A/N: Thanks to miley-avril, Aod4L, red lighting, guest, luisa mendoza, Sarahhpouatfan1223, TexannaRose, Ziva2012, chinadoll816, Femvamp, Frog1, La5021, NCISGleek, shaemysterious and wildpartyhouse247 for reviewing, alerting and adding this story to their favourites! I'm so grateful, seriously!

Okay, I had a little too much fun writing this chapter so I really hope you like it. It's probably my favourite chapter at the moment, but then again I haven't written any others yet. Anyway, I'm just gonna shut up and let you read.


The Big Bad Wolf

Emma shut off her yellow Bug's engine and got out of the car with a sigh. Ruby was already closing Granny's, so she'd have to hurry if she wanted to grab a hot cocoa before heading home. Normally, Emma wouldn't be buying a hot cocoa – she could always make herself one when she got back to the apartment she had shared with Mary Margaret. But since the curse had broken, only two days ago, she'd found herself less willing to return to the place that had been overtaken by fairytale characters. Newly reunited, Snow and James were all over each other, and though she was happy for her friends/parents, Emma couldn't always stomach it. It would have been fine if they were still Mary Margaret and David, but they weren't.

Emma shook her head at the thoughts and smiled to Ruby as she walked past and pushed open the front door, setting off the bell hanging above it.

"Sorry, we're just about to close," Granny said without looking up from the cash register.

"Yeah, I know, I just hoped I could get a quick hot cocoa," Emma replied, smiling hopefully.

"Oh, Emma, it's you. Of course, give me two seconds whilst I finish counting the register."

Emma nodded, watching while the elderly woman put the cash into piles before bagging the lot of it and taking it out to the safe in the back. As soon as she came back, she began working on Emma's cocoa, adding the cinnamon without even asking. All the while, she began idle chatter, reminiscing about knitting Emma's baby blanket and when she had heard the news that Snow was pregnant with her.

By the time the cocoa was ready, Emma was glad to escape. It was just too odd to hear people talking about knowing her as a child.

"Well, I'd really better get going," Emma mumbled, raising her Styrofoam cup in thanks.

"Night, Emma," Ruby called as Emma walked past her again.

"See you later, Ruby."

"It's Red," she half mumbled.

"Right, sorry," Emma nodded, feeling embarrassed. It had been two days; she ought to have at least made a start on learning who everyone really was. "I'll see you later, Red."

Red placed the last chair upside down on one of the outdoor tables and turned to watch Emma reach her car, fumble for and drop her keys as she took a sip of her drink.

"Shoot!" she exclaimed, squatting and trying to search for them. Somehow they'd managed to land and roll under the car. Emma sighed as she left her cup on the roof of her car and got onto her knees, feeling the day's rain soaking into the legs of her jeans as grabbed the star-shaped keyring. The slight smile she gave soon disappeared as she cracked her head on the underside of the car, when she made to stand. A string of curses came from her mouth. "Mother of God!"

"Emma, are you okay?" Ruby asked, leaving the sign she'd been about to taking into the shop and hurrying over to the blonde woman.

"I'll be fine," Emma promised, wincing and rubbing the aching spot on the top of her head.

"Do you need me to drive you home?"

"No, I'll be okay to drive," Emma told her, leaning against the car and drinking her cocoa, glad of its comforting taste. "So, Red, huh?" Now that Emma thought about it, Ruby had always worn a lot of red.

"Mmhm."

"As in Red Riding Hood?"

"Yeah, I'm Red Riding Hood," Ruby-Red-whatever-her-name-was answered.

"Where's the wolf?" Emma asked, allowing herself a chuckle over her joke.

Emma didn't notice that when Ruby smiled, it didn't reach her eyes. She didn't hear that Ruby's laugh was higher-pitched than usual. She didn't realise that whilst Ruby had laughed; she didn't find the joke funny at all.

"It'd be a nice night if not for all the clouds, don't you think?" Emma muttered, looking up at where the moon should have been were it not hidden from sight.

Red glanced over at where Emma had looked, relieved to see that the full moon was not in sight. She hadn't had to think about her changings for so long, but she'd been careless to stay out on the night of the full moon, especially since she had no idea where her red cape was. Some things from the enchanted forest had started to reappear in Storybrooke, usually in Rumplestiltskin's Pawnbroker's shop, but so far Red had had no luck finding the cape that would stop her transforming into a wolf.

"Yeah, there's a lot of clouds tonight," Red agreed, sounding relieved. And she was relieved. Until the clouds started to move, that is. "Shouldn't you be getting home, Emma? You don't want your parents to worry."

"I'm just gonna finish my cocoa," Emma replied, wondering why it seemed like Red was trying to get rid of her all of a sudden. Examining Ruby's face, she decided that Red definitely looked anxious like something was wrong.

"Okay, you've finished your cocoa, you should really be on your way."

"Ru-Red, are you okay? Should I go get Granny?"

But it was too late, Red couldn't answer Emma. She was already beginning to change. First her eyes changed colour, turning a golden yellow. That alone would have been enough to freak Emma out. Her eyes were practically bursting out of their sockets by the time a wolf stood in Red's place.

"Oh, God, you're the wolf," she whispered to herself. "Red?"

The wolf growled, stalking menacingly towards Emma, who fumbled once again with her keys, trying desperately to unlock her car. "Shit! Shit, shit, shit!" Finally, she got the door unlocked and shut it just in time, Red throwing herself at it uselessly. Emma turned the key in the ignition. Nothing happened. "Oh, come on, you useless piece of junk!" A punch landed on the dashboard. The engine flared to life and she sped away, her heart hammering against her ribcage.

Ruby was a wolf. What was happening with the world? As if the fact that fairytales were true wasn't enough, werewolves were real too? What about vampires? Was Twilight true?!

Despite driving home, not running, Emma arrived at the apartment out of breath.

"Emma, what happened to you?" Snow demanded as she looked up from the game of Scrabble she was playing with James and Henry, wanting to know why her daughter looked like she'd seen a ghost.

"Oh nothing, just had a little run in with Ruby-"

"-You mean Red?" James asked.

"Right, Red."

"And? What happened?" Henry said before Emma could continue.

"Well, she…er, she…"

"Turned into a wolf?" Snow suggested, trying to be helpful.

"Uh huh."

"That's so cool!" Henry exclaimed. "I wish I'd seen it!"

"Are you going to be okay, Emma?" James asked.

"I'm fine," Emma answered automatically, though if she was being honest, she was a little traumatised by the whole thing. One of her friends had tried to eat her. It wasn't something you got over in ten minutes. "Why didn't any of you tell me though? I was almost eaten!"

"It wasn't our story to tell you," Snow told Emma gently. "Red would have told you eventually, but she's only just remembered it all. She's only just remembered Peter."

"Peter? You mean Peter as in 'Peter and the Wolf' Peter?"

"Here," Henry said, grabbing his storybook from where he'd left it on the couch and handing it to his mother. "Why don't you just read this? It's all in there."

Emma shucked off her leather jacket and threw it over the back of the couch, sitting down to start reading the book. She'd get through the whole thing if it was the last thing she did. She was barely a page in, however, reading the beginning of her parents' story when Snow interrupted her.

"We're starting a new game, Emma. Do you want to play?"

She looked from her family to the book. Reading the book could wait, right? She had plenty of time to read it. "Make it a game of Risk and you're on," Emma replied, marking her place in the weathered book and leaving it on the couch so she could join her family on the floor.

"Well go and get Risk," James said when she looked expectantly at them.


A/N: So, I hope you liked it. Leave a review if you've got time because I really do appreciate hearing your thoughts. If you've got a scene/encounter you'd like Emma to have please don't be afraid of prompting me. I'd love to write some of your ideas, I'm sure they're fantastic!


A timeline for reference so you can hopefully avoid confusion:

Reunion (Chapter 2) – Same day as the breaking of the curse

Parents together (Chapter 6) – 1 day later

August Chapter (Chapter 8) – 2 days later

The Big Bad Wolf (Chapter 4) – 2 days later

Jack and the Beanstalk Chapter (Chapter 7) – 1 week later

Hiking Chapter (Chapter 9) – 1 and ½ weeks late

Huntsman (Chapter 3) – 2 weeks later

Storming (Chapter 1) – 1 month later

Whole town Chapter (Chapter 11) – 1 month later

Dreaming (Chapter 5) – 5 weeks later

Grumpy Chapter (Chapter 10) – 5 weeks later