled away from the woman.
"I found my real mom." He shouted, shoving past her and running into the house.
"You're Henry's birth mother?" The mayor asked, Emma gave a tight lipped smile.
"Uh…Hi."
"Regina Mills, thank you for bringing him home." Regina held out her hand, Emma shook it.
"You're welcome, uh, kids got quite the imagination." Was all she could think to say, Regina's easy smile turned vindictive.
"How would you like to have a glass of the best Apple cider you've ever tasted?" She offered, Emma gave a small laugh.
"Haven't got anything stronger, have you?" She smiled back and followed the mayor inside.