I do not own the rights to any of these characters or Once Upon a Time.

A large portion of this chapter will be from Emma's point of view. TW: Violence.
This chapter was extremely painful for me to write, but the significance of this chapter's events will reveal itself in later chapters.

Chapter 3: The Hansen's (Winter 1995)

This year, Emma's birthday passed at the Hansen's like any other day. She spent the day in her room, alone, reading Peter Pan and doing her homework. When she went to school on Monday, everything was back to normal. Time seemed to pass so quickly, and before either of them knew it, it was November. The Maine air began to grow cold, meaning our usual spot would no longer do. Until winter was over, we had settled ourselves in the back corner of the large cafeteria. They preferred their tree to the loud cafeteria, and Emma already missed the way things were before the weather become too cold.

In the noisy cafeteria, their conversations grew less personal. Unlike their tree, the cafeteria felt impersonal like they were never truly alone. Gradually, their time on campus evolved into a time for them to talk about school and not Peter Pan or their foster homes. This did not stunt their friendship, rather, it only made them cherish their time together after school and their Fridays at the harbor even more. In their attempts to to spend more time together, Emma began to arrive at the Hansen's increasingly later. James did not have a curfew, his foster parents let him come and go as he pleased as long as he stayed out of trouble and kept his grades decent. Emma on the other hand, was supposed to be home by seven o'clock at night. Nevertheless, she seldom interacted with the Hansen's, so she never thought about the consequences of returning too late. Also, she failed to mention her curfew to James.

Life at the Hansen's seemed to be going perfectly. she had been there for roughly three months when things changed. One November Friday night, Emma and James lost track of time at the harbor, and she did not arrive home until almost nine at night.

Switch to Emma's point of view

When I walked into the house, I felt a change in the room's energy. That's when I saw Mr. Hansen sitting on the couch, waiting for me. As soon as he noticed my presence, he began walking towards me. I was terrified, by the look on his face, I had done something horribly wrong. oh crap.
He looked furious. As his face turned red, I knew this wasn't going to end well for me, and I tried to prepare myself for the heated lecture that was headed my way.

"Do you realize what time it is? You are to be home by seven AND NO LATER. YOU ARE TWO HOURS LATE. It's our job, as your foster parents, to make sure you stay out of trouble. How can we do that when you REFUSE to follow our simple rules?" Mr. Hansen growled as his fist clenched by his side.

Oh...crap.

"If you aren't following the rules when we treat you with compassion, what will it take?" As he continued to yell, I swore he was going to hit me.

Please, please don't hit me.. they'll send me away, and I'll never see James again. Please.

I prepared myself for his fist, but, it never came. Instead, he grabbed me by my wrist and pushed me into the living room wall. The strength of his force caused me to bounce from the wall, hitting the floor with a loud thud. I was in shock.

As my tears began to fall, all I could think was, Why did I have to be so stupid. Why didn't I keep better track of my time.

Mr. Hansen spat in my direction,"Do we have an understanding? Are you going to listen?"

"Yes...yes sir." I could barely say the words, hitting the wall had left me breathless.

Walking away, Mr. Hansen warned me "I hope you don't make me do that again."

Regaining my strength, I laid on the floor for what seemed like forever before I hid in my room for the rest of the night. In my room, I reconsidered what had just happened. Mr. Hansen yelled at me, yes. But I don't think he meant to hurt me. I know he grabbed my arm, but he never hit me. Mr. Hansen punished me for not following the rules; it is as simple as that. Everything was fine, and after all, I did deserve it.

It wasn't until the next morning that I realized the amount of force exhibited on me. When I was taking my shower, I noticed there was a black and blue bruise where he grabbed me. I had just made myself a home here, and I finally had a friend...James... I'm not ready to leave just yet. Brushing off Mr. Hansen's outburst, I decided to hide my wrist until the bruising disappeared. And is it really hiding when I already have to wear layers of clothes to keep warm? No one will ever know; I am sureit was a one time thing.

By Monday, the bruises on my wrist had faded substantially, every reason more to keep this... incident a secret. Why would I tell James? Telling him would only worry him, and why should I concern him with something that was no big deal? Anyways, if I told someone, then I'd be sent somewhere else... never seeing James again.

The week passed without James knowing anything had happened. Another week passed, the bruises had faded, and I never had to tell anyone what happened. Mr. Hansen appeared to be back to normal once again, and I went back to being unnoticed by him or his frequently absent wife.

Roughly three weeks had passed since the first incident, and to be completely honest, I thought I was in the clear. I was positive Mr. Hansen would never put his hands on me again. I was wrong. That week, I returned home from school to a similar sight. Mr. Hansen was sitting on the couch, appearing to be waiting for me, and he looks enraged. As I walked into the living room, Mr. Hansen was glaring in my direction. Completely unaware what I did wrong this time, I was never late again. When Mr. Hansen's began screaming at me, I couldn't believe my ears...what did I do...

"So, everyone in town has been talking about you.. YOU AND THAT BOY."

"What?" The word barely left my lips before his hand was on my arm again.

What is wrong with James and I spending time together? I thought to myself, unsure of where this was headed...

"You and some teenage boy have been spending time together? Is that why you get home so late? Because you're busy with him?"

"I... I don't..." Is he insinuating... that...EW NO. Why would someone think that we'd...kiss? NO.

Strengthening his grip, he accused me of something that I didn't quite understand, "You little whore", emphasizing the last word... "What is it that you two do?".

"We...We just talk." I choked out a sob, thinking to myself, a whore? I'm twelve...I have never even kissed a boy.. not that I'd want to!

"Bull shit! People say you two insist on being alone! Slut! Well, we aren't taking care of you when you get pregnant. NO!" His words dripped with hate and rage.

SEX. He thinks we are having SEX? I don't even know... I don't even know what sex is!

"We.. we're just friends! I'll be good, I'll promise!" I begged, hoping he wouldn't send me away. I didn't want to lose James yet, I wasn't ready to say goodbye.

"Boys and girls can't just be friends." With that, Mr. Hansen jerked my arm abruptly and released it, practically throwing me across the room.

As I fell to the ground, I felt my ankle twist and heard a slight crack come from my foot. Laying on the floor, tears falling down my cheeks, I cradled my foot... this had to be the worst pain I had ever felt in my life. When I was finally alone, I composed myself and limped off to my room. There I fashioned an old scarf into a brace for my ankle. I'm sure it is just a sprain.

The next day, I tried my best to force a smile and hide my limp from James. I know I should tell him, but if he found out, I am sure he would either confront Mr. Hansen or tell someone at school... I'm not ready to leave Searsport yet... I'm not ready to say goodbye to James.

Walking into the cafeteria, James could see the injury as if it was written on my face. I was faking a smile, and he wasting no time in acknowledging that he knew something was wrong.

"Emma... is everything okay?" forcing eye contact, James was reading me, trying to find out for himself what had happened since yesterday.

"Yea, everything is fine." looking into eyes, I could tell that he wasn't going to drop this topic that easily.

"You're lying, Emma... you're an open book. What happened last night?" I knew I wasn't going to be able to get out of this without telling him something.

No, I can't tell him... I just tripped. Mr. Hansen scolded me... that's it.

"Nothing, I can handle it."

"Emma..."

"It is NO BIG DEAL, really" Who am I trying to convince, myself?

"Damn it... Emma. Just tell me." James closed the space between us; he only did this when I tried to push him away.

"Mr. Hansen just yelled at me last night." I lied. Well, only partially lied... that's okay, right?

"What did he say?" James looked concerned, oh no, I've said far too much.

"Oh, you wouldn't like it, so I wouldn't dare repeat it." I smiled... I smiled a true smile.

"Well, if you won't tell me... that's fine. As long as you're okay." James looks too worried...

"I'm fine. Don't worry."

"That's hard not to do, when you won't tell me what's wrong... ANYWAYS, how about we take a day to ourselves? You could use some happiness and laughs." James is smiling again, how can I say no?

"Okay" I know I shouldn't... this will only lead to more trouble, but if I'm already leaving soon, why not?

Leaving the school, we headed straight to our favorite bench at the harbor. Bundled up in our winter coats, leaning on each other, we talked about happier memories. As the hours passed, we spoke about the history of the town's sea captains; I, myself, am beginning to wonder if pirates did make port here once upon a time. As silence came over us, I finally relaxed. Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep on his shoulder, exhausted from the physical pain and emotional turmoil.

I woke up to the sound of James' voice. "Emma, Emma...wake up."

"Why.." nuzzling against his shoulder, ready to fall back asleep.

"We need to warm you up. Come on. Let's get hot chocolate"

Well, that sure woke up me. "With cinnamon?!"

"Of course!"

We spent the rest of the day at a restaurant nearby, drinking hot chocolate with cinnamon and sharing an order of fries.

I had almost forgotten about the previous night's events. Limping my way through the front door, Mr. Hansen was there again. No, not again.

"Where have you been?"

"School. It's only four." I lied. He doesn't have to know the truth.

"Really? You're school left a message, saying you were absent."

"I...uh-"

"You were with him weren't you? Do you know what happens when you miss school?"

"It was just one day." That's when he grabbed my already bruised wrist. Wincing at the pain, I tried to pull away, only causing him to strengthen his grip on me. "I thought I told you to stay away from that boy."

Not this again. "He's only my friend."

"Someone told me that they saw you sleeping on him... you're lying." His eyes turned dark with malice.

"I was just tired. It was on accident."

"Maybe you should pack. I'll call your social worker in the morning."

"NO!" I screamed. Why can't I just keep my mouth shut?

"Excuse me? Do you want to be punished?"

"I'm sorry, I just-" Before I could finish my sentence, he was dragging me into the living room. Throwing me into the floor, I tried to ready my body for whatever he had planned for me. Looking up, I could see remorse briefly in his eyes before they once again filled with rage. Nothing could prepare me for what came next. As his foot collided with my ribs, I felt instant of pain followed by nausea.

He kicked me one, two, three times, then stopped. "Emma?" I could hear regret in his voice.

I stayed silent, refusing to move. I know things just got out hand, he couldn't control his anger... But, I didn't deserve this. I laid there, face down on the floor, refusing to look at him. When he moved to touch me, I automatically repulsed, turning away. "Emma... I'm just going to carry you to your room".

"I don't need your help." I spat at him. Does he think that he can hurt me and then act like he wants to help? NO.

My body still shaking, I braced myself for the pain and stood up. Grabbing onto the couch, I hoisted myself up and limped off to my room slowly. When I reached my room, I removed my shirt to see the damage, black bruises already forming to match the ones on my ankle. That night, I fell asleep moments within reaching my bed, from exhaustion and pain.

The next morning, I woke up to a horrible pain in my side, where he kicked me. I couldn't believe my eyes; the bruise had doubled in size, now spreading across my body. I carefully showered and dressed as comfortable as possible. No matter what I wore, I was going to be in pain; I might as well try to wear comfortable clothes.

Arriving at school, I tried my best to avoid James. I wasn't sure how long I could hide form him... or prevent him from learning about my injury... But, I had to try. Today was an especially cold winter day. At lunch, I sat outside at our old spot, thinking of how my life seemed to be falling apart so rapidly. The ground was covered with a thin later of ice and snow; I could see my breath in the freezing air. But, this was my best chance at hiding from him. I just needed some time to think up a plan of action.

When I didn't show up for lunch, I assume James went looking for me. As I silently cried under our tree of hope, I began to feel more hopeless about the situation I found myself in. I wasn't aware of his presence until I heard a "Hey beautiful" come from above me. Not acknowledging him, I continued to stare off into the distance when I felt his hand on my shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?" James moved to sit next to me, pulling me close to him.

Trying not to cringe as his hand touched my side, I just shook my head no, unable to speak, not wanting to give myself away. James held me for a moment with neither of us saying a word. Turning to face me, he wiped away my tears, his hand warm against my cold cheek. The only way to save our friendship was to push him away until this had all blown over... everything could still turn out fine, right?

Without wasting another moment, I quietly spoke, almost inaudible, "James... I don't think we should hang out anymore." He froze, staring at me. The pain was evident in his eyes. "I... I don't think I will be here for much longer, so I think it is best if we stopped before...before we get ahead of ourselves. I need some time to think."

"Is everything alright with the Hansen's? I mean I have noticed your smile begin to fade away... I didn't want to say anything, what changed?" By his tone, I could tell that I was slowly breaking his heart.

"Everything is fine... I... I can handle it... It's complicated." As another tear ran down my cheek, I tried my best to hide the events from last night...

"I'm sure I'd understand. You can trust me." I wanted to tell him, honestly... but, I am so afraid.

"I... well... I have a feeling my foster home isn't going to last." I refused to make eye contact.
"Mine rarely last long, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy our time together now." James tilts tilted chin up, making eye contact, and smiled at me.

Momentarily forgetting about my injury, I leaned onto his shoulder, and he squeezed my side in a reassuring matter. The pain was unbearable. Cringing, I let out a soft cry as my eyes filled with tears.

"What's wrong?" James jumped back in fear of injuring me more.

"Oh, I.. I just had an accident." I lied...again.

"How?" James was started to understand what led to this talk.

"I... I fell. It's nothing...really" I said, trying to hide the pain.

"It doesn't seem like nothing! Did someone hurt you?" James looks like he was going to burst.

"I..uh..." I couldn't say the words.

"That's a yes... how long has this been going on?" I could tell that James was trying to calm himself, but I saw hatred in his eyes which scared me.

"I..uh...I...well.. Mr. Hansen's anger got out of control again... he didn't mean to..." I could no longer make eye contact with him. I played with her hair, not wanting to make this situation anymore serious than it already was.

"Emma, this isn't-" Cutting him off, I fought back.

"Don't you understand! No one can know! If someone find out... then I'll have to leave..."

"Will you at least show me how bad it is? You might need to see a doctor... I will not make any promises until after I see it..." I didn't want to show him, but I knew I had to...

Lifting my shirt, James gasped at the black bruise which covered most of my side.
"You need to see a doctor. Let's go. We're going to the hospital down the roach" Taking her hand, Emma didn't move.

"No! If I go, then they'll report it, and I'll move again!" I began to cry again.

"You don't know that! We would see each other again. And, you might find a foster home in the area. Your safety is most important. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do something about this." James attempted to comfort me. I wasn't reassured. After we exchanged some silence, I reluctantly gave into is words and allowed him to help me off the ground. Carrying her backpack, James and I walked slowly out of the school and down the street to the hospital.

After arriving at urgent care and explaining what happened, a nurse called my social worker. When I went back to get x-rays taken, I could see James waiting nervously in the waiting room. After the nurses ran tests, took x-rays, and hooked her up to machines, I was left alone in the hospital room. As my tears began to fall, I heard the door open; James had found me.

"I think you should go. My, my social worker is coming. I'm, I'm going to have to stay here for observation... then I am leaving Searsport." With tears in her eyes, I held James close, never wanting to let him go. "I really hope this isn't good-bye." I choked back sobs.

Leaving a chaste kiss on my hand, James spoke, "Princess, I can stay until your social worker arrives."

"But, if the nurses catch you in here- I, I don't want you to get in trouble." I was falling apart. I couldn't believe this was happening. I should have listened to him. I shouldn't be in the hospital. I should be at school, knowing I would see James again tomorrow.

Pulling a chair up next to my hospital bed, James sat in the chair, took out his copy of Peter Pan, and held my hand as he began to read quietly,
"As you look at Wendy you may see her hair becoming white, and her figure little again, for all this happened long ago. Jane is now a common grown up, with a daughter called Margaret; and every spring-cleaning time, except when he forgets, Peter comes for Margaret and takes her to Neverland, where she tells him stories about himself, to which he listens eagerly. When Margaret grows up she will have a daughter, who is to be Peter's mother in turn; and so it will go on, so long as children are gay and innocent and heartless. THE END."

As James finished the book for what seemed like the hundredth time, a nurse entered the room.
"Dear, your social worker will be here any minute, it is time for your friend to leave." the nurse told me, but I felt the words as a stab through my heart.

"I'll always believe in you Captain Hook, my pirate" I told him as I pulled him into a long, close hug, disregarding my injury.

"I'll find my way back to you, my lost girl, my princess..." James held me close, and I could feel him holding back a sob.

"Bye..." I cried as I let go. I wasn't ready. I'd never be ready.

"Good-bye, princess." I could see that James was breaking inside.

I watched as he left the room, my heart breaking, because I knew this was goodbye. I will never see him again.

As he left the room, James was left with his thoughts, his memories, his love. Holding back tears, he wasn't going to let her see him cry. He had to be strong for her. For a moment, he stood there, in the hospital room, deciding where to go next- should he run back into her room? Should he go home? Or should he go to school? He left the hospital with tears in his eyes and an emptiness where his heart used to be. When the hospital was no longer in sight, he walked towards his foster home and channeled his pain into anger.

That was the day Emma was taken from James. It would be years before they saw each other again.

I apologize for the pain I have caused. In later chapters, this will all be relevant. I PROMISE.
Chapter 4 will be full of feels and fluff. I promise.
Thank you all for reading!