A.N: WOW! Thank you so much for reading and liking it. I'm hoping to keep a similar style as the show in showing Emma's past & Emma's present in each chapter (like the show does Enchanted Forest/Storybrooke & etc.). Some past memories will be fillers others will be important.

Please read & review :D

Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine, some dialogue is even the shows. I'm just borrowing. :P

Birthday Girl

(1988)

"Wake up, birthday girl." Sarah said cuddling the sleeping Emma in her room. Even at five Emma was not a morning person and when she didn't have to wake up would love to sleep in. So waking her up, even on her birthday was hard. She mumbled something incoherent. "Come on Ems, up and at 'em."

"I don't want to." Emma whined looking up at her mom. Sarah at 35 looked good for her age, she was tall brunette and had big brown eyes. She would do anything for her husband and kids, she completely adored them and had no reservations in showing it.

"Come on, sleepyhead, today is your day. Your first big kid birthday party come on!" Sarah said gently tugging a groggy Emma into a sitting position. Andrew and Sarah had agreed that before age five kids' parties are a bit much, so they had opted for cake, a couple presents and a small playdate every year before. But this year was Emma's big fifth birthday, she had been looking forward to it since her elder brother Roger had gotten to have his, twice already. "Today is all about you Em. So why don't you tell me what you want for breakfast?"

Emma rubbed her sleepy eyes as the information registered with her. Her mom was right it was her birthday! She was going to have all her friends over! A clown was coming, and they were going to have chocolate cake! "Can I have chocolate cake?"

Sarah chuckled at the five year old's eager request. "Sorry kiddo, that is for later today. So what about chocolate pancakes, bacon, and some hot chocolate?" Normally she would never give in to her daughter's love for chocolate so much, or so early in the day but it was her birthday and she was willing to bend the rules just a little.

"Can I have cinnamon on it?" Emma asked perking up to the delight her breakfast would be.

"Umhh.." Sarah pretended to think about it as Emma looked up at her face filled with emotion. "Of course!" Emma squealed in delight and jumped off her bed, she had to get ready! "Woah hold up birthday girl, how about you give mommy a hug first?"

"Emma rushed back onto the bed and wrapped her small arms around her mom. Sarah hugged her little girl, "Happy birthday, Em. I love you so much."

"I love you too, mommy."

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

(2011)

She walked into the restaurant with the confidence she exhibited in every other case. She was good. She looked around and spotted him; sitting by himself in a table for two.

"Emma?" he asked standing up to meet her. He was tall, strong and could easily be described as good looking. But, she knew better.

"Ryan?" she asked, knowing she's reached the correct man. "You looked relived." Emma joked. They had begun talking over a website where he claimed to be looking for 'someone to settle down with' which had only bothered Emma more.

"Well, it is the internet," Ryan answered, "pictures can be…"

"Fake, deceiving, outdated, stolen from a Victoria Secret catalogue." She joked as they both shared a laugh trying to mask the lack of chemistry. "So?"

"So?" Ryan repeated. "Tell me something about yourself."

"Oh, well… today is my birthday." She said trailing off. Why had she mentioned it? Because there was absolutely nothing else to say and it was true, it was her twenty-eighth birthday.

"And you're spending it with me. What about your friends?" Well, he took that as eager booster, she noted.

"I'm kind of a loner." She said smiling. She had a lot of friends as a small kid, but they moved around due to her parents being offered better jobs, so eventually she gave up on making "long term friends".

"And you don't like your family?" It always came to this. Everyone assumes it's because of them and not her. But maybe today was only a stupid reminder of something that she was able to ignore the rest of the year.

"Love them, they're in Europe." Not that they hadn't asked a thousand times for her to join them and she refused every single time, for the sole reason that it landed on her birthday.

"Europe, huh?" He asked, "Visiting family? You do look a little European." He chuckled at his attempt to complement her.

"Don't know what I am. I'm adopted." She answered truthfully. She wasn't shy about it, as she grew up she realized just how important that was to her. But many took it as a pity, family drama or too much to handle. "Ready to run yet?" She said as she knew many men who became nervous when hearing more about her.

"Not a chance, you Emma, are by far the sexiest, friendless adopt-y I have ever met." He said leaning in closer, he thought he was going to get lucky.

Emma laughed at his pathetic joke. "Okay your turn." Before he began she interrupted. "No, let me guess. Um, you are handsome, charming…"

"Go on." He said approving with a sly smile.

"…The kind of guy that, now stop me if I get this wrong, embezzled from your employer, got arrested and skipped town before they could throw your ass in jail." Emma finished losing the fake flirty smile.

"What?" Ryan asked with a smile, hoping it was all a joke.

"And worst of all? Your wife, loves you so much she bailed you out of jail and how do you repay that loyalty? You're on a date. "

All joking aside, he asked. "Who are you?"

"The chick who put up the rest of the money."

"You're a bails bondman." He leaned back as he realized he was completely caught.

"Bails bond-person." She tested the word as she looked at him. She got up anticipating how it would play out. He got up threw the table up dumping their drinks on her and running out as fast as he could. "Really?" Emma asked as she calmly followed him out.

As she was reaching the front door of the restaurant she could hear the car horns beeping. And as she walked out she simply followed him, knowing full well where he was parked.

As Ryan sat in his car trying, to no avail, to start it he opened the door and saw he had no hope, the wheel was locked in. "You don't have to do this, I can pay you, I have money."

"No, you don't." Emma countered. "And if you did you should give it to your wife to take care of your family."

"Yours didn't even want you! The hell you know about family?"

She grabbed the back of his head and slammed it into the steering wheel knocking him out.

"Not sure." she mumbled. There it was. The reason she hated this day.

Every other day she was Emma Swan daughter of the reputable Dr. Andrew Swan and Professor Sarah Swan. But on this day it was a reminder that she wasn't, she wasn't even worth giving up in adoption, they just threw her by the side of the road.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

(1988)

"Woah! Roger! Don't run inside the house." Andrew as he opened the front door to their home and saw his seven year old son running down the stairs obviously chasing something — or someone.

"Sorry!" A mumbled reply came, obviously ignoring what he just said as giggles flooded the home.

Emma was turning five and it was her first big party, which meant he planned accordingly, even had the nurses make sure he was no where near their list of available doctors. Now it was time to decorate their home for Emma's big day.

"Good you're home! You got a package, it's in your office, and so are the streamers." Sarah said as she kissed him and gently patted him on the shoulder as she moved towards the stairs with more decorations. Andrew chuckled he knew he had a lot of decorating to do with those streamers. He also knew who's package it should be.

"Rog! Come here son, I need to speak to you." Andrew said walking into his office leaving the door open so Roger would know where to follow.

As he walked over to his desk he saw where Sarah left a couple packets of streamers, and a medium size package.

"You called dad." Roger said walking in.

"Yeah close the door." Andrew said moving onto the package on his desk. "Look what just came in."

Roger rushed over to his dad. "Is it Em's present?"

Andrew chuckled, he knew how much Roger wanted to give Emma that specific present. Roger and Andrew had driven to store after store on his days off, in hopes of finding the toy. "Yeah it is." He said handing the contents of the package to him. He loved how close Roger and Emma were, they did everything together.

"She's going to love it! Thanks dad!" Roger said giving Andrew a quick hug. And running out as fast as his small feet could carry him.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

(2011)

As Emma unlocked her door she began taking off her heels. What a waste of a good outfit, she should have gone out she thought. She had stopped by a bakery and bought herself a sad looking cupcake and some candles.

As she reached the counter she looked out her window, her apartment was one of the best in the city, she had no doubt, it had been a present from her parents, one that took a lot of begging for her to accept but she loved it.

"Hi, stranger." A deep male voice said coming out of a hall way. Emma was startled enough she dropped her cupcake, and just her luck the frosting was now splattered on her floor.

"You ass! You scared me!" She said looking at the tall, brunette man with piercing blue eyes.

He laughed as he knelt down to help her clean up her cupcake mayhem. "What I can't visit my little sister on her birthday?"

Emma rolled her eyes as she got up to throw away the paper towels used to clean. "Shut up, Roger."

Ding.

"Ugh who else did you bring?" Emma called from around the small wall.

Roger chuckled at his sister as he walked to open the door. He hadn't invited anyone over so he had no idea who it could be. Once he opened the door it took a second to look down to see a kid standing there. Brunette, brown eyes and an oddly familiar goofy smile.

"Ugh, can I help you?" Roger asked looking at the kid, wondering why he seemed familiar.

"Does Emma Swan live here?" The boy surprised at who answered the door, but seemed to remain cheerful.

"Yeah she's inside, who are you?" Roger asked, as far as he knew his sister was not a kid person. Hell not even when they were kids.

"I'm Henry, I'm her son." Goofy-smile kid said as he walked under Roger's extended hand and leaving him bewildered at the door.

As Emma finished washing her hands she turned to the boy walking in her home, he was smiling brightly at her. "Are you Emma Swan?"

"Yeah… and you are?" Emma asked as she noted Roger was barely closing the door.

"I'm Henry, I'm your son." He said looking up at her with a smile on his face.

For a moment she felt as she couldn't breathe, was Roger trying to let her know that he knew? She looked from the kid to her newly entering brother and asked, "Is this a joke?"

"No! Of course not." Roger said seriously a tone they hardly used with each other.

As Henry ignored them and walked around the apartment looking out the windows, Emma reacted. "Kid! Kid I don't have a son. Where are your parents?"

"Ten years ago, did you give up a baby in adoption?" Henry asked looking at Emma.

"Of course she didn't. You have the wrong…" Roger began trying to defend his sister, but if he learned anything as a lawyer it was how to spot when someone is hiding something. Emma was perplexed in her spot looking at Henry as if it was a miracle but also as if he was the plague itself.

"That was me." Henry finished. Looking up at Emma.

"Give me a minute." Emma managed to say as she ran and locked herself away in the bathroom. This couldn't be happening. He couldn't be here. Today! Emma felt as if her head was going to explode. God, hadn't it been hard enough the first time? He was so big. Oh how he looked like Neal, but that smile she knew that was hers. But why! Why was he there, why find her? She felt as if she might faint at any moment, she had to remind herself to breathe.

"Emma!" Roger mumbled banging on the door. She knew that after this she would owe him one hell of an explanation, and knowing Roger, him and his big mouth, she would need to be calling her parents soon and finally coming clean of her biggest secret. She took a deep breathe and opened the door.

Roger looked terrified as well as hurt, she knew how much it must hurt him to find out that the person he's been the closest in the world hid something that big from him. It hurt to look at him, so she focused on the kid drinking her juice, Roger must've given it to him.

"You know we should probably get going." Henry said putting down the juice, causing both adults to raise and eyebrow in inquiry.

"Going where?" Emma asked crossing her hands, Roger had seen and heard that determination when she spoke to those that skipped bail, he knew it was a way for her to keep calm.

"I want you to come home with me." Henry said as his smile came back and in that moment Roger saw why the smile seemed oddly familiar, it was Emma's. Henry looked just like Emma had as a kid. Roger turned to Emma and his heart broke for his sister.

"Okay kid, I'm calling the cops." Emma said moving towards the phone, causing Henry to perk up.

"Then I'll tell them you kidnapped me." Henry said trying to sound defiant. Emma looked at him taken back and then looked up at Roger who had an oddly proud grin on his face.

"He's a lawyer. They won't believe you." Emma said reaching for the phone.

"So? I'll say you and your boyfriend kidnapped me." Henry insisted

"He's not my boyfriend. And you're no going to do that." Emma said smiling at the kid for the first time.

"Try me."

"You're pretty good. But here's the thing, there's not a lot I'm great at in life, but I have one skill. A superpower, I can tell when anyone is lying. And you kid, are." She said as she turned the phone on.

"Don't, please, don't call the cops. Come home with me." Henry said finally sounding defeated.

Emma looked at the defeated look on the kid, she sighed, maybe? "Where's home?" Emma asked not sure if it was because the kid really looked like he needed it, or because a part of her didn't want to let him go.

"Storybrooke, Maine." Henry said looking up at her full of hope that she will say yes and take him to their home.

"Storybrooke? Seriously?" She tried to see if the kid was lying and trying to trick her but he looked completely serious and way to ecstatic for the trip to be lying.

"Mhhhmm" He agreed with a huge smile plastered on his face as he realized what was to come.

"Alrighty then, let's get you back to Storybrooke." Emma said knowing full well that Henry had a huge smile on his face. She walked past Roger on her way to her bedroom to change, she couldn't face looking at him, not now.

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

(1988)

Roger rushed to the kitchen, it seemed as is no one was there, but he knew better. "Emma! Emma! Come out! I have a present for you!" Roger said as he knew Emma was hiding, They had been playing hide and seek and it was her turn to hide. She loved hiding in the kitchen since there were so many small places for her to fit in.

"No, that's cheating Rog!" A mumbled voice came from inside the pantry. Roger sometimes cheated when he really wanted to be the one hiding, so he would try to lure her out, but she wouldn't let him, not on her birthday! But her voice got his attention and Roger rushed over to her.

"It's not! You can hide after too. I got you something." He said eagerly as she slowly came out of the pantry. "Look!" He said extending a walkie-talkie to her. They always ran around the house and sometimes the street but now they could have secret missions and adventures. They could be spies, a game he and Emma loved to play. "It's for our adventures, we can always be together now."

Emma's smile reached her ears as she reached for hers. "Thank you Rog!" Sh exclaimed oddly hugging her barely larger brother with her small arms. "You're my bestest friend!"

/-/-/-/-/-/

(2011)

"What the hell are you thinking?" Roger said hushed enough that the voice would not carry over to the other room. Emma was grabbing jeans, a tank and her red jacket as he barged into her room and closed the door. "You can't take this kid anywhere. We need to call the cops let them handle it."

"I'm going to change." Emma said ignoring his prior questions.

"Ugh." Roger groaned turning around but not bothering to leave the room. "Emma, please tell me you just feel bad for the squirt and that's why you're pretending to be his mother."

It took Emma a second to actually reply, but she eventually did, low enough Roger barley heard. "I'm not his mother. But, I did give birth to him." She knew there was a distinction and she knew that Roger would see and agree with it as well. She looked at her brother and he was rubbing his eyes with his palms as he so often did with clients and when he was confused. It hurt Emma to see her brother so unsure, he was her best friend, he was the one person in the entire world she had wanted to tell. But she didn't not because she thought he couldn't keep it a secret, he had a big mouth but he was loyal to her, but because it was burden that hurt too much to carry. Finally finishing getting dressed she walked over to the edge of the bed where he was sitting and sat next to him. She grabbed his hand that had dropped to his side and held it in hers. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Roger looked up, Emma looked so young, so much like that 16 year old who went through way to be much plus going through a rebellious phase. He let go of her hand and wrapped his own around her shoulders and brought her into a hug. Emma was tense she was scared and he wished he could make it all better, but he couldn't. But he could assure her that he was the last thing she had to worry about.

"I'm going to eat some of your cake, okay?" Henry called out as the fridge door closed.

Both Emma and Roger chuckled. "I brought cake. Happy birthday, I think the squirt is going to devour the chocolate cake." Roger said as he kissed the top of her head as they chuckled at the noise the kid was making, obviously eager to try the sweet delight. So much like Emma already.

"TOLD YOU I'D BE HERE FOREVER

I'LL ALWAYS BE A FRIEND

TOOK AN OATH I'MA STICK IT OUT 'TILL THE END"

(Rihanna - Umbrella)