This might or might not be a long story, although I wanted to explore this idea a bit with Emma being a Lost Girl and how this new revelation will play out with the Dark Forest, besides I wanted a break from school work and I am slightly at a stalemate with the other one. And just a quick other note thingy: David is not injured in this.

Judgment Day

Emma had awoken to the most heartbreaking, the most devastating sound ever. There was crying all around her as she grabbed her sword, "Guys wake up," she called over to Hook, her parents, and Regina; but they did not move a muscle as they were still in a deep sleep.

She looked around some more and decided to make her way into the woods, trying to decipher the origins of the crying when a voice startles her, "You hear that too?" cocking her head to the side in confusion the boy speaks again, "Your Emma right? I wonder why they can't hear the crying." He says motioning to the direction that she had come from sounding genuinely confused.

"Who are you?"She asks him in her no bullshit tone.

"Oh did I forget to introduce myself?" He asks now faking innocence, "I am Peter. Peter Pan."

Faster than he could blink she has him pinned against a tree with her sword at his throat. Applying a little pressure she says threateningly, "Where's Henry?"

Pan smirks as his eyes shine with slight enjoyment at her attitude, "You've got fire. I like Fire."

"Where is my son?"Emma asks as if she has not heard him, her tone still deadly.

"Don't worry he is still alive if that is what you are worried about." Pan states offhandedly not even phased.

Emma's glare hardens at the boy's mannerisms, "Why the hell did you take him?"

Pan smirks at her. He knew that he was going to love this game. He was going to enjoy testing her, "He is a very special boy Emma."

"I know but that doesn't answer my question. What do you want with him?" Emma repeated starting to lose all patience.

Pan sighed as he said, "I came here to see who I am up against...the Savior. I got to say I am not disappointed."

Emma looked at him for a minute as she asked slowly as she started to smirk slightly, "What are you going to say now? How I am not going to see Henry again?"
It was Pan's turn to smirk as he said, "No, I am going to help you find him." Seeing he had her full attention he continued, "I will give you a map; a map that will lead you straight to your son."

Emma looked at his eyes and saw no trace of a lie in them; however that did not stop her from being wary, "If this is some kind of trap-"

"I may not be the most well behaved boy on the island, but I always keep my promises." He starts to pull a folded up piece of parchment from the inside of his vest, "The path to finding Henry is on this parchment." Slowly he gives her the paper.

Emma accepts the parchment, but does not open it right away as she eyes it…waiting for something to happen. When nothing does she looks at the boy and asks slowly, "Why are you giving it to me?"

Pan smirks, "It is not about finding Henry, it is about how to find him and Emma you are the only one who can."

Emma looks at him again and opens the parchment, "It's blank." She says slowly.

Pan continues to smirk as he says, "You will only to be able to read that map, when you stop denying who you really are."

Emma shot straight up and began to pant as she looked around at the campsite. She still heard the echoing of the cries that filled the night in Neverland. Looking around she sees Snow and David wrapped in each other's arms; then she looks at Regina who looks slightly uncomfortable, but otherwise she is also sound asleep; and then she sees Hook in his area who is also on his back with his arms crossed over his chest. From the dimness of the fire she could tell by the steady rise and fall of his chest that he too is asleep.

She groaned to herself as she began to rub her eyes. Ever since she figured out how the map worked, she started to have that damn memory of how Pan first gave it to her. His first clue to her was to figure out who she really was…and that was an orphan…or otherwise known as a Lost Girl. She stole a look at Snow and David once again, and thought about what else Pan had told her…how she still hadn't forgiven them for leaving her to be orphaned. Then that thought in turn brought about how Henry might not have forgiven her for abandoning him and that she too might be orphaned again.

Closing her eyes she could feel the tears come. She did not even look at him when they had taken him from her. She could not bear the thought of staring at her baby boy, lest she change her mind. However she also remembered what Henry had told her when she first stayed in Storybrooke, "I know you like me – I can tell. You're just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty. It's okay. I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance."

"How do you know that?" She had asked him as she opens her eyes and again looks at her parents as his words floated to her mind as she whispered them out loud, "Because it's the same reason Snow White gave you away."

Shaking her head once more she tried to lie back down, but as she closed her eyes to drift back to sleep, she suddenly realized something else as she sat back up. She knew why her parents gave her away, just like Henry knew why she gave him away…but he never said that he forgave her…that thought turned over in her mind again: he had never once said that he forgave her…besides that Pan had said that he might never want to leave. Emma looked back at her parents. She understood yes…but she doesn't forgive them…they could say sorry all they wanted, but it doesn't change anything…

She could feel the tears coming to her as the echoing cries of the island came louder as she curled into herself on the hard cold earth…and that thought amongst other thoughts continued to plague her mind as she closed her eyes…allowing the memories that she long since buried came to the surface.

-A few Days Later-

Snow watched Emma closely as they made their way through the Dark Forest. Hook had mentioned to them that there was another way to reach Pan's hideout. He had said it might take a bit longer, however it was much safer; but Regina and (to her much surprise) Emma were both adamant in going the quicker way and (she had to slightly agree with Emma on this point) follow Pan's instructions this time, unless they wanted another battle with the Lost Boys; but as they continued hiking and sleeping in the Dark Forest, she couldn't help but notice how much Emma seemed to change before her eyes.

In fact, as Snow continued to think about the blonde, this seemed to almost start when Emma had figured out the secret to the map. She had begun to notice that Emma's normally bright hazel eyes have turned dull and almost lifeless and underneath them were dull purple like bags that had started to form. Also Snow noticed how Emma's attitude with everyone was starting to change. She was becoming more short-tempered and more isolated, "I say we break for camp." Hook's voice startled her out of her thoughts.

Emma stopped and looked at the pirate sharply, "Why should we do that? It is not even starting to become dark yet."

Snow winced at the tone and then looked at Hook, who she was trying to decipher if he or anyone for that matter was surprised at this, "I agree with Swan." Regina said before he could get a word out, "You have us breaking for camp hours before it gets dark. We have to get to Henry."

David could tell that Hook was starting to become impatient so he tried to intervene to keep the peace, "Why don't we compromise? We walk for another hour or so and then break for camp, besides I think we should probably find a source of water since we are running low." To make a point he swirled the canteen.

Snow looked at her daughter, and she noticed that Emma had gotten a glazed look in her eye as she watched David swirl the canteen. It was like she wasn't really with them at the moment as she just watched his movements, "Fine whatever," Regina snapped at them and then looked to Emma, "are you sure this is the right way?"

Emma did not respond. Her eyes followed David's movement like a hawk as he placed the canteen back on his belt buckle. Snow noticed her slight wince as his hands grasped the belt to hook the canteen on it; which made Snow curious and just as she was about to call Emma's name, she heard Regina's voice yell, "SWAN!"

Emma jumped as she faced Regina, "What?" Emma snapped as she looked toward the Queen.

"Do not give me that tone Sheriff." Regina warned her voice low and threatening, "I asked you a question."

Emma glared at Regina, "Excuse me, but you do not talk to me like that." Hook could see a fight coming and while under 'normal' circumstances he enjoyed a good fight, he could tell something was really off about Emma. He watched as Emma and the Queen took a step toward one another, "I do not care who the hell you were in the Enchanted Forest your majesty," Emma spat out the title causing Regina's eyes to narrow, "but let me tell you something: you do not get to order me around like I am your peasant girl."

Regina eyed the blonde in front of her and took a deep breath and tried to think about Henry and how he would be disappointed in their argument. Releasing her breath she said slowly, "All I did was ask a question about if we were really going the right way. You were the one who zoned out dear." Just like Emma spat out her title, she spit out the word 'dear'.

Snow watched in amazement at Regina's self-control but Emma was not having any of it, "Of course it is the right way! I am the one who figured out how to work the damn thing! Besides we probably would have been on this trail already if someone hadn't gone breaking the rules!"

"Oh so it is my fault?!"

"You said it not me!" Emma yelled.

Before Regina could react further Snow and David both got into the middle of the quarreling women, "Ok let's back away and take a nice deep breath." Snow said gently looking at her daughter then looking over her shoulder at Regina who looked ready to kill.

"Give me the map, I am leading." Regina stated pushing passed Charming.

Emma looked out at the stretched hand, and then looked at the Queen, "Over my dead body. It is my map. Pan gave it to me." Regina watched as Emma folded the map and placed it in her pocket, "Besides we are wasting time and day light." Emma stated firmly.

"Then lead on." Regina growled out, but not before sensing something in the air around the blonde as Emma abruptly turned away from them and continued walking.

David exchanged glances with Snow as he walked immediately behind his daughter. Snow was about to follow when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Regina giving her a look. Hook walked passed them to follow the prince and the savior, but made sure to still keep within earshot of the princess and the Queen, "What is it?" Snow asked as they made a move to follow the rest of the group.

"You daughter is going to get us killed. That is what this is." Regina said in a low harsh voice, "Besides I do not trust that map."

"You saw it though. It has Pan's hideout labeled, despite him being-as Hook called him-a demon child; he has kept his word to her." Snow whispered in a just as hushed voice.

Regina shook her head, "Oh please dear, you really cannot be that stupid or naïve."

Snow halted suddenly and whirled to face her step-mother, "And what is that suppose to mean?"

"I am sorry I was not aware that I stuttered," Regina retorted, "I had said that even you could not be that stupid or naïve," at her step-daughter's glare Regina groaned, "I guess you really are so let me spell it out for you: Magic. Comes. With. A. P-R-I-C-E. Price."

Snow heaved a sigh of her own and continued walking, ignoring her step-mother, she knew that of course but she failed to really know what Regina was talking about until she saw a purple smoke in front of her and her step-mother blocking her way, "As much as it pains me, I am trying to actually have a meaningful conversation with you."

"By insulting me?" Snow asked eyebrows raised.

"Well your thick headedness is getting in the way so I had to get your attention somehow." Regina said crossing her arms.

Snow shook her head, "Look whatever it you have to say, please say it. Otherwise stop wasting my time and-"

"How do you think that map was made?" Regina shot out, "Magic; how do you think Emma got it to work?" Without waiting for a response she said, "Magic. Do you see my point now? Magic has a price and who do you think is going to pay that price?"

Snow's eyes widened as she looked ahead to see Emma, David, and Hook stopped by a tree. Hook looked like he was showing them some kind of plant and then pointing to the forest floor. She tried to see her daughter and judge her attitude, but Emma was not giving anything away, "I wonder if that is why she has been so different…" Snow trailed off not understanding how she hadn't caught on before.

Regina followed the other woman's gaze and said, "Neverland is a place that brings out the worst in you. I wouldn't be surprised if this would affect her, being so new to magic and all."

"No that is not it, there has to be something else." Snow insisted now turning her attention to the Queen, "I am sorry."

Regina looked at Snow and turned away to start walking toward the waiting group ahead not responding to her. Something Snow had said (and it wasn't the apology) got her thinking as she looked at the blonde. She could indeed tell that something was off. Now that she looked back on it, she was sure it began when Emma had first gotten the map, "Well?" she asked as they stood around, "What are we waiting for?"

"You two lasses," Hook responded, "I showed Swan and Prince some more edible food here and what creatures to look out for." He motioned to the plant and then to the forest floor.

"Everything ok?" Charming asked as he looked from the Queen to his wife, "Looked like a pretty intense conversation." He gave Regina a look that spoke many volumes and one of those volumes was: you better not have hurt her.

Before Regina could defend herself Snow spoke up, "Yes everything was fine. Regina was just telling me that she could maybe transport us a bit closer to the hideout so-"

"No," Emma spoke up firmly, "we do this his way." Just as Emma began to walk she turned back around and said in a harsher tone, "By the way you were not a very good liar as Mary-Margret, what makes you think Snow White could be any better." Everyone shared a glance as they followed Emma deeper into the Dark Forest.