I know I'm posting these quickly, but I've had the Emma parts written out for months now. The next chapter probably won't be out for a bit due to other stuff I want to work on.

Chapter Twenty-Two: No Place Like Home

Snow was staring down at the tiny baby in her arms. She wasn't crying, just cooing and looking up at her parents. "The wardrobe," she whispered. "It only takes one."

Outside the door, they could hear their knights fighting off Regina's. They both internally flinched, thinking of the devastation that was going on in their palace.

"Then our plan has failed," Charming said as Emma started to cry softly again. "At least we're together."

Snow continued to look down at her little girl. Even before she was born, when she found out through the necklace about Ruth's sacrifice, she had vowed to protect her daughter through anything. Soon, the knights would be in here, ready to kill them. All of them. She knew that Charming would fight as best as he could, but it was one against who knew how many. Emma could not end up a casualty of this war. There had already been far too many.

"No. You have to take her," she told him. "Take the baby to the wardrobe."

Charming looked at his wife as if she'd gone mad. "Are you out of your mind?"

"No, it's the only way. You have to send her through."

"No, no!" He argued with her. "You don't know what you're saying."

Her eyes met his. "No, I do. We have to believe that she'll come back for us." It was killing her, but she knew it was the right thing. "We have to give her, her best chance."

Tears gathered in Charming's eyes. She knew he was catching onto the fact that she was right. He bent down and kissed the top of Emma's head. Snow looked back down at her, tears falling down her face.

"Goodbye, Emma."

Charming took the baby and gave his wife a final kiss before disappearing out the door. Snow waited until the door shut before breaking down into tears. She wanted to run after him, tell him to come back. But she knew that was selfish. Emma deserved her best chance, the best life she could possibly have. She sobbed as her arms stayed in the same position as they had been when she held her. She had to hope that one day she would hold her in them again. Even if she was grown by then.

Snow jolted up, looking around the room. She wasn't in the Enchanted Forest, she was in the loft. She noticed that August and Charming were huddled around a different book nearby. Her husband saw her face and walked over, putting a hand on her back.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I…I just had this dream," she shook her head. "More like a memory. Of after Emma was born."

Charming nodded, understanding what she met. "Given all we've been through, I think that's normal."

"You should've woken me up." They had all made a silent vow not to sleep until they found Emma.

"You needed your sleep," August said from his seat. It was pretty ironic, considering the bags under his eyes. "Emma would want you to."

"She'd probably kill us for how we've been acting," Snow mumbled under her breath.

It had been a few days since Emma had been kidnapped and there had been no leads. They had been through so many books and Regina had attempted a few spells, but nothing. It seemed that Zelena had gone through Jefferson's shop, destroying his materials to make new hats, so even that wasn't an option anymore. Snow leant against Charming's chest, letting out a long sigh

"Find anything?"

Charming shook his head no. "We're not going to give up though. Nova thinks she found some more books and Grumpy has the dwarfs guarding the town line. If Zelena comes back through, we'll know."

"Regina called as well. She wants to meet back up at the diner later today."

"That sounds good. I should hop in the shower before we go."

Snow grabbed some clothes before heading into the bathroom. Charming sighed, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Maybe you both should stay here. I doubt that nap energized her much," August said, standing up to stretch a bit. His feet were starting to fall asleep with the position he was.

"I could say the same for you," Charming pointed out.

"I'm fine."

"And so are we."

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't relieved that Snow took a nap. He had only just convinced her to actually eat a full meal the day before. He knew they weren't going to do Emma any good if they were passed out, but it was hard to relax when they had no clue where she was.

When Snow emerged from the bathroom, she was looking a little better, though the worry was still on her face. She pulled on her jacket, handing August and Charming their own.

"Any word from Blue?" She asked.

Charming shook his head. "Nova should be at the diner."

Nova wasn't the only fairy to be helping out, almost all of them were. The outlier was Blue. Nova said she had gotten into contact with her, but she claimed she was "busy". Deep down, everyone knew that she was still harboring resentment towards Emma for making the deal with Rumple. It would anger them, but it wasn't all that surprising. They now knew the full story behind Nova and Grumpy's love story. Regina had slipped about a few times that she could've helped her, yet did not. She didn't like to help people, everything had to go by her plan and hers alone.

"We can do this without her," Snow said, determined. She threw her purse over her shoulder and took hold of Charming's hand. "Let's get out of here, I'm sure the others are waiting for us at the diner."

Together they headed to their designated meeting place. As always, Granny had refreshments waiting for them. Snow's favorite tea, coffee with extra sugar for David and a Coke for August (he had fallen in love with soda in the new world). Everyone came in and out throughout the day to help them. They had long since made up for their outburst towards Emma. The town was proving how much they would rally together in a crisis. Maybe there was something special about Storybrooke. It seemed to bring everyone as a big family, something not possible in the Enchanted Forest.

Emma was still curled up on her bunk, feeling as though it was time to just give up. Zelena had taken over again, there was no way out. She wasn't going to see Snow or Charming again, she hadn't even gotten the chance to call them "Mom" and "Dad". August was never going to know the truth and not only had he lost one true love, he was going to lose the other. She would just have to help the witch, one way or another. None of it was worth it anymore.

"Do you hear that?" Tink's voice could finally be heard. She hadn't said much since Emma found out the truth. She didn't know what to say. But, she could hear footsteps in the hall.

Emma shrugged, keeping her back to Tink. It wasn't that she was upset with her, she couldn't be. She just couldn't face her, not after all Derek had done. "Probably just a guard." Her voice was hallow, almost cracking.

"I'm not mad at you," Tinkerbell whispered. "It's not your fault."

"I should've done something, protected the tree house from anyone else…I could've…" Suddenly, a hand was placed on her back.

"The only people at fault are Derek and Zelena," Tinkerbell's voice was firm. "You didn't do anything."

Emma sighed, rolling over, still keeping her knees curled up to her chest. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Tinkerbell smiled lightly and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "We're going to get out of here. We'll get back to August."

"How? I can't even use my magic."

"We're going to find a way, without you having to help Zelena get her ingredients."

There was a loud crash in the hall. That caught Emma's attention, causing her to climb out of the bunk with Tink as they grew closer to the door. The small window on the door didn't allow them to see much, but there was definitely a fight. The sound of two swords clashing rang through their tiny cell. Emma tried to get a two look at just who was fighting and couldn't exactly see, but it was clear Zelena definitely wasn't involved. There was a scream from one of the fighters, followed by them falling to the ground. The other started charging down the hall, which made both Tink and Emma jump back. The door swung open and Emma felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach.

Time had done a lot. His hair was a little greyer, he had more wrinkles and looked absolutely exhausted. His breathing was heavy and yet, a smile of relief went across his face. The same smile Emma had seen time and time before.

"Dad," she whispered.

"Emma." He managed to take a deep breath and move closer to her. Before she could duck away, his rough arms were wrapped around her in a tight hug. She stood frozen in place. A part of her wanted to return the hug, as tight as she could and never let him go. She had thought he was dead, that she would never see him again. He was alive. He was okay.

But then it all came to her. There was a reason why she had been so worried: there was a reason his death had been faked. He had killed her mother and sent Tink to this awful place. Yes, he was alive. It was something she had prayed for every night after she was told of the accident. She always imagined Derek and Odette walking through the doors of the palace, announcing that they were home, that it had all been a dream. Now, there was no relief. The opposite in fact. The man hugging her so tightly wasn't her father, not the man she had thought he was. He was a monster, capable of terrible things.

Emma pulled herself out of the hug and could see Tink had backed up against the wall, clearly still afraid. Not that anyone would be able to blame her, Derek had been responsible for her being sent to the prison they stood in.

"Look at you," Derek whispered to his daughter. His hand cupped her cheek as he looked her up and down. She was still in the plaid button down and jeans she had been kidnapped in. "You…you've changed so much."

"Where is Zelena?" It was all Emma could think to ask. Anything else, would've had her screaming.

"I took care of her," Derek smiled and Emma so badly wanted to see it as the same one he used to give her, but now it just seemed creepy. "She won't be able to hurt you ever again." It was only then that Emma noticed he wasn't just holding a sword, but Zelena's wand. That was powerful, too powerful for him to hold.

"I…I thought you were dead," Emma stammered out, pushing his hand away. The smile faded from his face.

"I had to do that, to protect you. The people that killed your mother would've killed you and your siblings too had I not thrown them off."

Emma stared at him, her green eyes wide. What he had done to them had been bad enough. Now he was lying to her about it? What exactly was his plan now that he had found her?

Derek's eyes went down to the cuff that was nestled on her wrist. "What's that?"

"It's an anti-magic cuff, Zelena put it on me. I can't do anything with it on."

"Would this wand remove it?"

"No, you can just take it off," Emma told him, quickly. The last thing they needed was him attempting to use magic. A moment later the leather was off and Emma grabbed the wand from his hands. "Tink…run."

It was only then that Derek noticed his victim was in the corner. He looked from her to Emma, everything adding up in his head. If Tink was with her, that meant Emma knew everything.

"Emma…" He started to say.

"I mean it, Tink!" Emma ignored him. "Run! I'll catch up with you in a minute!"

Derek went to grab for her as she dashed out of the room, but Emma used the wand to freeze him. He would still be able to talk, just not move. She could see Tink head halfway down the hall and Emma tossed the sword to her, to keep her safe.

"Emma, wait…" Derek began to say.

Emma shook her head. "No. I know everything now."

"Please…"

"You sent Tinkerbell here! You ripped the one good thing that happened to August out of his arms and sent her to be a prisoner!" Emma shouted, finding her voice.

"I had to do it," he said. "She and August, they were going to take you away from me…"

"Don't lie! I saw what happened! They were going to tell Mom! And let's talk about that!" Emma's hands were shaking, the wand nearly fell out of them, but she wouldn't allow it.

Derek's eyes were wide with guilt-not that he felt it, but the kind that proved that he was. "I…I panicked. She wanted to tell you."

"So what?!" Emma exploded. "God forbid she want to tell me the damn truth! Something you never did!"

"Please, just let me explain."

"Why should I listen to anything you say? How do I even know what the truth is?!" The tears burned her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. For months, she had wanted to have this conversation. She just didn't know all of what would be added to it back then."

Derek sighed. "When your mother and I found you and August, I didn't want to take you in. I thought it'd be temporary, that we'd find Snow and Charming. I couldn't become attached to you two and then lose you. But then we found out that they were long gone, there was no way of finding them. Not without you. I held you in my arms for the first time and I fell in love. I was your father, me! I rocked you to sleep at night, I sang to you! I couldn't bear to lose you!"

Emma shook her head. "I can understand that," she whispered, and that much was true. She didn't agree with the secrets and lies, but she had no clue how she would've handled it. That wasn't the issue, not anymore. "Mom did the same. But there's a difference in the two of you."

"I shouldn't have killed her. It haunts me every day. I was desperate."

"Desperation doesn't excuse a damn thing! Do you know what I went through?" Emma's lip started to tremble. "I completely broke! I needed the two of you and you were just gone!"

"The plan wasn't for me to leave you, that was Zelena. You were going to be queen, it was all going to fall into place! We could rule the kingdom the right way!"

It all hit Emma like a ton of bricks. Why he couldn't lose her. Alise and August would never be the type of ruler he wanted, but he thought he could turn her into one. Did he even really love her? That she wasn't sure of. All she did know, was that she was not going to give him anything.

"You killed my mother, after you tried to sabotage my chances of ever letting me get to know my other one!" Emma screamed. "And this is after you exiled the only friend I ever made, shattering August's heart!"

Derek didn't have a response to that one. What could he say that he hadn't already? He had never seen this side to Emma. Yes, she had always been stubborn, headstrong. But she had never spoken to him the way she was.

"And let's talk about August," Emma's voice grew more hallow. "How could you treat him like that? He was your son!"

"He wasn't my son," Derek whispered. "He was hers. I didn't want him around, I thought it was too dangerous. But your mother, she loved him."

"How could anyone not love August?! He has the biggest heart, he gave up everything to make sure I was okay! He suffered your abuse!"

"I was scared…scared he'd tell you…scared I'd lose you!"

"You wouldn't have lost me."

"You don't know that! You have no clue what Snow and Charming are like!"

"Actually, I do." She could see the shock continue to go across his face. "That's right, Daddy. I broke the curse."

"But…you were supposed to be 28…"

"I don't know how it happened, but it did. I met them, I live with them. They're…" Emma's voice cracked. "They're amazing. They're so understanding, they love me." A tear trickled down her cheek.

"They put you in a wardrobe and sent you away!" Derek protested.

"They did that because they loved me, they had to keep me safe! And you know what? As hard as this whole situation is on them, me having other parents that I love, they're good with it. They let me talk about you and Mom. They understand. They are so good to me," Emma shook her head, closing her eyes. "And I've never even told them I love them…and I do."

"I'm your father," Derek choked out. "Me!"

"You will always be my father, no matter what you did…you were good to me. I have so many memories of us together." She could see him smiling again. "All the pony rides, the tucking me in at night, our dances…it's all there." She tapped the side of her head. "Those were memories I tried to cling to when I found out you died. But now? All I can think of is what you did. Charming's not perfect, but he's never lied to me. He's never hurt the people that I love. He never would, even if he thought it was what was best for me."

"Emma, please," Derek pleaded. "We can be a family again. We can move past this…I can change…I can be like him. We can go back to the palace, we can be with Alise and Hank. I'll make up what I did. I know I can!"

Emma stared at him, her nostrils flaring. Family. He wanted them to be family. Go back, as if nothing ever happened. She realized just why she was the chosen one in his mind: she had never questioned him. He assumed she would go with whatever he wanted. Alise, August and Odette called him out on his horrors, they paid the price. He was far different.

"You want us to be a family again?"

"More than anything. You're my little girl." He gave her a manipulative smile. "The only reason I did all of this. I couldn't lose you and now I don't have to, not anymore."

"So, it'd be us, Alise and Hank?"

"That's right, sweet pea."

"What about August? What about Snow and Charming?" Derek didn't have an answer for that, but Emma could see it in his eyes. "Or in this version, are they not there?"

"August has his other family. Snow and Charming…they'll be fine. They can have another child. They don't need my baby. Please Emma, just take off his spell, let us get our family back together. We can rule the kingdom, the right way. You would make an amazing queen. You can be just like me."

Emma did her best to keep the tears from rolling down her face, but she couldn't. In front of her truly wasn't the man that had raised her. He hadn't existed, he never had. His excuses were pathetic, his pleas weren't enough. He really expected her to go back and pretend like nothing ever happened. He hadn't done it for her, ever. It was never really about her. It was about power and being able to keep it. She was a simple chess piece in all of it.

"We can't ever be a family," she whispered.

"Emma…"

"You will always be my father. You will always be the man that raised me for 16 years, but you are not my dad. There's a big difference. Charming is my dad," she told him, her voice cracking. "Charming knows what a family is. He accepts August, he loves me and he barely knows me. We can't be a family…because you don't know how to be one. You killed your wife, abused your son, you imprisoned an innocent…" Emma shook her head, her body starting to calm down. "I've learned one things from Snow and Charming. Family is everything and you fight for it. So, right now, I'm going to fight for mine."

Using the wand, Emma sent Derek to sit on the bed, his hands tied together so he was still restricted before she headed towards the door.

"Emma!" Derek called after her. "Emma, you can't do this! I'm you father! Come back here right now before I…"

Emma shook her head, the tears falling harder down her face, not listening to anymore. That right there said it all. She was defying him, giving him what he deserved and she was being threatened. She snatched the dream catcher off the wall and tucked it into her shirt, before grabbing onto the handle to the entrance of the cell.

"Emma! Get back here! You can't do this!"

Emma exited the cell and shut the door, leaning against it as the tears continued to fall. She could hear his muffled screams, his constant attempts at getting her to turn back around. But she didn't, no matter what threats he made, she just kept moving forward. As her heart shattered into a million pieces, she walked down the halls, his voice fading away with each step. With that, Emma let go of him, again.

When she reached Tink, she found herself wrapped into a hug. Emma rested her chin on top of her shoulder, staring out at the hall behind her. She didn't feel relief, she didn't feel pain. She just felt empty.

"I'm proud of you," Tink's words burned against her ear. "I can't imagine how hard that was.

Emma shrugged, pulling away. "It's what I had to do." She wiped the rest of her tears away. "He got us out of there, which is good."

"The place has been eerily quiet outside the two of you. There was no evidence of whoever he was fighting before he came in."

Emma looked around, there really was no one. "What do we do now?"

"We find a way home…or to that land you were telling me about."

"Storybrooke." A shadow of a smile went across Emma's face. "You can see August again."

Tink glanced down at what she was wearing, what she had been trapped in for a year. "What if he…"

"He'll want to see you again. No matter what. Come on, let's see what Zelena's wand can do…"

"Not so fast."

A sudden voice caught them off guard and they spun around, weapons in hand. In front of them was a girl with long brown curls, wearing a cloak. Behind her were a few guards, none of which either of the former prisoners recognized.

"We mean no trouble," Emma said, her wand raised. "We just want to go home."

"You were prisoners of Zelena?" They nodded. "Was it you who finally got her locked up?"

"No…that was Derek," Tink replied.

"Derek? The king? He's been put away as well?"

Tink nodded and pointed at Emma, though still kept the sword drawn. "It was her."

The stranger let out a sigh of relief. "You have no idea how grateful we are. The two of them have been torturing this land for far too long," she said.

Emma felt relief of her own, smiling a little more. "So, this is a good thing?"

"A magnificent thing. My name is Dorothy," she said.

"Emma, and that's Tinkerbell."

"How can we ever repay you for what you've done?" Dorothy asked.

"We need a way home," Emma explained. "We're not from here, there's a different land. Would this wand do anything?"

Dorothy shook her head. "I'm afraid that won't do much without a device that allows you to jump between portals. However, these will work." She looked down at her feet which were clad with a pair of silver slippers. She removed them and handed them to Emma. "Put them on, hold onto your friend's hand. Click your heels three times while thinking about where you want to go."

Emma slowly kicked off her sneakers, sliding her feet into the slippers. They felt weird, but it didn't matter. If this worked, she would be with her family soon. After thanking their new friend, Tink's fingers slid through hers and they looked at each other, smiling.

"There's no place like home, huh?" Emma asked Tink, who's smile widened. She closed her eyes, clicking her heels together three times as instructed.

Months ago, if you asked her to imagine home, she'd think of it as her palace, her kingdom. However, the only images in her mind were August, Snow and Charming. Wherever they were, was where home was.

The reunion will be in the next chapter, for not just Emma and her family, but August and Tink! I already wrote that part out and it made me a little misty eyed, so get ready. This story is drawing to a close in a few chapters, so tell me what you'd like to see in them. As always, tell me what you think. Until next time, friends. =)