"Emma!" David shouted, sticking his head out of Regina's sleek Mercedes. "Emma, where are you?!"

"David, you're not a dog. Get your head back in the car," Regina said, frustrated.

David pulled himself back into the comfort of the expensive car. "We need to call for Emma so she can hear us."

Regina glanced at Charming, who reminded her a lot of Emma. Emma must have gotten a lot of her features and traits from him; like David, Emma was brave and guarded. Plus, they both looked so similar, with the blond hair and light eyes and all. "You know she won't answer even if she does hear us," Regina told David. "Emma's trying to escape, not come running back home like a lost puppy."

"I know, but anything that has a shot at working is worth trying when it comes to Emma."

Regina spotted something in the distance. "Hey, is that her?" she asked, rapidly jabbing David in the shoulder to grab his attention. David slowly turned his head in the direction Regina was pointing and leaned forward, squinting, as far as he could.

"Yeah!" he confirmed. "That's definitely Emma."

Regina pulled the car alongside Emma and rolled down her window. "Get in the car, Swan," she commanded harshly.

Emma stared back at Regina, dumbstruck. "H-how'd you find me?" she stuttered, then leaned sideways as she noticed her father seated beside Regina. "David?" Emma said. The downward turn of her lips and the way she cast her eyes down at the ground indicated that she felt betrayed. "You led her to me?" Even her voice sounded defeated.

Regina crossed her arms. "Swan, it's not hard to find someone who follows a straight road." She frowned at Emma. "Where's the rest of your hair?"

Emma ran her fingers through her newly-cut hair and was slightly stunned when she ran out of hair. "I, uh, I cut it. I needed to look different from how I did in the hospital."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Fine. Emma, get in the car."

"No; I won't." Emma turned and walked away in her brown leather jacket, which was acting as a substitute for her red one until she could get it back. Regina simply allowed the car to roll slowly beside Emma, easily matching her snail's pace. "Nobody's letting you go anywhere alone, Emma." Emma ignored her and continued walking away. "Emma!" Regina demanded. "Get in the car, now."

Emma whirled around. "So you guys are watching me like I'm a child!" she said furiously. "Let me tell you something: I survived the first twenty-eight years of my life without anyone else, and I can survive the rest without, too!" Emma took in a deep breath, but it did nothing to appease her anger. "I'm more capable and dangerous than the two of you combined. I don't need you."

"Emma," David spoke in his smooth, calm tone. "We're not trying to make you feel like you're incapable of handling yourself. We only want to make sure you're not alone again, Emma. We all love you. Mary Margaret, Hook, Neal, me, Henry, and even Regina. You have a family; why leave that?"

Emma glanced back and forth between Regina and her father. "I already told you why."

David stepped out of the car and made his way to the side of the car Emma stood on. With each step David took in Emma's direction, Emma took a step further away. David could see from his daughter's frightened expression that she was afraid of herself. David felt like he was living in the past again, when the Ice Queen had been in Storybrooke and Emma's powers had spiraled out of control because she had felt she was a threat to others. David called out softly to his daughter, trying to assure her that he wasn't afraid of her.

Emma's silent tears shone and glinted in the moonlight as they rolled down her cheeks. "I don't want to hurt you," she choked out, tucking her hands into her sides as if she felt the action would keep her magic at bay. She continued backing away as David tried to approach her.

"You haven't, and you won't," David replied slowly.

David knew then that the only way he was going to get Emma to come back with them was if he got her himself. He picked up the pace from a walk to a jog, and Emma broke into a run. Emma was fast; she maneuvered the dark forest- fallen trees, logs, and all- with ease. David was faster, though. He caught up with her fairly quickly and grabbed her from behind. Emma struggled to free herself, but David was also stronger than her.

"Let me go!" she demanded, but it lacked conviction.

David spun Emma around in his arms and hugged her like he always did: he placed one hand securely against Emma's back and cradled her head with his other hand. He swayed her a little, like he would've done when she was a baby.

Arms pressed against her father's chest, Emma finally let herself cry for real. She cried genuinely like she'd wanted to for years and years. In the middle of the woods, Emma knew the only one who'd hear her cry was her father, and she knew he would keep her weakness a secret.

David ran his fingers through Emma's short hair while she sobbed into his chest. He'd never known Emma to be like this, even when her own life was in jeopardy.

Which meant she really was terrified for the rest of the group.

After a little while, he pushed his daughter slightly away from him, far enough so he could reach out and gently wipe the tears from her face. Again, Emma felt the sting that came from the touches of her loved ones, and again, her father's touch hurt less than the rest.

Even though Emma knew David wouldn't ever leave her, she gripped his arm tightly while he ran his thumb along her cheeks.

David took his daughter's hand and led her through the woods, across the street, and to the car, like he would've done when she was a kid. He set her in the seat of the car and made sure she was safe, like he would've done when she was a kid, except in a carriage rather than a car.

He climbed in beside her, like he would've loved to do when she was a kid."Where to?" David asked his daughter.

Regina whirled around in her seat. "David!" she scolded him. "Don't give her false hope; you know where we're going. Back to the town line."

"Let Emma answer," David replied.

Regina glanced at the blonde woman in her backseat and raised her eyebrows in question. Emma nodded at the floor in agreement, her short, blond curls bobbing up and down. "Back to the town line," she echoed, "but I want to dye my hair and buy colored contacts tomorrow. Those are my conditions."

Regina lowered her eyebrows. "Very well, Swan."