I know I've written a lot for this family situation so I hope you don't mind me sending out another one into cyber space. This takes place after the Nursery scene- like the night of. Enjoy and review.

Life is unfair. People get ripped away from their family and lives change. Emma stares at the stars in the dark sky as her mind wanders. She can't sleep. Not after what she just saw. How could she, her entire childhood was that she had to get used to the fact that her parents abandon her and knowing it was all a lie? That childhood made her who she is today. But seeing what her parents had given up is making her rethink all of it. Who is she without that angry child inside her who still hates her parents for leaving her?

Shifting so she is on her side, Emma gazes at Mary Margaret… her mother. No, Snow White is her mother. Snow's eyes are closed and her features look so peaceful. It's a vastly different look from the one Snow takes on when she's awake. Snow is always so determined and strong. But in her sleep, Snow looks so much like Mary Margaret. The fearlessness that defines Snow is gone and is replaced by Mary Margaret's quiet, peaceful presence. Emma feels her chest tighten. It hurts everything to see Mary Margaret but to know she's not there. What hurts the most is the hope- the hope that right in this moment, with Snow seeming so like Mary Margaret, if she wakes up the woman before her, Mary Margaret might be there… if only for a second.

Her heart aches for Mary Margaret to return but then another part of her fights against the desire with the reality of that she finally has her mother. Her body and mind seem to be at war with each other. The parentless child in her wants to hug her mom and never let go while the hurt adult in her wishes for Mary Margaret back. Despite her mind and body being exhausted from this inner fight, she can't sleep.

The introspective moment is cut short when Mar- Snow cries out faintly in her sleep. Emma freezes…well quickly closes her eyes, determined not to get caught staring. A few minutes go by and when Emma is sure that it is a false alarm, she opens her eyes. Her heart lurches at the sight of Mary Margaret's upset expression. Her mind lashes out, fighting the confusion of names. Snow is the woman in front of me. Snow shifts and lets out another cry. Emma struggles to fight the urge to comfort her roommate/mother. Some part of her is still angry with her mother but then everything else is screaming at her to help despite everything.

Snow's face contorts in pain, and she looks so heart wrenchingly like Mary Margaret that Emma can't resist anymore. She grabs her make shift blanket and scoots closer to Snow. Her mind once again tries to search for Mary Margaret in Snow's features. Her search is cut short when she sees a trail down Snow's cheek, fresh from a tear.

"Oh hell." Emma mutters as she pulls out her arm from her blanket. Hesitantly she gently snakes that arm underneath Snow's body and pulls the woman closer. Snow immediately stops tossing and turning, and leans closer. The result is not what Emma expected; her arm is wrapped securely around her mother's shoulders and her mother is resting her head on Emma's shoulder. Strangely enough, this doesn't feel as awkward as Emma thought it would be- until Snow opens her eyes.

Snow blinks away the sleepiness and just stares at the sky for a moment. Emma grimaces at getting caught. She underestimated how close they actually were and how this might turn into a mother/daughter moment that she didn't intend to create. A look of realization dawns on Snow's face and instantly her face becomes soft and so damn loving as she turns to gaze at Emma. Emma stops herself when she feels her eyes begin to roll and instead avoids eye contact. Her inner war would only fight harder if she saw that love directed at her for too long.

"Emma?" Snow's voice is filled with love, adoration, and curiosity. Snow clearly wants her to explain why she has her in a tight embrace. Emma groans and looks at her mother.

"You were crying in your sleep." Emma's voice is flat as she struggles to keep the concern out of her tone. The cover up of her worry is not as good as she thought because Snow glances away and appears to be embarrassed. Emma keeps her arm around Snow's body despite the adult in her yelling for her stop and pretend like nothing happened. However, she is too interested and the child in her wants this too much. "You had a nightmare, didn't you?" She pries further.

"I- yes. I guess I did." After the confession, Snow quickly starts to have misty eyes. Emma panics.

"Oh no, no, no. You can't cry. I can't handle you crying. That's how I ended up here." Her fear is exposed because Snow sniffles and wipes away her tears.

"Sorry." Snow whispers. Emma sighs and relaxes, happy that the crisis is averted. Her mother can tell that too because she too relaxes into Emma's embrace. "Thank you."

"No problem" Emma awkwardly replies. She moves around so Snow isn't on a pressure point on her shoulder. Snow apparently took that as Emma trying to get out of their positioning. She quickly grabs Emma's hand and intertwines their fingers. Emma is startled by this sudden gesture.

"Please," Snow's voice falters. "stay." Emma nods and decides to wait for Snow to explain. She takes a breath and looks like she is about to elaborate. "Seeing that room…I was overwhelmed with what-should-have-been's. I didn't want to send you away, Emma. I desperately wanted to keep holding onto you." Snow looks at her and searches for some recognition. Emma squeezes Snow's hand back. "At first, I was dreaming about our life here, about what could have been if there was no curse. You were three years old. I don't know what you looked like but I thought of you similarly to what I looked like."

Snow's face twists to one of shock, pain, and hurt. Snow closes her eyes. Emma tenses, preparing herself for tears.

"What?" Emma's voice is as soft as she can muster. Her emotions are running wild because she is wondering why her mother had a nightmare about her. Did she really screw up already? Her heart sinks at the idea that she messed up and is losing her family she's had for less than a week.

"God, I don't even know what my little girl looked like as a child." Snow's eyes open and brim with tears. The scene makes her glance away, too uncomfortable with the guilt in Snow's gaze. The war inside her continues to rage on. Now the parentless child is angry and hurt while the adult in her hates watching her mom suffer. When she looks back at Snow, Emma can see another round of 'sorry' on the tip of her tongue so she intervenes.

"I wasn't blond. I had brown hair and I guess I had your chin too. I can show you some pictures once we get back home. There aren't many though…" As soon as she says that, Snow's face lights up. She smiles at looks at Emma with those loving eyes again. Emma feels a pang of guilt deep in her stomach when she thinks about how she wanted to deprive Snow of any more memories by remaining Mary Margaret longer.

"I'd like that." Snow's smile fades and Emma realizes that she is thinking about her dream. "My dream was perfect until a cloud rolled in and separated us. I felt like I couldn't breathe. When the cloud of smoke disappeared, you were gone. I was so scared." Snow seems to not realize that her grip with Emma's hand had increased. Emma squeezes back in an attempt to reassure Snow.

Snow's attention snaps back to her. She gazes fondly at Emma, thanking her for breaking her out of the trance. "I checked in your nursery but it was like how we found it today, empty and cold. I- I lost you and I felt so helpless…"

Emma lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She is relieved that her fears weren't reality. Her mom's nightmare wasn't because she is a horrible daughter.

"I guess that's when I stepped in?" Emma keeps her tone light. Snow looks up at the stars and nods silently. Emma allows herself to smile and lets the feeling of content and mild happiness fill her. She helped Snow so maybe she isn't an awful daughter after all. The sensation quickly disappears when she hears Snow's quiet comment.

"I'm a terrible mother."

The guilt and pain upon hearing that from hearing Snow say that startles Emma. She glances at the sky and thinks about what her mind was contemplating earlier. Her whole identity is based on her idea that her parents abandon her but that was wrong. All of it was wrong. But she never thought about how Snow must feel. She realizes that they both have pain and guilt to overcome. Suddenly another realization hits her; she doesn't want her parents to hurt. She wants to spare them the pain she had to endure but she has a feeling there is nothing she can do to ease any of it.

"So this is what love is like?"

"What?" Snow's surprised reaction makes Emma groan when she comprehends that she said her thoughts out loud. A blush spreads across her cheeks that hopefully her mother can't see.

"Uhhhh, what I meant is that I've never known anyone to feel guilty for abandoning me…"

That comment seems to make things worse. Immediately Snow's head turns quickly and her gaze meets Emma's. Snow's eyes are fill of tears and the sight is more than Emma can handle. Her heart leaps into her throat as she tries to find words to heal Snow.

"I- I guess I wondered what love feels like because… I don't like watching you torture yourself for something that you did years ago and it was for me. I can't- I won't let you." Emma is amazed at her own willingness to open up. She thought, when she first laid eyes on her parents, that it would be hard to love them fully, almost impossible. But now, she can feel herself starting to want to love her parents and want Snow's motherly love.

"Oh Emma." Snow's face softens and she is equally surprised at Emma's openness. Snow smiles and hugs Emma, which Emma thought was impossible since they are already practically hugging. Somewhere deep inside her, the child and the adult calm down and both sides enjoy the embrace. When she hears Snow chuckle bitterly, her curiosity is peaked once more.

"Shouldn't I be the one comforting you?"

What do you think? I know I've had these characters in an embrace like this a couple of times in other stories but it just too good to pass up once the idea came to mind.

REVIEW please?