Author's Note: This story is set in season one. I apologize if the ages are wrong or there are errors in the story; it's been a while since I've watched season one. This will mostly be a fluffy story about young Emma and her family. In my story Regina has gotten close to Emma and her family and will play a positive role in the coming chapters. There will be mentions of abuse in later chapters, and as always I will warn you at the beginning of those chapters. I thank you for taking the time to read my story. If you have any suggestions or ideas, please feel free to mention it to me when you leave a review. Thank you and enjoy :)

Chapter 1: Birthday Wish

Emma watched Henry blow out his birthday candles. Today he was turning twelve and the whole town was celebrating at Granny's Diner. Everyone cheered as the candles went out.

Henry took a deep breath as he looked deep within himself for the perfect wish. He looked over and saw his mom smiling at him. He knew that growing up she didn't have the luxury of birthday parties or celebrations. It wasn't his fault; but he just wished his mom could experience the happiness of being a kid. That was it. His 12th birthday wish, he held onto it as he blew out the twelve flames. Magic ripped through him as he opened his eyes and saw his mom disappear in a whiff of pink smoke.

Emma opened her eyes as she looked around her surroundings. Was she in a new foster home? The house was empty.

She picked up her blankie and stuck her thumb in her mouth as she quietly walked around the house looking into each room.

The blonde didn't want to make any noise in case someone was in the house. Blonde curls bounced on her shoulders as she found a flight of stairs; bright green eyes sparkled as she slowly climbed the stairs. Curious of what she would find upstairs.

"Emma? Are you here? We're back!" David called out as he and Mary Margaret walked into the apartment.

The blonde quickly hid in the closet in one of the bedrooms; as she closed the door a few boxes fell creating a large thud. The noise scared her as she curled into a small ball and started to cry.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret called out as she started climbing up the stairs. Something inside her told her that her baby was in trouble. "Emma, sweetie where are you?"

It was very faint but she could hear small whimpers coming from one of the closets.

"David, go open the closet in Henry's room." She whispered as she crept slowly into Emma's bedroom.

Slowly she opened the door and saw that two cardboard boxes full of clothes had fallen. "Emma?" She stared at the little girl who sat in the back of the closet crying and sucking her thumb. She knew it was her daughter when bright green eyes met her brown eyes. Tears fell down Mary Margaret's face.

"It's okay Emma. I won't hurt you. I'm your mommy. See look here,"

She showed the blonde girl her gold necklace that hung from her slender neck. Half of a golden heart hung from the chain.

"Do you still have yours?" She gently asked the little girl before her.

Emma couldn't believe her eyes. Could this woman really be her real mommy? She nodded her head as she looked down inside her shirt and pulled out the heart pendant that hung from her small neck. When the authorities had found her on the side of the road; they had found her wrapped in a white crocheted blanket and a pure gold necklace around her neck.

She showed the other half of the pendant to the dark haired woman in front of her.

"There's nothing in Henry's closet!" David called out as he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw a tiny blonde haired little girl sitting on his wife's lap. "Is that… is that…"

"Yes. Emma, this is your daddy." Mary Margaret spoke quietly to her daughter. She wanted Emma to trust her and David; but it would take time.

David felt tears fall down his cheeks as he knelt down in front of Emma. "You found us Emma." He smiled when he saw his daughter smile at him. "Emma, how old are you? Can you show us with your fingers?" He asked

Emma nodded her head as she pulled her thumb out of her mouth. She concentrated as she held out three fingers to the man who said he was her daddy.

"Wow! You're a big girl!" He said excitedly as he smiled widely at his daughter.

Emma yawned as she wiped her sleepy eyes. She wrapped her tiny arms around Mary Margaret's neck. She felt warmth wrap around her as the woman hugged her tightly. For the first time in a long time she felt safe.

Emma had fallen asleep in her mom's arms. She sucked her thumb as Mary Margaret rocked back and forth in the rocking chair.

Snow closed her eyes content to be able to embrace her daughter. These were the moments that she had missed out on because of the curse twenty nine years ago.

Charming watched from the doorway with tears running down his face. He knew he should have been more concerned with the fact that his now twenty nine year old daughter had been turned into a three year old; but inside he was thrilled that they now had an opportunity to enjoy what they had missed out on in their daughter's life.

He could tell that his wife didn't want to put Emma down on the bed; but he also could see it in her brown eyes that she needed and wanted to talk to him privately.

Finally Snow wiped her eyes and stood up careful not to wake up her sleeping baby girl. She smiled as she noticed that Emma had managed to drool on her shoulder. Carefully she placed her daughter down on the bed; the blonde merely snuggled with her blanket and stuck her thumb back into her mouth.

"We need to talk." She whispered in her husband's direction.

They crept quietly out of Emma's bedroom and headed downstairs so they could talk in the kitchen.

"Not that I'm not thrilled that we get to experience Emma as a little girl; but what in the world happened to our adult daughter? How are we going to get her back?" Snow said as she rubbed her forehead feeling a headache coming on.

"I have no idea snow. It must have happened sometime around Henry's birthday party." He paused. "Wait… you don't suppose Henry had anything to do with this?" David said as he wondered if his grandson was the one who magically turned Emma into a child.

They both looked behind them as they heard the front door open.

"Is mom home? Did it work?!" Henry asked as he walked right into the apartment. Hope and curiosity shining brightly in his eyes.

Again thank you for reading chapter one of Safe in Your Arms. I will try to update as soon as possible. I am working very hard to update all of my stories within the next couple of weeks. Please let me know what you think. Thank you.