Emma soon fell asleep from exhaustion and because she didn't want to upset Snow. Emma soon found herself in a peaceful dream for once, she found herself in a medieval room. She looked around the room it appeared to be a bedroom with a bed an old-fashioned writing desk and a mirror. Emma went up to the mirror quickly she saw herself as a little girl with pigtail in a small purple nightgown. She heard a knocking on the door, which she noticed looked sharply similar to the door to her nursery in the castle.
"Emma are you ready for bed " Snow came in smiling looking for her little princess. Emma just stood there looking toward the door at the women who looked like Mary Margaret with long hair, but she seemed more happy and full of love.
Snow spotted her daughter who was standing still sharply looking wide-eyed at her. Grown up Emma had no more control over herself as soon as Snow came in the room, she tried moving to her right but she stayed still.
"Emma sweetheart what is it" Snow went over to Emma kneeling down to her height taking her hands into her loving ones.
"Do all promises get broken. Momma" Emma near whispered. Snow was taken aback at Emma's words wondering why she would be asking her this.
"Not all promises but some do get broken people don't mean to break them ,sometimes somethings come up that make them get broken even if you don't want to break them especially if it to protect people you love" Snow said to her little girl.
"I think it's past your bed time princess" Snow said quickly picking up Emma off the ground around her waist.
"I'm not tired" Emma whined to her mother, she just gave up and went along with what was happening.
"Do you want Daddy to come kiss you goodnight" Snow asked holding Emma.
"Daddy's busy with ruling the kingdom and couldn't play today. He promised he could"
Emma cried into Snow's chest. Snow almost broke now, she saw pain and hurt on her child face but could not see what has caused it. Snow stroked the back of Emma's hair and started humming to her a tune her mother hummed to her as a child.
The door to Emma's bedroom quickly opened, Snow glanced over to see it was Charming.
"Emma" David whispered coming into her room. Emma finally got out of Snow's arms and ran for her father with tears in her eyes. He bended down with outstretched arms for her to run into, she ran right into him crying. He hoisted her up in his arms, she instinctively put her head on his shoulder.
"Da-" That's all Emma got out of her mouth from the crying.
"I'm so sorry Princess" David asked holding her close to his chest, rubbing her back. "I missed you" Emma cried holding onto him. Emma was slowly getting more and more tired by the walked over to Emma's bed with Snow following him, he laid down the little girl under the covers and tucked her in.
"What happened"
"I found her in here, she said you broke your promise to play with her today" Snow explained whispering trying not to wake the child.
"I wanted to play with her so much, but King Midas came for an unexpected visit with Abigail and Frederick" Charming explained to his wife moving hair away from Emma's face.
"We should let her Dream" Snow said taking his hand. Snow kissed Emma on the head and put her blanket next to her which she wrapped in her arms immediately.
"Good Night Princess" Snow and Charming whispered closing her bedroom door.
Adult Emma opened her eyes to her bedroom in Storybrooke, she gripped her blanket in her hands tightly. She liked her dream very much, a glimpse of what could have been. Hey it was way better than all of her foster homes. Then she thought of her adoptive parents, she punched her pillow and laid back down to sleep again. She wanted to go to the connection. So she did.
Mary Margaret went down the loft stairs after telling Emma to sleep.
"How is she" David asked waiting for her sitting down on the couch.
"tired not that she would admit it"
"Yes well at least that hasn't changed" Charming laughs
"Yes well, we should talk about that" Snow says looking down then back to him.
"So you noticed it too" They sat down at table, in chairs facing each other.
"More than you think. When we were in the bathroom I told her to take a shower to get the smell of puke off her and she cried because of the water was too cold" Snow tells him felling sad for Emma and how she held her in the shower.
"Don't forget earlier when she stormed out of the bathroom shaking" David said making a point.
"We have to find out what they did to her. It is just eating me up on the inside, for her to act like this..." Snow said with tears in her eyes.
"What do you suppose we do,huh. Asking her will just make her more.." David tried to get an answer hoping she would drop wanting to know.
He may not know emma as long as Mary Margaret has but he does know one thing, there can be multiple reasons why Emma hasn't told them. One she doesn't want to be reminded. Two she doesn't want them finding out because it will hurt them in some way. Or three they may have told her something she is scared to reveal. For all David knew it could be all three.
"I think Emma should talk to Archie" Snow suggested open heartedly.
"I think that would be good for her" David agreed nodding his head.
"I have to call Whale and Archie. Can you bring Emma's breakfast upstairs see how much she eats and if she can't then just give her the toast" Snow scrambled around the apartment to look for the phone. David went into the kitchen to gather Emma's breakfast on a tray with some juice, when Mary Margaret wasn't looking he snuck into the fridge and took out Emma's stash of bear claws putting one on her plate unknown to Snow who was dialing numbers on the phone. He picked up the tray and carefully went upstairs.
"Hi,is Doctor Whale there it's Mary Margaret"
"One moment I will patch you through your majesty"
"Dr. Whale"
"Whale Hi, it's Mary Margaret I was wondering if you could come by to check up on Emma she threw up parts of her breakfast and says she is feeling weak" Snow explained.
"That's normal for most Coma patients, I will have to come over and set up an I.V. of fluids for now until she gets used to eating solids again. While there I will like to conduct a normal examination to check her senses and nerves. What time shall I come?"
"Um it's 12:00pm now,would 3:00 pm work for you"
"Perfect I will be able to make it, it has been quiet around here any time you need me for Emma I will always be available all you have to do is call"
'Thank you victor. Next time you see Red can you tell her to come by, I haven't seen her and would like to talk. Plus Emma would love to see her as well"
"No problem. 3:00 I will be there"
"Thank you" Snow said thankful.
"Bye" He hung up.
Snow started dialing Archie's number.
"Archibald Hopper speaking"
"Archie it's Snow"
"Snow how are you. How's Emma doing" Archie asked genuinely.
"She is well... different" Snow said with a sigh.
"Well, that is to be expected since she was taken by people who want to kill her and has gone through a traumatic experience" Archie explained. Snow flinched when he said the word 'kill'.
"We think she should talk to you and get some help through it. We also want to know what they did to her and help her in any way we can" Snow says almost in tears looking toward the stairs.
"I think for now you should just be there for her. She would eventually open up and tell you herself" Archie told her feeling sorry for Emma, the sheriff, the savior who is usually so strong to admit anything.
"Okay"
"She needs her family, everyone especially henry she trusts him the most"
"So Henry, Okay I will ask Regina"
"So how is she acting differently" Archie asked curious being the shrink again.
"She has nightmares every time she sleeps. The other night she attacked David in her sleep, she flipped him almost as if by instinct. She is alway on alert as if someone would attack her at anytime. She barely says anything about what has happened and when she does she tries to push us away and when we hug her she just cries"Snow said through unshed tears.
"I think she should come by my office when she is up and about again. Considering that she was in the foster care it wasn't the abuse they gave her that made her like this. Something else must have happened to her there to cause this, something that effected her in someway. In order to help her I would need to find out what that was. Did you say at the hospital they had video camera at the warehouse?"
"Yes Neal and David found the security equipment left behind. They were in a rush the place was a mess, they recovered papers from notes they took while um.." Snows voice caught in her throat overwhelmed thinking about it.
"Most of the papers were notes they took cataloging how her skin healed, her endurance, the amount of cuts and burns, and um past injuries.." Snow said crying.
"It's okay Snow you don't have to go on" Archie felt like he was going to cry as well.
"Did you find tapes of.." Archie was afraid to say.
"Yes, but we didn't watch them we were busy with Emma's recovery and her in a coma, and.."
"I understand. I would like if you could send the papers and tapes over for me to go over and help her in the best way I can" Archie explained committed to find out why they hurt her.
"Yes, Yes of Course I will have Neal send them over to you tomorrow" Snow said wiping the tears from her face.
"Thank you, I promise to help her snow, these people and what they did. I will help them see justice"
"Thank You Archie"
Archie hung up the phone.
Snow put the phone down carefully and took deep breaths to calm herself. Snow silently goes upstairs to be with her husband and daughter.
David slowly opens the door with his back holding the tray in his hands he turned around and went through the door, he froze in his step when he saw Emma. She looked so peaceful lying there asleep, he noticed she was gripping onto her baby Blanket like a little kid does with a stuff animal. He nearly burst into tears at the sight of the blanket last time he saw that blanket was when they found Emma well..Dead.
He walked over to the bed with the tray and put it on the nightstand next to the head of the bed. He went over to Emma's writing desk and took the chair bringing it over to Emma's left side.
He watched her with the utter most fascination, he noticed Emma's face was less tense and had no sign of distress it looked almost childlike all innocent. She was having a peaceful dream, he was grateful especially since last night with the nightmare. He stayed there for a couple of more minutes until Snow climbed up the stairs into the room.
Snow noticed Emma was asleep clutching her baby Blanket in her arms, she almost cried as well thinking of the time they found her. She went on the right side of the bed and laid down next to her daughters, she soon found herself unconsciously weaving her fingers through Emma's blonde locks of hair.
Emma leaned into her mothers touch lovingly with a small smile on her face. David exchanged a look with Snow of contentment, and happiness that Emma still wanted them near her. Snow pushed her luck and she scooted closer to Emma and put her arms around her in a hug, to have her close to her. Emma slightly jostled but soon relaxed when snow hugged her and moved into the embrace by putting her head on her mother's shoulder still sleeping away.
Snow put her head against her daughter's in comfort, happy Emma hadn't awoken from the movement. Snow suddenly smells something very sweet and sugary, she looks around the room until she sets her eyes on the tray she see the bear claw.
"You were going to give her a bear claw!" She whispers toward her husband who has wide eye's and a guilty expression.
"She would have tried to eat it unlike the breakfast on the plate" David explains guilty. What he wanted to spoil his daughter it was the least he could do to make her happy in some way.
"You know she can't have that, she just got out of the hospital!, Whale said she should ease into eating solid foods she shouldn't be shoving down a sugary desert" Snow whispered back making a point to her husband.
"Whale is coming over at 3:00 to set up an I.V. for fluids and do an exam" Snow said to him in a low voice not to wake Emma. She still played with Emma's hair she found she loved doing it very much she thinks...'I would have done this with her when she was a little girl'.
"An I.V.? Why" David asks alarmed.
"No, she's fine he just wants her on fluids so she could get used to eating solid foods again. Emma was feeling weak before he said it was because the lack of nutrients she was receiving"Snow explained while she started to braid Emma's hair.
David watched them from his chair, he nodded his head agreeing that Whale was right.
"She looks peaceful, what do you think she is dreaming about" Snow says in wonder looking at her daughters face.
A tear breaks out from Emma's eye. They both notice it, they take Emma's hands in theirs in a sense of comfort for her. As soon as their hands touch they were whisked away into a bright white vortex in their minds together.
They soon found themselves in a field of colorful flowers, a couple of feet away from them was little blonde girl in pigtail's picking flowers. They watched as she giggled and smiled as did.
The little girl smiled up at the sun, she reached up as if to grab it with her hand.
Snow and David walked closer to her, not knowing where they were. They could finally see who the little girl was, Snow gasped and David held his breath.
"Emma" Snow kneeled down in awe at her daughter, who just sat there arranging the flowers into a neat handful like a bouquet. David kneeled down next to Snow in front of his daughter.
"She can't see you"
They turned around to see Gold standing there without his cane and limp.
"Why not. Where are we" David asked him wondering why and wanting answers but calmly.
"Because this is a memory. Welcome to the connection" He grinned at them like he knew something they don't but respectfully.
"How did we get here and most importantly how did you get here" Snow asked Rumple.
"Magic of Course" He made an exotic gesture with his hand.
"Why" David asked annoyed.
"Because Miss. Swan would not tell you what happened to her and I think you should know because she wouldn't ever tell you herself, she's to stubborn to"
"Why not. Were her parents why would she not tell us" Snow asked hurt almost.
"She said to me, that she didn't want to hurt you that she had to protect you. Her family she loves you more than you can possibly know. Her reason for living"Gold said to them with a background truth to the last comment he made.
"So why show us" Snow asked in near tears.
"You need to know, for what is to come"
"What" Charming asked with caution.
"The Council they are coming it isn't the end with them not for a long time"
They really didn't want to see as respect for Emma's wishes.
"You need to help her she can't win, not alone. Even with the Seekers behind her, she needs love"
They still were debating with themselves internally.
"She has your eye's" Rumple points out to Snow, trying to make them see.
Snow looked toward him then to the little girl frozen on the ground with flowers in her hands. She sat down in front of her, looking at her face in astonishment. She did have her eye's, she looked like she did at her age. The difference between this Emma and the adult Emma was she looked loved and Happy, like she belonged.
"If you truly love her" Rumple begins.
"Of course we do how can you even challenge we don't" David said walking up to Rumple getting in his face.
"Will Emma see us" Snow asked decided.
"No, nor will she see you let alone know you are here" Rumple said promisingly.
"Okay" They both agree.
Gold waves his hand and the scene resumes the clouds begin moving and the wind, plus Emma started to move the flowers in her hands.
"How old was she here" Snow asks looking toward her little beautiful girl.
"two and a half"
A women who looked to be around twenty-two came running over the hill, with a man in equal age next to her. They spotted the little girl with blonde hair they smiled with relief. Snow and David noticed them wondering why they were in this memory, and their significance towards Emma.
The couple slowly walked toward Emma holding hands looking lovingly towards Emma.
"Emma" The women called sweetly almost heavenly waving over to her telling her to come to her, which made the little girl pick up her head and look all around her until she saw them. Emma shot up from the floor.
"Mommy" Emma cheered running right through snow as if she were a ghost. Emma ran with open arms toward them smiling holding the flowers in one hand.
The man lifted Emma on his knee as they kneeled down to her hight.
"I picked these for you momma" Emma said holding them out toward the woman.
Snow and David watched through tears at their little girl with these people not them. They should have called her over and gotten those flowers, especially the names mommy and Daddy.
The woman smiled toward Emma accepting them happily.
"I love them" Emma hoped down off the man's knee and hugged the woman warmly.
"Time to go home love" The women said to Emma holding out a hand.
Emma looked around the field one more time as if silently searching for someone or someones, before taking the women and the man's hands. They hoisted her up swinging her happily like a happy gleeful family.
Snow, David and Gold watched sadly at the small happy family. The sky got darker around them it started to storm.
"What's happening" David screamed over the wind holding his wife's hand.
"Miss. Swan's emotions are changing with the atmosphere, it's beyond our control now. What ever you see she is showing us unknowingly" Gold explained loudly to be heard over the wind.
The scene morphed around them, they were no longer in a field of flowers but in a living room of sorts, the walls were dark and everything was in black and white.
The man and women appeared on the couch sitting, talking to each other in hushed tones. A women was standing near them in a chair talking with them she had a gun on her ankle the only one's who noticed were Gold,Snow and David, she also had a briefcase in her hands and papers that were signed in front of her.
Snow and David went over to the papers and read some word that caught their eye such as release to state of Maine, Adoption termination request, and Emma's name all over the document.
"Emma can you come in here please" The women asked nicely.
The little cute blonde girl came from a room down the hallway with her baby blanket in her hand.
"What's the matter mommy" Emma asked smiling, then she noticed the grim expressions in the room and her smile fell quickly.
"Emma we aren't your real mommy and Daddy" The women said gently.
"Okay but your still my mommy and Daddy" Emma said blankly
"Emma were not related" The women said sadly taking a slow breath.
"what's the matter you upset mommy"Emma said wondering why.
"Emma I am going to have a baby" The women told.
"I am getting a brother or sister" Emma cheered up again.
"No. Emma there is no easy way to tell you this-" The women said almost through tears, it was so hard to do this for her. Her and her husband were forced to do this, after the women told them they would be protecting Emma by doing so from bad people.
"No I can't take this make it stop" Snow pleaded while crying into Charming's shoulder. "What is going on, do you know something I don't about this" Charming asked worryingly.
"When Emma was a baby she was adopted. A married couple who thought they couldn't have their own adopted her and raised her" Snow explained through tears to Rumple and David.
"Why do I have a feeling something bad happens" David ask almost crying himself.
"Because it does. Emma told me she had parents until she was three until they had their own kid so they sent her back to the orphanage" Snow cried and this time so did David, for their little girl.
The social services lady choose now to interrupt the women. She stud up from her chair and walked toward the three-year old, who stood still.
"Hi Emma, I'm Miss. Conway with social services" The woman shook out her hand toward the little girl.
"Hi" Emma said shyly now noticing the women.
"I am here to take you away" Miss. Conway explained.
"Why" Emma turned to her adoptive parents.
"Because we don't want you anymore" The man said to her, trying so hard to say let alone do this to her.
Emma started crying standing still. Emma ran to her room, in tears.
Snow knew that Emma couldn't see her but she went after her little girl, right with David on her tail with gold following along.
Snow walked through the door to see Emma crying on couch/ windowsill crying into a pillow. Snow's heart broke as a mother, she went over to Emma's side and sat down across from her looking toward the crying little girl. David and Gold stood near the door, they saw a few minutes later that the women and man came in with a suitcase trying not to cry and started packing simple things for Emma.
Snow looked toward Gold with tears of her own in her eyes. "Please let me comfort her. It may be a memory but it will help me and maybe her" She begged.
"If I do she will remember or think that you were here as an illusion, is that okay" Rumple asked trying not cry himself at the tragic tale.
"Yes,anything" Snow begged still crying.
Gold waved his hand over just Emma who didn't notice at all still crying.
Snow started to sing. (Play:Annie (1999)- "Maybe/Tomorrow Reprise")
"The sun will come out, tomorrow" Emma slowly turns away from the pillow to look at Snow with red teary eyes from crying as she still silently sobbed.
"Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun" Emma leans fully back on the pillow after turning to be facing Snow fully.
"Just thinking about tomorrow,clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow" Snow reaches for Emma curls in her face making her turn into the pillow a little with closed eye;s still silently crying.
"Till there's none"
"When you're stuck with a day that's gray and lonely.." Emma starts to sit up slowly listening to Snow's voice with tears still in her eyes.
"You just stick out your chin and grin and say.." Emma is now fully sitting up breathing looking full on at snow listening, she lowers her head crying again. Snow takes her face in her palms lifting her head to look at her.
"The sun will come out tomorrow, so you gotta hang on till tomorrow" Snow sings again looking her in the eyes, thumbing her check in her hands comforting her.
"Come what May.." Snow puts her arms around Emma motioning her to sit close to her which she does. Charming watches crying silently a foot away.
"Tomorrow, Tomorrow" Snow takes Emma's face in her hand again to make her look toward her, she brushes Emma cheek and hair soothingly.
"I love ya tomorrow.." Snow holds her little girl face.
"You're only a day away..." Snow wipes away Emma's tears, as she looks at her with loving confused eyes. Snow takes Emma's head hugging her softly bring her to her chest leaning back against the window.
Emma wraps her arms around her mother tightly crying into her chest, taking her mother's love. Snow cries softly while holding her little not wanting the moment to be over. She rubs Emma's back soothingly.
The scenery changes around them, snow is sitting on a bed around depressed looking children. David and Gold across from her, She looks around the bed until she notices a name on the metal head-board.
Emma Swan
They were an Orphanage and she was sitting on her daughter's bed in which she slept in for 17 years, all because of the curse. She cried once more.