Summary: Emma finally express why she is keeping so many secrets and feelings at bay before then can even work through it, they must fight the battle before they are all lost.

The door the diner creaked open and Emma looked up from her untouched food she had been swirling it around the plate to anxious to eat. Feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was wrong, that something terrible had happened while they waited.

Mary Margret walked through the entrance of the diner her facial expression blank. All the colour drained from her checks, but she was alive. So, Emma jumped up from her seat feeling relived she came over to Mary Margret. Realising that the dreed she felt was for nothing and Mary Margret was successful in getting the totem they needed and with the fairy dust they were close to getting this done. To getting back to just living again not fearing ever shudder of the wind.

"Emma" Mary Margret said with a smile as Emma came closer. Mary Margret was holding the box of stuff she had recovered from their attacker's hideout.

This stopped Emma in her tracks immediately recognising what it was, the same thing that had been a black cloud over her entire life. Emma's face fell and her stomach instantly turned to knots, fearing the worst had happened, that her past had finally surfaced.

"What's that?" Emma said pointing at the boxes Mary Margret had brought in with her.

"I got all I could carry out of there hideout, and a lot of stuff was about" Mary Margret paused "Well you Emma" Mary Margret finished.

"Those are my case files, that's private, you can't just take them" Emma said already starting to become emotional. The thought of them looking at all her past mistakes made her feel like the world was crumbling around her.

"I didn't take them, Emily did I just want to know why" Mary Margret replied on the defensive still feeling hurt by Emma's secrets, still trying to figure out how this all connected.

"Well, I don't we need to focus on finishing the ritual" Emma said frustrated, David put his hand over her shoulder trying to calm her down, but she pulled away going to grab the fairy dust and leave.

"Why do the people attacking this town have Emma's case files?" David asked Mary Margret his heart already racing as they came over with Emma back to the booth.

"Because one of them is Emma's social worker and that's not all I found out" Mary Margret said her voice breaking. Holding up the photo of Emma with Regina playing together. Showing it to David wanting to get straight to the point. Feeling like telling him will help her make sense of this will make her feel better about it.

"It's not a big deal" Emma said snapping the photo from her hand crumpling it up and throwing it to the floor, another potential home she didn't want to be reminded of.

The three of them sat in silence for a moment David was almost hyperventilating trying to take it all in. David looked to Mary Margret for further explanation, but she had no words. It all was starting to make sense now the interaction he walked in on at the sheriff's office yesterday. David still wanted clarification from Emma. Mary Margret placed the file on the table pulling out the photo that caught her attention back at the warehouse Emma with Emily standing next to each other smiling so happy.

"Why didn't you tell us?" David asked confused and hurt.

"I don't know" Emma replied her tone aggressive all her anxiety about this expressed in anger.

"Emma, you do" Mary Margret replied not letting her shut down this time.

"I was, scared" Emma admitted.

"Scared?" David questioned shocked wondering what could scare a teenage girl that would run headlong into a fire to help her friends.

"What where you afraid of?" Mary Margret ask calmly as possible as Emma looked at the photo of her posing next to Emily.

There was silence for a moment as Emma thought it through still not ready to have this conversation but there was no denying it was happening. Looking at her parents filled her with still here sitting across from her maybe they would stick around, maybe this time she really had found her family. However, it never did work out Emma remembered looking down at the pictures in front of her, even she didn't recognise herself looking so happy, so naive.

"You want to know why I'm so happy in this photo" Emma said letting out a deep breath while his parents remained silent waiting to hear more.

"It's because I had just been placed with a new family, I thought this was it, they wanted me and I had found my home, turns out all they wanted was a severance cheque" Emma replied frustrated.

"Emma, I'm so sorry all this happened to you" David started to say his eyes so saddened thinking of Emma getting hurt like that.

Emma interrupted however now that she started talking about this she couldn't stop. Like a dam that had burst open. She was struggling to keep up all the memories flowing back. Bad and good hitting her like a ton of bricks and she had no control, drowning in the overpowering current.

"I thought you wouldn't want me if you knew what happened, with Regina, with everything in those files" Emma paused letting wiping her tears, knowing her criminal records and behavioural reports her whole life defined in those papers. All the evidence that decided if she deserved a family or not.

"Emma?" Mary Margret paused realising her mistake never actually saying the worlds so that Emma knew exactly how they felt. That no matter what they loved her and would never leave.

"I know things are different this time, you're my birth parents and you were just saving me when you gave me up, but that doesn't change the fact that for my entire life I have been abandoned again and again" Emma finished.

Stumped to find the words to comfort Emma feeling once again like complete strangers to their own daughter. Making them feel like their hearts had been ripped out of their chests, more determined than ever to make her feel safe and loved.

Emma stared down at those pictures and papers that documented everything she tried to put behind her, everything she didn't want them to know including criminal records. Even now as they looked at her with only love in their hearts. She just wanted to destroy all those papers all her secrets. Everything from her past out in the open Emma felt this was the end, another potential home lost.

"No, Emma we would never judge you for your past, we love you" David started to say but got cut off.

"No one wants to deal with the messed-up kid" Emma responded looking down avoiding their gaze.

"Emma you're not damaged goods, you're our daughter" Mary Margret said reaching out for Emma's hand, but Emma pulled away.

"The problem is you too late, by the time I came here I already accepted that I would never have a family" Emma replied through tears.

"You do" David said "We will always be your family"

"But you wanted a baby and I'm not, I can see it in your faces just like those people at the adoption fairs, everyone wants the puppy" Emma replied wondering why the wanted so desperately to have this chat nobody wants the truth.

"Emma" Mary Margret gasped shocked at the analogy.

"That's not true" David added almost pleading with Emma to know what he knew, that he loved his daughter for all she was.

"I heard you, you just want that baby in your arms again, but you can't" Emma paused taking a deep breath looking up at David's shocked expression.

"I can't be that for you" Emma said to David remembering him admitting his fears to Graham, not knowing Emma was in earshot.

"You know that's not what I meant" David replied his heart aching realising Emma had heard his exchange with Graham.

"What is she talking about?" Mary Margret asked confused.

"It's ok, it is what it is" Emma responded wiping her tears as silence fell between the group.

David and Mary Margret didn't know what to say didn't know how to comfort their daughter and let her know how much they loved her. They were getting used to this feeling but now with the added sting of knowing Regina got to know Emma. Wondering if she was all a part of her plan to destroy their happiness.

There wasn't complete silence though a whistling wind blew through the town of Storybrooke leaving and eerie feeling, like a chill up everyone's spine. Then there was the insistent ringing coming from Emma's phone it went on for what felt like an eternity before she was able to compose herself long enough to answer.

Before Emma could say a word, Killian voice rang out loud enough for Mary Margret and David to hear it was broken and distorted wherever he was it was loud. But the message was clear the creature had taken another victim, it had taken Elsa.

There was an anxious silence as Emma listened while Killian explained what had happened to Emma and all Emma could do was try not to vomit, while she confirmed the monster hadn't taken anyone else.

"I'm coming" Emma informed Killian after a moment.

"No, stay where you are, best not to be out in the open" Killian reassured her.

"But we promised" Emma said her hearting aching knowing that if she could just see him, it would

"I know" Killian replied hopeless "See you on the other side of this" Killian told Emma knowing her parents would protect her if he couldn't.

"We have the totem here and the fairy dust" Emma responded wanting this over with not wanting to accept they'd have to stay apart.

"Will have to wait out the storm" Killian replied before hanging up, knowing if he listened to Emma's pleading one moment longer, he would give in. That would only lead to more lives lost.

While Emma started to think of how they could get across town without meeting the same fate as Elsa. Mary Margret and David where already conceiving a plan themselves, they didn't even say anything to each other. So, in sync like they were reading each other thoughts. They both got up from the table making their way into the kitchen grabbing anything flammable as well as a couple of brooms figuring they could make torches and David still had his sword in hand ready for a fight.

Emma got up from the table as they made their way to the exit. They were taking a page out of Emma's book, pushing there feeling aside for the moment to focus on the challenge in front of them.

"How far away is the school exactly?" David asked trying to map out a plan in his head.

"Barley five kilometres" Mary Margret replied as they organised their weapons.

"We can make it, if we stick to the side streets" David replied.

"What are you guys doing?" Emma finally asked still trying to catch her breath after hearing the news.

Mary Margret turned to Emma grabbing her hand she smiled, walking Emma back over to the bench where they sat moments ago. Trying her best not to break, even though it was unbearable just to stand straight finding it difficult to disconnect from everything they had just discussed while they tried to stay alive.

"Stay low for a minute ok, we going to check if the coast is clear and try make our way to the library" Mary Margret reassured her gesturing for Emma to duck behind the booth. Not sure if that would even prevent an attack it just made her feel better.

"We will get to your friends and finish what we started today" David said looking at Emma, determined as ever.

"She was the first person I met here" Emma mumbled. Feeling immense loss and guilt that Elsa was paying the price of Emma's inability to share. This could have all been resolved if Emma had just been honest about her past and they could have put all the final pieces together long ago.

Seeing the hurt in Emma's eyes Mary Margret just wanted to stay here and hold Emma tight. But there was something hunting them and right now, what Emma needed wasn't kind words and hugs but the bandit and the Prince. As usual their emotional trauma would have to be put on hold while they rallied together to stop the dark forces working against them. They looked outside to see the sky had changed colour the clear blue day had become darkened by black clouds. Still, Mary Margret and David opened the doors to the diner and made their way out front with no hesitation.

Notes: Hey all happy new year, hope you like this chapter.