Hands of Time
The scene lit up once more before anyone could question about what just happened as the alley way came into view. They watched as Emma ducked into a building area that was blocked by broken pile wood. Following closely the group watched as Emma let out a shaky breath and slid down the slimly wall and started to cry in the abandoned building. Snow and David looked at one another and walked closer to the girl to try and once again offer some sort of comfort, "My sweet girl." Snow whispered as she tried to place a hand on the blonde's head, but her hand went right through Emma like a ghost.
"Daddy is here," David said softly hoping that by some miracle Emma would hear them and wake up to release not only them, but herself from this nightmare.
Henry looked at Regina and she nodded while holding his hand as they joined Snow and David by Emma, "We are here mom," Henry said quietly as he knelt down to try and pat her knee, but was also disappointed that his hand too went through, "we are here."
Snow was about to call her daughter's name once again when a figure emerged from the shadows, "Emma?"
The blonde snapped her head up as an older woman approached her, "Mrs. Crowley," Emma whipped her eyes and began to stand up, "did I wake you guys?"
"What does she mean?" Henry asked as Hook and Gold took this as a cue that the 'family' moment was over and walked over to join them.
"Please dear. Who can sleep on these floors and with that ruckus out there?" the woman asked with a wave of her hand and offered Emma a smile. Getting closer to the blonde the woman's smile dropped and immediately she became concerned, "Oh my...what happened?" She gently touched Emma's swollen and red cheek.
"Nothing; got into a fight." Emma said very fast as she tried to pull away from her, "No big-"
"Emma Swan, do not ever tell me it is no big deal," The woman scolded then called over her shoulder, "Ted bring whatever cold compress we have here please."
There was a male voice that came and heavy footsteps, "Here you go love." He said handing the compress to the woman, "This is our last-" then he took notice of Emma, who was being lowered to the floor by the woman, "Emma dear what happened?"
"It seems Sanders happened," the woman stated with a murderous look in her eyes.
"How do you-?" Emma was about to ask, but was immediately silenced, "Please dear we have known you for over a year, if it was someone else, you would not be this badly beaten that is for sure." Came the response from the woman who was starting to treat Emma's cheek.
Emma sighed and began describing what had happened. Snow and David began to feel jealous of the older couple for taking care of their daughter...but then they started to feel guilty. They should be thanking them for their help and support since it was clear that Emma had none. Henry took the moment to look around the damp area and he started to see the living area of the older people. He wanted to do anything to keep his mind off of what he had just witnessed. Looking around he slowly began to realize something very important about the couple… they were homeless, "So I ran," he looked back over to see the couple looking at her with sympathy as Emma finished the story.
"Honey you cannot go back there," Ted said as he held her hand.
"But where am I going to go?" Emma asked her voice desperate, "Neverland? Enchanted Forest? New York?" The group winced as she had mentioned Neverland seeing as how Emma ended up there anyway and it was not at all that she expected. Snow and David's stomach sank as she was supposed to grow up with them in the Enchanted Forest, "He was right, I am worthless and I will never make it."
"I do not believe that," the woman said, "I believe that you can do anything." Seeing that Emma was shaking her head, the woman stood up and said in a strong voice, "People are going to tell you who you are your whole life. You just got to punch back and say, 'no, this is who I am.' You want people to look at you differently? Make them. If you want to change things, you're going to have to go out there and change them yourself, because let's face it there are no fairy godmothers in this world."
Emma smiled, "You sure? Cause I think you are mine fairy godmother Sarah."
Sarah smiled and said, "Trust me if I had magic I would want to help you like you helped us." Then softly she grasped Emma's hands in hers, "Listen sweetheart, I know it may seem helpless right now, but it will get better. You have to believe that. You have to have hope."
"Where has hope ever gotten me? Nowhere. Hell I must be screwed up if my own parents dumped me on the side of the road." Snow and David winced at her tone and Regina was stunned to see Emma so helpless. She was beginning to wonder where the fight was in the blonde that she had come to know. Gold limped away from the scene as he too began wondering how everything played out in the end...all because he wanted to get his son back. Hook was beginning to see a different side of Emma and he was starting to realize that there was a whole amount of truth to Emma's words: they understood each other in more ways than one.
"Give me your blanket." Sarah demanded standing up once again.
"What?" Emma asked confused.
Sarah smiled gently, "That blanket. I know you have it." Emma opened her bag and gently pulled out her baby blanket and handed it over to Sarah who unfolded it and held it up, "Stand up and take a long look at it."
Snow placed a hand over her heart and David felt his skip a beat as he looked at his sixteen year-old daughter. He remembered holding her in that very blanket as he fought of Regina's guards to get her to the wardrobe, "What do you see?" Sarah quizzed softly, "If you have to: feel it...run your hand across your name...feel the stitching. Imagine the person who made this for you..." Ted placed a reassuring hand on Emma's shoulder as she did what she was instructed.
Henry stepped toward Emma slowly to observe what his mother was doing. He could see her eyes glisten with tears as she ran her hand across the fabric, "I see a lot of time went into making this...I see a lot of patience it took..." Emma said slowly her voice cracking.
"And your name?" Ted asked softly in Emma's ear, "What does that tell you?"
"It tells me someone must have cared a whole lot to make this for me." Emma responded just as softly as she turned away from them.
Snow nodded and David hugged her as she said, "We did Emma...we really did and still do care a lot about you…" She hoped that Emma was able to somehow hear her voice and realize that they obviously really did care for her; that they were willing to do anything for her.
Just then sirens could be heard and the three people snapped their heads toward the sounds coming from outside, "Oh no!" Emma yelled, "They called the cops! I am so dead!"
"No, no you are not." Ted said trying to calm the blonde down as she was trying to stuff her blanket back into her bag, "Listen to me, you are not going back there."
"But I have to. I-" Emma was cutoff as Sarah thrust some money into her hand, "What-?"
"Take it." Sarah demanded, "Take it and run. You will find them Emma."
"But this is all you guys have. I can't-"
"Yes you can Emma. Like I said, we would do anything to help you. We will not let you go back to that bastard." Sarah growled out as her eyes flashed murderously.
Before Emma could respond shouts were heard as one officer yelled, "Witnesses say they saw her come this way!"
"We will find her!" The other yelled.
"Oh no...they are going to find her." Snow whispered as David's grip tightened around her.
Henry's heart was pounding as Regina held him close, "Run mom...run please." Then he turned away afraid to watch anymore. Regina's heart was breaking for Henry as she was watching Emma debate about what to do, "Come on Swan. Don't let your son see you get caught and sent back." She muttered under her breath not realizing what she had said about Henry.
"Look you want to find them right?" Sarah asked gripping the blonde's shoulders as trash cans were being tossed around outside.
Emma nodded, "Yes. I want answers. I deserve answers..." The last part her eyes flashed and everyone could see the faint determined personality that the sixteen year-old would have as a twenty-eight year-old.
"Well you won't get them if you are with those pieces of filth. Now that will be enough to get you a ticket to the next town over and from there I am sorry, but you are on your own." Sarah said her voice leaving no room for argument.
"I would not even know where to being though and I do not want you guys to get-"
"Do not worry about us sweetheart." Ted said his voice soft and animated, "We will be fine."
"Yes we will be fine," Emma still looked doubtful as Sarah continued, "Hey we have been doing this for months now. Besides you have the 'proper' resources if you know what I mean," Sarah winked and motioned to Emma's bag and Emma's eyes were raised with questioning and slight guilt, "and besides all good stories start at the beginning."
"Hey look over here! There is a whole in this pile wood!" There was a yell.
"Break it open!" Came an order from outside the room.
Sarah pushed Emma away from them and said, "Time is up. Go Emma and run! Do not look back. You know the back way out!" Emma started to back away from them, but she did not turn around, "Go!" Ted ordered seeing that Emma stopped.
"But-" Emma started to say.
"No buts; please Emma. Let someone help you just this once." Sarah implored her.
Emma relented and nodded, "Thank you…for everything."
"Get out of here now!" Ted yelled at her just as the pile wood was getting beaten down. The cops just managed to enter the area as Emma was already running down a dark hallway in the abandoned building and the scene dimmed.
The group sighed and everyone with the exception of Gold held a hand over their heart, "That was too close." Henry said as he moved away from Regina.
"Yes, although this did not seem like a too bad of a memory," David commented.
"She must be fighting the hold then," Gold stated as he limped back over to them, "she must have viewed this as a happier memory since at sixteen she was freed from the system."
"How would you know that crocodile?" Hook asked looking at the old man.
Gold smirked, "Well pirate I do not need magic to have all the resources at my finger tips...right Regina?" He looked to the woman and she shrugged.
"What does he mean?" Snow asked looking at her stepmother.
"I am referring to the Daily Mirror Scandal," Gold said before Regina could respond, "about our Sheriff having little Henry in jail."
Henry winced as he remembered reading about that and he also remembered how his mother looked surprised. He then looked at her and asked, "How did you get a hold of that record anyway? Emma said it was sealed...whatever that means..."
Regina sighed and said, "I actually did obtain it through legal means. Yes it was sealed by court order on the account it was a juvenile offense, however there was a loop hole in the sealment...so all I did was unseal it."
"So you are saying you know what happened to her?" Snow asked as she pointed in the dark at the direction Emma took to evade the cops.
Gold shook his head, "Not in great detail like what we are being shown, however there is a time between her at seventeen up until her arrest at eighteen when there is almost no record of her living anywhere."
Before anyone could talk the scene changed once more…only this time it was blurry…almost like you were looking through a glass of water. It was Granny's diner in Storybrooke and Emma was sitting at the table reading the paper just as Regina sat down across from her, "What is so bad about this?" David asked slowly looking at Regina suspiciously.
Regina had not a clue until she heard herself say, "How was your walk with Henry? That's right – I know everything. But relax. I don't mind."
They all saw Emma give her a look of confusion, "You don't?"
"No. Because you no longer worry me, Miss Swan. You see, I did a little digging into who you are. And what I found out was quite soothing. It all comes down to the number seven." The Regina in the diner stated off handedly.
"Seven?" Both Emma and Snow asked at the same time. Snow gave Regina a look and a raised eyebrow.
"It's the number of addresses you've had in the last decade. Your longest in anywhere was two years. Really, what did you enjoy so much about Tallahassee?" Regina asked as the scene fizzed out and the word Tallahassee echoed around them.
Once again the scene came into focus as they watched Emma running into an alley way toward a yellow bug. No one spoke, but watched in sheer amazement at how quickly Emma broke into it. Taking out a screwdriver she got it into the ignition and it drove off. Then they found themselves in the car with Emma driving and no sooner did she pull out into the main road a voice snuck up behind them from the backseat, "Impressive," Everyone jumped just the car swerved a bit; startled by the man in the backseat of the car, "But you could have just asked for the keys. Just drive. It's fine."
"Dad?" Henry asked out loud in awe.
"Bae?" Gold asked also just finding his voice as he watched his son and the woman interact.
Snow and David watched them interact and the way Neal covered up for Emma after she ran the stop sign, but then became amused when Neal said, "We got lucky."
"Wait…this isn't your car either, is it?" Emma asked shooting him a look, "I stole a stolen car?"
Snow and David tried to hide their amused grins. Henry was bursting out laughing. Hook was also smirking. Regina tried to hide a slightly amused grin…and Gold was still in shock that this man was his son as Neal replied, "Now, how about that drink?"
The scene fast forwarded to Emma and Neal's adventures, which mostly involved stealing and sneaking into motel rooms. Snow was starting to feel amazed about how care-free Emma looked when she was with Neal. She was also feeling a bit disappointed in herself that Emma had to live in this life as a thief. This life…none of it was what she wanted for her daughter; however she could not even begin to fathom as to what happened to Emma and Neal's happiness.
David was getting slightly annoyed at watching his daughter falling in love with the son of the Dark One; but then relented when he looked over at Gold, who was leaning on his cane as a look of wistfulness overcame him normally indifferent facial features. He assumed that Gold must have been thinking relatively along the same lines as him…their children were happy it seemed. It did not matter that they were living out of a car and stealing to get by…they had each other.
Hook was watching the two interact and thought about when the last time he had seen Baelfire smiling like that…it was when he was teaching the lad to sail the Jolly Roger. The feeling of freedom and adventure…but he was also feeling slightly jealous. He knew that Emma would never look at him like she was looking at Neal; however Hook knew that this happiness would not last very long: An orphan's an orphan. Love has been all too rare in your life, hasn't it? You ever even been in love? He had once asked her and he could still remember the hurt and betrayal that overcame her features as her response came to him: No. I have never been in love. Looking at Neal as he pulled Emma close as they were back in the car; Hook began to wonder what Neal did to her…
The scenes started to slow down some as Emma and Neal approached a motel and watched as a family leaving their room, "We have about twenty minutes until housekeeping comes. You ready?" Neal asked looking at the blonde.
"Let's do this." Emma said smirking micheviously.
They entered the room and closed the door. Neal looked over at Emma, "Want to shower first?" He asked her.
Emma wasn't looking at him, but a dream catcher that Henry instantly recongized as the same one that his father has, "Oh look at what they left behind."
"What is it?" Neal and Hook asked giving the object a funky and critical look.
Emma smiled, "It's a Native American dream catcher. It's supposed to keep all the nightmares out, and only let the good dreams in to protect your home." She twirled it in between her fingers and looked at it wistfully. Snow could see the gears turning in her daughter's head as she analyzed it.
Regina was also looking at the object as was Hook, "It's flypaper for nightmares?" Neal, Regina, and Hook asked at the same time. Regina and Hook shot each other a look and shuttered at having asked the same question.
Emma nodded enthusiastically. Neal smiled at her and said, "Let's keep it."
"Yeah, hang it where? The car?" She scoffed putting back where she found it.
Neal shrugged and stated, "It's not much of a home. Maybe it's time we get a real place."
Emma did a double take and looked at him critcally, "Are you saying…"
Henry was starting to get excited with these memories of his father and mother. This was better than the storybook. Any chance of learning about their adventures was almost better than any life time of Christmas' and birthdays' combined, "Why not? We've been on the road long enough, baby. It's time we retire the Bonnie and Clyde act. So, I think… I think it's time." Neal said as he went over to Emma and placed his hands on his shoulders.
"Together?" Emma asked her eyes glistening with hope.
"Don't you want to?" Neal asked nervously.
Emma pulled away from him and sat on the bed. Snow could see the hopeful look dimming as she ask, "Like where? Neverland?" Again the group winced at the mentioned choice of home.
"I'm serious," Neal said firmly and only Gold noticed the slight wince Neal had and looked to Hook. He made a mental note of asking the pirate what exactly occurred between him and his son as Neal continued with his voice filled with determination, "We could do this."
"Where?" Emma asked her tone will of the skepticism that everyone, including Henry, recognized.
They all watched as Neal grabbed a framed map of the United States off the dresser and pulled Emma up off the bed. He then laid the map on the bed in front of Emma, "Where? I'll tell you where. Close your eyes and point. Whatever spot you pick, that's our home." He says his voice full of earnest.
Everyone, yes I mean everyone, leaned in close and held their breath as Emma did just as Neal instructed. She closed her eyes and randomly pointed to a spot on the map. Opening her eyes she says, "Tallahassee."
Neal smiles brightly that causes the onlookers to smile themselves, "We got a winner."
Snow and David watch as Emma suddenly becomes very excited. She is almost bouncing as she faces Neal and asks, "Is it near a beach?"
"Yeah, it's Florida. Everything's near a beach."
"Okay then, Tallahassee it is." Emma says with a firm nod.
"Tallahassee it is." Neal repeats softly as he leans in to kiss her.
Emma is about to lean in as well, but then pauses. Neal stops, sensing that she has another question, "Are you sure? Is this… What you really want?"
Neal sighs and lays her on the bed and Emma instinctively wraps her arms around his neck. He looks deep into her hazel eyes and says, "What I really want, is you."
He kisses her gently at first and Emma pulls away, "I love you." She then leans up and starts to kiss him again this time a little rougher.
Neal groans and pulls away to respond, "I love you too." He then starts again.
Gold's eye twitches, "I really do not need to see any of this." He states as he turns away and then silently thanking whatever higher power there was that started to dim the scene.
"For once I agree." David said as well, "Let's not speak about this again. Deal?" He held his hand out and Gold shook on it.
Henry looks at Snow, "That seemed happy enough."
Snow nods, "Yes it did."
"Mom and Dad looked like they really loved each other." Henry once again said after a moment of silence.
Regina sighed as she somehow sensed that her conversation with Emma sparked something dark in the blonde; because whatever happened next she knew it was not going to be good. If she did not know any better, she could say that she was feeling sorry for the blonde, "Do you think this means that Emma is getting better?" Henry's innocent voice startled her out of her musings.
Regina looked into Henry's eyes and saw hope shining in them. It was almost like she was transported into a different time…a time when she was hell-bent on destroying that same hope in her step-daughter's eyes. She bit her lip not knowing what to say…but thankfully (or not depending on the outcome), the scene changed and Henry looked away from Regina, "I wonder what Tallahassee is going to be like!" He exclaimed as the next scene came into view.