Emma ran back to the house as fast as she could. She had only gone to pick some apples and found a thief in the orchard. How did he even get by the briars? Emma wondered.

It didn't matter, what mattered was getting to safety, she had told him she'd wake the house if he didn't leave. But there was no one in the house to wake.

Emma quickly barred the door and looked around for a weapon. She grabbed a frying pan and waited, when the knock came at the door, Emma threw it open and swung.

Knocking the young man unconscious.

When Joseph came to he found himself bound to a chair.

"What the... Hello?" He called as he shifted against his restraints.

"Struggling...struggling is pointless." A voice said from the shadows, "I know why you're here." The voice continued, "and I'm not afraid of you."

"What? Look, I can make you rich beyond your wildest dreams! I'm sure my parents will pay the ransom!"

"I don't want money!"

"Then what do you want?" Joseph asked.

"I want to know who you are, and how did you find me?" The girl from the orchard stepped forward, frying pan in hand. Joseph sighed,

"Look I don't know who you are. Or how I found you." He said, "but I'm Joseph,"

"Who else knows my location?" The girl demanded.

"All right, listen, Princess-"

"Emma!"

"Sorry, here's the thing.

I was in a situation, gallivanting through the forest on my way to the coast, when I was attacked by mome raths. I came across your orchard end of story."

"So, what do you want, with me? To kidnap me?"

"What?"

"Kill me?" Emma suggested,

"No!" Joseph cried, "look all I want is to get on my way to the coast." Emma looked confused,

"Wait, you're not after me?"

"Why on earth would I be after you?" Joseph demanded.

"... So you don't work for The Evil Queen?" She asked cautiously,

"Do I look like a dark knight to you?" Emma paused for a moment.

"You're, telling the truth?"

"Yes!" Joseph squirmed against the bonds. Emma hurried to untie him, "Thank you," Joseph sighed rubbing his wrists.

"Come on, I'll get you something for your head." Emma said extending her hand to him.

Joseph hesitated,

"I'm fine," he said waving off Emma's help.

"I hit you in the head with a cast iron frying pan. You need to have your head looked at." Emma argued, still he hesitated. "At least let me look at it before you head off to the coast." With a heavy sigh Joseph gave up and took her hand.

What was the worst that could happen?

Night was falling over the kingdom, the sun's warm light filtering in through the windows. Snow stood by the window gazing out at the sunset. It was beautiful, yet Snow took no joy in it. Today hurt, it was if there was a blade lodged deep in her breast.

Emma's birthday, how could she almost forget it? Eighteen years, and Emma's kidnapping still hit Snow hard. Gazing out at the sunset, a ghost of a memory returned to her.

Snow paced the nursery as the sun sunk below the horizon. Emma lay in her arms, as Snow tried to put her to sleep, she was having very little success with it though, because Emma would have none of Snow's shushing or rocking. The little princess was insistent her three day old lungs be screamed out.

Snow sank down in the rocking chair, she was tired and needed sleep herself.

"Okay, Emma." Snow said to the tiny wailing creature in her arms. "We're going to try something new all right?" Emma continued to scream and cry as Snow rocked the chair back and forth and began to hum a lullaby. This captured Emma's attention and she quieted, staring up at Snow curiously as if trying to figure out what her mother was doing. And then slowly, Emma dropped off.

With a soft smile and a sigh of relief Snow put Emma to bed. "Sweet dreams, Sweetheart." Snow murmured caressing the pale blonde peach fuzz on Emma's head. Silently, Snow snuck off the her and Charming's adjoining bedroom.

"Did Emma go down?" Charming asked from the bed when Snow crept in.

"Yes, finally." Snow sighed, Charming wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"She's a stubborn one, our Emma." He said propping his chin on her shoulder,

"That she is," Snow agreed as she relaxed against his frame, "But she's ours."

Snow felt fresh tears trickling down her cheeks, her time with her precious Emma had been too brief, it felt like just yesterday Emma had been taken and it hurt Snow badly.

"I thought I'd find you here." Snow turned to see Charming standing in the doorway. He looked around at the dust covered room sadness in his eyes, "may I join you?" Snow nodded not trusting her voice. Charming came to her side and took her hand. "Leo's going out with the search party in the morning to search for Joseph." He told her, "they'll bring him back, Snow. We won't lose him too."

Snow closed her eyes as a tear slipped out. Her greatest fear since Emma's abduction had been losing her sons. Leopold had been an easy child he knew his place and was always where he need to be. Joseph was a different matter. Ever since he could crawl he had been constantly trying to escape, this wasn't the first time Joseph had run away from the palace, and Snow doubted it would be the last. He was after all, his mother's son. He longed to travel, and make his own place in the world.

Unfortunately, being born a prince to parents who had already lost a child, that limited him greatly. Snow had sensed a great longing for freedom in her youngest, from an early age. Freedom, she feared, she couldn't give him. The risk was too great, she couldn't bare to lose another child, not after Emma.

"Are you going to be alright?" Charming asked concerned,

"I will be," Snow whispered, and she knew it was true.

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