p class="MsoNormal"strongspan lang="EN-AU"Hey still posting here I think I cracked the reason why it wasn't posting properly, anyway happy reading reviews are really appreciated :)/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"All pretence of going to class where gone as Emma marched through the halls the next morning to meet her friends and find something anything that could get them closer to ending this nightmare. The screams of the women from last night still ringing in Emma's ears. That incident was the first time someone was taken with so many witnesses and you could feel the change in the atmosphere everyone was terrified, some had even suggested leaving Storybrooke and their memories behind./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Emma headed straight to the library when she got to school that day with Mary Margret in tow while David went off to the sheriff's station to help Graham with the aftermath of the evening's events. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"As they made their way down the hall to the big double door entrance of the library, they could already hear Belle shuffling around books from the back. Just before they entered through the doors Mary Margret stopped turning towards Emma./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Promise me you won't go off alone" Mary Margret asked Emma, it had just burst out of her like she had been holding onto those words since last night./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Hey, it wasn't me going off, it was them" Emma frowned wondering why she was getting the concerned and disappointed look from Mary Margret right now. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""But you knew didn't you, the way you jumped out of bed you knew your friends where there" Mary Margret replied giving a disapproving look. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Emma nodded ashamed of that part she had been wanting to tell, but this was the first time in her life she had a group of friends. These things where fragile and rating out your friends to your parents was a sure-fire way to alienate people. That fear of being alone always paralysing Emma from making a decision or moving forward. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You should have told us; they could have been hurt" Mary Margret said a little more aggressive than planned but fear had creeped into her heart too. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Don't you think I know that" Emma said storming into the library trying to end this chat by leaving her mother outside./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Hey, you don't get to do that" Mary Margret as she followed her into the library matching her velocity./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""What?" Emma responded frustrated. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Just walk away every time you don't want to talk about something" Mary Margret said now she started she could not stop so tired from holding back, so afraid of pushing Emma away. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""What do you want?" Emma yelled feeling like a bubble about to burst. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""I want you to talk me" Mary Margret said desperate. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""No, you don't" Emma continued to walk away annoyed, she didn't really know why. But it was so frustrating she just didn't want to talk about it. Still unable to make sense with her past knowing it could make those closest to her leave. Emma just needed to push it aside and focus on something else, anything else./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""I had a thought" Belle said grabbing Emma's arm pulling her into the back of the Library where a mountain of Storybooks where. All sorted into piles stacking up to the roof, many pages marked with post it notes. So into her idea, she hadn't even heard Emma and Mary Margret's argument. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You've been busy" Emma said surprised, happy for the interruption./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Mary Margret pursed her lips once again unable to break down that wall, she listened to what Belle had to say continuing on with the next monster she had to fight, emotional baggage be dammed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Listen I was thinking, it doesn't make sense" Belle said although it was hard to hear as she disappeared behind one of the stacks of books. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""What doesn't make sense?" Mary Margret asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Emma you said the Merry Men were getting taunted by the creature" Belle called out while shuffling things grabbing a Storybook from under a large stack and bringing it over./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Yeah, from what they told us" Emma answered confused. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""See that doesn't make any sense as far as everything we've read it acts on instinct, more like an animal just pure destruction" Belle said coming closer slamming the book on the small bit of desk space left./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""So, it's being manipulated by someone" Emma replied not sure why all the fuss, they kind of already suspected that. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""They must be more then manipulating it" Belle replied knowing full well what sacrifices it would take to control such a beast. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You think someone is controlling it" Emma asked her mind ticking away thinking it through. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Belle nodded although this was a breakthrough it was also terrifying to think someone unknown to them held that much power and could take their lives their loved one's lives, like it was a game. Belle opened the book and brought it over opening it to a previously marked page./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""This thing is this beast usually devastates whole kingdoms in days it's been around here for months and compared to, well that" Belle said gesturing to an illustration Emma had never seen before of a village completely decimated, shrouded with darkness not a glimmer of light left. Empty and forgotten. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Is that what will happen here?" Mary Margret asked shocked. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Maybe not if we can figure out who is doing this and how there controlling it, then we can take the reins" Belle replied excited by her idea. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Then the main priority is to find those campers, our prime suspects given what Emma found in the campfire" Mary Margret concluded already calling up David to let him in on this new information and walking over to the other side of the room for the call./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Emma realised she was about to be cut out of the action again sinking into a bean bag with defeat as her friends walked into to the library and the bell rang for classes to start not that they or anyone else were going to attend the halls remained quiet and empty it was another reminder of how bad things had gotten. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Mulan, Red, Killian followed by Anna made their way over to Belle to help her sort through the mess while Elsa sat down by Emma's side seeing her frustrated expression. Elsa handed Emma a cup of hot chocolate they sat in silence for a moment sipping their drinks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""I'm fine" Emma said answering before Elsa even asked the question. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Oh, I know, you're just being stubborn" Elsa said with a bit of annoyance in her tone./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""What do you mean?" Emma replied /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You need to tell them, before it inevitably blows up in your face" Elsa said referring to Emma keeping secrets from her family. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Elsa, I thought we agreed not to talk about that" Emma replied./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Huh, really because we haven't talked about it at all, since you first told me that Regina had once tried to adopt you and everything that happened when you were kidnapped" Elsa replied frustrated./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Elsa quiet, what is this ambush Emma day" Emma said frustration boiling over a she got bombarded twice in the space of five minutes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""I know you will be cross with me, but if you don't tell them" Elsa paused feeling guilty about this last sentiment "I will" Elsa finished with determination. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Elsa" Emma gasped /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""I didn't tell anyone what was going on with Mulan and Red and they almost lost their lives, I will not make that mistake again" Elsa said firmly as the idea kept her up all night. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""This is different, they don't need to know" Emma replied feeling like Elsa had just walked in and slapped her across the face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""What I don't understand is, why you feel such shame abouts this, you were just a child" Elsa asked confused. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You wouldn't understand" Emma paused "they wouldn't understand" Emma finished trying hard to keep her voice to a whisper. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Emma, there your parents" Elsa replied surprised, she said it like unconditional love was something Emma was familiar with. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You know as well as anyone, that just because there your parents, doesn't mean they won't reject you" Emma finished realising what she had really been afraid off. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Emma got up then feeling her anger surging at the fact that Elsa even brought the topic up, she dumped the drink it the bin and walked away, over to the others. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"They were all deep in re reading over the books, Belle must have shared her theory with them. looking over any other clues they may have missed. Emma quietly sat down by Killian's side trying to focus on the words in front of her as her heart raced the fear of rejection and loneliness made her question everything. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You alright Emma" Killian asked seeing her vacant expression./span/p
div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"
p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"span lang="EN-AU""I'm fine" Emma replied as she persisted to read on pushing her concerns away as best she could./span/p
/div
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"All pretence of going to class where gone as Emma marched through the halls the next morning to meet her friends and find something anything that could get them closer to ending this nightmare. The screams of the women from last night still ringing in Emma's ears. That incident was the first time someone was taken with so many witnesses and you could feel the change in the atmosphere everyone was terrified, some had even suggested leaving Storybrooke and their memories behind./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Emma headed straight to the library when she got to school that day with Mary Margret in tow while David went off to the sheriff's station to help Graham with the aftermath of the evening's events. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"As they made their way down the hall to the big double door entrance of the library, they could already hear Belle shuffling around books from the back. Just before they entered through the doors Mary Margret stopped turning towards Emma./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Promise me you won't go off alone" Mary Margret asked Emma, it had just burst out of her like she had been holding onto those words since last night./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Hey, it wasn't me going off, it was them" Emma frowned wondering why she was getting the concerned and disappointed look from Mary Margret right now. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""But you knew didn't you, the way you jumped out of bed you knew your friends where there" Mary Margret replied giving a disapproving look. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Emma nodded ashamed of that part she had been wanting to tell, but this was the first time in her life she had a group of friends. These things where fragile and rating out your friends to your parents was a sure-fire way to alienate people. That fear of being alone always paralysing Emma from making a decision or moving forward. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You should have told us; they could have been hurt" Mary Margret said a little more aggressive than planned but fear had creeped into her heart too. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Don't you think I know that" Emma said storming into the library trying to end this chat by leaving her mother outside./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Hey, you don't get to do that" Mary Margret as she followed her into the library matching her velocity./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""What?" Emma responded frustrated. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Just walk away every time you don't want to talk about something" Mary Margret said now she started she could not stop so tired from holding back, so afraid of pushing Emma away. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""What do you want?" Emma yelled feeling like a bubble about to burst. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""I want you to talk me" Mary Margret said desperate. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""No, you don't" Emma continued to walk away annoyed, she didn't really know why. But it was so frustrating she just didn't want to talk about it. Still unable to make sense with her past knowing it could make those closest to her leave. Emma just needed to push it aside and focus on something else, anything else./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""I had a thought" Belle said grabbing Emma's arm pulling her into the back of the Library where a mountain of Storybooks where. All sorted into piles stacking up to the roof, many pages marked with post it notes. So into her idea, she hadn't even heard Emma and Mary Margret's argument. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You've been busy" Emma said surprised, happy for the interruption./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Mary Margret pursed her lips once again unable to break down that wall, she listened to what Belle had to say continuing on with the next monster she had to fight, emotional baggage be dammed. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Listen I was thinking, it doesn't make sense" Belle said although it was hard to hear as she disappeared behind one of the stacks of books. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""What doesn't make sense?" Mary Margret asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Emma you said the Merry Men were getting taunted by the creature" Belle called out while shuffling things grabbing a Storybook from under a large stack and bringing it over./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Yeah, from what they told us" Emma answered confused. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""See that doesn't make any sense as far as everything we've read it acts on instinct, more like an animal just pure destruction" Belle said coming closer slamming the book on the small bit of desk space left./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""So, it's being manipulated by someone" Emma replied not sure why all the fuss, they kind of already suspected that. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""They must be more then manipulating it" Belle replied knowing full well what sacrifices it would take to control such a beast. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You think someone is controlling it" Emma asked her mind ticking away thinking it through. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Belle nodded although this was a breakthrough it was also terrifying to think someone unknown to them held that much power and could take their lives their loved one's lives, like it was a game. Belle opened the book and brought it over opening it to a previously marked page./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""This thing is this beast usually devastates whole kingdoms in days it's been around here for months and compared to, well that" Belle said gesturing to an illustration Emma had never seen before of a village completely decimated, shrouded with darkness not a glimmer of light left. Empty and forgotten. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Is that what will happen here?" Mary Margret asked shocked. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Maybe not if we can figure out who is doing this and how there controlling it, then we can take the reins" Belle replied excited by her idea. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Then the main priority is to find those campers, our prime suspects given what Emma found in the campfire" Mary Margret concluded already calling up David to let him in on this new information and walking over to the other side of the room for the call./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Emma realised she was about to be cut out of the action again sinking into a bean bag with defeat as her friends walked into to the library and the bell rang for classes to start not that they or anyone else were going to attend the halls remained quiet and empty it was another reminder of how bad things had gotten. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Mulan, Red, Killian followed by Anna made their way over to Belle to help her sort through the mess while Elsa sat down by Emma's side seeing her frustrated expression. Elsa handed Emma a cup of hot chocolate they sat in silence for a moment sipping their drinks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""I'm fine" Emma said answering before Elsa even asked the question. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Oh, I know, you're just being stubborn" Elsa said with a bit of annoyance in her tone./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""What do you mean?" Emma replied /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You need to tell them, before it inevitably blows up in your face" Elsa said referring to Emma keeping secrets from her family. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Elsa, I thought we agreed not to talk about that" Emma replied./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Huh, really because we haven't talked about it at all, since you first told me that Regina had once tried to adopt you and everything that happened when you were kidnapped" Elsa replied frustrated./span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Elsa quiet, what is this ambush Emma day" Emma said frustration boiling over a she got bombarded twice in the space of five minutes. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""I know you will be cross with me, but if you don't tell them" Elsa paused feeling guilty about this last sentiment "I will" Elsa finished with determination. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Elsa" Emma gasped /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""I didn't tell anyone what was going on with Mulan and Red and they almost lost their lives, I will not make that mistake again" Elsa said firmly as the idea kept her up all night. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""This is different, they don't need to know" Emma replied feeling like Elsa had just walked in and slapped her across the face. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""What I don't understand is, why you feel such shame abouts this, you were just a child" Elsa asked confused. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You wouldn't understand" Emma paused "they wouldn't understand" Emma finished trying hard to keep her voice to a whisper. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""Emma, there your parents" Elsa replied surprised, she said it like unconditional love was something Emma was familiar with. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You know as well as anyone, that just because there your parents, doesn't mean they won't reject you" Emma finished realising what she had really been afraid off. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"Emma got up then feeling her anger surging at the fact that Elsa even brought the topic up, she dumped the drink it the bin and walked away, over to the others. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU"They were all deep in re reading over the books, Belle must have shared her theory with them. looking over any other clues they may have missed. Emma quietly sat down by Killian's side trying to focus on the words in front of her as her heart raced the fear of rejection and loneliness made her question everything. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-AU""You alright Emma" Killian asked seeing her vacant expression./span/p
div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"
p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext .75pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"span lang="EN-AU""I'm fine" Emma replied as she persisted to read on pushing her concerns away as best she could./span/p
/div