A/N: Here's a little something I thought up while listening to 'Brave' by Sara Bareilles. Lots of Emma/Mary Margaret! Enjoy!
XOX
Nothing's gonna hurt you the way that words do Say what you wanna say
And they settle 'neath your skin
Kept on the inside and no sunlight
Sometimes a shadow wins
But I wonder what would happen if you
And let the words fall out
Honestly, I wanna see you be brave
On The Inside
Chapter One: Anger
They agreed on a plan. Emma wanted to kick her own ass for destroying their way home, but at least they had a plan. It didn't seem like a very good one. Find a portal… fat chance, Emma thought. But… it was a plan.
Emma watched as Mary Margaret nodded in agreement when Mulan vowed to help them track down a portal. Mulan then led Aurora outside. Mary Margaret jerked her chin to the door, signaling for Emma to do the same.
"I'm, uh, sorry I torched our ride home. I couldn't let her get to Henry. I just-"
"You had to put Henry first," Mary Margaret said in understanding.
Emma's face fell further. She looked away, her gaze going to the floor. Then she closed her eyes and took a breath.
"Say it, Emma," Mary Margaret said, her words gentle.
"Say what?"
"What's on your mind."
"We should go."
Emma turned to walk away, but Mary Margaret took her wrist.
"They're waiting for us," she insisted.
"Emma, please, look at me," Mary Margaret requested.
Emma put her eyes to Mary Margaret's, finding the color that looked so much like her own.
"You have every right in the world to be angry with me. To hate me."
"I could never hate you."
Hearing that made Mary Margaret's lips curve to a small smile.
"I want you to let it out. Tell me how you feel. I know you didn't want to talk earlier, and then everything happened so fast, but you need to let the words out."
"It won't change anything," Emma argued stubbornly.
"You mean it wont change the fact that I sent you away, to another world, all alone, with no one to help you or look out for you… that's what it won't change. It won't change your past. It won't change all the hurt you've gone through. Telling me how you feel, it won't heal your heart."
Emma tried to stop the tears from welling in her eyes. She snapped her eyelids closed while taking back her wrist.
"But it will, Emma," Mary Margaret said in desperation. "Yell at me. Scream at me. Let the anger out, please."
Emma spun around. "Fine. You want anger?" She asked, her voice rising. "You locked up me up in that stupid wardrobe and sent me off to nothing! You didn't know what was on the other side! You didn't know if anyone would even find me! How could you… I was… I just…" Emma fell to the bench behind her as some salty tears trickled from her eyes.
Mary Margaret let her quiet tears fall. She sat down next to Emma who looked lost in thought, her stare on the floor, her mind somewhere else. She reached for her daughter's hand, hoping and praying that Emma wouldn't' yank hers back. When Emma didn't move, Mary Margaret gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
"I did the same thing," Emma murmured. "I gave my son away… I couldn't… I didn't have anything… I didn't know how to be a mother."
"That's my fault," Mary Margaret said. "You never had a mother and because of that, you felt like you wouldn't be a good one to Henry."
"Never said that," Emma denied, the words low.
"You don't have to."
Emma didn't answer.
"It's okay. It's okay for you to be angry."
"No. It's a waste," Emma said while getting to her feet.
"Emma-"
"It's too much… I can't do this right now."
A deep frown took Mary Margaret's face as Emma walked away.
TBC…
So, I didn't intend for this to be more than a one-shot, but it just sort of turned out that way. Funny how these stories wind up writing themselves… anyway, more to come! Please review before you go!