Multiple lifetimes went by. Each ending in disaster and death. Each one, Mal had failed at winning Regina's heart. Each lifetime Emma had mated Regina. And each lifetime Regina had regained her memories at the age of eighteen or the moment the soulmates shared true love's kiss and the life would end with Emma's death, her body being cradled in her mate's arms as she too slipped away from a broken heart and soul.

Every lifetime came with new obstacles to overcome. Rumple and the rest of the family tried new ways to save Mal from being corrupted as the children grew up but somehow, even under the most pristine supervision, Fiona found a way to guide her to darkness.

Eventually, Hestia had had enough when again her daughter ran away to the dark woman. She chose to take her brother Blaze as back up and go after the woman herself. She had stormed the castle, managing to pin the woman down as Blaze lit the place on fire. As the flames bounced off her skin and licked at Fiona's. Her screams echoing out into the forest around them. The dark fairy reached into Hestia's chest and crushed her heart in front of her very eyes. Blaise had flown away from the ashes with his sister's body cradled in his claws and brought her back to the castle. After they held a funeral pyre to honor their beloved friend and once again restarted a life, Rumple cast their last resort. The dark curse.

And with it, they knew it swept the land up, including his sister and God-daughter. But where they went, they didn't know. With the events of the last lifetime orphaning Mal, his best bet was that Fiona had decided to raise the child herself. An easier and more productive way of corrupting her. But where they landed in this new land? He didn't know. All he knew was that in this new land he was keeping his family away from the evil woman for now. And this would be a chance to restart their lives the correct way and succeed in getting Mal back. He wasn't going to allow one of his closest friends to die in vain.

Twelve and a half years ago

"What do you mean, "we have to leave"?" She asked, crossing her arms and leaning into her husband behind her

"Snow, I know you can agree with me when I say that I can not bear to watch this happen again." Rumple stopped his pacing to answer her with a voice gentle enough to calm her, even with his arms crossed in front of his chest showing that he wasn't even feeling that.

She nodded and looked to the rest of their family. All sitting on the couches in contemplation and their children on the floor.

Her daughter sitting in the circle with her pack, playing a game to keep them occupied.

Granny, Cora, and Henry; her best friends, sitting and listening in, worry etched into their faces.

"I believe I have a way of defeating her this time." He states

"And for it to work, we have to leave?" David asks.

"Yes." Rumple nods with a look of sorrow

"Then We'll do it. Whatever it takes." Snow nodded and looked back to the two particular five-year-olds holding hands within the circle.

"Are you sure this is going to work Rumple?" Cora questions as she watches Rumple pouring liquid from two different beakers inside two test tubes

"Yes, I have been studying this potion for years. I put a spell on the book I found it in, to always follow after every reset. Notes and all so nothing went missing during that time."

"You also said that about the curse and yet she still found a way to follow us," Henry commented, earning a smack on the chest from his wife.

"Don't you think I know that dearie? I risked my life and Milahs for it to cast. We got lucky I was able to split our hearts in time for her to survive." he hissed.

"We understand that Rumple and we are grateful for you, in all ways of protecting this family. But how will this save the girls? We haven't spotted her yet." Snow questioned.

"She wants Regina but knows that anywhere Emma is, that's where Regina is. That has happened no matter how we've changed our strategy, they end up finding each other. So shes changed her strategy, chasing Emma. trying to kill her to get her out of the way before they can fall in love. We all figured that out." They all nodded so he continued, "This blue potion here is hers. It will not only block her signal and cloak her from that woman, but it will erase her memory of living here the past five years so she isn't in misery being away from Regina. Make it easier on her. Her trigger is true loves kiss with Regina so we won't have to worry about it fading until then"

"What's that one?" David points to the red vial in the man's hand

"This is Regina's. It will help protect her heart, give her a clear head if Mal does happen to show up, and try to win her heart without us knowing, as well as to forget Emma to ease her this lifetime around. Help her concentrate more and not be depressed while Emma is gone or the susceptibility she is at without Emma around. It'll enhance her heart's reaction to someone, not her mate, her heart, and soul instinct to say no to anyone trying to win her love that isn't Emma. So if Mal does find a way to begin the course, Regina's heart will be enhanced not to trust or fall in love with her. But it also has a trigger so Henry, Cora, hide that storybook we keep a record of each lifetime in. She touches that, it releases her from the spell and all the memories come before her eighteenth."

They nod and Cora instantly gets up and goes to hide the book.

When she came back in, he looked around at them and corked the red vial.

"It's ready. When we give these to the girls, it puts them to sleep, and then you must leave."

"If it is what we must do to protect them, then we'll do it. But how will you know how to find us?"

He gave her a smile, "you leave that up to me."

Present-day

Darkness

It surrounded me like an animal stalking its prey

I can't see anything but all my senses were turned up to the max.

I can hear small movements.

Of what? I don't know.

I can smell mahogany and apples.

Why? I have no idea.

Then I heard her.

"Emma!"

I started running towards the scream.

I don't know where I am going but I knew I needed to get to her.

I felt that if I didn't, I would lose her forever.

"Help me!"

I just kept running, feeling the wind in my face.

I can feel my lungs start to burn, but I don't care.

I wasn't stopping until I reached this woman.

I start panicking,

I can't find her but I can't live without her. I need her.

"Emma!"

Emma sat straight up in her bed. Her heart beating outside of her chest and her body covered in sweat.

"Emma! Honey, wake up, we gotta get on the road!" she heard her mother screaming from downstairs of the Boston apartment.

She looked over to her clock and saw the flashing lights. Five am.

She groaned as she fell back on her pillow.

This was the eleventh time they have moved. They only stayed for a year in every city or town they decided. The longest place Emma and her parents had stayed was Tallahassee when she was thirteen, but even that was only for two years before they were off again. Not enough time to make friends. No place to ever call home.

Though Emma would tell herself that it wasn't too bad considering their family was different from the people of this world. Her family was from another realm. Why they came to this place? She never knew, except for the brief explanation from her parents that their realm was at war and they decided to escape. This was where they landed.

To the land without magic.

Emma and her family are werewolves. They have to stay hidden. Even though this is the land without magic, they still have their abilities, they're just slightly weakened. And in this land, they aren't able to transform. Even with their wolf scratching to get out every full moon or just a beautiful night to run in the woods, they can't. They need magic to transform, so their wolf lay locked up.

So she got bullied at school, for being the weird girl. Everyone thought her bright green eyes were contacts, her canines were slightly longer than these humans and gave her a wolfish grin, but they all thought they were the fake caps people used for costumes. Whenever someone threatened her and she let a growl out without realizing it. In the Enchanted Forest, this was normal for werewolves, but to this world, it wasn't. She was labeled a freak. It was the main reason she kept to herself, she only had to deal with the bullying until they were gone again. She could take care of herself.

Emma couldn't help but think about the fact that this time was different. They had only been staying here for six months. She had come back to the apartment after a run to her parents running around and packing with a brief "pack up" from her father and a postcard from a place called, "Storybrooke" on the table.

She hadn't cared about thinking about it at the time, she was used to it. They had been moving around since the day she was born from what her mother, Snow, tells her. She's seventeen now. All these years and she didn't know the reason why they moved like nomads. She always just thought it was from their wolves getting antsy for something different. That's usually when they move when they all can't stand their surroundings anymore.

Emma had quit asking where they were going when she was ten and she quit asking if they were ever going to stay in place long enough to call home when she was twelve. She just knew that they were going on another adventure, just like her father, David, would tell her. And because of their nomadic lifestyle, it was easy to pack up and leave within a day. Between the three of them, they had three boxes and her backpack. They'd just stuff that all in the truck and go.

Emma finally got out of bed and threw on a pair of jeans and her shoes, throwing her red leather jacket over her white tank top and stuffing the alarm clock in her backpack. Leaving the room without turning back one last time. There was no reason to look back and say goodbye. No memories to say goodbye to.

"You ready baby girl?" David asked with a smile on his face.

Emma shrugged and smiled back, "Off to the next adventure right?"

"Right." he patted her on the shoulder and opened the front door for her and his wife.

He met them down at the truck after turning the keys into the landlord. They all piled in and started driving down the road, leaving Boston behind them.

Another city gone.

As they got on the interstate, the city off in the distance, Emma plugged her headphones in and looked to the front seat to see her parents smile at each other as they held hands. David bringing Snow's hand up to his lips to lay a kiss across her knuckles.

She looked up to see him look at her through the rearview mirror and they shared a smile before he turned his attention back to the road.

Emma sighed and looked out the window to see the sun rising as the city faded away. She couldn't help but feel the same emptiness that had plagued her for years. Feeling like something was missing and not knowing what. Soon enough the music faded into the background as she was lulled to sleep.

"Emma!"

She jolted awake and tried to catch her breath.

What the fuck is up with that dream?

She looked out the window to see nothing but forest and she perked up at the thought of running free through it and her wolf simply vibrated with the idea.

"Emma are you okay?" Snow asked.

"Yeah, just a weird dream." Emma shook her head, "It's all good."

Snow smiled, "Okay well look out your window."

Emma raised an eyebrow and did as she was told before looking back at her mother and pointed "Forest."

David chuckled, " she's talking about the sign coming up smartass. We're here."

Emma snickered and looked out the window again to see the sign come up

"Welcome to Storybrooke."

She furrowed her eyebrows, remembering the post-card. "What's Storybrooke?"

Her father looked back at her through the rearview mirror once again and smiled. "Our next adventure."

And right as they passed the sign, that's when she felt it. A deep shudder ran through her body as she gasped at the feeling of her wolf practically howling within her. Her body was buzzing.

"What the hell was that?" she panted and looked to her parents shuddering as well

Snow turned around in her seat to face her. Glowing green eyes looking back to her with glee "Magic."