Dark Swan Rising

Memory of the Past

*Multiple weeks ago*

Emma woke up, her head pounding. She gasped aloud. Sitting up, she found herself on the Jolly Roger. Tears filled her eyes.

"Killian..." she whispered. She suddenly remembered yesterday. Killian's funeral. The despair. The pain. Walking above deck, she was met by her parents. Their expressions were that of concern. Emma felt her walls going up.

"How are you?" Snow asked.

"Well, considering I just woke up... I am awfully hungry," she mumbled.

David gave her a look. "No," he said. "How are you?"

Emma broke eye contact with him, glancing at the floor. "What do you think?"

As she spoke, a tear fell from her eye, her sadness glistening in them.

David gave her a hug, saying, "You will find someone else. You'll find your happiness."

She pulled away, alarm flashing through her. "Didn't you know?"

Snow stepped forward. "Know what?"

Anger surged through Emma. "He was my happy ending," she spat, angry at her parents for not knowing that. Without thinking, she ran off the ship and let her legs carry her away. She could hear her parents in the distance, calling her name, but she pushed on.

After five minutes of running, she found herself at the lake. She slowly approached where she'd killed him. As she was walking, she could hear their conversations ringing in her head.

"Don't you know Emma? It's you."

"I'm going to choose to see the best in you." "And I you."

"So when I win your heart, Emma. And I will win it. It will not be because of any trickery. It will be because you want me."

"You're glad to hear I had my heart broken?" "If it can be broken, it means it still works."

Emma crouched down, her hand brushing the grass where Killian had died.

"I love you." "I love you, too."

Emma closed her eyes, holding in all the turmoil that she felt.

"You should've let it be me," she whispered. "Then we could've been together. They don't need me."

A tear rolled down Emma's face. "But I need you."

She stood up, ready to head back to the Jolly Roger. But before she started walking, she heard someone call her name. Emma froze mid step. She turned around.

"Killian?" she yelled, wondering she imagined his voice. After staring around for a minute, her eyes wild, Emma gave up hope and went back home.

-

Five days had passed since Henry's grandparents had tried talking to Emma. They'd decided that Emma needed time. Unfortunately, no one had seen her in that time span. Everyone was at Granny's having breakfast before they went to work/school.

Henry was quietly sipping on his hot chocolate with cinnamon, listening to the small conversations being made around him. Glancing out through the window, Henry saw someone walking past the diner, their steps heavy. He recognized Emma's leather jacket immediately.

Calling to his grandparents and Regina, who came over and stared at Emma in shock through the window, they hurried outside.

"Emma," they all called, desperate to talk to her. Henry sighed.

"Mom!"

Emma stopped walking. Taking a deep breath, Henry stepped forward and said her name again. She slowly turned around, her face parallel with the ground.

He watched as she gradually dragged her gaze from the ground and brought her eyes up to meet everyone else's'. They all stared at Emma in horror.

Her eyes were bloodshot, the area around her eye red as well. On top of that, there were deep bags running beneath her eye, showing that she hadn't slept in a while, and there was a haunted glint in the green depths.

No one could bring themself to speak. After about a minute, the Savior turned back around and walked away, her unkempt hair blowing around in the morning breeze.

-

Emma finally made her way to the Sheriff's office. When she arrived, she watched Isaac, who was still in his cell. He stared at her, hatred in his eyes. Picking up the keys, Emma walked up to the cell and released him.

"Get out of here," she said, "before I change my mind."

He charged out of the building, and Emma heard the roaring of an engine, followed by the screeching of tires on pavement.

Emma walked in her 'office' and sat on the chair, setting her arm on the desk and placing her head on top of it. Her eyes fluttered shut.

-

David walked into the Sheriff's office and saw Emma with her head resting in her hands. He sighed.

Maybe, he thought. Maybe we just need to prove to her that Hook wasn't her happy ending.

Glancing over to the cells, David narrowed his eyes when he saw Isaac's cell open. e walked over to it.

"Son of a-" David broke off and whirled around as he heard the sound of hands slamming on a desk. Emma had woken up, her eyes wide and full of pain. She was breathing very quickly and she backed herself up into the corner, crouching down and holding her hands to her ears.

Rushing to her side, David pulled out his cell phone and called Snow.

"Isaac is free. Come watch Emma-she's in the station with me- and make sure she's okay. I'm going after him."

-

Emma watched as David ran out of the room. Standing up, Emma began to leave the station as well. As she rounded the corner, she was met by a searing pain in her side. Gasping out in pain, Emma looked down and saw something buried in her side, right next to her stomach.

Gripping the knife, she pulled it out and grasped her side, falling to her knees. She looked up and saw someone peering at her, observing.

Rumpelstiltskin.