Raised by animals
A guest asked for a oneshot of Emma, having been raised by forest animals, has to adapt to normal life with the help from her parents.
Charming had fought so valiantly to keep Emma safe and bring her to the wardrobe where she would be able to escape the Evil Queen's curse. But as he reached her nursery, although he tried, he was unable to keep conscious any longer from the injuries he sustained whilst trying to keep Emma safe. He collapsed in the middle of the room, his newborn still in his arms. Fortunately for Charming and Snow, all hope was not lost for their baby girl. She would escape the curse, just not in the way anybody expected.
Hearing the agony of Queen Snow as she delivered the princess, some of the animals from the forest that where nearest the palace had stopped fleeing the oncoming purple smoke and, instead, charged towards the palace to help the human that had befriended so many of them. Had helped them in their time of need. A few of the larger birds had made their way into Emma's nursery and saw the baby nestled in her father's arms. They could still hear the war waging outside the room. Quickly, they took the baby and carried her safely into the forest.
Snow would only get word of this from a single bluebird who remained to make sure the queen knew her daughter was safe. By that point, it was too late for Snow to go after her baby girl. She could only hold tightly to Charming's near lifeless body, hoping against all odds that he would make it through this, and that one day, they would be reunited with their daughter.
That day would come, and just like Rumplestiltskin had predicted, it was twenty eight years later. Except, time hadn't moved exactly the same in the spot Emma's birds had taken her to when the curse hit. It was a small patch of land protected for some unknown reason. A dome had just surrounded the area and shielded them from the destruction experienced by the rest of the realm. But, much like Storybrooke, time hadn't passed much until the curse was broken. A few times, some people had managed to put a temporary stop to its effects in the Enchanted Forest alone, letting time pass for a few months. But the curse was still too strong and would always return. That was until it was broken properly in Storybrooke. As soon as it was, Snow was able to explain to Charming what had happened to Emma when he had collapsed. They found a magic bean and made their way back home that day, determined to find their daughter.
They weren't sure what to expect. Would Emma still be a newborn? Had time passed in this realm? Was Emma now their age? They weren't expecting the eighteen month old baby girl still raised by the same group of animals who had rescued her from the palace. She was so perfect to her parents. So in tune with nature. Although Snow and Charming would be forever grateful to the animals for rescuing their baby, it was time to take Emma home with them. Right now, the Enchanted Forest wasn't safe for them. In their absence, the trolls and giants and other undesirable creatures had taken ownership of much of the land. Emma would be far safer with them in Storybrooke.
Emma was not a fan of life in Storybrooke. At least not at first. She was still a baby, and she had been taken from her home. She had been taken from everyone who she considered to be her family. The animals had told her about her parents, and had informed Emma that was who Snow and Charming were when they arrived, but that didn't stop her being anxious of this strange new world. She missed the quiet of the forest. Everything was so noisy here. Plus, there was the issue of the clothing now expected of Emma. She found it heavy and unnecessary. Particularly shoes.
In an effort to ease Emma into her new life, Snow and Charming simply left shoes for the time being. They kept life as quiet as possible and simply worked on engaging with her. It wasn't always easy. After all, Emma had received no human contact up until the moment they found her. They both knew it was going to be a long road, but it was one they would happily walk if it meant having Emma back in their lives for good.
