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The heat emanating from the sun scorched the earth upon which they walked and Emma found herself throwing off her jacket and flinging it over her shoulder as she followed the troop towards the camp. She wasn't sure if it was just her mind playing tricks on her, but it felt as though everyone else had picked up the pace – except for her. They were storming ahead, like women on a mission, determined not to let anything else slow them down. No matter how hard she pumped her legs and flung her arms, Emma could not gather enough momentum to keep her on par with the others. In fact it was almost as if the harder she tried, the more the sun beat down, the more sweat beaded her brow and the more her comrades moved away from her.
It also didn't help that Snow's words – yes, Snow's since those words would not come out of Mary Margaret's mouth - echoed around her head, reverberating against her lobes as she pounded the ground. If only Mulan hadn't interrupted at such a sensitive moment; for a warrior, she had terrible timing. It's not like an extra five minutes would delay them too much. And, it was pretty obvious that they were locked in a serious conversation.
She just wished they had a few more minutes.
The sheer heartbreak written on Snow's face as she fought back tears and explained how much stepping back into her old life affected her made Emma feel…guilty. Though understanding that nothing Snow was upset over was her fault, she couldn't help but feel guilty at her behaviour since arriving in this new place. She'd done nothing but push her mother away and insist that she was more than capable of fighting her own battles. She never realised that by doing so, she was hurting the brunette more than she could have ever imagined and that hardly seemed fair after everything she had given up just so she wouldn't be cursed.
Releasing her anger and shame on the ground as she pounded her way forward – finally gaining ground – and fixating her gaze on her mother as she conversed with Mulan about something or other, it occurred to Emma that she never gave thought to how the curse breaking would affect Snow and Charming. Her parents. Of course she knew they would have to adjust to their new life just like everyone else, but for the first time, Emma really saw how dramatic the shift in their lives was. Their baby was gone; replaced by a woman who locked away her emotions inside a box, who couldn't face up to the truth of her heritage. Who couldn't contain her resentment towards the people who loved her the most in this world, or any other world for that matter.
She had to find something, anything that she could let Snow be a part of. It wouldn't make up for all the lost time, but it would help both of them get a hold on their current situation. She had to least make an effort.
Snow had forgotten how intense the heat in the forest could be and her clothing – a white blouse and pink cardigan match-up – was not exactly doing her any favours. She missed the outfits she wore when she lived here; the types of fabrics used were so cooling during the insane, temperamental weather. But clothes from Storybrooke just didn't cut it. "How are you not melting in that?" Snow asked Mulan, gesturing to her suit of armour that covered her from the neck down. It sure did look heavy; not to mention rather suffocating.
Mulan shrugged and her metal clanked with the movement. "I don't feel the warmth. I've worn this armour for as long as I can remember; it's a part of me. Besides, anyone who is from here knows how to manage the stark rise of warmth in the day and the plummeting drop at night." Storybrooke was always so wet and windy; it never really saw a dramatic rise in temperature even in the summer months. Perhaps, Snow was less in tune with her home than she wanted to believe.
She had hoped that being reawakened would…magically…return her to her ways of old and allow her to embody her "Snowness", though that was proving more of a task than she thought. As time progressed and the more time she spent wandering the land of her past, the more she seemed to become more attuned to her old self. Her assertiveness began bounding out of her, her courage intensified due to the peculiar circumstances they found themselves in. Around Mulan and Aurora she could easily assume the role of a leader, of someone who could bring forth a people out of dreary and desolate times, but no matter how much her confidence burned when faced with obstacles, she feared she lacked any kind of sureness when it came to dealing with Emma. Emma, who was her daughter. Why was it so hard to communicate with her own child? Emma opening up in the nursery was a miracle, and came out of nowhere and, honestly, was so needed. Snow had been trying but she just didn't know how to act around her; if she pushed too hard she'd end up driving the blonde further away than what she was already – which seemed like a whole different planet at times – yet she couldn't just sit idly by and pretend like nothing had happened. She had lost too much time with her to play it safe; nonetheless, she fretted she may have breached the boundaries of their relationship with her confession of how her heart broke under the recognition that she would never be able to be the hands-on mother she dreamt of being.
The last thing she wanted was for Emma to feel uncomfortable or unworthy of love just because she's an adult.
Wiping perspiration off her brow, she used her hands as a visor to block out the sun and turned around to see her daughter trailing behind them. She signalled for Mulan and Aurora to continue the journey as she waited for Emma to catch-up. While observing the way her daughter handled herself – she was noticeably becoming more like her father with each passing moment – a broad grin formed on Snow's face. Even her movement as she walked was very James-esque.
"What are you smiling at?" Emma asked breathlessly, finally reaching her destination.
Snow crossed her arms, smiling more widely. "You look like your father."
"I do not," she retorted before she even had time to process the words. There goes that defence mechanism again.
"Do too," Snow whispered teasingly as she turned on her heel and started walking again.
Emma grumbled, ignoring her mother. "Uh, can we not stop for, like, a few minutes?" she quizzed, holding her sides with her hands.
Snow rolled her eyes at the woman's tone. "We don't have time, Emma. If we don't keep going, we'll never make it back by nightfall so unless you want to spend another night out here keeping a lookout for ogres, I suggest we keep moving."
"Okay, not that I know much about this world – obviously, but why is it so important for us to go back to the haven?"
Snow shrugged. "We need a place to regroup, come up with a new plan. A place that's safe from any danger. And somebody there may have knowledge about magic and a possible portal back home. We can't assume that we'll be fine on our own; sometimes you need a little help."
"A place that's safe from danger?" Emma repeated. "But what about Cora? Won't she be back there waiting for us with her…fairy dust or whatever?"
Snow paused mid-step and raised her eyebrow, amused at Emma's bewilderment to the world they were in. "Fairy dust? Really?"
"What? I'm not familiar with the terminology."
The brunette chuckled for a brief moment before turning serious. "Cora has been practicing magic for a very long time. If she has been able to transform herself and pose as another without anybody knowing, who knows what she is capable of; but I think the haven would be the last place she would vanish to. She wouldn't risk it, not when she knows that we're on high alert."
The thought of Cora on the loose, casting spells and shape shifting unnerved Emma and while she'd never admit it aloud, she worried about Snow's safety. It was clear by the way Cora literally tried to squeeze the breath out of Snow that they both shared an abrasive past and a past like that was not easily forgotten or forgiven. She shuddered at the thought of the showdown they may have if they were to cross paths again.
Detecting her daughter's uneasiness with the lack of knowledge about her adversary's whereabouts, Snow's eyes softened as she cupped the blonde's elbow to pull her out of her thoughts. "Don't worry," she soothed, "she's not going to hurt us. I'll never let her hurt you."
Her words blazed with such sincerity that Emma couldn't question her promise. Yet, there was no way she was going to let her fight her battles alone. She may be her daughter but no one who threatened her family was going to get off without a fight from her.
"She won't hurt any of us, not if I have anything to do with it."
"No, no, Emma!" she panicked, reading the blonde's mind. "You are not to go near Cora, do you understand me?"
"Look there's no way I'm just gonna stand on the sidelines and watch while my mother and step-great-grandmother have a fight to the death!"
"Emma Swan," Snow boomed firmly, taking the woman by the arms and holding her securely in her grip, "I will not – under any circumstances – allow you put yourself in danger so whatever plan you think you will enact, it better not come to fruition. I've lost you once before and I'm never ever losing you again; especially not at the hands of Cora!" She held onto the woman tighter, afraid to let go as a stray tear travelled down her cheek. The thought of Emma putting herself on the line against someone so resourceful made her heart thump wildly against her ribs and kicked her maternal instincts into overdrive. For a time, it was Emma who looked after her; but now she was her mother, and she was the one doing the protecting and so help her, God she'd do it with everything inside of her no matter the consequences.
Emma, realising that Mary Margaret wasn't bluffing, could muster no words except the always reliable "Okay," which came out much meeker and childlike than she had intended.
"I won't let anything happen to you," Snow repeated again, her voice a breath above a whisper before breaking her hold and striding over to Mulan and Aurora who had taken a seat under a tree. For a brief time, Emma had actually forgotten about them.
"We decided to take rest," Aurora proclaimed as they approached, avoiding eye-contact with Mulan.
"Actually, I believe it was you who decided we stop," the warrior amended, a snarl evident in her tone and by the way she scowled, Emma figured she was none too pleased with this arrangement.
"Well I'm sorry but I was asleep for years and my energy count is not quite the same as before."
"No, Aurora is right," Snow interjected before Mulan could swoop in with some snarky comment that would do them no good and undoubtedly hurt her friend's feelings…if they were friends that is. It was hard to tell sometimes. "A short rest would do us a world of good; the heat is too much to bear at the moment and the shade provided by these trees will protect us from the sun's rays."
Emma snickered. "Yeah I mean, haven't you guys ever heard of sunscreen?"
"Emma," Snow warned and Emma clamped her lips shut, angry for speaking before thinking. "Too much sun will dehydrate us. You both rest and Emma and I will fetch us some water."
No one seemed to argue with that.
Winding the maze that was the Enchanted Forest made Emma's head hurt. She trusted her mother's sense of direction and was somewhat awed by the brunette's ability to frolic spryly through the woods, but each turn and fallen tree looked the same to her and her frustration started to show. "Are you sure there's a lake around here?"
Emma heard Snow's deep sigh. "I'm pretty sure it's just up here." She pointed to what appeared to be some kind of break from the trees up ahead and Emma felt her chagrin dissolve.
It occurred to her as she ambled alongside of Mary Margaret that she had failed to ask a rather important question. Not the most eloquent speaker, she decided not to beat around the bush. "What's your deal with Cora anyway? I mean, why was she trying to kill you?"
Her remark caught Mary Margaret unawares however it did little to deter her from her concentration. She stared off into the distance, her expression neutral, like her mind had travelled to some distant place; back to another time. "Why do people do anything? We all have motives and desires; some just choose a different path with which to obtain them."
Emma waited for the woman to continue, not really following her cryptic opening. She shoved her hands in the back pockets of her jeans and took a deep breath in anticipation for the story to come.
"I met Cora when I was a young girl; when Regina was to marry my father. She was so sweet and kind and assured me that having Regina as a mother would be the best thing for me, considering I had grown up without a mother, and honestly, I was so happy to have a mother figure in my life. But Regina was in love with someone else – Daniel." She exhaled sharply and shook her head as if remembering something horrid. "She planned to run away with him, to start a new life with her true love and made me promise not to tell Cora of her arrangement for she had no time for talk of 'true love'. All she cared about was making sure that Regina had power; everything else was secondary – including her own daughter's heart." Again, she paused to look at Emma, her eyes clouded. "But I did not keep my promise and instead of trying to help her, I put her in the line of fire. I never intended to hurt Regina – I wanted her as my mother – but she never forgave me for breaking my word."
"So, what, Cora sent Daniel away?"
Mary Margaret gulped, and pushed back hair behind her ear. "She killed him. Right there in front of her."
"Oh my God. I never thought I'd say this, but…poor Regina."
"I know. That woman is the most vindictive, manipulative, evil person I have ever encountered. There has been so many times when I wished I could go back and make it all better. Keep my word."
"No, it wasn't your fault. You didn't murder him; you were just a kid. You weren't to know what was to happen." Emma took hold of her arm and forced her to look her in the eye. She didn't want her to feel burdened by something out of her control and yet she understood that that was something that haunted her regularly. Snow nodded and flashed her a genuine smile as the lake came into view.
The lake was as vast as Snow remembered and the water just as fresh. Both she and Emma filled their flasks up to the brim ensuring that they retrieved enough for Mulan and Aurora and started their journey back, with Snow taking sips, realising how thirsty she was.
The walk back was shorter now that they had paved the way earlier and Snow found herself basking in the comfortable atmosphere around her daughter. It was moments like these that Snow wished she could freeze and keep forever.
Emma stalked further ahead, insisting she could hear the dry cries for water from their new friends and Snow smiled as she watched the blonde manoeuvre her way to their resting place.
But in an instant, she felt her world tilt and her eyes grow dim. She pushed her forehead with the heel of her hand, trying to keep herself steady, but it did little to ease her confusion. She fell to the ground and watched as the light – and Emma – slipped out of focus and all that remained was darkness.
So what did you think? Oh, I refer to Snow as MM whenever it's from Emma's point of view just because I feel like that's what she'll be calling her for a little longer. I know there weren't exactly a lot of sweet mother/daughter moments but I wanted to try and build a solid foundation for their new relationship. Anyway I hope you enjoyed and please don't forget to review and let me know what you thought :)