Author's Note:

First off thank you to everyone that favorited, followed, and especially to those that reviewed my story. It means a lot to me so thanks again. This chapter has no flashback, it didn't fit the way I would have liked it to. There isn't too much happening but the next few chapters will have lots on the curse (although there is a bit of a hint in here to how the curse is different). Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy.


Her mind moved at a thousand thoughts a minute. Laundry: finished. Groceries: bought. House: cleaned. Yard: mowed. She paced the kitchen and mindlessly shifted the items on the counter around.

"Ok, so the beds are all made and the light bulbs are all changed," said David as he lightly jogged down the stairs.

"Great" she replied as she cleared her throat and shook her head to ease her mind. "Did you open the windows? Because you know how stuffy it can get up there. Oh and is the bathroom all stocked? And…" Mary Margaret rambled quickly.

David walked over to his wife and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. He gave them a light squeeze for reassurance. He knew how anxious she had been the past couple of days and wanted to slow her down.

"Hey, hey. It's going to be fine. Yes, the windows are open. And with three kids, I don't think the bathroom will ever be stocked up enough" he said with a grin. His last comment earned him a small laugh from Mary Margaret.

She took a deep, slow breath in and relaxed into his arms. He rubbed soothing circles on her back until she pulled away.

"It's just…" she spoke quietly, almost at a whisper. "It's just been a long time since a child has lived in this house."

David looked down at her to see that she had turned her gaze to the picture on the hallway table. It showed Mary Margaret and David each kissing the cheek of a little girl in the middle, one parent on either side. The little girl's eyes were squeezed shut, her blonde curls fell in her face, and she had a large grin that reached from ear to ear.

"You're right, it has been," he said as he walked past her and over to the table. He picked up the picture and gave a small smile as he recalled the day it was taken. It was one of his favorite days. A simple picnic in the park.

Mary Margaret followed him over after a moment and leaned her head against his shoulder. The contact pulled him from the memory and he placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head. He leaned back and she looked up into his eyes.

"It will be different, but we've done this before. These kids need us, and we're both ready to be there for them" he said as he grew more confident with every word.

She removed the photo from his grasp and took one last look at it before she opened the top drawer of the table and placed it inside.

"You're right, we are ready," she said as she closed the drawer.

With the bang of the drawer Mary Margaret snapped back to her previously anxious self. "Wait, but we're not ready. Did you straighten up the garage? The door on the upstairs laundry chute needs to be fixed. Oh, also the…" she muttered as she made her way up the stairs.

David only laughed and shook his head as he followed his wife upstairs. This was going to be a good thing, he felt it.


Jean drove, Noah and Kate slept, and Emma thought. She had done a lot of that the past few days. More and more questions popped into her head the longer she thought about it. Why had her parents kept it a secret? Who were her other parents? And the scariest of all, what now?

She stared out the passenger window and watched the cold, wet landscape pass by and continued to wonder. It seemed much clearer to her now how much she stood out from her family. Her bright green eyes in a family of brown ones. Her insatiable appetite for adventures outdoors in a family of homebodies.

After she found the box, she had asked Jean why her parents would have kept it hidden from her all that time. The older woman had no real answer for her, and Emma had appreciated the honesty.

"Jean?" she asked as she still stared out the window.

"Yeah" was the reply.

"Why can't we just continue to stay with you? We already know you. I don't ever remember even meeting these people before" she said with a glimmer of hope the woman would agree and turn the car around.

"I'm sorry Emma, but I have to follow your parents' wishes" she said as she took her eyes off the road to turn to the young girl that sat next to her. She could see her shoulders slump slightly and a solemn nod was all she got in response.

It was true the situation was a bit odd. She was still unsure of the exact relationship between the Swans and this couple. Jean had called the Nolan's to inform them of the Swan's deaths and let them know about their wishes in regards to the care of their children. Maybe it had been her, but she felt as if there was no recognition by the Nolan's. They had expressed their condolences, but in a manner someone would for a stranger. Nothing, no recollection until she mentioned Emma's name, which seemed to spark something inside of them. It was indeed strange, but she was just glad they agreed to take in the three children.

"The Nolan's seem like incredibly nice people. They have a nice house with plenty of room to run around. It even sits on the edge of the woods, and from what I've heard you like to explore," she said as she tried to show Emma it was the best option.

The only option, she silently thought in her head.

Noah and Kate stirred in the back and Jean looked in the rearview mirror to see their tired eyes had started to open.

"Hey there sleepy heads. Just in time. We've made it guys," she stated as they passed the light blue, oval sign that read Welcome to Storybrooke.

Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath in to settle her nerves. She shifted in her seat and adjusted the seatbelt so she could face Noah and Kate in the backseat. She was about to repeat to them what Jean had told her about the Nolan's, but stopped and watched them. Her two younger siblings lost in their own worlds.

Noah stared out the window and took in the town as he pointed at buildings and spoke to himself as they made their way down the main street. She heard bits and pieces of a story he had concocted in his head, something about dragons and knights. Kate had fogged up the window with her breath and had drawn hearts and smiley faces with her finger.

Their simple joys made Emma realize that everything would work out, that she would eventually find all the answers she needed. She turned back around in her seat as Jean pulled the car up to the curb. She closed her eyes once more and took in the last moment of silence before she faced the unknown.

"All right, everyone out," Jean said in a firm but upbeat tone. She hoped it would instill a bit of excitement in the kids. "Each of you grab your bag and we will come back out later for the boxes."

Emma, Noah, and Jean hopped out of the car right away. Jean opened the trunk of the car and Noah raced after her. He wanted to be a gentleman and help everyone with their bag. Emma walked over to Kate's door to help her out of the car, and once Kate had slipped out of the seat she immediately grabbed Emma's hand. She looked down at her sister and gave her a warm smile.

Noah handed out the rest of the bags and the trunk was closed. Jean made her way up to the front door, where she knocked and waited. Emma followed a few yards behind when she felt a small tap on her arm. Kate still held onto her hand so she knew it was Noah. She turned and set her bag down on the sidewalk.

"Emma?" Noah asked hesitantly with his head slightly hung. He had tried to act brave, like the man of the house was supposed to, but now that they had arrived he was more uncertain than ever.

"Hey, what's the matter?" she said as she reached out and lifted his chin so she could look into his eyes.

"What if…what if they don't like us?" he asked.

"Why wouldn't they, you are the most awesome boy I know" she replied. She turned to Kate, "And you are the cutest little girl I know," she said as she gave Kate a quick tickle on her stomach with her free hand. Kate giggled and pulled away from Emma's grasp. She returned her gaze to Noah, who still had an unconvinced look on his face. Emma tried again, "They would be crazy not to like you, but I'm sure if you drew them one of your amazing pictures, their minds would be made up for them. Your drawings are magical."

A smile slowly moved across his face and he nodded. He liked the idea of giving them a present.

All three of them turned towards the house as they heard the front door open. They stared at the couple that stood in the doorway.

The young woman had short black hair and wore a cream colored blouse under a dark cardigan with jeans. She stood slightly in front of the young man. He was taller, with sandy blonde hair and wore a red flannel shirt with jeans. Both had wide grins spread across their faces, their hands intertwined.

Emma picked up her bag and Kate took her hand again. Noah looked up at her and she gave him a smile and nod. "Let's go in," she said. Noah led the way up to the door, while Emma and Kate followed.

Emma squeezed Kate's hand a little before they reached the door; Mary Margaret did the same to David's.