A/N: Please don't hate me. I'm revising the Anna/Emma chapter because I just wasn't happy with it. I had decided to combine this chapter with the next chapter, but because it's taking me longer to finish the next chapter I decided to go ahead and post this. I promise the Anna/Emma chapter is coming, just need to tweak a few things. As always, thanks to my Beta, McEvoyer...she is a BIG help! :)
Also, I have revised this chapter from the first posting. It was brought to my attention I had left out Snow's interaction over the phone so I have quickly added it.
Emma's mind was all over the place. She couldn't focus on anything as she walked down the hallway. All she could do was replay the last few minutes in her mind. She pondered about why the receptionist had said she should have known who she was, was she the only person they were expecting today? The drawing! Oh my, that made her heart skip as she thought about what the director had said. She couldn't believe she had been able to pick out her own daughter's work, not to mention the level of accuracy it portrayed. Could it be that Anna has some idea about the curse or the Enchanted Forest in general. Emma slightly paused, collecting her thoughts. Wait, no, it couldn't be. There's no way...but maybe it was true.
As Emma walked down the hall she remembered she needed to call Snow. She quickly grabbed her phone and dialed. By the second ring Snow picked up. "Emma, is everything alright?"
Emma knew she only had a matter of moments so she knew she would need to be brief. She quietly spoke into the phone so the director couldn't hear. "I'm with the director. We're walking to meet her now." She took a deep breath and let the inner child take over. "I wish you were here. I really need you, mom. I'm not sure I can do this."
Snow's heart felt like it was being squeezed. Hearing the pain and need in Emma's voice for her, for her mother, made her chest tighten causing her own breathing to cease. She quickly regained her strength. Emma needed her. "Awe, Emma, you can do this. You are strong and I know it's hard but I believe in you. I will be here, listening on the phone. I'm not going anywhere. I love you."
"I love you," was all Emma managed to say. They were approaching the director's office. She held the phone in her hand down by her side. As much as she wanted Snow there, it was comforting to know she was at least able to listen and have her somewhat by her side, if only in phone form.
Emma's head was spinning as the director opened the door to her office. She stepped inside, took a seat and tried to suppress her anxieties. But she was having a mild panic attack and no longer was it about meeting Anna but about the fact that her own childhood was being brought back into light. Specifically, her dreams or what she thought were dreams; but were they really? Emma hadn't realized she was playing with her ring, sliding it round and round on her finger as she thought. This was a nervous habit she had had since she was a child and it always popped up in times of great stress. Emma slightly shook her head to clear her thoughts and stopped playing with her ring. She knew now was not the time to let her mind go in that direction. She needed to focus on Anna and making a good first impression.
"Miss Swan, are you listening?" The director gave her a questioning look.
"Yes, sorry." Emma decided to be completely honest at this point, "It's just overwhelming."
The director gave her a reassuring smile, "Yes, I agree. I can only imagine what it must be like for you to be in a place like this again. I read your file and saw that you yourself grew up in places like this. I'm glad you've decided to give Anna something you never had - a home."
Emma realized her mother was listening and didn't feel like opening that can of worms so she simply smiled back, "Yes, I'm at a place now where I can properly take care of her and I want her to know her family."
"Ah, yes, family. I know she has a twin. Henry, isn't it?"
Emma nodded, "Yes, he lives with me and my," Emma paused. She didn't know what to call Snow and Charming, "...my best friend who's Henry's school teacher. Anna will have lots of help with homework." Emma quickly added, hoping that the director was satisfied with that answer and it seemed to work. Snow gave a huge smile as she heard Emma say 'best friend.' This sent her heart into a flutter. She was her daughter's best friend. A single tear fell down her cheek as she smiled and continued to listen. The director smiled and looked back down at the folder in her hands. Emma was all too familiar with that sort of folder. It was the life story of any child in the foster care system and the one in the director's hand belonged to Anna.
"I need to brief you on her before we bring her in so you have an idea of where she is coming from. This will allow you to know partly gain an understanding of her emotional state and can help in the healing process."
Healing process? Emma thought, What had happened to my child?
The director continued, "She was with a foster family until age five, but then was sent here because they could not financially afford to adopt her and they were moving out of the country for the husband's job. They felt it would be best to send her here in the hopes she would find a family. I must tell you that this is something Anna really struggles with - trust and abandonment - as do most children here. However, Anna is unique because the people she called mom and dad never explained it to her; they were cowards. They dropped her off here while she was sleeping. It was awful. The poor girl woke up, not in her own bed, but in a place where she knew no one. Her entire world was shattered. It took weeks for her to stop crying and asking for her parents. Gradually, she began to settle and eventually she grew to trust a handful of the staff here. It takes a while to earn her trust. Speaking from experience, you need to have patience and I do believe with all my heart she will come around. Although, please don't get your hopes up for anytime in the near future. It will take time to build your relationship and you need to let her guide you. Show her love, but start off small and work your way up. From what I've been told by her therapist she sees once a week, Anna wants to know you, she wants her mother, but there is some resentment there. You need to approach with caution. While she is your little girl, she has no memory of you whatsoever and my best advice is to take things slowly. She is a wonderful, bright, beautiful little girl with so much potential. I am so happy she is will have the family she deserves. Hang in there and it will get easier."
Emma was stunned. She had so many emotions running through her body. She felt anxious, excited, guilty, sad, happy, angry. It was all so much to process. She wondered what her mother was thinking. Oh, how she wished she could hold her hand at this moment and feel the comfort and strength. Instead, Emma did the next best thing she could, she squeezed the phone a bit which helped ease her mind. Emma sat up straight. She had to focus, to block everything out. They would be bringing her little girl through that door in a matter of moments. She took a deep breath and looked back at the director.
Snow was listening intently on the phone. She had tears falling down her face. She knew Emma must be about to fall apart, any mother would be after hearing this. She wished more than anything she could be there, holding her daughter's hand and reassuring her during this moment. Snow could feel her heart about to beat out of her chest as she heard the director again.
"I'm sorry to hit you with all of that at once, but you needed to know. However, now to the part you've been looking forward to and partly dreading, I assume. Are you ready to meet your daughter?" As the director finished she got up and proceeded to walk back around her desk to where Emma was sitting.
Snow was on the edge of the sofa. She was very aware that Emma had not spoken in quite some time. She had no clue how her daughter was doing aside from the fact she didn't hear any sobs through the phone. Snow had not even realized she was holding her own breath until she heard Emma took a deep breath.
Emma took another deep breath and as she exhaled said, "Yes."
A/N: I'm really sorry to leave it on it that note, but I promise I'm working really hard on the next chapter. :)