A/N: Hello again, everyone! I hope you're all enjoying a good winter season. Where I live it's been incredibly mild, so I have no complaints.

As always, emlovesyouu worked magic getting this chapter ready for your eyes. I don't own the show, characters, settings, plot, or dialog, even though I do borrow them. Any resemblance to any real people, places, or events is entirely accidental.

Enjoy!

Chapter 4

I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense

12 October 2014

Henry stood on his own front porch, hefting his bag from one shoulder to the other as he tried to figure out what to do. It was his house, or rather the house he called home for the first twelve years of his life, but after moving out to live at the loft with his mom and grandparents he wasn't sure of the protocol. Knocking felt strange, but he hadn't lived there in long enough that he didn't think he could just barge on in, either.

In the end he settled on both options, pushing the – surprisingly unlocked – door open and giving it a brief knock. "Mom?" he called.

The clicking of her heels on the stone tile floor announced her presence well before he saw her. "Henry? What are you doing here?"

For one brief, unguarded instant he saw pure joy on her face at his unexpected presence. His friends were used to complaining about their parents whenever they got too involved in their lives, but after the number of times one or both of his mothers had to step in and save his life – he still had the occasional bad dream about Neverland – it was hard to feel anything but his own happiness when either of them smiled at him.

The moment was far too brief, as her face quickly changed from happiness to wariness, with a sheen of something darker he couldn't identify in her eyes. The sight hurt his heart, and without a conscious decision, he reacted exactly the way he always had from the earliest days he could walk: he wrapped his arms around her neck and held on until he felt her join the hug. "I missed you, Mom."

"Oh, Henry," was all she said, but the watery tone of her voice told him just how affected by the simple gesture she was. He'd known all along that she needed him there. "I missed you, too."

When he pulled back, he saw the moment she spotted his bag. "What's going on?"

"Well, ah, I decided that I wanted to move back here for a while. That is, if it's okay with you?" He explained, looking up at her while scratching the back of his head.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Henry Daniel Mills saw something he'd never seen before in his life: his mother was well and truly speechless. Her mouth opened and closed a couple times without any sound escaping, and combined with her widened eyes she gave the distinct impression of a goldfish. "Really?" she managed to squeak with some effort. It was a testament to how surprised she really was that she had nothing more eloquent to say.

"Yeah, I just figured with the way things have been recently that it would be nice to be back for a while," he explained, knowing that her defenses would shoot back up in a heartbeat if he told her his real reason for wanting to move back in was that he was afraid she would grow too lonely all by herself, "and with Neal screaming all the time, I could use a good night's sleep, you know?"

With a grin, she wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Now THAT is something I do understand. You, yourself, were quite the screamer at his age," she teased. "Of course you can move back here. There isn't anything I'd like more."

12 October 2014

After the initial excitement, dinner was a quieter affair than either expected. Knowing something of the events driving the rift between his moms, Henry was reluctant to bring it up, for fear of saying the wrong thing. Several times he opened his mouth to start the conversational ball rolling, but each time thought better of what he was about to ask.

Being too direct would shut her down, he knew. She would either say it was none of his business, tell him he was too young to be concerned, or ignore it completely. He would have to approach the matter with delicacy and tact. The son of Regina Mills knew both.

Fortunately, his mother made the decision for him. After clearing away the lasagna – stellar as always – she brought out some of his favorite cake. After cutting him a slice, she regarded him silently for a moment before launching her inquiry. "Did you have something on your mind, dear?"

He rolled his eyes at how she always seemed to be able to read him like a book. "Well, Emma's been really upset ever since Granny's the other night. I don't know the whole story about what happened; just what Grams and Gramps have told me. Something about how she couldn't walk away from someone who needed help. Then all of a sudden Robin was leaving and you were mad at her and now you both seem so sad."

Regina pursed her lips, unsure how to begin answering him truthfully. When the curse broke and he was so hostile towards her, she made herself – and him – a promise that she would never lie to him again. Explaining the complexities in adult relationships without deceit would require some delicate verbal footwork. "Do you remember what happened at the stables when Dr. Whale resurrected the body of my former fiancé Daniel?"

He nodded. "You had to end his suffering."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "Yes, well, Daniel was my first love. Losing him the way I did, both times, hurt me very deeply. After he died the first time," her eyebrows furrowed at the oddity of the phrase, "I was desperate to escape what I saw as a prison. I never wanted to marry Snow White's father. King Leopold was at least three times my age. When life seemed at its darkest, I came across Tinker Bell. She saw how upset I was and agreed to help me find my True Love with pixie dust. It led us to a tavern and a man inside. She looked in at him because I was too scared. She said that if I went inside to find the man with the lion tattoo on his forearm, he would be my soul mate."

Henry's eyes lit up. "And Robin has that tattoo! I saw it once. He's your True Love!"

Regina met his smile with a softer one of her own before taking a small bite of the cake. "Not exactly. I didn't go in that night, which is why Tinker Bell lost her wings. It took a long time before she and I could get back on civil terms with each other. Robin and I found each other after the second curse, but when your mother brought Marian back, she took my second chance at happiness away, even if it was by accident."

When she paused, Henry's brow wrinkled. "Did she know who Marian was when she rescued her?"

She wanted to say yes. She wanted to tell her son that his other mother had set out to deliberately ruin her happiness, but the truth was that it was no more intentional than when an eight-year old Snow had been manipulated into selling out her illicit relationship with Daniel. Perhaps accidentally betraying her was a genetic trait of their family. "No, darling. She didn't know who the woman was. The Savior just saw someone who she thought needed saving. Everything that happened afterward was a total accident."

"But I thought you always taught me that when something is a genuine accident that people can't be blamed for it," he replied.

Regina sighed, looking down at her own mostly-untouched slice of cake. "People aren't perfect, Henry, as I'm sure you've noticed over the last few years. We all make mistakes. I reacted very badly, but in the moment of losing Robin, all I could see was that Emma brought this woman back and now my happiness was gone again. I said some truly terrible things to her. All I wanted was for her to hurt like I was, and I'm afraid I succeeded."

He frowned. "Can't you just say you're sorry to Emma?"

"Probably," she admitted, "but I'm not ready for that yet. I also taught you that if you don't mean an apology, it's worse than not apologizing at all. Whenever I see or think of your mother, I get upset all over again."

To her great consternation, Henry actually grinned at that admission. "Why are you smiling? What's so funny?"

"You didn't go all Evil Queen on her, or use your magic. You just yelled at her. If you didn't still care about her, you wouldn't get so mad. If you were indifferent, there wouldn't be this much anger in you. Don't worry. Emma's very forgiving to people she cares about. She'll forgive you," he said, little sage that he was.

Regina's mouth fell open for a brief moment before she was able to close it. "When did you get so wise?" she settled on asking.

"I think it was when my mom started insisting I read books ahead of my reading level age," he smirked back at her.

"Okay, smart guy," she retorted, more than content to change the subject, "What else has been going on for you?"

"Well, Elsa moved into the loft after we discovered she wasn't actually trying to destroy the town. She seems to be getting along fairly well with Emma. She's been helping us figure out what's keeping the ice wall in place," he said with a degree of nonchalance that impressed his mother.

Henry took a bite of the cake, missing her annoyed grimace. "The blonde leading the blonde," she muttered to her own dessert.

"What did you say, Mom?" Henry looked up at her in all innocence.

"Nothing, dear. Just thinking out loud. Would you like to watch a movie tonight?"

14 October 2014

Emma was frustrated. She'd been trying as hard as she could to corner Regina long enough to apologize for the effects of her actions, but had been unsuccessful. The mayor was surprisingly dedicated to escaping, going as far as poofing herself out of her own office when Emma had brought paperwork over as an excuse to see her. Her secretary had stammered excuses that Regina had been called into a council meeting, but with her own parents on the council and the residual scented charge of Regina's magic lingering in the air, Emma knew exactly what had happened. Apparently Regina was so desperate to avoid her that she was using magic.

On the way to the station one morning, she could have sworn she saw Regina walking down the sidewalk, but before she could even call out, the brunette ducked into the nearest building. By the time Emma got to the door, the sign for Doc's Pharmacy was set to closed, and the door locked.

Alone in the new apartment, she tried everything she could think of to fill her time. When she wasn't sleeping, working, or working out, she tried calling Regina to see if she would answer. After that failed, she tried her son, but Henry sent her a text message reply saying that he was off learning archery from Robin. The half-dozen or so smiley face emoticons he sent made Emma smile against her will, knowing how excited he must have been to learn archery from Robin Hood himself.

Ruby was spending most of her time at the library. When Emma finally cornered her one morning on her way, the werewolf just shrugged. "I'm just offering my friend a sympathetic shoulder to cry on. Shoulder, stomach, whatever she needs." The look on her friend's face made Emma raise an eyebrow, but with a wink, Ruby was off into the stacks.

Hook was always there, of course, but lately his seemingly sweet comments had taken on more of an air of innuendo that made her uncomfortable, or at least that was the way she perceived them. She wasn't entirely sure what she felt for the pirate, but one thing she was realizing was that his feelings might not be exactly what he was trying to convey. Either way, she wasn't at all in the mood for his company, even as alone as she felt that evening.

After running out of options and dreading the thought of sitting on a barstool at the Rabbit Hole for any length of time by herself, Emma found herself back at her empty apartment, scrolling through the contacts list on her phone to see if there was anyone there that she could trust for a few hours of companionship. The residence was fully furnished, but after living in the loft with her parents and Henry, it seemed hollowed out, devoid of life. Hence the scrolling. She'd grown and changed in her time in Storybrooke. Whereas before she was content, if not happy, living alone and never making connections with anyone, finding her family had slowly worn down her walls. She found herself missing the near-constant human interaction.

Mary Margaret's dogged determination to be the mother she never got to be, while weird at times, was more than Emma had ever hoped for as a child. But she wasn't a child anymore, and now Snow White had a baby to mother, so her attentions to Emma were waning. It was only natural for new parents to pull back and focus all their extra time and attention on the child, right?

The silence drew her back to another foster home memory. When she was eight, she lived in an enormous group home outside Tulsa. The house held more than a dozen children of all ages. The building was never truly quiet, despite rules enforcing quiet times for the little ones to have their naps. One day, desperate to escape the ever-present chaos, Emma found her way out of a window, up a fire escape, and onto the roof. Wrapped in the first silence she'd truly experienced in months, she came to love her refuge.

Sitting in a similar silence in her apartment, Emma felt a strange sense of loss. She had changed from that eight-year old girl who didn't need anyone to feel safe, but who she changed into remained to be seen.

With a huff, Emma threw the phone onto the coffee table and leaned her head back on the couch, out of ideas for how to fill her evening. When a glance around the apartment failed to give her any inspiration, she gritted her teeth and gave in. She got to her feet, grabbing her phone and keys on her way out the door.

David opened the door to her knock, cradling Neal in his arms. "Emma? You don't really think you have to knock here, do you? You can just come on in."

She gave him a half-smile and made her way into the familiar loft. She tried to keep her eyes from bulging out at the vast number of pictures of Neal that had taken over the loft. It had just been a few days since she'd moved out, but they'd multiplied into the dozens. Apparently her parents had discovered what a photo printer was, she mused.

Emma watched as her father went past Elsa and her mother to put her brother down to sleep in his crib in the shared bedroom. Elsa was staring at the television with pure wonder while Mary Margaret sat in a recliner to the side of the area, trying not to chuckle too much. She looked up to see Emma, her face changing to confusion. "Emma? What are you doing here?"

"Hi, mom," Emma answered, still not entirely used to calling anyone that name, much less a woman younger than herself, "Yeah, sorry. I was just kind of at loose ends tonight and thought I'd pop over and see how you guys were doing."

"Emma! You must come sit with me and watch this amazing magic picture box!" Elsa gushed, moving over to create space for her.

To her surprise, Emma felt a genuine chuckle escape. "Oh, trust me, I've spent far too much time in my life watching that magic box. The foster parents always used to say that's why my grades were never as good as they could have been."

"But how can you get anything done? There are so many different things to see. I've already seen people trying to sell me something called a vacuum cleaner and something else your mother tells me is a moving drawing?" Elsa was so excited that Emma could almost feel her vibrate in excitement next to her.

"I suppose if you haven't grown up watching TV, it must seem like magic," she agreed, sitting down next to their visitor, "We didn't always have a TV as nice as this one in the foster homes, but there was always at least a little one."

Something in her voice must have triggered concern in her father. "Is anything the matter?"

"Nothing more than the usual, Dad. I mean, I haven't been able to make contact with Regina to fix things. Henry moved…" her voice trailed off as Neal started screaming and both her parents groaned.

"I'll go rock him for a while," Mary Margaret said, getting up slowly. "Sorry, Emma. I need to try to get your brother back to sleep. He's been having some diaper rash lately and we're still working our way through the different treatments, trying to find something that works. Unfortunately, it's affecting his sleep, too. I had no idea babies were such delicate sleepers! I'm sure your problem is just temporary, Emma. Regina will be back to herself in a few days and Henry will come back and live with us. Don't overthink to it too much. She's just had a shock, you know?"

David took her place in the chair. "Sorry about that. We've been trying to help him sleep more, but he's determined to be on a regular schedule, waking up every two hours. Like she said, the rash isn't helping. So, you were saying?"

Emma shrugged off her mother's abrupt departure, hiding how much the reminder in her words stung. "Yeah, so anyway, Henry moved out of the apartment back to the mansion, and I'm kind of at loose ends. Don't really know what to do with myself, you know?"

"Henry moved out?" David looked surprised.

"Yeah, didn't I tell you? He thought it would be better for him to be there for Regina, so she wouldn't be alone," Emma tried to keep the hurt out of her voice when she explained that in the act of caring for one mother that he worried about being alone, he left the other in the exact same situation.

Her father pursed his lips, clearly perturbed, but just as he opened his mouth to reply, Neal's screams sounded through the living area. "I should go help your mother. Sometimes the little guy will only go to sleep if I'm the one holding him. I guess all that talking to him before he was born helped him get used to my voice. Hold that thought, Emma. We'll get back to this later on. Hey, you're still on to babysit Neal next week after the Mommy and Me session, right?"

Emma nodded. "That's right. You guys need a night to yourselves, so I'll watch the little guy while you're out to dinner."

"If it's okay, Emma, I thought I might help you?" Elsa asked. "I'm so grateful for your parents letting me stay in their apartment, it's the least I could do to help repay their generosity."

"Uh, sure, Elsa. If you're up for helping babysit, I won't turn down the help," Emma responded.

"Great! Just let me help get Neal back to sleep and I'll be right back," David gave a relieved grin.

So saying, he went off to help Mary Margaret with Neal. Neal. Emma couldn't even say the name without picturing Henry's father. Inevitably, the mental image of his face in happier times would be replaced with his face as he fell through the portal, dying from a gunshot wound. She could never hear her brother's name without a spike of regret and guilt.

"I'm still here, Emma," Elsa chimed in with a big smile as she picked up the remote. "Let's see, David showed me how to work this device earlier. Where's the button to turn the magic off?"

The corners of Emma's mouth turned up as she reached over and showed the other woman how to turn off the TV.

"Such an amazing world you live in, as strange as it is for me to get used to. I wish I could show all these wonderful things to my sister. I just know Anna would love this television machine," Elsa enthused. "So, now, tell me. You were feeling alone and wanted to come over to greet us?"

Looking at Elsa as she talked about her lost sister, Emma felt a strongly negative urge at the thought of opening up and baring her insecurities to this woman she'd known for just a few days. Her parents had each just run off when she was on point of sharing how alone she'd been feeling ever since her mistake with Regina, leaving her behind to care for their new baby.

She fell back into the familiar habit of slamming her emotional walls into place. Plastering on a fake smile, Emma shook her head. "It's nothing. I forgot somehow that you're dealing with a major loss and an entirely new world, here. How have you been adjusting? I know it must be hard not knowing where Anna is."

A huge smile greeted her question. "Well, things are so much different than I first thought! When I got out of that urn, I was so scared of everything! The driving machines especially were terrifying! I thought they were some kind of monster with the way they roared at me, but now they're not nearly so scary…."

As Emma listened to Storybrooke's newest resident talk about how she's adjusted to living in the town, she found her mind drawn back to the way her parents had all but run out of the room when she was trying to talk to them. The singular focus they showed brought back unpleasant memories of the Echo Cave, hearing her mother say she wanted to do things better the second time around.

More parents showing how unwanted, unneeded, undesired, UNLOVED you are.

"I'd even go so far as to say that your own parents don't even need you anymore. They've probably got their hands full with that new baby of theirs, wouldn't you say?"

The voices from her past, the same ones that kept up a constant whispering of all her insecurities, merged seamlessly with Regina's biting words outside Granny's, and this time even Emma's fortitude couldn't contain the nausea sweeping through her.

"Elsa, I'm really sorry, but something I ate earlier isn't sitting right, and I'm not feeling very well. I should get going. Can you tell my parents I'll catch up with them later on?" She tried to speak normally, hiding her eagerness to get out of the suddenly oppressive loft.

"Oh! Sure, I can do that. Will you be okay, Emma?" Elsa asked, concern etched across her face as she rose to help her.

Emma managed a weak nod that was in no way fake, but would also help the impression that she was queasy. "Yeah, I just need to go get some rest. Thanks, Elsa. Here, I'll get the TV back to what you were watching." She turned the system back on before moving to the door and leaving with a quick wave.

A very perplexed Elsa stood watching the door for a long few moments before sitting back down and quickly becoming mesmerized by the world in the magic box.

Not long after Emma left, David and Mary Margaret came back into the living area. When they saw Elsa sitting by herself with no Emma in sight, they shared a confused look.

"Elsa?" Mary Margaret whispered, desperate to remain quiet enough to avoid waking Neal. "Where did Emma go?"

"She said she wasn't feeling well, that something she ate wasn't sitting right," the blonde explained, turning the volume on the television down with the one set of buttons she did remember how to use. In a house with a new baby, the volume control became the most important feature. "She apologized for leaving so soon, and said she'd catch up with you later."

Concern alleviated, the Charmings joined Elsa on the couch, trying to remain conscious enough to enjoy the program.

16 October, 2014

Finally.

This was her year.

For the first time in her life, she was surrounded by friends and family that actually liked her. After three decades of being told there wasn't enough money for presents or a cake in the best case scenario, being ignored, or being told she was a greedy little girl for even asking about celebrating her birthday – usually followed by physical discipline – in the worst case scenario, this year was going to be different. This was finally going to be her year. The first real birthday party she'd ever had. Even if she had to plan it herself and invite everyone, which was looking more likely to be the case every day.

That part wasn't as important. If everyone forgot her birthday, she'd just have to improvise. No big deal. She sat back in the reclining chair that was her one splurge purchase for the apartment and went over her list again. Snow and Charming, Elsa, Granny and Ruby, Aurora, Archie, Hook and Tink – as much as it sucked, she had enough good history with Hook that she wanted him there, which meant Tink, too – and Robin and Roland. She wasn't deluded enough to think that Regina would do anything with her invitation other than burn it to ashes, and with her not attending, Henry's attendance was iffy at best.

With a sigh, she flipped from the guest list over to the activities.

Dinner with the family.

Games like Monopoly, Clue, and Life. She'd lived at a particular foster home for a few months when she was thirteen that had an incredible amount of board games that she loved playing. All good things come to an end, though, and she was out of the house before her fourteenth birthday. That was just about the last good memory she had of foster life, other than meeting Lily in Minnesota.

After playing games she had a few minutes scheduled open in case anyone got her a present. She snorted in wry amusement. In the commotion surrounding the Snow Queen's arrival, she wasn't expecting anything. Tapping her pen on the pad, her mind went back to foster care. Without being close enough friends with anyone to be invited to a party birthday presents were a vicarious dream she had to live through hearing people nearby her talking about what they got.

She couldn't ignore the hope that sprung in her chest at the thought of someone actually getting her a birthday present. Her rational mind told her not to expect anything. If anything, the first thirty years of her life were a guide to how pointless celebrating her birthday was. Still, hope was hard to ignore when one was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. At least she could hope for the party right?

The party. As much as she was looking forward to dinner, games, and a couple small gifts, she was just as eagerly anticipating the girls' night out. Ruby was a definite invitation. Belle was too, if Rumple wasn't taking up too much of her time, or she wasn't busy at the library with research on the Snow Queen. The same applied for Elsa and her search for her sister. Aurora and Mulan were also on her list. Phillip could watch his son for the evening. Mulan was an unknown. Emma wasn't as familiar with the taciturn warrior in Storybrooke.

There was no way she would even consider inviting Regina. What happened outside the diner after Marian's return was bad enough, but the incident at the Rabbit Hole was a thousand times worse. Try as she could, Emma couldn't think of any way Regina would accept an invitation to celebrate her birthday that didn't involve fireballs.

Tinker Bell was a definite no, as well. Emma refused to be desperate enough to invite the woman her ex cheated with.

With a frown, Emma looked over her guest list again. The hunt for the Snow Queen was foremost on everyone's mind, even if it was in a lull at the moment. She was hoping that her birthday would serve as a distraction. Maybe that was the answer: she should invite people for a low-key night at her apartment, throw in the possibility of a night out on the town with the girls afterward, and don't bother putting the heavy expectation of her birthday on top of it. If she just kept it as a casual get-together, there was a better chance that people might show up.

Emma chose not to reflect on the fact that she believed inviting people for a casual night had a higher chance of them actually showing up than inviting them to celebrate her birthday.

With a huge sigh, she got to her feet, ready to head out and start tracking down guests.

Her first stop was the Sheriff's station, where for once her luck was in. David was there with Mary Margaret and Neal.

"Hi, guys!" she greeted, plastering on a smile. Here goes. Her nose wrinkled at a foul stench in the air.

Her mother looked up, returning her smile. "Emma! How are you?"

Leaning against the desk, Emma watched as her father took Neal over to the interrogation room to change his diaper. "I'm good. Better now that Stinky's getting taken care of."

Snow chuckled. "It's not the most glamorous job, but there's something so amazing about being so necessary for someone."

Wincing at the reminder of what she'd missed from her own son's life, Emma shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, sure. I mean that's what I've been told. Ah, listen, I was hoping to find you here. I was thinking to get a few people together this weekend. Saturday, actually. Are you guys free?"

Her mother looked up, thinking. "Oh! Saturday! We can't, I'm sorry. I think that's date night for us. Ashley's going to take Neal for a play date with her son either Saturday or Sunday. Neal's been too young for us to go out and spend any adult time together, so this is our first chance."

Disappointment washed over her, but her old, familiar defenses sprang up to hide her emotions. "Oh, yeah, that's definitely important. Well, can you just let me know if you find the time? It might be fun if we can get a few people together for dinner or something."

"Absolutely, we'll call you as soon as we know what we're doing," Snow promised.

Emma pursed her lips and nodded. "Okay, awesome. Well, I'll let you handle Stinky back there, and just be on my way."

Her next stop was Granny's. Henry was still at the mansion, and with the way Regina hated her, there was no reason for her to go to Mifflin Street. Granny's it was.

The hub of Storybrooke would be the best place to find most of her friends, Ruby especially since she was still working there.

Emma pushed the door open, noting the usual afternoon crowd. Ruby was bustling up and down behind the bar while another couple of waitresses that Granny had finally hired handled the tables on the floor. Grinning, she wove her way through the tables and slid onto a stool at the end. "Hey, Rubes," she greeted when the waitress slid her a glass of water.

"How's it going, Emma?" the brunette greeted.

The Sheriff smiled. "I actually wanted to talk to you," she paused to take a sip of water, "What are you doing Saturday? I was hoping to get a few of us together, maybe say you, me, Belle, Elsa, Mulan, and anyone else who wants to and have a girl's night out?"

Ruby's face fell. "Oh, Emma, I'm sorry but I can't. Granny's making me train the new waitresses on the Saturday evening rush shift. Maybe another time?"

Hiding her disappointment, Emma nodded. "Sure, that works just fine."

Turning to leave to take care of another customer, Ruby looked over her shoulder. "Did you want some food?"

"Nah, I just came in to ask you about Saturday. Thanks anyway, Ruby," answered Emma as she got up and walked toward the door. She didn't see the concerned glance Ruby shot her just before taking a customer their meal.

From the diner, Emma walked up Main Street to the library, hoping to find Belle there. Her recent failures at getting people to agree to show up for her birthday were disheartening, but she had other friends in town, and other ways to celebrate her birthday. If Belle and Elsa were busy on her birthday, it would probably be easier to push the whole day back, meaning another birthday spent alone.

She pushed the library doors open and stepped into the lobby. No matter how many times she entered the building, she couldn't see the mirror tree without thinking of her first time here, when she killed a fucking dragon. To be fair, most people probably wouldn't forget a building if the first time they went in they killed a dragon. With a sword. By throwing it.

Emma shook off the strange thoughts and looked around for Belle. It seemed her luck was turning, as she saw the librarian pouring over a book that looked to be almost a thousand years old – who knew? If it came from the Enchanted Forest it damn well might be – with Elsa, her next invitee.

This time her smile wasn't false by any stretch. "Hey guys! What's up?"

The two women looked up from their book. "Just doing some more research on Arendelle and the Enchanted Forest, Emma," Belle explained, "We think this older book might have some record of Elsa's sister."

"That's great!" She smiled. "Listen, the reason I came by was to see if you were free on Saturday evening? I was thinking we could have a girl's night, maybe go to the Rabbit Hole for some drinks and dancing?"

Belle frowned. "I'm sorry. Rumple was going to show me something on Saturday. He wouldn't say what, but you know how he likes his little surprises."

Elsa's frown matched Belle's. "I was going to keep looking through the records, but I might be able to spend some time out. I'll let you know?"

It was probably the best she was going to do. Emma nodded. "Sounds good. I'm sure we can find something to do. I'll be around, Elsa."

After getting much the same answer from Mulan – she needed to be around in case Aurora and Philip needed her – Emma went home.

She spent the next few days going through her normal routine, waiting for calls, waiting for people to approach her…waiting for anything, really.

Saturday found her in much the same position as four years previously: sitting alone in her apartment on her birthday with a pitiful candle adorning a pitiful cupcake.

The only difference this time was that when she blew the candle out, there was no knock at the door.

I guess birthday wishes can only come true once, she thought as she turned the lights off and collapsed in bed, letting the darkness overwhelm her.

A/N: I've always been bothered by the fact that the show has never addressed Emma's birthday after the pilot. Given that Regina cast the curse on her birthday, and that Emma first arrived in Storybrooke - thus beginning the process of breaking the curse and starting time again - on her birthday, I would have thought it would have been a much bigger event for the townspeople to remember. Even if the residents didn't mark the occasion, watching Snow and Charming never say a word to Emma on her birthday was a huge disappointment.

Anyway, rant over. What did you think?