Emma

Emma tried to catch her, but Regina slipped through her fingers into the water. It was the worst possible time, she felt like she was so close to figuring out exactly what she needed to know. If she was the one.

Emma looked over the side of the boat, and when Regina's head popped out of the water she reached her hand down to help her back into the boat. Her hair was a pool of ink around her skin, and somehow she was even more beautiful than Emma thought possible. She looked natural in the water.

Regina shivered in the breeze as Emma took them back to dry land. Their romantic outing was less than Emma had intended. But not before long, she began rambling away again. She told Regina stories about her childhood, her old wooden wardrobe in her room she had since she was a baby, and that she kept her favorite storybook in the back of it. Emma was the sentimental type, though she would deny it profusely if accused, and she liked being able to tell someone knew about the little moments she held onto. It made her feel less alone, and she found herself feeling alone more often than not.

At her room, Emma gave Regina a fresh set of clothing to change into and hung the wet dress to dry. She gave Regina a deep red gown that complimented her complexion much better than Emma believed it complimented hers, or rather lack of compliment. It was much too harsh on her light features, however, with Regina's inky hair and night eyes it couldn't have been more perfect.

"My parents would be having a conniption if they caught us like this." Emma's breath tickled the back of Regina's neck as she helped lace the back. Her own cheeks flushed to match the dress. "I can't believe I just said that."

Regina turned within Emma's arms to face her, the laces of the dress sliding through Emma's hands.

"It has to be you," Emma whispered. "Are you the one who saved me-"

"Emma!" Her father burst through the door and Emma leaped away from Regina. The sound of screams and wailing echoed through the halls and flooded through the open door. "It's happening."

"It's happening?" Then she remembered, all at once, the fear gripped her chest like barbed wire. The curse.

"You have to get in the wardrobe," Her mother came quickly after, her hair falling loose down her shoulders, and blood creased her brow.

"Mother your face." Emma's heart was beating out of her chest, or so it felt. She looked back to Regina to see the fear expressed in the stretch of her lips and the furrow of her brow.

"I'm fine honey, nothing I couldn't handle," She remarked. "But you have to go now."

"But Regina," Emma protested, but her mother quickly pushed her toward the old wardrobe where her favorite book lay hidden in the back.

"Only you can fit. It was designed for us when you were a baby but the curse never came. It can only hold you now. Go!" Her mother opened the wardrobe.

Emma let herself one last look at Regina before the wardrobe doors closed. Her father had his arms around Regina as if shielding her, he said something Emma couldn't make out, and Regina nodded her head as she met Emma's eyes.

Then, it was dark.

Emma woke up on the side of a line of black paved..stone? Her head ached fiercely and her heart ached more. A bright light filled her vision and there was a sound of something hitting the ground that made her jump from her skin.

"Are you okay?" A man's voice called, he was at her side quickly helping her sit up.

"I think so." She rubbed her forehead. "Where am I?"

"I think that's going to be a little hard to explain." The boy rubbed the back of his neck. "I've been waiting around here for you for a really long time. You're Emma, right? "

Emma stared at him. His mess of auburn curls clung to his face, and his eyes were just light enough against the dark to notice blue.

"Who are you." Emma instinctively drew herself back.

"I'm, um, August, in this realm. My dad knew your parents, he made your wardrobe actually. I was sent through it to come here with you, only it didn't exactly happen like that. If you're here that means the curse actually happened after all." August helped a reluctant Emma to her feet.

"Who was your father?"

"Geppetto. My real name before I came here was Pinocchio. A fishing family took me in, they don't live that far from here but I took up my own place just up the road."

Suddenly, Emma remembered the distressed older man talking to her parents when she was little, that he said it's been years since he had seen his son and he didn't think he would ever see him again. All for a curse that never happened.

Emma followed August into his automatic carriage, which he called a "car". He drove them down the road for a little while until they reached a large sign that read "Storybrooke". August made a strange noise.

"Well that wasn't there yesterday." The pair drove through finding a little town, and eventually an Inn. "I'm not sure what's going on, but I think this town might have something to do with you because it wasn't here when I drove through yesterday. I want to rent a room and check it out, what do you say?"

"Sure," Emma frowned. What other choice does she have? "I need to figure out how to find my family and if what you say is true, this town may be the best way to figure it out."

"Who is it?" A woman's voice yelled as the pair entered. Her back was to them as she moved some papers around on a table against the wall.

"We want to rent a room, please," August replied, pulling out some coins and what Emma assumed was their currency.

"Sure, how many nights?"

Emma gasped when she saw the woman's face. Granny? As in, her parent's friend Granny stood before her with a key in her hand.

"What's wrong with her and why is she dressed so funny?" Granny lifted an eyebrow.

"Uh, renaissance fair. She's tired, long drive. Came from New York. I'm not sure how long we plan to stay, car trouble and all, but I can pay for a week now?" August shot Emma a look that clearly meant "be quiet".

"Sounds fine, here's the key. Goodnight."

Emma, still shaken, followed August to the rented room.

"She didn't recognize me," Emma whispered.

"Is she from our home? I don't remember her, but I guess I was too young when I got sent here."

"She's close friends with my parents. If she's here, they must be here too. And Regina." Emma spoke more to herself than to August.

"Let's get some sleep and we can get to the bottom of this tomorrow."

Emma laid down on the mattress and stared at the ceiling. Tears slid down her cheeks. She was far away from home and if Granny didn't recognize her what are the chances anyone else will if they were here? The pain in her chest sunk in deeper when she realized if Regina was here, she probably didn't remember her either.

She had to find her. She had to find her parents. She had to find out who caused this curse and break it if she has any chance of returning to normal life and finding out if Regina is her true love.

True love's kiss breaks curses, she thought as she drifted into a nightmare-filled sleep.