It didn't take long to find Daniel. Unlike Emma, hey enjoyed entertaining foreign dignitaries. Half of the noblewomen at the ball were in love with Daniel after dancing with him by time Emma had located him. He was just finishing up a dance with Alexandra, who was thanking him profusely for rescuing him from a particularly unnerving lord.

"May I cut in?" Emma stepped up to her two friends.

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" Daniel raised an eyebrow.

"It would be if I were dancing with anyone, but as I am not that wouldn't make much sense in this situation now would it?" Emma shrugged.

"Ah yes," Daniel nodded. "Always going to extremes to get out of dancing at a formal ball."

"Excuse me but I have danced with several lords and foreign dignitaries tonight." Emma put a hand on her hip.

"Speaking of." Alex put up a hand. "That is probably what I should be doing now."

"You never know Alex." Emma teased. "You might dance with your true love tonight."

"Ugh." Alex rolled her eyes. "You sound like my mother." She turned to Daniel. "Thank you so much for the dance Daniel."

"Anytime Alex." Daniel kissed her hand before she swept off through the crowd. He turned to find Emma giving him an amused look. "What?"

"That was quite charming of you." Emma teased.

"She's a sweet girl." Daniel shrugged, pulling Emma into dancing form as the next song began. "A bit naïve to this world, but sweet."

"I'll say." Emma laughed. "But she's been trying to understand this all more."

"So I've noticed." Daniel agreed. "Unlike your friend Melody. She claimed me for a dance earlier. She is a piece of work."

"I wouldn't say she is my friend." Emma shook her head. "I mean I suppose she would have been, but we have not had much interaction since I have returned. And the interaction we have had, well we are very different people."

"Now that I can confirm." Daniel spun Emma. "She's quite…"

"Vapid?" Emma suggested.

"I wouldn't use such harsh language." Daniel began, earning a skeptical look from Emma. "But yes." The comment earned a laugh from Emma. "So if you've been dancing with lords all night, where have you been for the past half hour?"

"I went to find your sister." Emma explained.

"Ah." Daniel nodded, his face softening. "How is she?"

"She's…" Emma searched for the right words. "She's struggling a bit. She is at an impasse in her life where she has to make a decision about which path to follow."

"The easy one in Altair, albeit without us, or one here…" Daniel paused. "With Orrin."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "How do you feel about that?"

"It is obvious the connection that exists between the two of them, even if they cannot see it." Daniel began. "If it makes her happy, then that is all I have ever wanted for her. But if he hurts her, I will kill him. Even if it is regicide." Daniel grabbed Emma's waist and lifted her, twirling her around in a synchronized movement with the other dancers on the ballroom floor. Emma spun out gracefully before stepping perfectly back into form as they began to move in time with the music. "You know for someone who never cared much about dance class you are quite graceful."

"Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean I wasn't good at it." Emma shrugged. "I simply follow well."

"You do more than follow well." Daniel assured Emma as they stepped forward so they were side-by side. Daniel grabbed Emma's waist with his right hand as Emma reached her right hand across Daniel, taking his left hand and using her own left hand to lift her skirt. The looked at each other and smiled as they spun around.

When the portion of the music slowed, Daniel spun Emma out quickly so she came face to face with him, a laugh slipping from her lips as she grabbed his shoulder to steady herself. "Well you always were the best partner.

"I was the best at most thing." Daniel grinned.

"Ok." Emma rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Whatever helps you feel good about yourself."

"I was the better student." Daniel looked at Emma pointedly.

"True." Emma agreed. "But I was good at almost every class even if I didn't pay attention as well as you did. If you want to infiltrate societies you have to know their customs and etiquette to do the job correctly. And I always did my job well."

"Ah yes. Your future before all of this started." Daniel nodded. "Do you ever think about how radically our paths have changed?"

"Maybe we just think they did. Just because we were planning on living in the capital and serving in the army or politics or as a spy doesn't necessarily mean that is the way our lives would have turned out." Emma glanced at the room full of twirling dresses and sparkling jewels. "Maybe this was the path we were always on. Maybe just couldn't see it."

Daniel gave an amused smile. "That's awfully poetic of you."

"You're not the only one with a way with words." Emma gave a small shrug.

"You were always able to charm others into giving you exactly what you wanted." Daniel agreed.

"So were you." Emma pointed out.

Daniel nodded, smiling fondly as he remembered their adventures. "We made quite the team."

"That we did." The two stepped apart as the music came to a close, Daniel placed his left hand behind his back, bowing as Emma curtsied.

Daniel straightened and grabbed Emma's hand. "Come with me."

"Where are we going?" Emma allowed herself to be pulled through the crowd by Daniel.

Daniel glanced over his shoulder with a grin. "Patience my dear Emma, you will soon see."

"Uh Daniel," Emma glanced around with a hint of nervousness as she realized they were making their way out to the back courtyard. "I don't believe it is wise for us to sneak out of the ball."

Daniel shot Emma a skeptical look. "Since when are you afraid of breaking rules?"

"I'm not. I just..." Emma glanced over her shoulder before looking back to Daniel. "Do not particularly feel like facing the wrath of my mother."

"I will take the blame if we get in trouble." Daniel promised as they slipped past the final guard and out of the castle.

"Daniel," Emma glanced around the dark courtyard, lit up only by the light emanating from the palace and the glow of the nearly full moon. "What in the world are we doing out here?"

Daniel gave a simple shrug. "Something we cannot do in there."

Emma crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"This?" Daniel held out a flask, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Daniel." Emma gasped pushing the flask down out of sight in case any guards were lurking around, watching them.

Daniel pulled his hand away and unscrewed the lid, taking a sip. "Since when do you turn down a drink?"

"Since my parents made their rules very clear on that particular activity," Emma glanced behind her. "And because we are in a castle surrounded by guards that report to them."

"Well if you prefer I put it away." Daniel shrugged, moving to put the flask in his coat.

"No no." Emma reached forward, snatching the flask from Daniels hand, earning an amused chuckle. She raised an eyebrow as she took a drink. "Aren't you the one typically encouraging me to follow the rules?"

"Well someone has to keep you from killing yourself." Daniel took a seat on a nearby bench.

"Interesting choice of words." Emma gave him a questioning look as she took another drink. "You sprung for the good stuff."

"Only the best." Daniel took the flask as Emma offered. "I realized earlier we had not celebrated. Or at least we have not done our post-victory ritual."

"Daniel I hardly think now is the most appropriate time to go diving in the lake." Emma gestured to what they were both wearing. "My mother would kill us."

"No we can do that later. We will just partake in the first part of our ritual for now." Daniel indicated the flask. "I am not insane enough to mess with her on a night like this."

"And yet," Emma dropped down beside Daniel, plucking the drink from Daniel's hand. "You've broken out a flask."

"Well." Daniel grinned, happy that despite everything that had changed, they could still find moments that felt like their old lives. "Some rules are worth breaking."

Snow was finishing her rounds through the castle. Most of their visitors from farther away had chosen to spend the night and she had wanted to ensure that her friends were comfortable for the night. As she entered the wing where her family's quarters were she stopped by her son's room to check on him to ensure he was turned in for the night. He chatted happily with her, even giving her a goodnight kiss as he got into bed. It was not lost on Snow that Will seemed to be a completely different boy lately, not only kinder and more gracious, but all around happier. The relationship he had finally forged with his sister and Daniel had allowed him to let go of the resentment he had held growing up in the shadow of her disappearance. It had given him role models closer to his own age and it was clear that they had managed to inspire him to want to live up to his full potential.

Snow closed the door to his chambers behind her before making her way down the hall to her daughter's quarters. She was surprised and a little bit concerned to find it empty, the golden dress placed perfectly back on the dress form. However, Emma had friends in the castle so it was likely she was visiting with one or more of them in their chambers.

"Darren." Snow turned to the guard stationed down the hall from Emma's quarters. "Do you know where the princess is?"

"I believe she left with master Daniel a short while ago." Darren answered his queen. "I am not sure where they were headed, but they were both dressed in riding pants and tunics."

"That means they are planning on going outside." Snow shook her head, knowing she shouldn't be surprised by her daughter's actions.

"Should I send someone to get them your majesty?" Darren questioned.

"Oh no." Snow waved her hand. "They know better than to leave the castle grounds. I'll let them have their adventure. They are nearly adults after all. Goodnight Darren."

"Goodnight my queen." Darren bowed before Snow made her way back to her chambers.

"Were the children tucked in for the night?" Charming asked as Snow entered their chambers.

"Will was." Snow replied as she began to remove her jewelry.

The absence of his daughter's name caught his attention. "And Emma?"

"She and Daniel are off somewhere up to heavens knows what." Snow walked over to her husband, motioning for him to unhook her dress.

"Ah." Charming nodded as he helped his wife. "Those two are smart enough not to get into trouble with all these guests in the castle."

"Really?" Snow held her dress up as she turned around, giving her husband a surprised look. "Your daughter is off with a boy at night and you are not the slightest bit concerned."

"No." Charming admitted. "Emma and I had a good conversation the other day that leads me to believe she would not do anything foolish. Plus I believe Daniel knows the repercussions of doing something I would not approve of with my daughter."

"Ok." Snow laughed. "If you say so."

"Do you think differently?" Charming paled slightly. "Should I go find them?"

"No, no." Snow pulled her husband close, letting her dress slip to the ground. "I have other plans for us tonight."

Emma's laugh rang out as she hurriedly followed Daniel down to the shore of the lake. The light from the moon bounced across the lake, the dark water reflecting the stars dotting the sky above and the flicker of fire from the palace walls. "I cannot believe no one stopped us."

"I do not believe anyone imagined we would be doing this." Daniel gestured to the lake. "We are doing this right?"

"Of course." Emma pulled at the tie of her tunic. "It's tradition."

"Well let's go then." Daniel pulled off his shirt. "Before someone catches us."

"Wait for me." Emma laughed. She pulled off her own clothing to reveal her swim attire beneath. One of the many things she was thankful for in her travels was the discovery of realms with fabric that was made for swimming. She dove into the water after Daniel, her head popping back up right in front of him. "My word its cold."

"Just swim a few laps across the lake." Daniel teased. "That will warm you up."

"Very funny." Emma splashed him. "What do you think would have happened if we had chosen our more brazen version of this tradition?"

"I think I would be dead." Daniel replied seriously, earning a laugh from Emma.

"Probably." Emma agreed. She leaned backward, floating on her back, turning her gaze up to the twinkling lights far above. The stars glittered against the velvety black backdrop of space. She smiled up at them. Stargazing was one of her favorite things. No matter where she was, it reminded her how vast the universe was, how many worlds were out there to be explored, how there was such simple beauty in the world if one just took the time to look.

Daniel watched her float for a while, admiring her as she admired the stars. "Thank you for doing this with me."

"Of course." Emma turned to face him, slicking her hair back out of her face as she treaded water to stay afloat. "It's my tradition too."

"It's good to see some things haven't changed." A melancholy smile spread across Daniel's face. "It seems as if everything else has."

"I know." Emma replied regretfully. "And I have been so lucky to have had you here with me through it all. I do not know how I could have possibly survived it without you."

"You would have found a way." Daniel assured her. "You always do. You are the strongest person I know." Daniel paused, taking a deep breath as he tried to figure out how to best choose his next words. "I know you've had to endure a lot lately, more you ever thought you would. You are only seventeen and you are already dealing with forces of destiny, saving the world… You have dealt with so much, and you have dealt with it beautifully, with more grace and humility than most have in their entire lifetime. And now we are forcing you to struggle with something that should be joyous."

Emma's brow furrowed, equal parts confused and worried by Daniel's choice in words. "Daniel what are you talking about?"

"The last thing I want to do is cause you pain Emma." Daniel replied quietly. "I could not bear it."

"Daniel…" Emma replied warily, now fairly certain of where the conversation was headed.

"I can see now the struggle this is creating for you." Daniel shook his head, continuing on despite Emma's protests. He knew if he let her stop him, he might not be able to find the strength to finish. "I know you do not wish to hurt anyone, that you do not want to get hurt yourself. I know how much you fear making the wrong decision, but you are being forced into making a decision you should not have to."

"Daniel." There was a slight quiver to Emma's voice, the fear in it clear to both of them. "What are you saying?"

"I know I'm not the one Emma." Daniel finally found the courage to meet Emma's eyes. When he did Emma saw sadness and regret in them, but most of all she saw fear. "We both know it. We just don't want to admit it."

Emma shook her head, unable to believe this conversation was happening so soon. "Daniel I haven't made up my mind yet."

"I know. It is because you are struggling unnecessarily, because you care for me too much to hurt me." Daniel looked down, almost as if he was ashamed of his part in all of this. "But I never really stood a chance in all of this. I was fighting against forces of destiny. I was just blind to it, willfully so. You and Chris, there is something there I will never be able to match. You two are meant for one another, and I think you know that. He would do anything for you, and you would do anything for him without a moment's hesitation."

"I would do anything for you." Emma replied firmly.

Daniel closed his eyes, willing himself to continue. "You risked your life for him without a second thought."

"I risked my life for you." Emma pointed out, frustrated by his inability to see that. "And I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"I know." Daniel nodded sadly. "I truly do. And the love required for that sacrifice is not lost on me. But it is not the same love you harbor for him. And that is so very clear."

"If it is so obvious, why hasn't anyone else said anything?" There was an almost angry edge to Emma's voice as she snapped at him.

"Because they do not know you like I do." Daniel's voice remained calm and gentle despite the harshness of Emma's reply. "You are my best friend Emma. I know you better than anyone else. I see you so clearly, and I see what he means to you. It is not in what you say. It is in what you do, how you light up around him, how you balance out each other perfectly. But more than anything Emma, I've seen the way you look at him. And you have never looked at me in that way."

"Daniel that is all just observation." Emma shook her head. "It can be taken many ways to fit one perception."

"I know observation is not objective." Daniel continued. "But I am not trying to twist this any way Emma. If I was…" Daniel gave a small shrug. "My conclusion would be very different. I am not basing it off what I see. I am basing it off of what I know. And I know you Emma. I know that even if you are not fully willing to accept it, or not fully prepared to commit yourself to it, in the end the one of us left standing is not me. It's Chris. He is the one you truly love."

"Daniel I do love you." Emma insisted.

"I know you love me." Daniel assured her. "But you will never love me the way you love him. And although you have been denying it, I know you have come to that realization too."

"Daniel." Emma's voice was thick with emotion.

Daniel closed his eyes, knowing if he saw Emma begin to cry he would be unable to do what he needed. "I need you to say it."

"I love you Daniel." Emma replied firmly.

"But." Daniel prompted.

Emma turned away, making her way to the shore. She walked out of the water and wrapped her arms around her waste as she shook her head. "I don't want to do this."

"Say the rest." Daniel followed her, coming around so they were face to face. He put his hand under her chin and lifted it up so they were eye to eye. "I need to hear it."

Emma took a deep shaky breath, knowing that once she spoke the words everything would be different. It would change both of their worlds, and when the dust settled, she could not be sure that they would be able to pick up the pieces. She met Daniel's gaze, tears threatening to spill. "I love Chris more."

"Thank you…" Daniel stepped backward, withdrawing his hand quickly. "I just. I needed to hear it."

"I never wanted to hurt you." Emma pleaded.

"I know. And that is one of the many things I love about you. But this..." Daniel nodded, trying to fight tears of his own. "This is good for me. I just cannot be invested in something that will never happen. I know it may not feel like it right now, to either of us, but you are giving me hope. You are setting me free to find my true love, that epic love that cannot be described or paralleled by any other feeling in this or any realm. I will find it one day, and by letting go of you, I can begin that journey.

"I'll be there supporting you every step of the way." Emma replied tearfully. "And when you find it, I'll be the one cheering the loudest."

"I know."

Emma shook her head, trying desperately to keep her emotions in check. "I don't want to live in a world that you aren't a part of."

"And I don't live in a world without you." Daniel promised. "You are, and always will be my best friend. We just have to figure out what that looks like now." Daniel stepped forward as a tear slipped down Emma's cheek. "Hey, don't cry. You never cry."

"I'm sorry I just…" Emma wiped the tears from her eyes. "I feel like as much as we don't want it to be, everything is going to be different now."

"It is." Daniel nodded. "But that doesn't mean it has to be worse. It can be better."

"You mean so much to me. I would not be the person I am without you. You have made me better in every single way." Emma took Daniel's hand into her own and searched his eyes for confirmation. "I need you to know that."

"I do. You have made me better Emma." Daniel squeezed Emma's hand. "And I will be forever grateful that I have had the gift of being your friend."

Emma took a deep, shaky breath. "Why does this feel like goodbye?"

"Because it is the end of a lot of things Emma." The strength returned to Daniel's voice as he spoke. "We are going to wake up tomorrow and things are going to be different, life is going to be different. But change happens whether we like it or not. Change is scary, and it is not easy, but it often brings us to a place that is better than where we are now."

Emma shook her head slowly. "I want to believe you."

"Then do." Daniel leaned forward, kissing her softly, slowly, kissing her goodbye. After a moment he pulled back resting his forehead against hers, his hand on her cheek. "I am sorry. I shouldn't have done that, but I just wanted one last kiss."

"No." Emma pulled back, meeting his eyes. "It's ok. I wanted it too."

"I should be getting back up to the castle." Daniel nodded his head to the structure behind him, realizing that if he didn't stop now, they might both do something they would regret. "I uh… I just have some things I need to do tomorrow."

"Ok." Emma leaned backward on her heels, unconsciously widening the distance between them.

"Are you coming?" Daniel asked, holding out a towel for Emma.

"You go ahead." Emma took the towel and wrapped it around her. "I just… I need a few minutes. You know how much I love the stars… I just want to watch them for a while."

"All right." Daniel's voice was unsure, but he didn't feel like he was in a place to press the situation at the present time. "Don't stay out here too long. It's getting cold."

"I will be all right, I promise." Emma assured him. "Magic, remember?"

"Of course." Daniel nodded. "I'll… I shall see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." Emma agreed quietly, a waver barely detectable in her voice. There was something about Daniel's final comment that unnerved her, something that was not quite right. Any other time she would trust her instincts, after all, she knew Daniel almost better than she knew herself. But whether it was the emotion of the night or she was doubting how strong her relationship with Daniel truly was, she pushed the thought aside, ignoring the warning voice inside her head.

She sat unmoving on the banks of the lake, her knees pulled to her chest, eyes staring blankly out at the water beyond. The moonlight reflected in the water seemed to have lost its shimmer, the stars no longer holding the captivating wonder they usually did. She wasn't sure when she started crying, or how long it was before a tear splashing onto her hand drew her attention to it. In her state she didn't notice the figure walking toward her until they sat down next to her. "Hey kiddo."

"Aunt Red." Emma looked over in surprise. "What are you doing here?" She shook her head quickly, realizing the answer to her question. "Don't answer that, I already know. Don't you have two biological children at home that probably need you more than me?"

"They went home with Granny." Red explained. "Graham and I wanted to stay and spend time with your parents tonight."

"And my mother sent you to check on me." Emma replied with a knowing voice.

"I was not planning on bothering you" Red gave an apologetic shrug. "But then you were so upset that I couldn't leave you alone?

"How could you tell…" Emma began, before giving a small nod. "Oh right, that whole ability to smell emotions because of your wolf counterpart."

"It does come in handy." Red moved closer to her goddaughter. "Kid why don't you tell me what is weighing so heavily on your mind? It has got to be better than sitting here crying all alone."

"I wasn't…" Emma began to dispute Red's claim but the look on her aunt's face told her it was no use. "It's…. it is nothing. It is just something I have to deal with. It is foolish really. It does not matter. You should not worry yourself with it."

"It does worry me. And if it bothers you it is not trivial." Red put her hand on Emma's shoulder. "Did you and Daniel have a fight?"

"No." Emma shook her head. "Not really. We… had a conversation." Emma cast her eyes away. "It just was not a conversation I wanted to have with him."

"What was it about?" Red pressed gently.

"Us." Emma whispered. "Where we stand. How we feel."

"You told him you did not feel the same way he did?" Red clarified, her voice remaining gentle.

"He told me." Emma returned her gaze to her godmother. "He told me that he could not do it anymore, that he realized he was fighting a battle he could not win… that he never really stood a chance."

"He decided your feelings for you?" Red questioned, unsure of where her usually emotionally stoic goddaughter stood on this particular issue. Truth be told, they were all unsure of where Emma's heart really was, the only person who could possibly know was Daniel, and Red knew that could not be easy on either of the two teenagers.

"Yes… no…" Emma shook her head, unsure of how to put into words exactly what had happened. "What he said was not wrong. He did not say anything I did not already know to be true in my heart. I just did not know how to accept it; how to approach it without hurting him. I could not bring myself to make a decision, to speak honestly with him. I told myself I was doing it to protect him, but I was being selfish… because I was afraid this would cost me him and his friendship means everything to me. He told me that he was not going to leave me, he just wanted me to be with the person who truly made me happy and that wasn't him. He told me this was setting him free to find his own happy ending, but that we would always be in each other's lives. And I want to believe him so badly, but I just don't know if I can."

"It sounds like he understands." Red assured the girl. "And it sounds like you both did the right thing."

"If it's the right thing, why does it hurt so much?" Emma searched Red's eyes for answers. "I didn't want to hurt anyone…" Emma took a shaky breath, the strength slipping from her voice. "But I feel like I did."

"Sweetheart," Red put an arm around Emma's shoulder, pulling the girl close. "We are all going to hurt the people we love at some point in our lives. We will disappoint them, and they will disappoint us, they will even hurt us. What is important is that you love each other enough to move through that pain and those decisions, whatever they may be. It just takes time."

"But what if all of this is too much? What if he doesn't think it's worth it?" Emma voiced her fears. "I'm scared I'm going to lose him."

"Sweetheart if he is really your best friend you will both find a way to work through this." Red promised.

Emma's voice quivered. "But it won't be the same."

"No it won't. But you two can find a way to be best friends after all of this." Red gave Emma a gentle squeeze. "You are just going to have to work a little bit to figure out what that looks like now."

"We've never had to work at our friendship before." Emma shook her head dejectedly. "What if he decides it's not worth it? What if... What he decides he can't be in my life?"

Red moved so she was looking Emma in the eye. "Then he doesn't deserve you Emma. If he cannot work with you to figure out how you both fit into each other's lives now, then he is not worth the agony this is causing."

"I don't want to live in a world that he's not a part of. I can't bear the thought. As strong as I act, he has always played such a significant part in helping me to believe in myself." Emma admitted. "With everything I have been through, he has always been by my side. I have always known everything was going to work because he was there. I always knew everything was going to be ok, because I had him... But now, I don't know that. That certainty does not exist anymore."

"You just have to believe that everything will work out. You have to have faith. I have seen the two of you together. And I do not believe there is anything that can keep the two of you apart for long. You were meant to be in each other's lives." Red reached forward, placing her hand underneath Emma's chin to tilt her head up, meeting the sorrowful eyes of the girl. "And sweetheart, your happiness does not rely solely on the friendship of one person. Neither does your strength. You are not alone in this world. You have so many people who love you."

"I know. I do…" Emma cast her eyes downward, moving her head out of Red's hand. "But it's different with him. We have been together for so long that we've become a part of one another. If he walks out of my life it will tear out a piece of me that I will never be able to get back." Emma shook her head, wiping at the stray tear that threatened to spill over. "I know this probably all sounds ridiculous. How can I have these feelings when I am supposedly in love with Chris? I chose Chris and yet here I am crying over another man."

"Daniel is not just another man." Red reminded Emma, validating her feelings. "You two have been through so much together. He is a part of who you are, and that does not take anything away from your love for Chris or anyone else for that matter. You love him as much as you love your parents or your brother. He is part of your family. He has been your family since you were six years old. Those feelings cannot just be pushed aside. You two have forged a bond that has become part of your very existence. You need each other. Daniel is smart and more than that, he is not cruel. He knows all of this. He is not going to walk out of your life just because of this."

"But what if he does?" Emma wrapped her arms around herself and looked up at the sky. "It just…" She finally met Red's eyes, unable to keep her tears at bay anymore. " Aunt Red, It felt like goodbye."

"I know kiddo." Red pulled Emma into her arms, holding her tightly as the usually stoic girl cried. She glanced up at the stars, her heart breaking for pain of the girl in her arms. "I know."