T.W: Descriptive child abuse and swears words.

Thanks to all of you and a special shout out to madden-black (she knows why)!

I also thanks my Beta because she corrected this chapter really fast as I'll be away for a week.

Chapter 4 – 6-9

Then we saw little Emma coming out from the foreign man's car; we were in front of a farm that was in very poor condition.

Oh no! It was already that time…

The foreign man spoke like a robot and told little Emma, "This is where you will live as long as necessary because we don't have a place for you in the orphanage."

Little Emma tried to cease her cry but it was a waste of time.

The foreign man continued ignoring little Emma's mood. "And Rachel will no longer be your social worker, I will do that. You can call me Mister Xan."

Little Emma, perplexed, turned to Rachel, and with a little broken voice asked, "Why?"

Mister Xan, not letting Rachel speak, answered with fury, "None of your business"! Now go with your new father! He's Tom."

And Mister Xan took a pained Rachel with him and they left, leaving young Emma alone with her suitcase at her feet.

Little Emma tuned to the farm, breathed, and went to the door.

I turned to Gold and asked him if we could stop this trip.

Snow and David were perplexed by that, but then they seemed to understand and got new tears in their eyes.

Regina came closer to me and placed her hand on my back, whispering, "Keep strong, Emma, you're the savior after all!"

Gold smiled and answered "Dearie, I can't stop it now, even if I wanted…"

I wanted to kick his sorry ass but Regina's words helped me to stay calm, and I simply told him with a wary voice, "You wanted this, didn't you?"

Gold didn't respond, but his eyes gave me all the answers I needed. That sick bastard was enjoying this!

Suddenly we were focused again at Little Emma because the front door of the farm house just opened, and we saw a bear-like man smiling a mad smile to young Emma.

I was shaking with fear. Snow and David tried to hug me but I didn't let them, too afraid by what they would learn next.

The authoritative deep voice said, "Hello, Emma, I'm Tom. You will call me Uncle Tom, is that clear?"

Little Emma simply nodded, because she was frightened by Tom.

Tom got angry and yelled, "Cat got your tongue or what? Answer me little shit!"

Everyone paled at these words.

Young Emma had tears in her eyes and answered fearfully, "I understand Uncle Tom."

Tom smiled his sick smile and told her, "Very well. I will tell you what you'll have to do. Follow me."

For the next half hour, Tom showed and explained what was expected from the young child. She had to do housework; she should also get hay bales in the barn, caring for animals and especially doing what Tom asked her to do without complaining.

Little me was simply Tom's slave.

We were then inside the house and we saw five others kids - four girls named: Louise, Sarah, Drew and Helen; and one boy named: Jamie.

Tom showed little Emma her sleeping place, a bed made of straw just near the fireplace.

After that we were transported in time and witnessed a thin young Emma carrying two buckets full of water. She passed by Jamie, who had dropped his because they were too heavy for him.

Young Emma looked at Jamie, and then around them to be sure no one was near, took the empty buckets, and told the young boy, "I will give you mine when we get out of the forest." Jamie nodded gratefully at her.

Snow turned to me and asked with worry, "Why did you do it Emma?"

I turned once more toward the scene playing in front of us, smiled sadly, and answered, "Because he was just a little kid and I wanted to protect him!"

Regina then asked worriedly, "But who protected you, Emma?"

David nodded and Snow looked down, as if she already knew the answer.

I looked at Gold and simply answered, "Me."

Everyone except Gold seemed heartbroken by my answer.

During this time the kids had come to the house, and Tom was angry at young Emma because she came back empty-handed. He decided to ground her and told her to stay outside with all the wolves and other beasts living in the forest.

Snow, clearly angry and sad, said, "But it's December, and there is a storm coming!"

I simply nodded and turned once more to see my younger self.

Tom was explaining to her with his deep voice, clearly scaring the child that the thunder was in fact God, who was mad at her for disobeying, and that He was punishing her, sending his wrath to Earth.

Snow gasped, "That's horrible!"

David added, "So that's why you're scared of storms…"

Regina seemed uncomfortable with this knowledge.

And Gold stayed true to himself and only enjoyed it.

The next thing we saw was Mister Xan speaking with young Emma in a hospital room.

"Why where you out in this weather, Emma?"

"I was grounded!" answered the annoyed child.

"Emma, Tom told me what happened, so tell me the truth!" Mister Xan was fuming now.

"I am, Mister Xan, I swear…"

"Do not swear!"meanly cut Mister Xan.

"But…"

"No! Hush now! I don't want to hear your lies, child!"

Young Emma cried.

I even had a few tears coming out. Regina tried to come near me to comfort me, but she was beaten to it by Snow and Charming hugging me forcefully. I looked over their shoulders and offered a small smile to Regina.

Mister Xan left the room and came back a few minutes after with Tom.

Mister Xan said, "Tom, I'm sorry for the disturbance."

Tom smiled and answered with glee, "She's just a lost child, do not worry about it, I'll talk to her."

They shook their hands, and Mister Xan approached young Emma and reminded her that she was never to disobey again, and that from now on she would be better to keep quiet.

We were pulled again across time and landed in a stable.

Regina gasped and closed her eyes.

I was worried by that kind of reaction coming from her.

Snow looked at Regina and looked guilty.

David offered her a friendly smile.

Gold was overjoyed by Regina's behavior.

Now I was not simply worried but terrified. I approached Regina cautiously, and gently asked her what was happening. She looked at me, and I could read in her eyes the entire answer. I don't know why the stables caused this kind of reaction in her. Suddenly a revelation happened: Daniel!

I took her in my arms, gaining a gasp from Snow and David, and told her with all my heart, "I'm sorry."

She simply returned the embrace.

We were interrupted by a mad neighing.

A white mustang was drawn unceremoniously into the pen drive. The beast was magnificent. A true beauty.

Young Emma came out from one of the cell and caught both stable men abusing the horse. She walked to them and simply told them, "You frighten him; he will not listen to you as well and won't do anything you ask."

The two men laughed, and one of them said superiorly, "Why, see this Carl, this child knows better than us!" They laughed again and the man added, "Well, if you know this much, prove it!"

The men emerged from the pen drive and Emma entered it.

The horse was badly injured and didn't trust the human, that much was very clear.

Young Emma wasn't afraid and calmly sat on the sand. She pulled an apple out of her pocket, wiped it against her shirt.

This action provoked a smirk on Regina's face.

Snow's glare kept her quiet.

The mustang was fascinated by the child and did not take his eyes off her.

Little Emma then simply handed the apple to the animal.

The horse instinctively recoiled.

The child smiled and said with a kind voice, "Don't be afraid my friend, we're both prisoners here! I know how they handle you. I would not hurt you."

The white beast took a tentative step towards the little blonde.

She smiled.

The animal carefully took the apple and ate it.

The child rose and came out of the pen drive. She looked to the men and told them, "He is in no shape to work now, he must be healed!" and she left.

Everyone turned, surprised, towards me.

I shrugged and simply told them that I grew up quickly. With that I earned a sympathetic smile from Regina and a worried one shared by Snow and David. Gold, well, he was simply dumbstruck by what he saw.

Then the flash forward happened again; we saw how Tom was violent towards children, how badly he treated them. Then we saw how the little blonde gained the confidence of the horse, how she rode him like a true natural. And then came Tom…

NO! I turned to Gold and begged him to take us back to the ship.

He seemed surprised by this request and asked me shabbily, "Something to hide, Miss Swan?"

Regina lashed his arm and turned him abruptly to her. "Do as she asks, Rumple!"

Gold enjoyed this and answered meanly, "Tsst Tsst Tsst, Your Majesty." Regina groaned against this title. "I can't, this is what she wanted, no? To share her story."

Regina answered, "Not like this and you know it, Rumple!"

Gold only smiled and took his arm back.

Snow and David were now truly petrified.

Tom was outside the training ground, designed for horse races, and he was silently watching Emma on the horse. It was like they were only one entity. It was a great sight, truly magical. Tom was annoyed by that vision. And when the little blonde came near him, he called her, making her stop immediately. "Emma, come here." She obeyed. "What are you doing, child?"

Emma looked at him, and then at the horse, and again at him. "I was ridding the horse. I train him."

"This is not your work to do so!"

"But I'm good at it!"

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Tom slapped young Emma, and she fell down. He took the ridding crop and approached the child with a killer's look.

Little Emma was frightened by him and cried heavily.

Tom began to hit her, telling her that she should learn what her place was, and as the soft method had not worked he had to resort to radical methods. And he gave her ten strokes more violent and strong.

I had phantom pain at each stroke feeling like Tom was beating me again. I grimaced at the ache I was feeling, only Regina saw me, and she took a step nearer, but stopped when we saw that the younger Emma fainted because the pain was too much for her.

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Snow was crying in David's arms.

Regina took me in hers and I leaned into her strong embrace.

Gold was rejoicing.

We were once again in a hospital room.

We didn't see anything, we just heard a doctor saying, "She'll probably be disabled, some nerves were severely damaged."

Snow said, "Oh, Emma…"

I smiled, and answered her silent question, "I'm standing right in front of you and you saw me running!"

Everyone, except Gold, smiled, faced with this truth that reassured them.

I turned to Regina and asked her if she had a magical solution to take us back to the ship and stop all of this. She smiled sadly and shook her head as her only answer.

They saw enough already, why couldn't it stop now?