I know some people felt the curse was broken too quickly, but that was my plan all along. I didn't feel like it needed to be prolonged, because there's a lot of drama to come. But as always, I do want to know what you guys want to see from this story.

Chapter Five: Questions and Overwhelming Confusion

Snow couldn't believe it. It only seemed like minutes ago that she had held her tiny daughter in her arms and now here she was, a teenager. She had always though that she would be 28 years old when they were reunited, not that she would complain.

"Are you okay?" Were the first words that escaped her mouth once she pulled away from her daughter.

"How did you get here?" Charming asked, gaining his ability to speak, too. His beautiful baby girl was back in his life. He could just tell that she had to have grown up in a privileged life, wherever she was. Yes, she was wearing a simple dress, but he knew the material had to have been expensive. Even though a teenager stood before him, he struggled to see that, he could still remember his sweet baby girl.

"How many years have passed?"

"Where have you been all this time? Were you safe?"

The questions were all so overwhelming for Emma. She realized that the king and queen were visually inspecting her for injuries, which added to her feeling uncomfortable. She had always hated attention being on herself, despite being a princess. As the youngest, unlike Alise and August, she wasn't expected to have to give many speeches and such, so her introverted self was accepted. Her brother could tell that she was a little freaked out and came closer to her. Charming's eyes went to the man and he instantly tightened a bit. Who was this? Like Emma, he was wearing clothes that were made of the best materials, a sword was attached to his hip. He looked to be too old to be a suitor…unless this was somehow arranged? No, he had only gotten his daughter back, he couldn't…

"Your majesties," August cut off the king's thoughts. He quickly bowed. "You probably do not recognize me. My name is August, but you knew me as Pinocchio."

"Geppetto's boy?" Snow asked, receiving a nod in return.

"Emma and I were raised together, as brother and sister." He didn't miss Charming loosening a bit.

"Raised together? But the curse…"

"It's a long story," Emma interrupted quietly. "We can talk about it later. For now, all you need to know is that it's been 16 years."

"Where are we?" Charming asked, looking around.

"Storybrooke," Snow explained. "It's a different land, it doesn't work like ours." She looked back at her daughter, taking all of her in. "My goodness, you're so beautiful."

Emma felt the heat rise to her cheeks. "Um…thank you."

"I understand all of this is overwhelming," August said. "But the town will need you both, we need to find the Evil Queen as well."

The reunion's happiness came to a halt for the king and queen. For a moment, they had nearly forgotten what had brought them to this land. Snow quickly walked to the side of the room and grabbed the clothes Charming had been wearing when "Mary Margaret" discovered him in the woods.

"Here, Charming, you change." She saw his eyes staying on Emma and she could understand how he felt. Everyone said you blink and your kids grow up, but for them it was all too literal. Even so, they had to calm everyone down and make sure that Regina couldn't hurt anyone else. With her memories as her other self, she hadn't remembered any magic being present, but that didn't mean there wasn't any. As she reflected on it, this curse was very thought out. Homes for everyone, a hospital, schools and shops. There was even the diner that most people flocked to…Granny! And Red, she had been so different during the curse, but maybe that was the point. "Charming, I know all of this is hard, but we do have to protect everyone, Emma included."

Charming sighed, but knew she was right. Carefully, he took the clothes. Since he had been in a coma the entire curse, he had no false memories and they seemed so strange to him. It was then he noticed Snow's outfit, definitely not princess material. At the same time, he remembered how Blue said that in this land, their stories were just stories.

After he quickly changed, the group made their way out into the hallway. The entire place seemed to be deserted, so they continued their walk onto Main Street. August kept a hand on his sword the entire time, while Snow and Charming stood protectively on either side of their overwhelmed little girl. They noticed a large group had gathered, everyone was there. The first person that recognized them, was Red.

"Snow!" She pulled away from her grandmother and ran to her, hugging her tight. Snow beamed and hugged her tighter, while Charming embraced Granny. Emma just stood there, watching it all as a group of short men appeared.

"Sister," one with a jacket that read "Leroy" said. Snow pulled away from her best friend and nearly let out a whoop of joy, hugging her brothers.

"The curse is really broken?" Doc asked.

"Yes. Emma did it," Snow told him, proudly, gesturing to her daughter. Emma felt even more uncomfortable as everyone turned to look at her. Instantly, there were hushed whispers. It was her, the savior. The one they had all been counting on. Emma could hear a few say how much she looked like her parents.

"Then why are we all still here?" Grumpy asked, looking directly at his niece.

Emma shifted a little. "I…I don't know," she admitted. "I only found out about all of this recently, I know nothing of it except that it was done by the Evil Queen."

"Has anyone seen Regina?" Charming asked. Everyone shook their heads, as they tried to remember the last time their cursed selves had. She was the mayor in this town, everyone feared her. Yet, she was only seen when she was ready to torture someone. "We need to send some people out to look for her."

"Check her mansion," Snow suggested. "When the curse broke, a light went over the room."

"For us, it was a cloud of purple smoke," Red told them.

"Very well, either way, she has to know something is up. I know all of this just happened and we're anxious to reunite with our loved ones, we have no clue what she has up her sleeve."

"We'll go looking for her," Grumpy said. The man Snow recognized as the Huntsman also stepped forward.

"I will help in the search. The two of you should focus on Emma right now."

"I'm the savior," Emma rebutted, finding her voice. "If anyone is going to help find her…"

"Emma, we don't even know if your magic works here," August butted in.

"Magic?" Snow asked.

Emma nodded. "Product of true love and all that…it's under control, I promise."

Snow and Charming were caught a little of guard. They knew that true love was powerful and that she had been destined to be the savior, they just hadn't thought that magic was a part of the deal. Either way, it didn't matter. Even with magic, Emma was still young and they would protect her. No matter what. She was their little girl after all.

"I think it'd be best if you stayed with us," Snow told her, gently. "I'm sure your magic is great, but Regina is very powerful. Besides, we are unsure if it can even be performed here."

"You are right to be suspicious," Blue said, appearing out of literally nowhere like she always seemed to do. "I have tried to use mine since the clouds came rolling over and I simply cannot. This is a land without magic. I will go with the dwarves and huntsman to see Regina, though."

Emma side eyed this woman, the others she didn't take much issue with, but she seemed off somehow. It was just the way she talked and how she seemed to just appear. However, the king and queen merely nodded, with Snow instructing them to "call her phone" or stop by her "loft" (Emma, August and Charming didn't understand what she meant by any of that) when they were finished, asking them to be safe. The small group walked off, leaving still a rather large crowd.

"I know all of this is scary," Charming told them, his voice holding that authoritative, yet caring tone. "But we will get through this, we will go home."

"I'm sure the last thing any of us want is to go back to our cursed selves," Snow continued. "However, for now we don't have much choice. Find your families and if you need any help, please do not hesitate to ask me or my husband."

The people seemed hesitant, but a few minutes later, Cinderella, (who was holding Thomas' hand with one of hers, the other one her baby bump) started the walk to her home. Little by little, more followed. August spotted someone and froze, instantly. Emma saw the look on his face and followed the trance. There was an older gentleman standing by a red headed man with glasses.

"Are one of them your father?" Her brother merely nodded and she patted his arm. "Go, it's okay."

August drew a deep breath and shakily walked over, he swore he would've been able to move better as a puppet. He didn't recognize Jiminy, as he never knew him outside cricket form, but he knew that was definitely his father.

"Papa," his voice was so quiet, Geppetto didn't hear him with his bad hearing. His friend did however and gently tapped him on the shoulder, smiling brightly. The man looked up, confused.

"Can I help you?"

Tears were welling up in August's eyes as he did his best to keep his voice even. "Papa, it's…it's me…"

It clicked for Geppetto, a smile going across his face. "Pinocchio! My boy, is it really you?"

The young man, nodded, a smile of his own coming. "It is." His father instantly pulled him into his arms, hugging him tightly. Jiminy watched on, tears of joy also threatening to fall down his face.

Emma watched from afar, feeling happiness for once since she had found the letter. Her brother had spoken so often of his papa, about what an amazing man he was. He had loved Derek as a father, but he clearly had two in his head. August had done so much for her over the years, to see him truly happy, was an amazing thing.

Snow and Charming were watching their daughter take in the scene. That was the closest thing to a smile they had seen on her face in the very short time they had known her. She said she had only recently found out about the curse, Pinocchio…or August as he wished to be called…said he had grown up with her. None of it made any sense. They had so many questions, but they knew they had to wait. Their daughter was staring at the former puppet so intently; they knew it'd be selfish to drag her away.

Finally, after hugging Jiminy, August slowly lead the two men over to Emma and her parents. Geppetto was clearly apprehensive of the royals, he had no clue what they knew of yet. He knew that they were going to be furious with him and he couldn't blame them. He quickly removed his cap, to boy.

"It's good to see you again," Snow told him, kindly. She turned to his friend. "Archie…who were you in the Enchanted Forest?" She didn't recognize him.

"Jiminy Cricket, your majesty," Jiminy replied with a smile. "I wasn't always a cricket, a very long tale."

"It is great to see you all reunited," she replied.

"Clearly we have a lot to catch up on," Geppetto said, laughing a little. His son had a sword, a very nice one at that, he had only seen those among the royal.

"I can't just leave Emma…" August began to say. He was torn. While yes, he wanted to reconnect with his father and Jiminy, he had protected her for 16 years…he couldn't just turn it off. He didn't know the king and queen; sure they were known as trusted rulers, but it had been his job.

"August," Emma interrupted him. She didn't really want to be separated from him in this strange land, but she couldn't be selfish. She could see the way Geppetto and Jiminy were looking at him, they deserved a reunion. "I'll be okay. I'm assuming they know where Snow lives, we'll see each other. For now…just reunite with them." She didn't see her parents wince to the fact that she referred to her mother by her first name. All of this was going to take some getting used to.

August sighed, knowing she was right. He took a step forward, wrapping his arms around her tightly. She returned the hug, burying her head in his chest. Their parents watched them in awe, none had really expected them to be so close. August kissed the top of his sister's head, his face staying in her hair.

"I love you," he mumbled.

"I love you too, Auggie." She pulled away after a few long moments and kissed his cheek, giving him a soft smile. "I'll see you soon, okay?" August nodded, slowly walking backwards towards his other family.

"We'll take good care of her," Snow promised. She could see how deeply he felt about their daughter and although she still didn't understand how they had been given an opportunity to have this bond, she didn't want either to feel uncomfortable.

August nodded. "I'll come by to see her, soon." He gave Emma one last loving look before following Jiminy and Geppetto.

And then there were three.

"We should head to the loft," Snow said, gently.

"What is a loft?" Emma asked, quietly.

Snow laughed. "I'll explain when we get there, come on." She offered her arm for Emma to link, but her daughter seemed a bit wary, so Charming took it instead. The family slowly made their way to where she had been living the past 16 years.

Charming couldn't get over how different things were on their walk, same as when they entered his wife's home. He couldn't name half of the things in the kitchen or the weird big box that was in the center of the den. The place looked very small and open. In a way, it reminded him of the cottage he grew up in (though, that was far more modest). You could see the kitchen, parlor and the bedroom, all at once. There was a staircase, leading to another open space, where she saw a spare bed. At the very least, he was glad that Emma would have a bed in this strange land. No, it wasn't a palace, but he hadn't been raised in one. It would due for the moment.

"I can explain all of the technology and such later," Snow told them, noticing their shell shocked expressions. "Let's just sit…or wait, do you need anything? Emma, you should really eat…or have something to drink…"

"I'm fine," she said, politely. Carefully, she sat down on the couch. The royal couple sat on either side of her. "So, you two had a lot of questions and I know I have some too."

Snow nodded. "To start off, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Physically, that was a true. Mentally, she felt like she may require a lobotomy.

"How did you get here?" Charming asked.

"A magical bean," Emma explained. "It created a portal, I didn't exactly know where you all were, just that you existed."

"Where have you been all this time? Were you safe?"

Emma looked between the two of them, she knew she couldn't lie. It was clear she wasn't from this world. While she had just met them, she didn't want to hurt them. At the same time, they deserved to know the truth just as much as she did.

"I was safe, I promise. The wardrobe, it brought me to a land not far from your own. Do the names Queen Odette and King Derek sound familiar?"

Snow nodded. "We did trade with them."

"Yes, well, I was adopted by them."

Snow and Charming exchanged a look, unsure of what to feel. She had been adopted. They had no clue what would happen when they put her through the wardrobe alone and of course they were glad she was well taken care of, by royalty no less. Still, it was very bittersweet. She had other parents. When they found a way to return to the Enchanted Forest, would she want to come with them? Or would she simply return to the other man? Not to mention, they must have been freaking out with her being gone. No parent just lets their 16-year-old go on a mission like this alone.

"So, you were raised a princess," Charming said, softly.

"Yes. They never told me of your existence or that I had been adopted, I only found out about the prophecy recently, as in a few days ago recently. My moth…I mean…" she didn't want to hurt their feelings by calling her "Mom" just yet. "Odette had written me a letter explaining it all."

"A letter?"

"They died about 10 months ago."

Guilt and pain replaced the bittersweet feeling. Snow and Charming had both lost their parents and they knew how terrible it was. Especially since their daughter was so young. Yes, she had them, but she didn't know it at the time and even so…they had raised her. Snow gently placed a hand over Emma's.

"I am so very sorry," she said, quietly.

Emma gave a small smile. "Thank you." She didn't feel like getting overly emotional, she really hadn't in front of others since the death.

"Can I ask how?"

"They were on their way back from a ball, the weather suddenly got very bad and the person driving the carriage was forced off by the winds. He said from there, he could see the horse go out of control…ended up in a lake…anyway…" She couldn't talk about it much more without crying. "My older sister was made queen and my guardian."

"Older sister," Snow repeated, not wanting to push in terms of Odette and Derek. She did remember one trip to their palace and seeing a daughter they had adopted. She was a sweet little thing. "Is she here?"

Emma shook her head. "No. Once I found out about you all, August and I headed to Misthaven."

"How is it?"

"From the little I saw, not good." She ignored the cringe that fell across their faces. "Anyway, from there, I decided I had to come here. Alise knows we're here, or she will when she receives the letter I sent via messenger before we left. Once we arrived, a man brought us to the hospital and well, the rest you know."

"Rumpelstiltskin," Snow suddenly realized. The vicious landlord that people feared had been the Dark One in their land. He had been imprisoned.

"What?" Charming asked, feeling slightly panicked.

"He's who brought Emma to the hospital, he vanished after the curse was broken."

"If Blue is right and there really is no magic, then we have nothing to fear," he assured his wife, rubbing her arm.

Emma looked at them, confused. "August said he couldn't be trusted either. What's wrong with him?"

"He's just a very evil man, but don't worry, he can't hurt you." Charming placed his hand on her knee and she gently pushed away, still not sure how comfortable she felt with physical contact.

Things were silent for a few moments, allowing the king and queen to take in all of the information they had been given. They weren't sure how to feel. Heartbroken that they had missed so long with their daughter, that she had other parents that she clearly loved and adored, yet had lost? Or relief that they had her now and that she had been loved all those years? It was going to take time to process all of the emotions they felt.

"I do have another question," Snow finally said.

"Shoot."

"Pinocchio…"

"August," Emma corrected. "He changed it when we were kids."

"August." Snow nodded. "How were you two raised together? I just don't understand; the wardrobe only took one."

Emma bit down on her lip, she hadn't yet processed her own feelings on her brother's father for the lies he had told her family. She could've been with at least one of her parents and it didn't happen. Still, the last thing she wanted was for August to have any problems. And yet, once again, these people deserved the truth.

"It took two," she told them. "In the letter I received and from what August told me, it says that Geppetto deceived you."

Snow felt a pang in her heart. She could've gone with Emma, or Charming. She didn't have to be alone; she didn't have to be adopted. Her eyes matched her husband's and she could see he was thinking the same. He would've insisted it be her, if she could move fast enough after giving birth. She could've had one of them. Would they have been royal? No, but it'd be worth it so she could at least know where she came from. It seemed like sheer luck that Emma had even been informed of the prophecy. What if they had been cursed forever? Not that they would've cared for themselves, but cursed without ever getting to know their beautiful baby girl. 16 years without her. All because of a lie. Tears prickled Snow's eyes again.

"I could've gone with you," Snow whispered, hoarsely. Emma felt a twinge of pain in her own heart. She barely knew this woman, but they were connected in a way. She looked over at Charming, who clearly also was in pain over this information.

"Geppetto wasn't the one who told us, though," Charming added, his own voice hollow. "Blue did."

Emma slowly nodded. She knew that woman had something off about her.

"I don't really know how the conversation went down, you'd have to ask Geppetto or Blue, maybe even August," Emma replied, not really knowing what else to say. What could possibly heal the pain of knowing that all of this, her being adopted, growing up without them, could've been avoided? Especially since deep down…she wasn't sure if she would change being adopted if she could.

Snow drew a deep breath. They would have time to sort all the emotions, to talk with the people that had deceived her. In that moment, there were more pressing matters. "We'll find a way back to the Enchanted Forest. We know it exists, you told us that much yourself. In the meantime, as I told the others, we have to keep going on. Maybe we can somehow harvest a bean or if magic comes back, a portal can be created. Until then…we just try to find Regina and start our lives as a family."

Family.

Emma bit down on her lip. These two, they had brought her into this world. They had been lied to, pretty much tricked into letting her grow up without them. She had been adopted, she already had a family. Sort of. As angry as she was with Alise, she was her sister. August was definitely still her brother. She couldn't just forget the past 16 years.

And yet, she also couldn't deny that as confused as she was the situation with Snow and Charming, she did want to try to get to know them. Even if things were going to be weird. She had questions, ones only they could answer. On top of it all, it wasn't like she could go anywhere else. She only had the one bean.

"You'll stay with us, of course," Snow told her. "You can see August whenever you want, he can come around here." The one thing both she and Charming were sure of, was that they could not blame this boy. He had been practically a baby himself when all of this had gone down. No matter how they felt about his father, they had seen how protective August was of Emma, of how she clearly was just as hesitant to leave him.

"We're unsure about Geppetto right now," Charming added.

Emma nodded. They were acting like such parents and for this, she would allow them to. They would have to find their groove, eventually. For now, everything was still so weird. It had all happened so fast. Snow could see how tired she was, she looked like she hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep in weeks. Maternal instincts kicked in as she rose to her feet.

"I can show you to the spare room, it'll be your room," she said. "I know it's probably not what you're used to…"

"It's fine, I'm not picky. I think I need to rest my eyes for now."

Snow nodded, gently leading her up the stairs. She realized she didn't have any clothes for either her husband or her daughter. Making a mental note to go shopping, she showed Emma the bed and watched her climb under the covers. A large part of her felt the urge to tuck her in, just like any mother would. Then she reminded herself she was dealing with a 16-year-old. That would take some getting used to.

"I'll be just downstairs with Charming."

Emma nodded. "Alright."

"I know all of this is overwhelming," Snow added, softly. "And confusing. But if you have any questions…"

"As much as I appreciate it, for now I just really need to sleep," Emma told her.

Snow nodded. "Alright, sweet dreams." She bent down and kissed her head before scurrying down the stairs. Charming pulled her into her arms and she rest her head upon his shoulder, happy to be back in his embrace.

"There's so much to figure out," he whispered. "She has another kingdom, she's a princess there."

"We have time to figure it out. For now, let's just focus on finding Regina and seeing about even getting back home."

"What are we going to do about Blue and Geppetto?"

Snow pursed her lips together, shaking her head. "I don't know, I honestly don't."

So, yeah…this story is going to call Blue out on all her shadiness, haha. If you follow me on Tumblr, you may have seen my whole rant on her role in Emma growing up alone. Anyway, let me know what you think and of course, what you'd like to see now that the family is reunited! I love incorporating what you guys want, so make sure to let me know. =) Hope to have the next one up soon!