So Sorry! Completely forgot to update. Thanks for the all the awesome follower and reviewers! You guys are so much fun!

Chapter 3

It was fairly simple to come up with plans for travel. With Emma's friend Baelfire having been to the Earth realm before, he gave them plenty of information on where to go, where to stay and what to expect. He even went ahead and gave them earth currency in exchange for gold, and explained how to use it.

Emma tried to pack only what was needed, but her mother had the royal baggage prepared, piling in enough clothing for a year as well as many items she was sure she wouldn't need, like five gold toothbrushes. Snow and David assumed she was going to Oz, as Emma dressed in her finest for leaving. It was only at the last minute that she was going to use her own magic to change the beans destination to earth.

"Now remember Killian, no one can know where we come from, or that I am royalty, got it. We're just two friends, students, living in this…this….where are we headed again?"

"New York my friend. New York."

Emma threw the bean and smiled as the portal opened.

The travel was nearly instantaneous and the two found themselves on the ground near a giant tree in moments. They were quick to move out of the way, as their luggage came through the portal moments later. Lying on the ground, Emma could feel a slight chill in the air and knew she was no longer in the Enchanted Forest. Along with the smell of forest, she could smell strange food and….smoke?

Emma jumped up quickly and pulled a few possessions into a bag before leaving the rest of their things near a tree and heading out toward a road.

"Emma! Our things!"

"Oh let it be Killian. They are only material possessions." They had appeared a forest which was seemingly not far from a food stand. Now they just had to figure out how to get to their destination.

Killian buttoned his jacket, before dragging as much luggage as he could carry and chased after the woman who was waving down a vehicle.

"What the fuck!" the driver said as he came to a halt.

"We are sorry for the inconvenience, but we are looking for a way to get to New York."

"What do I look like, a taxi?" the man said before driving off

"Taxi?" Emma turned to Killian. "What's a taxi?"

[SQ]

It had taken sometime but they were eventually able to call a taxi, one of those car things Balefire had explained but one that was specifically for carrying around strangers. It took them to the city. Killian grumbled the entire time they were riding, wondering how he was going to survive in this realm. It was nothing like he imagined. Not only was it much colder than the Enchanted Forest, he hadn't seen a single hot woman since he arrived, present company excluded.

Emma smiled as they rode in the little yellow vehicle into the city. There were buildings higher than the tallest castle and more people than she had seen at the biggest of balls. It was amazing. Not even Baelfire's instructions could have prepared her for all of this.

"So where are you two rich folks headed, Manhattan?" the driver said. "You guys staying at the palace?"

"The palace? That sounds nice-"

"No," Emma interrupted her friend. "We are not rich, we are just two ordinary exchange students." Their driver snorted, obviously not believing them.

"If you say so."

"We just want to go to a common part of the city. Your average neighborhood. Common people. Common area."

"Well that's easy. New York City has plenty of common places. You just have to pick one of the boroughs," he said. "You said no Manhattan, so that leaves you the Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens."

"Queens!" the two passengers said in unison. If there was going to be a place to find a future queen, then that was it.

"Queens it is," the driver said shaking his head.

The drive went by quickly as they made their way into what seemed to be an area that reminded Killian of the slums near the Dark Forest.

"Is this shitty enough for you," the driver joked as he pulled up.

"This is perfect!" Emma replied, stepping out onto the cold streets. She bent down and picked up a broken bottle. "Earth is amazing Killian. A place so free that they can throw glass on the streets and no one cares."

The sounds of people talking and arguing could be heard, and while Emma could see the apprehension on her friend's face, she couldn't help but smile. Real people from Earth, Real New Yorkers. Freedom.

Emma walked up to a building that the driver had said was housing. It was tall, grey and she could see clothing hang from rope outside of a few windows. She knocked carefully, unable to remove the smile form her face.

"What the fuck you want?" Came a voice from behind the door.

"We would like a room," she said happily.

"You got money?" the voice asked. Emma nodded then turned to Killian who pulled one of the many stacks of money from his bag. Emma may have wanted to leave most of their belongings behind, but he made sure to pack each and every stack of earth money that Baelfire had converted for him. If things didn't go the way the princess wished, at least they could get better accommodations.

It seemed flashing the money was the right thing to do, because the door opened right up.

"Sorry if I was a little rude with you folks, but some asses come here without a dollar to their names asking me for a room. Just don't have time to deal with shit like that." The two nodded as they entered the building. There was writing on the walls and trash lining the hallway. It was nothing like home. And while Emma grinned, Killian shivered.

"We would like to request meager accommodations." Emma said without a hitch.

"What?"

"We require a room that is very poor." The man, who called himself Mike, nodded and took them up several flights of concrete stairs. There was a man lying on the stairwell, passed out or dead. Mike seemed to think the former as he yelled about something called 'rent'. He pointed out the single bathroom that was on the floor, apparently to be shared by all the tenants. Killian had to cover his nose as he glanced inside. Insects were buzzing about the filthy room, moving from the toilet to the sink and onto the walls that were covered in Fairy-knows-what. The elevator was not to be used as it was what the landlord referred to as a "death trap". They also apparently had a heat problem. Emma didn't ask questions about that.

"Now this is the room we have. A real shit hole with one window facing a brick wall," Mike shrugged, pulling what seemed to be yellow strips of paper off the door. "But if you're a poor immigrant, guess that doesn't bother you." He unlocked the door, showing a spacious, but filthy single room. There was a bed with holes in the mattress and Killian was sure he saw a rat scurry across the floor.

The only other place that seemed to be available to sleep was a long seat, also with holes and what looked to be blood. With only one bed, he knew where he'd end up sleeping. He wasted no time shaking his head at the princess. There was no way in hell he was staying in this place. No. Not going to do this.

"We'll take it!" Emma said with a grin.

"Emma?!"

"Yes. We'll take it."