This one is going to be a little confusing at first, fair warning. Emma is going to wake up with very little idea what is going on and you're going to follow her as she figures it out. Please ensure your tray tables are secure and fasten your seatbelts.


Her head ached and she clenched her eyes tighter closed. Her head was already spinning and she'd yet to even open her eyes. Cracking them ever so slightly she looked around. She was in her own room, that was a plus. But Killian was gone. She tried to smother the dejected feeling and garner the nerve to sit up. She fidgeted with the ring on her left hand nervously. It still felt heavy, new and foreign, but it was his. God, he'd nearly glowed when she'd agreed to wear it. Somehow through the pounding in her head she still had a perfectly clear memory of that moment.

The room was an utter disaster. The chair turned over, as though in a struggle. Papers were thrown everywhere, everything that Killian had kept so neat and organized on her desk was scattered around the floor.

"We do know how to celebrate," she said aloud, testing her voice and finding it lacking. She was wearing a long sleeved black dress, all black lace and soft lines and way too formal for her taste...what had convinced her that was an appropriate look for a celebratory night out was beyond her.

She threw on her favorite pair of jeans and a comfy sweater and made her way down into the kitchen. There were flowers everywhere. Emma cocked her head to one side. What the hell? She shook her head. Killian going overboard again, she reasoned with a half-smile.

She opened the refrigerator door, trying to remember the last time she had been grocery shopping. To her surprise every square inch of the appliance was stuffed to bursting. There were several plates of lasagna, and tupperware full of every imaginable dinner entree. Some were obviously from Granny's, others looked homemade. She closed the door, overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of enough food to feed an army. Perhaps Mary Margaret was planning some kind of party?

She headed instead for the cabinet to where her secret stash of pop-tarts was hidden. Even her pop-tart stash had been supplemented during the night. Every possible flavor, and several that she'd no idea existed. It seemed she needn't regret giving Killian her key, she mused, deciding that her headache certainly called for something more adventurous. Cookie dough pop-tart perhaps. Yes, good plan.

"Emma?"

Emma jumped. "Mom?! What are you doing here!"

Snow peeked up from the other side of the couch looking confused. "You said you didn't want to be alone last night, I just... I thought you wouldn't mind if I took the couch."

"Oh," Emma mumbled through a mouthful of pop-tart, though she certainly had no memory of asking her mother to stay over. "Right, sorry, of course. You just scared me. When did all these arrive?" Emma asked, waving the pop-tart in the air flippantly.

"You feeling ok, Emma? I mean obviously you're not ok but..."

"I'm fine, mom. Really this is nothing I haven't dealt with before."

Snow's eyebrows furrowed, "Look I know you've had a rough time, Emma, but if you need to talk-"

Emma laughed and Snow's frown grew even more pronounced. "Mom, really. I'm fine. And I'm late for work."

"Your father said he would cover you, Emma, as long as you need."

"Over this?" Emma gaped, She did not need her father to cover for her because she drank too much last night! "Please! I am going to work."

"I understand. Sometimes it helps to work."

Emma nodded, chugging down a glass of water and a couple of aspirin she had pulled from a cabinet. "I'll see you tonight ok?"

Snow nodded, still looking slightly dumbfounded and Emma gave her a quick hug before rushing out of the apartment.


Swan (9:43 am): You really didn't have to do all that, Killian. I would have preferred to wake up with you than with a million flowers and pop-tarts!

She clicked send on the text and then pushed open the door of the sheriffs station. David was already there.

"Morning Emma, I thought-"

"Yes, yes," Emma said, rolling her eyes, "I had a rough night. That's not going to stop me from doing my job."

"Sure," David said. "Did you go talk to Dr. Whale. Or... maybe even Archie?"

Emma's eyebrows shot up, "I don't think so. Stop looking at me like that, I'm here to work."

David raised his hands in deference. "Fine, Emma. Whatever you think is best. It's been pretty quiet since... Well anyway, I'm just catching up on paperwork."

Emma sat and buckled down to her own, She'd mountains to catch up on, she grabbed something from the bottom of the pile, the stuff from nearly a month ago that she'd been putting off. To her surprise the date on the incident report was only from a couple weeks ago. She glanced suspiciously over at David. She told him she would get to it eventually, but sometimes he couldn't help being helpful. Prince Charming and all that.

Swan (9:56 am): Where did you go, pirate? You better not be making me more paperwork to deal with!

She'd worked her way through at least a few days worth of the backlog which never seemed to end, when her stomach growled audibly. Often around this time Killian would bring her lunch or meet her at the diner. She picked up her phone and to her surprise found no response to her earlier text.

Swan (12:53 pm): Playing hard to get, Killian? You remember... I already said yes.

Swan (12:53 pm): Or have you forgotten how to respond to a text? Why don't you meet me at the diner for lunch? About 10 minutes?

She got no response but it wouldn't be the first time Killian had pressed cancel instead of send. She told her father she was going to take a break and slipped out of the station, walking towards Granny's. When she got inside Ruby came up to her immediately and gave her a hug.

Emma laughed awkwardly and pulled away..."Um Red... What are you doing?"

"Sorry, I just... Can I get you something?"

"Just a hot chocolate. I'll order in a few minutes."

Ruby brought her the hot chocolate and she sipped it slowly, one eye on the door. She'd finished her second mug before Emma finally realized he wasn't coming and ordered her grilled cheese. She ate it in silence, brooding, if she cared to admit it.

Swan (12:53 pm): Killian? Is everything ok? Call me back, ok?

Was it too much. Too fast? It's not like getting engaged had been her idea! He'd seemed so happy these past few weeks. Everything was ... good. Why would that drive him away? She locked her phone and dropped it into her pocket. Ok. If he wants space he could have space.

It took her the rest of the day to get through just over a week of the papers and Emma grudgingly admitted that her father was right - she shouldn't let herself get so far behind. Emma leaned back in her chair rubbing her tired eyes. The headache from this morning had faded to a constant background throbbing that reminded her of one time that she'd pushed herself too hard on some of her training with Regina.

"Emma, you don't have to stay here." Charming told her, "I got this. Your mother was hoping you'd make it over in time for dinner."

Emma laughed, "I think I have enough food to last me for a couple weeks."

"People just wanted to help, Emma. After all you've done for them-"

"Yeah, nothing says savior appreciation day like frozen lasagna." David opened his mouth to speak but Emma shook her head. "I'm just... I'm just tired dad. I can't seem to shake this headache."

David nodded. "I know, Emma. If you need anything..."

"Thanks dad, I'm going to head home."

She didn't go home. She went to the docks. His ship wasn't there anymore but often times when he was troubled he would find his way there. She was certain he would be there. Absolutely certain. And yet he wasn't. What was there was a disaster zone of broken half -sunk vessels and debris. There must have been a hell of a storm during the night. Perhaps he'd spent the day here, trying to repair the damage. He did have a key to her apartment now, maybe he'd finally decided to take advantage of that?

"Killian?" she called when she pushed open the door to her apartment. There was no answer and she made her way back into the bedroom. The apartment was empty. She called Snow who offered to bring Henry back after they'd finished their late dinner.

"That's ok," Emma told her, "I'm sure he's having a good time there. I'm beat tonight so I won't be a lot of good to him. See you guys in the morning?"

Snow agreed and Henry got on the phone to say goodnight.

"Hey Mom," Henry said flatly.

"You ok kid, you sound tired?" Emma asked worriedly.

"I just. I miss him. He was supposed to take me sailing today."

"Killian? I didn't know that... " A warm anger bloomed in her chest. He was standing up Henry too? Not that Henry had finally started to rely on him, to expect him to be there. That wasn't like him. "I'm sorry kid." She finished half-heartedly, resolving to have a serious conversation with Killian the moment he figured out how to use his phone again.

As soon as she hung up with Snow, Emma picked up the phone again and pressed the Killian button. God, when did I start calling it that?

He didn't pick up the phone and the nervous knot clenched tighter. Emma sighed and pealed her jacket off, hanging it in the front closet. His jacket hung there in her front closet now. The long one, the one he hadn't worn in ages.

When she reached the bedroom she realized that someone had been there while she was gone. She'd been distracted this morning so she wasn't exactly sure if it was while she was at work or from last night. One of Killian Jones' tunics was balled up on her bed. Had he come back and changed... without bothering to contact her? She threw the shirt into a corner, huffing in irritation. Then something caught her eye. Underneath the tunic laid a silver chain with two charms. A skull and crossbones and a dagger. He never took them off... What is he doing? Emma tidied up the desk and knocked over piles of papers, trying to pretend she wasn't waiting for the sound of an opening door. But he didn't return. She glanced at her phone one more time but there was nothing from him. He'd gone off the grid entirely, it seemed.

Emma turned on her alarm and crawled into bed with a sigh. This day felt like it had gone on forever. She didn't realize how much she had come to rely on Killian's constant presence until he wasn't there. But he'd left his jacket...his clothes, his necklace. He'd be back. He had to come back.


He wasn't back when she woke. The light was streaming bright through her windows and Emma rolled over groggily. Too bright. She glanced at her clock. It was 3 hours past when her alarm was supposed to have gone off, and Emma never slept through an alarm. Time for a new phone... Why hadn't David called?

There was a tentative knock at her door. Killian? Emma thought instantly. Though how he had come in during the night without her hearing hearing was a mystery. A childhood of unpleasant foster siblings had made her a light sleeper.

"Mom, can I come in?" called Henry. She really must have overslept if Henry was back already.

"Yeah kid, come on in. Sorry...I must have overslept. Did you already get breakfast?"

Henry nodded, "Grandma made banana pancakes," Henry crawled into bed with her and Emma wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"You're awful affectionate this morning," she said with a smile. "Aren't you supposed to be hitting the grumpy teenage years one of these days?"

"You know I love you, right mom?"

"Of course, Henry," Emma said in surprise, "I love you too."

"I think I'm going to wear the leather jacket today."

"The one Killian bought you?"

"Yeah, I think he'd like that."

"Yeah Henry, I'm sure he will," she replied with some confusion in her voice. Why should he care about that after Killian just stood them both up yesterday. Despite her irritation she couldn't help the growing sense of unease. This wasn't like Killian. But things had been so calm, for weeks now. She'd be the first to know if some new threat was in town right?

Finally Henry pulled away, "Grandma says you have to get dressed now. She said she put extra chocolate chips in your pancakes today."

Emma smiled, "I'll be right out."

It didn't take her long to get dressed but when she left the room and reached the kitchen her eyes widened in surprise. Henry had changed into his suit, topped off with the (still slightly too big) leather jacket. Snow and Charming were there too, in full formalwear, all black. Even Neal was wearing a tiny black onesie.

"Did I... miss something," Emma wondered out loud, glancing down at her standard jeans and blouse.

"Aren't you coming?" Snow asked in surprise.

"Coming where?"

Snow hurried over to her, "Oh Emma, I should have reminded you... the funeral. It's today sweetheart."

Emma tried to hide the surprise on her face but she agreed to go change into something more appropriate. How could I forget that? Someone in town died and I don't even remember? Some bloody savior.

"I think I've lost track of the days," she said cautiously. "When did it happen?"

"The day before yesterday." Snow said and Emma nearly sighed in relief. She hadn't realized she had been nervous until she had confirmation. Whoever had died it was before she'd last seen Killian. She almost asked Snow who it was, but in the end embarrassment stopped her. Wouldn't it be rude to admit she didn't remember? Snow finally pulled out the black dress she'd woken in yesterday... the one she was pretty sure didn't belong to her. She must have gotten it cleaned while she was away at work yesterday.

Emma thought they would go to the convent, but they didn't. A quiet dread settled into their stomach when Charming led the way instead towards the boathouse. Eric? Or one of the dock hands perhaps. Perhaps it was just too big of a group to fit into the convent?

It had snowed during the night and it dampened the sounds around them into an eerie silence. The only sound was the loud crunching of their footsteps on the ice.

"Where's Killian?" she murmured to Snow and Snow clasped her hand, "he's already there."

When the boathouse came into view a cold chill settled in her stomach and Emma walked as though in a dream; Without control over the destination though she knew something horrific waited for her. There was no coffin. Just a simple pedestal and a dark form in a white sheet. (My fingers are shaking. Why are my fingers shaking?)

Finally Emma found her voice.

"Wait... Wait just... give me a minute." The others nodded and Emma stepped forward alone, closing the distance with hesitant steps. Finally she got close enough to see. The figure on the pedestal was clearly, and beyond all doubt, Killian Jones. Her breath caught in her throat and for a moment she forgot how to breathe. This was impossible. She'd seen Killian the day before yesterday. She'd fallen asleep in his arms... How could this be... Time seemed to stand still as she stared down at his sleeping features. She reached forward, some silly piece of her subconscious telling her that she could wake him with a touch. Her fingers drifted down his cheek, chilled skin and rough stubble. He didn't wake.

"No... No, Killian?" she whispered. She clasped the collar of his jacket and shook him. "No, no, no...this isn't real. Please don't ... don't do this."

True love's kiss. The thought came unbidden to her mind. It has to work. I'm in the book now. We're in the book. This can't be how it ends. She tried to focus on her magic, it felt cold and lifeless inside her but she clung to the traces of light. She thought about Killian. The sheepish smile when he'd bought Henry his very own leather jacket; the elation brightening his eyes when she said yes, when she offered him his own key to her apartment and told him he could hang his jacket in her closet. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips to his cold ones.

Nothing.

How could this be happening? How had she not know?

This is a dream. She pinched herself hard. Once ... twice... three times but her mind stubbornly refused to wake. Hot tears traced paths on her cold cheeks as the world spun faster and faster around her.

An arm snaked across her shoulders and Emma jumped.

"I'm so sorry, Emma."

"Dad…" Emma stuttered, "What happened? Why didn't you tell me, I could have saved him."

"We tried to save him, Emma. I'm sure you did everything you could-"

"What? I wasn't even there!" Emma's voice was rising now and Charming tried to calm her by rubbing circles on her back.

"Shhh... Emma don't you rem-"

"I think I would remember this!"

"Mom?" Emma fell silent at Henry's call.

"What's going on, dad? This can't be ... real.. I have no memory of this."

"Dr. Whale said this might happen. Shock. Take a deep breath, Emma."

"I'm not in shock I don't-"

"Shhh, Emma please. We'll figure it out. But not here. Not now. Think about Henry. He was finally starting to become close to Killian and now...this. Emma, he needs his mother to be strong right now, ok?"

Emma glanced over at Henry who was standing with the rest of the town giving them their privacy, but he'd clearly heard some of her outburst and he was watching her in confusion.

"I don't believe it." Her voice dropped to a whisper again. "I don't. Dad. You have to believe me, this isn't real." Emma tried to take a deep breath but her breaths came short and shallow despite her best efforts. Henry broke free of Regina's hand and ran towards her. There were tears in his eyes too and she knelt to hug him. "We're going to get through this, ok kid? I'm going to fix this."

Henry buried his head into her shoulder and Emma felt the chill of dampness on her blouse as the rest of the town gathered around. The bitterly cold wind stopped abruptly and Emma looked up to see that Regina had done... something. A transparent shimmer hovered over the scene blocking the winds assault leaving them in a picturesque white landscape overlooking the docks... she should have found it beautiful. All she could see was Killian.

Archie spoke first. Something about not always having been on the same page, but that Killian had grown roots in Storybrooke and flourished; That heroes don't always look like you'd expect. Emma only half-listened. She felt detached, like she was watching the scene from above. She couldn't see the other people in the crowd. Only him. Cold and still and surrounded by a town that he thought would never accept him. Charming and Snow spoke next, some of the dwarves, even Belle eventually but no one asked her to speak. She was both relieved and upset by this. Shouldn't she say something... But when she tried to speak her throat went dry and the words evaporated.

It's not real.

At some point people stopped speaking and Snow touched her shoulder, snapping her out of her daze. Most people were leaving but Snow took her arm and led her on towards the docks where a boat was waiting. The dwarves carried Killian...it's not Killian...

Eric was on board already making preparations as the dwarves lowered the pedestal gently to the deck.

Regina waved her hand again, and the frozen waters thawed. A path out to sea. It was down to family now. Her parents, Henry and Regina. Eric took them out into open waters and before long the shore was almost gone from view. It was a hammock, Emma realized. He was wrapped in a cloth hammock. Eric took over the proceedings now, stitching up the hammock with the mumbled words of a prayer of some kind. Before he closed it Snow stepped forward and whispered something in his ear. Eric nodded and reached down, pulling loose Killian's necklace and offering it to Emma.

"A remembrance?" he asked.

Emma nodded blankly and took it. She clenched the charms tightly in her hand. The tip of the blade charm dug into her palm as Killian was consecrated to the sea.

It's not real. The charms were in her apartment just last night... how did he have them again now?

But they were leaving, and land was coming closer and they'd left him behind. Left him in the dark, in the cold. She held her son's hand on her right and Killian's charms on her left, letting Henry lead her off the boat and back towards her apartment. There was a reception at Granny's but when Snow asked if she wanted to attend Emma pleaded the need to be someplace quiet for a while.

Snow and Charming followed her and Henry back into her apartment now full of offerings of flowers and food. Charming took Henry off to bed and Emma paused, dumbfounded in the kitchen staring at the gifts. Just like yesterday. She opened the fridge and saw frozen lasagna. The cabinet held pop-tarts. Cookie dough. Unopened.

Her head was beginning to ache again.

Had it been a dream? Could yesterday have been some sort of ... prophetic dream? Was that possible? She'd learned a long time ago that deeming something impossible was unwise in this town. Snow entered the kitchen behind her. "Do you want me to go?"

"No... can you... would you..."

"Would you like me to stay tonight, Emma?" Snow finished for her and Emma nodded. "Of course, sweetheart." Snow reached out and Emma collapsed into her arms, her eyes burning and her breath coming in short labored gasps.

"Mom... I don't know what's happening."

"Shh... It'll be ok, alright Emma. You're not alone. You've got Henry, your father and I... we're all going to get though this, ok?" Emma's tears finally slowed and she pulled out of her mother's arms.

"Are you hungry?" Snow asked gently, "I could heat you up some Lasagna? Granny brought you tons while we were... earlier."

"I think... I think I just need to sleep."

Snow nodded and cupped her daughter's face gently with warm hands. "I'll be right here, ok? You are not alone. And we can go talk to Dr. Whale in the morning, and Regina. Maybe they can help shed some light on why you're having trouble remembering?"

Emma nodded and retreated to her bedroom. She still couldn't seem to shake the idea that none of this was real but when she saw the empty bed the truth came suddenly and with sickening intensity.

Killian is dead. He was gone. They'd left him, abandoned him at the bottom of the ocean.

She glanced over at the desk next to her window. She had never used it and Killian had gradually taken it over. Everything was so neat... so orderly. Just like he always left it. With a sudden impulse she swept her arm across the desk sending papers and books scattering to the floor with a clatter.

"Emma?" Her mother called, "Sweetheart?"

"It's fine. I just tripped," Emma called through the door. Hot tears streamed down her face again but she kept her voice steady. Eventually Snow retreated. Her feet led her to her closet next, where Killian's shirts hung. She pulled out one at random, hugging it close and breathing in his sent. She didn't recall getting changed out of her dress... but when she finally fell asleep it was with his shirt bunched up in her arms and his charms clasped in her hand.


In the morning she was no longer clasping Killian's shirt and the chain was gone. She kept her eyes sealed closed for what seemed like forever before the sun insisted to her that it was morning. If she didn't open her eyes it might still be a dream. What if he's here. Sitting in the chair by the bed watching her wake because he always woke with the sunrise no matter how many nights have passed since his navy days.

It must all be a horrible dream, and if she opened her eyes she would see him there. That half-smirking smile on his face as he watches her fight against consciousness. Breathing in deeply to settle her nerves she cracks one eye opened.

He's not sitting by the window in that chair. "Killian?" she murmured. Please... please answer me. "Killian?" she asked louder. There were footsteps in the hall and her heart lightened. She shot out of bed and across the room, but when the door opened it was her mother. "Killian? Where's Killian?"

"Oh, sweetheart."

Snow tried to hug Emma but she tore herself away, "Where is he? Where?"

"Emma he's ... Sweetheart, he's gone." Fresh tears sprung to Emma's eyes as she lost him all over again.

"The necklace. Where is it? I had it..."

"What necklace."

"His necklace," Her voice grew shrill but she didn't care. "The charms. Please, I need it back, where-"

"We'll get it Emma, ok. We'll get it. Come downstairs, Emma, Henry needs you."

Henry. The magic word that could always bring her back to herself, no matter what. Emma didn't even bother changing out of her pajamas. She hurried into the kitchen, nearly tackling Henry into the kitchen table. Henry was stiff and silent and didn't say a word.

"Henry? Are you-"

"Don't," Henry replied flatly, and Emma fell quiet. "If one more person asks if I'm ok... I'm not ok. No one is ok."

Emma dropped her head on top of his, pressing him tighter to her. "I know, kid."

They ate breakfast in silence, no one feeling particularly talkative. Henry vanished back into his room the moment he finished eating and Emma hesitated between giving him space and following. Charming made the decision for her. He handed off baby Neal to his wife, kissing her on the head before following Henry to his room.

"Emma," Snow said, "I umm... well I know you don't... I thought you might..."

"What is it, mom?"

"You don't have to. I just... I went shopping yesterday and I got you something... to wear tomorrow if you want..."

"Shopping?"

"I know it's silly but... I wanted to do something to help. Will you take a look at it?"

Emma shrugged and Mary Margaret hurried out of the room, returning with a dress bag." She unzipped the bag and pulled out ... the black dress that Emma had worn to the funeral.

Emma's jaw dropped. "Why would I want to wear that again tomorrow. Mom I..."

"Again?" Mary Margaret looked surprised, "what are you talking about."

Emma looked closer at the dress. It was absolutely the same dress that she had worn yesterday. "Is that supposed to be funny?"

"No! God, no Emma. I just wanted to help. I thought having something special to wear-"

"To what?"

Snow gaped... "To the funeral, Emma."

Emma leaned back in her chair. "To the funeral?" she repeated.

"Never mind. It was silly."

"Mom, the funeral was yesterday."

Charming came back into the room with a concerned look on his face. "Yesterday?" he repeated. "Emma that's not...that's not possible." Emma glanced back and forth between her mother and father.

"What day is today?"

"It's Friday," Snow told her. "The funeral is not until tomorrow, remember?" Suddenly Emma jumped up, running to the refrigerator. She opened it and saw... not much of anything.

"It's gone," she mumbled.

"What's gone?"

"The food. Granny brought like a half dozen frozen lasagna's, they were here... after the service. They were here and now they've gone." Emma dropped her head into her hand, headache coming back with a vengence. "I'm going insane..." she murmured.

"No Emma," Charming put in hurriedly, "you're just under a lot of stress."

"Stress?" Emma retorted. "I woke up the day before yesterday wearing that dress. That exact dress that you just bought. Something is happening to me." Emma muttered, "This must be magic." As though in confirmation the pounding in Emma's head amplified. Emma dropped her head into her hands trying to block out the throbbing.

"Should I call Dr. Whale?" Snow asked gently.

"I don't think there's anything he can do about this one," Emma replied pulling out her phone. "This is Regina's territory." The call went straight to voicemail though and Emma slammed her phone onto the table. "What happened to him?" Emma asked. "The last thing I remember before all this started is Killian asking me to marry him... when was that?"

"Emma! That was almost a week ago."

"So ... A week ago Killian asks me to marry him. I wake up the next morning and he's gone and there's food and flowers in my apartment. The next day I'm at his funeral and now you're telling me the funeral isn't until tomorrow."

"So what..." Charming asked, "Is this like... a bizarre kind of memory curse? Time travel?"

"Not time travel. Not exactly. I've done that. It's like I skipped ahead. And now everything is rewinding. Mom... Dad... If it is, I can still save him."

"Things can't just rewind..." Charming commented. "Can they? I mean... honey he's gone."

"Why not. Henry was gone once, and magic brought him back. Maybe my magic is giving me the chance to fix this!" Emma was getting a feverish excited look in her eyes now though her parents still watched her in confused hesitation. "What happened to him?" Emma continued, "I need to know what happened."

"I'm afraid we don't know exactly," Snow admitted, standing and rocking back and forth as Neal got a little fussy.

Emma raised her eyebrows and turned to David. "No one does but you, I'm afraid," he told her

"What?"

"Well Ursula, Maleficent and Cruella showed up in town and-"

Emma's eyes widened. "Cruella... Oh what the bloody hell is next," Emma sighed, "what did they want?"

"You, apparently. The rest of the town was off dealing with with Ursula down at the docks or Cruella out in the west wood. Maleficent was making trouble under the library. We split up. Killian went with you to the library. There was some kind of a magical... burst that expelled them from the town. We thought we'd won until we found you under the library with Killian."

"But what happened? If I'm going to change it I need to know how this happened."

"I'm sorry Emma but you weren't able to talk about it. We didn't want to press you."

Emma got up, grabbing her jacket and hurrying toward the door. "I need to speak with Regina."

"Would you like me to come with you?" Charming asked, but Emma just shook her head. "Thanks, I think I need a little alone time. I'll walk."

The snow was gone. And it didn't seem likely that Elsa had returned to storybrooke and decided to melt everything. Despite her nerves she couldn't help but walk with a lighter step at the observation.

"Regina!" she called, pounding on the door to Regina's office. "Come on Regina, I need to talk to you."

The door finally slipped open and Regina appeared, "Miss Swan, my condolences... but there's really nothing I can-"

"I think I'm moving back in time."

Regina's eyebrows went up. "Time travel. Again, Fantastic. Have you run this theory by Archie?"

"I'm serious, Regina."

"As am I. I understand this is hard for you, but-"

"This is not... Regina, listen to me. When I woke up yesterday it had snowed. There were four inches of snow on the ground and my parents took me to Killian's funeral."

"That's not until-"

"I know."

"Ok, let's say conceivably that you are... in an unusual timeline. What do you want me to do about it?"

"Tell me, Is it possible?"

"I would have told you time travel was impossible this time last year. Unfortunately it seems I was wrong."

"If it's true... can I change it, save him? I've changed it before right?"

"Haven't you learned anything? Changing the past is dangerous. You never know what else you'll screw up. You might save your boyfriend and kill the rest of the town. Henry, yourself, no one knows."

"So what, I'm supposed to just watch it happen again?"

"If you're smart you'll do just that. Besides you don't even remember what happened do you?"

"How do you know that?"

"Because if you didn't need my help then you wouldn't be here. You'd just go off and save your little boyfriend with no regard for the consequences. It's what you do."

"How dare you!" Emma snapped, in no mood for Regina's disdain right now. "I did what I thought was right, and I tried to mitigate the consequences of that choice. Whether you like it or not. I succeeded. Yes, I brought Marian back because it was the best option I had. Everything after that was your choice, and Robin's."

For a moment Emma thought Regina would slam the door in her face, but to her surprise she didn't. Her surprise was even greater when Regina sighed and opened the door further. "Look, I would have tried the same thing. I did the same thing. I tried to bring Daniel back. But you must understand there are always consequences."

"I can't just let him die Regina. If I have the opportunity to save him, I will. Help me. Maybe with your help I won't screw anything else up."

Regina eyed Emma for a moment then finally stepped aside. "Do come in, Miss Swan."


Everybody still following? I know inverted causality is a bizarre way to read. Hopefully you started getting the pattern early on. I've never tried anything like this so I hope it wasn't too confusing :)

In related news this story is about to tic its way past 100,000 views. Like what. Just for perspective that comes out to like 1 and a half words per view. So for every word (And a half) I've written of this monstrous compilation... someone has made the (questionable?) decision to click on this story. Let me just let that sink in for a moment... Wow. That's pretty cool.

Edit: So Nouqueret tells me there's a Sandra Bullock movie with this kind of timeline. Hilariously, I've never actually seen it so I guess this is what... an unintentional cross over :P *Must find this movie...*