Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.

AN: A little AU during the pilot. Emma is born, but Regina is early, before Charming can put her in the wardrobe. Emma's magic protects Snow and Charming's memories and they awake in Storybrooke memories in tact. Now they must escape Regina, before she uses her control to separate them.

Once Upon a Snowing

Magic

Snow screamed, as Charming held her tightly and their daughter was born. She fell back against the pillow, as Doc wrapped the baby in her blanket.

"Snow...she's so beautiful," Charming uttered. Snow gazed at their tiny baby and then looked at him with love shining in her eyes.

"She's perfect," Snow said.

"At least we're together," he replied. Snow started to breakdown.

"That's why you have to take her," Snow sobbed.

"No...you don't know what you're saying," he protested.

"No...I do. We have to give her her best chance," Snow insisted, as she kissed their baby and placed her in his arms. Tears streamed down his face, as he kissed her tiny head too and then kissed Snow passionately. Their lips parted and he grabbed a sword, before running through the castle corridors toward the nursery. Black Knights stood in his way and he fought his way through them, sword in one hand, while cradling Emma in his other arm. But to his horror, he saw one of Regina's soldiers light the wardrobe ablaze. He was frozen for a moment, as he watched his daughter's escape go up in flames. Rushing back to the bed chambers, he closed the doors.

"Charming?" Snow sobbed.

"They destroyed the wardrobe before I could get here there. I'm so sorry Snow…" he lamented, as he placed their daughter back in her arms and then barricaded the doors.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

"I...I don't know. But at least we're together," he replied, as the swirling purple cloud tore the roof off their castle. Charming covered Snow and Emma from any debris, just as their chamber doors burst open. Regina slithered in with a smug smirk plastered on her face. Charming clutched his sword and guarded his family.

"Not another step," Charming growled, but she froze him in place and walked around him, smirking evilly down at her stepdaughter.

"So this is the little wretch that can ruin my curse," Regina hissed.

"Regina please...she's just a baby. Not even you are that evil," Snow sobbed.

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, dear. I can't have anything ruining my perfect revenge," Regina said, as she reached for Emma.

"No...please," Snow pleaded. As Regina touched the blanket to pull it back, a wave of pure magic blew her back and she flew across the room, colliding with the wall. The magic released Charming and he looked at Snow, who was looking at their daughter in awe.

"Did...did Emma do that?" he asked.

"I...I think so. She has magic...light magic," Snow said, as hope filled her voice. He knelt beside them and kissed Snow's forehead.

"No matter what happens...I love you so much," he said. She gave him a watery smile.

"I love you too," she replied, as a tear slipped down her cheek. He kissed her passionately, wondering if this would be their last kiss for twenty-eight years. Neither of them saw the shimmering magical shield emanating from their baby and surrounding them, as the curse swept over them…

Regina's eyes snapped open and she sat up in her bed. She pushed the silk sheets aside and hurried to the window, but not before admiring the curious night clothes she was wearing. When she gazed out the window, a smile appeared on her face.

"I did it...I won," she uttered, as she observed her new town. It was all hers. She was in control. But memories flooded her mind and she remembered what had happened when she tried to eliminate Snow's brat. Magic...the baby had magic. She would ruin everything. Thinking for a moment, she called on the memories implanted in her about how this world worked and she picked up the receiver from the cradle and dialed a number, still marveling that she knew how this thing even worked.

"Sheriff," came the brogue voice of her former Huntsman.

"We have a problem. There are a couple of bandits in our town. A very attractive couple with a baby. By all appearances, they are perfectly charming, but they are a danger to this entire town. I need them locked up and their baby brought to me," Regina ordered.

"I'll find them," Graham responded obediently.

Snow gasped and shot up in bed, as she awoke.

"Emma…" she said, getting up and hurrying over to the crib, where she picked her up. She looked around in confusion at what seemed like some sort of small residence. She looked outside and found even more foreign sites. The clothing was very strange too. Just what kind of place were they in?

"Charming…" she said, shaking him awake.

"Snow…" he whispered, before his eyes shot open.

"SNOW!" he cried.

"We're okay...but somehow we remember," she said.

"But how? I thought Blue said we wouldn't know who we truly were?" David replied. She nodded and thought for a moment.

"It's Emma...it has to be. She's the Savior," she realized.

"But that means no one else probably remembers us," he said, as he peeked out the window with her.

"And if Regina's in charge...she'll hunt us down. She'll take Emma!" Snow cried.

"Shh...let's pack what we need for Emma and find what food and supplies we can. Then we'll head to the woods. It seems that's one thing that hasn't changed much," he said, as he pointed to the forest in the distance.

They spent the next few minutes putting what looked like strange packaged foods into a cloth bag they had found in a closet. She could nurse Emma, so that put her at ease and she found an abundance of water in strange containers as well. Once they were packed, overflowing with supplies and baby things, they opened the door and found several sets of stairs. Hurrying down them, they set out onto the road, ignoring people they had once considered friends. It pained them, but they could no longer trust anyone.

"It's them! Stop them!" Regina cried, as the Huntsman gave chase.

"She's spotted us!" Snow panicked.

"No...we're not getting caught," Charming insisted, as he pulled her along and they disappeared into the woods. Snow's legs burned, but her husband didn't slow, for they could hear someone following them. Fortunately, the Huntsman was without his memories and Charming very much had his, making him the much more knowledgeable of the two when it came to the woods. He found a tree with an abundance of moss overgrowth at the bed of it and they crawled beneath the brush, perfectly hiding them. Charming held them and Snow tried to calm her breathing, hoping that Emma wouldn't make a sound. Their baby girl seemed to somehow know and was quietly dozing. Finally, the footsteps moved on and they let out a breath of relief, just as Emma's eyes opened.

"I should feed her...I haven't fed her yet," Snow fretted.

"We should be fine here for a little while. Feed her and then we'll move deeper into the woods," he said.

"We're going to make it, Snow," he assured, as he kissed her. He helped her shrug out of one side of the blouse she was wearing and she put Emma to her breast.

"I hope she latches. Johanna said some babies have trouble latching to it right away. Oh Charming, what if she won't eat…" Snow fretted, just as Emma latched on and began to drink hungrily. He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Seems like Emma knows just what to do," he said, as he held her and Emma nursed.

"We'll figure this out," he assured.

"I know...as long as we're together," she added.

"I'm sorry...I lost them," Graham said regrettably, as he got out of his patrol car and joined Regina on the sidewalk on the corner.

"What do you mean, you lost them?!" Regina cried.

"I'm sorry...I had them one moment and then they just disappeared. I'm afraid I'm not one to traverse the woods much," he apologized. She rolled her eyes, unable to appreciate this particular irony.

"You need to find them!" she snapped.

"What are their names?" he asked, getting out his pad of paper. She sighed.

"Their names are David and Mary Margaret. But they are using aliases. Snow and Charming," she said. He smirked.

"Cute...and the baby?" he asked. She rolled her eyes.

"Emma...but what difference does that make?" she snapped.

"Emma...what a lovely name," Mr. Gold said, as he approached her from behind. His mind was now running a mile a minute. He had his memories back already...twenty-eight years too early. If Emma was here, then that could be very bad if Regina got a hold of her. It would ruin everything he had worked for. He had not foreseen this and had no idea how this had happened or even how her parents still had their memories. That mattered not though. What mattered now was that he had to find that Charming little family before Regina and see them safely over the town line safely. This could still work. He just had to find them first and get them out of town, with the promise, of course, that they would return again in twenty-eight years. He wasn't exactly equipped to traipse the woods now that there was no magic and he had to rely on his cane to get around. But if there was one thing that had not changed with the curse, it was the animals. He hobbled toward a tree and held his hand out. A bluebird flew to him and sat on his hand.

"Find Snow White and give her my message," he said. The bird looked at him and then flew off toward the woods. It was now a race between him and Regina. And he planned to win.