Chapter 11

It had now been a week since Emma had found out the truth, found out the stories in the book were true just as she had suspected, just as she had wanted, she knew who her parents were, she knew where she came from, she knew who she was. For once in a really long time she was happy.

Regina had noticed, Emma smiled and laughed more but she was also hardly ever home, she was always out, staying late at school for some club or another or staying out late with her friends at the park, or stopping at Granny's and loosing track of time.

She'd already finished stage one of her plan, she'd had to use the last of her magic, magic stored in the ring that her beloved Daniel had given her so, so many moons ago in the stable just before Snow white ruined her life, dooming her lover for eternity.

The sound of the front door brought Regina back to the prescient, back to the women she'd become because of it, what she'd done because of it and how she'd gained a daughter, although be it not by blood but by nurture yes.

"Emma" she called to her daughter just as the blond was about to run past the living room door and make a b-line for the stairs. The ten year old stopped and turned to face her 'mother'. "Your home late again" Regina stated, the question of 'why' was just hanging in the air.

"I got stuck on a question in math today and had to stay for Ms Blanchard to help me, then I missed the bus so had to walk" she explained "I'm sleeping over at a friend's tonight is that okay?" she asked.

"Which friend?" Regina asked, knowing her daughter didn't have many if even that, she'd always been told Emma kept to herself and didn't reach out to the other children.

Emma mumbled a name before disappearing to her bedroom, this made Regina one hundred per cent sure that she was being lied to and that Emma was going to stay with Mary Margaret and David or should she call them Snow and Charming.

Regina headed to the kitchen and picked up the plastic box containing the apple strudel that she'd freshly made just over an hour ago and she'd made it with a little 'kick', she thought with an almost wicked smile, sometimes there was just something about being 'evil' as people called it where as she called it justice.

"I'm going" Emma called as she had just reached the front door to leave, Regina hurried to stop her.

"Wait" she called "I made turnovers" She told her daughter with a smile "Why don't you take one for you friend" she suggested "We have too many for just you and I" she added.

"Okay" Emma eyed her 'mother' for a moment before giving her a fake smile "I'll see you tomorrow" she told her with her sleeping bag and back pack slung over her shoulder, looking very much like she was going to a sleepover.

"Do you want me to take you?" Regina asked, "After all your only ten" she told her "And it's late".

"It's Storybrooke mum, nothing ever happens here" the blond told her before opening the front door and then walking out the door and closing it behind her. All Regina had to do now was wait.

…

"Snow would you calm down?" Charming asked his wife as she paced back and forth in the small kitchen of her loft apartment.

"What if she doesn't like it here, what if…" She began to pace again but he put his arms on her shoulders and then moved them down her arm and it stilled her movements and made her focus on him, just him and his touch, nothing else.

"It's just one night" he told her "Emma is our daughter Snow, were are her parents, she's supposed to be with us" he told her "We found her and I'm not giving her up without a fight" he told her.

"How are we going to do this?" Mary/ Snow asked looking down at the ground as the worries of parenthood spinning around in her head.

David smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead "How we are going to do everything" he said making her lift her head and smile at him as he repeated his words to her "Together" he continued.

Snow raised a hand to his cheek "Charming" she said her brown eyes looking into his ocean blue, she then reached up and kissed him lightly on the lips as his hands went around her waist and pulled her close. They really had missed each other in the past ten years.

"I've missed you" he told her holding her close, his head resting on top of hers while hers when to his chest, taking comfort in the sound of his heartbeat, letting her know she wasn't alone in the battle against Regina, she'd never been alone he'd always been there for her, he was there to keep her grounded and protect her and now they were both going to protect Emma at any cost.

The nock at the door made them spring apart, "That'll be Emma" Snow told him, straightening her clothes before he and her walked to the front door and opening it and as expected there stood their daughter, Emma.

"Hey" Emma smiled at her parents, her true parents, the ones that had tried to protect her out of the goodness of their hearts, the mother who had actually carried her for nine months, the father who had got himself stabbed as he was trying to carry her to safety.

She walked in and looked around, it was like part of an abandoned factory or something, it was so cool, it seemed nicer than where she lived with Regina, 'home' was just black and white but this apartment had all the colours under the sun.

"Your bed will be over here, I hope that's okay" David led Emma over to a bed that was separated form the living area by some pillars. It was a white double bed frame with white covers with floral pattern on it.

"I love it" Emma told them turning around and hugging charming and he hugged her back.

"I'm glad you like it" he told her, loving how similar her smile was to his wife's.

The family of three then went to the kitchen where Mary and David began to make dinner. "So if you guys like rule the kingdom back 'home does that mean I'm technically a Princess?" Emma asked as she watched them work together.

The two adults looked at one another for a moment thinking about it "I guess so" David said with a smile at the blond before turning back to the food while Mary moved her attention to their daughter.

"You didn't have to bring desert" Mary told Emma who sat at the kitchen bar stood area of it.

"I didn't, Mu…Regina gave it to me to give to my 'friend" Emma explained "I'd better put it in the bin or burn it, yeah that would be better" she said to herself before getting up to find the fireplace or something.

"Why burn it?" Mary asked her, catching David's attention, he stopped what he was doing and turned to face his two girls.

"We don't want it falling into the wrong hands" the ten year old girl explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Wrong hands?" David asked with concern, maybe this wasn't a great idea, maybe this causing Emma way to much stress and upset.

"Yeah, I mean this is poisonous" she said with wide blue eyes.

Snow had to stop herself from laughing "It's not poisonous" she told the girl.

"It's an APPLE turn over" Emma deliberately stressed what fruit it was.

Mary turned to shoot David a worrying glance, neither really sure what to do or say to her "Where would Regina get the magic from to create that? There is no magic here right" Snow said and Emma nodded "And just to show you" she said taking the turn over and then going over to the counter where she got two forks out of the draw and handed one to charming.

"NO" Emma yelled at them taking the forks from them "if you don't believe me I'll show you" she told them, picking up the pastry and taking a mouthful and chewing it.

"See it's just an ap…" David began but then Emma dropped down to the floor in front of them.

TBC…

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