Author's note: After such a long hiatus, the writing bug has awoken! A small two-shot based on the events of The Miller's Daughter. Hope you enjoy! And as always, read and review :)!

Disclaimer: Not mine, - as much as I wish - just borrowing!

Finding You

"Just, just stop Emma, ok?" Neal panted, collapsing onto the floor, trying to catch his breath.

Emma spun around. "Why?" She asked incredulously. "In case you don't remember, Cora is back in Storybrooke, with my parents, my son, and with your father! And we're in the middle of nowhere!" She aimed a quick kick at a nearby tree stump in frustration, and wiped a hand over her eyes, exhaling furiously.

Neal approached her cautiously. "I know, Emma. But, as you said we're in the middle of nowhere. And Henry is my son too, but, do you have any idea where we're going?"

Emma stepped closer to him, looking him threateningly. "I don't know exactly where we're going, Neal, but unlike you, I'm willing to try. We're not going to find anyone by standing here, and likely, no one's looking for us right now, as they're too busy dealing with the stuff going on back in town. So this is your choice. I'm going back. I don't care if you follow me or not." She promptly spun on her heel, continuing her steady march through the woods.

Neal sighed, knowing she was right. He pushed himself to his feet wearily, and followed after her, cursing that blasted witch the entire time.

It had been at least an hour, and Emma was starting to get concerned. She'd had a vague idea of where Cora had blasted them too, just on the bloody outskirts of town. And while she'd had her fair share of investigations into these areas, she didn't have a photographic memory. Especially when the only landmarks were tree's, tree's, shrubs, leaves, rocks, and more trees.

But, she had a strong sense of direction and gut instinct, and that was leading her home. It had too.

As if it wasn't enough that she was somewhat lost, she was being followed by Neal, one of the people she would have nominated last for that position. Her family was most likely or currently finished fighting with one of the most evil witches known, Henry was still there and most likely in danger, and she was stuck in the middle of a forest with a whining man. Just brilliant.

She exhaled heavily again, shoving her hands deep in her pockets, and paused suddenly, hearing a faint noise.

"Emma-"

"Sh," Emma hissed, turning her head and glaring at him quickly, before turning her head back in the direction of the noise. It sounded like it was coming closer, and hearing what it was, she broke into a full smile. She turned quickly again. "Come on, Neal! It's a car!"

She quickly broke into a run, careful to keep herself hidden within the trees, keeping Neal behind her. "We don't know how it is," she explained quickly, huffing through her exertions. "Chances are, Cora hasn't figured out how to operate a car, but it could be Regina."

"Noted," Neal gasped, hand on his chest.

"Not good at running anymore, huh?" She noted dryly, laughing breathily, and flinging out a hand to stop him, crouching as they approached the road. A road, she celebrated internally. Even if this car didn't contain someone that would help them, at least it was a path to get back to town.

"Wait-" Neal stood up suddenly, waving his arms. "Emma, it's Tamara, come on." He pulled her up from her crouched position, moving to stand by the side of the world, clutching her elbow, grinning as the car slowed to a halt, Tamara waving from inside at them.

He pulled the car handle, opening the door and leaning inside, pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "Baby, am I glad to see you," he murmured.

Tamara laughed quickly. "Neal, what are you doing here?"

"Not enough time," Emma said quickly, grabbing the back door handle and opening it, jumping inside quickly. "We need to get back to town, can you take us?"

"She's right." Neal said, and climbed in.

"No problem," Tamara said dryly, putting the car in gear and starting forward.

Emma leaned closer to the front seats, putting her hands on the back of Neal's seat. "Was Hook ok when you let him go?" She asked anxiously.

Tamara didn't respond immediately, quickly glancing over at Neal. Emma felt a sense of foreboding slither down her spine. "That's why I'm here," Tamara said apologetically. "No one was there when I went to that room. The only thing there was a broken set of handcuffs."

Emma groaned, rubbing her hand across her face. Great, she thought moodily. Hook had escaped before Tamara had arrived to let him go, and who knows where the hell he was now? She shook her head briefly. First, she'd sort out things in Storybrooke. Then she'd figure out where the hell their stab-happy pirate had run off too.

Thankfully the ride back to Storybrooke didn't take that long. Although it was definitely one of the most painful car rides she'd endured to date, the one to prison coming to mind as ranking as the equal. Reuniting with Neal, or Baelfire, had been painful. Not in the sense that she was still in love with him. Having been sent to jail by the man who supposedly loved her had successfully disabused that notion.

But, he was Henry's Father. Not in the family sense, the biological sense. Just because they were linked by blood didn't mean that he was going to be part of her family, but she knew that she would have to try at a friendly relationship with him, knowing that Henry needed him in his life. As much as she wanted more than anything just to see the back of Neal leaving Storybrooke, it would crush Henry.

There was something completely bizarre about suddenly seeing the man she had supposedly loved for the first time in ten years, to find out that not only had he been convinced by Pinocchio to send her to jail, but that he had moved on so successfully, had a fiancee, was reuniting with her Father, was gaining relationships with her son, and that like it or not, she had to accept it. Whereas for the past ten years, she'd borne her son in prison and been forced to surrender him to the system, turned into a bounty hunter, and had erected walls around her heart, determined to never let what Neal had done to her happen again.

She knew when she'd embarked on life as a thief that there was always a possibility of being sent to jail. But faced with the choices that she'd had, there had simply been no other option. Being turned in by the man who supposedly loved her though, that had been the catalyst. The moment that she had decided, never again. Never again would she allow herself to feel that way about someone again. But now, things were getting dangerous.

Henry had already been the exception to that rule. When she had opened that door that fateful evening, she could safely say that she had been expecting anyone but him. She had always been curious - and yes, crushed - about her parents and the choice to give her up, but without a doubt, the only person that she had wanted to look for in the past ten years, but had been too terrified too, had been Henry. And he had found her. Without meaning too, without wanting too, she had slowly allowed him a place in her heart, and she was strong enough to admit to herself that she was absolutely terrified of what the appearance of Neal would do to that relationship.

She wasn't the best mother in the world, she knew that. But she was trying. She had sworn of love after Neal, and now, she had a son who she loved with all her heart and would do anything to protect. And to add into that complication was her suddenly friends turned parents, Mary Margaret and David, who she still didn't know what to call. Was she supposed to call them by their Storybrooke names, their fairytale names? Deep down, she knew that they would be overjoyed if she called them Mom and Dad, but there was no way she was ready for that.

And now this with Hook. She groaned again, banging her head softly against the headrest.

"You ok back there?" Neal asked, hearing her faintly.

Emma glared at him quickly, before forcing her emotions under control. "I will be as soon as we get back," she said shortly.

Neal nodded, before facing forwards again.

Emma snorted softly, coward. A picture of Hook briefly flashed through her mind. Remembering him yelling at Gold. Remembering the terror flashing through her as Gold approached, the fury behind the whacks of his cane, the fear that he would continue seeking his vengeance on Hook.

And then, the confusion as she had been following Gold in Manhattan, lingering to talk about Henry and Neal in the hallway, only to be unceremoniously pushed to the side, gasping as she had quickly caught herself on the wall, before turning back to face who'd pushed her, quickly registering it was Hook, and seeing the apology in his gaze. Only to quickly turn to horror and sorrow as the scene unfolded before her, seeing Hook plunge his hook into Gold's side, claiming vengeance for Milah, as she'd quickly come to her senses, and using her only option, quickly grabbed the umbrella stand, knocked him out.

She'd left Gold under Neal's control, concerned about him, but more concerned with the pirate. She dragged him as quickly as she could to the room under the stairs that Neal had directed her too, straining to pull the dead weight of him. After what felt like hours, trying to be careful of what she was sure were still broken ribs - although seeing the vehemence behind his attack on Gold, she had a hard time believing it - she finally dragged him far enough into the room. She had quickly grabbed her handcuffs out of her jeans, and clicking one around his right wrist, and the other to the radiator in the room, just as he was waking up.

Hope you liked it! The second part should be here within the next few days. And as always, I love to read your reviews :)!