Reckoning

Chapter 24

In Philadelphia-

Eli sat in the darken room. The only source of light was from a computer screen as he finished adding his 'Last Confession'. He had been working on it the moment that he realized that Emma discovered the files; it had been slow going with him being monitored so much though. He had to make sure that everything was really encrypted and not traceable to someone other than Emma Swan. Although, if he was being honest, he did not know if she will even manage to see this before she crashes Leon's hard-drive, but it was a chance he was willing to take.

In fact he knew that she hadn't yet crashed the hard-drive, seeing that everything was still visible to him and his computer was currently working fine. Staring at the open word document, he read through it once more. Eli sincerely hoped that he had explain himself clearly enough and maybe this will help them…his surrogate niece and nephews.

Heaving a sigh, he saves it and then closes it out and opens up a different program. Computer codes are scrolling up the screen in rapid succession like that of fast moving credits from a highly suspenseful movie. His eyes are flying across the screen just as fast as his fingers are flying over the keyboard. If someone were to walk past the door that he was currently behind, all they would be able to hear was the fate rapid tapping of the keyboard. He stops for a moment and listens to make sure that no one was walking passed as that thought had come to him. Hesitating, he continues before attaching the document to the new program.

Taking a deep breath he hits a couple of more keys before slamming a finger on the enter key and the screen goes black momentarily, the room encased in an ominous and haunting darkness. A few agonizing seconds later, the screen flicks back on revealing his desktop just as the lights are thrown on in the room, causing him to jump and turn towards the door. Khal has Eliza under the arm, and Drake is holding Marie, "Eli!" Eliza shouts and lets out a strangled cry.

"Grandpa!" Marie also cries out.

A third man storms into the room, just as he threw the chair back, "Let them go!" He yells as he moves to go towards the large men and the third just manages to grab him and forces him back into the chair as a fourth man enters.

"Now, now temper." Heads turned to see Gideon Langdon himself sauntering into the room.

"Gideon you bastard, let them go." Eli snarls out, "Now."

Gideon chuckles darkly as he strokes Eliza's face and plays with Marie's hair. Both whimpered, and flinched away from him, "I cannot do that."

"I did everything you wanted." Eli stated as he fought against his captor, "They are of no use to you anymore. Let. Them. GO."

Gideon turns towards him, "There was a situation apparently in this town in Maine. Mathis called me from the side of a road claiming that he cannot reach Damien." Eli remained impassive to this, "You do not seem too concerned about another one of my sons."

Eli snorted and again tried to wretch himself free. Growling in frustration, he looks back at Gideon, "Why would I? I have no idea what is going on. No one has contacted me if that is what you are implying."

Gideon nodded and strode further into the room and over to him. He nodded to the man holding Eli in place. Eli was forced out of his seat and delivered a blow to his stomach. Eliza and Marie started to yell and cry again as Eli falls to the floor on his knees, crunched over and arms over his stomach, "Now why do I not believe that? Tell me what you were doing in a dark room staring at this computer."

"Nothing." Eli gasped out. Once again he was on his feet, just to get another blow to his stomach and then he was meeting the floor. After a moment he spoke, this time with labored breath, "Really, I wasn't doing anything. Check it yourself."

"And what good pray tell would that do me huh?" Gideon demanded as the man was once again brought to his feet, "Knowing you, you probably already have deleted it or had it encrypted some way." He then looked over his shoulder and nodded once.

Then men that were holding Eliza and Marie started to pull them away, "Eli!" "Grandpa help!" They called out at the same time.

"No!" He yelled and started to fight, "No! Where are you taking them?!"

Gideon smiled sickly, "Patience my friend. Patience. I think you need a little persuading. Now then, this could go one of two ways. You cooperate and no harm will come to them, or you continue to bull shit with me and they pay the price."

Eli paled drastically. During their time here, they were all treated with respect…at least with Eliza and Marie. He, himself, on the other hand a bit less so. There were rules, and apparently Gideon no longer cared for the rules, "I swear to God, you hurt them-"

"That wouldn't be of my own choice. You are making the decisions. The ball is in your court; what you do with it…well that is on you." Gideon stated harshly, "Now, do we have an understanding?"

Eli bowed his head and swallowed, "Yes."

Gideon smiled and clapped his hands, "Wonderful. So the computer…"

Eli looked back up at the other man and sighed. Just because he understood, doesn't mean he was going to tell the whole truth. He just hopped Emma would get the message soon and believe him. She wasn't called a protégé for nothing.

Eleven years ago, two months after Emma meeting Vance-

"Here is her file that you asked me to create." Eli said as he handed Leon a large, thick manila envelope. Leon pulled on his glasses and took the envelope from his friend and waved to a seat. Eli sat as Leon took the contents out, "I also took the liberty of emailing you a copy as well." Eli explained.

Leon briefly glanced at the packet in his hands and nodded as a response, "Very smart I see." He stated as he looked over some of the 'classes' that were offered to her.

"I'd almost say genius. Especially when it comes to the streets." Eli commented, "I also included her background that you wanted me to look into. It's towards the back."

Leon flipped to the back pages and read the top article, "Baby found on the side of the road." His face turned from curiosity to disgust, "Disgusting." He spat out, eyes gleaming with rage, "Why bother having a child if you are not going to care for it? At least give her the common decency to drop her off at an orphanage for Christ's sake." Eli shrugged as if agreeing, while Leon read through the pages, "School grades are impressive."

"Coming from not so well managed foster homes, that is truly remarkable. However not so much for the psyche. May I?" Eli asked as he held his hand out. Leon shrugged and flipped the packet back to the beginning and handed it to his friend, "This is just an overview mind you, however Emma has some major trust issues. She is not taking too kindly in working with Noel, Michael, or Lucas. She is much rather a 'Lone Wolf'."

Leon clasped his hands together and took off his glasses now that he wasn't reading the report, "Doesn't bode well when they need to work as a team." Leon commented.

"The job gets done, and she does follow orders." Eli stated quickly in reassurance, "However that is it. There doesn't seem to be an interest in getting to know anyone." Then almost hesitantly he said, "I also interviewed Caroline too."

"You what?"

"Do not be like that friend. I did the same when you first brought home Michael and then again with Noel and Lucas." Eli said raising a brow and looking over the thick packet.

Leon sighed, "Very well. Point taken."

Eli shook his head and then continued onward, "Caroline has tried to get to know Emma on a personal level. In her words, and I quote 'Emma has these emotional walls in someone so young. It is as if with each disappointment, a brick was added and cemented to each other layer by layer. I am afraid that while it may seem like she is protecting herself, she is also slowly destroying herself little by little. I tried to talk to her, but she is adamant that she is being cautious and refuses to adhere to what I am saying'." Eli looked at Leon this time and paused.

"Well?" He asked as he waved his hand towards the packet, "What was Caroline trying to say?"

Eli shook his head sadly and laid the packet down, "That Emma's walls may protect her, but it will also keep love out."

Leon shook his head, "Mio Dio." Eli hesitated a bit, and sensing it, he looked at him, "What is it? There is more?"

Nodding, Eli flipped the pages, "Unfortunately it is not good. You know my background…" Leon nods and rolls his hand as a sign to continue, "Well I pulled everything about Emma from her time in the system to her arrest…"

"Arrest?" Leon asked suspiciously, "Why did this not come up to me before when I hired her?"

"I didn't find it before, you just asked for the initial parameters. However this was a closed court order file." He flipped the pages and handed it over.

Leon put his glasses back on and read, feeling more disgusted with the foster system by the minute. Although it was not until he had gotten to the last part that he felt sheer nauseated and choked out, "Era incinta?" Eli nodded, "Devi aver hackerato il file sbagliato."

"I wish." Eli whispered.

Before they could say anymore there was a small gasp. Looking towards the door, they saw Caroline standing in the doorway. Leon stood up with the file still in his hand, and made a move to walk over to her, but stopped when she came further into the room and closed the door pointing and asking softly, "E 'guella di Emma?"

Leon swallowed and felt a lump form in his throat as he slowly sat back down, when she fully came over and sat in the other chair beside Eli, "Yes my love."

"May I?" She asked reaching for it.

Eli placed a hand on her outstretched one, "I warn you it is not pleasant madam."

"I read Michael, Noel, and Lucas's. I think I can handle Emma's." Caroline stated firmly, a flash gleaming across her eyes.

"Their files were tame. You and Leon saved them in time before they could be corrupted." Eli gently reminded her, "Emma on the other hand…no one was there to save her."

She looked at Leon and saw underneath the façade of calm was a storming rage, "Love please give it to me."

Leon conceded and gave her the packet. Caroline flipped through it quickly and found the part that she had the unfortunate experience to overhearing. It was not like she was purposely eavesdropping, she had just come across the door at the wrong time. Seeing what the girl had gone through and her unhappy ending, she raised a hand to her mouth and let out a silent gasp, "No." She looked at her husband.

"It appears so." Leon stated, then looking back at Eli, "Have you found the child?"

"No, this will be a bit harder. Emma terminated her rights and it was a closed adoption. Finding the baby will be extremely difficult…next to impossible maybe."

"Very well. One thing at a time then." He sighed heavily as he rubbed his forehead with his one hand and closing his eyes.

Over the course of the two months that Emma has been with them, he and his family had come to care for the girl, even to the extent of offering her a place in their house. She did not accept the offer until Caroline insistently begged once his wife found out about her previous 'living' conditions…AKA the yellow bug that is currently residing in their massive garage. In fact, to add insult to injury, they wouldn't even have found out about it if it were not for Lucas and Noel stalking their new unwilling sister one night after a 'lesson'.

Before anyone could talk, there was a knock on the door followed by, "Padre?"

"Non ora Michael." Leon called back out more harshly than he had intended with his eldest son. Caroline threw him a look and a cocked eyebrow to match. Leon exhaled heavily and then called back, "È importante o può aspettare?"

As if sensing Michael's hesitation through the massive closed doors, Caroline decided to relieve her son of his suffering, "It is ok, you may enter." She shot her husband a look as he shot her one. Eli wisely just sat and took the packet from her and hid it out of sight.

The doors opened and it was not just Michael that entered, Noel and Lucas were by his side as well. This caused unease amongst the adults, "Ok what did you three do this time?" Leon immediately asked, seeing their guilty expressions.

Guilty looks turned to one of surprise and insult, "What makes you think we did something?" Lucas asked in mock hurt.

"Oh let me count the ways." Caroline stated as she faced her three boys and started listing on her hand, "There was the time you took your father's 1957 Chevy out for a joy-ride and ended up backing into a cop car…at a rather fast speed I might add." Leon's face turned red at that, his precious car was still wrecked and had yet to be fixed; although when he did manage to look at recently, he saw that it looked slightly better than before. On that note, he made a mental note to check the footage to see who has been messing with it.

"That was ages ago." Noel stated unfazed.

"It was last year." Leon retorted back dangerously coming back to the physical world after being lost in thought. Caroline looked at her husband at his dreamy thoughtful demeanor was shattered in an instant. She too made a mental note to inquire his sudden change.

"It wasn't my fault. I was blackmailed." Michael commented, but still winced seeing his father and mother's look of disappointment.

Leon shot his eldest a look, "And how old are you? Seventeen right? By the way do you still have your license back yet?" Leon asked in a deadly manner causing the boys to shrink back, "I do not think so."

Caroline continued, "Then there was the time you three were suspended for trying to hack into the school's computer system to change your grades."

"Bonnie Castillo cheated off of me on that final." Michael defended back, "I deserved to get that hundred I knew I would have gotten."

"We were being good brothers by supporting our older one." Noel stated honorably, glad the car thing was now taken off the table of discussion.

"Yea we regret nothing." Lucas commented proudly as he puffed out his chest with his hands on his hips, head held high.

She continued onward as if they didn't say anything, "Then there was that time that you decided to prank your father's co-workers by replacing Chef Maurice's turkey with a live one at his dinner party."

"That was a good one." Noel stated laughing.

"Totally worth that six month grounding." Lucas commented back.

Michael wisely said nothing as his father's face seemed to get redder the more they talked about T-day…an affectionate codename for aforementioned incident. Just as his mother was going to list more evidence against them, he quickly cut her off, "Ok we get the point. We are not exactly angels."

"Speak for yourself." Noel and Lucas commented at the same time.

"The horns hold up the halo-" Lucas started.

"The tail is for balance-" Noel continued.

"And the pitchfork is for roasting marshmallows!" They finished together, then high-fived.

For the life of him, even after all this time, Michael will never understand how their minds work (and it wasn't for the lack of trying either). He chose instead to sigh in resignation and pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Not helping guys."

Leon was doing the same action as his eldest son, "Really not helping." He then looked up to see mischievous smiles on the twins, and an exasperated one on Michael, "We are busy at the moment, so whatever you did confess and get out. We will figure out a punishment later for you three."

Michael looked at the twins and shared once again the guilty look with each other before speaking and this time directing it at Eli, "We were in your office, and before you say anything, we know we shouldn't have been in there." He stated quickly seeing the protest on Eli's face, "See our printer ran out of ink, we saw father's door was closed, and didn't want to bother you; mother's office was locked, and the one in the library wasn't working either." He then looked at his father as he said this, imploring him to see whatever they were about to say, they really didn't mean any harm.

Caroline saw the hesitance and sadness in her boys eyes and despite the amount of trouble they get into, they had really good intentions and even bigger hearts, "Go on." She said softly and encouraging.

Michael looked at his brothers for help, and Noel stepped forward as Michael took a step back, "So we tried your computer, and we just wanted to see if you had it locked. So we jiggled the mouse, and to our surprise it wasn't. We were going to open Internet Explorer honestly that was it; just to access Michael's email, when we saw that you had a document open. We didn't mean to pry, the document was already up like I said and well..."

Lucas stepped forward and looked right at his father, "Is it true?" Out of the corner of his eye he saw the manila envelope and in Eli's hand the over turned packet, "Is that really Emma's?" He asked motioning to Eli's hand.

The adults looked at each other and Leon looked back at them and asked softly, trying to keep his voice calm, "Did you see Emma? Did you tell her of this?"

"No." Michael stated firmly now, keeping his voice level, "Last we saw her was when her and I were doing defense class with Aaron. Noel and Lucas were cheering her on." The two smiled at the memory of Emma kicking Michael's butt, but they soon faded as they immediately recalled why they were in their father's office.

There was silence as the adults shared a silent conversation. "Te lo diremo, ma non parlarne a questo…Capisci?"

"Understood father." Michael answered back.

Noel and Lucas didn't like the feeling they were getting, but both said, "We understand."

"Leon;" Caroline said in a voice of warning as she stole a look between her sons and her husband, "Ad modum tractandi sunt credis hoc?"

Leon and Eli looked at one another. They were both fluent in Latin, not so much their sons seeing as they were given looks of annoyance that for starters: they couldn't understand their mother, and secondly they could guess what they were saying. Eli had given his friend (and brother for all intense and purposes) a look that spelled 'his call', and when Leon looked at his wife, it was clear that she didn't really want to talk about this to them. Leon for his part was resigned, which he made clear, "Amore mio, non abbiamo scelta. Hanno già letto il memo."

Caroline gave her husband a firm glare, but nodded. She supposed it was a double edge sword, her boys already knew of this; and she really did not want them talking to Emma about what they read, "Fine go pull up a chair." She motioned to the few by the chess table and the one by the large book case.

After settling in, Eli regrettably started over with his explanation. He didn't need to hand over anything to them, seeing they already read the packet. They all watched as their faces darkened considerably with each passing moment over his explanation. It was then that he ended at the point in which Caroline had walked in on, "So let us get this straight;" Michael spoke up vehemently, "Some…ass hat-"

"MICHAEL!" Caroline yelled at her son.

Michael ignored her, "Left her pregnant and in jail?!" He had stood up and waved at the packet now on the desk with Emma's mugshot staring up at them. It had explained a lot of things, her inability to trust, her guard being up twenty-four seven, her not wanting anything to do with them. He had thought at first that she thought she was too good for them, or that because of their upbringing, they didn't like getting their hands dirty, or even yet how it always appeared she was looking down on them. It was another matter entirely. Listening to everything being laid out on the table, a lot of pieces that didn't seem to fit had come together in one giant jig-saw puzzle.

"That bastard-" Noel started to say.

"NOEL!" Caroline now yelled at him.

"Is lucky!" Noel finished, "If I ever see him…oh boy he is in for it."

"You and me both." Lucas stated in his rare case of menacing tone and look to match, "She may not acknowledge it yet, but Emma is our sister." Noel nodded and Michael sat back down, "I do not take kindly to a cowardly douche bag getting get away with hurting my sister!"

Caroline glared at her sons, "Ok enough with the language. We get it, believe me we get it."

"Then what the hell are you doing about it sitting here?" Michael demanded to know, eyes flashing as he stared at his father, "You should be sending someone, anyone to go get him and make him pay!"

Leon looked at them and stated firmly, "First of all I know you are upset, but you do not talk to me like that." The boys nodded, but kept their firm expressions, "Second of all-"

"Neal Cassidy does not seem to exist anymore. There is no record of him after that night." Eli spoke up this time, "As soon as I read this I tried to trace him, but other than the police report that was written up, and Emma mentioning him by name, there is nothing more on him."

"Unbelievable." Michael said as he stood up again and started pacing. There was silence and then he asked, "The baby?"

"She terminated her rights and had a closed adoption." Eli said sadly, "There is nothing to be done about that."

"There must be something." Noel whispered.

Lucas nodded, "We have the will, so there must be a way."

"I am afraid there isn't." Caroline said softly as she placed a hand on Lucas's knee and grabbing Noel's hand in support, "It is not like with you three. Whoever has Emma's child now, well they have a choice to tell or not to tell. Emma, well she has no choice. She cannot have access to the child at all." She then looked at her eldest son, to see that he was still pacing, "Michael honey sit down please."

Michael looked at his mother and nodded, "Ok." He sat back down and rubbed his face with his hands as he process all of this, "So what happens now?"

Leon looked at his boys and said firmly, "Not a word to Emma from either of you. That is what happens. You agreed to this in the beginning."

"But we cannot ignore this either." Lucas stated in a rare form of seriousness.

"Yea, like again Emma is our new sister. Kind of. She just hasn't accepted it yet even though she has been living with us for two months." Noel stated firmly.

Caroline had a thought of sudden inspiration. Slowly she started to smile, "Mom?" Michael called out to her warily seeing her smile, considering the sadness of the conversation, "You alright?"

"Yes, but I had an idea." She said slowly, "Listen to your father and not a word to Emma. Yes I didn't want to tell you, but now you know what is going on and that is actually a good thing." She then looked at him now, "Do not tell me otherwise, but I know you have been frustrated with her a bit, but at least you can understand where she is coming from. Now run along, I need to talk to your father and Eli, but if you do see Emma please tell her to come to Leon's office."

Michael, Noel, and Lucas hesitated for a moment, but seeing that their father was not going to tell them otherwise, they got up, "Ok well thank you for telling us." Michael stated as he took the lead and got up. Noel and Lucas nodded and followed Michael out the door.

"Well?" Leon asked looking at her perplexed, "What is going on in that head of yours?"

"It's simple. We adopt Emma." Caroline said as if it were obvious, "We show her that we understand where she is coming from." She saw their looks of protest, "Hold on before you say anything. I know we cannot make it 'official' seeing that she is obviously nineteen, but at least this will give her a foundation that we trust her and that she can trust us. Trust us to be that family that she was supposed to have."

Leon pondered it, but it was Eli who spoke, "She is learning the business who handles beating down scum of the Earth, and that description is putting it very lightly. How is she supposed to trust us?"

"What if I start teaching her something else? Something that is like a backdoor to all of this?" Caroline stated, "I am a doctor in a hospital, a hospital that has been receiving donations from our family. Look you know how I feel about the business," with this she looked at her husband, "however I respect it. You are trying to give some people the benefit of the doubt, and unfortunately they make the wrong choice and you mostly have your hands tied; but think," she then looked back at Eli, "Emma has only had the opportunities that have been handed to her. Leon approached her because he saw her potential as a fighter and as someone who would know how the streets really worked."

She let the hang and looked back her husband, "You turned her, now let me show her something else. Let me push her potential that she doesn't just have to be a street fighter so to speak. That she could be more than what you are giving her to work with."

Leon got up from his chair and turned towards the window. Looking outside he saw the blonde approaching the house with some large box and cocked his head to the side. He knew the door she was approaching was the garage door and saw one of the servants walk over to her to assist her, "She does have a lot of secret potential doesn't she?" He asked softly.

Caroline got up and looked outside and saw the servant and Emma conversing with Emma motioning to the garage door, "More than she probably knows."

"Really have grown taken with her haven't you?"

"Well I kind of always hoped for a daughter." She whispered to him, "My heart just aches for her."

Leon nodded. He too have grown to like Emma more than just another agent. She was starting to become like a daughter to him, and he knew that Caroline had viewed her as the same way almost the first day he introduced her to the young girl he pulled out of the holding cell, "Ok we will discuss it with her, after you talk with her about the hospital thing." He heard Caroline gasp beside him, "Only after though, I do not want to scare her. One step at a time. Perhaps when she is ready then we will bring up the 'unofficial' adoption thing." Looking back at Eli, he asked, "How does that sound?"

"Sounds wonderful, but you are right. If you do bring up the adoption idea right away, she will bolt."

"It is decided, now time to see what she is up to in the garage…" Leon stated as he made a move to leave.

Caroline, however reached out and touched his arm, "Hold on dear, let's let her come to us."

"What?"

She nodded, "You heard me. Let Noel, Lucas, and Michael find her. Eli, was there anything more you wish to tell us?" She turned to her husband's friend.

He looked surprised and then glanced down at the abandoned packet, "No ma'am I think that was it."

Eli took the packet and left the two to themselves, "What is it?" Leon asked as Caroline sighed and pulled away from him.

"Just thinking about her early life." Caroline muttered as she looked back out the window.

He came behind her and wrapped his arms around her, "Try not to think about it too much il mio amore." He mutters low as he rests his head on her shoulders, "We have to look towards the future."

"She is just already so guarded. My heart breaks for her." Caroline whispered as she stares outside as she sees Emma in the driveway and looking around before settling on a particular direction over to the large oak tree on the far side of the front yard. Then she sees one of her sons quickly following after her, "If she does concede to our plan, will she accept me?"

Leon looked stunned for a moment, "Accept you? Whatever do you mean?"

"Just as it sounds. Accept me, us. Leon she has been hurt so much." She looks back out and sees the both of them sitting under the tree.

Leon looks to where she is looking, "I care about her too." He admitted, "I took her in as an asset, but seeing her…getting to know her…" He turned and motioned to where the packet had sat on his desk.

Caroline nodded as she saw what had sat there just moments ago, "I wish we would have found her Leon."

"I know." He said, then repeated in a whisper as he pulled her close and rubbed her back, "I know."

Outside under the tree, Emma was sketching in her book that she had brought outside with her. She looked up occasionally at the house and then back down at her book, "Are you just going to sit there or was there something you wanted?"

Michael was startled at her sudden words and coughed, "Yes, I mean no…I mean…" He sighed heavily and stated, "I wanted to apologize to you."

Emma stopped and looked at him in surprise, "Apologize? What for?" Then she narrowed her eyes, "What did you do?"

"Why is it that you people always think it is something I did?" Michael asked indigently, "Noel or Lucas are never under suspicion."

"I've heard about the accident with that car. You cannot tell me that was just Noel and Lucas." Emma said eyebrow cocked.

Michael shook his head, "And here I was offering you a genuine apology, I might just have to take that back."

"Depends on why you are apologizing to me." Emma said going back to her drawing.

Michael looks at her and gently places his hand on top of the one holding the pencil, "Seriously Emma, please hear me out?" Emma looks at him, giving him her undivided attention, "I want to apologize for my behavior."

"What are you talking about?"

"The way I have been acting towards you. I know that I haven't really been treating you as welcoming as I should have, and that isn't right. Mother and Father raised me better than that. So I want to offer you my deepest apologies for not being welcoming towards you, and for anything that I may have done to put you off." Then after a brief pause he adds, "Also I want to apologize on behalf of Noel and Lucas if they have done anything to offend you as well."

If Emma wasn't confused before, this really tossed her in a loop. She placed her pad and pencil down, and scooted a bit away from her, taking her hand out of his grip, "I really do not understand." She says after a moment, "You guys haven't really done anything to me."

"I guess that is the point too." Michael says as he gets up to brush himself off. In all honesty, he doesn't know why he is suddenly apologizing to her. He knows he is being stupid, however after learning about her past and everything (not that he would tell her that), he feels a sense of obligation to make her see that they would never hurt her or make her understand that what she had previously experienced would never happen with them, "We didn't do anything."

"You are not making any sense." Emma says as she too gets up and tries to make him look at her, "First you are apologizing for something now you are apologizing for nothing."

Michael looks at her now as he runs a hand through his hair, "I know, this sounded better in my head. I guess I just feel like we've got off on the wrong foot or something and I do not know…you are very hard to read you know that?"

That is the point, Emma thinks to herself bitterly, that way no one knows how to hurt you, "So I've been told." She says out loud in a dry voice. Seeing him wince, she rethinks his words. Trying to find some hidden agenda. Looking at him critically, to her surprise, she sees nothing. Just plain meaningful words, words that still held a deep meaning, but no strings attached, "I guess whatever you are apologizing for, if I understand correctly and just tell me if I am wrong, you are apologizing for not getting to know me, or getting to know me better? Is that what I am hearing?"

"Something like that, yea." He says slowly.

"Then allow me to apologize for not making it easy." Emma says softly, not knowing why she was suddenly feeling guilty. However she supposed that during her stay here, no one in this family ever tried to take advantage of her in anyway or really made her do something she didn't want to do. Everything had been on her own terms and they really respected that.

It was his turn to be surprised at her admission of guilt, "You have every right though to not make it easy on us. You do not really know us all that well. I mean it is completely understandable."

"Understandable, but not an excuse." Emma said, "Look I suppose if you were apologizing first, you would like a chance to start over right?"

"Right." Michael stated. Then smiling at her, he stuck his hand out, "Hello, my name is Michael Richard Vance."

Emma looked at his smile then at his hand. Giving one of her own cocky smiles, she takes it, "Emma. Emma Swan."

He smirks and kisses the top of her hand and enjoys how red her face goes, "Pleased to meet you Emma."

"Alright enough with the cheesy BS." She says taking her hand back from his. Then looking back at him, she says, "It's not going to be easy for me, working in a team like Eli and your father are trying to have us do. Teamwork…well let's just say it hasn't really worked out so well for me."

Don't I know it, Michael thought, "Well I am hoping we can change that." He said out loud honestly, "Noel and Lucas, well they consider you a sister. They maybe goofballs-"

"That is a complete understatement." Emma snorted as she crossed her arms.

Michael just patiently smiled and continued as if she hadn't interrupted him, "however they are fiercely protective. They are really loyal and will never let anything happen to you. As for Mother and Father, well they really do love you too." He saw Emma fidget uncomfortably and decided that was enough, so he started to walk away from her, "By the way, they want to talk to you. They are in Father's study. See you at dinner." Emma just watched him walk away, wondering what the hell had just happened.

Never the less, she went back to the tree to retrieve her sketch pad and pencil. Family…love…she shook her head and ran back towards the house. She paused though as she looked back towards the tree and softly smiled. Maybe…she let her thought drift not wanting to get too hopeful, as she once again started her trek.

Present-

The crowd had long since disappeared by the time Regina, Henry, Snow, David, and Killian exited out of the station. The weather was emulating with the current mood. There were high winds and lightening that forked in the sky, and on top of it all it had just started to rain, "Are you sure we did the right thing?" David asked for almost the fifth time, his voice was near yelling over the high winds.

"For the final time, yes we did. There is nothing we can do for him right now. Ask me again and I may have to strangle you." Regina bit out, thoroughly annoyed as she pulled her jacket closer to herself. There was a cough and she looked at Snow's expression, "Oh please do not give me that look, he would deserve it. At least I am nice to give a warning. You wouldn't even had me do that a couple years ago, I would just do it." Snow shook her head at this knowing it was true; Regina would have just strangled David without so much as a warning…in fact they wouldn't have even been working together a couple years ago, so there was that.

They had gotten Damien in the cell and waited nearly a half hour for him to awaken, however when he did, he was completely unresponsive to anything they had said or tried to give him. Regina had offered to do a magical scan in secret and when she did, it was discovered that Emma did a little bit more than wipe his memory of the torture session he had endured. She had caused him to almost completely shut down mentally. Looking at him, it was like he was physically awake, but mentally and emotionally was another story. So they had called the hospital to pick him up and with orders from Regina and confirmation from Snow, he was to be placed in the psychiatric ward in the hospital for the time being…at least until things hopefully returned to normal.

Killian sighed and stopped in the middle of the street looking up at the sky with his eyes closed. There was a rumble of thunder. There were no cars around and almost everything was closed and abandoned for the evening, "Do you really believe Emma did this on purpose to him?" He eventually asked.

They all looked at him as he had one hand in his pocket and his prosthetic resting on his chest. Snow sighed and said softly, "I would like to think she wouldn't, but Killian we have to talk to her about this. What she did, well…"

"I do not think so." Henry said firmly, "I do not think mom would do this."

They looked at Regina, "Do not look at me, the magic only told me what was wrong with him; not the overall cause." Then just as there was a larger gust of wind she said, "Can we talk about this in a drier area please." They nodded and rushed to the nearest open building, Granny's.

Once they were inside, Granny through them a sympathetic look as they took the booth in the far back, "You best guess though?" David asked giving Snow comfort as they took a seat and a waitress came over to give them all coffee, and a hot chocolate for Henry.

No one touched their drinks as Regina crossed her arms and said, "If you really want my opinion, well it is that Emma did cause that to him, intentional or not I have no idea where to begin with her mental state or that of her magic. What I can try to explain is that he is from a land that never knew magic. His body and mind couldn't take the stress of what she was doing and even though she wiped his memory, his mind wasn't strong enough to take it and caused him to shut down completely." Seeing their looks she adds, "Again best guess, I am not Rumplestiltskin."

"Can this night get any better?" Snow groaned out, and sure enough as with all situations that were bad, it could only get that much better. Her phone started blaring its tone and digging through her purse she pulls it out. Her face contorts into confusion as she answers it, "Hello?"

"Snow its Whale. Is Emma with you?"

"No, you mean she isn't at the hospital? She told us she was going to the hospital a little over an hour ago." Snow said as she mouthed 'Whale' to them; they lean in close.

"She is not here and I tried calling her cell, but she isn't answering."

"Well what is going on?" Snow asked and put the phone on speaker for everyone to hear at the table.

"I cannot tell you. You are not Michael's family, POA, or emergency contact." Whale said, "I need Noel, or Lucas if Emma is not available. Are they with you?"

"Clearly you are unaware what happened, but I can tell you as a cliff notes version, there was a massive fight here and they were taken hostage." David said as Snow looked at him, "Besides, I think we have learned that there are no actual legalities in this town other than those in the Enchanted Forest, so with that said tell us what is happening and we promise we will relay the message to Emma once we find her."

Whale went silent for a moment. They heard shuffling and a door closing, "Fine, only because my hands are now tied. You need to find Emma ASAP. There has been a complication and I've done all I can. I am afraid that during surgery, the wound was more severe than I had thought. Michael had suffered from reoccurring atelectasis."

"I am sorry, but what?" Killian asked confused and worried, not only for Michael's sake but now for Emma's.

"Atelectasis, collapsed lung. It is what he had before I went in to operate on him, however I cannot get the lung to remain stable. I have done all I can to repair it, however he is not breathing on his own. I had to do an endotracheal intubation." Whale paused for a moment and then spoke again, "He also coded a few times on the table. The last time was for a good minute before I brought him back. We had to place him under a medical induced coma." He paused once more sensing how all this was overwhelming, "I need Emma here pronto. I have papers she needs to sign and decisions she needs to make." With that the call was disconnected and they all sat in silence, staring at the phone on the table before Snow, with a shaking hand, placed it back into her bag.

Killian's mind flashed to her haunting words before the worst interrogation he had ever witnessed, "You will be forced to tell me everything I want to know and if in that time Michael takes a turn for the worse, you will be taken to the docks." He shivered, and then he saw everyone else shiver as well, clearly thinking of the same memory.

Henry swallowed a lump in his throat, "If Emma isn't picking up her phone, where could she have gone?" Thunder struck through the sky once more and the few people in the diner looked outside, "How are we going to find her in this?"

"I do not know." David responded as he shot her a text on his phone, "Maybe she will pick up if she sees it's one of us trying to reach her."

They each pulled their phones out. Henry tried calling after sending a text message, however it went right to voicemail. He hung up and tried again, then said, "I do not think so Gramps. Her phone is off." They looked at him as he called and placed the phone on speaker hearing Emma's voice, "It's Emma; you know what to do." Henry hung up.

"Great." Regina groaned out putting her phone away.

They sat in silence for a moment, however that silence was broken when a voice spoke up, "So which one of you pissed off the Savior?" Heads turned to see Gold standing before their table and Belle taking his side, looking at him disapprovingly.

"What are you talking about?" Killian growled out harshly. He did not want to deal with the crocodile right now. Not that he could as he recalled his promise to just a mere couple of hours ago to Emma before everything went to hell:

"Killian, please just do not go to Gold for anything anymore."

"Unless it is a strict emergency and we have no other option, I promise we will not go to Gold for anything…that is the best I can offer love."

"Fine. You promise though?"

"Cross my heart and hope to be marooned on an island with one bullet in my revolver." He shook his head returning to the present as Gold answered his question, "Just as I said pirate." He spat out, "First, one of you enraged the Savior, causing my magic to almost be nonexistent for a good half hour?" He questioned as he looked at Belle, who nodded in confirmation to show that Gold was indeed being truthful, "Then if anything this storm should give you a real good hint."

"The storm?" Regina questioned as the two of them pulled a chair up to their table.

Gold nodded, "Yes dearie." He spat out not believing how slow they were being on the uptake of all this, "Do you not sense it?"

There was another loud crash of thunder and a large fork of lightening crossed the sky. The lights flicker a few times in the process, "I sense it now that you mention it." Regina stated after focusing for a moment on the storm.

"So if mom is causing this, then where is she?" Henry asked recalling how she was when her magic was out of control.

Something in Gold's words registered fully with Snow like an ice bucket being dumped on top of her, "Wait a minute, storm aside, you were without your magic for a half hour?"

This pulled them away from the Emma's magic induced storm situation to another one, "Yes. Did you not just hear me?" Gold said harshly.

"Easy Rumple." Belle said calmly, then looking at Snow, she said, "It's complicated. We were talking and suddenly it was like he was a different person. Almost weak and vulnerable," Gold looked uncomfortable at her description, but right now she didn't really care. She needed to make them understand the seriousness of the situation, "We quickly checked the dagger and saw his name fading and Emma's replacing it. He wanted to use it, but I took it from him. He had no energy to fight me on it."

"That explains the magic." David said to them. Then looking at the couple, he asked, "You didn't hear what happened?"

"We were busy. Not that it is any of you concern." Gold nearly snarled at him.

"Then I guess you can leave us the hell alone crocodile." Killian said slowly getting up, almost itching for Gold to take a swing at him, just so he could have a reason to release some of his frustrations.

Regina leaned over and tugged on Killian's jacket, "Sit down."

"No. I made a promise to Emma we wouldn't deal with him anymore." Killian stated firmly to her, then he looked back at Gold, while still talking to Regina, "I told her we wouldn't deal with him anymore unless it was an emergency and right now, we do not need his help."

"On the contrary if Emma unknowingly managed to strip Gold of his magic, and she is causing this storm; then it is an emergency." Snow said soft but strong voice.

"We do not need him." Killian repeated firmly, "We just have to find Emma and get her to calm down. Regina can make a locator spell for finding her, and we just have to talk to her."

Gold snorts, "You wouldn't even have known about the storm if I hadn't said anything."

"He is right." Henry said cutting in, "We wouldn't have."

Killian balled his hand into a fist and slammed it on the table causing people in the diner to jump and look over at them, "No! We are not dealing with him. I am not giving Emma anymore of a chance to be upset and angry at us."

"Kil-" David started to say calmly as he too got up to meet the angry pirate head on.

"You know what? You want to deal with him, fine. Keep me out of it. I'll find Emma on my own." Killian stated firmly and with that he pushed his way out of the booth and stormed out the door. Henry looked torn and glanced to his mother and grandmother. Before they could say another thing, Henry was up and out of the booth to chase after Killian.

"Killian wait!" Henry called out. He pushed himself to run faster until he was right in front of the pirate, "Wait please-"

"I am sorry lad, but if you are going to have me go back in there and-"

"No, I am not." Henry said calmly, as he looked him in the eye, "I want to come with you. I want to come with you to find mom."

It was Killian's turn to look torn now as they are standing in the middle of the road. Glancing back over his shoulder, he knows that if he doesn't let the lad come then Henry will more than likely run off, "Ok fine. Let's go before they come after you."

"I know just where to search too." With that they start to trek away from the town and make their way to the woods.

A/N:

Here are the translations as they appeared in the chapter, they are all from Italian unless noted otherwise. Again please take note of the fact that I used Google Translator. If it is wrong, please blame Google and not me.

1 My God

2 She was pregnant?

3 You must have hacked the wrong file

4 Is that Emma's?

5 Father?

6 Not now Michael.

7 Is it important or can it wait?

8 We will tell you, but do not speak of this to her…Understand?

9 (Translation from Latin) Do you think they are ready to handle something like this?

10 My love, we have no choice. They already read the memo.

11 My love