Chapter Two- Finding Family

They came around the corner, when Emma stopped, exasperated. They were not getting anywhere. It was getting dark, so Emma suggested that they make camp.

As they settled down to go to sleep, they looked up at the stars. Emma wondered if she had what it took to keep Henry safe here, to give him a good life.

Twenty years before

Emma sat in the home, reading a book. It was a fairy tale about Prince Charming and Snow White. She knew that fairy tales weren't true, but of course, there were kids here who were wanted. She imagined what it must be like to have people take care of you. If she ever had a kid, she would never let them down. She would make sure that they were taken care of, no matter what.

If only, if only. Parents were a luxury, she thought. She could do this on her own. She didn't need anybody.

Henry pulled on her shirt sleeve, waking her up.

"Mom, you ready?"

She sat up, hoping today would be better than the day before.

She wondered, hoped even, that anything would go better today than yesterday.

As they walked, Emma was blindsided, knocked to the ground. Henry, she thought. She sprang back up, only to see Regina on the ground.

"Regina!"

"Mom!"

They both rushed forward to help her, bringing her to her feet.

"Thank goodness we found you, Regina."

Regina looked back at them, dazed for a second.

"You had to go and move. It made it so much harder to find you."

She shook her head, looking to Henry. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Mom. I am fine."

"Regina, do you have your powers? Do have any clothes we can give him. My jacket isn't really enough."

Regina took one look at her, summoned her strength, and at once, both Emma and Henry were in different clothes. Emma looked down, wondering why Regina had given her clothes.

"Thanks, Regina." She smiled. "Where are we?"

"We are in the forest outside my castle."

Emma nodded. "Are you the only one who came through?"

"No, everyone is back. Emma, can I have a moment with my son, please?"

Emma was hesitant but nodded reluctantly. She would not hurt Henry.

"Henry," Regina started. "For now, while the people I put under the curse readjust, I have the biggest advantage." She looked down, then knelt before him.

"Henry, I cannot go back to live with them. They will have me killed. Will you come with me?"

"No, mom. You can't take me away. What about all my family and my friends. If you love me, be good. If you love me, change." He sighed. "Mom, I love you, but I can't go with you right now. Prove that you are changing and then things will change."

Regina nodded quietly. "If I change, Henry, will they let me come back?"

Regina looked to Emma, uncertain. "Will they hurt me or keep you from me?"

"Regina, you are his mom," Emma said. "If Henry agrees to see you, of course you can see him. I won't force him to do anything. If you are there for Henry, no one will hurt you. I give you my word. They will listen to me. I promise."

Walking over to her, Regina grimaced. "If this is a trick, if what you are saying is not true, then you deserve whatever I will do to get my son back. Understood?"

Emma nodded, looking at Regina. "Some citizen may go rogue, but I promise to do everything in my power to make sure that I keep my word. If I fail, I am sure that you can protect yourself. Just know that I would do anything to make Henry happy. He loves you, so you can trust that I will keep you alive for him."

"That makes one of us," Regina said. She paused, then looked to Henry.

"So, when it comes to Henry, he'll decide when I can see him?"

"Yes, unless you want to see him and he is foolishly deciding not to see you, in which case I would only nudge him toward you, not away. I know you love him, Regina. I would be cruel to deny him anyone who loves him."

Emma suddenly smiled, saying, "Besides, whatever happens, he is both your heir and mine. Should either family control the land, our son will stand at the helm one day. I swear, I feel like I am losing my mind here."

Regina laughed a little. "Henry, I will honor your wish and her promise. If you need to see me," she waved her hand and a locket appeared. Open this locket and I'll know to come to you, wherever you are."

"When I place you back with Charming and Snow, Emma, things will be overwhelming. Tell them that as a sign of good faith, I didn't let you die in my infinite forest, for I easily could have, and tell them the terms of our agreement about Henry. And, lastly, thank you, for honoring the fact that he is my son."

Regina stretched out her hand and suddenly, Emma and Henry found themselves in a tent, voices buzzing outside.

"They could be anywhere," Emma heard David say.

"What if Regina got to them first, David? Where is she? Where is my daughter?"

"Everyone, we need to split up and find them."

Emma and Henry walked out of the tent together, to see a makeshift camp, the dwarves, David, Mary Margaret, and Mother Superior, as well as so many others.

Mary Margaret and David had their backs to Henry and Emma. Suddenly, everyone gasped and Emma wondered what the big deal was. Mary Margaret turned around and Emma said, "Hello."

Suddenly, every knife in the camp was turned on them. "Okay, not what I expected. You kid?"

"Yeah, not what I expected either."

Mary Margaret walked forward slowly, saying, "Emma, if that is you, why are you wearing my clothes? Where did those clothes come from?"

Emma looked down and realized what Regina had done and suddenly, she understood. "Mary Margaret, I can prove myself, which would be easier without all the knives pointed at my kid." The knives lowered a little. "Mary Margaret, we were roommates, and when you told me that David left Katherine, I told you to go after him."

Snow nodded and then tears were in her eyes. She strode forward, hugging Emma. Charming came forward, silently putting his arms around the two most important women in his life at the moment.

When they released her, she told them to sit. She placed herself at the center of the camp and told her and Henry's story about their time here.

When she got to this morning, a dawning look of understanding came over David's face.

"You were in the infinite forest, weren't you?"

"Yes, we were. Henry had just woken me up, when someone ran into me. I got back up, when Henry and I realized that it was Regina. We helped her up and,"

Everyone gasped.

"And," Emma continued, "We made a deal. Henry and I had no clue that we were in an infinite forest, but Regina appealed to Henry, to get him to go away with her. Henry said that she had to prove that she was changing first, that she was good. I told her, that in the future, whenever Henry wants to see her, they can visit without a threat on her life or her coming to harm. I told her that she would be allowed to see her son whenever she wanted, that I would do everything in my power to keep my promise, and I will. I keep my word. She told me to tell you that she could have easily left me there, but she didn't. It is a sign of good faith."

"Emma, she can't change, she never has before? Why would she now?"

"She will do it for her son, because she loves him. She knows that if she took him by force, she wouldn't be happy, because she wants for him to want to be with her. Henry named his conditions and that is that."

She breathed. "That being said, I thought you were all fake stories until a day ago, so excuse me while I go rest for a little while. I need a break."

Henry nodded to her, as if to say, I'll be fine.

She walked away from the camp, only to hear someone following her. Once she was out of earshot, she turned to see Mary Margaret, following her at a distance.

"Please, Emma. Can we talk?"

"I am not sure that is a good idea." Emma sat, looking out at the forest.

"Please, you are my daughter. I need to talk to you, we need to talk."

"About what?"

"Anything, everything."

They heard another set of footsteps and then David saying, "Don't mind me, I just wanted to be with you both." Mary Margaret sat on her right and David on her left.

"I need you to tell me what is real and what isn't. I feel like I am going crazy."

"Okay, well, you know me as Mary Margaret, but Henry was right. I am the 'character' Snow White. David is my husband. We are your parents. The curse was real and you broke it. Mr. Gold, Rumpelstiltskin, told us when I was pregnant with you, that you would have to be sent away, and on your twenty eighth birthday, you would come and find us." She sighed. "You found us and you know the rest. I know it is a lot to take in. We just want you to know that we sent you away to give you your best chance."

"No, you sent me away to give everyone their best chance, and I get that, but that doesn't change the fact that for my whole life, I have been alone. That no one wanted me. That I was not good enough for anyone to stay." Emma stood and they stood with her. She went to walk away and David said, "Snow, can I talk to Emma alone for a minute?"

Mary Margaret nodded, walking back toward camp, her arms crossed over her chest.

David looked at Emma, his eyes tearing up. "I know that you are hurt Emma, and I know that I had no choice but to hurt you for your sake and the sake of everyone else. I know that we are the same age, and it must seem strange to you, but you are my daughter. I love you. So, for me, can we just sit for a little while and I will tell you stories about your mom or you can tell me stories about people that you loved. You could talk about your favorite food and I would be content. I need time with you, that is all. Please."

Emma nodded, stepping forward, and hugging Charming.

"Go get her and Henry, we'll have a picnic and I'll try to be good. It's hard, but I will do my best. Just, promise me something." She walked a few paces away and sat back down under a nearby tree.

"Anything."

Looking at her hands, she pled, "Don't leave me ever again. Don't ever let me think that you don't want me ever again. If you do, I'll be gone before the apologies come or the table is set. I can't live that way again. I can't be with people who don't want me."

Charming, in an instant, was kneeling before her, saying, "Know this, if ever you see my face or hear my voice or any part of your mother, that says that we don't want you, then someone has stolen our heart, placed us under a spell, or something foul is afoot. There is not any place in my heart, in my soul, in your mother's heart and soul, that would even think about that."

He paused, tilting up her chin with his hand. "Emma, darling, I will always want you. You are everything to me."

Emma teared up, seeing him before her. "I want to believe you, and I will, but don't blame me if I need a little time to heal, okay?"

"Anytime that you need a moment with me, a word from me, anything at all, I won't hesitate. I will be by your side." He took her hand, raised it to his lips, kissed it. "I love you, Emma. I will be back very soon." David walked away and Emma hoped that this meant she would get a happily ever after.