Family Reunion

Emma

This had to be, by far, the most bizarre situation Emma Swan had ever found herself in, and that was saying something. She stood outside the Storybrooke General Hospital holding the hand of her ten-year-old son who had been dead only moments before. Henry was now very much alive thanks to, of all things, "true love's kiss". Together with his mother, Henry surveyed what was left of Storybrooke after a mysterious purple fog had blown through and wrecked the place.

All this, Emma could have handled, but she didn't think she would survive her next encounter. Emma locked eyes with her roommate whom she now believed was her mother and, to top it all off, Snow White - the Snow White. Emma had been searching for her parents her whole life, but out of all the scenarios she'd dreamed up, this had certainly not been one she'd concocted.

Snow White, who Emma knew as "Mary Margaret", strode across the street toward her daughter and grandson. Prince Charming, otherwise known as David Nolan, wasn't far behind her.

"You remember," Henry said to them.

Emma couldn't tell if his statement was a question or an exclamation.

"Yes," Mary Margaret said softly to Henry, but she never took her eyes off of Emma, "I remember."

Emma forced herself to keep eye-contact with her best friend who had in three small words confirmed it. Emma Swan was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.

"I really need a drink," Emma thought to herself and then on further consideration added, "lots of drinks".

"You found us," David said to Emma. "I knew you would find us."

Emma looked at the man who she had to this point seen as little more than an irritation for causing undue grief in Mary Margaret's life. This was her father?

"No," Emma said, "Henry found you and me...all of us really." She looked down at her son and smiled, "You're the real savior, kid."

Henry grinned and looked wide-eyed at Charming. "Does this mean you'll teach me how to use a sword? I want to know how to fight a dragon!"

"Whoa, kid, slow down," Emma said. "You need to talk to me before you decide to play with sharp, pointy objects."

Emma looked back at Mary Margaret and David. Mary Margaret didn't seem to be hearing their conversation. She stared at Emma as if they were the only two people on the street, her eyes quickly filling with tears. Emma looked away, petrified that she might embarrass herself by crying too.

Twenty-four hours ago, things had made sense. Mary Margaret had been her best friend, but this family reunion turned everything Emma knew - everything she'd worked for - upside down.

Emma was shocked when Mary Margaret touched her, framing Emma's face with her hands. It was the most intimate moment that had ever transpired between the two of them. Emma never let anyone touch her like this, but she had dreamed of being looked at the way Mary Margaret was looking at her now.

After a long moment of silence, Snow said, "It's so good to see you again, Emma."

It struck Emma that this was not Mary Margaret speaking. Emma knew her best friend far too well not to recognize this alien person who had now taken Mary Margaret from her forever.

"Hi," Emma mumbled and then shifted backward, away from Mary Margaret. It wasn't an overtly dismissive move, but it was enough to make Mary Margaret keep her hands to her side.

Snow White nodded. "Now isn't the time. I understand."

In that moment, she looked like Mary Margaret again. Emma didn't know why, but seeing her old friend in this new woman's eyes was comforting.

"I need to go back to Mr. Gold's and see if I can find him," Emma said, shifting the focus away from obvious tension. "I'm pretty sure that he's the one behind all of this, and if he isn't, then he will know who is."

"You don't think it was Regina?" Mary Margaret asked.

Emma shook her head, "I don't think she had enough time after she left us at the hospital, unless the fog we just saw was part of the original curse." All of this talk about curses and magic was giving Emma a massive headache. "Could you two please watch Henry for me?"

"No," Mary Margaret said. "I want to come with you."

The strength in her voice was a blunt reminder to Emma that her best friend was gone.

"I don't know if that is a good -"

Snow White cut Emma off, saying, "I'm coming with you. Henry can stay here with James," she smiled at her husband, and he nodded, looking like he wanted steer clear of the power struggle the two woman were having.

Emma opened her mouth to argue but then decided against it. "Fine," Emma replied, and then to Henry she said, "please try to stay out of the hospital while I'm gone. I don't think I can take any more drama today."

"I'll be safe with Prince Charming," Henry said with a grin and then held out his hand for David's.

David looked like he was about to start crying, which was Emma's cue to leave - quickly.

"Well," Emma said to Snow White, "let's go then."

Mr. Gold's Pawnshop was open but vacant. "Unless the little imp is hiding in one of the cabinets," Emma thought and was halfway tempted to start searching for him there. This was pointless. For all Emma knew, he'd left Storybrooke.

"Emma," Mary Margaret said, "look at this."

Emma's eyes landed on something that looked like a wind chime made out of little unicorns. Walking over to it, Emma reached out and spun one the crystal figurines.

"What is it?" she asked.

"This was your baby mobile," Mary Margaret said.

Emma pulled her hand back quickly as if one of the unicorns had turned rabid and bitten her. "How many times," Emma asked herself, "am I going to feel like I'm being run over by a bulldozer?"

Emma spotted movement in the corner of her eye.

"What was that?" Emma asked.

"Did you hear something?"

"No, I think I saw something...Look, up there," Emma pointed at a mirror that was hanging overhead. It reflected the pawnshop, but it also reflected the purple fog from earlier that day, as if some of it were trapped inside. Emma double checked, but there was no fog in the room.

Emma walked over for closer inspection. "It must be stuck inside the mirror," she said.

"I don't see anything."

"There's purple fog in the mirror."

"I see the mirror, but I don't see - " her sentence was cut short by a tremor.

"Was that an earthquake?" Emma asked.

"I don't know. It felt like one."

"I've seen enough," Emma told her. "I trust David, but I don't trust Regina. We should get back to them."

"Agreed," Mary Margaret said.

There was another tremor, but this time it was so violent that many of the shops items crashed to the floor. Emma caught herself from sharing the same fate by grabbing a hold of the counter next to her. She didn't see the mirror above start to fall.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret screamed and bolted toward Emma. She shielded Emma with her body and braced herself for the impact. It never came.

Emma slowly opened her eyes and was surprised to find that they weren't in the pawnshop anymore.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"I don't know," Mary Margaret told her, "but I don't think we're in Storybrooke anymore."

Note to readers: The use of the name "Mary Margaret" or "Snow White" is always intentional in my story. Each chapter is either told from Emma's perspective or Snow White's perspective, but never from both at the same time. This first chapter was from Emma's perspective; therefore, when the name "Mary Margaret" was used, it signified that Emma was at that moment perceiving the character as her old roommate/best friend. When the name "Snow White" is used, even if Emma is not speaking, this means that she feels like Mary Margaret is Snow White. The same goes for Mary Margaret/Snow White's perception of herself. I hope that knowing this will give you additional enjoyment and insight into these two remarkable characters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.

Special thanks to Dani-Ellie03 for inspiring me with your stories to write this one.

Thanks for reading!