Future

A guest asked for a oneshot of Emma overhearing her parents talking about the future with Neal. She gets upset and goes for a walk in the forest where she gets injured.

Noel, I've already covered the chicken pox a couple of times :)

Emma didn't know exactly what she was feeling. Anger, hurt, betrayal, fear. The list went on and on. Her parents couldn't have known she was in the room, could they? They had been talking excitedly about how good their future as a family was going to be...except they hadn't mentioned Emma's name once. It was all about Neal. Emma loved both her parents and her little brother dearly, but she couldn't help but think the conversation she'd overheard confirmed her fears. Emma was going to be shoved out, no longer wanted as part of the family. She'd left the house, unable to take it anymore. She had to think about what she was going to do next. If she left town, where would she go? Back to New York? No, they'd suspect that. She'd have to go somewhere they wouldn't think to look at any point. If Emma left she never wanted to see them again, it would be too painful. She just couldn't believe it. She'd let them in, let her walls down for them, and they'd smashed her heart into a million little pieces. If there was one lessons Emma Swan learned from having a family it was this: never trust promises. They never really mean anything once someone is bored of you, once you're no longer of use. Tears began to blur Emma's vision. How could she have been so stupid? Had her childhood not taught her that lesson already? Clearly not.

Emma was so wrapped up in her thoughts and her vision so blurred with tears that she didn't notice the bat swooping near her. The light flutter of its wing against her cheek startled her. Emma jerked back and hit the back of her head against a tree and her world went black...

"She's here, I've found her!" Emma heard a fuzzy voice say. Slowly, Emma opened her eyes, her vision distorted. It came together slowly and she saw her parents crouched in front of her looking deeply concerned. For a moment Emma was confused as to why she was out in the cold forest...but then she remembered. She was now pissed that she'd been stupid enough to get hurt and give them a chance to find her.

"Emma, we've been looking for you for hours!" Her dad said, his voice a mix of relief and worry. "Why were you out here at all."

"I had to think." Emma said, pushing herself up against the tree trunk so she was sitting up properly, ignoring her parents hands at either side making sure she didn't keel over. "Think about where I'd go now." Snow and Charming were now both very confused. How hard had she hit her head?

"Go now? What do you mean?" Snow asked her.

"When I leave Storybrooke. I'm not wanted here anymore. I heard you both discussing your perfect family future with Neal. I know he's the kid and he has milestones to make but it wouldn't have killed you to mention me once." She spat bitterly. Snow and Charming think they understood what had happened. Their discussion had begun with them discussing things in the future with Emma- her opening up more, experiencing a proper family life. Getting to be the Princess she always should have been. They hadn't known she'd been in the room at all, but she'd obviously came in after the discussion had moved to talking about Neal. Snow tilted Emma's chin so they were making eye contact.

"Do you really think we'd want any future that didn't have you in it?" She asked softly. Emma wanted to look away, both her parents' stares being too intense for her liking.

"You just came into the conversation when we were discussing Neal. Of course we talked about our dreams for you too." Charming said gently. Emma gulped slightly, now feeling a little guilty for judging them so quickly. She didn't know what to say. Charming and Snow knew now was not the time to push this conversation. "Come on," Charming said, helping her up "let's go to Doc's house."

"Doc's?" Emma asked.

"Doc's." Snow confirmed. "You could have concussion and you've been lying here in the freezing cold for goodness knows how long. Doc's." Her voice left no room for argument. Emma trudged along with Snow's grip tight on Emma's wrist. Emma was very much part of their future as a family. Just as they had hopes and dreams for Neal, they had hopes and dreams for her too.