Hello everyone! It's been almost a week since i updated, but I had a serious case of Writer's Block over the holiday weekend. This is the second chapter of the "Snow Falls" episode, and it is the most canon divergent chapter to date. As always, feel free to ask any questions via reviews or PM or on tumblr at captainswanapproved. Each review I get is really amazing, because I love to hear people's thoughts on this story.

Guest asked: Where is Emma going to live?

You'll find out in this chapter.

Starlight000 asked: Is Killian in some type of prophecy with Emma?

It's not a prophecy, per se. It has more to do with some foreshadowing for later chapters and it is something that will be explored later on.

SpreadTheNerd18 asked: Does Killian have 2 hands in this story?

For now.

I hope you enjoy. Reviews are magical.

Chapter 4

Emma woke up to the sound of tapping on her window. She groaned softly as she craned her neck, feeling the stiffness that was inevitable when sleeping in her car. She glanced up only to see Killian Jones looking down at her with a cup of coffee in his hand.

She rolled down her window. "Good morning, Swan," he said cheerily. "I thought you could use this."

Emma gave him a sleepy smile as she accepted the coffee. "Thanks," she said.

"A gentleman is always happy to be of service."

"Ah, so you're a gentleman, are you?"

"Always," Killian replied. "And it would be my honor to escort the Lady Swan inside so that we can meet her son."

Emma's eyes widened. She'd almost forgotten about Henry.

"Is he already here?" Emma asked.

"No, but I expect he will be soon."

"Okay," Emma grabbed one of Regina's shirts that Henry had given her to change into and stepped out of the car.

Emma walked out of the restroom, spotting Killian in a booth and sat down across from him.

"Is that one of Regina's shirts?" he asked with an amused grin.

"Yeah, so?"

"I would have happily loaned you one of mine," he said casually.

"I'm sure you would have," Emma replied, rolling her eyes.

"I'm always a gentleman, love," he reminded her.

"So, what are we going to tell Henry?" Emma asked, eager for a change of subject.

"Like I said, love, we'll tell him the truth," Killian told her. "I know this is difficult for you but if it all turns out to be true you'll have your family back. Isn't that worth a leap of faith?"

"Jones—" Emma said, "I've been alone all my life. It's what I'm best at."

"Well, Swan ... like it or not, being alone isn't in the cards for you anymore. Your boy needs you and I know you don't want to let him down."

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Tell me exactly what I need to hear?"

"You're something of an open book," Killian said, "and I'm a hell of a teacher."

Emma bit back a smile. "So I guess when he gets here we'll figure out how to find Snow White," Emma mused, figuring that she might as well play along, at least until she had solid proof that this was all completely insane.

Henry arrived about fifteen minutes later, scooting into the booth beside Killian. "So did you find her? Where is she?"

"Henry—" Emma trailed off, not sure how to tell him that they were right where they had started.

"She wasn't in the cell, lad," Killian jumped in.

"Then she must be in town somewhere. We have to find her before my mom does," Henry said quickly.

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Emma inquired, arching a brow.

"You," said Henry. "You can find her. She's your mother."

Emma frowned. She'd been looking for her mother for twenty-eight years and had never found her. Henry's faith in her was jarring. No one had ever believed in her before.

"I'm unfamiliar with this town, kid," Emma stated with a sigh.

"We'll get Sheriff Graham to help," Henry suggested.

"And why would he help?"

"Because he's the Huntsman. He saved Snow White's life once. He found her in the forest when no one else could. He can find her again."

"Well, then it looks like we've got to pay a visit to the Sheriff's Station."

"You can't go out into the woods looking like that," Gold told her, looking Snow up and down.

"It's all I have," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Well a hospital gown and an old cloak are not vogue in Storybrooke," Gold informed her. "Follow me. I might have something for you."

Snow followed Gold to the back of the shop where there were several trunks. Gold opened one and said, "Pick whatever you'd like and dress quickly. A trip to the woods is in order."

David Nolan came into Granny's in his lunch break, went to the counter and ordered his usual. Kathryn had refused to cook for him this past week, a nasty habit she'd picked up for when they were fighting, so Granny's was the only place he could get a decent meal since he was a terrible cook.

"How's Kathryn?" Ruby asked.

"Angry," David replied glumly.

"I'm sorry." Ruby gave him a sympathetic smile and put an extra side of fries on his plate for free.

Normally David didn't work on Sundays but he had been so desperate to escape the fighting that he'd taken an extra shift at the shelter. Sighing softly, he remembered the good times when he and Kathryn had been happy. Sure, not everything had always been easy, but married life came with its ups and downs, and until just recently they had always been able to make it through whatever crisis together.

It was only in the past year that things had started to change. It had started when Kathryn announced that she was late. A pregnancy test taken a few weeks later confirmed what David had feared. Kathryn was pregnant and then the panic set in.

David knew that he couldn't be a father. The thought of caring for a newborn son or daughter was terrifying. But then Dr. Whale declared that it had been a false positive, and David felt more relieved and happy than he'd ever been before.

Of course what was a blessing in one area of their relationship, came as a curse for their marriage. They started fighting about everything; David's job, Kathryn wanting to go back to school, whether they wanted to start a family, money problems. A day rarely went by that did not include an argument and after a while David had learned to just keep his mouth shut if he at least wanted a few days of peace. The failed pregnancy had brought out the worst in Kathryn, and their fighting only magnified that. So David started taking more shifts at the shelter and left the house as often as he could. It was during that year that he really became close friends with Killian Jones.

They'd known each other for years, and had always been friendly but with his messy home life David had been grateful for an actual friend.

David sighed as he trudged along the edge of the woods back towards the animal shelter. He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear footsteps behind him.

"Ah, Mr. Nolan, just the man I was looking for."

David turned to see who spoke. "Mr. Gold, what can I do for you?"

"Well, I was going for a stroll in the woods, as is my habit, and I heard some strange noises by the Toll Bridge. There was yelping. I fear there may be an injured animal. I was hoping you'd be able to look into it."

"Of course," David nodded in affirmation.

"Right, well follow me," Gold said, heading down one of the forest paths.

They walked for ten minutes until they reached the Toll Bridge and David started scanning the trees around him. "I don't hear or see anything."

In lieu of an answer Gold smacked him on the head with his walking stick. David fell to the ground and Gold smiled down at the unconscious man. "I must have imagined it. Don't worry though, someone is sure to find you."

Emma and Killian entered the station only to find Mr. Gold speaking with Sheriff Graham. Emma was suddenly grateful that she had dropped Henry back off at Regina's. Mr. Gold was kind of creepy.

Mr. Gold turned and smiled at Emma as if he had been expecting her. "Miss Swan, how convenient it is that you just happened to come to the station at this very moment."

She could feel Killian tense beside her and she wondered why that was, and more importantly why they were standing so close together that she could feel his smallest movement.

Emma shuffled forward casually. "And what exactly is going on?"

"Well, there appears to be a missing man and I've heard that you excel at finding people."

"And where did you hear that?" Emma asked, planting her hands on her hips.

"I told him about how you found Henry a few days ago," Graham offered. "In any case, Mr. Gold has just alerted me that a Mr. David Nolan is missing."

The name seemed familiar and Emma glanced at Killian, seeing a flash of worry crossing his face, suppressing the strange urge to reach for his hand.

"He works at the animal shelter and he didn't return for his afternoon shift," Graham explained.

"Maybe he just went home," Emma suggested, "Did you check his house?"

"I spoke to his wife," Graham told them. "She hasn't seen him since this morning."

"Okay, then may I ask why a pawnbroker is here discussing this?"

"I saw Mr. Nolan on my way to the diner. He was headed towards the woods. At the time I thought nothing of it but I worry now that something may have happened to him."

Emma studied Mr. Gold for a moment. He was lying to her and she wondered what he was trying to hide. "Well, what do you expect me to do?"

"I could use an extra person when I go search the woods," Graham explained. "It was Mr. Gold's suggestion."

"All right," Emma shrugged her shoulders, giving in. "Fair warning though, most of the people I find tend to go to Vegas or Atlantic City. They don't tend to run into the woods."

"I'm sure you'll find him," Mr. Gold said. "Well, I should get back to my shop." Turning around he stared at Killian and sneered. "Mr. Jones, don't you have a lesson plan to write? This isn't a job meant for a teacher."

"He's my best friend," Killian growled lowly.

"Well I'm sure Miss Swan will be happy to notify you when Mr. Nolan is safe at home, but it would be in your best interest to go home."

Emma watched the exchange with pointed curiosity. It seemed that everyone in this town was willing to do whatever Mr. Gold said but Killian's jaw was clenched and he shook his head slightly.

"Suit yourself," Gold said after a brief moment of hesitation, his cane thumping on the floor as he walked towards the exit.

Emma couldn't help but feeling worried. Killian was visibly shaking and she went over to him, saying softly. "Jones, maybe you should go home. You have an early day tomorrow."

"He's my best mate," Killian replied.

"Meet me at the diner at seven," Emma told him. "We'll find him."

"All right, Swan," he sighed, reluctantly giving in. "Best of luck to you both."

A moment later the door closed behind him and Graham turned around and glanced at Emma, looking impressed.

"What?" Emma asked.

"Killian Jones is the most stubborn person I've ever met, and you got him to do something by barely batting an eye."

"I take it you two aren't on the best of terms," Emma inquired, ignoring his implication.

"It isn't that. He's great at his job and he stays out of trouble for the most part but if he doesn't agree with you he's usually far more adamant and vocal about it."

"So, you've done something he doesn't agree with?"

"You could say that," Graham replied, averting his gaze. "Anyway, we should get going. We should take advantage of the remaining daylight."

"So how are we supposed to find one man in these woods?" Emma asked, as the trampled their way through the trees.

"This is my world, Miss Swan. We'll find him," Graham assured her.

"Oh right, the Huntsman thing," Emma scoffed.

Graham stopped and turned to face her. "Excuse me?"

"According to Henry, you were the Huntsman before the curse," Emma elaborated.

"Oh, right," Graham replied. "Henry certainly has a vivid imagination."

"So you don't believe him either?"

"Well, the theory seems ridiculous but it's what makes Henry happy," Graham told her, shifting his focus back to the task at hand. "I've always been good at finding people, especially in the woods. It's why Regina got me the job."

"She did?" Emma asked, ducking so she wouldn't be hit by a branch.

"Yes. Regina may be strict and intimidating but she can be good. She helped me out when I had nothing, and she really does love Henry."

"If you say so. What is that?" Emma questioned, pointing just ahead of her.

"It's the old Toll Bridge. It hasn't been used in years."

Emma moved a few steps forward and scanned the area. If Mr. Nolan had gotten hurt and landed in the stream then it could already be over. Tilting her head, she closed her eyes, straining her ears to hear even the faintest sound and suddenly she heard some noise from the left and whirled around, searching for the source.

"Sheriff, look," Emma exclaimed, pointing towards the middle of the stream a few feet upstream.

A man was laying unconscious in the water and there was a woman kneeling beside him.

Emma and Graham hurried over to them, Graham furrowing his brows as he got a good look at the woman. He'd never seen her before but she seemed desperate as she pumped David's heart and gave him CPR.

"Come back to me," she whispered before closing her mouth over his and breathing air into his lungs.

Emma was watching them with wide eyes, holding her breath and hoping for the best and finally David sputtered and coughed up some water.

"Oh thank god," the mystery woman muttered before finally looking up. Her green eyes met Emma's, and an expression between joy and shock crossed her face as she breathed. "It's you."

"Excuse me?" Emma looked at the woman confused.

Graham, who held out his hand to help David stand up, interrupted any response she would have made. "When did you find him?"

"Just a few moments ago," the woman replied.

"And who are you? I've never seen you before."

"Mary Margaret," the woman told them after a moment of hesitation. "Mary Margaret Blanchard."

"Well, Miss Blanchard, as soon as we get Mr. Nolan to the hospital I am going to have to keep you for questioning." Graham said, reaching for his cuffs and telling her silently to turn around so he could put them on her.

"I'm fine, Humbert. There is no need for cuffs." David said weakly. "I just need a good night's rest and this woman just saved my life."

"No. You need to be examined by Dr. Whale. You've got quite the bump on the head. We're going to get to the bottom of this" Graham insisted. "Miss Swan, lend him a hand. I'll take care of Miss Blanchard."

David turned to face Emma. "You're Emma Swan? I've heard about you."

She wondered if he'd heard about her from Killian and she shot him a quick smile. "Guilty as charged. Nice to meet you, Mr. Nolan."

"You can call me David," he said.

"Well, David, let's get you to the hospital," Emma spoke, taking his arm.

She was glad that he didn't appear to have any serious injuries. As the four of them made their way back to the patrol car, Emma felt the other woman's gaze on her and Emma eyed her out of the corner of her eyes. Her long dark hair was swept into a bun and something about her was strangely familiar. It was unsettling.

"Mr. Nolan will be fine after a few days rest," Dr. Whale informed the three of them. "I'm keeping him over night for observation because of his head injury. He might say he's feeling okay but with these sorts of things it's difficult to be sure."

"Great, thank you, Dr. Whale," Graham said. "Lets get back to the station, Miss Blanchard. Are you coming, Miss Swan?"

Emma glanced at her watch. She still had an hour to spare before she was supposed to meet Jones at the diner, and she was curious to find out more about Mary Margaret Blanchard. "Do you want me to?"

"You helped find Mr. Nolan," Graham told her, "You might as well finish the job."

"So, how is it that I've never seen you before?" Graham asked, once all three of them were settled in at the station.

He'd removed the cuffs, and now May Margaret was sitting across from them. Her gaze kept flickering to Emma, and Emma couldn't help but wonder why. The woman seemed like she recognized her but that was crazy. She had never seen her before in her life.

"I live in a cottage at the edge of the woods. Mr. Gold found it for me. He knows that I prefer my privacy."

"The woodcutter's cottage is hardly a convenient place to live," Graham said.

"It was all I could afford," Mary Margaret replied. "You see, I haven't been able to work for years. There isn't much work here in Storybrooke, so I only had my savings."

This woman was lying but now was hardly the time to call her out. The poor woman had just been handcuffed for saving a man's life.

"And how do you know Mr. Nolan?" Graham inquired.

"I don't. I was out for a bit of fresh air and I saw him there, passed out in the water, and when you found me I was trying to revive him."

"Why didn't you call for an ambulance?"

"I don't have a cell phone," Mary Margaret said.

"Well, that is awfully convenient," Graham uttered, a suspicious edge to his voice. "You found Mr. Nolan just like that? I've never seen you in all my years as sheriff, and you live at the edge of the woods."

Just then the door burst open, and Mr. Gold walked in. "Mary Margaret, thank goodness you're safe." Turning around, his eyes fell on the sheriff. "And why is she here?"

"She found Mr. Nolan and I had to bring her in for questioning but her story isn't very convincing. Do you know who this woman is?"

"She's an old friend. I thought she was missing for the longest time before I found her in the old woodcutter's cottage a couple of months ago," Gold elaborated. "There is an apartment that I keep vacant for special cases like these. I will rent it to her and find her a job in town. You need not worry about her causing any trouble, Sheriff. I assure you that she is one of the kindest and purest woman I have ever met."

"Well, if you are willing to vouch for her, I suppose she is free to go."

"Excellent," Gold replied. "Come on, Mary Margaret. The apartment is all set up for you. Let's get you settled in. You have a good evening, Sheriff. Miss Swan?"

Emma watched as the older man ushered Mary Margaret out of the office. When they were gone she turned to Graham. "What the hell was that?"

Graham sighed. "There's something you need to understand about Storybrooke, Miss Swan. No one crosses Mr. Gold."

"So not only are you in Regina's pocket, but Mr. Gold's too?" Emma asked incredulously.

"It's just the way this town works, and Miss Blanchard seemed innocent enough. She doesn't look like the type that would hurt anyone."

"No she doesn't," Emma agreed, "but she was definitely lying, and then Mr. Gold swooped in. It's far too convenient. Something isn't right."

"It won't do you any good to get tangled up in the affairs of Mr. Gold," Graham said. "If you'll excuse me I have a lot of paperwork to get through before I can go home, and aren't you meeting Mr. Jones soon?"

Emma frowned. It felt like everyone in this town was lying to her. Everyone except Henry . . . and Killian Jones. "Fine. Have a good night, sheriff."

"Well, that wasn't how I imagined my first meeting with my daughter would go," Snow said, as she sank into a chair at her new apartment.

Mr. Gold eyed her wearily. "Everything went according to plan. Miss Swan is now curious about you. She'll want to know more about you. I anticipate that you'll be spending quite a bit of time with her before this curse is finally broken."

"And what about Regina?" Snow asked. "I don't think that she'll like me walking around town with my memories intact. What will keep her from locking me up again?"

"You're under my protection, dearie. I will make that clear to Regina. No harm will come to you. As for the rest, you will stick to the cover story we discussed. You are an old friend of mine and you'll be working in the shop. You'll act as if you are cursed. You'll get to know Miss Swan and you'll get her to trust you. Then, when the time is right, you'll reveal your identity to her and you'll get her to believe in the curse. That is if Henry and Jones haven't already convinced her."

"So Henry is—"

"Your grandson."

"And who is Mr. Jones?"

"Henry's teacher. Your daughter already seems to be quite fond of him," Mr. Gold told her, trying to veil his disgust.

"And who exactly was he back in our land?"

"It's better that you remain ignorant about that particular detail. But rest assured that he'll do no harm to your daughter. He's as cursed as the rest of them."

Snow could tell that Gold very much doubted his own words but it had been a long day and she wasn't in the mood to argue.

"Thank you for everything," she said.

"When the time comes, I know you will repay me," Gold replied. "Good night, dearie. Enjoy your new home."

Emma came into the diner only to discover both Killian and Henry waiting for her. "What are you doing here, kid?"

"I heard my mom having an argument on the phone about what happened today, so I snuck out," Henry told her.

"You shouldn't be here, kid. Your Mom is going to kill you, then me, then you again."

"It's fine. So what happened?"

"Mr. Nolan went missing," Emma informed him, "We found him passed out by the Toll Bridge but he'll be fine. A woman saved his life. She said her name was Mary Margaret. Apparently she's an old friend of Mr. Gold's."

Henry's eyes lit up. "So you met your parents and you found Snow White?"

"Whoa, kid, I didn't say anything about finding Snow White."

"But Emma, it all makes sense. Snow White used Mary Margaret as an alias when she met Red Riding Hood. It's all in the book. And she saved Mr. Nolan by the Toll Bridge. This can't be a coincidence. You just met your mother, and the next step is to talk to her and see what she knows and to see if she still has her memories."

"Look, kid, you're grasping at straws," Emma said with a heavy sigh.

"I promise I'm not. Take the book and read your parent's story. You'll see that it's all starting to make sense." Henry handed her the book and Emma reluctantly took it.

"Okay, I'll give your theory a chance."

The bell clamored loudly as Regina entered the diner, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And why am I not surprised that I found my son here with you, Miss Swan?" Stepping closer, she reached for Henry and yanked him up. "Since I obviously can't keep you away from my son, I'll have to keep my son away from you."

"Look, Madame Mayor," Emma tried to explain, "I didn't ask him to come here. I told him to stay at home."

"Like I am supposed to believe that," Regina huffed, her gaze moving to Killian and she sneered. "And Mr. Jones, don't you have a lesson plan to write? The weekend is over."

"Everything is in order, Madame Mayor," Killian said smoothly. "You might've already heard but Miss Swan is the local hero of the day. She helped find David Nolan who had been missing."

"Is that so?" Regina replied, arching on eyebrow. "Well, then I suppose I can brush aside your incessant rudeness, Miss Swan. Mrs. Nolan is a dear friend of mine and she'll be grateful for the safe return of her husband. Now if you will excuse me, I have to take my son home. Enjoy my shirt, Miss Swan, because that is all you're getting."

Emma rose and went to follow Regina. "Madame Mayor?"

"Henry, wait in the car," Regina ordered and Henry reluctantly did so.

"What is it, Miss Swan?"

"Henry keeps running away from you and I'm beginning to wonder why that is."

"My relationship with my son is none of your concern," Regina replied icily.

"I think it is my concern. It's affecting Henry and making him miserable."

"Miss Swan, allow me to offer you a bit of advice. Contrary to what you believe I am his mother, and I know what is best for him. This past week has done nothing but remind me how grateful I am to have Henry. Because not having someone, well that's the worst curse imaginable. You know something about that, don't you Miss Swan?'

Emma's mouth fell open in disbelief. Regina sure knew how to turn words into weapons.

"That's what I thought," Regina smirked, turning around and walking away.

Emma sat down at an empty table in front of Granny's. Regina's words had done their damage and Emma realized how utterly alone she was in this town. If Regina was going to keep Henry from her then Emma would have to make sure he was okay completely on her own. Hell, she didn't even have a place to live. The realization was crushing.

"Emma?" she heard Killian's voice behind her.

"What do you want?"

"Are you okay?" he asked, dropping into the seat beside her.

"No," Emma replied quietly.

"What happened?"

"Everyone in this town is lying to me," she said. "Nothing here makes sense, and now Regina is going to try harder than ever to keep Henry away from me."

"Emma, you don't have to go through this on your own," Killian assured her, reaching out for her. "You have me. I'll do my best to help you figure everything out."

"You don't even know me."

"I would like to know you," he offered. "If you'll let me."

"Why do you care so much?" she asked for the second time in the past two days.

"I just do," Killian replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He scooted his chair closer to her and Emma couldn't help herself, leaning into him and searching his eyes for any sign that he was lying. He wasn't and her heart clenched.

Not having someone is the worst curse imaginable.

As much as Emma hated to admit it, Regina was right. And so was Killian.

If she was going to stay in this town she would need a friend. She would need someone to support her, and after only a few days Killian Jones seemed to believe in her more than anyone had in a long, long time.

Maybe that's why she did it.

Emma's hand rose to his cheek as she moved closer. "Thank you," she whispered before kissing him gently.

Killian seemed surprised but he reacted quickly, one hand cupping the back of her head as he kissed her back but she pulled away a moment later, her heart hammering in her chest.

"I shouldn't have done that," she said quickly, her cheeks flaming. "That was a one time thing."

She thought she'd imagined the brief flash of hurt in Killian's eyes. "I should go."

There was nowhere to run. Not really. She knew Killian could follow her to her car. She shot him a pleading expression, silently asking him not to follow her.

Killian studied her a moment before nodding and Emma turned around and hurried away.

Idiot.

That's what she was.

She had just gone and kissed a man she barely knew. A man who had offered her a place to stay. A man that her kid really liked.

It hadn't even been a week and she was already far closer to Killian Jones than she ever intended to be. She couldn't help it really though. He was the first man that believed in her in a very long time. She felt like she needed that right now, especially when everything in Storybrooke was confusing as hell.

Emma sighed, resting her forehead against the steering wheel. What were her options?

Things in Storybrooke were far more complicated than she had anticipated and she couldn't really live in her car indefinitely.

Then again, living with Killian Jones could be a disaster. She'd never really lived with a man before. But it was the best offer, and the only one that she had. She'd have to suck it up and control her damn hormones. Emma removed the slip of paper Killian had given her with his address. She had found it tucked underneath her windshield wiper this afternoon. She hoped the offer was still good, especially after what she had just done.

Killian couldn't process what had just happened. Emma Swan had kissed him, and from the looks of it she had immediately regretted it. Killian suspected that this would scare her off, and the thought was distinctly unappealing. He hadn't followed her because she'd asked him not to.

However, now that he was alone in his apartment, he wanted nothing more than to go see her. They would work something out. He was a gentleman. They could pretend like this never happened and he would do everything he could to help her make sure Henry was okay. But he supposed now was not the time to do that. It was getting late, he had an early day tomorrow and he decided that he would talk to Emma tomorrow after they both had a chance to calm down.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and however unlikely, he hoped it would be Emma. He opened the door and his heart skipped a beat.

"Look, I know what I said before and I know this is awkward but is that spare room still available?"

A relieved smile lifted the corners of his mouth and he ushered her into the loft. "Welcome home, Swan."

'What do you want, Gold?'" Regina asked tiredly.

"I've come to make you a deal. As you might have heard Storybrooke has a new resident. Mary Margaret Blanchard."

Regina's expression soured. "Kathryn told me."

"Well, I am here to inform you that she is under my protection. No harm will come to her by your hand."

"And what do I get in return?"

"A single favor to be used at any time. Do you accept?"

"I can ask for anything?"

"Anything that does not harm Snow White," Gold said, "but use it wisely, dearie."

"Deal."