Time to tell the truth

A guest asked for a oneshot of Snow and Charming telling Emma the truth about what happened between them and Maleficent when they interrupt her and Hook at the station instead of lying to her.

Guest: That has already been covered (the culprit just wasn't Hook).

LuLu: Sorry, but I don't have anything I would be able to add to that chapter.

Trake: That's been too closely covered.

"My parents." Snow and Charming stopped in their tracks. Emma clearly had something to say about them. "I had this moment today where I…doubted them. They said they were going for a hike and I actually thought that they were lying to me." Snow and Charming could already begin to feel the guilt getting to them.

"Well were they?" Killian asked Emma. Emma looked at him, shocked he would even have to ask.

"No." She said simply. Her face scrunched up, thinking about even the possibility of that happening. "Of course not. My parents would never lie to me." Snow closed her eyes for a moment as Charming tried to digest that. They had lied to her. "But the fact that I could think that they would, it reminded me that I have this…tendency to…expect the worst of people." Charming couldn't even look at Emma. He felt so ashamed. Snow looked at her daughter talking to Killian. How she desperately wished she hadn't lied to her. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation. "My childhood…" Emma continued. "People were always letting me down and I-"

"Hey." Killian interrupted Emma, staring right into her eyes. He knew how important being able to see if someone was telling the truth was to her. "I don't intend to let you down." Emma gave him a small smile.

"I know." She responded quietly. She looked at him and knew she had to say something. "Whatever happened with that sea witch…you can tell me on your own time. Because no matter what I'm gonna do what my parents always do. I'm gonna choose to see the best in you." The smile on Emma's face…it was both warming and heart breaking for Charming and Snow. She was finally opening up to someone. They had given her hope. Now they were about to take it all away. Emma and Killian looked deeply into each other's eyes before either of them spoke again.

"And I with you." Killian replied softly. They both moved in slowly. At that moment Snow knew this wasn't the moment. If Emma saw them now she'd be rightly embarrassed. But Snow made such a noise that Emma looked up and saw them anyway. Her mouth formed a small 'oh' shape. What were they doing here?! Charming cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Sorry." Snow said sheepishly. "We just…didn't wanna interrupt."

"So you awkwardly stood there and watched?" Emma pointed out, half amused, half mortified. She slipped her hand out of Killian's as she got up. "Next time interrupt."

"I'm afraid we have some bad news." Charming told her, cutting to the chase. "It turns out Cruella and Ursula were up to something." Emma looked at her parents, waiting for more information.

"They resurrected Maleficent." Snow told her.

"The dragon that I slayed under the clock tower?" Emma confirmed.

"Dragon? I thought she was some sort of mummified beast." Killian piped in.

"Well whatever she was, she's back to her old self now." Charming pointed out.

"And as long as she's in town, no one is safe." Snow said, gearing herself up for telling Emma the truth.

"I don't get it. Why are these witches waging war against us?" Emma asked, her arms folded defensively across her chest. Charming looked to Snow, taking her hand in his. It was time Emma knew the truth. He sighed, this was it.

"Hook, would you mind giving us some privacy?" Charming asked him. Killian looked to Emma who gave a brief nod. He then exited the station so the parents could speak to their daughter. Emma didn't like this one bit. Why did her parents need to speak to her in private? "Sit down Emma." Charming told her. Emma shook her head. This was getting far too serious.

"No, just tell me what's going on." Emma demanded. Snow squeezed Charming's hand. They had to do this. They owed Emma the truth.

"We know why they're coming after us." Snow admitted. "It's our fault."

"What?" Emma asked. "Don't be ridiculous. How could it be your fault? I know dad put the magic egg inside Maleficent. Surely that's not what all this is about?" Snow and Charming shook their heads sadly. The desperately wished it was. "Then what?" Emma asked when they fell silent. "Tell me what's going on!"

"Emma, Maleficent once had a child. Much like you, that child was born in the Enchanted Forest but was transported to another realm alone soon after their birth. It is because of us that her child was sent away." Charming admitted to her.

Emma felt her legs suddenly go wobbly. She felt like all the wind had been knocked out of her. She found herself falling onto the sofa again.

"How?" Emma asked, not able to look at her parents.

"We had no choice Emma." Snow told her. "It was when we just found out we were pregnant with you. We were told that there was the potential for you to have great darkness. The only way to ensure your goodness was…well…" Emma managed to fill in the blanks for herself.

"You sacrificed a baby's soul just on the off chance that I became evil?" Emma hissed. Her parents silence confirmed it. "You couldn't trust that I wouldn't turn into a monster without the need to sacrifice a damn baby?!"

"Emma please, let us explain…"

"No!" Emma bellowed as her dad tried to reach for her hand. "There's nothing to explain. What you've done…it's despicable." Emma stormed out of the station, leaving her parents behind. They watched helplessly as Emma stormed over to her bug and drove away. Why did they have exchange Emma for Maleficent's baby? What they would give to go back and change everything that happened.