Emma rolled over, stretching her arm out to the side and was unsurprised to find there was only a tangle of blankets piled on the cot that was next to hers. Letting out a sigh she blinked the sleep away, focusing blearily on the space that Killian had been lying in only a couple of hours before. As she lay in the grey light of dawn, watching her breath cloud in the frigid air, she vaguely wondered if she was already paying the price for breaking the curse.

It had been chaos the day before when the smoke had cleared and they had found themselves in a snow covered field. No sooner had she felt the low hum of magic coursing through her veins that Roland was crying out to her, close to panic over how much blood Marty had lost. In near panic herself she had dropped to her knees to heal Marty. Somehow, in her frenzied state, she had managed to get out the words that sent Red off to find Killian.

Even with how quickly she had acted she almost hadn't been in time, Marty's skin had become so pale it was almost grey and his breathing had been shallow and weak. Roland had been sobbing beside her as her palms had glowed gold and she'd focused every part of herself into willing Marty back to life. She was convinced it hadn't worked, right up until Marty took a gasping breath, color flooding back into his cheeks. He had coughed his thanks as Roland nearly squeezed the life out of her, tears still running down his face.

They'd had to wait nearly an hour before Red had returned with Killian. Every second of that hour she had imagined the terrible things that could have happened to him and then proceeded to think of other outcomes that were even worse. It was all Roland could do to keep her from running after Red, only the fact that she hadn't seen where she'd gone and therefore impossible to track held her fast. By the time Killian and Red had emerged from the trees Emma worn a muddy path across the length of the field from her pacing. She had been unable to help herself and leapt into Killian's arms, promising herself that she'd never leave his side again.

When Robin's group had joined them she had been overjoyed and relieved that it appeared those brought back by the destruction of the curse hadn't been scattered too far. Watching Roland and Turner reunite as her and Killian had only heightened her joy, and lessened her guilt. Her elation was short lived, however, when Robin handed down Marty's punishment and the guilt had flooded her once again as Marty had protested his fate. It had been under her leadership that he had felt the need to act out and when she'd tried to keep him tethered he'd only gone and gotten himself stabbed. Only Killian's warm hand in hers had given her the strength to withstand Marty's pleas and Robin's indifference to them.

The ensuing fight with Regina had only compounded her guilt almost making her bow under its weight. Where she had argued avidly for Regina to have a sense of freedom when they'd first found her as a prisoner in her own palace, she had realized that she felt wary about allowing her the use of her magic. Even with the threat of the Dark One looming over them all she couldn't bring herself to remove the restricting cuff from Regina's wrist. Not when she'd been secretive about her dealings in Storybrooke when Emma had allowed her a berth on the Jewel.

Denying Regina the use of her magic, however, came with its own repercussions, namely Emma having to use her own powers. It was foolish, really. She knew how desperately they needed shelter, having decided to stay in the clearing for the night, and yet she still hesitated. Her magic had come easily when she'd healed Marty but it had been months since she'd purposefully used it and even then she had already been fighting against the tremors using it caused. The whispers in the back of her mind reminding her about the prophecy and her role as savior only caused her to hesitate more, the expectations almost as heavy as her guilt.

In the end it had been Killian's gentle encouragement that had allowed her to conjure the huts, childishly closing her eyes to focus her intentions and block out the eager stares. What she hadn't anticipated was how far her magic would extend itself. She had merely hoped to conjure the type of tent she remembered sleeping in when they had stayed with the Merry Men. Instead she had created several wooden huts that were far more capable of withstanding the elements than the wooden poles and canvas she had been picturing. For a moment she had felt fear at her loss of control but when she had looked up to see Killian's reaction he had only been looking at her with pride and she'd felt all the worse for it.

From that moment on she had only clung to Killian all the more. She knew that he had noticed and loved him all the more for not asking her to explain herself. Instead he would tuck her arm in his or twist their fingers together and followed her lead as she flitted around the camp. He was there to steady her when she looked in one of the huts and saw that there were cots and bedrolls in each of them. The seemingly limitlessness of her power had made her slightly woozy and she had practically dragged him to the woods to gather more firewood, fleeing as best she could.

When Red returned with her father in tow she had nearly sobbed in relief once again. She had been able to step away from Killian but found herself latching onto David instead. Dimly she had realized that something was beginning to take hold, a fear of being forced away from the people she loved and it was making her act in ways she had once considered a weakness in others. As she had questioned David about where he'd arrived while they walked around the camp she tried to convince herself that her fears would eventually pass. Instead as they walked she only felt that they were taking root deep in her heart and only growing stronger.

Things had only become worse after Killian had gone to invite Regina to join everyone at the fire for their evening meal. She had suspected something was wrong when he'd been nearly unable to meet her eye after talking with Turner. Their plan to send out a scouting party had surprised her and Killian's reluctance at first to let her go along had roused her suspicions. It hadn't taken much to convince him to allow her to go along but she could sense that something was troubling him. When he'd volunteered to get Regina she had thought nothing of it but when they had arrived at the fireside Regina had been smirking smugly and Killian looked as though he was headed for the gallows.

He had put on a convincing show for the rest of the night, for everyone but her at least. She could see through his feigned smiles, hear the aloofness in his voice, and worst of all she could feel him trying to distance himself from her. Whenever she had moved closer to him he would stiffen before relaxing and within minutes he would move to lean forward to talk to someone or move away under the pretense of adding more wood to the fire, returning to her side with a definite space between them that she eventually stopped trying to diminish. When they had settled for the night she had half expected him to choose any other hut but the one she'd claimed as her own. She had been about to climb onto her cot when Killian had entered the hut and given her a half-hearted smile. No words had been spoken between them as he had set up his own cot but she could have sworn she had heard him whisper an apology to her right before sleep had claimed her. In the growing light of the morning she wondered what exactly it was he had been trying to atone for.

Emma remained laying in her cot for nearly another quarter of an hour, staring at the mess of blankets beside her. As much as she wanted to she couldn't find it in herself to blame Killian. The past few days had been a whirlwind for her and she could only imagine how much more disorienting it was for those who had been cursed. She decided she'd forgive Killian for his aloofness but they had much to discuss once he returned.

When she finally emerged from the hut she was surprised to see only a few people gathered around the rebuilt fire. Roland and Robin were carefully watching over the rabbits they had roasting over it as her father sat across from them with a blanket around his shoulders, clearly keeping an eye out for her appearance. David gave her a wan smile and waved her over with one hand still holding onto his blanket. She blinked back the ever present tears at being able to sit beside him whenever she wished as she made her way to him.

"Good morning, my swan princess," David greeted, wrapping his arm around her the moment she sat next to him and kissing her temple.

"Morning," she murmured, helping him adjust the blanket over her shoulder.

"Uh oh, from that exuberant greeting you either slept terribly or Killian didn't wake you when he left," he said half jokingly.

"Both," she sighed before she could catch herself. She wasn't sure how much she wanted David to guess about her troubles with Killian and therefore sought to change the subject, "Do you think we should stay here another night or move on once the scouting party comes back?"

David hummed contemplatively, digging his heel into the dirt, "I guess it all depends on what they find. If we do leave we'll need to stay close to the stream we've been getting water from. It might even lead us to a farmstead or even a village further downstream."

"Maybe it'll lead us to Mom," she said hopefully. She looked up at David and saw that he was staring at the fire with a wistful smile, "I let her know that we made it back."

"What?" He looked at her in surprise. "How?"

"Like this."

Emma held up her hand in front of her and thought of a simple message. As soon as the words formed in her mind a golden hummingbird glimmered into existence. With the ease of another thought it flitted to David, darting around his head until he held out his own hand. The hummingbird landed and immediately transformed into a small slip of shimmering parchment. Once he read the words it blinked out of existence leaving only a hint of golden glitter in the air.

"I missed you too," he said thickly, gruffly clearing his throat as he pulled her closer to his side. "Will your mother be able to use it to find her way to us?"

"No," she said gently. "At least mine don't leave a puddle in your hand once you've finished reading it."

"Elsa? Queen Elsa of Arendelle?" David asked, surprise in his voice. "How did you manage to get on first name basis with the Ice Queen?"

"Dad-" Emma elbowed him lightly, shaking her head as a grin threatened to break free, "She's actually really nice. More welcoming than she should've been considering how we arrived in her kingdom."

"Sounds like there's a story there."

The grin that had been tugging at her lips dipped into a frown. It was clear he believed it to be an interesting tale, one filled with humor and perhaps a little drama but one that could be easily told. He had no way of knowing that her arrival in Arendelle was only a small interlude in the cascade of events that had started with an order from Zelena to end Captain Swan and led to her sitting at his side, contemplating what exactly to tell him.

"It's a long one," she warned, vaguely noticing that Robin and Roland seemed to be listening as well.

David looked around at the quiet huts and then off towards the forest before shrugging, "We've got the time."

She decided to begin her story at the moment she'd heard rumor that the Evil Queen had put a price on her head and that the Jewel of the Realm was the one on the hunt. When she was explaining how Red had gone behind her back to lead Killian to Agrabah Roland and Robin were listening raptly and the rest of the camp was beginning to stir. By the time she got to Blackbeard's attack on the Brooke she had a captive audience consisting of everyone that hadn't gone with the scouting party. Even Regina was listening intently, wrapped up in the story as much as the others.

Emma became aware that she was keeping details to herself as she described the fight between her crew and that of the Revenge. She had never really shared the full extent of story with anyone else. Even Snow had received only bits and pieces of what had happened over the course of the year before Emma had found her. There were things she'd done that she wasn't proud of, especially from the time before the tale she'd started, and the instinct to hide her magic away was still too strong. She reasoned with herself that the whole of the story would remain intact, that her use of magic wasn't overly important, that the darker deeds she'd committed were nothing in comparison to the good that would eventually come from it.

A few minutes later when she reached the point where they had arrived in Arendelle she knew she couldn't end the tale there. She could see that the group was hanging on her every word. David had even moved so that he could watch her speak without straining his neck. It was clear they wouldn't be satisfied with her stopping the story right when she had met Elsa but to continue was to dredge up the painful memories that followed. Hewitt's murder, the subterfuge they'd uncovered in Regina's palace, and Thompson. Emma realized couldn't bring herself to tell what had happened to him, not without Killian there and perhaps not even then for it wasn't her heartbreak to share.

David seemed to notice her hesitation. With a gentle press of his hand to her knee he stood and cleared his throat.

"I think we've made Emma share enough for now. She hasn't even had her morning meal yet. How about we let her eat while we gather up some more wood and water. We'll need to check the traps to see if we'll have anything for the scouting group when they come back. Robin, a word if you please."

Robin looked taken aback by being addressed directly but allowed himself to be ushered away by David. Emma sighed with relief as the others spread out through the camp without complaint. She had forgotten how easily her father could hold sway over a crowd, as much as a humble man or as a king. It was a skill she was fairly certain she hadn't inherited.

Roland made his way towards her and sat in the spot David had vacated. He gave her a wan smile and looked towards the far edge of camp. Emma followed his gaze.

"I don't think Papa likes what your father is saying," he observed.

Across the camp David talked as Robin started to frown, which became more of a grimace. He cut David off, gesturing back at the camp and then out towards the woods before settling a steely gaze on him. David seemed to try and placate him but to her it looked like Robin only grew more incensed.

"Do you know what they're talking about?" She asked, still watching as David appeared to be growing frustrated as well.

"No, but I have an idea," Roland sighed, looking back at her. "Before you woke Papa and I were talking about Marty's punishment. Your father was apparently listening more closely than we realized and it looks like he doesn't agree with Papa's decision."

"I don't really agree with it either," Emma muttered, trying and failing to not sound judgemental.

"You wouldn't understand because you're not a part of the Merry Men," Roland said with an easy shrug. "We may live a lawless life but we've only remained uncaptured, survived really, because we follow a strict set of rules. Marty has been testing their limits practically since he could walk. Stowing away on your ship was enough to get him cut off from the Merry Men for a year."

Emma gasped, "Robin wouldn't do that!"

"He would and he has," he said grimly. "There's no greater crime for the Merry Men than putting the rest of us at risk."

"But-"

"He was sailing under your orders, a part of your crew, and he blatantly disregarded nearly every order you gave him. Disobeying orders, working for Zelena, not keeping his mouth shut when he was caught? He's lucky Papa is taking him back to Will and Belle and not leaving him behind to fend for himself. If you and the others weren't here he would have."

She was stunned into silence. As a captain she'd heard her fair share of mutiny stories, mostly over pints of ale as she tried to get information about Misthaven and the Evil Queen. It was a problem she'd never once had to worry about. Her crew was her family, they would have no sooner turned on her than turned on themselves. She turned back to look at Robin and wondered how he could be so cold hearted.

"Marty's just a kid," she argued.

Roland gave an exasperated sigh, "You still don't get it. He almost died and got the rest of us killed by just trying to prove himself. It's happened before and the Merry Men vowed it would never happen again."

"What happened?" She asked, trying desperately to understand.

"Someone we trusted wasn't happy with where he stood in the Men. Nicolas thought he deserved to be Papa's right hand man instead of Little John and loathed that Will was above him in rank even though Will had been with the Men for a lot longer. He decided that he'd prove his worth by going against Papa's wishes and spying on Lord John's court.

"I was ten when Lord John's men attacked our camp in the middle of the night. Most of us escaped but some didn't. We learned later from Friar Tuck that Nicolas had been caught and instead of holding his tongue had spilled every secret he knew about the Merry Men. Twelve of our number died that night, women and children included. All because Nicolas thought he deserved more. Papa changed after that night, we all did."

"I'm so sorry," Emma whispered, aghast.

"It's been over twenty years but I still have nightmares," Roland said quietly, his gaze dropping to his hands. "Marty's grown up knowing what happened, why we have the rules we do. Him being a kid is no excuse, not when he's been at every remembrance bonfire we have every year on the night that it happened. At the very spot where it happened. Even Will won't argue with Papa's decision."

"What'll happen to him?"

"He'll probably be sent to his sister's and end up apprenticing with her husband. He's a carpenter," Roland mused with a half-smile. It faltered slightly, "Belle was never thrilled he wanted to follow in Will's footsteps but just like Colette takes after her Marty takes after his father. She won't be happy it's come to this though."

"He can come with me, us. Wherever we go next," she offered almost frantically.

"Emma, you said it yourself: he's still a kid. It's up to Will and Belle to decide where he'll go."

She opened her mouth to argue but found that there was nothing she could say. There was no denying that Marty had put them all in jeopardy by disobeying orders time and again. Her own punishments for him hadn't been lenient and with a start she realized that had she the choice she would have sent him back to his parents after the first time he'd deliberately slipped away from Roland and Turner. While she couldn't bring herself to agree with Robin banning him from the Merry Men completely she could begin to understand why he had done it.

"Do you think your father will let him back in?"

"I don't know," Roland sighed. "Being with the Merry Men is all Marty's known but he's young enough to learn a new way of life-"

"Or old enough to harbor a grudge for the rest of it," Emma said bitterly.

"True, he might be angry for a while but don't forget he's as much Belle's son as Will's. He'll eventually forgive Papa and maybe, in time, he'll earn his way back to us."

Whatever distraction she'd been looking for from having to tell her story to the others contemplating Marty's fate hadn't been it. Looking around the camp she found him sitting sullenly by one of the huts stripping the twigs and leaves from dried branches to use for kindling. As though he felt her eyes on him he looked up at her and almost immediately dropped his eyes back to his task, a deep flush rising in his cheeks. Feeling helpless she balled up her fists and forced herself to count to ten, breathing deeply to calm herself.

"When do you think the others will be back?" She asked without thinking.

"Daniel wasn't sure. He said not to expect him back before the midday meal and maybe not even for supper-" Roland gave a frustrated sigh, "He wasn't happy that I didn't want to go and even more so that Killian wouldn't give him a straight answer last night or this morning about how long it would take. Or answering any of his questions really... wait, Killian didn't tell you anything?"

Emma's stomach dropped, "No."

If Turner had talked to Roland long enough to complain after having spoken to Killian then there would have been enough time for Killian to have woke her, to have at least said goodbye. The sudden confirmation that he had been avoiding her felt like she'd taken a dull blow to the back of her head. She found that she wasn't sure how to feel, unmoored from any sense of what was up or down. Killian had been the one constant in her mind for so long that his absence left her floundering.

"Emma, what's going on?" Roland turned to her fully, concern plain on his face.

"I don't know," she whispered helplessly. "Something happened yesterday but I don't know what and Killian won't talk to me."

"He did seem a bit off last night-"

"It started before that," she bit out frustratedly, "When he came here with Red he seemed fine and I thought we could talk about... everything, you know? Then the whole thing with the huts and my magic and then my dad got here. It was even worse after he talked to Regina. I have no idea what's going on!"

The flames of the fire in front of them exploded to at least ten feet in height before quickly returning to normal. Emma took in an unsteady breath as she tried to calm herself and quell the uncontrollable shaking of her hands. She felt like she was eight, her magic completely out of her control and prone to cause more problems for it. Luckily nobody but Roland had noticed the outburst.

"Emma!" he yelped.

"I got it," she whispered half to herself as she clenched her hands between her thighs. She drew in another deep breath and blew it out slowly, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You nearly set the entire camp on fire!"

"Keep it down," she muttered furiously, glaring at him. "I'm just getting used to my magic again."

"Alright," he said with a hint of skepticism. Then his eyebrows furrowed in concern, "Do you think the Dark One is having the same problem? Could that be why he hasn't shown up yet?"

"Maybe but that could also mean he's even more dangerous than before," she said with distracted worry, still forcing herself to take deep, steady breaths.

"I thought you breaking that stupid curse would be the end of it," Roland said exasperatedly.

"You and me both," she sighed. Cautiously releasing her hands she was relieved to find that the shaking had stopped, "Seems like breaking it just made everything worse somehow."

"Papa doesn't feel that way," he quickly interjected. "He wasn't at all happy under the curse, especially having to spend most of his days with that idiot sheriff. I'm sure he'll tell you himself once he's done arguing with your father but he wants to thank you for bringing back his true memories. He also wants to apologize."

She looked at him in surprise, "What? Why?"

"For how he treated you and Killian when he believed he was Deputy Archer. He spent most of last night apologizing to me and Daniel, even though he barely saw me since I tried to stay as far away from him as I could."

Roland gave her a half-hearted smile. She tried to return it but it quickly turned into a frown when she caught sight of Robin storming away from her father who shook his head and began walking in the opposite direction. Looking back at Roland she saw that he was already getting to his feet.

"Do you think-"

"I'm not going to try and change his mind," Roland said stubbornly.

She held up her hands placatingly, "I was just going to ask if he'd be willing to tell me what he remembers about working with Walsh and Zelena. Once he's in a better mood, obviously."

"I'm sure he will-" he looked off to where Robin was stalking into the woods, "In a couple of hours or so."

Emma hummed in agreement, knowing that David would probably need just as much time to calm down himself. With a gentle squeeze of her shoulder Roland ambled off after Robin, leaving her to herself. Not wanting to be alone with her thoughts for too long, lest she begin to overthink why Killian was pulling away from her, she stood and began to walk in the direction David had taken. She could handle her father's pique, especially when she felt the same as he did about the situation.

When she caught up with him he was at the banks of the creek they'd been getting water from, hands on his hips and frowning off into the distance. The image was so familiar that her steps stuttered to a halt. He had done much the same after the council meetings where the shouting could be heard from nearly every room along the same corridor or after Blue gave yet another unsatisfactory answer for what the limits of Emma's magic were or, on the very rare occasion, after he and her mother had a fight. She would always find him looking out over the lake their castle resided on, mulling over whatever had happened and calming himself down. Every time she'd silently move to his side, waiting for him to give a deep sigh and drop his arm over her shoulders. Sometimes he'd tell her what was bothering him if he felt there was a lesson about ruling she could learn but more often than not they'd stand quietly side by side until he was ready to think rationally about the problem. Without further hesitation she sidled up next to him and only a moment later she heard him sigh and his arm went around her shoulders.

"I thought I'd be able to make him see even a little bit of reason," David huffed.

"Roland wasn't much better," she murmured. "Did Robin tell you why?"

"He did and I understand, in a way, but Marty's just a kid!" He said heatedly, his arm around her twitching in his frustration. "I thought that because we worked together in Storybrooke it would be enough to sway him. Apparently not."

Emma frowned, "But that was memories from the curse right? It wasn't real."

"But it was real, until you broke the curse. It still feels real at times, even now," he sighed. "Under the curse the first thing I did when I woke up was to say good morning to a picture of your mother. I remember doing it every morning for the past fourteen years. When I woke up today I turned to do it again and it took me longer than I'd care to admit to remember that she's still alive."

"I'm sorry I didn't break it sooner," she whispered despondently.

"It's not your fault, Emma, and no one blames you for any of it, least of all me," he said vehemently. "Zelena got what she wanted when she cast the curse and paid the price for it too. Nothing more than what she deserved, if you ask me."

She winced. David had never been one to soften the meaning of his words but he had never been so blunt. It was as though the bitter man she'd met in Storybrooke had taken control of her father's tongue without him realizing. Suddenly Emma was struck with a harrowing realization. It was as though a bolt of lightning had struck and for the barest of moments she could see everything clearly.

"Dad? What was Killian like under the curse?"

David stiffened before pulling away from her, a look of trepidation on his face. Emma knew that people had disliked Killian, maybe even hated him. She had seen it time and again in how the townspeople had treated him with open disdain. What she didn't know was what he had done to deserve such animosity and she had been so relieved to have found him again that she hadn't cared. If her father was right and the cursed memories were as real as the ones of their true lives then she was almost certain it was Killian's memories that were pulling him away from her.

"He… he wasn't a good man," David said haltingly. She frowned and he rushed to continue, "A lot of what I remember about him is just memories from the curse, they didn't really happen."

"But you feel like they did," she pointed out. "Even Regina had a hard time picking the two apart and she was never fully under the curse. Then there's the year you were cursed. Not memories, actually doing things."

"I don't know how much really was real, though," he said with a hint of frustration. "I can't explain it but even when it felt like I was living my life none of it felt real until you came into town. It was like waking up from a reoccuring dream only because one tiny thing had changed. I can't even pick out the moment the Dark Curse deposited us in Storybrooke."

"Regina said that time had stopped, that everyone had been living the same day every day," she said eagerly. "So Killian might not have done anything at all."

"Emma-"

"And even if he did, I don't care."

As soon as she said it she knew it to be true. There were things in her past she wasn't proud of. Things that at some point, sooner or later, she'd have to answer for. Killian had been a good, honorable man before the curse took him away and if he was pulling away from her to spare her it meant he was still that man despite who he had believed himself to be for the past year. For the first time that morning Emma felt herself relax and she took a deep, bolstering breath.

"Killian has always believed in me, even when I doubted myself. It's time I do the same for him."

"Then, as I said back in Storybrooke, I'm willing to give Killian the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure in time others will too," David said encouragingly but with a hint of caution. He then smiled wistfully, "You know, the last time we had a serious talk like this you were adamant that you'd never get married. I think you were mostly annoyed by all the suitors at your birthday ball but you had that stubborn frown you get when you're getting ready to dig in your heels. Which you're doing now by the way."

She quickly smoothed out her face but it only made David smile wider. In truth she didn't remember much from that ball. Zelena's attack that had separated them had happened only a few days later and that she remembered with perfect clarity. What she did remember from the ball was it had been the last time that she and her parents had been happy and together.

Emma looked across the span of the camp at the few people that were milling about. Aside from Grace's twins Killian had known them all in one way or another before the curse. That any one of them would hold whatever deeds he did during the curse against him, especially her, seemed absurd to her. She only had to convince Killian of that fact.

"I wish you'd met him," she said softly, "You know, before."

"The curse?"

"Yes and no-" she huffed out a frustrated sigh. "Before… before a lot of things actually. He's had almost as much bad luck with Zelena as we have."

"Even with his kingdom's alliance with her?" He asked in surprise.

"She had King Brennan killed and made it seem that Killian was the one that did it, remember?" She reminded him gently, having told the story only an hour or so before. "That was only the beginning of it. She didn't exactly let up after that."

"Too bad the Dark One killed her," David said without a hint of sympathy, causing Emma to wince. "I wouldn't have minded keeping her locked in a barely habitable dungeon for a decade or two to see how she liked it."

"I think you'd have had to fight Balliolshire for that right. Although, I'm pretty sure Liam would have had her executed for what she'd done to Killian alone."

He hummed, "We probably would have had to flip a coin for that privilege."

"Dad!"

"Don't tell me you didn't think about it too," he scoffed.

"You know, I don't remember you being this cold hearted," she snapped back.

David's eyes widened as his mouth dropped open. He looked stricken, as though she had slapped him instead. She was on the verge of apologizing when he dropped his gaze to the ground and ran his hand through his hair, gripping the back of his neck.

"I'm not sure if it's me or who I was under the curse," he sighed, dropping his hand but not lifting his eyes. "I spent so long alone, first isolated in the cell Zelena kept me in and then by choice in Storybrooke. It's harder than I thought it would be to go back to being a fair and just leader. It doesn't help that your mother was always the one to appeal to my gentler sensibilities."

"Well, you'll be with her soon enough and she'll thaw that icy heart of yours," she teased, hoping to ease the sting of her rebuke.

"I can't wait," David said sincerely, finally raising his head and giving her a gentle smile.

She was about to return it with one of her own when her stomach rumbled loudly. David raised a brow at her as she scowled.

"You didn't eat did you?"

"I forgot?" She said meekly.

"Come on then," he said with exasperated fondness.

After David watched her eat her fill she quietly told him what she hadn't been able to tell the others. Of how Hewitt's murder had forced them to leave Arendelle, their time with the Merry Men, the revelation of Thompson's betrayal and subsequent death at the hands of Zelena, and how she had abandoned Killian in order to fulfill her role as Savior. She told him how she'd finally found her mother and how they'd worked tirelessly to find a way to get her to where Zelena's curse had taken the people of Misthaven. When she reached the point where she'd sailed the Jewel through the portal she almost felt like she was falling through again. Her mind was a numb jumble from everything that had happened to her, was still happening to her.

"And then you found us," David said with a hint of pride.

"Had to live up to the family motto eventually," she joked halfheartedly.

"How many times do I have to say that I don't blame you for anything?" He sighed, exasperated. He looked out towards the woods at her back, "If your mother were here she'd… she'd…"

Suddenly David's face paled as his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Emma was about to ask what was wrong when he shot to his feet.

"Snow!"

"Charming!"

Before she even realized it was her mother's voice echoing across the camp David was running. She had never seen him move with such speed or determination and she barely had time to stand herself, spinning in the direction he'd run.

"Snow! Oh, God, Snow!"

Snow was running too. When they reached each other they collided almost violently, David embracing her so fiercely that her feet lifted off the ground. Emma was too far away to hear what they were saying to each other but she could see that they were both crying, their hands mapping each other's features even as they brushed away the tears. It was only when their lips met for a deep, passionate, loving kiss that she tore her gaze away, carefully wiping away tears of her own.

"It's okay love, not everyone gets the chance to see their parents reunited like this."

Emma turned to look beside her with a tremulous smile. Killian was standing an arm's length away, dark circles prominent under his eyes and seemingly unable to hold her gaze for longer than a few seconds at a time. A flare of irritation burned in her chest but as quickly as it had appeared it fizzled out when she remembered the promise she had made. It would take patience and her unwavering love to remind him just how much of a good man he truly was.

She took a tentative step towards him. When he didn't shy away she wrapped her arms around him, resting her forehead on his chest.

"Where did you go?"

His arms settled gently around her as he answered, "We went east. Ru-, er, Red hadn't gone that way yesterday and we figured it was as good as any other direction, considering we hadn't a clue where we arrived. There's nothing but trees and the occasional stream for miles. We were ready to turn back when Red caught a sent and led us north. It was another hour before the rest of us saw anything, even though Red said she could hear at least a dozen people moving towards us."

Emma lifted her head and looked around to see a few faces she didn't recognize along with Granny, Grumpy, and others she'd last seen in Storybrooke. Her parents were still lost in each other, ignoring everything and everyone around them. The joy of their reunion was infectious, filling the camp with the sounds of laughter and jubilation. Looking up at Killian she was surprised to see a soft smile on his face.

"What?"

"Nothing, love, just glad to be back here, with you."

She pulled back slightly, frowning, "I wanted to go with you. I told you that yesterday."

"I know, I know," he sighed, stepping back from her completely. She wanted to reach for him but somehow understood he would have just pulled away even more. He looked at her with imploring eyes, "I… There are things that I can't- and I don't want you to think that I'm pushing you away-"

Emma cut him off by wrapping her arms around him again, knowing what he was having trouble articulating, "I don't care."

"What?" He asked, stiffening in her arms.

"Whatever happened under the curse, whatever you feel like you can't tell me, I don't care-" she tightened her grip, "You're here now. We're here now. Together."

"Emma-"

"I love you," she murmured. "Nothing is going to change that. So if you want to tell me I'll listen or if you don't I'll be fine with that too but nothing, absolutely nothing you say will make me love you any less. Got it?"

"Got it," he whispered brokenly. He pushed her back gently and peered into her eyes, as though gauging the truth in them, "God I love you."

He pulled her back to him and as his lips met hers she immediately knew he was done keeping himself away from her. Unlike their kiss that had broken the curse there was no desperation, no mourning of time lost, only the pure elation of being together and loving one another. She deepened the kiss, even as a smile kept breaking through, and he happily kept up, dipping her slightly and threading his hand into her hair while his arm tightened its hold on her.

When they finally broke apart she still clung to him, burying her face in his neck as she breathed him in, grinning wildly. Killian, for his part, was alternating between planting small kisses to her shoulder and whispering endearments in her ear. It was only the sound of a throat clearing behind her that gave her a reason to pull away.

David and Snow were standing there, his arm over her shoulder, hers around his waist and matching smiles of bemusement. Emma could see Snow sizing Killian up, matching what Emma had told her about him to the real thing. Killian fidgeted slightly behind her, clearly understanding what her mother was doing. She caught David's eye and rolled her own eyes at him, causing his smile to widen.

"Alright, Snow, I think you've made him uncomfortable enough."

"What?" Snow said with mock innocence. She smiled up at David, "I didn't realize who he was when he first introduced himself. After hearing about him from our daughter for months and then you telling me he's her True Love you expect me to not take an interest? You can't have forgotten that much about me, Charming."

Emma winced at the casual aside about their separation but David merely chuckled and shook his head. Snow nodded in satisfaction and turned to look at her with a soft gaze.

"Hi Mom," she greeted weakly, suddenly overcome by seeing her parents together, of being together with them, again.

Snow gave her a tremulous smile, "I knew you could do it."

Emma's chin wobbled as she moved into her parents' combined embrace. She could feel Snow clutching at the fabric on her back as David gently cupped the back of her head. When she heard the sound of David sniffling above her she let her own tears fall unchecked. They stayed that way for several minutes and as much as she wanted to remain locked within the comfort of their arms forever she reluctantly pulled back, wiping the last of her tears from her cheeks.

"So, how-" she cleared her throat in an attempt to steady it, "How did you find us?"

"Blue came to our camp yesterday to warn us about something magical that had the fairies had noticed rippling across the land. They didn't know what it was, just that it was powerful. While we waited for her to look more closely into it your little bird arrived. Granny and Grumpy came walking into our camp like they'd been there the whole time not long after telling us what you'd done," Snow said proudly. "When Blue returned she told us what direction to go. We left as soon as we could this morning."

"Blue knew we were here?" She exchanged startled looks with David. "Why didn't she say anything to us? She didn't even show herself."

"She didn't come this far, sweetie," Snow said placatingly, gently grasping her wrist. "She came upon another group that made its way over and heard it from them. Once she had she immediately came back to tell me, knowing that I'd want to know as soon as possible. We didn't even know if we'd find you or someone else this way."

"Apologies, Your Majesty," Killian said quietly, stepping up to Emma's side, "but you said you were in a camp. Where exactly are we?"

"A day or so's ride from the southeastern border of Misthaven and Phyrgia-"

Both David and Emma interrupted Snow, the former in slight indignation and the latter in concern.

"What? Why are we so far from the castle, from home?"

"What's happened?"

Snow sighed and seemed to age at least ten years for it, "George's forces have taken over most of Phyrgia, many of their people have fled to our kingdom or to Darmancourt. Their capitol still stands for now but it's only a matter of time before it falls. Abigail and Frederick have refused to flee with their people."

"They'll be imprisoned!" Emma gasped causing Killian to grab her hand and squeeze his support.

"No," Snow whispered. "They'll be executed. Once Phyrgia is fully under George's thumb we'll be next and we don't have half the fighting force they do."

"What about Balliolshire?" Emma looked imploringly up at Killian before turning back to her mother. "Liam said he'd help."

"They have a navy, a great one," Snow said with an acknowledging tilt of her head at Killian, "but George is fighting us on land. We need an army."

"You have us now," Emma said resolutely. "We can defeat him. We will."

She could feel her magic begin roiling throughout her body, seeking escape. It felt somewhat different than it had that morning, it was thicker somehow, more volatile, but for once completely under her control. Clenching her fists she willed her magic to subside, despite the heady almost giddy feeling that accompanied it. She knew without a doubt that she would be able to call upon it again when the time came. Her family had been torn apart more than its fair share and she'd be damned if it happened again. She failed to notice that Killian was watching her closely, concern swimming deep in his gaze.

A.N.: I would have gotten this chapter up a lot sooner if my October/November hadn't been so very filled with various shenanigans. Never fear though, I'm in no way forgetting or neglecting this story just plodding along at a snail's pace. I do have the next few chapters outlined and I'm excited to bring it to you lovely readers.

Next: Settling back into the Enchanted Forest and a few unhappy truths about time spent under the curse.