A/N: Sorry it's been forever! I started watching Arrow and got really distracted! Anyway here is the next chapter of Emma and Ella. :)

Emma and Ella

Chapter 16: Hope Lost

Two days later (Saturday)...

Ella managed to sneak off. Regina kept her home on Friday so she wasn't able to tell Emma or her mom about how Regina wasn't going to let her see Emma or David anymore. She decided to sneak off when Regina was at a business meeting until 2 so she had two hours before she needed to be back.

She snuck off to town to see if David and Emma were at the station. Sometimes they would be there for a few hours on Saturday. As she got to town though she saw that they weren't at the station, but about to go into Granny's. Just as they got out to their truck, Mary Margaret came up to them. Ella smiled and then frowned. They didn't seem like they missed her. They were smiling and hugging each other. They then went into the Granny's for lunch.

She frowned before sneaking up to Granny's and sneaking into the back through the inn. She peeked at them around the wall to see them sitting together like a perfect little family. They didn't seem to need her. Maybe they really had given up on her. They hadn't even tried to get in contact with her after she missed a day at school. They weren't worried at all about her!

Ella turned away and ran off. She ran all the way to her castle without realizing where she was going. She climbed up and sat down on the landing before bursting out into tears. The last few weeks had been terrible for her, but at least she had some hope that she'd be back with her family and this whole nightmare would be over. Now, though she knew it was pointless to hope. They didn't want her back and she was completely alone.

*****OUAT*****

Ella snuck in right before Regina was due back. She was always right on time and never early or late so it was easy to sneak out when she left. She probably would start doing it more now that she figured it out.

She realized one thing after crying her eyes out at her castle. The only way to solve her problem was to break the curse. She just wasn't sure how to do it.

*****OUAT*****

Monday morning

"Remember stay away from Emma today and you better not be talking to Ms. Blanchard at school." Regina warned her at breakfast.

"You mean my mom?!" Ella snapped rudely.

"She isn't your mother and you better start realizing she never will be again. She doesn't want you anymore anyways. None of them do. They stopped trying to get you back from me. They gave up on you." Regina told her in anger.

"That's not true." Ella snapped back quickly.

"Oh you know it is. You were just a stepping stone for Mary Margaret to get her perfect family. But that doesn't include you. You are nothing to her and nothing to David. So don't act like you are something special to them or anyone. You are nobody."

Ella jumped up from the table and grabbed her bag before heading towards the door.

"You'll see. They don't want you." Regina taunted her as Ella got to the door.

Ella paused at the door before opening it and slamming it behind her.

*****OUAT*****

Days went by and Ella didn't talk to anyone more than was necessary. Soon Emma stopped trying and Mary Margaret backed off.

Ella was having a hard time with everything and wouldn't even talk to Archie in her session. Regina had kept her going to her sessions, knowing about Ella's theories.

"Is there anything you want to talk about, Ella?" Archie asked when half the session went by without so much as a word from Ella besides when she said hi when she got there.

Ella shook her head.

"You know whatever you say I won't tell anyone. It's just between us, Ella." Archie reassured her.

Ella's bottom lip started to quiver as she tried to not cry.

"I know none of this has been easy on you and I'm just trying to help." Archie said sympathetically.

"There's nothing to talk about! Nobody believes me. Nobody can help me get away from Regina. And no one wants me!" Ella yelled as she stood up from the couch before starting towards the door.

"Ella, that's not true." Archie said as he stood up as well, but Ella left the room.

*****OUAT*****

Ella went outside and plopped down on her bench, putting her head in her hands.

"Ella? Are you alright?"

Ella looked up at her friend and let her tears run down her face. "No." she cried.

He sat down by her and put an arm around her. "What's wrong?"

"No one believes me and no one wants me! I'm all alone." Ella cried out.

"Hey, hey. What about me?" Mr. Wood asked. "Remember I believe you. Did you ever figure out who I am?"

"I...I think so..." Ella responded as she started to dry her tears.

"Who then?" Mr. Wood asked in excitement.

"Robin Hood. I think at least." Ella said with a little smile.

"Robin Hood, huh? I like that!" Mr. Wood said.

"Ella! Ella!" Emma called as she ran across the street to her friend.

"Who is this?" Mr. Hood asked kindly.

"My friend, Emma." Ella said meaningfully, reminding him silently that Emma was the savior.

"Oh Emma. Well it's nice to meet you, Emma." Mr. Wood said as he held his hand out to her. "I'm Mr. Wood."

"Hi Mr. Wood." Emma said as she took his hand to shake. As she did though, Robin took a step back and closed his eyes.

"Mr. Wood! Are you okay?" Ella asked quickly as she put a hand on his arm.

"Yeah, yeah. I just got a little dizzy. I'll see you later girls." Mr. Wood said before walking off in a bit of a daze.

"What was that?" Emma asked with a weirded out look.

"I don't know. He's never acted that way." Ella said in concern before sitting back down on her bench.

"Hey, why are you ignoring me and your mom at school?" Emma asked as she sat down by Ella.

"It doesn't matter." Ella mumbled to her.

"Yes it does! We all miss you and are trying to get you back to Mary Margaret."

"Are you guys? Because it doesn't seem like anyone is doing anything!" Ella snapped back in hurt.

"Your mom and my Dad have been trying everything they can to get you back. I know it must not be easy on you being there, but you can't lose hope."

"I already have." Ella said sadly and defeated.

"Well I haven't. So please don't shut me out!" Emma said seriously. "You've been the best friend I've ever had, almost like a sister, and I'm not losing you now."

"Emma, don't you get it. Regina isn't letting me talk to you, or David or even my mom. She doesn't want me anyway near any of you or else she will send me away." Ella said with tears in her eyes.

"Oh Ella, I didn't know." Emma said sadly.

Ella continued to cry and Emma wrapped her arms around her.

"Please don't lose hope. We are still fighting for you." Emma told her as she hugged her.

"Okay, I'll try." Ella said through her tears.

"Good." Emma said with a smile.

"You better go now before Regina gets here." Ella said after seeing the time.

"Before I go, I wanted to give you this." Emma said as she pulled out a walkie talkie. "It's so we can communicate with each other. Dad gave them to me and I thought we could use them for our mission."

"What mission?" Ella asked curiously, wondering if Emma finally believes her.

"Getting you back to your mom, silly!" Emma said with a smile.

"Oh of course." Ella said as she took it and slipped it in her backpack. "Maybe we could call it operation cobra."

"Why cobra?" Emma asked with a laugh.

"Because it won't give away what we are trying to do!" Ella said with a smile. "It is a code name, Emma."

"I guess that's true."

"Oh snap. You better go or else I'm going to be big trouble." Ella said as she saw Regina's car coming down the road.

"Ok, bye. Talk to you soon!" Emma said as she got up and ran off.

Ella cringed as she saw Regina's face. She definitely had seen Emma and wasn't happy about it.

She parked and got out of the car to walk up to Ella, pulling her off the bench. "What were you doing talking to her?!" Regina asked sternly.

"Nothing! She just was wondering why I wasn't talking to her." Ella told her quickly with a eye roll.

"Don't lie to me! I saw her run when you guys saw me! You've been talking to her at school haven't you?!"

"No, no! I haven't. I promise!" Ella said sincerely.

"Maybe I need to start looking into boarding schools for you!" Regina threatened her as she pulled her to the car.

"No, don't please. I won't talk to her again! I promise!" Ella pleaded even though she wasn't going to stop talking to Emma.

"You better not because if I find out that you do one more time, I will be signing you up for boarding school." Regina threatened. "Get in." Regina said as she opened the door.

Ella got angrier as she got in the car. She didn't want to be sent away and if she tried to send her away she would just run away.