Emma Swan parked her good old bug in front of the luxurious apartment condominium.

She had just moved in into that apartment six months ago after bringing into custody a high-profile businessman who created a fake investment company to raise money from rich people under the false pretenses of safe investments and one hundred percent return on the investment per month.

The guy had tricked them right.

He always paid back on the first few months of investments using other victims' money to cover the promise and then collected the money back when the investors got greedy and wanted to see their money double and then triple.

If you ask Emma, this was a victimless crime.

A person who is stupid enough to believe their money can have a hundred percent return per month because of one investment deserved to be conned.

No matter how rich or poor they were.

But thanks to that asshole, Emma was now living in a good apartment in a good part of the city.

He was so easy to track.

He ran away with victims' money but instead of laying low, he decided to flaunt it on social media.

Pictures driving expansive cars, exotic travels, and parties.

That's how Emma found him.

A post of him in the middle of a nightclub enjoying champagne while smiling at the camera.

And luckily enough, the sign with the nightclub's name was just behind Emma. And only one hour away from where she was.

Emma was quick on arriving there.

She didn't have time to change so she just had to let herself in with her everyday outfit. Jeans, jacket and boots.

She couldn't even call that a catch.

The guy was so drunk when she arrived there that all she had to do was drag him out of the club and shove him inside the backseat of her car.

He slept the whole ride.

Unlike the guy she had just caught tonight.

Tonight she had to play Princess and dress up for a date.

Makeup, hair, the tightest pink dress she owned, and heels.

God, Emma hated heels.

She never learned how to walk properly in those things.

Emma slammed the bug's door with force.

That Ryan guy.

What an asshole.

Idiot!

He even got her dress dirty with that cheap wine he ordered and now Emma was going to have to take the dress to the dry cleaner.

But that thing he said to her…

Emma swallowed dry, pushing the elevator button more forcefully as if that could make the elevator arrive faster.

What the hell do you know about family, huh?

Emma shook her head as his words made their way inside her brain.

Nothing.

She knew nothing about having a family.

And he deserved having his face slammed against the wheel.

After Emma dropped him off she stopped by the bakery store only a few blocks away from her building.

It was her birthday today.

Twenty-eight years… alone.

Emma bought one single cupcake and a box of star-shaped birthday candles to put on top.

She did this every year.

The only celebration she allowed herself to have on this day.

The elevator arrived and Emma made her way inside.

She push her floor number on the elevator panel and rested her head and shoulder against the cold metal.

She was tired.

And honestly, she wished she was drunk.

If it wasn't for the job today, she certainly would.

The elevator doors opened on her floor, and Emma walked the hallway in the direction of her door.

The heels were already hurting her feet and Emma was having trouble walking on top of that ridiculous thing and the tiny bag she was caring made things worse somehow.

It weighs nothing and still was making Emma lose her balance.

Maybe it was just the content inside. What it represented.

Emma reached her door and insert her key inside the locker, kicking the door open.

The heels were already making her angry and honestly, she wouldn't mind kicking one door.

Or one hundred.

Emma entered the apartment, using the wall to support her body while she kicked the heels off her feet.

And then she walked in the direction of the island not sparing a glance at her still very empty apartment.

Six months and the only things Emma had there was whatever it came inside when she rented plus her stuff that was still inside cardboard boxes.

She promised herself she would take them out this time.

Promised she would put her clothes inside the closet and her books on the shelves.

Promised herself that this time, it would be different.

But it wasn't.

It would never be.

This wasn't her home and no place would ever be.

Not for her, anyway.

She was homeless, regardless of the roof over her head.

Emma opened the white paper bag and took the white and golden box from inside along with the candle package.

She opened the box and smiled at the little cupcake before ripping the candle package open, grabbing the first one she saw, and carefully putting the candle in the middle of the cupcake before reaching for a box of matches.

Emma ran the match on the dark strip of the box and stared at the fire for a minute too long.

The bright orange and blue danced before her eyes and Emma was nearly hypnotized by the ways the flames moved, wondering what was it about little fireballs that always seemed to catch her attention.

Emma smiled to herself and shook her head before lighting up the candle before the fire burned her fingers.

And then she stared at the flames again, leaning on top of the island.

But this time she didn't just stare at the flames.

This time, she stared at the cupcake.

"Another banner year," Emma said to herself.

She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath before doing something she hasn't done since she was three years old.

Emma Swan wished she wasn't alone.

At least this year, this day, this night.

She wished she wasn't alone.

Emma let a single tear fall down on the corner of her right eye and then she used all the air stored in her lungs to blow out the candle without even opening her eyes.

And when she did, the doorbell rang and Emma froze for a second while staring slightly confused at the candle on top of the cupcake and the smoke flying up and up and up and disappearing into nothingness.

Emma cleaned the tear from her cheek and walked quickly n the direction of the door wondering who could possibly be on the other side.

She opened the door all at once staring at nothing until she lowered her gaze.

To the small figure looking hopefully up at her.

"Ahn… Can I help you?" Emma asked the kid, leaning one arm against the door frame.

"Are you Emma Swan?" The kid asked.

"Yeah," Emma said looking more serious than she should at the small kid "Who are you?"

"My name is Henry," The kid said smiling at her "I'm your son"

And just like that, Emma was frozen by the door again, trying to make sense of what that small human was saying.

The kid passed under her arm inside her apartment as if he had any right to be there.

"Oh, hey, kid, kid" Emma called for him "Kid," She said more forcefully, closing her apartment door "I don't have a son. Where are your parents?"

"Ten years ago, did you give up a baby for adoption?" The kid asked, stopping behind a chair on the island.

Emma felt her breathing quicken and her heart raced inside her chest as she stared at the boy.

"That was me," The kid said still looking at her.

Emma had no idea what to do as she looked back at the kid, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

She was completely lost and her mouth have gone slightly dry.

So she just looked at him and said the first thing that popped into her mind.

"Give me a minute"

And Emma gave her back to the kid, running in the direction of the bathroom.

Emma locked the door behind her, having a small panic attack.

Her breathing was accelerated, way worse than it was before, and Emma could feel her hands tremble against the wooden door as she kept her hand there to make sure the door would stay locked.

What the hell?

Of all the times Emma imagined her son coming after her, she never thought it would be like this.

She always thought that he would be older, that she would be older and… prepare.

To face him.

To tell him the truth, the reason why she had to give him up.

But this?

He was a kid, just a small child, and Emma could not handle that at all.

How was she supposed to tell him the truth?

"Hey, do you have any juice" The kid's voice echoed inside the bathroom "Nevermind, I found some"

Emma took a deep breath in order to force her nerves to calm down.

And then she summon all of her courage to rip the bathroom door open and walked in the direction of the kid with a confidence she wasn't feeling.

"You know, we should probably get going," The kid said after putting the juice bottle on top of the island.

"Going where?" Emma asked, arms crossed and staring straight at him from across the island.

"I want you to come home with me," The kid said.

"Okay, kid," Emma said walking around the island "I'm calling the cops"

Emma gave a good look at the kid while staring at him from across the island.

He looked clean and well dressed not to say well-spoken.

He obviously belonged to someone.

There was someone out there who care about him, cared enough to give him new clothes.

And Emma had no interest in getting caught up in the middle of… whatever that was.

Emma reached for the phone on the desk in front of the window, giving one quick glance at her little bug parked out front.

"Then I'll tell them you kidnapped me,"

The kid's voice made Emma turn quickly in his direction.

She stared at the kid's face again, a face that reminded her of herself when she was young.

And the cleverness too.

"And they'll believe you because I'm your birth mother," Emma said.

"Yep"

"You are not gonna do that," Emma said.

Cleaver, yes.

But the game he was playing Emma had not only invented but perfected over the years.

"Try me," The kid said, looking petulant at her.

"You are pretty good, but here is the thing," Emma said looking at him "There is not a lot I'm great at it in life, but I have one skill, let's call it a superpower. I can tell when anyone is lying and you, kid," Emma paused dramatically "are"

She looked down at the phone in her hand and started to dial random numbers, just to make noise and see how far the kid would go.

He caved after the second beep.

"Wait"

Emma stopped dialing and lifted her head to look at him.

"Please don't call the cops," The kid begged her "Please"

The kid looked at her with pleading eyes before talking again.

"Come home with me?" The kid asked.

"Where is home?" Emma asked seriously.

"Storybrooke, Maine"

"Storybrooke?" Emma felt like laughing "Seriously?"

"Um-hum"

"Alright, then," Emma said already walking in the direction of her bedroom "Let's get you back to Storybrooke"

Inside her bedroom, Emma made quick work to change out of the tight dress she was wearing to put on more sensible clothes.

She walked to her closet kneeled in front of the box she was yet to unpack and took out a brand new pair of skinny jeans and a white tank top along with a grey blouse to put on top.

Emma changed into the clothes and then put on her boots, pulling the shoelaces while sitting on the edge of the bed.

When she was done, Emma reached for her beloved red leather jacket laying careless in the middle of the bed, and walk out of the bedroom, finding the kid finishing drinking the orange juice he retrieved from the fridge plus a bag of chips.

"I was hungry," The kid said looking sheepishly at her.

"We are leaving," Emma said pointing at him.

Emma pretended to be doing something around the apartment while she waited for the kid to finish eating.

Surely she couldn't let the kid starve.

After the kid finished eating, Emma walked with him to her bug parked in front of the building.

Emma drove in the direction of Storybrooke – Maine while stealing stares at the kid sitting on the passenger seat.

She gripped the steering wheel and swallowed dry every time she looked at him, a heavyweight forming in the pit of her stomach.

She tried to think of something to say to him, something to ask, but every time she opened her mouth to say something, she stopped either because the question was too stupid or because she wasn't sure she would appreciate the answer.

So, Emma drove in silence, staring at the road, stealing glances at the kid every now and then.

Oddly enough, she noticed the kid did the same to her.

"I'm hungry," The kid said beside her "Can we stop somewhere"

"You just ate at my house," Emma said seriously.

"The bag of chips was nearly empty," The kid said "Who leaves so little inside the bag?"

"This is not a road trip, kid," Emma said seriously again "We are not stopping for snacks"

"Why not?"

"Keep complaining, kid," Emma said, gripping the wheel "Remember I could put your butt in a bus, I still could"

"You know, I have a name," The kid said "It's Henry"

Emma sighed and looked at him, her heart racing inside her chest.

Learning his name was dangerous.

Calling him by his name was dangerous.

She couldn't allow herself to call him by his name, otherwise… things might get complicated.

So, kid it was.

He was 'kid' until she delivered him to his family and forget he ever came knocking on her door.

On her birthday.

When she wished she wasn't alone.

If this was what she meant or not when she made that wish, Emma wasn't sure.

Eventually, the kid reached inside his backpack and took out a book, flipping the pages.

The book was quite big, bigger than him actually, and Emma grew curious as he flipped one page after another.

"What's that?" Emma asked casually.

"I'm not sure you are ready"

Emma smirked and turned her head to look inside the book.

"Ready for some fairy tales?" Emma asked.

"They are not fairy tales, they are true," The kid said "Every story in this book actually happened"

"Of course, it did," Emma sighed, looking out the road again.

"Use your superpower, see if I'm lying," The kid said.

Emma looked at him, opening and closing her mouth for a second before looking out the road.

"Just because you believe something doesn't make it true," Emma said.

"That is exactly what makes it true," The kid said "You should know more than anyone"

"Why is that?" Emma asked curiously, looking at him.

"Because you are in this book," The kid said.

"Oh, kid," Emma sighed "You got problems"

"Yep," The kid said "And you are going to fix them"

Emma felt that heavyweight drop on her stomach as a cold feeling followed it, making Emma's insides turn.

She swallowed dry again, focusing on the road ahead, doing her best to block the kid's last sentence.

They drove in silence all the way to Maine and Emma nearly sighed in relief when she saw the Welcome to Storybrooke sign.

She actually thought the kid had lied to her and made up the town because she never heard of a city called Storybrooke before, but voialà, here she was entering the city with a soft rain pouring while she made her way through the main road.

"Okay kid, how about an address?" Emma asked.

"Forty-four not telling you street,"

Emma felt rage run inside her bloodstream as she gripped the steering wheel harder before stepping foot on the breaks, all at once.

She opened the car door and closed it behind her with force, wishing she had something to sink her fist in.

Today was her birthday, and she had already dealt with an asshole of a man early that night, she did not need a little shit in a shape of a kid making her birthday even worse.

But of course, the universe had other plans for this oh, so happy, happy day.

Emma looked to the side and saw the kid opening the door and leaving the car.

Emma looked at him and felt her rage grow even higher, as his soft relaxed expression looked back at her.

"Look, it's been a long night," Emma said angrily before looking up at the clock tower "And it's almost… eight fifteen"

Emma crossed her arms while looking confused at the watch.

Surely it was later than that, right?

"That clock hasn't moved my whole life," The kid said "Time is frozen here"

"Excuse me?" Emma asked looking at the boy now standing right beside her by the car.

"The Evil Queen did it with her curse," The kid said "She sent everyone from the Enchanted Forest here"

"Hang on," Emma said, arms crossed, leaning casually on her bug "The Evil Queen sent a bunch of fairy tale characters here?"

"Yeah, and now they are trapped," Henry said.

"Frozen in time, stuck in Storybrooke, Maine?" Emma asked, "That is what you are going with?"

"It's true," Henry said desperately.

"Why doesn't everybody just leave?" Emma asked.

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

"Henry," A voice called from somewhere on the street.

Emma looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man walking in their direction with a dog.

"What are you doing here?" The man asked, stopping in front of them "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, Archie," The kid said before scratching the dog's head.

"Who is this?" The man smiled, looking at Emma.

"Just someone trying to give him a ride home," Emma said simply.

"She's my mom, Archie," Henry said looking at the man.

Emma felt uncomfortable with the kid calling her that, and tried to control the small panic attack she was having inside ever since the kid knocked on her door.

"Oh… I...I see" The mand said.

"You know where he lives?" Emma asked looking at the man, ignoring the cold feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Ah, yes, sure, just ah, down on Mayfleen street," The man said "The Mayor's house is the biggest one on the block"

"You are the Mayor's kid?" Emma asked slightly annoyed, looking down at the kid.

"Maybe," Henry said looking at the ground.

"Hey, where were you today, Henry?" The man asked him "You missed our session"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you, I went on a field trip," Henry said.

The man looked at Emma, both sharing a knowing look of what a load of crap that was, and kneeled in front of Henry.

"Henry," The man said "What did I tell you about lying? Giving in to one's dark side never accomplishes anything"

"Oookay," Emma said looking down at the man "I really should be getting him home"

What the hell kind of talking was that?

No wonder the kid was mentally ill with the whole fairy tale characters being real.

Who says shit like giving in to one's dark side?

What the hell is that even?

"Yeah, sure, listen," The man said standing up "Have a good night, and… you be good, Henry"

Emma smiled at the man but the second he turned his back to her, she dropped the face.

"So, that's your shrink?" Emma asked.

"I'm not crazy," The kid said seriously.

"I didn't say that," Emma said lightly "It is just… He doesn't seem cursed to me. He is just trying to help you"

"He is the one who needs help because he doesn't know," Henry said.

"That he is a fairy tale character?"

"None of them do. They don't remember who they are" Henry said and walked away from Emma.

"Convenient," Emma laughed, opening the car door "Alright, I'll play. Who is he supposed to be?"

"Jiminy Cricket," Henry said, getting inside the car himself.

"Right, the lying thing," Emma said getting inside the car, "I thought your nose grew a little bit"

"I'm not Pinocchio," Henry said.

"Of course, you are not," Emma said "Because that would be ridiculous"

Emma turned the engine on and drove the car down the street.

It didn't take long before Emma spotted the Mayor's house.

The white mansion really was the biggest house on the block.

Emma parked the bug in front of the house and opened the door, leaving the car.

The kid was reluctant to get out himself, but Emma walked to the gate anyway, telling him she would go inside whether he liked it or not.

"Please, don't take me back there," The kid said behind her, after finally leaving the bug.

"I have to," Emma said opening the gate "I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you"

"I don't have parents," The kid said "It's just my mom and she is evil"

"Evil?" Emma stopped walking, turning to face the kid "It's a bit extreme, isn't it?"

"She is," The kid said in a small voice "She doesn't love me, she only pretends to"

"Kid," Emma crouched until she was eye-level with him "I'm sure that is not true"

"Henry!"

Emma looked to the side and saw the front door open and then she felt the air get caught in her throat and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the most beautiful woman she have ever seen in her life run in their direction.

Hi everyone...
I'm back with the first part of "Memories of You".
Yeah, I know it's utterly backward XD but it will be worth it, I promise.
Let me know what you think of this first chapter.