Author's Note:

I am deeply sorry for the long wait!

School has been a pain in my ass lately as the semester is coming to a near. I've had papers and research like crazy so I haven't had the time.

I hope this lenghthy chapter will more than make up for it and hopefully there won't be a long wait between this one and the next one.

Chapter 14: Accepting Fate

"Hey," Neal said coming to Emma in the living room later in the evening.

She was sitting down reading the 1990's edition of "What to Expect When You're Expecting". A cup of hot cocoa with cinnamon was on the table beside her.

It had been three days since Graham's accident and still there had been no change in his condition.

In that short amount of time Neal had been appointed interim Sheriff. Neal had tried to decline it thinking the job should rightfully belong to Emma but for her it was no big deal. The town deserved someone who was more flexible and swifter on their feet. Though it was at those times when Emma missed the skinny frame she had prior to her pregnancy. This new body came with limitations when it came to movement and there was still between twelve and fifteen weeks to go so the limitations would only continue to get worse.

Still though, she never failed to see the magic in the changes of her body as uncomfortable as most of them were. The baby was as healthy could be for twenty five weeks and three days.

Neal took a seat on the ottoman across from Emma. He tapped his knees and Emma switched her legs from her position on the couch to his legs. Neal gently rubbed her legs and massaged her feet.

As he did this Emma put aside her book and ran circles over her belly.

"So what's in the bag?"

Neal stopped what he was doing and leaned to his left where he had placed a bag beside him after coming over. Out of the large bag he pulled out a medium sized one.

"This was in a storage closet at the station. Graham was going to give it to you next week before your baby shower, you know since it's a no boy's allowed thing."

Emma took a deep breath and then took the bag from Neal. She reached inside and there were two items. The first was a white stuffed wolf animal and the other was slightly more delicate, a hand wooden carving also of a wolf.

"They'll be perfect in Henry's forest nursery," Neal said with a smile.

"The guide," Emma said with a small smile, "the silent protector."

Emma's thoughts began to race. None of this was fair. Of all people why would Graham have tried to cross the town line? He had known that accidents frequently occurred there and yet he'd gone anyways. And that was another weird thing: Graham had never expressed any interest in leaving Storybrooke. There was no suicide note, not a word to anyone, he just up and left as if trying to disappear. It made no sense. Emma's eyes focused thinking there was one thing in all of this that did add up.

Determined and with a new sense of resolve.

"I know that look," Neal said, as Emma struggled a little bit to put on her socks and shoes, another thing that would only get worse. With that task complete, Emma made her way to the coat rack. She put on her latest red leather jacket that fit her current form.

"Where are you going," Neal asked.

"To talk to one of two people besides us who knows what the hell is going on around here."

"Emma they haven't been open about the curse, what makes you think they'll say anything?"

"Neither of them may not talk about the curse but both of them basically run this town so they know practically everything."

"Emma this is a bad idea!"

"Babe, I love you but our boss, our friend, got put in the hospital with no time limit on when or if he'll ever wake up. I can't just sit back on this, that's not the woman you fell in love with as hard as I've tried."

"I'm not trying to change you Emma. I knew the kind of girl you where when I first met you." Neal walked over and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. "I appreciate you trying at least for the baby."

"But you know I have to do this right?"

"Then at least let me come with you as back up."

"It's better if I do this alone."

Neal sighed knowing there was no way to change her mind.

"Fine but please be careful," he said placing a kiss on her lips.

"Promise."

"Miss Swan," Regina said not looking up from her desk, "To what do I owe this unfortunate pleasure?"

"Graham," said Emma.

"Yes, what about him?"

"His accident, did you have anything to do with it?"

Regina stopped focusing on her paperwork and turned her eyes on Emma.

"Are you actually accusing me of causing his accident? It was exactly that, an accident. If anyone caused it, it was him."

"I just find the timing odd. Graham calls of his relationship with you not too long ago and now all of a sudden he's in a coma. Something doesn't add up."

Regina stood, placing her hands on her desk. Emma took a step closer.

"My personal life is none of your business. If you want someone to blame why not blame yourself? If you and your boyfriend hadn't come to my town then maybe Graham would still be alive."

"He's not dead."

"Yet," Regina shot. "Face it Miss Swan sometimes bad things happen. There is no fairytale ending here, Graham is not going to wake up. Best you just accept that."

"Accept it? You just cannot stand the fact that things have gotten better around here can you?"

"Better? You call Graham's accident better?"

"I do know he was getting out of your control. He finally had the balls to call things off with you permanently and he was getting better at not being your lap dog."

"Well until you've got actual evidence that I caused his accident right now you've got nothing on me."

"When this is over I probably won't need it."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"You're the mayor, you figure it out."

"You know you're lucky you're pregnant Miss Swan because once you're not, things between you and me are gonna get a lot worse."

Emma smiled a little and backed up, "Careful Regina, your black heart is showing."

The door chime to the pawn shop sounded. Gold didn't bother to look up from his place at the center counter.

"I have strict orders from my son to stay away from you Miss Swan," he said to her.

"I figured. He doesn't trust you and after what you put him through can you blame him?"

Gold looked up at Emma for the first time and it was three in her eyes that he saw it. Gold let out a small smile.

"So you know. You believe."

"Yeah, I do."

"So what's it like now knowing that Mary Margaret and David are your parents?" Emma ignored his question so Gold moved on. "No doubt Baelfire had something to do with changing your mind."

"Neal," Emma corrected, "Guided me. He didn't force me to believe in anything."

"So what brings you to my shop?"

"I need to know what to do. I need to know how to defeat Regina, how to break this curse."

"And what makes you think I can help," Gold asked, knowing the answer.

"Because you created the curse Gold which means you know how it can be undone."

"That is true but I'm not the savior, you are."

"So that's it then, you're not going to give me anything?"

"There's nothing I can give you Miss Swan, the future took a different turn than even I expected."

"And what were you expecting?"

"Before you were born I told your parents that you would return on your twenty-eighth birthday, not when you were eighteen. Regardless of how events unfolded that does not change who and what you are. You are the product of true love Miss Swan, only you contain the power."

"What does that even mean?"

"You know what it means, you've always known."

"No I don't. If that were true then my life wouldn't have turned out the way it did."

"Maybe the way you grew up was exactly the way it was supposed to otherwise you would never have met my son."

"So you're saying that this was all your doing, you knew?"

"Not at all," said Gold. "I'm saying that sometimes forces conspire, forces greater than us that go beyond our control and there's nothing we can do to stop it. It would appear that when it comes to you and my boy, the universe has a sense of humor. Kind of poetic almost: the savior falls in love with the reason the curse was created in the first place."

"Great so what do I do?"

"Relax Miss Swan, there's no rush. Events will unfold in their own time and when they do the time will come for you to break the curse but that time is not now."

"How will I know?"

"You'll know. And when you do your parents will remember who you are in no time."

"So what's your price for all this cryptic advice? Neal said you always come with a price."

"For you Miss Swan this charge and every one after this on the house."

"Just like that?"

"You're carrying my grandson Emma and you're engaged to my boy. That practically makes you family. And who knows this might get me back into my son's good graces."

Emma rested a hand on her six month belly, her right hand held a cup of hot cocoa with cinnamon, as she sat at the table in Mary Margaret's apartment. She was there with Mary Margaret and David. Neal had gone back to the office having been called away on a new case. With three months to go neither of them wanted to risk herself or the baby but even now Emma hated being useless. She wanted to be out in the field, out doing something and not just acting as a secretary and doing paperwork.

"Emma, Emma?"

Emma shook her head and refocused on Mary Margaret.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Are you okay? You seem kind of out of it."

Emma placed her cup on the table; she hadn't realized that she had finished her drink so David went to refill it.

"Just a lot on my mind I guess," said Emma.

David returned with a fresh cup. Emma smiled and nodded her thanks.

Though Emma hadn't answered Gold's question in his shop, it was one that she couldn't stop thinking about. 'What's it like knowing that Mary Margaret and David are your parents' he had asked.

When Emma had returned home, she went for the Once Upon a Time book. She held her baby blanket with her name embroidered on it as she looked through the pages of her parents' history and the beginning of hers. It was what had brought her to sitting in their apartment now.

"Do you think I look like either of you," Emma blurted out.

The question caught the two of them off guard.

"Umm…well…," Mary Margaret began, "David and I have often joked that you do kind of have my chin."

Emma smiled. She had often joked about it too. In fact Neal had been the first one to comment on it.

"Emma," said Mary Margaret, "What's this really about?"

Emma shook her head for the second time. "I don't know I guess with Henry coming," Emma said using the baby's middle name since older David was in the room, "I've been thinking a lot about my own parents."

Emma could feel herself folding inward but she didn't care. She needed them to hear this even if they didn't remember.

"I was angry at them for so long, wondering how they could make the choice to let me grow up without them, but then learning the truth, as insane and impossible as it seems; they gave up everything for me. Their idea of the life I should have had so that I could get the chance at a normal life. It wasn't always perfect but at least it was something and slightly better than the alternative."

"They wanted to give you your best chance," said David.

"Yeah something like that," Emma replied.

"So you've found them then," asked Mary Margaret, "Your parents?"

This time Emma looked up at her friends, two people whom she had all ready considered family before accepting the truth, the truth that these two twenty-eight year olds were her parents.

"I have," said Emma.

"That's great," said David, "Have you tried to contact them?"

"It's a bit more complicated. See here's the thing, they don't exactly remember who they are and again it's complicated." David and Mary Margaret looked confused, "but I know who they are even if they don't and right now that's what matters."

Unsure of where to take the conversation due to the confusion, Mary Margaret thought it was best to go along with Emma's train of thought."

"Do you think they will remember if they could?"

"I'd like to think so but the only way that can happen is if I could find a way to bring them back and I'm not sure I know how to do that."

Mary Margaret reached for Emma's hand that was on the table. "You'll find a way and when you do I'm sure your parents will be more than happy to see you."

Emma squeezed Mary Margaret's hand. She wasn't sure why but those were the words she needed to hear from her. Maybe it was the idea of a mother comforting a daughter. Yes Emma was legally an adult and yes she was going to be a mother herself but sometimes a girl just needed her mom and dad and that's exactly what Mary Margaret and David were being even if they didn't know it.