Okay I hope you have all managed to forgive me for the last chapter. Just know there is a reason for everything and I do have a plan... although I seem all over the place. This chapter is slightly more happy for you guys. Hope you enjoy my lovelys.
"The movie was good… could have done with a few more explosions though," Josh smiled as he took his dates hand.
"Excuse you! When did you become too high and mighty for a Disney film?!" Sarah exclaimed to her date's amusement.
"You realise in some countries we are old enough to get married, so maybe we might be too old for Disney films," he laughed.
"In some countries I could trade you for rice… what's your point?" the teen retorted.
"Fine I give up," he caved as Sarah pulled his arm over her shoulder.
"Two years into this relationship and you still don't realise I always win," she smiled into the boy's shoulder.
"Hey! I did you a favour by dating you. Before me you spent your days throwing rocks at other couples," the raven hair boy teased.
"Why should they be happy!" the pair slowed down as they reached the curly haired girls building. "Apart from insulting my love for Disney… thank you for a lovely evening."
"I'm sure you will find a way to forgive me," he smiled leaning down to press a kiss to his date's lips.
Emma entered her living room to see her son completely captivated by the tv. She let out a sigh, wishing her life could be as simple as his. "Mrs. Cuse said you were quiet tonight," she commented as she flopped down on the couch next to him.
"Not quiet. Concentrating. I've finally reached level 23," Henry explained, never taking his eyes off the screen.
"Do you mind if a fifth-level wizard joins you?" His mother picked up the second remote control.
"At level 23?" Henry laughed. "Good luck with that," Emma rolled her eyes joining the game. "So, what did you say? To Walsh?" Henry said after a few moments of silence.
"You knew?" Emma turned her gaze to her son in shock. "How?"
"Come on, mom. First date restaurant. A special night out. Writing was on the wall," Henry chuckled.
"Technically, the writing was on the dessert," Emma mumbled to herself.
"Really? Video games again," they were interrupted by Sarah coming home.
"It's good for my hand eye coordination and reflexes I told you that," Henry argued.
Sarah picked up an apple from the fruit bowl throwing it at her brother's head. "Didn't see that coming though did you," the teen laughed.
"Ow!" Henry moaned throwing the object back at his sister.
"Will you two knock it off," Emma scolded.
Sarah joined them in the living room, kissing her mom on the head as she ungracefully took her seat on the chair. "So, what did you say to Walter?"
"You too?!" Emma exclaimed.
"Mom it was obvious," Sarah and Henry nodded at each other. "So, what did you say?" The deafening silence answered her children's question.
"Poor guy," Henry sighed.
"I didn't say no," Emma argued.
"If you didn't say yes, I stand by my poor guy assessment," Henry took a sip of the drink in front of him.
"Come on mom what more could you possibly want? He's handsome, he must have a sense of humour to put up with you," Emma stuck her tongue out at her teen. "Also, he doesn't hate the fact you have two kids which has held you back before." The teen felt bad for her mom. Ever since Zac had died and Henry's dad left, she had kept her walls up. Anytime the blonde had trusted someone enough to date them the minute the two kids got mentioned they soon ran a mile. A single mom at 30 seemed to be a real turn off.
"I just need some time to think about it," Emma sighed. "I mean, it's like a big step. We've got a good thing going here, just the three of us."
"Yeah, and we'd still have a good thing if it was just the four of us," Henry insisted.
"He's right mom. I don't think you me and Henry need any more quality time together. In fact, it's a wonder we don't all dress the same and send out holiday cards. I mean come on we give the Brady bunch a run for their money," Sarah added.
Emma looked back and forth between her two kids. They were her world and she wasn't sure she was ready for things to change. "You think Walsh is worthy of joining our little family?"
"Our screening system for future dads isn't that intense," Sarah sighed grabbing her phone to text Josh.
"He's okay," Henry piped up before pausing the game to look at his mother. "Mom, not every guy is like my dad. Not every guy is just going to leave you."
"He didn't just leave. He set me up to take the fall for his crime and left me in jail while Sarah had to go into the foster system," Sarah looked up from her phone as her mom grabbed her hand. Emma couldn't stop the guilt eating away at her for leaving her daughter. It wouldn't happen again. "He doesn't even know you exist. He doesn't deserve to."
"This guy is not that guy. He wants to be with you. Us. He wants us to be his home. And anyways, I know you like him," Henry insisted.
"You never know," Sarah added. "He could be another Zac."
"I doubt it. I don't think anyone is going to come close to your dad," the two swan girls shared a sad smile. Life without the man had been unbearable at first. The pair had barely survived it but after Henry came along, they somehow managed to mend their little family.
"Maybe not," the girl agreed. "But you really like him and we all know it."
"How?" Emma questioned.
"Cause he's the first guy you've dated we've ever met," Henry explained.
"He was the only one brave enough to go near Sarah," the blonde argued.
"I resent that, I am a delight you are the one who reduced my caffeine that's on you," Emma laughed at her child.
"When did you guys get so wise?" she smiled as Henry pressed play on his game.
"Somewhere after Level 16 when I became a knight," Henry smiled.
"For me it was around birth," Sarah winked as she headed to her room, earning a light slap from Emma when she passed.
The next day the three swans bustled around the kitchen getting ready for their day. "Mom, do you have it? My permission slip? It's due today and if I don't hand it in I'll miss the museum trip next week," Henry piped up from the table.
"Yeah, your permission slip is right here," Emma answered but she sounded distracted.
Sarah and Henry shared a look. Something wasn't right. "Mom, is there something going on?" Henry asked.
"No, nothing," the blonde lied.
"No. You're doing it again. You're worrying," Henry sighed as he took his breakfast bowl to the kitchen sink.
"No, I'm not. I'm thinking. There's a difference," the blonde sighed.
"We don't have time for you to start thinking we have school," Sarah picked up her bag and moved to her mother.
"Why are you always so mean to me?"
"Why do you make it so easy?" Sarah countered.
"Go somewhere very far away," Emma pointed to the door.
"You will miss me when I'm gone," Sarah kissed her mother on the cheek. "Love you."
"Love you too," Emma smiled before going back into her thoughts.
After spending the day worrying over what was to come, Emma had picked her kids up from school. With everything that was going on she felt the need to have them close. Henry chatted about his latest games, while Sarah grumbled about how she was supposed to be meeting Josh. Even then, this was still the best part of the blonde's day.
"You want to talk to us about Walsh, don't you?" Henry asked as they neared their apartment.
"Why would you say that?" Emma put an arm around her son.
"You bought me candy at the drug store," Henry commented, taking a bite from the chocolate bar. "And you brought Sarah coffee," he said while chewing.
"She pulled my hair till I agreed," Emma glared at her daughter.
"And I'd do it again," Sarah smiled, taking a sip of the dark liquid.
"Okay. Maybe you're right. I have been thinking about him. Maybe what happened in my past with your birth fathers has kept me from living my life now. Maybe it's time for me to start looking forward. We start looking forward," Emma pulled both kids into her side.
"So, does that mean you going to marry him?" Henry watches as a grin appears on his mother's face. "So, that's a yes. How are you going to tell him?"
"Wait. Wait. First, I didn't say that I – "Emma tried to interrupt but her son kept going.
"You could tell him at dinner tonight," Henry smiled.
"We're not having dinner," Emma gave her son a confused look.
Henry looked at the ground a guilty look on his face. "I might have sent him a text from your phone this morning. He's coming over at eight and I arranged to sleep over by Avery's so the two of you could be alone and Sarah is going out with Josh."
Emma turned slapping her daughters' arm. "This was your idea wasn't it?"
"Okay, first of all ow," the teen moaned rubbing her arm. "And second of all I had nothing to do with this. I just gave him your phone… and the passcode," Emma stared her daughter down. "And the time."
"You are a bad influence," Emma grumbled while Sarah wrapped Emma in a bear hug.
"And I love you too," the teen yelled while Henry laughed beside them.
"It's okay, mum. If your gut's telling you to marry him, trust it," Henry smiled as the three of them paused in the street.
Emma stared at her kids for a second before realising what she had to do. "Crap, I forgot to pick something up. Go. See, if you can beat Level 24. I'll meet you up there," Emma hugged both her kids before heading back down the street. "Henry you're in charge she called."
"She's here all week ladies and gentlemen," Sarah rolled her eyes as she followed her brother.
Emma made her way to the prison cell where she had left Hook. She didn't know who this man thought he was but he needed to get the hell out of her life. She had something good going. She had two amazing kids, a job she loved and finally a good man she wanted to marry. The first man who she had been able to open up to since losing Zac.
"Hey. We need to talk," Emma greeted as she approached the one-handed man.
"I knew you wouldn't let me rot in that cage. I've been in my fair share of brigs, but none as barbaric as that. They force-fed me something called bologna," the man smiled.
Emma threw the pictures she had found at him. "What the hell are these? We never lived in a town called Storybrooke. We never took a flight from Boston to New York. We never did any of this."
"So, you believe me, then," the man knew she'd come around.
"I don't know. You could have photo shopped these pictures?" Emma didn't want to believe that any of this was true.
Hook gave her a confused look. "Photo shopped?"
"Faked," Emma explained with an eye roll.
"If you think these are forgeries, then why'd you spring me from the brig? Because as much as you deny it, deep down, you know something's wrong. Deep down, you know I'm right," the man looked into the blonde's eyes as recognition took hold.
"It's not possible. How can I forget all of this?"
Hook sighed. "I promise you there's an explanation."
"Not one that'll make sense," Emma argued.
With that Hook pulled a potion from his jacket. "If you drink this, it will."
Emma looked at the liquid before taking a step back. "If- If what you're saying is true, I'd have to give up my life here."
"It's all based on lies," the man gave her a sad smile.
"It's real and it's pretty good," the blonde snapped. "I have my children. A job. A guy I love."
"Perhaps there's a man that you love in the life you've lost. Regardless, if you want to find the truth, drink up," Emma still seemed to hesitate. "Do you really want to live a life of lies? You know this isn't right. Trust your gut, Swan. It will tell you what to do."
"Henry always says that," Emma thought back to her kids. Life with them was good, was she really ready to risk it all.
"Then if you won't listen to me, then listen to your boy." Emma took a deep breath before taking the potion from the man's hands and downing it in one. All the memories came flooding back. Meeting Henry, Sarah almost dying, learning about her family and magic, finding Neal, losing Zac, leaving Storybrooke.
After a few moments Emma looked back to the man in front of her, seeing him with new eyes. "Hook."
"Did you miss me?" the man smirked.
Once the blonde recovered, Hook began to catch her up on what she missed. "Snow and the Queen settled their differences. Frankly, I was bored. I had a life to get back to a pirate's life."
"Glad to see you haven't changed," Emma sighed.
"There wasn't anything for me in the Enchanted Forest. Why would I stay? All was well until I got a message. A message saying that there was a new curse and that everyone had been returned to Storybrooke. The message told me that the only hope was you," Hook explained.
Emma looked at the man in disbelief. "You came all the way back here to save my family?"
"I came back to save you," he said simply.
"Who could have done this?" Emma gazed into thin air wracking her brain.
Hook gave a small shrug. "Someone powerful enough to reach into this world."
"Any more specific thoughts?" Emma felt her daughter's sarcasm leave her mouth.
"Alas, you're the saviour, not me," the pirate smiled.
"You know what I was yesterday? A mother. Till you showed up and started poking holes in everything I thought was real. When I drank that potion, it was like waking up from a dream. A really good dream," Emma finally had the life with her kids she always wanted and suddenly it had all been ripped away.
"Well, you have what matters most. Your children," Hook could see the disappointment on the woman's face.
"Now, I have to figure out how to explain this to them," the blonde groaned.
"Alas, I could only scavenge together enough for one dose of memory potion," with that the doorbell rang alerting Emma too her date. One more person she had to say goodbye too.
The next morning Emma felt herself fighting everything in sight. Her whole life had been turned upside down and for what? Why couldn't she have been left happy… left alone. Just her and her kids.
"Mom," her daughters voice brought her out of her thoughts. "What did the eggs ever do to you?"
Emma noticed the tragic state of the eggs in front of her and sighed. "May I ask you something?"
"I'm sure you will anyway. But for the record whatever it is I didn't do it," Sarah grabbed a mug from the cupboard before heading over to the coffee machine.
"Do you believe in magic?" This was enough to make the teen forget about her coffee and turn to her mother.
"Of course," the response shocked the blonde. "And the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. If it gets me a present, I'm game," Emma let out a laugh. At least she could count on the kid to cheer her up.
"You're not sure you made the right decision, are you?" Henry joined the pair in the kitchen.
"I just didn't feel like pancakes," Emma looked back down at the eggs.
"As important as breakfast foods are, I don't think that's what he was talking about," Sarah turned back to her coffee mug.
"I meant about Walsh," Henry stared at his mother closely.
"I made the right decision," the blonde avoided eye contact, knowing if she looked at her kids, she would tell them everything. "I'm certain. It's going to be you guys and me for a little while. Here you go," she passes a plate to both her kids.
"As long as you're happy," Henry smiles before putting the plate down and grabbing his backpack. "Tasty. But I've got to run. I'm going to be late for school. You kind of overslept."
"Nope. How about we go on a trip?" Emma smiled.
"You want us to skip school?" Sarah questioned, walking over to put a hand on her mother's forehead. "Are you feeling okay?"
"I have a new case," Emma began to explain, shaking off her kids' hand. "And it's in Maine, and it might take me awhile, and I think we should go. It would be an adventure."
"No school? A trip with you and Sarah? Sold," Henry smiled.
"Yeah I'm going to pass," the teen piped up. "See I know you broke up with your boyfriend but some of us still have relationships we are trying to hold onto."
"Josh can cope without you for a couple of weeks. Besides I've already packed," she took her scowling teens face in her hands giving her an obnoxious kiss on the cheek.
"When do we leave?" Henry questioned.
With that there was a knock at the door.
"Are you expecting someone?" Henry and Sarah shared a confused look.
Emma went and answered the door revealing the pirate. "You're ready, Swan?"
"Sarah. Henry," Emma turned to her kids. "This is Killian. He's- I'm, uhm. I'm helping him with his case."
"Did you skip bail?" Henry raised an eyebrow at the man.
"Or break out of some institution?" His sister added.
"Oh, they are still little spitfires," Hook smiled at the kids.
"Still?" Henry questioned.
"He's not a perp," Emma quickly changed the conversation. "He's a client."
"Why are you dressed like that?" Henry continued his interrogation.
"Why are you dressed like that?" Hook quickly countered.
"Do not talk to my brother like that," Sarah quickly intervened stepping in front of Henry.
"Alright. Alright," Emma soon broke up the argument. They hadn't even made it out of New York yet. "Just make yourself useful, Killian, and get our bags. Henry, lend him a hand. I just need one last thing," the boys started taking the bags while Sarah followed her mom to her closet to see her pull out a red leather jacket.
"Trying to relive your youth," the teen commented.
"Hey! I'm not that old," Emma put the familiar jacket on staring at herself in the mirror.
"Why are we doing this? You get plenty of jobs here," Sarah moaned.
Emma looked at her kid and fear suddenly took over. After drinking that potion, she remembered what her kid had been like before they left Storybrooke. Her magic was taking over, she didn't trust anyone in sight, she was becoming distant and worst of all she had just lost her dad. Emma now had to feel the sting of losing Zac like it was yesterday and soon her daughter would too. Her kid was finally happy, like she was before and Emma knew she would soon have to rip it all away from her. Emma walked towards her kid placing her hands on her arms. "Just one more job okay," Sarah gave a reluctant nod before Emma pulled her into a tight embrace.
As Emma drove across the town line, she felt a sense of comfort wash over her. No matter how much she loved her life in New York, something about Storybrooke would always be home. Sarah looked out the window while Henry slept on her shoulder. The town seemed deserted with only a couple of people roaming the grey streets. "Where the hell have you brought me?" The teen mumbled more to herself than anyone else.
"Welcome to Storybrooke kid."
They're back! How will Sarah take to being in the town again? This is probably a perfect time to look back at my season 1 rewrite to remember how Sarah felt the first time around. I'm trying to keep the updates going as quick as possible but as always bare with me. Thank you!