Snow darted forward with a huge smile spread across her face as soon as she saw the flash of her daughter's red scarf at the doorway, but she halted herself at the concerned look on Emma's face.
"Emma, what's wrong?" Snow asked her fearful daughter. "What is it?"
"Did you find Gold's son?" David asked.
"Yes we found him," she said absent-mindedly before turning to Snow, her eyes wide. "I need to talk to you."
Snow blinked, her concern growing. "Alright," she said, as Emma straight-lined for her room. Charming cast her a curious glance as she followed, but she could only shrug in response. Once inside, Emma closed the door behind her. Snow dropped onto the bed, but Emma remained standing, pacing before the doorway.
"Emma, what's…?"
"I need to talk to you about something," Emma began, her arms folded in front of her as she paced. She pulled one hand out and began biting that the nail as she spoke. "I need to tell you something, but I need you not to be my Mom right now, ok? I need you to be my best friend for like two seconds, not my Mom. Can you do that?"
Snow thought this could get quite complicated. She wasn't sure she could just turn the maternal instinct off, but she was so intrigued and concerned by Emma's demeanor that she nodded.
"Ok," she agreed.
"We found Mr. Gold's son," she started.
"Well that's good, I guess, isn't it?" Snow asked.
"I've met him before," Emma said.
"Really?" Snow said, raising her eyebrows. When Emma seemed a bit at loss for how to continue, she prodded gently, "in a saw him once on the street kind of way…?"
"In a 'he knocked me up and skipped town and got me sent to jail for a bunch of watches he stole' kind of way," she said in one big breath.
For a moment, Snow was speechless. Her jaw dropped and she and her daughter locked eyes.
"He what?" she stuttered, a rage pulsing inside here.
"Ah, ah!" Emma warned. "You said you were in best friend mode, not protective mother mode."
"Right," Snow said, shaking her head and blinking rapidly. "Sorry. It's just…" she looked back at Emma. "He's Henry's father?"
Emma gave her a guilty look as she finally acquiesced to join Snow, sinking next to her on the bed. "I told you his father was no hero."
"Apparently not," Snow breathed. "Looks like that apple didn't fall too far from the tree."
"I guess not," Emma said, flopping backwards so she was lying down on the bed.
"So Henry is the grandchild of Snow White, Cora, and Rumpelstiltskin," Snow breathed in awe. "He's got to be one powerful kid."
"To be fair, there's none of Cora or Regina's blood in him, but still small comfort," Emma said. "Do you think Henry has the ability to use magic as well?"
"I think that if he doesn't now, he will eventually," Snow admitted. "Does he know? That it's his father?"
"Henry? God no, and he didn't even know I was pregnant so he has no reason to think Henry's his anyway. But I didn't even let them meet. As soon as I found out who he was I told Gold that I had fulfilled my end of the bargain and that I was taking Henry and coming home."
"Well I'm glad your back," Snow said, hugging her daughter. "And whatever this means for the future, we will figure it out together."
"Thanks," Emma said, returning the embrace.
When they broke apart, Snow asked, "can I be your mother again now?"
Emma laughed. "Sure," she said.
"Good," Snow said, "because I have a thing or two to teach you on how to choose a man."
Emma laughed again as she stood and walked towards the door. When she reached it, however, she paused for a moment.
"Can you do me a favor?" she asked, turning back around.
"Sure," Snow said.
"Can you not tell David?" Snow looked stunned at the request. "He's just going to get all protective and make trouble and I don't want him doing anything that might tick Gold off and get him, get all of us, into trouble."
"I don't keep secrets from my husband," Snow said.
"Not even your daughter's secrets?" she asked, her eyes wide and guilt-ridden.
"Ok, fine, for you. I won't tell him." Snow smiled at her daughter, which Emma returned before reaching for the door handle. "Emma," Snow started. Emma turned to look at her again. Snow gave her a curious look. "Did you love him?"
Emma swallowed, and Snow thought she saw some emotion pool in her brown eyes, but all said was, "I was very young." Then she slid out the door.