Sorry for the long wait, but here it is. There is only one more chapter left. It is mostly written so it should only be a couple of days before it is posted. As always, thank you so much to my loyal readers and reviewers. You make it all worth doing. And please keep the reviews coming. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 27 – The Reset

Following our visit to Mr. Gold we went to see JC and we filled him in on all of the latest developments; everything from King George's status to the fact that we had already reset the event in time. JC's reaction to the news of already having reset the event was, well, odd. It didn't seem to faze him much. When I explained to him about the swan and the medallion, he simply asked, "then what's the point? If we already reset it, what's done is done. Why do we need to know what we reset?" I couldn't argue his logic because he was right, if we already reset it and events were altered, then those altered events led us where were today. But that didn't stop me from wanting to know what we actually did.

"But aren't you just the least bit curious?" I knew that I was.

"Sure, but think about it Emma, this life is all that we have ever known and if we did change something, would we know what it was before we changed it?"

"You and I may not, but maybe Dad and Mom would. Don't you think that Mr. Gold would know if we changed it? He is like 300 years old." I argued. I couldn't understand why he didn't care.

"Emma, maybe JC has a point…"

"What?" I spun on my father. He didn't want to know either?

"Hear me out, please?" He held his hands up in a way that made him look as if he were surrendering to me. I nodded and let him continue. "If we find out what was reset, there is the potential that is something that we don't want to know. Something that was altered that caused something bad to happen. And then you would feel upset and guilty. You would blame yourself for whatever happened. It just seems to me that this is a prime example of ignorance being bliss."

I looked away from my father; I didn't want to admit that he might be right. If I knew what was reset, I would drive myself crazy wondering about the 'what ifs'. But I had so many unanswered questions; starting with the importance of us resetting an event. I wanted to know why it was so important for us to bring the brother's bond back. I wanted to know why Gold had to manipulate King George into thinking that he would get his son back. None of this was making any sense to me, and I wanted it to in the worst way. I just couldn't sit back and take it all at face value.

In the end, we decided to table the discussion of the swan and the medallion and focus on more pertinent matters such as King George. We let JC make the call on whether or not he wanted to accompany us back to Storybrooke. Neither my father nor I wanted to force him into something that he might not necessarily be comfortable with, but he was just as much King George's family as we were, more so even. At least King George had raised his father from an infant. I had to say that I was surprised when he said that he would come, he said that we needed to face this decision as a family, and although I didn't disagree, I just didn't expect it. JC hadn't known him personally, only through stories; stories that did not paint a good picture of the man.

It was late when we finally pulled into Storybrooke after our day trip to Augusta. We both followed my father into the loft, good thing that we did, judging by the way my mother attacked him when he walked through the door. She would have pummeled over me to get to him had I entered first. "Charming! Are you ok?" She nearly yelled as she wrapped her arms around his neck in a death grip. She kissed him heavy on the lips not giving him any time to answer her question. I couldn't help but to smile. It was awesome that they were so in love. I wasn't going to protest this time, the heart thing was too close of a call.

After what seemed like five straight minutes of kissing, while JC and I stood there and awkwardly watched, my mother finally pulled away from him. She turned her back to him to quickly face me while smacking the side of my head with her hand as she spun. "Ow…" I moaned as I put my hand up to my head to rub the spot of impact, "what the hell was that for?"

"For scaring the hell out of me with that text!" I think my chin fell to the floor when I heard her cuss. My mother never swore, ever, at least not that I remember hearing.

"Geez, smack him," I said pointing an accusing finger to my father, "I only did as I was told."

"Hey, I only told her to text you, I didn't tell her what to say in the text." I couldn't believe it, my own father was throwing me under the bus.

"What?" I threw my arms up in his direction, in a fashion that said 'I give up'. I didn't expect him to grab my wrist and pull me close to him with my back to his chest. He wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug.

"Lighten up, kiddo, everything is fine." Then I felt him kiss the side of my head.

"Sorry, Mom," I said as I struggled to pull from my father's grip. He finally let me go when my mother cracked a smile and began to laugh.

"So what did you find out on your trip?" My mother asked as we all moved further into the apartment. I went directly for the kitchen; I needed a cup of hot chocolate with extra cinnamon.

"That JC and I already reset the event in time." I said nonchalantly, "Anyone else want a cup?" I quickly glanced upon the crowd as I pulled out the milk and cocoa. JC was the only one to raise his hand at the offer.

"What? How did that happen?" By the squeal in her voice, I couldn't tell if she was shocked or offended.

"Well, apparently this whole 'brothers bond' thing that we were supposed to rekindle" yes I used air quotes when I said brothers bond, "we did as kids; when we were living with Mr. Cooper." I continued to make my way around the kitchen while I made my aforementioned drink. I really didn't pay much attention to her reaction; until she asked the next question.

"Well..how do we find out what was reset?" I smiled. Finally, someone was on my side.

"Thank you!" I praised. She cut a sideways look to me that told me to elaborate. "If we place Coopers medallion on the swan that I gave you for your birthday it will show us what event was reset."

"Well let's do it. What are we waiting for?" I loved that she didn't even think twice about wanting to find out. She was just as curious as me.

I lifted my wooden spoon in the direction of JC and my father. "Those two don't want to," I said in a voice that sounded like a whining teenager. "Ignorance is bliss…or some stupid cliché like that…"

"We just thought that since it was already done, why put ourselves through the guilt or what ifs." David shrugged his shoulders as he tried to defend his opinion. I looked between him and JC as I waited for my cousin to weigh in on the subject. But he said nothing. Both men just made their way to sit on the stools at the island.

I fixed myself and JC a finished cup of hot chocolate as an awkward silence filled the room. It was obvious that we were all torn on what we should or should not do. I took a couple of sips of my drink before I made my final decision. I was doing it. I walked to the end table that held the crystal swan. I picked it up and stared at it for minute then carried it back to the kitchen. I set the swan down in the island the held my palm out toward my father, "the medallion?"

He sat there and stared at me with a disapproving look that only a father could muster. But I countered with a look of my own. It was the look that only a daughter who had her father wrapped around her finger could give. It was a look that he had no defense over and I knew it. Whenever I wanted something, all that I had to do was give him that look and he would cave. I remember the first day that I used it against my father to get my way; it was the day that the curse broke and Dr. Whale had whipped everyone into a frenzy. They formed a mob to go after Regina. Henry used the look on me as he asked for her protection and I mimicked it straight to my father, who immediately acquiesced to my silent plea.

I could tell by the look on his face that he was teetering on the line of giving me what I wanted. He didn't want to give in, but he always had a hard time saying no to his only daughter. So, I intensified the look a little bit; just enough to push him over the edge. I broke into a smile when I saw that it worked. He stood up from his seat and reached his hand deep into the pocket of his jeans. Seconds later he pulled the medallion from the pocket. He squeezed it in his hand for a beat before he finally placed it in my open palm.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked with a look of concern plastered all over this face.

This time I gave him a gentle but reassuring smile; one that said 'I know what I'm doing'. I looked from him to JC. JC was twisting his hands together in a nervous manner but nodded his approval. Finally I turned my look to my mother. She took a step closer to me and placed her hands on my shoulders, "whatever it is, we'll deal with it together, as a family. Okay?"

I reached my empty hand across my chest and laid it on top of hers to let her know that her reassurance meant a lot to me. I hesitated for only a second before I finally dropped the medallion onto the swan. I reached each of my hands across the island and took my father's in one hand and JC's in the other while my mother left her hands securely on my shoulders.

Suddenly the room when dark, but it felt like it was spinning. When I felt my mother's grip on my shoulders tighten I reacted by tightening my grip on David and JC's hands. A small white light soon appear from the island where the crystal swan had been sitting. It began to grow taking over the darkness. As the light brightened it became obvious that we were no longer sitting in our kitchen in Storybrooke. It just looked like a big empty space of white. The island disappeared and I dropped the hands that I was holding. My parents moved to either side of me and they each wrapped their hands around an arm in an effort to protect me. JC was standing next to my father; he too wrapped his hands around my father's forearm.

In what felt like a blast of energy the white space became an open field with a little cottage tucked only 50 yards away from the tree line. A barn sat between the cottage and the trees. To the front right of the cottage was a small animal pen that was holding some sheep in their respective place. A man stood near the pen tending to the flock. A lady stood on the cottage stoop holding an infant in her arms. Another man that I recognized, as none other than Rumplestiltskin, stood between the two.

I looked at each of my parents, first my mother who was mesmerized by the scene playing out in front of us and then to my father. "Father" I heard him whisper as he let go of his hold on my arm. My mother must have felt his release of my arm because she instantly pulled me closer to her and snaked her arm protectively around my waist. "Mother" he said a little louder as he slowly approached the people. It appeared that they could not see us, we could only see them.

"Where are we?" I asked my mother. I knew that it had to have been the Enchanted Forest but I didn't know the other two people with Rumple.

"The farm where your father grew up, those people are your grandparents." She responded.

"The baby…is that Dad?" I assumed that they baby was my father since Mom had said the two people were my grandparents. David had told me the story of how my grandfather had died when he was a little boy. I couldn't take my eyes off of my grandmother. I had always wanted to meet her but knew that I never would since she had died so that I may be born. My father always talked so fondly of her and my mother told me the story of King George's curse and what my grandmother had given up for them and me.

We listened to the conversation between Rumple and my grandparents. He was offering them the opportunity to keep their farm in exchange for a child. Their debts would be forgiven. I could tell that their decision had been a hard one to make. But they were promised that the baby would have a better life and they would also have a better life with no debts and only one child to feed. They were trying to give each of their children their best chance. I understood that decision all too well, and my parents did also. It seemed that giving up a child for said child's best chance had been a family tradition.

My grandfather had left the sheep to join my grandmother on the stoop. They stared into each other's eyes; a look that I recognized from my parents. They were having a silent conversation that ended with my grandmother handing the baby to my grandfather. She gently leaned down to give the baby a gentle kiss before she covered her face with her hands and retreated into the cottage.

My grandfather carried the swaddled babe to Rumple. He, too, leaned to give the baby a kiss on the head, "Goodbye, David" I heard him say before he handed the baby to Rumple. My knees buckled when I heard the words. He said David. We did change the event. Originally my father was given to King George instead of my uncle. Did that mean that James was originally my father or had my father always been David?

I quickly regained my footing and pulled away from my mother. I ran to my father and slipped my arms around his waist. He quickly reciprocated the action and pulled me close. He held me tighter than I had ever felt him hold me. I had to be honest, I wasn't letting go of him either and when Rumple disappeared with the baby the scene also disappeared. With another thunderous clap of energy we were back in the loft in the same positions that we started. No words needed to be said, we all knew what had happened. But again I hurried to my father and wrapped him a tight hug.

"Everything was changed…" I mumbled into his shoulder and I cried. He lifted his one hand to cradle the back of my head.

"Shh…" he comforted, "it's ok baby."

"Everything was changed," I said again through my tears, "everything was changed to ensure that you were my father; to make sure that I was the product of true love."

"Emma…" He pushed me away from his body but still held onto my shoulders, "Emma…listen to me. I have always been your father. James was never your father. The only thing that changed was by whom I was raised. In both scenarios, I still met your mother and you have always been our child. Do you understand me?"

"How…How do you know?" I stuttered out. I was trying hard to catch my breath and not hiccup.

"Because, you are here, sweetheart," he stopped my panic with those words. What did he mean by that statement, "Because you are here," he pulled me close again and cradled my head with his hand. "Changing this event didn't change who you are. If it had, you would have known. If my brother had, at any time, been your father then you would have suddenly become a completely different person. And that didn't happen, did it?"

I thought about what he was saying before I answered. I tried to remember if my life made a sudden change when JC and I became close. "No," I shook my head but I still left my face buried in his chest, "not that I remember."

"Exactly, it would have been too drastic of a change too fast for you not to remember. You always have been and always will be my daughter. Do you understand?"

What my father was saying made perfect sense. It was irrational of me to think that James would have been my father. My mother was a bandit on the run; it was perfectly feasible that she would have met my father regardless of who he was raised by. This time I nodded, but still refused to let him go. My mother soon joined us and he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into our group hug.

After a couple of minutes I heard JC finally speak, "are you ok, Emma?" his state of shock must have finally worn off.

I chuckled as I pulled away from parents, "Yeah…Yeah…what about you? I imagine that was your first experience with magic?" His eyes were wide and he had a tight drip on the counter top.

"Yeah…" he nodded his head and let go of a ragged breath. "Yeah…I'm ok. A bit tired, though." I looked at the clock; it was almost 4:00 am.

"Yeah, I think we all are," my mother replied, "why don't we go to bed. We can talk about this in the morning."

"Yes, you two need to rest. We need to go to the hospital tomorrow and decide what to do about King George," my father agreed.

My mother grabbed JC's hand and pulled him from room as she mumbled something about getting him set up to sleep on the couch and getting him some blankets. I looked over to my father; he smiled at me and pulled me into another tight hug, "Always my daughter, my baby. Got it? Don't you ever doubt that, okay?" I nodded my head. "I love you."

"I love you to, Dad." I pulled away and he planted a kiss on my forehead. "Good night."

"Good night, sweetheart." I could feel his eyes on me as I exited up the metal staircase. When I reached the top, I looked down on him and smiled. "Goodnight, Dad." I said again but more to myself then to him.

After I changed my clothes, I crawled under the covers of my bed. As I laid on my back I thought about the scene that we had just witnessed and about the fact that my father never doubted for a second that I was his child. His thoughts never wavered to the thought that James may have been my father at one point. I wondered why my thoughts had immediately gone to questioning my paternity. But what was even more eye opening for me was how distraught I was when I thought that there was a chance that David was not my father; to the point that I held on to him for all that I was worth. I rolled over and I fell asleep with a smile on my face as I thought about how much my parents actually meant to me.