She rubbed her clammy palms on the rough denim of her jeans as she stood on the porch of the cabin. Since her conversation with Ruby the night before she realized the wolf was right. If she wanted to live her life on her terms she had to start somewhere. Determined to grasp the life she wanted, she decided today would be the day for her first excursion into Storybrooke. Nothing fancy, just a simple walk around town with no specific destination in mind. She figured no one would know who she was, so there would be no harm in a simple stroll.
Even though she tried to convince herself of that fact, she still had a ball of nerves in the pit of her stomach. She curled her hands into fists and clenched her jaw.
"You can do this, Swan!" She gave her self a small pep talk before she waved her hand and disappeared into plume of white smoke.
Her hands were jammed into the pockets of her jeans as she wandered down Main Street. There were a few people out and about, but no one paid her much mind. That is until, she walked past the the small seating area in front of the diner.
There, with a small group of women, was Snow. Their hushed voices sounded crystal clear with her new and improved sense of sound. A few hums and a couple gasps started the bee hive of noise.
Emma risked a glance at her Mother. Snow's eyes were fixed on her as she continued to walk past. Her head was cocked to the side as if she was trying to draw forth a long forgotten memory. The pixie haired woman shook her head and went back to listening to her friends as they chattered about the new man in town.
Emma continued her walk around Storybrooke, she garnered a few more glances here and there, but overall the experience was a success. She poofed back to the cabin and celebrated her small victory by curling up with a good book. The next time she looked up she realized it was almost time for Regina and Henry to come over. Mal had mentioned she would like to experience a family movie night, so that's what she was going to get.
Regina and Henry appeared in a cloud of smoke a few minutes later. Emma marked her page and made her way over to her girlfriend, who was busy trying to juggle a take out pizza and a tote bag containing, what Emma assumed was soda for Henry, Beer for Emma, and wine for Maleficent and herself.
When she got close to the woman, the brunette tilted her head up, already expecting her hello kiss. Emma leaned down and veered her face toward the pizza and inhaled deeply. She plucked the box and tote from Regina's hands and turned toward the kitchen.
"Mmm...where have you been all my life?" Emma cooed to the cheesy pie inside the box. Her green eyes were filled with mischief when she glanced back at the Mayor, who stood with her arms crossed and a tight lipped expression on her face.
Emma sat the items on the counter and gave the pizza box a fond pat before she returned to the Mayor. She leaned down and attempted to press a kiss on tense lips, but was denied when the woman turned her face blonde's lips landed on a soft cheek instead. Deciding to make due with what she was given, Emma placed one kiss after the other until her lips pressed against the flesh under Regina's ear.
The moan Regina released was completely involuntary. Emma smiled against the sweet spot she found the night before during their rather intense make-out session.
"Really you two." They jump apart when Maleficent's voice sounded right next to them. "I can't leave you unattended for a minute." She pointed between her friend and her child. "Don't think for an instant that I missed the sounds coming from your room last night." Both women's faces were beet red by the end of the sentence.
"Nothing happened." Emma mumbled.
"Do we need to have the talk, dear?" Mal's face showed every bit of the amusement she was feeling.
"La La La, NOT LISTENING!" Henry's voice carried from the living room.
"You're lucky my grandson is here. Now what is that mouth watering aroma?"
"Pizza!" Emma quickly walked into the kitchen and opened the box. Anything to get Maleficent focused on something other than her and Regina. "Isn't it wonderful!" Regina rolled her eyes at the blonde's enthusiasm. Mal stood next to her child, inhaling the scent of the food before her.
"Wait until you taste it." Emma pulled a slice out of the box and placed it on a plate for Mal.
"How do you even begin to eat this?" She eyed the unusual food.
"Like this!" Henry pulled his slice from the box and immediately bit into it, when he pulled back a long string of cheese remained connected to the main part of the slice.
"There has to be a more civilized way than that." A fork appeared in her peripheral vision. Mal accepted the offering. Regina smiled at her as she began to cut into her own slice.
"That is so wrong, Gina." Emma said around a mouth full of doughy goodness. The brunette stuck her tongue out before taking her first bite. Maleficent cut a small piece from her own portion and placed it into her mouth. Emma held her breath as she waited for the verdict. The flavors of tomatoes, cheese and oregano burst in Mal's mouth in a perfect ratio. The blonde closed her eyes and moaned at the wonderful tastes she was experiencing for the first time.
"So that's where you get that from, dear." Regina said with a evil smirk, it was Mal and Emma's turn to blush. Regina and Henry chuckled as they picked up their food and drinks and went into the living room to get the movie ready. Emma nudged the sorceress with her hip before they went to join the rest of their family.
"Remind me again, what is a movie?"
"Umm..." Just then a soft scratch came from the front door. "Regina, do you want to explain what a movie is while I go see what is scratching at the door?"
Emma heard the claws as they raked over the wood of the door again. She grabbed the knob and opened it to reveal a large wolf on the porch. It's amber eyes peered up at her and the mouth opened in a wolfy grin.
"Hey, did I miss the movie?"
"I can hear you in my mind. Is this one of those alpha things you mentioned?" Ruby nodded. "Please tell me it's only when you are in wolf form. You're my best friend, but I don't need you in my head 24/7."
"I can only communicate with you like this in wolf form. Don't worry I won't listen in to all your sexy thoughts about Madam Mayor."
"I don't know why I put up with you sometimes." Emma shook her head, as she stepped back and allowed Ruby to enter the house. She followed the sound of claws as they clacked on the hardwood floor. The Sheriff watched the wolf bumped her head against Regina's hip, the mayor absentmindedly scratched behind Ruby's ears. Emma was pleased her inner beast only rumbled slightly in her head. After the greeting the wolf curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace and turned her attention to the television.
Emma dropped into the space between Maleficent and Regina. The brunette pressed herself close to the blonde's side, as she ate her pizza.
"Okay, kid, hit it!" The Sheriff waved her hand and dimmed the lights.
"What is this, movie, called again?" Mal asked from her spot on the couch.
"Maleficent"
"What?"
"No the movie is called Maleficent." Emma chuckled.
"I don't understand." The woman's face scrunched in confusion.
"This realm is fascinated with us, Mal. We all have Disney movies about our lives. Although, the versions in this world leave much to be desired." Regina picked an invisible piece of lint off of her slacks.
"You have a movie,too?"
"Sort of."
"What's the name of yours?"
"Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs." Regina muttered. Maleficent couldn't contain her laugh.
"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry. That must be awful for you."
"Not as awful as the fact they made it seem like I was jealous of Snow White because of her 'beauty'. I mean really." Emma stroked the woman's thigh. She heard a sigh next to her and felt the tension begin to leave the brunette's body.
"Don't forget about the new ones, Mom. Snow White and the Huntsman and The Huntsman: Winter's War." Regina rolled her eyes.
"Of course, how could I forget. Thank you, dear." She turned her brown eyes to her friend. "You'll never guess what Rumpel and Belle's story is called here." Mal waited expectantly.
"Beauty and The Beast" Henry happily supplied.
"That sounds fitting."
"Does Ruby have one?" The wolf followed Regina's example and rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, sort of. Her story is very messed up in this realm. Red Riding hood is a little girl whose Granny is eaten by the wolf. She isn't actually the wolf, though. There is one movie that is not Disney related and more of a horror movie, unfortunately." Emma informed the sorceress.
"How about you, dear?"
"No, I'm an unknown to Walt Disney." The Sheriff shrugged.
~~SQ~~
"Where in the world did they get the idea I was a fairy? That is just preposterous! She doesn't even look anything like me." Mal crossed her arms, her eyes glued to the screen. Emma felt the woman next to her tense when Stephen betrayed the on screen Maleficent. She bit her lip as she waited to see how Mal would react.
"Oh, what an idiot! If that would have really been me, I would have smelled whatever was in that vial a mile away." The blonde's foot bounced in her agitation at what happened to her fictional self. Mal's head tilted when the woman on the screen used her magic.
"Her magic is beautiful. I'm not gonna lie, I'm kinda attracted to myself right now." Mal admitted out of the blue. Emma snorted and almost sprayed beer across the room. Regina and Henry both gazed at the sorceress with raised eyebrows. Ruby just nodded her wolfy head. Mal shrugged when she realized she was the center of attention.
The blonde cackled when the fictional Maleficent made it rain in the cottage. Emma stared at her, enjoying the sound. Their gaze met. Mal stopped laughing and said with a slight smile.
"What? That's funny." Everyone burst out laughing at her response.
They continued to watch as the tale of Aurora and Maleficent unfolded before them. Every so often Mal would huff a soft laugh or briskly wipe away a tear.
When the end credits began to roll the room fell into silence. They let Mal process what she just saw as they cleared the dishes and cups away and cleaned up the room. Henry showed Ruby out before he retreated upstairs to the room Maleficent created just for him.
Regina stood at the sink and washed their plates. She gently nudged Emma to go back into the living room. The Sheriff lowered herself next to the still silent woman.
"What did you think?" She tapped her fingers on her leg in a nervous rhythm, she wanted the evening to be a success.
"I liked the movie. I wish my real story with Aurora would have been much more like this one. I know a lot of people, probably most of the town really, would never believe this, but I regret that she got caught in the middle of my feud with her father and mother." Emma curled her large hand around the blonde's.
"I believe you." Mal smiled softly at Emma, before she leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to her child's cheek.
"Thank you, dear one, that means more to me than you will ever know." She patted the Sheriff's knee before she stood. Regina, who just entered the living room, was surprised when her friend stopped in front of her and pulled her close, a gentle kiss was placed on her cheek before the woman retired upstairs.
~~SQ~~
"I heard some strange things around town today , especially from the women." Regina voice carried through the bathroom door.
"Hmm..." Emma answered as she readied herself for bed. The Mayor leaned against the door way when she reentered Emma's room.
"They were all a buzz about the new handsome stranger they saw walking around Storybrooke. Know anything about that, dear?" Emma rubbed the back of her neck.
"Yeah...I went ventured into town today." She was nervous about how the brunette would react to her excursion. Regina stepped close to the Sheriff, leaned up and pressed a kiss on her lips.
"I think that's great, darling. I'm happy you took that step, I know it must have been a little scary for you." One more chaste kiss and Regina stepped away, she sat in front of the mirror and began to brush her hair. Emma crawled in bed and watched as the brush glided through dark locks.
"I think I need to go talk to Snow and David tomorrow. They need to know what's going on." Regina stopped her brush mid stroke.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I think they might have some answers about why this all happened. Besides I don't think my phone can take many more days of the constant texts and voicemail from Snow."
"Do you want me to go with you?" Regina finished with her hair and climbed into bed next to the blonde. Emma wiggled down in the bed and wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist before she laid her head on the woman's shoulder. The mayor combed her fingers through blonde tresses as she waited for the Sheriff to answer.
"No, this is something I need to do on my own, but thank you for the offer." She closed her eyes and got lost in the sensation of nails against her scalp. "What if they don't want me like this?" She whispered her fears out into the world, in the hopes they would lose some of their power.
"Then that is their loss, my darling." Emma nuzzled into the crook of Regina's neck. She wanted to believe the woman with all of her heart.
~~SQ~~
Emma stared out of the windshield of the Mercedes, her gaze fixed on the window that marked her parent's loft. She was more than a little surprised when Regina offered her the use of her precious car, but the Mayor knew Emma wasn't ready for everyone to know who she was yet, and the bug would give her away in an instant. She took a deep breath then exited the car. The journey up the few flights of stairs never felt so long. She stood in front of the Charmings' door, it was the first time she had been back to the apartment since David issued the ultimatum.
After one more deep calming breath, she raised her hand and knocked firmly on the door. As she waited for it to be opened she noticed the mended crack that ran down the middle. Her cheeks warmed as she remembered how it was created. The sound of the latch being slid open inside drew her attention to the entrance of the loft. The door swung open and Snow came into view.
"Can I help you?" Snow looked up at the man in front of her, she remembered seeing him on his walk the day before. There was a strange familiarity to the man's eyes, but she couldn't place where she had seen it before.
"I've come to hear your side of the story."
"I'm sorry, sir, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Oh, that's right I look a little different now. I'm your daughter, or should I say son."
"Emma?!" Snow gasped as she shook her head, the man's green eyes were indeed those of her daughter. "How is this possible? Rumpel..."
The brunette's eyes grew large and her hand covered her mouth when she realized what she accidentally revealed. Emma's green eyes narrowed as she zeroed in on her Mother's blunder.
"We figure you were only hours old, you wouldn't know any different." Snow rushed to explain their decision to their daughter. Emma scoffed.
"If only you knew, Snow." Emma walked over to the sofa and sat. "I am giving you one chance to tell me the whole truth of what happened." Snow resigned herself to telling her daughter the story of the day she was born.
Snow laid in their marriage bed, sweat soaked the sheets around her. Her contractions were never ending. Their daughter was coming. David stayed by her side, as Doc checked the baby's progress.
"Your Majesty, you are ready to push."
Snow nodded and grit her teeth. She bore down and the pain shoved a shriek past her lips. She fell back against her husband, exhausted from the long labor.
"You can do this, Snow." David whispered in her ear. She gathered her strength and repeated the process. After a few more pushes their daughter came screaming into the world. David smiled at her and kissed her sweaty forehead.
"It's a boy!" Doc declared after he cleaned the baby off and handed him to the royal couple.
"What? David that can't be, the prophecy clearly states the Savior is our daughter."
Snow called for Blue. When the fairy came she requested that the woman heal her. The fairy agreed and with a wave of her wand Snow was back to her pre-pregnancy self.
With Regina's curse on the horizon there was no time to waste, they rushed to the Dark One's cell.
When they approached the prison, the man inside leaned against the bars of his temporary home with an ease no prisoner should ever have.
"Rumpelstiltskin!"
"Hello, again, dearies! Shouldn't you be getting that little bundle into her very own one way wardrobe?"
"There is something wrong. Can you fix it?"
"Hmm...why should I?"
"Because if you do, we will owe you a favor." David hated the idea of making a deal with the monster in the cell, but if it meant they would all be saved one day, he would make the sacrifice.
"Come closer, dearie."
When Snow stepped closer to the bars, the man inside inhaled deeply. His gleeful giggle made every fiber of Snow's being squirm. He passed his hand over the swaddled child and scanned with his magic.
"What do we have here, the Princess is a Prince, my, my, my,..."
"Can you fix it or not, Dark One?!" David's patience was running thin.
"Of course, of course." With a flick of his wrist he altered the child in Snow's arms. Snow unwrapped the blanket and saw the baby was now a girl, as it always should have been. She tucked the fabric around her daughter, before they turned and raced back to the castle. After a brief battle with a group of the Evil Queen's dark knights, David reached the nursery, kissed his daughter's head and placed her in the wardrobe.
Emma sat quietly as she thought about what her mother had told her. She felt a numbness settle around her body. It wasn't enough that she was forced to be the savior, no she was also forced to be their daughter, instead of the son she was born as.
"Did you steal Maleficent's egg?" Emma's voice was flat as she asked the question.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because we needed to protect you from your potential for darkness."
"And when I was born a boy, why did you feel the need to change it?"
"I already said why, Emma. The prophecy stated our daughter was meant to be the savior. We needed you if we were ever going to be saved from Regina's curse." Snow was confused about why her daughter didn't understand that. Emma scrubbed her hands across her face and left them there for a moment.
"This is so fucked up." She mumbled behind her fingers. Snow rested her hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"Don't worry Emma, we'll fix this." Emma pulled away from Snow's touch.
"Fix what? "
"We can figure out a way to make you normal again. This isn't you Emma, you were never suppose to be this. You are our Princess. We will talk to Rumpel, certainly he can help us. He's the one that changed you in the first place, he can put you back the way you belong." Emma stared into hazel eyes, her control began to snap as she leaned closer to ensure that Snow was paying attention.
"He didn't change me, you did. When I wasn't born your perfect little princess, you made it so I was. Did you ever think about the consequences of your actions? What it would do to me as I grew up? I was never at peace in my own skin, because I felt like something was wrong and no one would believe me. I buried my true self so deep that not a single soul on this earth knew about it. Then to find out it was all because of some stupid prophecy. Well, excuse me if I don't want your help with the body I have now."
"You don't mean that, honey. You're just confused, once we change you back, you'll see." Snow caught the flash of florescent green in her daughter's eyes. A shocked gasp escaped her lips.
"Emma, your eyes..."
"That's right, you don't know yet." Emma held her wrist up and showed the former bandit the sun mark on her wrist. "When this transformation took place I was also given this. Do you know what it means?"
Snow shook her head.
"This mark is something I share with my mother." Snow's face scrunched up with confusion. She naively checked her own wrists for a matching mark. "No, not you Snow, my other mother. Maleficent."
"No." Snow whispered.
"Yes! I don't know how yet, but it's true, I have no doubt about that."
"That can't be true, Emma! I am your only mother. I carried you! I gave birth to you! We will figure this out and get you back to normal, honey."
"No, what you're going to do is leave me alone. I need some time away from you to process all of this, and I would like the chance to get to know my other mother, without interference." With that Emma stood, she made a small detour upstairs and flicked her wrist at the meager belongings in her room, everything but her clothes disappeared in a puff of smoke and were safely ensconced in her room at Maleficent's.
~~SQ~~
Emma parked in front of the Diner. It was a gamble to go there, where everyone she knew went daily, but she knew that people would avoid her since she looked like a stranger.
When she entered Granny's she was surprised to see the place empty, except for a lonely patron sitting at the counter, chatting with Ruby. They both turned their heads when she walked in. Emma sagged in relief. Maleficent smiled and Ruby waved her over to join them.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked the blonde as she sat on the stool next to her.
"Ruby invited me. Since the diner was going to be closed for a few hours for inventory today. Less likelihood of running the regulars off." Emma rolled her eyes.
"Any chance of getting a hot cocoa, Rubes?"
"Sure, no problem." Ruby entered the kitchen to fix her friend the drink. Maleficent studied her child. After a moment of deliberation, she felt confident in her observations.
"What's wrong, dear one?" Mal stroked Emma's back. The Sheriff opened her mouth to reply when the door to the diner flew open. David stared across the room at the man at the counter. His feet ate up the space between them.
"Your Mother called. I had to see for myself. So, it's true?"
"If you are referring to the fact that I'm Emma, then yes." His eyes raked across her features. He could see bits of himself in the masculine face before him. It was then he noticed the woman sitting beside his daughter.
"You! You did this, witch!" Emma reacted before she realized what she was doing. She suddenly stood toe to toe with her Father. It was an odd feeling to have the man incline his face to meet her gaze. The Prince's eyes widened, as he came to the realization that he was smaller than his daughter.
"She has done nothing! You want to know where this all started, look at yourselves. Snow told me what you did on the day I was born."
"We fixed you Emma, I will not apologize for that."
"No, you broke me. You fucked my life up from the very beginning." David crossed his arms in a defensive stance.
"We did what we had to do for the good of our people. If you weren't under her influence you would see that." Maleficent made to step around her child and set the man straight, but was stopped when Emma's long arm kept her tucked safely behind the Sheriff's imposing form.
"I am not under anyone's influence, David."
"I refuse to believe that. They've done something to you, Princess, and you're Mother and I will figure it out. We will fix this and you will return to our normal daughter once more." Emma was proud of herself for staying calm throughout the confrontations with Snow and David, but when she heard those words for the second time that day, something shut down inside of her and the numb feeling from earlier spread through her and left nothing untouched in its wake.
Maleficent watched the change in her child and was powerless to stop it.
"This conversation is over." Maleficent let her dragon come to the surface and show clearly in her eyes.
"You don't tell me when I can talk to my daughter, witch." He stepped closer to the woman.
"No, but I do tell you when to stop speaking to my son." Mal's voice was as dark as Emma ever remembered hearing it.
"Who do you think you are?"
"Emma's other mother. This is unequivocal evidence of that connection." Mal showed the Prince her mark and turned Emma's wrist to reveal hers. David looked at them both in confusion. He took a step into Emma's personal space.
"We can make this all go away, Princess. You will be our daughter again. We can go back to the way things are meant to be." Emma stared at the man before her with a blank stare. She waved her hand and with a poof of white smoke she transported him to the loft. She pulled Regina's keys from her pocket and handed them to a stunned Ruby.
"Take the Mercedes to the Town Hall, please, I won't need it for the rest of the day." Ruby tried to make eye contact with the woman, but her efforts were in vane as Emma avoided her gaze.
"Sure, Emma, whatever you need." The Sheriff's green eyes flicked briefly to Mal, before she lifted her hand in preparation of transporting herself away.
"Emma! Wait..." The sorceress was too late and her words met the white cloud of magic that surrounded her child.
~~SQ~~
The Sheriff strode across the old worn floor of the pawn shop. The man behind the counter waited patiently for his customer to reach him.
"Hello, Miss Swan, what can I do for you?"
"It figures you would know it was me."
"I can smell your magic, dearie, that never changes no matter what the outside veneer may show. Now, what brings you to my shop?" When Emma's green eyes met those of the Dark One, he was dismayed to see them dull, without their usual fight. Emma had always been a worthy opponent for him to spar with verbally, until now. Emma swallowed, hoping the man would not try to work a deal into what she was about to ask.
"I need you to promise me you will not help my parents in any way, should they approach you for a way to change me back and that when I am ready to come to you for answers you will explain all of this to me. I assume you do have answers." She focused her eyes on the items inside the glass case in front of her and avoided Gold's penetrating gaze.
"I do, and you have my word. I will not assist the Charmings in any way and I will provide you with those answers when you deem the time appropriate." Emma nodded.
"Thank you." She waved her hands and disappeared form the shop. Rumpel breathed in the scent of dragon as it permeated his surroundings. It took him back to that night all those years ago when he first laid eyes on the newborn Savior.
~~SQ~~
In the Mayoral office, Regina paced across the floor in front of her desk. She should be half way through the proposal for an upgrade of the computer system in the education department, but instead she was knee deep in unsettled emotions.
Earlier in the morning she felt a numbness as it crept into her, but dissipated soon after. Now it was back with a vengeance. The empty feeling in her heart was unnerving. She absentmindedly rubbed her chest over the organ in an attempt to physically alleviate the feeling. When that didn't work she resumed her pacing. The frantic rapping of knuckles on her door, pulled her from her turmoil.
"Come in!" She snapped.
"Regina, I brought your car." The mayor accepted the keys with a furrowed brow.
"Emma was using my car, how did you get the keys, Ruby?"
"She had a confrontation with David and poofed away. We don't know where she went. Maleficent was there and she is looking for her now." Ruby wrung her hands with worry. A loud buzz came from her desk. She picked her phone up and checked the screen. She was never more thankful that she took the time to teach Maleficent how to use a cell phone.
Dragon (1:26): Regina, come to the cabin now. Emma needs you!