Through their travels, Snow took the reigns as leader. She had a fixed location of where she wanted to go and so wordlessly Emma allowed her to become the head of their little party.

"You know this land pretty well," Emma pointed out, breaking the silence on their second day of travelling.

Her mother was quiet for a few seconds. She hadn't really spoken since she'd seen her father. Emma didn't push it even though Emma had a lot of questions that she'd been hoping would be answered.

"You get to know the terrain when you're running for your life," Snow said quietly, "And from it."

Emma felt uncomfortable at the idea that her mother was a princess. If she acknowledged that her mother was royalty then it meant that she had to acknowledge that she was also royalty. To do even that, she would have to realize that she could've had something better. Then she would have to realize that it was all ripped away and she had grown up abused and neglected and angry…even though she could've had better.

Thinking about her family being royalty just reminded her of all that she had lost.

Was it worth it?

They rode through a small marketplace by the end of the second day. To get money, Snow White sold one of the horses and some of the pelts that she'd kept. The venders gave her a price that she replied was 'satisfactory' and bought a hunting knife, a bow, a quiver and several days' worth of food.

Emma stared at everything around her. The booths were nothing like she'd seen in the movies. They were smaller and broken down…Emma was certain that if she walked into some of them, she'd slam her head. They sold all kinds of things; meats, fruits, vegetables, weapons, incense, herbs, jewelry…small things that would help around the house that Emma didn't recognize. Snow White told her that some of them were from different worlds. Emma didn't even recognize the colors of some of them. Emma was…dumbfounded that these things existed. It wasn't that she didn't think it would be like this, but she just didn't think about it.

"How many worlds are there?" Emma asked as she picked up and examined a small potion that could reduce a man to a mouse.

"Thousands," Snow White said simply and then frowned when she saw that Emma was considering buying it, "Put it back."

"We could use it."

"On who?" Snow White asked, "Rumpelstiltskin?"

"Anyone looking to rob us."

"You don't use a potion for that," Snow White bought a sword and gave it to her, "You use this. Potions are dark magic, Emma. If not used right then you risk corrupting your soul. They're overpriced and don't always work and you might risk breaking it and spilling it on yourself."

"Oh," Emma muttered and felt the heat crawl up her neck. She felt a bit angry too, she wasn't some child that needed to be reprimanded; she was trying to get them home.

They finished the shopping and passed a toy booth. Snow White stopped to look and Emma nearly collided into her.

Her mother's face softened and she moved to pick up a teddy bear. Her eyes filled with tears, "We had a toy like this for you in your nursery before you were born."

Emma stared at it and then averted her gaze. She tried not to imagine running around with it in her arms. In truth, the only thing she'd had growing up was a ratty giraffe missing most of its stuffing. She'd lost it when there was a lice outbreak in the foster home and they tossed it out. Other than her baby blanket, it was the only thing of comfort that Emma had, "Oh."

Snow White stared at it and then put it on the booth, "So many missed moments…"

As soon as her mother's back was turned, Emma let a tear slip down her face. Everything that she'd been through could've been avoided. The scars both physical and mental…

She had parents that loved her and she'd been ripped away from…

Twenty minutes later, Emma met her mother right outside the marketplace and tied a small bag with the teddy bear onto the saddle.

At her mother's touched look, Emma struggled to find her voice and instead looked at the gift that she now associated with a stolen childhood, "Henry would kill me if I went home without bringing something back for him."

"HE's a bit old for a teddy bear," Snow pointed out.

"Well," Emma struggled for something to say, "He's not getting a sword, I can tell you that."

Snow White looked touched and grabbed Emma for an embrace. Emma tensed at first but then forced herself to relax.

"I wanted to give you so much," her mother whispered.

Another tear slipped down Emma's face, "I know."

Maybe Emma had been wrong for 28 years.

Maybe by putting her in the wardrobe (and Emma would have to make sense of this in her mind later) maybe her mother HAD given her everything.

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They arrived at their destination on the fourth day of their journey. Emma thought they were going to go through the trees and toward the small house on the other side of the meadow but her mother had stopped her as soon as a young boy about 13 years old ran outside and let out a herd of sheep to graze.

Snow White smiled, "He's going to be your father one day."

Emma stared at the boy…was this honestly supposed to be her father? The weak willed man that strung two women along until both were at a breaking point and then turned against one when unlikely evidence popped up indicating that she was responsible for the other's murder?

This was him?

"I thought he was a prince," Emma whispered.

"No, he was impersonating his twin brother who was given to a king by Rumpelstiltskin."

Emma stared at her mother and then back, "What happened to the brother?"

Snow White looked disgusted, "He died."

"You don't sound like you were a fan."

"Prince James was many things. A decent human being was not one of them."

"Oh," Emma muttered and they both watched as a dark headed woman came outside and started feeding the chickens.

Snow White drew in a breath as she watched the woman.

"Is that my grandmother?" Emma asked.

Snow nodded, "She made sure that you were born."

Emma looked to her mother in confusion and then looked back at the mother and son interacting.

Perhaps that would be another story for another time.

Snow started taking supplies off the horse, "Just take what you need."

Emma took the toy off first before she removed the sword, "Are we giving the rest to them?"

"Once Charming told me that a strange horse rode out to the farm that had food and some weapons and some money that helped them survive that autumn until the harvest…." Snow smiled, "I guess that's because of us."

They only took what they could carry. Emma grabbed the hatbox they'd bought off the saddle and Snow sent the horse running toward the house.

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They travelled for about an hour before they found a rocky overhand that she decided was good enough to jump through.

"I don't think Jefferson or Rumpelstiltskin could find us here," Snow said, "In case we have to return."

Emma scoffed, "I'd rather travel to those thousand worlds before coming back here to face them."

She bent down and spun the hat. The portal opened and…even though Emma had seen it before, the magic was still a wonder to behold.

Her mother grabbed her hand, "Ready?"

Emma nodded and together, they jumped.