I'm so sorry that this took so long you guys! School has been really stressful lately, plus my mother took my iPad hostage and that was the only place where this story was saved. But anyways, I am really grateful for all the reviews! This chapter was hard to write, and I had a lot of writer's block, so I'm just happy that it finally came together. Enjoy!

Riley leaned against the doorframe, a cocky smile on her face.

"So are you going to let me in or what?"

Emma didn't know what to say. Here was this complete stranger who's was asking to be invited inside the moment after she introduced herself.

"I don't even know who you are-"

"But I know who YOU are," she said, cutting Emma off. "Trust me, that is what matters right now." She pushed past Emma and waltzed into the apartment like she owned the place. She looked around and took in her surroundings.

Emma slowly shut the door as Riley walked around. She didn't even know how to respond to this strange girl. Henry was watching her with fascination, and Emma could tell that he thought she was a character from his book. Snow was glaring at the stranger while James was gaping at her.

Riley turned to face them all. She slipped her backpack off her shoulders and threw it on the couch.

"What's for breakfast? I'm starving."

"Hold on there, you can't just come here and ask for food without even telling us who you are," Emma said as she glared at her.

"I told you, my name is Riley. And besides, I'm not the important one here, you are," she gestured towards Emma.

"You keep saying that, yet have failed to explain yourself so far," Snow said, full of authority.

Riley sighed dramatically. She ran her fingers through her hair slowly, not saying a word. She shrugged her jacket off and tossed it beside her backpack. She pulled out Emma's now vacant chair and turned it around, sitting it in backwards.

"Fine, you really want to know how much I know? You, Emma Swan, we're found on the side of a freeway wrapped in a blanket with your name stitched on it. But we both know that you were actually found in the middle of the woods, the papers were just fed false information. You grew up in the foster system and got bumped around from family to family until you finally got out. Then you got preggers with, I'm assuming, that kid, had him in jail, and then gave him up for adoption. Then you kinda just drifted around and worked your way from place to place until you landed in Boston. Then one day you up and disappeared, then had your stuff mailed to you a couple of weeks later to a town in Maine, here obviously. Then you became sheriff and did your thing until a few days ago something changed and now you know who you really are and we can all stop pretending that you are not important."

Emma's jaw dropped. Who was this girl? How did she know so much about her? Snow and James each had expressions of shock, while Henry was trying to process the excess information.

"How do you know so much about me?" Emma asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"I've been keeping tabs on you for years. It would have been hard to find you if I didn't even know where you were or even who you are for that matter."

"You know about the curse, don't you?" Henry asked. Emma turned and looked at her son, as she had almost forgotten that he was here.

Everyone stared at Riley, waiting for her to confirm his suspicion.

"I know that Emma is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, and that they are sitting right there," she whispered, earning a gasp from everyone in the room.

"How do you know?" Henry hollered, full of excitement. His eyes sparkled and there was a smile plastered across his face.

Riley rose from her chair and silently walked to the living room. She picked her backpack up off the sofa and unzipped it.

"My father gave me this," she said as she pulled a story book out of her backpack, one that was identical to the one that Henry had.

Everyone froze, except for Henry. He bolted upstairs and returned moments later, holding his book. He ran up to Riley and shoved it in her face.

"I have one too!"

Riley set her book on the coffee table. She took Henry's out of his hands and flipped through. She muttered to herself as she skimmed the pages.

"Mine's different than yours," she stated, barely loud enough for everyone to hear. "Mine has Emma's story in it and a bunch of stuff about the curse, but most of the stories are different. I'm assuming that these ripped out pages were Emma's story?" she asked, earning a nod from Henry.

"We couldn't let the evil queen see them, so we burned them."

"How would she have gotten them?" Riley asked with her eyebrow raised, clearly not fully aware of their situation.

"She is my mom," Henry said in a hushed tone.

Riley stared at him for a moment, and then started laughing to herself. "Well that just makes everything so much more difficult, doesn't it?"

"You have no idea." Snow had risen from her seat and had her arms crossed in front of her chest. She spoke in a hushed tone and made it obvious that this was no joking matter. "So you know about the curse and about Emma, but do you really know what we are up against? You walk in here and act like you know exactly what you are talking about, but how can you? You weren't there. You didn't have to look her in the eyes as she mocked your pain. As she ripped your world away from you. You have no idea what she is capable of. And now she has a son that she cares for, and she will not stop until she has him back. So unless you are ready to go up against someone who will do anything to get what she wants, then walk out that door right now."

No one dared to speak. Riley's eyes narrowed as she glared at Snow. She shut her book with such force that it caused Henry, Emma, and James to jump, but not Snow. She refused to back down and continued to stare at Riley without blinking.

"You act like you are the only one who has been hurt because of this curse-"

"-I NEVER said that-"

"-but you have no idea what I have gone through because of it."

"This curse was designed to hurt me! She only cared that I wasn't happy! I'm not saying that no one else was hurt, because everyone was, but all she wanted to do was take away everything that I loved!" Snow screamed, pointing her finger towards herself. Her eyes glowed with rage.

"This isn't about you anymore! It's about all of us! Every single person that has not been happy for twenty eight years! All these people that just want to go home and get their happy endings back! This is so much bigger than you even know. You think that this is just about a fight between you and the Queen. That isn't important any longer. Emma is what's important. And when you can figure that out and are ready to accept it, then let me know and I'll be happy to help." Riley grabbed her things off the couch and stomped out the door, slamming it behind her. They all sat in silence, unsure of what to do. Snow had never been spoken to like that before, and James didn't know if he wanted to agree with the girl or not. Emma was more confused than ever and Henry just looked shocked.

A minute or so later they heard a soft knock at the door. Emma slowly pulled it open to reveal Riley standing there once more.

She thrust out a piece of paper. "I forgot to give you my number. Text me when you want my help." She turned and began heading down the stairs.

"Wait," James whispered. It was the first time he had spoken since Riley had arrived. "You never did help yourself to breakfast."

Snow was definitely annoyed that he would invite her back into their home after she was so obnoxious, but she couldn't help but feel a surge of love for her husband. He was such a generous man, no matter the circumstances. He truly cared about people, regardless of their actions or who they were.

Riley slowly entered back into the apartment. She placed her backpack and jacket on the couch, but awkwardly stood in the living room, unsure of what to do.

"Is there a bathroom where I can wash up?" she said. James gestured towards it and she smiled at him, grateful that she hadn't screwed things up with Prince Charming.

"I better get going. Thanks for the food, it was delicious," Riley said with a smile as she shrugged her jacket on. They had eaten in almost complete silence, as no one really wanted to make small talk.

"Are you going home already?" Snow asked. She couldn't help but sound a little eager, as she was not fond of this girl and wanted her to be on her way.

Riley snorted. "As much as you would love that, I'm going to have to disappoint you. While Emma is a very important person, and the first one I came to see once I got here by the way, I have other stuff to do." She grabbed her sunglasses and slipped them over her eyes. "Thanks again for the food." She made her way to the door and just as she was about to open it, she was stopped by James.

"There is going to be a meeting at Granny's this afternoon at one for everyone who is against Regina. If you really want to help, it wouldn't be a bad idea to stop by," he said.

She nodded. "That's that diner, right?" she asked, earning a confirmation from him. She flashed a sparkling smile and headed out of the apartment. James shut the door behind her and made his way back into the kitchen.

As they were clearing their plates, Emma heard the roar of a motorcycle being started. She casually glanced out the window to see a black bike race off with a rider that looked suspiciously like Riley. Of course she would ride a motorcycle. It was completely fitting.

Emma carried plates into the kitchen and placed them by the sink. James was scrubbing dishes while Snow was wiping the counters down. Henry was drying the plates as James finished them.

"Henry, why don't you get all cleaned up," Emma suggested, earning a questioning look from him. He didn't fight her and retreated to the bathroom.

Snow turned to Emma the second the door was closed. "I don't like that Riley girl, and I don't trust her either."

James sighed and turned to join their conversation. "Honestly, I do trust her. She has a story book. For some reason that makes me trust her and I don't know why."

"What's killing me is that we don't know anything about her. And she mentioned her father a few times but failed to tell us who he is. The mysterious act is getting old really fast. It's one thing to be private, but how does she expect us to trust her without knowing really anything about her," Snow said as she ran her fingers through her short hair.

"You trusted me the second you met me and you didn't know anything about me," Emma said to her mother, causing the woman to narrow her eyes.

"That's different," Snow muttered.

"I do agree with you though. I don't know if I trust her. I think she genuinely wants to help us, but I still want to know who she is. We have too much to lose if we trust someone blindly," Emma stated as she climbed the stairs up to her room. "Send Henry up when he is done in the bathroom," she said over her shoulder as she closed the door behind her. She collapsed on her bed and sighed. She had liked the family time and she couldn't deny that, but it had been a little much for her. She was used to solitude so it was difficult for her to just slip into a life with a family.

Snow moved over to the sink and began helping James with the dishes.

"Closing us off again," Snow said under her breath to herself.

"What was that?" James asked as he set the last of the dishes on the counter.

"Nothing," she sighed as she dried the last few dishes. James reached out and ran his fingers along her jaw, resting his hand on her chin. He gently lifted it and gazed into her eyes. She could practically tell what he was thinking just by looking at him. She could see that he knew she was slightly upset, and that he wanted to discuss it.

Just as she started to say something, Henry strode out of the bathroom, his hair wet and a bit of toothpaste on his chin. He gave them a big goofy smile as he headed up the stairs.

"Why don't we continue this in private?" James whispered as he pulled her to their room. She slipped her hand into his and gladly followed. He quietly shut the door and moved to the bed, taking a seat. He gave her a big smile as he patted the space next to him, signaling for her to sit. She sat next to him and automatically put her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her.

"So, you ready to tell me what's going on?" he asked.

"It's just that I feel like she doesn't want to open up to us," she confessed.

"I think she has been doing just fine. She was really open with me last night after you went to bed."

"She was open with me as well, but I feel like she has been shutting down again. It's not that she is incapable of emotion, it's just that she has been guarding herself against it for so long that she naturally is shutting us out. I mean, I thought we had a good heart to heart yesterday morning but then the rest of the day she barely looked at me. She seems like she doesn't even want to be around me anymore. It wasn't even like this when she first moved in," she said as she fiddled with her wedding ring.

Charming sighed. He fell back on the bed and lay there, thinking. He could see his wife's point, but he hadn't noticed Emma acting strangely again. Maybe it was the fact that he had never lived with her before so he wasn't aware of any strange behavior.

"She has been doing pretty well for the circumstances. I mean, we just can't expect her to be okay with all of this. It's a lot to ask. I don't think she is ready to accept the fact that we are her parents. She has told us that she loves us, and I don't doubt that one bit, but I think that was hard for her to do. To realize that she does love us even after everything she has gone through. I think that expressing those feelings was something she needed to do, but now that I think about it, I don't think she will be that open again for a while. I think that what she needs is time and space, and I intend to give her both."

Snow agreed with him completely. While she wanted to be there for her daughter, she didn't want to overwhelm her.

James pulled his wife down beside him. She nestled close to him and he kissed her forehead.

"I need to pick up a copy of 'Parenting for Dummies'," James joked.

Snow chuckled. "I doubt they have a copy of 'How to Parent Your Daughter that is the Same Age as You and has Been Separated from You for Twenty-Eight Years'."

James laughed. He ran his finger down Snow's arm. "We will figure out this all out. It will just take some time." He planted a kiss in her hair. They laid in silence, just happy to be will each other but still engrossed in their own thoughts.

James pushed the front door of Granny's Diner open with one hand while Snow was clasping the other. Emma followed close behind, keeping a tight grip on Henry. While he could tell that she was eager to leave the apartment after being stuck there for days, he knew she was worried about being out. And he didn't blame her. He felt the same way.

The diner was surprisingly crowded. Snow had not expected so many people to show up. As soon as she walked through the door she was surrounded by familiar faces. She greeted her old friends and allies with a smile on her face as she was genuinely happy to see them. It took quite a while for them to work their way through the crowd, but eventually Snow broke free and headed to the counter where Red was speaking in hushed tones to her Grandmother.

"Snow!" she exclaimed when she saw her old friend. In a very unladylike, but characteristic, way Red hopped over the counter. She threw her arms around her friend, who gladly returned the affection.

After chatting a few moments with some of their closer friends, James and Snow took seats at the stools by the counter, facing the crowd. Snow immediately held her husband's hand. She needed his support more than ever and knew that he would need hers. Many people began to hush down and look towards their King and Queen.

Emma had never felt more out of place. So many people had come up to her and thanked her for breaking the curse, and Emma wasn't sure how to respond. People were taking this whole Savior thing really seriously and Emma was just starting to get used to it herself. She felt really overwhelmed, so she slid into a booth, pulling Henry in next to her. She was content with just listening. She hadn't been too keen on attending this meeting, as she still didn't have a clue what was really going on. But it was an opportunity to get out of that apartment, so she had caved and followed Snow and James here, making sure to keep her space. She didn't know what had come over her, but today she didn't even want to be around them for long periods of time. She had tried to open up, but realized now that she hadn't been ready and that it was too soon for her to try to be a daughter. She wasn't ready for that kind of bond with them.

It was strange seeing Snow and James being called 'King' and 'Queen'. She had not thought about it before, but it finally hit her that she was a Princess. This whole thing was too crazy for her liking.

While James was deep in conversation with Thomas, Snow kept glancing around the diner. People were starting to settle down into their seats and were prepared for the meeting to begin. She couldn't keep her eyes off the booth in the very back with the ten-year-old boy and the very uncomfortable looking Emma.

Snow could not believe how many people had decided to come today. Ella was standing in the corner balancing her baby girl on her hip while she spoke with Red. Abigail and Fredrick were sitting in a booth along with some of his fellow knights. Snow wasn't sure, but she thought she saw Nova the fairy staring at Grumpy from across the restaurant. The Blue Fairy stood in the corner with many other fairies, all chatting with one another. Snow saw Jiminy slip in, and she felt a pang of remorse when she saw that the left side of his face had a sickening purple bruise across it. He made his way over to Red and she greeted him with a hug. Snow even saw Gepetto sitting in the back, obviously trying to hide. She did not want the old man here as she still was incredibly angry with him, but she did feel bad about the way she had acted the other night.

Looking across the crowd, there were a few faces that were missing. While she had never actually spoken to him, she did notice that August was nowhere to be seen. Dr. Whale, she had no idea what his true identity was, was not present either, and honestly she was not too sad about that.

"Alright everyone," James said loudly. Snow was always amazed at how easily he could silence a room. He smiled at all their friends and allies and cleared his throat. "We asked you to gather here today to discuss recent events and plans of action."

Emma zoned out as James described how she had broken the curse, and how magic had returned. This was all too surreal for her. She was at a meeting with Fairytale characters. She still wasn't used to the fact that this was all true. Plus it made her uncomfortable how everyone kept looking at her and thanking and praising her. She got that she was the Savior, but these people needed to give her some personal space.

She made eye contact with Snow as James continued to speak. She saw the woman's hand slip into her pocket, and a few moments later Emma felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

'ARE YOU DOING OK?'

'I'M FINE, JUST OVERWHELMED.' Emma typed under the table.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late," Riley whispered as she slid into the booth next to Henry. Emma nodded to her once, but kept her attention on Snow and James.

They were discussing how the kingdoms should be divided. James was suggesting that they all unite as one against Regina, and instead have a council of all the monarchs. Most everyone agreed with this idea except for one man that Emma didn't recognize.

"What did I miss?" Riley asked, and Henry quickly filled her in. Emma was amazed at how much information he had collected, and how much he had actually understood. He was definitely a smart kid.

Emma felt her phone vibrate once more.

'IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE. NO ONE WILL JUDGE YOU IF YOU DO. NO ONE EXPECTS YOU TO ADJUST TO OUR WORLD SO QUICKLY.'

'HOW DID YOU KNOW?'

'YOU AREN'T EXACTLY TRYING TO HIDE IT. GO ON BACK TO THE APARTMENT IF YOU WANT TO.'

Emma was about to respond when she got another message.

'YOU CAN LEAVE HENRY IF YOU WANT. HE SEEMS PRETTY INTERESTED, AND WE CAN TAKE HIM HOME AS SOON AS WE ARE DONE.'

Emma quickly typed her response.

'K. MEET YOU GUYS THERE AS SOON AS YOU'RE DONE. IF YOU COULD WATCH HENRY THAT WOULD BE GREAT.'

Emma watched Snow read the new message. They made eye contact and Snow nodded, smiling.

Jefferson sat on a bench across the street from the diner, hiding his face behind a newspaper. He watched as people filed into Granny's one by one. He kept glancing up and down the street. Finally he saw the four people he had been waiting for.

As soon as the Charming family had entered into the diner, he stood. He folded his paper and set it on the bench and began to walk down the road. He kept a brisk pace as he made his way to the building Regina had described. He had not been to this part of town before, and had to pay close attention to the architecture. He arrived at his destination and slipped inside the building.

He slowly walked up the stairs, slipping his hands into his pockets. His left hand clasped around the cool metal barrel of his gun while his right clasped the rather large key Regina had given him.

He came upon a door that matched the number in the address. He pressed his palm against the smooth wood of the door. He pulled the skeleton key out of his pocket and guided it into the lock. It turned with ease, as Regina had said it would. He pushed on the door, and it opened just a crack. He entered, making sure to lock the door behind him.

He strolled over to the kitchen. Everything was so neat and orderly. He leaned against the counter and pulled his gun out. He opened it and pulled out a brand new box of bullets from his coat pocket. He loaded the weapon, closing it once he was done. He placed it back in his pocket, but kept his hand in there with it in case he needed to draw it out quickly.

While Regina had given him many instructions, this part of the plan was completely of his own design.

Jefferson yawned. Now all he had to do was wait.

Emma strolled down the sidewalk. After quickly explaining to Henry and Riley where she was going, they had just shrugged and continued to listen. Luckily Emma had been sitting in the back, so she had been able to easily slip out undetected.

The town was still a mess that much was certain. It did appear that someone had been attempting to clean up, and it did make a little bit of a difference.

Emma reached her apartment and entered. She was looking forward to sitting down with a drink, and thinking about anything other than Fairytales.

She unlocked her door and pushed it open. She slipped her jacket off and tossed it on the couch. She ran her fingers through her hair.

"Hello Emma," an all too familiar voice purred. Emma froze and turned, facing the intruder. She hadn't even noticed him.

He strode towards her and smiled.

"You know, if I were you, I would cooperate." He pulled a chair out from under the table and placed it in the middle of the room and gestured for her to sit.

"And why would I do that?"

He laughed. "Because if you don't, I'll have to shoot you," he whispered, pulling his gun out from his pocket and pointing it at her. She sank down in the chair. He pulled a roll of duct tape out and ripped a piece off, sticking it over her mouth. He greedily smiled while he used the tape to secure her arms and legs to the chair. Once the job was complete, he stood back, taking in his handiwork.

"And now we wait," Jefferson said.

Why do you guys think Jefferson took Emma hostage? What do you think his plans are? Who do you think Riley is (I feel like I gave a ton of clues, even though they might not be very obvious)? Let me know your theories and thoughts! Please review I love to hear feedback!

And don't worry, Riley's big reveal is coming! I have the scene written already, I just feel like making you guys wait ;) Plus I can guarantee there will be love interestS for Emma (yes there will be multiple) but I am not about to spill the beans!

Hope you liked this chapter and I promise that the next one will come faster than this one did! Sorry again for the wait!