It Starts With Separation

Snow lay on the cell's bed, tracing her fingers along her stomach. A long month had passed since her imprisonment. Her daughters haunted her sleep, and she never knew if they were alright. Regina had cut her off from the rest of the town, and she was unable to speak to any of them. So without news of her family's safety, her usually horrid nightmares had grown unbearable. She'd awake, screaming, without her husband by her side to comfort her.

As thoughts of her family went through her mind, her eyelids grew heavy. The sheriff's station was empty, and it was early evening. She watched the office blur into blackness as she fell asleep.

Snow awakened to the sound of rustling in the room. Judging by the darkness outside of the window, it was only about midnight. She looked up at who was in the room, and to her surprise, it was Emma.

"Emma? Why are you here? If Regina sees you, she'll kill us both." Snow stood up as Emma moved to the front of her cell.

"There's no time. Gold found out how to get you out of here. The enchantment on your cell requires true love. I'm the product of it, so I have to do this." Emma stared at the lock on her mother's cell.

"Do what?" Snow looked confused as her daughter drew a knife from her pocket.

"This." She opened the knife and drove the blade into the tip of her finger. A drop of blood formed, and she smeared it over the lock, and it clicked. She swung the door open and her mother stepped out and hugged her.

"You're welcome for that, but we need to go. Now." Emma let go and hurried out of the room, followed by Snow.

"Where's James? Wouldn't he be here if he knew you'd be freeing me?" Snow asked, confused.

"He doesn't know. I told him that I knew a way to free you, but he told me not to go anywhere near you until he could go with me. It's 3 in the morning, no one knows I'm here but you." Emma explained.

"And what about Angel and Ana? Are they okay?" Snow asked, eager for an answer.

"They're fine, but James is a bit…" Emma looked for an answer.

"Depressed?" Snow asked with a sad expression.

"Not exactly, he's just always down. He even told me that 'he's failed you'." Emma said blankly.

"He hasn't failed me… I know he's doing his best." She sadly nodded as she opened the door to Emma's car.

"Well, I guess he'll be in for a surprise when you get home." Emma offered a smile as she started driving. After a bit of silence, Snow spoke up.

"Where's Neal?" She asked, facing Emma.

"Still staying at the bed & breakfast." Emma replied.

"Oh…" Snow said. She didn't really want to admit it, but she didn't care for this stranger entering their lives. Even though the curse was broken because of him, she wanted to be alone with her family now.

Emma walked up to the house first, and opened the door, to find James there, pacing, fully dressed and holding his car keys.

"Where were you?" He asked, nervously.

"Getting someone for you." She stepped aside, revealing Snow.

"… Snow?" He asked quietly.

"Charming." She said as she ran to him.

"I'm not leaving you again." He said as he locked his arms protectively around her waist.

"You better not." She laughed through tears, as he slowly leaned away.

"Are you alright? Did she hurt you?" He asked her as he placed his hand on her stomach.

"I'm fine, so is the baby." She nodded and put her hand over his.

"… Good." He said as they leaned towards each other.

"I'm just going to go…" Emma joked as they kissed.

"Don't leave me alone again." She whispered against his lips.

"I'm sorry" He whispered. They were lying together in their bed that night.

"For what?" She rested her chin on his shoulder and looked up at him.

"Not being there for you or the baby." He said, closing his eyes.

"No, don't say that. You couldn't do anything to prevent what happened…" She said as she curled against him.

"Yes, I could have, I could've saved you…" He said, rubbing her back.

"She would have killed me, or worse, you." She looked at him, concerned.

"Not if I had stayed home. I could have protected you, and none of this would have happened." He looked down at her.

"Don't talk like that. It isn't like you." She smiled.

"I'm sorry." He said, running his fingers through her hair.

"Your hair grew while you were in there." He said, changing the subject.

"Not by much." She said, holding up a small curl.

"I think you should grow it out again. You'd be the 'old' Snow again." He joked.

"What? You don't like my short hair?" She giggled and lifted her head up, looking at him.

"No, I love it, but-" He shook his head.

"Oh, now you've done it. A man's worst nightmare; upsetting the pregnant wife." She joked.

"But you know I didn't mean it." He smiled as he placed his hand on her cheek.

"Of course not." She said quietly as she closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest.

"… I've missed this." She whispered as she began to fall asleep against him.

"I know you have. But we'll beat her, I promise." He said as he stroked her arm.

"We have to, at least before 6 months is up. I don't want to bring this baby into a world… like this." She sighed.

"You won't. I know she'll be taken care of before that happens. And if she isn't, I'll do anything to protect you both." Snow smiled at his words.

"I know you will."

"James?" Snow woke up, and the bed was empty. He usually slept later than her, so she was a bit worried. She stood up and walked downstairs, and found him by the window, looking out at the driveway.

"What is it?" She placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Emma. She's gone." Snow looked at him, confused.

"Gone? She's not in her room?" He shook his head.

"No. Her belongings are gone, too." He said, standing up.

"I'll find her." Snow said, going to change clothes.

"Let me go with you. You said I can't leave you alone, didn't you?" He joked.

"Fine." She called from upstairs.

"Is Emma here?" Snow slowly walked up to the desk at Granny's Bed and Breakfast.

"She stopped by earlier. I told her we still can't let her in because of the no-felons rule. Then she said something about an apartment. Is everything alright, Snow?" Granny looked at her, concerned.

"No, she ran off without telling us." James spoke up as Snow turned to him.

"My old apartment. She's there." Snow said as she walked towards the door.

"Thank you." James turned and followed his wife.

"Hurry." She said as she got into the car.

"You could have at least thanked her." James joked.

"Well I'm in a bit of a rush." She said back.

"If you say so."

"Emma?" Snow knocked on her old apartment door. When no one opened the door, Snow turned to James.

"You have your pocket knife, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, why?" He asked as he gave it to her. She bent down to the lock and took a bobby pin from her hair. She bent the bobby pin straight, and put both the knife and pin into the lock. After a moment of her moving the knife and pin around in the lock, she opened the door.

"Where the hell did you learn to do that?" James asked his wife, shocked.

"I used to be a thief, you know." She said as she stepped inside.

"Right." He followed her.

"Emma?" Snow looked around the old apartment.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I left…" Emma said as she emerged from a room.

"Did you rent out this apartment?" Snow asked as she approached her daughter. Emma nodded in response.

"Why?" Snow asked.

"Since there's a new baby on the way, I want you guys to use my old room there. And, I think it's about time I live on my own again." Emma shrugged.

"Are you sure that's it? I mean… I know you still have a hard time accepting that we're your parents." Snow sadly smiled.

"No, it's not that. I just thought you might appreciate… privacy." Emma looked a bit hurt.

"Not if it means losing you." James shook his head.

"I know, but I want you two to not have to struggle with the new baby." Emma said.

"If that's what you want, then you can live here. Just make sure you visit us." Snow smiled and hugged her daughter.

"I will."

"You're sure you're alright?" James asked his wife on the way home. He could tell that she was upset about their daughter moving out.

"I'm fine…" She said. But he knew her too well.

"Snow, she'll visit, I promise. She's not pulling away." Snow turned to him.

"And how do you know that? How do you know she isn't hurt about something?" Snow crossed her arms.

"Because just like you, I know my own flesh and blood. She may not have liked me as David, but I know her well enough." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I understand that you're trying to cheer me up, but… but you still don't know that..." She sighed as she looked away.

"She'll be fine on her own, Snow. She did that for 29 years, didn't she?" He asked her, and she softly nodded.

"And we knew she'd be okay when we sent her away." He reassured her.

"We did…" She said as she leaned against the car window.

"So do the same now."

Message from the author

Yeah, so I decided I wouldn't make the separation last long, for you guys! I hate when they're separated on the show... I hope you enjoyed, chapter 22 soon!