Disclaimer: You people know I don't own the rights to this shit.

God, I hate me so much sometimes. Why am I doing this? This show is messily complicated and there are so many characters to write about! Am I really going to cover all of that? I think I may be a masochist you guys. Somebody please help me, I have a serious problem.

Anyways, as you know from reading the summary, this story centers on a Self-Insert/Original Character. I've actually tried reading OUAT stories with OCs before, but most of them haven't gotten past ten thousand words. The ones that do aren't usually written all that well or just aren't my cup of tea. If there are any of you out there that share my opinions, I hope that this story will fix that problem.


Chapter 1: Once Upon A Time…

January 9, 1982: Enchanted Forest

Reincarnation was a funny thing. This is a thought that the newborn baby, currently resting in the arms of a new mother, yet maintaining the mindset and memories of another life, would ponder over endlessly in the future. For the moment, however, the infant's thoughts circled about slowly, bleak, broken, and stagnant, coming in like static.

'What's… going… on…?' She tried to remember where she was, what she'd been doing, but the answers slipped away too quickly and she didn't have the focus or energy to reel them back in. Giving it up as a lost cause for now, her mind stumbled to provide her with information for what was immediately happening to her instead. She was… being held in a weird way and she felt… smaller?

She grunted, frustrated, because she had enough brain power left to know that didn't make any sense. Yet as she attempted to move, wiggling only slightly, she found that she was indeed being held in the arms of somebody else. Her oddly numb awareness finally registered that she was sticky, wet, and cold. She tried opening her eyes, a task she'd never found so hard before, only able to manage squinting in the end. The light, though dim, blinded her, and she could only see the vaguest of shapes and colors.

"Look at you." A voice, a woman's her mind sluggishly deduced, cooed from above her, belonging to the shaking arms that held her securely, offering warmth that she so dearly needed. "You're so beautiful." She could only see the woman as a blur of gray, white, and brown near the top. She blinked, hoping it would help clear things up, but her eyelids felt so heavy that she found herself fighting to get them open again. She suddenly felt very tired, but stubbornly refused, too confused to let herself fall asleep without knowing what was going on. The woman gasped softly from overhead. "Oh, you have your papa's eyes."

The woman's voice had a strange accent to it. She felt like she'd heard it before, but mentally struggled to put a name on it. 'Maybe… my… brain's… sleepy… too...' The woman readjusted her and an itchy fabric, a blanket she realized after a long moment, was wrapped around her body. She made a noise of protest, finding that the blanket hurt her skin, chaffing it roughly. When the woman merely tucked the blanket around her more tightly, she grunted again. The resulting noise finally registered in her mind, sounding much too high-pitched to have come from her. The woman hushed her quietly.

"You have to stay silent sweetheart, or else the guards will hear you." There was a trembling tenor in her words, as if she were on the brink of tears. "Regina can't know about you." That was an odd name and it strangely reminded her of something. But her mind was slow to understand why, still gradually processing everything around her. "I love you so much." Something wet hit her forehead, but it was quickly brushed away as something warm and soft pressed against her skin. "It's why I have to send you away."

'Send… me… away… what…' Unintelligible words left her and she was annoyed that even her mouth refused to cooperate. The woman let out a small sob, simultaneously bringing her closer to her chest.

"It's not that I don't want you. You should be with me and your papa, but–" She took a deep breath and gave a watery chuckle. "I'm being held prisoner and who knows what Regina would do to you if she found out." She didn't understand what the woman was talking about and tried to say as much. More nonsensical noise spilled out of her mouth, along with a glob of spit much to her embarrassment, but the woman wiped it away gently as she continued. "She'd take you away from me a-and try to use you against your p-papa. The least I can d-do is get you away f-from h-her."

Something clicked in the back of her head as her brain picked up on the word papa. Dread pooled in her stomach, panic made her want to move. She tried to sit up, but her arms, no matter how much she willed them, remained stuck under the itchy blanket. She wanted to shout and yell as she realized what had happened to her. She didn't only because she was afraid her anger would come out as nothing more than an infant's cries. 'I'm… not… a… baby…' She remembered that much at least, remembered being an adult. Before she could do much more though, a knock from nearby caused the woman to flinch, curling around her protectively.

"It's just me." A deeper, male voice with another strange accent muttered. He sounded muffled, as if he were speaking through a wall. The woman sighed in obvious relief, her grip loosening a little. A creak and light footsteps echoed. She tried to raise her head and made a frustrated noise as she could barely move. The woman readjusted her though, setting her in the crick of her arm and tilting her upwards slightly. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to help you with the birthing." The woman shifted and she could only assume that she'd made some sort of gesture to the man. "Is the baby alright?"

"She's fine, but she hasn't cried yet." There was a pause, as if the woman was unsure of what that meant. 'I… won't… cry…' She promised the woman silently. She knew she wasn't a baby; she wasn't going to act like one.

"That's a good thing. I doubt the guards on the lower levels would miss a newborn's wails." The man commented as he appeared to the left of her vision, just another splash of dull colors with nothing definite. The man made a surprised noise. "Her eyes! They're–"

"His." The woman interrupted sternly. "She has his eyes. I think they're beautiful." Another brief moment of silence followed and with it, the drowsiness from before returned, her panic reluctantly fading away as she yawned. 'Too… tired… but…' She thought blearily. 'I… don't… want… to… sleep…' "Would you like to hold her?" Her tone was notably softer.

"What? Oh, no, no. I think it's best if I don't." The man said, sounding nervous judging by the way his voice cracked a little. "What's her name?"

"You know, I really had no idea what to call her." The woman answered, her much larger hand brushing over her head. "I've thought of so many different names from all the books I've read... He always said names were important." She couldn't hold back the second yawn and against her will, her eyes shut.

"I never had a name." The man replied quietly. "I never needed one." It seemed the woman didn't know how to respond to that. "If we're going to get her out of here, I need to go now while the Queen is away from the castle." A sniff came from the woman, the trembling of her body doubling almost instantly. She felt herself being lowered into something. She wanted to wrench her eyes open, but she could feel her body giving in to sleep.

"You'll take care of her?" The woman whispered.

"I cannot leave the castle without the Queen's permission." He sounded pained as he admitted this. "However, my friend can get her out." The woman was crying now. "Regina will not find her, Belle. I promise." The woman's hand came back, resting on her stomach. As she drifted off, she heard her voice one last time.

"…Rose, I want her name to be Rose."


October 22, 2011: Boston, MA

"I'm back!" Rose quickly ducked down at hearing the voice of her roommate, trying to make as little noise as possible. Her split-second decision to surprise Emma for her birthday would've been a lot more affective if she hadn't left the lights on. "And I brought dinner." She could see Emma's legs appear at the other side of the counter, the heels she'd worn for her 'date' flung off haphazardly to the side. "Rose?"

"Surprise!" She shouted as she jumped up, chuckling slightly as Emma nearly dropped the takeout container in her hands.

"Jesus!" The taller woman quickly righted herself, tossing Rose a mild glare. "Way to give me a heart attack."

"Happy birthday, Emma." She replied, completely unrepentant as she smirked impishly, unique amber eyes sparkling with mischief. Turning towards the refrigerator, she quickly pulled out the small cake she'd picked up a few hours ago. Her smirk spread, becoming a wide smile as she presented the desert, not missing the way Emma's face pulled into a softer expression.

"Thanks Rose." She said lowly, her gaze focused on the vanilla frosted cake. Rose shook her head dismissively, already pulling out a spare candle from last year and lighting it.

"Like I wasn't going to get you a cake for your birthday? Now make a wish, so I can give you your present!" Smiling, Emma bent down, closing her vibrant green eyes before mumbling something under her breath and blowing out the candle. Then the doorbell rang and Rose, despite expecting it, froze. Excitement and nauseas battled for dominance in her stomach. Emma stared at the candle for a second, then the door, before glancing up at her.

"Please tell me you didn't hire another striper." She muttered before turning back to the front door with a grimace.

"After your reaction last year?" Rose scoffed. "You nearly shot the poor guy!"

"He hid in my room with the lights off! I thought it was a break-in." The blonde argued before moving to answer the door. Rose waved off her reply, leaning against the counter and eyeing the blonde's back until she disappeared around the corner. She strained her ears to listen, holding her breath as a young muffled voice spoke. She stilled as a boy she knew, though she'd never actually met him before, stepped into the kitchen. Emma stood behind him, her hands fidgeting at her sides and looking like she'd rather be anywhere else.

Rose tried not to stare, to not feel desperately relieved, or to tug out her hair from the sheer madness of it all. She'd known Henry was coming today, she'd reread her old notebook numerous times throughout the week. But his arrival was evidence, more tangible proof that she wasn't crazy. That she was somebody before she was Rose. And that shit was about to get a whole lot crazier.

"Who are you?" Henry asked with a straightforwardness that instantly reminded her of Emma. His big hazel eyes narrowed slightly as he looked her over curiously.

"Uh, Rose…" She glanced at her roomate briefly, pretending to be confused. "Who are you?"

"I'm Henry. I'm Emma's son." He answered with a light shrug, dropping his backpack to the floor as he glanced over the room. Emma's eyes, remarkably, got even wider and she opened her mouth for a second before shutting it, obviously not knowing what to say.

"Oh." Rose replied after a painfully awkward beat of silence. 'I'm honestly not really sure how to respond here. I should've planned this encounter out better.' She slowly pulled the cake towards herself, plucking out the candle, watching him carefully as she assessed the situation. "…Do you want a piece of cake?"

"Rose!" Emma hissed before turning to the boy with a flat look. "Kid, I don't have a son." He seemed rather unimpressed with that as he continued to examine the large two-bedroom apartment. "Where're your parents?"

"Ten years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption?" He asked and the blonde suddenly went very still. "That was me."

"Give me a minute." Emma replied as she stiffly stormed out of the room. Henry's gaze turned to Rose and she automatically found herself looking for any physical traits he'd inherited from his parents. 'God, he totally has Emma's chin.' She thought as she looked at the boy more closely. 'And he's got Neal's nose.' His hazel eyes didn't come from either of his parents though. Maybe he'd inherited them from a grandparent? His brown hair was a few shades lighter than Neal's had been, but it could darken with age.

"So, how 'bout that cake?" She asked while gesturing at the treat. "And, uh, happy belated birthday?" He'd been born September 15. Emma always grew melancholy that day, a Bad Day, they called it. He beamed, accepting the slice happily.

"Thanks! Do you have any juice?" Rose nodded and turned to the fridge, pulling the carton out before sliding it over to him. She'd begun to pull out a glass, but stopped at seeing Henry drink straight from the carton. 'Yep, he's definitely Neal's kid.' Emma chose that moment to step out of the bathroom, looking a little more solid as she approached her son. "You know we should probably get going."

"Going where?" Emma asked as she crossed her arms and tilted her head, looking cool and collected. Rose knew that stance well; Emma made it whenever she felt defensive. She decided to say nothing and instead cut Henry a piece of cake before handing it to the boy.

"I want you to come home with me." Rose held back a cringe at his bluntness. 'And there's Emma's side peeking through again.' She thought humorously.

"Okay kid, I'm calling the cops." She walked past them briskly, picking up the phone.

"Then I'll tell them you kidnapped me." Henry announced, looking a little smug with himself before taking a bite out of his cake. Emma froze before scowling.

"And they'll believe you because I'm your birthmother."

"Yep." Emma turned to look at him, studying him intently for a moment before speaking.

"You're not gonna do that."

"Try me."

"You're pretty good, but here's the thing. There's not a lot I'm great at in life, but I have one skill." She raised an eyebrow. "Let's call it a superpower. I can tell when anyone is lying, and you kid, are." He looked up at Rose, who nodded solemnly.

"It's true. She's a human lie detector." However, Emma's superpower, which Rose had long since suspected to be more magic-based than just good instincts, didn't work on her for whatever reason. It had been a source of a lot of frustration for the blonde over the years.

"Wait, please don't call the cops!" Henry exclaimed just as Emma began to dial, sounding unsure for the first time since stepping into their apartment. "Please. Come home with me."

"Where's home?" Emma asked before setting down the phone.

"Storybrooke, Maine." He sighed, his little shoulders slumping in relief. Rose had to hand it to the kid. It took a lot of guts to travel as far as he did on his own, searching for someone who'd given him up at birth.

"Storybrooke? Seriously?" She repeated, disbelief filling her tone.

"Mm-mph." The boy nodded.

"Okay, I'll get you back to Storybrooke."

"Whoohoo, road trip!" Rose shouted as she lifted a fist into the air. The blonde didn't look at all surprised that she'd invited herself along for the ride, just resigned.

"I'm going to change and then we'll get going." Emma stated before heading to her bedroom without another word. Henry looked after her worriedly, but stayed in the kitchen, biting his lip before turning to Rose.

"How long have you known Emma?" He asked, tone turning a touch suspicious. She wondered what Henry thought of her.

"Pretty much all our lives." She shrugged, putting both the cake and the takeout into the fridge. "We grew up together. We're sisters." She explained, licking a bit of frosting off of her fingers. "We adopted each other."

"So…" Henry began, head bent low over his plate. "Would that make you, like… my aunt?" She blinked, once again taken aback by his candor, but smirked anyways.

"Sure kiddo." She replied easily. He peered up at her, taking another bite of his cake and Rose caught him staring before his gaze quickly dropped down guiltily. "What's up?"

"It's just I've never seen eyes like yours before. They're pretty."

"Thanks Henry, they're called amber." She smiled at his sincerity. "I'm gonna go grab some things, okay?" Walking down the hall, Rose paused outside of Emma's door, knocking lightly. "Hey Swan Lake, can I come in?" It opened with no resistance and she quietly closed it behind her as she studied her younger sister. Emma sat on the edge of her bed, hands twisting a shirt harshly as her eyes stared unseeingly at the floor.

Rose sat next to her, saying nothing. Emma wasn't the type of person who responded to questions, it had always made her feel like she was being attacked. She had learned long ago that the best way to comfort the other woman was to stay silent, but nearby. Simply offering a shoulder to lean on and being patient. When Emma wanted to talk, she would. After about five minutes, the Savior took a deep breath, her shoulders shuddering slightly.

"I–" She hesitated for a second. "I just don't get it. How'd he find me? It was supposed to be a closed adoption."

"Well, he is your kid and finding people is sort of what you do for a living." Rose remarked lightly, hoping that pointing out similarities between them would help. Emma shook her head, eyes pinched shut, frowning.

"I never thought I would see him again, you know?" She whispered softly, as if she were afraid to admit it.

"Well, he's here now." She commented kindly, nudging the blonde gently. "And we can't just stick him on a bus and pretend this whole thing never happened." Emma stiffened guiltily, but Rose continued as if she hadn't noticed. "Now we have to go all the way to Maine to take him home." She gave a mock sigh of disappointment, crossing her arms. "I guess I'll have to call that stripper and tell him not to show up." Emma snorted and Rose could see some of the tension leave her as she rolled her eyes fondly. "Remember, no matter what happens, I always got your back."

"I know." She said before turning back to her packing. Getting up, Rose crossed the bedroom, pausing at the door as Emma continued. "Thanks for always being here. Sometimes, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I imagine you'd get along just fine." Rose replied with an easy smile. She stepped into the hallway, catching sight of Henry who sat at the table, finishing off his cake. He glanced up at her, frowning, and she gave him a thumbs up before heading to her own room. Closing the door behind her, Rose quickly took three long strides to her bed, pulling out an old yellowing notebook hidden under her mattress. The first twenty pages consisted of childish scribbles and short, messy sentences that meant nothing. On the twenty-first page however, was something of a rough timeline, and her eyes traveled over the first passage fervently even though she'd read it just a few hours ago.

E1: In 2011, Henry gets Emma on her 28th birthday and they go to Storybrooke. Regina has it out for Emma. Emma decides to stay in Storybrooke for a little longer. Gold appears at the end of the episode.

She frowned, once again feeling annoyed at her younger self for not having written down more information. But it couldn't be helped; time had taken its toll on her memoires even back then. Still, she tried to remember something else now, hoping that seeing Henry might have jumpstarted her brain. An old panic gripped her, as it usually did whenever she tried to remember something.

Her past life was a blur in most ways. At most she could recall that she'd had two parents and was certain that she'd had an extended family through them. However, she couldn't remember her grandparents, uncles, aunts or cousins. Couldn't remember what her parents had looked like or their names, nor her own name, or even her age. Rose had long since concluded that she had amnesia of some kind. Perhaps her death or being reborn had been too traumatic for her mind.

This fear of forgetting everything was what had drove her to write out the events to Once Upon a Time. Of course that was after she'd met Emma and realized just how unusual her rebirth was. And by then a handful of years had already passed since she'd last seen the show.

Rose concentrated hard, drawing forth a fuzzy memory of Emma somehow ending up in jail at some point in the episode. 'Not very helpful, but hopefully I won't need to know anymore.' Setting the notebook aside, she pulled out a book bag she'd long since stopped using and packed a spare outfit and some sleeping clothes. Rose knew that they wouldn't be leaving Storybrooke, not if things went how they're supposed to, but bringing a suitcase would be suspicious. 'I'll buy us new clothes if we need it.'

Carefully tucking her old notebook into her bag and zipping it up, she crossed the room and slipped on a dark blue leather jacket that was the same style as Emma's signature red one. She'd bought Emma's coat years ago after confronting Cleo's kid. Swan Lake had returned the favor in kind a year later by picking out a similar one.

Looking over her room, Rose's gaze landed on two picture frames on her bed-stand, and she nearly smacked herself for almost forgetting them. Setting her bag down, she picked up the older one. The picture was of her from when she'd been three years old, sitting happily on the lap of the man who'd taken her into his home. She set it inside her bag gently before turning to the second photograph. This one had been taken eleven years ago, with her, Emma, and Neal sitting on the hood of the yellow beetle. She knew Emma didn't like this photo, and she tried to keep it out of sight most of the time, but Rose refused to get rid of it.

'I wonder what I'll do when I see Neal again?' He'd broken Emma's heart and gotten them arrested after all, but she also knew that Emma still loved him. For that matter, so did she. Rose had never had any siblings in her past life, so she'd come to see Neal as a brother. But that had also made his betrayal all the more painful. 'Probably kick him in the balls.' She decided with a firm nod. She hadn't forgiven him, but she didn't resent him nearly as much as she should either.

"Hey Rose, you ready yet?" Emma called from the kitchen. Quickly stuffing the frame into her bag, Rose left her room without taking a second glance. The apartment had never felt like much of a home to her. No place she and Emma had stayed in ever had.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." Emma stood some feet away from Henry and had changed out of her dress. Now she wore black jeans, a see-though long-sleeved gray shirt with a white tank top underneath, and her red jacket. Rose looked over the room, spotting a splash of color on the coffee table. "I almost forgot!" She shouted, jumping over the couch clumsily, catching herself before she could fall to the floor, and held up the item triumphantly. "Here ya go!" She cheered as she handed over the present. Emma accepted it, tearing the paper off and smiling widely.

"Wow, you actually listened to me this year." The blonde remarked as she held up an iPhone and Rose smiled sheepishly. "Thanks Rose, I love it."

"I already downloaded your music and you'll be on my plan for the next three years so you're all set." Henry looked up at her curiously. "I kind of have a habit of going overboard when it comes to gifts." She muttered. "I was this close to also getting you the latest laptop from Microsoft." She admitted, laughing at the grimace on her sister's face. "Oh speaking of, have you seen my laptop bag?"

"Behind the sofa." She hummed in thanks before grabbing it and securing it over her shoulder. "You don't need it. We're not staying long." Emma said as she tucked her new phone into her coat pocket and Rose shrugged. 'A lot longer than you think, my dear Savior.' The blonde made an irritated noise as she caught sight of Rose's backpack in her hand. "And why do you have that?"

"What? You know me, I overpack for everything." She replied, smiling a bit goofily. "And I'm bringing my laptop because I might be inspired by this surprise road trip." Emma didn't argue, but let out a rather exhausted sounding sigh.

"Inspired for what?" Henry asked as he followed them out of the apartment.

"I'm a writer." Rose answered simply, but he was already looking up at her with wide eyes.

"Really? Have you written anything famous?"

"Oh, nothing too special." Emma threw her a skeptical look, but didn't say anything otherwise. "My target audience is a little older than you, so I doubt you've read anything I've written. What kind of stories do you like?" She asked, almost as an afterthought, knowing that there was only one book Henry was into at the moment.

"I like fairytales." He admitted, clutching the strap of his backpack tightly. Rose chuckled, feeling positively mischievous as she winked at the boy.

"Me too, kiddo." They took the stairs to get to the complex's parking lot, the walk down being awkwardly quiet, despite hers and Henry's attempts at making smalltalk. As they reached the car, Rose looked down at him as they stood next to the passenger's door. "Wanna play rock-paper-scissors to see who gets shotgun?" She offered and Henry smiled.

"Sure, but I have to warn you, I never lose." He held out a fist, making no attempt to hide his smug smile. "It's sorta like my own superpower." Rose gave him a mock glare.

"I'll have you know, that no one has ever beaten me in rock-paper-scissors. I'm the reigning champion."

"Then you're going to have to hand that title over to me when I kick your butt." He retorted.

"Could you two stop trash talking each other and just do it already?" Emma broke in from where she sat in the driver's seat, amusement filling her tone. Ten minutes later, Rose was sitting in the back seat, shifting uncomfortably, before leaning forwards to frown at Henry.

"I will win next time." She promised and Emma chuckled.

"You're welcome to try." He returned with a smile before looking out the window as they passed by a McDonald's. "I'm hungry, wanna stop somewhere?" Rose nodded in agreement.

"Good idea."

"No, not a good idea. We're not stopping for snacks." The Savior replied, her voice losing its good humor.

"Why not?"

"Yeah, why not?" She repeated, ignoring the glare Emma directed at her. "In case you forgot, I haven't eaten dinner yet." Her stomach chose that moment to give a low, but noticeable growl.

"I brought you dinner." The blonde pointed out firmly.

"Yeah, and then Henry showed up. Forgive me for becoming a little distracted." She muttered sourly as she leaned back, slumping in defeat. "I didn't even get any cake."

"Quite complaining, you were the one who said we couldn't put the kid on a bus." Emma glanced at her in the mirror, raising an eyebrow suggestively. "You know, we still could."

"You know I have a name, it's Henry." The ten-year-old mumbled before pulling out a familiar book from his bag. Rose secretly stared at it with awe. 'It's the book! Oh man, what I wouldn't give to get my hands on that.' He propped it open in his lap, flipping through the pages lazily and Emma looked back at Rose, frowning. She rolled her eyes and silently gestured for her to talk to Henry.

"What's that?" Emma asked as she glanced at the book curiously before turning back to the road.

"I'm not sure you're ready." He said seriously as he lowered his head and bit his lip.

"Ready for some fairytales?" She remarked doubtfully.

"They're not fairytales, they're true. Every story in this book actually happened." Henry replied quickly as he looked up at her with narrowed eyes.

"Of course it did." The blonde sighed and Rose had to resist the urge to kick the back of her seat. 'Jesus, Emma. You could at least try humoring the kid.'

"Use your superpowers, see if I'm lying." Startled by his sudden confidence, Emma looked at Henry for a moment, her mouth slightly open as she studied him silently.

"Just because you believe something doesn't make it true." She argued.

"That's exactly what makes it true." He countered firmly. Rose decided to let that comment slide seeing as Henry was indeed right about the book. "You should know more than anyone."

"Why's that?" She asked, smirking a little.

"Because, you're in this book." Smirk quickly turning into a frown, Emma shook her head.

"Oh kid, do you have problems." At that, Rose stopped resisting and kicked the back of Emma's seat, sending her sister a disapproving look. Henry had fortunately misunderstood what Emma had meant though, because he just nodded his head and smiled.

"Yup, and you're gonna fix'em." She looked at him in bewilderment and Rose only just stopped herself from snickering. It was silent for a few minutes before she groaned in boredom, flopping down in the seat as she pulled out her own iPhone.

"Sorry, but I can't stand silent car rides." Rose explained when Henry twisted around to look back at her. Turning the volume up to its max, and set her phone on her stomach, humming as a classic rock song started playing. From her spot, she could see one of Emma's fingers tapping against the steering wheel, matching the beat perfectly, while Henry's head nodded along.


January 9, 1982: Enchanted Forest

When she next awoke, it was just as confusing as the first time. She felt herself being carried, though not in someone's arms. She swung back and forth, the motion jarring and lacking any rhythm. It made her dizzy and she grunted in complaint. 'No… more… moving…' Whoever was carrying her stopped and she felt whatever she was laying in being set down. Now that she wasn't being distracted with motion sickness, she noticed just how cold and hungry she was.

Forcing her eyes open was a chore, but she managed, squinting harshly at the bright light that greeted her. She heard loud sniffing noises, there was movement to her left, and a mass of white and gray suddenly appeared above her. Something black, cold, and damp nudged her and she managed to wiggle an arm out of the itchy blanket, trying to push it away. Instead, something long, pink, and wet appeared from nowhere, running up against the length of her arm. 'Ew… that's… gross…' She shuddered, not only from the new wetness of her arm, but also because of the temperature.

It was freezing.

Two different colors shone brightly against the mass of white and gray. One black circle while the other was red. She blinked, but the confusing image stayed above her. She looked past the figure, catching colors of brown and more white. She shivered, fidgeting where she lay. 'It's… so… cold…' She thought slowly, wishing she had more than just a thin, scratchy blanket to keep warm. Her eyes instinctively looked for that woman from before, but it seemed neither she nor the man were nearby. It was only this strange, new person above her.

She was about to ask where the other two were, forgetting for the moment that she couldn't actually speak, but the sound of something snapping nearby caught their attention. She heard a growl, like the kind that came from a dog, and then the stranger was gone. Barking filled the air and she felt her heart hammering against her chest. The dog didn't sound friendly at all, so she stayed silent, determined not to make herself a target. There was more barking, and it sounded like two more dogs had joined the first. She shivered, hoping the figure would come back soon.

And then, all of a sudden, everything became very quiet for a few moments.

A low noise caught her attention; whistling. She listened closely as it grew louder, almost as if the source was coming towards her. The wind picked up violently, tearing through the air so deafeningly it made her want to cover her ears. A flash of bright neon green appeared in the corner of her vision and she felt, whatever she was in, being lifted up into the air. Terrified and unsure of what was going on, she broke her promise to not cry and shut her eyes, screaming as loud as she could.


October 22, 2011: Storybrooke

"Hey, wake up." Rose made a face as Emma's voice dragged her out of the dream she'd been having. It was a recurring one that she'd had her whole life. Two differently colored eyes, one black and the other red, the wind roaring viciously, and a blinding green light were mashed together in a messy sequence that always caused her to sleep restlessly. Yawning, she blinked rapidly while stretching as best as she could in the tiny car. "We're here." Sure enough, she looked out the window to see small, weathered buildings on either side of the street, instantly giving it that small town feeling. "Okay kid, where do you live?"

"Forty-four, I'm-not-telling-you street." Henry replied smartly and Emma slammed on the breaks. Rose, who'd just been sitting up, smacked her head against the car door.

"Damnit Emma!" She growled as she rubbed the side of her head. Her sister paid her no mind as she climbed out of the car fuming, shutting her door hard and causing the small vehicle to jerk in her wake. Rose crawled out behind Henry, lazily propping herself on the other side of the car, ignoring the night's encroaching chilliness as she watched her two companions. She yawned again, catching the time on her watch, and groaned as she saw that it was already a quarter past midnight.

"Look, it's been a long night, it's almost… 8:15?" Emma started to say as she crossed her arms and looked up at the clock above the library in confusion.

"It's actually 12:13, if that helps any." She supplied drowsily and Emma groaned with good reason. The trip had been about three and a half hours long. 'And she thinks we have to drive all the way back.'

"That clock hasn't moved in my whole life. Time's frozen here." Henry explained as he looked up at the two of them. There was a moment of silence where Emma looked at her with wide eyes before turning back to him, failing to hide her unease. 'You're coming on a little too strong there, kid.' Rose thought with an inward cringe as the boy once again displayed his astounding bluntness.

"Excuse me?" Emma asked quietly, perhaps hoping that she'd misheard him.

"The Evil Queen did it with her curse. She sent everyone from the Enchanted Forest here." Henry continued, not at all deterred by the look on his birthmother's face.

"Hang on, an evil queen sent a bunch of fairytale characters here?"

"Yeah, and now they're trapped." He nodded.

"Frozen in time and stuck in Storybrooke, Maine." She gave Rose a helpless look before readdressing her son, doubt filling her tone. "That's what you're going with?"

"It's true." He said imploringly.

"Then why doesn't everybody just leave?" Emma huffed, her already limited patience seemingly reaching its end.

"They can't. If they try, bad things happen."

"Henry!" A new voice broke up the conversation before it could have a chance to get worse and the three turned to see a red-haired man with glasses approach the car. He was wearing a dark brown suit, with an umbrella in his right hand and a Dalmatian trailing behind him. Rose eyed him, trying to remember who he was exactly. He seemed familiar, but she just couldn't place a name with the face, nor could she guess who his fairytale counterpart was. "What are you doing here?" He sent a wary look at Emma, and Rose walked around the bug, coming to a stop on Henry's other side. This caused the man's eyes to jump to her almost immediately, wariness exuding from his body. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine Archie." Henry answered and Rose just managed to stop herself from snapping her fingers in recognition. It was Jiminy Cricket in human form. 'Damn it, I couldn't even remember what he looked like.' Her failing memory was beginning to become a problem. Henry quickly bent down to pet the dog, most likely so that he could avoid making eye contact with his therapist. Rose honestly couldn't blame the kid. If Emma wasn't already thinking that he was a fruit loop, then the revelation of his connection with Archie most certainly would.

"Uh, who are they?" He asked gingerly, eyeing both her and Emma with uncertainty

"Oh, this is my mom, Archie." The boy answered as he gestured to Emma before doing the same to Rose. "And this is my aunt." He completely missed the shock that spread across Emma's face as she shifted uncomfortably. Archie reeled back slightly, looking unsure of what to say. Rose just smiled, ruffling Henry's hair a little.

"Oh… I see."

"Do you know where he lives?" Emma asked, clearly eager to get this whole thing over with.

"Yeah, sure. Just, uh, right up on Mifflin Street." Archie answered as he pointed over his shoulder. "The Mayor's house is the biggest one on the block." Henry ducked his head even further, feet shuffling slightly on the wet pavement.

"You're the mayor's kid?" Emma said, sounding more resigned than anything else.

"Um, maybe." He replied quietly.

"That's got to be fun." Rose scoffed, easily brushing off Emma's glare as she nudged the boy playfully.

"Hey, where were you today Henry? You missed our session." Archie stated and Henry straightened up, sticking his hands into his pocket as his eyes drifted to the side.

"Oh, well, I forgot to tell you… I went on a field trip." The human-turned-cricket-turned-human gave a frown before crouching down to be at eye-level.

"Henry, what did I tell you about lying? Giving in to one's darkside never accomplishes anything."

"Technically, he didn't lie." Rose interrupted and Archie looked up at her, bemused. "The kid didn't explicitly say that he went on a school field trip." She argued and Henry peeked up at her from under his bangs, smiling slightly. The psychiatrist didn't seem to know how to respond as he stared up at her, gaping slightly. "I mean, a four-hour bus ride could count as a field trip, right? Granted it was an unapproved one, and his answer was very broad, but it wasn't a lie."

"Okay." Emma cut in, exaggerating the 'o' sound a little and sending her a look that Rose interpreted as a silent cue to shut up. "Well, we really should be getting him home."

"Yeah, sure." Archie stood up, nodding to both Emma and Henry, while giving Rose a measuring glance. "Well, listen, um, have a good night, and uh, you be good Henry." He patted Henry on the shoulder once before walking off, whistling "Give A Little Whistle" from Disney's Pinocchio. Wow, subtle.

"Well, that wasn't awkward at all." Rose muttered sarcastically, grunting when an elbow dug into her side.

"So, that's your shrink." Emma stated.

"I'm not crazy." Henry cut in sharply and she felt a rush of empathy for the kid. Those first few years she'd struggled to convince herself that she wasn't crazy. Memories of her previous life had clashed with her new one, and she'd had knowledge about things that hadn't even come into existence yet. Then when she'd met Emma, a whole new kind of realization had set in on her. She'd been reborn into a television show she'd used to watch. How was that not crazy?

"Didn't say that." Rose made a face at her sister's back, because that had sounded exactly what Emma had been insinuating. "Just… he doesn't seem cursed to me."

"All therapists are quacks anyways." She mumbled, dodging Emma's next jab as she stepped behind Henry, who chuckled lightly. "It's true! They're not even real doctors!"

"What I mean," Emma growled before turning back to Henry. "is maybe he's just trying to help you?"

"He's the one who needs help, because he doesn't know."

"That he's a fairytale character?" She repeated skeptically.

"None of them do." Henry explained calmly, oddly patient with Emma's blatant disbelief. "They don't remember who they are." He got back into the car, this time sliding into the backseat, and Emma sighed.

"Convenient." She remarked. Rose refrained from saying anything to avoid getting elbowed again and hopped into the passenger's seat, handing back Henry's backpack to him. "All right, I'll play. Who's he supposed to be?" Emma asked as she got into the car and turned on the engine.

"Jiminy Cricket." She nodded her head.

"Right, the lying thing. I thought your nose grew a little bit." Henry frowned at her sarcasm.

"I'm not Pinocchio."

"Of course you're not 'cause that would be ridiculous." Emma retorted, exasperation filling her tone.

"If you're not Pinocchio, then who is?" Rose asked and he shrugged. 'Ah, August.' She had more than a few bones to pick with her fellow writer. She's pretty sure that she'll probably punch him in the face for all the crap he did to Emma and Neal.

"I don't know, I haven't exactly figured out who everyone is yet. But now that Emma's here, I'm sure I'll figure it out soon." She smiled at the excitement in his voice. The two continued to talk about the book, the Evil Queen's Curse, and the people who Henry had already managed to identify, when they pulled up in front of a huge house.

"This is where you live?" Emma asked, taken aback by the impressive home. He nodded, looking up at it in dislike. "Well c'mon then." She left the car and Rose shared a grim look with him before they hurried after her.

"Please don't take me back there." Henry begged as a last effort.

"I have to. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you."

"I don't have parents– just a mom, and she's evil." He argued as he glared at the ground.

"Evil? That's a bit extreme, isn't it?" Emma said as she turned to him, raising a brow.

"Wait. Are we talking step-mother evil from Cinderella, or Jason Voorhees's mom kind of evil?" Rose asked as she came to a halt next to the two. "Cause if it's the latter, then I am not going anywhere near the woman." Emma made a frustrated expression while Henry looked up at her in confusion.

"Who's Jason Voorhees?" Before either of them could respond, the front door flung open with a smartly dressed woman rushing out to greet them. Regina was a person Rose could easily identify as she'd spent the first two seasons hating her guts. 'Ugh, I can't believe I'll have to put up with her bullshit until Henry gets taken.'

"Henry?!" The Evil Queen shouted as she hugged her adoptive and unresponsive son. "Oh, are you okay?" She pulled him away from her, hands gripping his small shoulders tightly. Rose wondered if anyone else besides her had noticed the pained grimace that had flashed across his face. "Where have you been?!" She stood up, eyeing both her and Emma. "What happened?"

"I found my real mom!" He shouted as he barreled past her and ran into the house. Regina stood stunned for a second before she turned to them, stuttering slightly.

"H-Henry's birthmother?" She stuttered, gaping at them uncomprehendingly and Rose quickly shook her head before pointing at Emma, stepping off to the side. She caught sight of a blue-eyed man with dark brown hair standing a few feet behind Regina. She studied him silently, trying to remember who he was and failing.

"Hi." Emma greeted with an awkward smile.

"I'll just go and check on the lad, make sure he's all right." The man, the Huntsman, Rose recalled with a slight jolt, muttered before following after Henry.

'Lucky bastard,' she thought humorlessly, 'using the kid as an escape route to avoid the awkwardness.' Oh, and it was uncomfortable. Regina continued to stare at Emma for several more seconds, her gaze regaining its edge as she assessed the blonde. Emma, for her credit, stood there quietly as she waited for Regina to finish. The Queen's eyes jumped from her to Rose, narrowing a few fractions, before she shook her head and smiled sharply at them. Rose held back a frown, knowing that smile never meant anything good for those on the receiving end.

"How would you two like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?" Regina asked, her tone inviting and completely lacking any anger that she was no doubt feeling.

"Got anything stronger?" The Savior replied dryly. "Emma Swan." She continued as she held out a hand to Regina. The handshake that followed was very brief and the Queen then turned to her, eyebrow raised expectantly.

"And I'm Rose Booker, Emma's older sister." She said while offering her own hand in greeting. It was at that moment when Regina must've gotten a good look at her eyes, because her posture went rigid. Rose knew that her eyes could be unnerving sometimes, especially when a flicker of light caught them just right. Regina recovered quickly though and gave them measuring glances.

"Sisters, huh? Odd, you don't look related." Despite not wanting to, Rose had to admit that was true.

Emma's facial structure was more chiseled with a feminine touch softening her features. While her own face was narrow and all sharp angles, though complimented with a small, delicate nose. Skin tone wise, she was a few shades tanner than Emma, who had a pale complexion. Their eyes were different too, with Emma's a pretty green while hers were an unusual yellow-brown color. As for height, Emma had a few inches on her due to good genetics, standing at 5'6". Meanwhile, she was in the shorter end of the gene pool at 5'3".

The only thing they had in common was having blonde hair, which Rose purposefully dyed. Yet even then there were still differences. Emma's hairstyle was long and had some naturally loose curls. Rose's shorter style was mostly straight, save for an unmanageable wave that caused her hair to flare outwards unless she pulled it into a low ponytail, like she usually did. Her natural color was a striking russet-brown, but she'd grown tired of everyone always giving her funny looks whenever she'd introduced herself as Emma's sister. At least with blonde hair people usually accepted what she said at face value.

"I guess we look about as similar as Henry does to you." Rose retorted lightly, unable to resist taking her own shot as Regina's insult had struck a sore spot. From the corner of her eye she could see Emma throwing her a warning look, but she remained unmoved as she frowned at the woman. It was worth it to see the Evil Queen's demeanor falter for a few seconds.

"Well," she coughed to clear her throat and let go of her hand. "I'm Regina Mills, the Mayor." She smiled at them again, too much teeth against dark red lipstick. "Please, come inside." They followed Regina into the house, preferring to wait in the entryway as she left to get them some glasses. Rose shared a look with Emma as they took in the expensive décor. Regina entered the nearby dining room, and the amber eyed woman leaned against the wall, watching carefully as the devious Mayor fixed their drinks.

"How did he find me?" Emma asked after a moment, while leaning against the doorway.

"No idea." Regina answered honestly. "When I adopted him, he was only three weeks old. Records were sealed. I was told the birthmother didn't want to have any contact."

"You were told right." Emma confirmed as she shoved her hands into her pockets.

"And the father?" Regina prodded.

"There was one." She murmured quietly.

"Do I need to be worried about him?"

"Nope. He doesn't even know." Regina walked towards them, three glasses grouped together in her hands. Emma took two before handing one over to Rose.

"Do I need to be worried about you, Ms. Swan?" The blonde frowned.

"Absolutely not." Footsteps caught the group's attention and Rose turned to see the Huntsman coming down the stairs.

"Madame Mayor, you can relax. Other than being a tired little boy, Henry's fine."

"Thank you, Sheriff." He nodded to them before letting himself out of the house. "I'm sorry he dragged you out of your lives." Regina apologized, leading them a room across the hall and off to the side. "I really don't know what's gotten into him." The room turned out to be a small library and Regina shut the door behind them, offering them a seat like a good host.

"Kid's having a rough time. It happens." Emma replied with a shrug. 'Especially when they find out that their adoptive mother is a Disney villain.' Rose added silently.

"You have to understand, ever since I became Mayor, balancing things has been tricky." Regina continued, standing by the fireplace as she studied Emma intently. Rose was vaguely offended that she seemed to have been written off completely as a potential threat. Eh, she'd take advantage of not being on the receiving end of the Mayor's attention for as long as it lasted. "You both have jobs I assume?"

"Uh, we keep busy, yeah." Her sister answered while Rose sipped her drink, scrunching her face up a little at the apple flavored aftertaste. 'Great, this stuff is probably poisoned.' She thought irritably as she set it down on the table in front of her, determined not to drink anymore.

"Imagine having another one on top of it. That's being a single mom, so I push for order." Regina smiled while she sat down in a chair across from them. "Am I strict?" She nodded to herself. "I suppose, but I do it for his own good. I want Henry to excel in life. I don't think that makes me evil. Do you?"

"That depends on whether what you want for Henry matches with what he wants." Rose remarked, cringing as Emma's heel suddenly made contact with her toes.

"I'm sure he's just saying that because of the fairytale thing." The Savoir said with a smile, trying to appease the woman. Regina's own grin dimmed, her eyes widening slightly. 'That's right. We're onto you, you crazy bitch.'

"What fairytale thing?" She asked quickly, her tone flat.

"Oh you know, his book, how he thinks everyone is a cartoon character from it? Like his shrink is Jiminy Cricket." Emma chuckled, taking a sip from her drink. Regina recovered and shook her head slowly, eyebrows tugging down in puzzlement.

"I'm sorry. I really have no idea what you're talking about." Emma studied her for a moment before sighing.

"You know what? It's none of my business. He's your kid and we really should be heading back home." She commented as she took another sip of her drink. Rose had to resist the urge to smack the glass out of her hand.

"Of course." Regina replied with another smile as she stood up, clearly dismissing them. Emma raised a brow at her but said nothing as they were shown to the front door. Stopping next to the bug, Emma turned back to the house, spotting Henry at his bedroom window. He closed the curtains without waving, disappearing from sight. Rose sighed and Emma frowned at her as she sat in the driver's seat.

"Don't." She warned, hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"Don't what? I haven't done anything." Rose replied as she looked out the window, watching the small buildings pass by. 'Hopefully I won't need to do anything either.'

"You think we should stay." Emma pointed out, sounding stern.

"Well, I think you should at least get to know the kid. And give him the chance to know who you are." She responded, glancing at Emma from the corner of her eye. "But it's your decision Swan Lake. I wouldn't try to guilt trip you into something like this."

"You already are." She growled back before sighing softly. "So what'd you think of him?"

"A bit eccentric, but–" She paused for second, eyeing the other woman carefully, knowing she was about to cross a line. "He reminded me a lot of you and Neal to be honest." Emma quickly looked away, likely hurt by the comment, and she was about to apologize when something shifting around in the back seat caught her attention. "Huh." Rose leaned over to grab it, smirking as she realized what it was. 'So this is how he got Emma to stay.' She set it on her lap, showing the book to her sister.

"That sneaky bastard." Rose chuckled in agreement before looking out the windshield. Her eyes widened as she spotted a wolf standing in the middle of the road.

"Look out!" She shouted. Emma gasped and hit the brakes, causing the car to skid on the wet road. They swerved and twisted before crashing into something hard, causing Rose's head to smash against the dashboard painfully. White spots exploded in her vision and it took longer than she liked for them to go away. Howling rang in her ears and she slowly turned to see the wolf run into the forest on the other side of the road.

Panting, Rose looked over at Emma, who was laid passed out against the steering wheel before checking over herself. The book was still in her hands, and she sluggishly noticed that her door had been thrown open somehow, her seatbelt having kept her from flying out of the car. Hissing in pain, Rose touched the side of her head, frowning in confusion as her fingers came back red. 'Shit, that can't be good…' Suddenly feeling too tired to keep her eyes open any longer, she slumped forwards, unconscious.


January 14, 1982: Salem, MA

The third time she woke up, she was confused to find herself looking up at a white ceiling instead of bright neon green. She wiggled, finding that there was a soft blanket over her, replacing the itchy one, and that she now had clothes on. She slowly became aware of how ill she felt. Her skin was hot and clammy, the back of her neck was sweaty, and a headache was settled just behind her eyes. A figure, clearer than any of the one's she'd seen before, but still blurry, appeared above her.

"Dr. Booker, the baby's awake." A female said, though not the woman from before as she lacked the accent. She tilted her head as best as she could, blinking lazily at the blurry stranger. "Oh my…"

"What is it Peggy?" A male asked as he stepped up beside the female.

"Her eyes, for a second, I thought they were gold."

"Ah, yes, her eyes are amber colored, a rare, recessive trait. A rather beautiful one too." She could barely make out the woman nodding in agreement. "Hello there little one, you've been through a rough couple of days, haven't you?" He placed a hand on her stomach. "Don't worry. We're going to take good care of you, Rose."

"Rose?" The woman asked. "I wasn't aware that she had been given a name yet."

"Ah, that's right. I forgot that you were out of town. How was the vacation by the way?" He replied, lifting his hand off of her and turning to the woman.

"Wonderful doctor, it was exactly what I needed." He hummed.

"Well we had a bit of a scandal while you were away. I'm surprised you haven't heard all about it from the other nurses yet."

"A scandal?"

"Yes, this newborn was found at the edge of town in a basket with little more than a ratty blanket." He answered and the nurse gasped. "Dreadful thing to do, it's only the beginning of January after all. She could have easily frozen to death." He disappeared for a moment coming back with something white in his hand. "Hold this for me, would you?" He handed it over to the nurse before reaching down and picking her up, setting her into the crook of his arm before taking the object back. "Thank you. Here you go Rose, I bet you're hungry."

He placed whatever it was into her mouth, soft and rubbery, and she instinctively tried to push it out by using her tongue. A liquid spilled out as a result, warm and familiar in taste. To her humiliation, she realized she was being bottle-fed by the man. She refused to drink, going so far as to duck her head as he tried to reinsert the bottle into her mouth.

"Good thing you didn't wager any money, doctor." The nurse chuckled and he made a noise in agreement.

"Hmm, seems so. Strange, she had no troubles eating before." He set the bottle aside, preferring to rock her gently instead of just laying her back down. She wrinkled her brow, not remembering being fed at all. Her head pounded painfully and she resisted the urge to moan. The doctor turned back to the nurse, clearing his throat. "You see, because of the rough conditions she was left in, it resulted with her suffering from a very high fever for the past few days. It was a bit touch and go for a while. Fortunately, it broke last night. As for her name, one of the nurses found a scrap of paper stuffed into the folds of her blanket with one word written on it."

"Rose." The woman concluded and he nodded.

"While I can't understand naming the baby you've abandoned outside in the middle of winter, the hospital has decided to keep the name." She quickly tuned the two out after that.

'Rose… is not… my name…' She thought firmly. However, dread soon set in as she realized that she couldn't remember what her name had been before. She tried hard to think, but her sudden stillness had worried to two people and they began to check her over, making her lose her tail of thought. She quickly moved onto to what she could remember. 'Mom… Dad…' And repeated it in her head like a mantra, finding herself slowly remembering more and more things about her life until she fell into a fitful sleep.


October 23, 2011: Storybrooke

A conversation was what woke Rose. From the sound of it, the speakers weren't even attempting to keep their voices low, causing the headache she'd only just become aware of, to throb viciously with every new word. Just as the chatter was showing signs of ending, a new male voice joined the exchange, much to her annoyance. She forced her eyes open to find the ones responsible, determined to tell them to shut the hell up. The glaring brightness that greeted her made her hiss in pain. Pushing past it, and this time taking the extra caution of gradually let her eyes adjust, Rose found herself staring up at a white ceiling.

"What?" She croaked, grimacing slightly. Her mouth felt like it was full of cotton and her throat was dry and itchy, triggering a small coughing fit that left her head aching even worse. The irritating voices from before stopped and Rose sighed in relief, barely resisting the urge to return to her dreamlessness sleep. Instead, she slowly sat up, pleased that being vertical seemed to help her headache rather than make it worse.

"Ah, you're up. Good. I'm Dr. Whale." The male voice she'd heard earlier stated. Rose blinked, leaning back as an attractive doctor appeared at her left side. "You suffered a minor laceration to the head." He gave her a charming smile. Too bad for him, the effect was lost on Rose who was only irritated at waking up in what was clearly Storybrooke's hospital. "Could you look into the light for me?" He asked, pulling out a penlight from his pocket and flashing it into both of her eyes. "Well, eye dilation is normal, so no concussion. Follow my finger please." She did so and he hummed appreciatively before picking up a nearby clipboard and writing something down. "Do you know what day it is?"

"Uh, well yesterday was Tuesday, so I'm really hoping that today is Wednesday." She answered, looking past Whale to see two female nurses watching them with interest. Paying them no mind, Rose felt her head for the mentioned injury. She found a relatively small patch of cotton and gauze located just above her right eyebrow. Well at least she found the cause for her headache.

"Don't worry, you've only been here for about six hours." Whale said, smirking as he set the clipboard back down and adjusted his coat. "And your name please?"

"Rose Booker." She answered, her eyes going over the room. It was decently sized, with four beds in all. She was sitting on the one closet to the door, the other beds vacant. It had the typical plainness that all hospitals had, white walls, white floors, white bed sheets. The only color that caught her eye was the large window at the back of the room, giving view to the neighboring woods.

"Do you remember how you got your injury?" He asked, reclaiming her attention almost immediately. Rose felt her brow furrow in thought, irritating her cut as a result. She remembered Henry showing up and that they'd gone to Storybrooke. They'd been leaving when–

"A wolf." She said out loud, recalling what had caused their car accident.

"I'm sorry?" Whale asked and Rose looked up at him.

"There was a wolf was in the road. Emma swerved to avoid it, but the car hydroplaned and she lost control. I'm not sure what we ended up hitting, but it was hard enough for me to smash my head into the dashboard." She explained, frowning as she massaged her right shoulder, only just noticing that it felt sore. The seatbelt probably left a pretty decent bruise.

"Storybrooke doesn't have any wolves." The doctor replied in confusion.

"Or it could have been a dog." She offered with a shrug. "All I know is that there was some kind of canine in the road."

"Huh, well you seem to be fine at least." He continued with a nod. "The Sheriff was alerted that you've woken up, so he should be here soon. Your friend wasn't hurt, but she was taken in for suspicions of driving under the influence." Rose held back a glare. 'So that's how Emma got arrested in this episode. Stupid wolf. Stupid Regina.' Instead, she smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, we both had a drink at the Mayor's, but I don't think Emma even finished hers. It certainly didn't seem that strong." She chuckled, earning a good natured smile from the man.

"Well, if you could just fill out these forms, you'll be all good to go Ms. Booker." He handed over a different clipboard and pen. As Whale left the room, his eyes roamed over her, likely thinking she wouldn't notice. 'Way to be subtle, doc.' She thought more amused than offended. Rose couldn't remember who Whale was, but she had a distinct feeling that he'd been rather special compared to the other people in Storybrooke.

It took her only about ten minutes to fill out the forms and she handed them over to one of the nosey nurses from earlier. Her backpack and laptop were either in the car or confiscated so she settled for freshening up in the bathroom, running her fingers through her shoulder length hair and gritting her teeth at any snarls. Exiting the bathroom, she paused at seeing the Sheriff standing a few feet away with his back to her.

Rose had always liked and pitied the Huntsman's character in the show. It had never seemed fair to her how his role in everything had played out. He let Snow White escape the Evil Queen and it had cost him his heart, where he served her for an unknown amount of years. Then he spent twenty-eight years under the Curse, stuck as Regina's sex slave, only to be killed as he finally broke free of both her and the Curse. 'Well, it's not going to happen now.' She thought firmly. 'If worse comes to worse, I'll sneak into Regina's vault and steal his heart back.'

"I take it you're the Sheriff." Rose greeted, earning his attention. He turned to her, the corners of his mouth shifting into a lopsided grin, emphasized by the stubble on his face. "You were at the Mayor's last night, right?"

"Ah, yes I was. How are you feeling?" The Huntsman asked, his big blue eyes resting on her injury before making eye-contact. She waved him off easily.

"I'm fine. It's just a small cut. I didn't even need stitches." She answered, resisting the urge to scratch it. "How's Emma?"

"Not hurt, though she is currently sleeping in one of my holding cells. I was planning on heading over to the station after asking you a few questions."

"You mind if I join you?" She asked.

"Not at all, makes my job easier." He held out his hand, smiling. "We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Sheriff Graham." She reciprocated the handshake genially.

"Rose Booker." With that, they began to make their way out of the hospital. It, of course, wasn't a large building, being only two floors. Well, three if you counted Regina's secret basement. She frowned thoughtfully.

That reminded Rose of another thing she wanted to change. She didn't like the idea of leaving Belle, her favorite Disney princess, down there to suffer. Rose knew only too well what it was like to be locked up, but freeing her could cause numerous problems. For one thing, Belle didn't have any memoires. Not of the Enchanted Forest, or even Cursed memories for a Storybrooke persona. Regina hadn't bothered.

If she did break Belle out, what then? Revealing her to Rumplestiltskin could be disastrous or great depending on how he reacted. Would he lash out a Regina as he'd done on the show, messing up how Emma was meant to break the Curse, just to get his pound of flesh? Or would he keep a cool head, scheming and plotting like usual, but aligning with whatever actions opposed the Evil Queen out of spite? How would an amnesiac Belle affect him? Would he be distracted by her? Would Regina find a way to use the Beauty for her own machinations, blackmailing the Beast to do her bidding?

On the other hand, Rose could keep Belle a secret, rescuing her from the asylum and tucking her away somewhere safe. Where would that safe place be, though? And wouldn't she just be exchanging Belle's padded cell for a different kind? As coldhearted as it sounded, it might be best to just let things play out the way they're supposed to. That inhumane option left a bitter taste in Rose's mouth as her stomach roiled in protest. She forced herself to shelve the issue for now. She'd come back to it later.

As she followed Graham out of the hospital, she kept an eye out for the locked door that led to the basement, but didn't come across it. The building's layout was simple, separated into long hallways with rooms of various sizes on each side. They ran into Whale on the way out, who smiled in passing, and soon they were outside in the chilly October morning. She shivered, missing her blue jacket very much at the moment, and rubbed her bare arms.

"Here." The Sheriff said as he pulled off his thick leather coat and handed it to her, his lopsided smile returning. He was wearing a dark green dress shirt underneath a brown vest and a dark blue tie. She took it appreciatively, smirking as the sleeves went past her hands. While she wasn't a tall person, Graham was clearly on the other side of the spectrum, likely 5'10" or so.

"Thanks, Sheriff."

"No problem Ms. Booker." He replied, leading her to his cop car. She mentally pondered over the fact that, whenever she'd sat in a police vehicle before, it'd always been in the back with handcuffs, before sliding into shotgun. "So how did you two end up crashing into the town's sign?"

"That was a sign?" She asked incredulously, as he started up the car and drove. "It felt like we hit a brick wall!"

"The base is a set of stone pillars."

"That would explain it." Rose scoffed. "There was a wolf in the middle of the road." They stopped at a red light and she could just see a white sign at the end of the street. Her heartbeat picked up as she made out the first two words: Mr. Gold's

"A wolf? But there aren't–"

"Any wolves in Storybrooke, yeah I've heard. I'm just telling you what I saw." They took a left turn, the sign disappearing along with her excitement.

"Alright." Graham said, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "Anything else?

"Look, not much happened after you left. We chatted with Regina for a little bit and then she offered us drinks. Emma and I didn't even get to finish them before she showed us the door. We were leaving town when a wolf ran into the middle of the road. Emma swerved to avoid it, the bug hydroplaned, and then we crashed into the town's ridiculously fortified sign. Why'd you arrest Emma?" Graham blinked at her rapid speech in surprise.

"Oh, she's not under arrest. I'm just holding her until she wakes up. It didn't look like last night was anything other than an accident, but there was some damage done to the sign that'll need repairs." They continued down the road before pulling in at the station.

"I can cover the damages. We can get everything squared away after you release Emma." She offered as they got out of the car. They silently walked into the station and Graham led the way down a short hallway where Rose could barely hear the tail end of a conversation.

"Oh cry me a river." An unfamiliar voice grumbled.

The room, which was the office and holding cells all in one, was occupied by three people. One was an old, white haired man wearing a dark blue jumpsuit and a faded red bandana around his neck. The second was a bulky, though short in height, bald, bearded man sitting on a cot in one of the holding cells, his grey uniform rumpled and stained. The last was Emma, who looked like she'd only just coming to, though she was quickly waking up at seeing the bandage on Rose's head.

"Leroy, I'm going to let you out." Graham began as he walked across the room, Rose trailing behind him, before unlocking Leroy's cell. "You need to behave. Put on a smile, and stay out of trouble." The man leaned against the bars, giving one of the most sarcastic smiles she'd ever seen, making her chuckle. Leroy glared at her before rolling his eyes and stalking off. Rose had a pretty good guess on who he was supposed to be.

"Seriously?" Emma stated, eyebrows furrowing in annoyance.

"Regina's drinks– a little stronger than we thought." Graham teased with a smile and a nod.

"I wasn't drunk. There was a wolf standing in the middle of the road." The blonde turned to her, frowning. "You okay?"

"It's just a scratch, Swan Lake." She answered and Emma nodded, her worry abated.

"A wolf?" The Sheriff repeated slowly, looking back at Rose in surprise. She wasn't above saying I told you so, but the Evil Queen chose that moment to barge into the room.

"Graham, Henry's run away again! We have to–" Simultaneously, Emma and Regina stared at each other with wide eyes. Regina recovered more quickly however and glared as Emma leaned against the cell's bars. "What are they doing here? Do you know where he is?" The irate Mayor demanded as she stalked towards them.

"Lady, I haven't seen him since I dropped him at your house, and I have a pretty good alibi." She replied as she looped her arms through the bars.

"And I was in the hospital." Rose added as she gestured to her head, the sleeve of Graham's coat still covering her hand. Regina's eyes narrowed at her before switching over to the Huntsman and then going back to rest on Emma.

"Yeah, well, he wasn't in his room this morning."

"Did you try his friends?" The Savior prompted, her tone perfectly calm in comparison to Regina's.

"He doesn't really have any. He's kind of a loner." Rose shared a look with Graham, both seemingly silently deciding to stay out of this particular conversation.

"Every kid has friends. Did you check his computer? If he's close to someone, he'd be e-mailing them."

"And you know this how?" Regina asked sharply.

"Finding people is what I do." Emma answered easily. "Here's an idea. How about you guys let me out, and I'll help you find him?"


January 22, 1982: Salem, MA

Rose, something she'd grudgingly begun to call herself since she couldn't remember her real name, stared up at the doctor in surprise.

"I'm sorry Dr. Booker, but what did you say?" The latest stranger asked from somewhere outside her field of vision.

"I said I won't let you take Rose." Booker repeated himself, laying a hand on her stomach as he usually did. She wasn't sure how long she'd been in the hospital, since she'd spent most of her time sleeping, but it had felt like a week at least. During that time, she'd been taken care of by numerous nurses, their blurry faces changing with their shifts. The one constant had been the doctor, who was there almost every time she woke up, tending to her needs and even humming her a lullaby after she'd had a nightmare about that green light.

"Well, I'm sorry doctor, but I have to take her." The man replied. "You don't need to worry. She'll be placed into social services while we look for a family to adopt."

"That's why I'm saying you can't have her." Booker said, picking her up and holding her close to his chest. "Because I want to adopt her." Rose wasn't sure who was more surprised, herself or the unknown man.

"Y-You want to adopt her?" The stranger stuttered and Dr. Booker nodded. "You do realize what a big reasonability that is, don't you?"

"I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't make this decision without thinking it through."

"Uh, well." The man cleared his throat. "We'll have to do a background check and your house will be assessed to make sure it's suitable for a baby."

"That's fine. I've already cleared out my office and turned it into a nursery." The doctor said, rocking her back and forth. She had no idea what to think about this, but… she supposed that Dr. Booker was a good man. She wouldn't mind living with him. Better him than someone she didn't even know.

"You've really planned this out, haven't you?" It was quiet for a long moment before the doctor replied.

"After my wife passed away a year ago, I knew I could never love another woman like her. I didn't want to; it would feel like I was betraying her memory." Dr. Booker said lowly and Rose was able to feel the rumblings from his voice through his chest. "But after spending the past two weeks with little Rose here, I've realized just how lonely I've become. I imagine she's rather lonely too. So I thought that we could be alone together, be a family for each other."


October 23, 2011: Storybrooke

Surprisingly, standing in Henry's bedroom with Emma, Graham, and Regina, wasn't as awkward as Rose thought it would be. As her sister got to work on Henry's computer, Graham right beside her, Rose chose to look around the room, though she stayed on the opposite side of the Evil Queen. The woman had not stopped glaring at her since she'd gotten back her blue jacket and returned Graham's coat before leaving the station earlier.

Henry's room was… different. His walls were covered in pictures cut out from books or printed from the internet. They were drawings, paintings, of men and woman dressed in medieval styled clothes. Some couples were dancing, embracing, or reading. One woman seemed to be locked up in a tower, with a knight at the base of it, sitting on a white horse. There was another image of a man slipping a glass slipper onto a woman's foot. 'This is kind of bordering on an obsession.' Rose thought as she stare at the pictures. Regina was looking at them too, no doubt seeing them in a different light now that she knew Henry knew about the Curse.

Fortunately, not all of his room was dedicated to the residents of Storybrooke. There was a toy replica of Captain America's shield hanging on a different wall; Marvel comics and a few action figures were on his desk. 'Kid's got good taste, but Iron Man is way cooler.' A sketchbook was off to the side, looking well used judging from the dog eared pages. And a bookcase was nearly full, most appeared to be fiction, such as the Harry Potter series, but there were some nonfiction books too.

"Smart kid." Emma commented after a few minutes. "He cleared his inbox. I'm smart, too. A little hard disk recovery utility I like to use." She held up the item in question, a gift Rose had gotten her a couple years ago.

"I'm a bit more old-fashioned in my techniques." Graham stated from where he was kneeling beside Emma, his tone modest as he watched her work with an impressed look on his face. "Pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, that sort of thing."

"You're on salary. I get paid for delivery. Pounding the pavement is not a luxury that I get." She responded distractedly. "Huh. There's a receipt for a web site... and it's expensive. Does he has a credit card?"

"He's 10." The Mayor replied flatly.

"Well, he used one. Let's pull up a transaction record… Mary Margaret Blanchard. Who's Mary Margaret Blanchard?" Emma asked while Regina frowned heavily.

"Sounds like a nun." Rose remarked, easily ignoring the Evil Queen's icy glare.

"She's Henry's teacher."


February 24, 1982: Salem, MA

"Congratulations, Dr. Booker." A man said cheerfully and she could see him shaking hands with the doctor by the side of her bed. "It's a girl."

"You would not believe how many times I've heard that joke today." Booker replied jovially.

"Oh, I can imagine." The two turned to her and the man picked her up before gently handing her over to the doctor. "Say hello to your new daughter, Rose Elizabeth Booker." She stared up at him with wide eyes. Her vision had been improving by leaps and bounds so she could finally see Booker's face. He was handsome, with blue eyes, a stunning smile, and dark blonde hair.

"Hello again, my little Rose." He said softly, placing his hand on her stomach. The comforting action had become so familiar to her lately that she couldn't help smiling a little. "Look, she's smiling! That's the first time she's done that."

"I think you should take that as a good sign."

"Oh she could be screaming her head off and I would still love her." Booker remarked, chuckling a little. "I'm going to be your new daddy now, is that okay?" His words were like a slap to the face. 'No…' she replied mentally, shifting in discomfort and wanting nothing more than to be as far away from the doctor as possible. 'That's… not okay… I already… have… a dad…' "I bet you're wondering where the name Elizabeth came from. It was my wife's first name, course she preferred to go by Lizzy. She would've been your mother. Oh, I wish she were still here. She would've loved you so much." She tried to shake her head to tell him he was wrong. 'I want… my… real family…' A noise escaped her, a small whine that she instantly stopped, and he rocked her back and forth. "Shh, it's okay Rose. I'll take care of you. Just think, today's the first day of us being a family. February 24, 1982."

She screamed.


October 23, 2011: Storybrooke

"Don't you think it's weird that the Sheriff isn't here to help us find Henry?" Rose asked Emma as they followed Regina, who was walking briskly down the empty school hallway.

"Well, he did get a call about that disturbance. Who else was gonna take care of it?" The blonde pointed out with a shrug. Still, she felt it was odd that the town's only law enforcer was missing while they searched for the Mayor's kid. Regina suddenly cut into a classroom just as the school bell rang, letting out a group of children.

Stepping into the small classroom, Rose got her first real look at Snow White. She was a very pretty woman, though her haircut was a little unflattering. She was modestly dressed in a white knee-length grey skirt, a white top and a matching cardigan. 'Lips as red as the rose, hair black as ebony, skin as white as snow.' Disney totally nailed the pin on the head with that description. Her irises were hazel though, and Rose suddenly knew who Henry had inherited his eyes from.

"Mayor Mills, what are you doing here?" Mary Margaret asked cautiously, crossing her arms over her chest protectively.

"Where's my son?" Rose and Emma stayed at the back of the classroom, watching quietly as Regina reamed the teacher for the whereabouts of her kid.

"Henry? I assumed he was home sick with you." She answered, eyes drifting to them nervously.

"You think I'd be here if he was?" Regina snapped and the teacher gave a meek shake of her head in answer. "Did you give him your credit card so he could find her?"

"I'm sorry." Mary Margaret muttered, her gaze coming back to them as she peered around Regina's shoulder. "But who are you two?"

"I'm his, I'm his–" Emma stammered, clearly not wanting to say the 'M' word.

"The woman who gave him up for adoption." The Evil Queen interrupted harshly. Rose glanced at Emma, wishing she could punch Regina in the throat for putting that guilt ridden look on her sister's face. Mary Margaret looked stunned for a few seconds, blinking in confusion before she set down her purse, opening it while biting her lip.

"You don't know anything about this, do you?" Emma asked, accurately picking up on the teacher's distress.

"No, unfortunately not." She pulled out a little black wallet, smiling as she saw that her credit card was missing. "Clever boy. I should never have given him that book."

"What in the hell is this book I keep hearing about?" Regina growled and the teacher was quick to placate her.

"Just some old stories I gave him. As you well know, Henry is a special boy– so smart, so creative, and as you might be aware… lonely." It was silent for a moment, before she continued in a firmer tone. "He needed it."

"What he needs is a dose of reality. This is a waste of time" Regina turned away sharply, knocking over a stack of books as she passed them. "Have a nice trip back to Boston." Mary Margaret rushed forward to pick them up, and Rose crouched down along with Emma to help her.

"Sorry to bother you." Emma began.

"No, it's–" Mary Margaret paused, gazing at her daughter openly. "It's okay. I fear this is partially my fault."

"How? Regina was the one who knocked over the books." Rose argued and the teacher looked at her in confusion, eyes quickly darting to the bandage on her head. "Oh, you meant about Henry." She hummed in thought before shaking her head. "Nah, I still say that's Regina's fault." Emma chose that moment to drop a book on her foot.

"How's a book supposed to help?" Emma asked, regaining Mary Margaret's attention.

"What do you think stories are for?" She answered with a fond smile. "These stories, the classics?" The teacher stood and set the books on a nearby counter before leading them back into the hallway. "There's a reason we all know them. They're a way for us to deal with our world, a world that doesn't always make sense." She lowered her voice, eyes dropping to the floor. "See, Henry hasn't had the easiest life."

"Yeah, she's kind of a hardass." Emma grumbled. 'That's the understatement of the year.'

"I was gonna call her a spiteful bitch." Rose added happily, smirking as Mary Margaret visibly cringed at her crude language.

"No, it's more than her." She argued, shaking her head softly. "He's like any adopted child. He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face– "why would anyone give me away?" Mary Margaret stopped, freezing in place as her eyes widened, instantly realizing her mistake. Emma looked as if she'd just had the wind knocked out of her. "I am so sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean in any way to judge you."

"It's okay." She muttered, her head low as she avoided making eye-contact with either of them.

"Look, I gave the book to him because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have." Emma looked at her curiously and Mary Margaret smiled. "Hope. Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing."

"You know where he is, don't you?" The Savior deduced and the teacher leaned in closer, smirking slightly.

"You might want to check his castle."


December 8, 1986: Happy Cottage Children's Home, MA

Rose sat completely still, staring at Ms. Brown's desk rather than at the woman herself. Ms. Brown was in charge of Happy Cottage Children's Home. She was the first to greet potential parents and always made time to look after the children under her care. She was an older woman in her late fifties who'd never married or had any children of her own. Logically, Rose knew she could have ended up living under the roof of someone much worse, so she tried to never be a bother to the woman, knowing she already had enough on her plate.

Despite her good intentions however, she often found herself sitting in Ms. Brown's office for one thing or another. Just like now.

"You've been here with us for almost a month now." Ms. Brown started and Rose said nothing, waiting for her to continue. "Would you like to tell me why you refused to meet the Wilsons?" She remained silent, fiddling with the lose thread of her sweater. She knew she must look like every inch the pouting four-year-old that everyone saw her as, but she was sick and tired of the meetings Ms. Brown setup for her. "Don't you want a family, Rose?"

"No." The word slipped out reflexively and she could see the Matron jerk back in surprise. Silently cursing her mistake, Rose braced herself for the harrowing conversation that was bound to come.

"No?" Ms. Brown repeated weakly, paling a little. "Why not?"

"I don't need one." She answered shortly. It was silent for a minute before the older woman spoke carefully.

"Is this about what happened to your father?" She stiffened immediately, completely taken off guard. "Rose, what happened to him wasn't–"

"Don't." She cut in sharply, taking a deep breath. She still felt like crying whenever she thought about Will Booker. Ms. Brown made a pained expression, but nodded, agreeing not to say any more on the matter.

"I'm just worried about you, Rose. The Wilsons are the third family you've refused to meet with." The woman continued, the wrinkles on her face suddenly much more noticeable as she sighed tiredly. "There's a man I want you to see, Rose." Her eyes shot up to Ms. Brown, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "It's not an adoption." She clarified, her tone softening. "He just wants to help you." Anger filled her as she clenched her small fists. She knew exactly what this man was supposed to be. "Dr. Dweller is a very nice man, so please be on your best behavior when you meet him."

"When will I have to see him?" She asked through gritted teeth.

"Next Thursday." She stood up, even though she hadn't been dismissed yet, and raced out of the office. Ms. Brown didn't call for her to come back, and even if she had, Rose wouldn't have listened. She ran up the stairs, pushing past Tyler Connick, the newest kid at the orphanage who had taken up the habit of bullying her, and ran to her room, slamming the door shut. She screamed with her mouth closed and aimed a kick at the door, fury helping her ignore the stinging of her toes.

After a moment she let out a heavy sigh, feeling defeated, knowing that she didn't have a choice when it came to seeing a therapist. She slumped over to her bed, refusing to look at the picture on her nightstand and scrunched up her eyes. 'I'm not crazy, there's nothing wrong with me.' She assured herself, just as she had for the past few years. 'I don't need to see a psychiatrist. I don't need help.'

She rolled over onto her side, gaze landing on the picture she'd tried avoiding. It was a photograph of her, only a year younger, smiling happily as she sat in Will's lap. His arms were wrapped around her, his perfectly white teeth beaming as they both gazed up at the camera. She frowned at it, guilt and sorrow bubbling up in her stomach. A loud bang on her door caused Rose to jump in surprise and she glared at it before burying her face into her pillow.

"Hey weirdo, I hear you gotta go see a shrink!" Tyler's voice sounded only slightly muffled through the door. He really was a nasty boy. "I guess Brown finally realized what a basket case you are, huh?" His mocking laughter was definitely the last thing she wanted to hear. Ignoring him was always the best way to deal with the nine-year-old though, and sure enough he got bored after a minute and left.

Staring up at the darkening ceiling, she decided that there must be a leak in the roof. That would explain the water trailing down her face.


October 23, 2011: Storybrooke

The castle, as it turned out, was a wooden playhouse at a rundown park next to a small beach. Rose trailed behind her sister as they stepped onto the rickety monstrosity. Deciding to stand behind the pair a few feet away, she watched as Emma sat down next to Henry.

"You left this in my car." She said while handing him the Once Upon a Time book. He took it without looking at her, tracing the cover idly as he stared ahead at the distant clock tower. "Still hasn't moved, huh?"

"I was hoping that when I brought you back, things would change here, that the final battle would begin." Emma's shoulders slumped at his words.

"I'm not fighting any battles, kid." She muttered, sounding tired.

"Yes, you are. You're here because it's your destiny. You're gonna bring back the happy endings." Henry continued, his voice pitching slightly as he spoke.

"Can you cut it with the book crap?" Emma snapped.

"You don't have to be hostile. I know you like me. I can tell. You're just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty. It's okay. I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance." Emma looked back at her for support, green eyes wet as she took a breath to steady herself.

"How do you know that?" She asked while still looking at Rose, who nodded in reassurance.

"It's the same reason Snow White gave you away."

"Listen to me, kid. I am not in any book. I'm a real person. And I'm no savior. You were right about one thing, though." Emma started as she turned to look down at Henry, her tone grief stricken. "I wanted you to have your best chance." She shook her slowly. "But it's not with me." She hopped down from the castle, brushing her hair out of her face as she walked back to the car. "Come on. Let's go."

"Please don't take me back there." Henry begged as he scrambled after her. "Just stay with me for one week. That's all I ask. One week, and you'll see I'm not crazy." His voice broke as he stared up at Emma, sounding on the verge of tears. Rose quickly moved behind him, setting what she hoped to be a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I have to get you back to your mom." Emma replied, not sounding much better than him.

"You don't know what it's like with her. My life sucks!" He protested, a sob catching at the end of his sentence.

"Oh, you want to know what sucking is?" Emma countered, tears spilling down her face. "Being left abandoned on the side of a freeway! My parents didn't even bother to drop me off at a hospital! I ended up in the foster system and I had a family until I was 3, but then they had their own kid, so they sent me back." She stopped and gave a ragged sounding sigh, failing to recover her demeanor completely. She bent down to look Henry in the eyes, smiling weakly. "Look, your mom is trying her best. I know it's hard, and I know sometimes you think she doesn't love you, but at least she wants you." Emma's gaze flickered up to her and Rose sincerely hoped that she'd never made her sister, in all but blood, feel unwanted or unloved while growing up.

"Your parents didn't leave you on the side of the freeway. That's just where you came through." Henry argued, now crying too.

"What?"

"The wardrobe. When you went through the wardrobe, you appeared in the street. Your parents were trying to save you from the Curse." Emma smiled, scoffing softly as she rubbed a hand over her face.

"Sure they were. Come on, Henry." She started back towards the car and Henry looked up at Rose. She felt her heart break a little at the desperate look he gave her.

"Don't worry kiddo, Emma will break the Curse." She whispered and his eyes widened. "I know she will." He surprised her by hugging her briefly before running off after his birthmother and grabbing her hand. Rose followed the pair at a slower pace, feeling wholly subdued after what she'd just witnessed.


March 16, 1987: Happy Cottage Children's Home, MA

Rose tried not to scowl, she really did. She had to remind herself that, although she was physically five years old, she was actually much older than that mentally. She shouldn't get upset with the other children because they didn't know any better, but it was hard to not resent them for their actions.

She stared down at her book, a small sci-fi novel that she'd managed to steal from Ms. Brown's office, wanting nothing more than to smack the culprits upside the head when she saw that its once pristine pages were now covered with crayons and markers. Taking a deep breath that did little to calm her, she carefully picked up the ruined book and set it gently on the old sofa, knowing that Ms. Brown would find it later and sniff out the ones responsible. 'Hopefully she'll punish the little brats too.'

Being a child again was unbelievably boring, annoying, frustrating, and, though she wouldn't admit it to herself, lonely. The children of her age group had picked up right away that she was different from them and most left her alone. The older kids didn't want to hang out with someone half their age and Tyler, while he had picked on her for some time, had thankfully been taken in by a foster family. The children never included her in their games, but they never outright ignored her either. It was a happy medium that Rose had no desire to change until they had matured some more. Ms. Brown and the rest of the staff saw her as a recluse, seemingly of the shared belief that she was too shy or something similar to approach the other children.

Rose had never meant to present herself as standoffish. She just didn't have the patience to play or entertain her fellow age-mates all the time. Her mind needed more stimulating activates, but her body was too small and fragile to do much. So she turned to books, using the written word to help pass the time. She'd gained a whole new appreciation for literature.

Another thing that set her apart from the other children was her nightmares, memories that plagued her. She'd been moved to a separate room not too long after arriving at the orphanage, having disturbed the younger kids far too many times with her restless sleeping. During the first few months, she'd often woken up at least once a week in the middle of the night, staring at the ceiling, gasping back sobs and screams, denials blaring throughout her mind. 'They're gone, they're all gone! Mom, Dad, Will–'

Rose shook her head harshly, biting her lip to keep her thoughts from heading towards that direction. The front doorbell ringing quickly caught her attention and she entered the foyer, eager for a distraction. A well-dressed man, obviously someone from social services, stood on the porch having a low conversation with Ms. Brown. Behind him stood a teary eyed girl, her blonde hair strung back in a messy ponytail. She was younger than Rose, likely three or four years old, and her breathing was uneven, randomly being interrupted by small sniffles and hiccups.

"What's her name?" Ms. Brown asked, her voice downcast as she gestured for the man and girl to step into the foyer. They did so, with the man placing a hand on the girl's shoulder to gently prod her inside.

"Emma Swan." He answered before handing over a manila folder to Ms. Brown.

Rose felt her eyes widen and she took a step backwards, bracing herself against a nearby wall.

She'd thought she'd made it all up. She'd hoped she'd made it up. She couldn't really remember her rebirth that well. She barely remembered a woman and a man in some place cold and dark. The woman had been… held prisoner? And the man had smuggled her to safety? She'd been so tired back then, unable to help falling asleep. The brief memories she had were mere pictures with no sound. Warmth and being cradled in someone's arms, two differently colored eyes watching her intently, and then a bright light of neon green blinding her. When she'd woken up in a hospital's nursery some time later, she'd assumed that she had just dreamt up the entire thing.

However, right in front of her stood a little orphaned girl named Emma Swan, the undeniable proof that what she had awoken to the first time had indeed been real. She couldn't brush this off as a delusion or a coincidence anymore. She really had somehow been reborn into a reality where her favorite TV show, Once Upon a Time.

Rose blinked, realizing that Emma was staring at her. The adults were off to the side now, too absorbed in their own conversation to notice that the little blonde had started crying again. Before Rose could think about her actions, she walked over to Emma and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. She was painfully reminded that she hadn't hugged anyone since Will and felt terribly out of practice as she awkwardly patted the child's back. Emma's small hands gripped her shirt tightly, the young girl quickly devolving into heart wrenching sobs.

"Why didn't they want me!?" She cried, her voice muffled as she spoke into Rose's shoulder. "Imma good girl!"

"Shh, Emma. I know you are." She murmured softly as she rubbed the girl's back in a circular motion, recalling Will did the same for her whenever she'd had a really bad nightmare. She realized Emma must have just been given up by the family that had adopted her. "It's not your fault, you did nothing wrong." She repeated that sentence a dozen more times, doing her best to comfort the heartbroken girl. Emma's sobs soon reduced to stuttering hiccups, the kind that only a toddler could pull off.

She leaned back, setting a hand on the blonde's head. Emma looked up at her with wide green eyes, her expression so vulnerable, and Rose could see no similarities between the child in front of her and the Savior she would one day be. An idea niggled its way into her head, a thought that maybe there was a reason for her being reincarnated after all, that losing the people she loved hadn't been in vain. Perhaps she was here because she was supposed to help Emma, be there for her as the family she never would've had? Maybe she was meant to change things for the better, make sure the happy endings really did come true?

A reason, a purpose, Rose latched onto that thought desperately.

"It's going to be okay, Emma." She muttered as she hugged the little girl again. "We can be a family for each other." She said, oblivious to the adults that were watching them sadly. Rose was only focused on Emma, who stared up at her with shinning, hopeful eyes. 'We're not like everyone else, we're different. So we'll be alone together.' She added silently, knowing that she now had a responsibility to child in front of her.

She would be there for Emma when no one else was.


October 23, 2011: Storybrooke

Rose waited in the car as Emma dropped Henry off at Regina's. From her seat she could see the two women having some sort of standoff, but she knew her sister needed to go through this confrontation on her own. Emma was the Savior, not her. She could stand beside her, offer her support, but she couldn't fight her battles for her. Pulling out her old notebook from her bag, Rose flipped to page twenty-one, skipping the first entry and moving on to the next one.

E2: Regina tricks Emma into hurting Henry, but they make up by the end of the episode. Regina starts to suspect that Gold remembers everything.

'Why couldn't I have at least written down a brief summary?' She thought angrily. 'This is no help at all.' Looking back outside, she could see Regina moving to go inside her house, only to turn around quickly as Emma said something to her. She replied before closing the door behind her. The blonde stood there for a long moment before heading back to the car. Rose stuffed the notebook back into her backpack just as Emma got into the bug. They sat in silence for a minute and she patiently waited for her sister to speak.

"I asked her if she loved Henry." Rose turned to her, eyebrows raised.

"Did she answer honestly?" The Savior slowly shrugged her shoulders.

"She believed what she said was true."

"But you're not convinced." Rose prodded. "I'm not either. There's just something… off about her, you know?" Emma bit her lip in thought. "And then there's Henry. He's a smart kid and even if he believes everyone in this town is a storybook character. I think, that on some level of his subconscious, Henry understands that there's something not quite right with her either."

"You think that there's some place here where we could stay for a while?" Emma asked as she turned on the car and pulled out onto the road.

"No idea, but it wouldn't hurt to ask someone." Rose suggested as she smiled at her.

"It's only for a week."

"I have a funny feeling that's all we're gonna need." She replied, looking out the window and spotting Leroy walking down the sidewalk. "Hey, slow down for a sec." Emma did and she quickly rolled down her window. "Hey, Leroy!" She shouted, causing the man to jump in surprise before he turned to her, scowling. "You know any place where we could crash for the night?"

"Do I look like a tour guide, sister?" He grumbled back before continuing to move down the street.

"Aw c'mon. I'll buy ya a drink as thanks." He paused at that, the offer of free alcohol too much to pass by on. Rose smirked; she'd thought she'd recognized a fellow alcoholic.

"Go to Granny's Diner, there's a bed and breakfast. It's the only place in town where you can get a room." He grouched. "And you better pay up, sister."

"Hey, no worries Sunshine." She replied, ignoring his growling. "You know where to find me. I'll be there all week." He marched away, muttering something about crazy blondes, and Rose turned back to Emma, smiling. "Look, I've already made a friend."

"Oh? And here I thought you were trying to make friends with the Sheriff?" Emma teased with a sly smirk. Rose opened her mouth to argue, before a thought struck her. The whole reason for why Graham had died was because he'd fallen for Emma, breaking the Curse's hold on him. If Emma stayed away from him, then he should be safe from Regina's jealousy.

"You're right, I like him." She replied instead, pointing at her accusingly. "I invoke the sisterhood rights of finder's keepers. So no hitting on my guy, got it?"

"I wasn't interested." She answered flippantly, still looking too smug for her own good. "Although I think I should take you back to the hospital. That knock to the head seems to be messing with your good sense." Rose hadn't even realized they'd reached the diner until Emma parked the car.

"Hey, did you listen to Graham's voice?" She defended herself, smiling faintly. "Sexy as hell!"

"Ah yes, you're one weakness when it comes to men: foreign accents." They stepped out of the car and Emma noticed a sign by the front door, reading it aloud. "Use backway entrance for Granny's Bed and Breakfast." The blonde looked over the area, spying a break in the overgrown hedges. "Hey, over here." She announced as she stepped through, pushing aside some of the longer branches.

"Would it kill someone to trim these things?" Rose huffed as a branch smacked her in the face, stumbling behind Emma who had the audacity to laugh. Breaking free of the evil foliage, the two looked up at the two-story house that was completely hidden behind the diner. They entered the building and were greeted to an empty entryway covered in cobwebs and dust. If it weren't for the shouts coming from upstairs, Rose would've assumed the place was abandoned.

"You're out all night, and now you're going out again." An older woman's voice echoed from up the stairs which was located only about six feet away from them.

"I should've moved to Boston!" A younger, angrier voice snarled back. The owner stepped into the landing, long dark brown hair swishing through the air as the young woman rounded into the opposite room, a kitchen from the looks of it. She was dressed in a lacey black dress, dark stockings, and knee-length black heeled boots. As Rose looked at the outfit, she could only think of one word: risqué.

"I'm sorry that my heart attack interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the eastern seaboard." The old woman remarked as she came into view, too busy reprimanding the younger to notice them standing uncomfortably by the door. 'Ouch, grandma's got some bite to her.'

"Excuse me?" Emma interrupted, getting the old woman's attention, who stared at them in surprise. "We'd like a room for two please."

"Really?" She asked, sounding hopeful and a little too confused that anyone would rent out a room from her. At Emma's nod, she rushed into a nearby room and returned with a thick ledger in her hands. "Would you like a forest view or a square view? Normally, there's an upgrade fee for the square, but as rent is due, I'll waive it." She walked around them and set it on the podium next to the door, a cloud of dust being kicked up as a result.

"Square sounds great." Rose replied easily.

"Now what're the names?" The old woman asked as she picked up a pen eagerly.

"Emma Swan and Rose Booker."

"Emma." A Scottish burr intoned from behind them, causing them to turn. Rose had to bite her lip to keep herself from beaming widely. Rumplestiltskin stood before them, sharply dressed in a dark business suit, smirking slightly as his gaze traveled over Emma almost lazily. His brown hair had brushes of gray through it and his skin tone was rather similar to Rose's. He wasn't a tall man, likely 5'6" at the most, and he had a deceptively slim build, which made him look even smaller. "What a lovely name."

"Thanks." Emma replied slowly and he nodded. His brown eyes slid over to her and Rose had to make sure that she kept breathing as they widened almost imperceptibly. His jaw clenched, but he recovered quickly, masking it as a curious tilt of his head. She wondered if it was just her unexpected appearance that had caused his reaction. After all, he'd only ever foreseen the Savior arriving to break the Curse. There was also the little fact that nobody from the outside world should be able to enter Storybrooke.

"I'm sorry dear. I didn't catch your name." He said as he studied her, his gaze darting to her bandaged cut momentarily, and Rose smiled at him. The last thing she wanted was to make an enemy out of the Dark One. Her smile seemed to have the opposite effect though, judging by the tightening around his eyes.

"Rose Booker." She replied genially, just barely catching the way his stance shifted slightly. "I'm Emma's older sister." He blinked at that, likely not sure how to take this new, puzzling development.

"It's all here." The old woman said nervously from behind them as she pulled out a wad of cash and gave it to Rumplestiltskin, who took it with a smile.

"Yes, yes, of course it is. Thank you." He smoothly tucked the money into his pocket, not even bothering to count it as he stared at them. "Well, you two enjoy your stay, Emma," He paused, his stare lingering on her for a moment longer. "Rose." His smile was crooked, she noticed, and it suited him. With a parting nod and a thump of his cane, he was out the door without another word.

"Who's that?" Emma asked and Rose felt no need to hide her grin any longer now that he was gone. She couldn't believe she'd just met her favorite character in person!

"Mr. Gold." The young woman, Red Riding Hood, if Rose was guessing correctly, answered as she lifted up the window's curtain to watch him leave.

"He owns this place." The old woman, who had to be Red's grandmother, added sourly.

"The inn?"

"No. The town." She corrected before waving her hands, as if to brush he conversation aside. "So how long will you two be with us?"

"A week. Just a week." Emma answered.

"Great. Welcome to Storybrooke." She responded as she handed them the key to their room. Rose noticed, with a soft snort, that their key's metal tag had a swan carved into its design. She looked up at the ceiling in amused exasperation. 'That's a little on the nose, don't you think?'

Meanwhile, a few blocks over, the minute hand of the clock tower moved for the first time.


HOLY SHIT! I can't believe how long this goddamn chapter is. Seriously, somebody hand me a medal or something. I deserve an award for this.

In all honesty, I'm actually a little pissed at myself for posting this story. I already have so many other things to work on, which I haven't touched in about four years for some, but I still dedicated my time to this instead of working on something else. For those of you who are fans of my other stories, you'll have noticed that I actually did manage to update/edit some of my other works. I will say this right now: This story holds no precedence over the others. In fact, if anything, I can almost guarantee that this will be updated the least. That's not to say that it's on hold, I only mean that my concern will be the stories that have the most reviews/favorites.

–Hexalys