David Nolan sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, this was the fourth night in a row that his wife wasn't home when she said she would be. His wife preferred to stay at home, to keep their modest loft comfortable and clean… and to look after their children. Their children that didn't exist yet. Ever since Mary had heard about the new foster child that the Mayor had taken in and was waiting to adopt, she couldn't shake the feeling that she knew that little girl.

When Mary had been almost 20, she had gotten pregnant by David, but she hadn't told him. They were just figuring out their relationship and an unexpected teen pregnancy wouldn't be the best thing for them. So, Mary had moved in with her best friend Ruby who was going to college in LA for the remainder of her pregnancy. She told David that she was living with her spinster aunt who needed an extra pair of hands and had requested her specifically. Ruby worked as a waitress around her college course, so Mary bagged a job at the same restaurant using a fake name- Heather- the same name that she gave to the hospital when she finally went into labour. She couldn't keep the baby, so she was placed immediately for adoption following her birth. Mary had brought her to the children's centre herself and placed her daughter in the crib by the door for abandoned or unwanted children.

To this day, Mary regretted that. She wished now that she had gone back, swept her baby girl into her arms and promised that everything would be okay… but she hadn't. she had hurried off back to Ruby's place where she wept for days following her daughters birth.
She hadn't told David until the night before their wedding, sure that this would break their relationship apart. Instead, David soothed her and commended her for giving their daughter "her best chance" because at 18 and 19 years old, neither of them were able to give that baby the life that it deserved.

Now though, Mary was sure that this little girl was her own long-lost daughter. David had tried to tell her that the odds were beyond astronomical, but Mary wouldn't listen.

Hearing her car pull into the driveway, David sighed in relief. She was finally home and safe. David hurried out to meet his wife at the car but when he did, he muffled a cry of shock.

"Oh Mary. What on earth have you done?!" he cried, his handsome face contorted in shock?

12 hours earlier

"Emma? Are you okay?" Regina called for what felt like the seventh time that morning.

"fine Mommy!" came her daughter's muffled response.

Regina was taking Emma for her first day at Storybrooke Academy Infant school. There were only two schools in the small town, one was private and cost a lot of money to attend, the other was public. No guesses for which one the mayor's girls were attending. The only bone of contention between Regina and Emma was that the school had a uniform. Regina had actually helped to design it when she first became mayor. It was absolutely adorable, with white shirts, plaid skirts or black trousers, a girl-scout style tie that was the same plaid as the skirts, and a blazer. The girls looked absolutely darling in the photos that Regina took of them that morning, but Emma had steadfastly refused to wear the skirt, love nor money wouldn't get her into it. So eventually Regina asked the school if Emma could wear the trousers instead, and they agreed. Emma's trousers hung off her still-skinny-frame but the ones she had on were actually the smallest ones that the school shop stocked, so perhaps Regina's mother would have to take them in at the waist and bring up the hem a little by shortening the legs.

Hearing Emma clump down the stairs in her new school shoes, Regina felt her breath catch in her throat. There was no way that this was the same child who had come into her home a few months earlier practically non-verbal and fearful of everything. Emma had come on in leaps and bounds, largely because Regina had promised that Emma and Aila could get a kitten each if they behaved. They were going to the local pound to pick out some kittens after Regina's meeting with the town council that afternoon. Ashely would be getting both girls from school and bringing them home. Emma and Aila had already worked out a shortlist of names for their new kitties and were already so excited to get them.
Regina was dropping the girls off at school before heading to her actual office which was a ten-minute drive from the school. Just in case Emma needed her. Emma went into her classroom without a fuss and sat next to Neal who welcomed her with a big grin.

8 hours earlier

Mary Margaret Nolan had her plan ready. She was getting her daughter back today! She had hauled out the camp bed and made their spare room look pretty and welcoming to the little girl that she had lost and then found. She hadn't told her husband what she was doing, he would think that she was crazy! And he might not go to work, which was critical for her timeline.

Mary knew that what she was doing was wrong, but she couldn't help it. She had to see her daughter! From the second that she had laid eyes on the tiny blonde, she knew. She didn't need an expensive DNA test to prove what she already knew deep in her bones. But she would have to prove that Emma was her daughter, so she was going to bag up some of the little girls hair and wipe a cotton swab across her cheek, just in case.

Gathering up her bag of items, Mary was almost ready. David would be leaving for work any second, then she was putting her plan into action. Operation Elephant was a go!

Four hours earlier

"well done Jasmine! Two add two is indeed four! Can you come here and write the word 'four' on the board for us please?" asked Miss Denby who was teaching Emma's class.

Emma breathed a low sigh. She wasn't exceptionally good at numbers. she loved reading though and hoped that they would be doing that soon. Math was hard and boring, and she hated it.

"Emma? Do you know what five add five is?" Miss Denby asked

Oh no! Emma hadn't been paying attention! She felt herself begin to panic a little until Neal whispered 'Ten'.

"Ten, Miss Denby?" Emma guessed, praying that she was right.

"Correct! Can you come up here and write the word 'ten' please?"

Emma walked up to the board and carefully took the chalk that she was presented with. She then wrote 'ten' as neatly as she could before handing the chalk back to Miss Denby who gave her a big smile.

After another ten minutes of Math, Miss Denby announced that it was time to practise their reading. Everyone else got their books out of their schoolbags but Emma didn't have one, she was wondering what she should do when her teacher called on her to come over to her desk.
Miss Denby explained that she needed to hear Emma read a book or two so she could try and gauge what reading group to put her in. handing Emma a book that had big printing and lots of pictures, Emma relaxed, this would be easy!

She read her way through the first book with ease, even putting in some expression and changing voices for the characters. Her teacher looked enormously proud of her and then handed her a lightly harder book about Sharks and dolphins. Again, Emma read through it easily and quickly, never hesitating or stumbling over her words. Then Miss Denby asked Emma what her favourite book was. Emma thought for a moment, then declared that she liked "A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Her teacher then retrieved that book from a high up shelf and asked if Emma could read a few chapters which she did, although she stumbled a few times. Emma was so engrossed with her reading that she didn't notice the sheer look of wonder that was now flashing across her teachers face. Miss Denby had been teaching for… as long as she could remember, but she had never encountered a child who at age five could read books that were marketed at nine- or ten-year olds.

"Well done Emma! You read those books perfectly! I think you might be one of my best readers, so you'll be joining my top set from tomorrow. That's awesome!" Miss Denby exclaimed, holding out her hand for Emma to High Five her, which the tiny blonde did very enthusiastically.

Emma returned to her seat and continued to read "A Little Princess" while her teacher checked up on the rest of her class. Neal nudged Emma's arm gently to get her attention:

"What group are you in for reading?" he asked, his voice a light whisper.

"Miss Denby said I'm in the top set from tomorrow, is that good?" Emma whispered back

"Top set? You must be a great reader! I'm in middle set and I hate reading!" Neal whispered in mock annoyance but grinned at the same time

"Mr Gold? Would you like to share your sparkling and witty conversation topics with the whole class?" Miss Denby called, causing both children to blush and giggle furiously before returning to their tasks.

Suddenly there was a knock at the classroom door and a flustered-looking woman with crazy curly white hair, glasses shoved on top of her head like an Alice band, and a pen sticking out from behind her painfully large ears. It was Mrs D, the school secretary.

"Apologies, Ms Denby, but may I borrow Emma Swan for a moment? She'll need to bring her bags with her"

"Of course, Emma if you wouldn't mind packing up and I'm sure I'll see you later"

Emma did as she was asked and shoved her new schoolbooks into her rucksack, pulled on her coat and walked next to the secretary up to her office where there was a blonde-haired woman with her back to Emma. When she turned around, Emma stifled a gasp, it was Mal! What on earth could Mal want with her at school?

"Hi Emma, you remember me? Your mommy sent me to pick you up and bring you home because she doesn't feel well and has arranged for Aila to be brought home after her gymnastics class, is that okay?" Mal asked, her whole face was smiling at the secretary but Emma privately thought that she looked a little like a shark, all eyes and teeth; just waiting to lure you in and bite you.

"yeah I guess so." Emma replied and put her small hand into Mal's bigger one.

When the pair exited the school, there was a brunette woman standing beside a car who Mal waved at discretely and then began to steer Emma towards.

"Emma this is my friend Mary. She's going to look after you for me. Jump into the car, you can ever sit in the front seat!" Mal said, buckling the tiny girl into the car and closing the door with a thud. Mal then spoke to Mary for a few moments, nodded and Mary handed her an envelope, Mal smiled, waved at Emma, and walked away.

Mary started up the car and sped towards the woods while Emma just sat in the seat, thinking for the first time about how much she wanted her mommy.

2 hours earlier

Regina was in a frenetic state. she had gone to pick Emma up from school only to be met with blank and confused looks from all the school staff and eventually discovered that someone had taken Emma out of school without her permission!
Regina called Aila's gymnastics coach and sagged with relief when she found out that Aila was safe and arranged for Zelena to pick her up and take her home while Regina called the Sheriff whose name was Graham and reported Emma as a missing person. It was entirely probable that Emma had been taken out of Storybrooke by now, but Graham was sure that Emma and her kidnapper were hiding out somewhere in the town. He organised search parties and tapped Regina's home, office, and cell phone in case a ransom was demanded but that was a dead end.

Meanwhile, Emma was shivering lightly in the cold car that was parked in a clearing in the woods. Mary didn't seem to notice that Emma was cold, and hungry, and wanted to go home.

"Mary?" Emma asked timidly.

"Yes darling?" Mary answered and Emma bristled at the nickname.

"I'm really cold, do you have a blanket? And something to eat?" Emma asked.

"Of course, there's a blanket under your seat and some snacks in the glove compartment, help yourself to whatever you fancy".

Emma did just that, burrowing under the pink blanket and shovelling goldfish crackers into her mouth until she fell asleep after about an hour or so. Mary then shifted the sleeping child to the trunk of the car and waited until she was sure that she wouldn't be caught driving from the woods. She hopped into her car and drove slowly back to the loft that she shared with her husband. David must've heard her car as the engine needed some work done and made a distinctive noise. He came out of the loft, relieved that she was okay but shocked when she clicked open her trunk to reveal Emma, still sleeping with her golden curls fanned out and her thumb in her mouth.

"Oh Mary, what have you done?"

"I've found our daughter David. The baby I gave up for adoption when I was 20. Its her David! Don't try to tell me that she isn't our kid! Just look at her, she has my green eyes and your blonde curly hair… and she's exactly five years old. When she wakes up you can ask her when her birthday is and I can promise you that she'll say August 19th 1995."

David rubbed his index fingers over his temples; his wife had kidnapped the mayors foster child! There was no way that she could blag her way out of this unless they said she was mentally incompetent. But she was still his wife and he still cared about her. He picked up the sleeping child from the trunk, feeling her nuzzle against his chest and put her down on the bed in their spare room.

"Mary, even if she is our child, you signed away your parental rights and I had no idea of her existence until three years ago, so mine must've been ruled as null-and-void. You can't just take her! The Mayor will be beside herself looking for her!"

"She's mine David, I knew it the second I saw her. I want to get her back and raise her as my own daughter. I've missed five years" Mary exclaimed, her green eyes filled with tears and fell down her pointed face.

"Be that as it may, you shouldn't have just taken her away like that! It's almost midnight and I don't want to scare that little girl further, but she gets handed over to Graham tomorrow morning. Then we can go to court and see about parental rights." David sighed, knowing that if he tried to take Emma away from his wife while Mary was in this state, it wouldn't be pretty.