A/N: I'm going to be honest, I don't much like this chapter and I didn't enjoy writing it. I kind of had to just drawl it out to get the story headed in the direction I want it to go, you know? I spent a few weeks working on this chapter, then coming back to it to delete everything I had written, before I decided today that I was never going to be happy with it. I hope my few readers understand that and look forward to the next chapter which will be better.

. . .

The shock of the reality of the curse had hit Emma hard, but she hadn't had time to process it before she found herself running around town at the service of everyone else.

"It's Regina's fault," Mary Margeret's words echoed in Emma's mind, and she knew that her mother was right. If Regina would have never cast the curse, then Emma could have been raised by a loving family. It had been more than a childhood dream for her. It was a pain deep within her that lingered still, even after Emma found her parents. But it was impossible for Emma to dwell on what could have been. She knew that if she thought too much about it she would be consumed by the hurt and her being wasn't strong enough to contain the emotions that had built up in Emma under the surface, should she allow them to be unleashed.

And so, without thinking on it too much, she could at least decide that being out here, breaking her back to absolve Regina (the great ruiner of childhoods) was at the very least, annoying.

It had taken her only a few minutes to find the barn and stables that she had been directed to, as Storybrooke didn't cover much mileage. She immediately jumped out of her bug and began calling Daniel's name.

"I'm a friend!" she yelled and found herself walking into the stables. She poked her head inside the doors but didn't see anyone.

"Over here!" she heard a man call, and her head whipped over the lining of trees across from the stable. Her gaze caught a man waving at her, and she watched him struggle to walk over the hill. She jogged to meet him.

"Can you tell me where I am?" the man asked. Emma had never seen him before.

"Are you Daniel?" she asked, and he nodded. "I'm Emma Swan," she introduced herself, "I know you're probably confused, but... Regina is a few minutes away. She asked me to bring you to her."

"She couldn't just come herself?"

"Come on," Emma said, lifting his arm over her shoulders so she could help him walk on his legs that were weak from disuse, "I'll explain on the way. It's... a long story."

. . .

Regina waited for what seemed like hours. She picked at the ring on her finger and twisted it until her skin was raw.

Would Daniel be able to forgive her for letting him go? For moving on? For giving up?

She knew, as soon as the thought crossed her mind, that of course he would forgive her. She wouldn't even have to ask.

But would he recognize her? Regina had no mirrors in her compact jail cell, but she had memorized her reflection in the past. She was old, now. So many years had passed since their last conversation, under that apple tree. Daniel may not care about that. But deep inside she knew that many things had changed since they last met. She had annihilated entire villages and burned them to the ground. She had cursed an entire realm. She had made her life's purpose to strew as much damage and wreckage as she could. When people told him about her, about what she was truly like, would he be able to see past the darkness into the innocent eyes of the girl she had used to be?

She believed wholeheartedly that Daniel had returned. She knew it wasn't a trick. But how long would he stay?

The door to the Sheriff's office swung open and Emma walked in. And behind her strode Daniel.

Regina's breath hitched and her heart swelled. He looked the same. Tears slipped from her eyes involuntarily and her whole body trembled. His eyes swept right past her and didn't stop until they landed on David. He hadn't recognized her. Her soul plummeted to the bottom of her stomach and shook from nausea. Her body felt numb, suddenly.

"Daniel!" she said, and his eyes whipped back to her. His eyes widened. She had finally caught his attention.

"Regina?" he asked. He stared at her in shock for a moment before jogging to meet her across the cell bars. "What happened to you? Why are you imprisoned?"

His hands found hers between the bars and she clasped them to her chest. His gaze ran over her face as he took in the differences. "You've changed..." he said thoughtfully and Regina chuckled tearfully.

"I haven't seen you in almost 50 years!" she exclaimed.

Daniel turned to look at Emma. "Because of the curse?"

Emma and David both nodded, and Regina once again filled with dread.

"How much did you tell him?" Regina asked.

"I think it might be best to let him acclimate to this new life before telling him everything," Emma said. She narrowed her eyes at Regina's as if to tell her that, for now, her secret was safe.

"No," Daniel said, looking at Regina resolutely, "Tell me everything that happened."

Regina smiled sadly and her hands through the bars to run her fingers softly across his face. She nodded.

"Daniel," she said, "Daniel, how I've missed you."

. . .

49 years ago:

Regina sat cross-legged on the stable floor with her head in her hands. Daniel had abandoned her. She had gone to meet him on time to see that he was gone, leaving his horse and all of the belongings he had packed.

Cora had shown up a few moments after her discovery to mock her. To call her foolish for thinking that Daniel would want to risk the wrath of the king to marry her. To call her stupid for believing that Cora hadn't known about Regina's plan to escape since before it was even a twinkle in Regina's eye.

Regina knew that Daniel hadn't just left her there, though. He wouldn't. And to leave without all of his belongings? Daniel didn't have a penny to his name. How would he survive on his own without the few things he had?

Regina was sure that something terrible had happened to him and she was sure that her mother had something to do with it. She just had to figure out how- How had he disappeared without a single trace? It was like he had vanished into thin air.

She stood and began to retrace her steps for the hundredth time that day, imagining Daniel's last actions before his disappearance. She knew he had taken time to pack his bag and hook it onto the horse's saddle. She had looked through his pack to discover nothing of his missing except for the clothes that had been on his back and the silver crested pocket watch that he'd inherited from his father. And his wedding ring. That was missing too.

She knew that he must've swept, as the stable floor was significantly cleaner than usual. She found a print of Daniel's shoe in the dirt and she traced it with her foot.

She had searched everywhere. She had foraged the surrounding forest, traveling deeper than she knew she should have unaccompanied. She'd spent a few hours in town with a picture of him that she'd drawn herself. She wasn't a very good artist and the picture didn't resemble him much except for the color of his hair and the hue of his eyes.

"Daniel Cotter," she'd said to any villager who would give her the time of day. "He's about this tall…" And no one had seen him. She'd even broken into her mother's vault to make sure Cora hadn't tied him up there and left him to die. She'd had no luck.

She went outside of the stables, her head throbbing from thinking so much. She was completely lost. But she wouldn't give up until she at least found a clue.

So once more, she retraced her steps. She traced his footprint. She walked down the grassy hill toward their apple tree when she noticed a sound like gushing water, only… There was no water near. The nearest creek was miles into the forest. Her pulse began to speed up as she realized that she must have missed something the last time she had scoured the hilly plain.

She followed the sound, which led her to a whirlpool of golden sunlight in the ground that was partially hidden by tall grass and weeds. She grinned. She knew enough about her mother's magic to know that this was a portal. And it was the only possible place that Daniel could have disappeared to.

Without thinking of where she might arrive, of where Daniel had possibly been cursed to- She jumped in.