Chapter 4

It's very late in the evening when Emma comes back to the apartment with Henry in tow. They silently walk in together as Emma had explained to Henry how she had an argument with her father.

She knew there might have been some aftermath if David had stuck around the apartment after she walked away from him and she warned Henry to be on his best behavior.

Emma learned very early on that everyone deals with confrontation differently. She herself had developed the persona of an emotional runner, often choosing to run away instead of face certain obstacles head on but her time spent in Storybrooke had transformed her. As far as she was concerned running was no longer an option, not after a lifetime of searching and finally finding her family.

It was ironic then how this was the argument she made with her own father. She accused him of wanting to run away from the obstacles in front of him now. She accused him of a great many things actually when he has never really given her cause to do so. She knew a few apologies would be in order the next time she saw him but apologizing to someone was not something she had ever been good at. Add to that the fact that the person she now owed said apology to was her long lost father Prince Charming and you have the ultimate obstacle and one she would gladly take on if given the chance.

Henry went upstairs right away to stay out of everyone's hair as promised while Emma stuck around downstairs. She made her way to the now dark living room. The only light in this part of the apartment was the lamp on Mary Margaret's nightstand shining through the curtain that closed off the bedroom. She pushed the curtain aside to find Mary Margaret lying down in bed facing away from the entryway.

While the thought occurred to her that David' side of the bed was empty she was more focused on the way Mary Margaret was lying down wrapped with her arms around her middle as if she were in pain. She walked around to that side of the bed so that she could get a better look at her.

It was with a furrowed brow and slow movements that she stepped closer and this is when she saw the tearstained face paired with the red swollen eyes. She stops stunned in place by the site. She lets out an audible gasp as Mary Margaret meets her eyes. "What..." She pauses afraid to finish her question. She swallows hard before she finally does ask, "What happened?" When Mary Margaret does not answer right away she panics and only thinks the worst has taken place. "Did he hurt you?" She demands as her voice hitches.

Mary Margaret rolls over on to her back, pulling up a second pillow so that she is sitting up higher. She shakes her head before saying, "Not physically if that's what you are asking." Her voice is weak and it is now evident that she has spent much of the evening crying.

Emma moves to sit down on the edge of the bed to face Mary Margaret. She places a hand on Mary Margaret's forearm needing something to hold on to as she waits on her mother to offer up any information.

Mary Margaret remains silent and does not meet Emma's gaze. She knows that Emma is expecting some sort of revelation but she simply does not have the energy. She's broken. She's tired. She's mostly tired of fighting as she has said aloud a time or two before.

Emma stares at Mary Margaret waiting on her to return her gaze, trying to will her into action with her thoughts. "Look at me," She thinks to herself and when Mary Margaret does not she reaches out to place a hand to her cheek to get the eye contact she is craving. Emma lifts Mary Margaret's head but her eyes fall everywhere but where she is needing them to. Finally she whispers her request, "Look at me."

She holds that gaze and sees nothing but pain. Her best friend turned mother, lying broken and defeated before her. While she was expecting the worst before she walked in to the apartment nothing could have prepared her for this. Since the curse broke she had grown accustomed to the strength and sureness that was the very essence of Mary Margaret White herself. This woman before her was anything but.

Emma cannot take it any longer. She bends forward so that she is pressing her cheek to Mary Margaret's chest, tucking her hands beneath her waist. She feels Mary Margaret wrap her arms around her and hold her close. They remain silent for some time using this gesture to comfort each other until finally Emma whispers, "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for." She whispers back. "You did nothing wrong. I'm alright. I'm just tired." Emma remembered her offering this same excuse before all hell broke loose.

"I should have just let you take that nap... then none of this would have happened." Emma offers.

"No. We needed to get some of these things out in to the open. He needed to know that the choices he is making affect us all. He has a choice to make now. If he comes back then we'll know where he stands and we can move on from there."

Now that sounded like the Mary Margaret she knew but did she say... "If... he comes back?"

"The argument we had earlier... it had so much more to do with than just leaving. I can't think of a time we've ever had that kind of an argument. I don't know what to expect from him right now."

Emma turns her head so that she can rest her chin on Mary Margaret's chest and look up into her eyes, "I accused him of running away which is what I used to do." She quietly sighs before she finishes. "The only reason I'm not running anymore is because of you and Henry."

Mary Margaret gives her a sad smile as she thinks to herself... and according to David "We don't have much of a reason to stick around anymore."