I'M SUPER SORRY ABOUT NOT UPDATING IN SO LONG! I'VE BEEN SICK AGAIN, AND ACTUALLY SPENT MOST OF ONE NIGHT IN THE ER. SCHOOL HAS BEEN CRAZY, AND I'VE BEEN WRITING FOR SEASON 2 BECAUSE OF THE PLOT BUNNIES. SO, THERE'S MY EXCUSE LINE. THAT SAID, THANK YOU FOR STICKING WITH ME, AND REVIEWS MAKE MY DAY! JUST AN FYI, I DON'T PLAY POKER AND HAVE NO IDEA HOW, SO IF IT'S UNREALISTIC, THAT'S WHY. WIKIPEDIA WASN'T MUCH HELP, SO I BLAME THAT.

DON'T OWN IT.

Emma squirmed under Jiminy's gaze.

"So you want to break down the walls, but you don't know how."

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, it's more… the problem is that I want to run. Like, when things get too emotional or deep, I go to my room. But sometimes, I just need a while to sort things out without being disturbed, which nobody in that damn castle understands."

"Did you tell them that?" He asked.

"I might've mentioned it when I got really mad, but I don't remember."

"Well, let's try that, okay? Explain to them that you need your space. Next week, we can begin more heavily psychoanalyzing you."

"That sounds good." She nodded and got up. "One more thing. Is Red home?"

"Yeah, she's upstairs with the baby. You're welcome to see her." He replied.

"Thanks, Arch-Jiminy. I guess I'll see you next week." She walked out, and somehow found her way to Aaron's room. "Red?"

"Ha!" The brunette laughed, bouncing her son in her arms. "You remembered my name."

"Yeah." Emma smiled. "He's so cute, congratulations."

"Thanks." Red handed Aaron to her. "How are you?"

"Well, that's why I came to see you. I'm pregnant."

"Emma!" She squealed, carefully hugging her in a way that wouldn't squash the baby. "That's awesome."

"It's terrifying." The blonde said. "Don't get me wrong, Graham and I want this, it's just… I'm not exactly what I'd describe as maternal, and I gave Henry up for a reason. What if I just screw this one up?" She handed Aaron back to Red.

"Emma." Red placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "You're doing an amazing job with Henry. Don't ever doubt yourself. Being a mother isn't easy, I'll admit it. Especially to a newborn, so you're in for a treat. But you have your parents, Graham, and Henry. They'll all help you."

"What's it like to hold your baby for the first time?"

"Didn't you hold Henry?" The brunette frowned, her arms subconsciously pulling her son tighter to her.

"For a minute. I didn't want to get attached." Emma answered. "I mean really hold your baby, knowing this he or she is what you've been waiting for for nine months, and want it."

"It's… amazing, and that doesn't even begin to describe it." Red smiled at her son. "You love Henry?"

"More than anything." The blonde said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"If you can love him that much, even after missing ten years of his life, you'll be fine with this baby."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emma asked sarcastically.

"You're not one to let people in easily, Emma. Now do you get what I mean?" She smiled.

"Yeah, I do. Thanks, Red."

"Anytime. I mean it." The brunette moved Aaron's arm in a way that made it look like he was waving. He gurgled.

"Bye, guys."

"I win again!" Henry exclaimed, throwing his cards down. "You know what that means: I get extra dessert."

"Wow." James looked at the boy, dumbfounded. "You really do catch on fast."

"He obviously gets it from me." Snow smiled teasingly. "It's getting a little dark out."

"I'm sure she's fine, Snow. She's been in the woods enough that I think she knows her way around."

"Those aren't woods." Emma said, slamming the door shut behind her. Everyone else jumped, not expecting her entrance. "That's a freaking rainforest… minus the rain."

"Well, I'm glad you're home safe." Snow said. "I guess to be more specific, it's a forest."

"Where'd you go?" Henry asked.

"Somewhere." Emma narrowed her eyes at her son, but not in a menacing way, her voice vague. "I… I have something to tell you guys."

"Did you miscarry?" Graham sounded worried, his eyes all concerned in that adorable way she loved so much.

"No." Emma said quickly. "I don't really know how to say this…"

"It's okay, Honey. You can tell us anything." Snow said with nothing but love in her voice.

"Okay." Her daughter sighed. "I need space. Well, let me backpedal for a second. My life has done a complete one-eighty. I think you all know I'm having a hard time dealing with it, and I'm doing my best to not freak out. I love guys to death, and I truly mean it. Every single one of you. I've come to terms with what happened when I was a baby. That in and of itself is, in my opinion, a huge step. I've changed, I'll admit that. But that doesn't mean that the values I hold myself to, or who I am at my core, have changed. I might be more trusting and open and all that crap, but there are still times where I need to deal with whatever's going on alone."

"But Emma, you don't have to revert-"

"I'm not reverting." The blonde said firmly, cutting Snow off. "I've always needed space. Maybe not as much now, but I still need it. And when I'm upset and one of you –or all of you– come after me, it makes me feel trapped. That's one of the reasons I ran that night." She didn't need to explain further. "I just- I trust you. But I need you to have the same faith that I do." She locked eyes with Snow, who nodded in understanding, knowing the full significance of that statement and her word choice. "I could never leave this. Maybe I take an hour or so and go MIA, but I will always come back. Do you understand?" Her voice was soft, not in any way demanding, but almost pleading.

"We're just so scared to lose you again." James said at his wife's lack of words.

"But you won't. I promise."

"We understand. Henry, you do, right?" Snow nodded in affirmation.

"Yeah." The boy answered.

"Just one question." Graham raised his hand. "How will we know if you want comfort or not?"

"Hmm…" Emma pondered this for a moment. "If I leave the castle, that means I want to be alone."

"My only concern," Snow started, "is that if left to your own devices, you have a tendency to throw and break things. At least with the toaster you had the sense to unplug it. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Mom, I think I'm old enough to not throw a fit." They all looked at her incredulously. "Shut up. How about we play some more poker, and if I win, I won't have to clean for a month."

"It's not like you clean as it is." Snow huffed. James dealt the cards.

"Hey, Mom?" Henry asked.

"Yeah, Kid?"

"Do you have any ideas for what you're going to name the baby?"

"Uh…" Emma shot a quick glance at Graham, who shrugged.

"I just found out a few days ago that I'm pregnant, so no."

"I can't wait to talk about it, though." Her husband waggled his eyebrows.

"You guys are trying to distract me!" She cried indignantly, mock hurt plastered on her face.

"Well… maybe." Henry knew there was no point in lying.

"Emma, is this your favorite game?" Snow asked.

"Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Just a guess." The brunette shrugged. "I mean, you always have a poker face on… pun completely intended." Henry drew a card and hid a frown. James went next, he too having no luck.

"So let me get this straight." Emma said. "If I don't win, I have to do all the cleaning for a month."

"So you're losing?" Henry's face brightened slightly, knowing he wasn't the only one. His mother's face remained unreadable. "Well, I have sucky cards and only one pebble left, so I'm folding."

"Language, Henry." The blonde chided.

"He gets it from you." Snow retorted, throwing four pebbles into the not-so-rapidly growing pot

"I'm calling you." James said. With a reluctant sigh, Snow revealed her sucky cards. "You always act more confident when things go south." He explained. Snow rolled her eyes.

"Graham, you've been quiet." Emma commented.

"I'm thinking." He replied, chewing his bottom lip, deep in concentration. The blonde scrutinized him. "What?"

"You." She answered simply.

"I'm raising." He put in one pebble, then looked at his wife expectantly.

"I'm not calling." She said, sliding five more pebbles into the pot. "Just as a side note, how long did it take you guys to find all these?"

"Grandpa and I are good at finding stuff." Henry proclaimed.

"I haven't noticed…" Emma mumbled.

"Wait, why aren't you calling?" Graham asked. He thought of himself as a pretty good player but maybe he wasn't.

"Because you're not bluffing."

"Hmm…" James glanced at his cards. "I'm not gonna win, so I'm out."

"Hold on." Emma said. "The only stakes on this were my winning or losing. What happens to you guys?"

"Well, you were so sure that you were going to crush us, I thought we'd just let those stakes concern you." Snow answered.

"Fine." The blonde said, her eyes challenging and determined.

"Just you and me, Em." Graham smiled. "Your turn."

"If you lose, you have to do some things for me tonight." She smirked, then placed a pebble in.

"I'm calling you." He declared.

"You're wrong." At the same time, they both showed their cards.

"Crap." Graham muttered under his breath. "How'd you know?"

"Remember that superpower? I can tell when anyone is lying."

"I suppose the consequences of losing are actually pretty good…" He started, then Emma glared at him, pointing to Henry. "And I can thank your parents for your ability, can't I?"

"I also went through a wardrobe with Pinocchio, who was supposed to be a pathological liar. But instead he just skirts around the truth." She shrugged.

"So… do I have to clean?" Henry asked, his voice hopeful.

"No. We'll all pitch in except for Emma, cause she won." Snow answered.

"Nah, I'll help. We're a family, right?"

"That's right." The brunette looked at her daughter, her eyes asking one question: can I hug you?

"Yes, you can hug me. Just not for too long." At that, Snow practically leapt over Henry to embrace the blonde. "When I said 'I can't lose my family' in Storybrooke, I meant it. Obviously at the time, not quite so literally but here we are. Okay, that's enough." Snow pulled back. "As I said, I'm trying. I'm not into the touchy-feely thing, but I'm trying. Graham…" She gave him a look, and he knew exactly what she wanted.

"Yeah, you should get in your pajamas. I can hardly see how you're comfortable." Graham said. Henry rolled his eyes and excused himself to get a glass of water.

"Just shut up and walk." She got up and marched him up the stairs. Snow and James shook their heads.

"What a pair."

Graham pulled off her shirt while she unzipped her jeans.

"Can we just lay here?" Emma asked, flopping onto the bed.

"Yeah." He did the same. "You okay?"

"I just miss you." She said. "And I'm tired. Talking to Archie takes a lot of energy."

"I'm proud of you."

"For what?"

"For getting help, doing what you know you need to, and not letting your ego get in the way." He replied. "I know that was hard for you. So, thank you."

"I want to be able to, at some point, not run from my problems. I know I'm dealing with them more than I used to, but I feel suffocated at times and it's an impulse and I think I'm addicted to it."

"You're not addicted to running." Graham chuckled. "Sure, you ran once, but that was bound to happen at some point. You also take mini, one hour vacations to God knows where, or you'll lock yourself in one of the rooms. No one expects you to face everything head-on. What you have is a habit, not an addiction."

"It doesn't feel like that." She said quietly, her voice sounding almost broken.

"Emma, this is just another hurdle. We've gotten over every one of them so far. It'll be fine." He said softly, stroking her bare stomach.

"I also tried out for track and field in high school. When I went under the hurdle, they sent me home." Emma said glumly.

"I can picture that." He laughed. "I have an idea." He got up.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"Get dressed." Graham said. He went downstairs, and a few minutes later she came down, too, dressed in yoga pants and a black tank top, her hair up in a messy pony tail.

"You didn't really answer my question." She commented, then noticed the rest of her family staring. "Oh God, I'm already starting not to like this, whatever this is."

"How high was that hurdle?" Graham asked.

"Three and a half feet, why?" James took out a tape measure, and Graham stacked a pile of books to the mark. "Oh, no, no, no. I know what you're doing, and I definitely don't like it."

"Listen, if you miss, you'll just knock the books over." He guided her to the end of the room. "Run and jump." He smiled.

"You're going to pay for this." Emma said, her voice dangerously low. "And not in the way you want."

"You're going to be happy with me, I promise."

"Come on, Mom! You can do it!" Henry cheered. Emma blushed, not one for basking in attention.

"Fine. I'm getting it over with." Suddenly, the kitchen seemed much bigger, and she sprinted toward the books, and leapt gracefully over them. James caught her as she was about to barrel into the wall.

"If you can get through, or over, that, you can get over anything." Graham said, grinning. Despite her best attempts, Emma couldn't suppress her own smile. "See, I told you you'd be happy." He walked toward her, fully prepared to embrace her. Instead, her fist found his shoulder.

"If you do anything like that ever again, I'll kill you. Got it?"

"Yup." He swallowed.

SO, AGAIN, SORRY FOR THE DELAY. I'LL TRY TO GET THE NEXT CHAPTER UP SOON. THANKS FOR READING!