The Orphans

Broken

Everyone sat awkwardly around the apartment as they waited for Emma to wake up. Killian sat on the bed that Emma was on, gently stroking her cheeks with his left thumb. David sat in the living room, neither uttering a word since they had their fight. The closest either would come to speaking would be an occasional glare at the other.

Cora calmly watched the two shooting daggers and Regina kept glancing from Cora to Henry to Robin, as though unsure who to talk to. Snow finally broke the silence.

"So... are we just going to sit around while we wait for her to wake up?" Everyone looked at her in surprise. Of all of the people in the room, they least expected her to be the one to suggest they leave and come back later.

"I'm not leaving Emma," Henry said. "I won't lose her again." Killian nodded agreement, and David hesitated. Snow turned towards him.

"We left Neal behind. What were we thinking? I want Emma back, yes, but I also don't want to risk dying here and leave our son without his mother!"

Cora looked awkward. "I'll uhh... wait for you all outside." She exited the apartment and David responded to his wife.

"I'm not leaving Emma here with him," he said, gesturing towards the former captain. Killian stood up, infuriated, ready to throw back a retort, when Emma stirred beneath his hand.

He softly whispered her name as she slowly opened her eyes, whimpering when she saw how many people were there. Her vision must not be focused enough to see that it's us, he decided. She must think we're more people here to beat her.

He said her name again, this time louder, and kissed her forehead. When he pulled back, he saw recognition spark her gaze when she saw who they were. He stood up, allowing Emma to sit up in the bed, though she closed her eyes in pain as she did so.

"Mom!" Henry rushed forward and very awkwardly hugged her so as to not touch her back.

"Hey, kiddo," she said. Emma swallowed hard when she looked at everyone. "You guys shouldn't have come. This is far too dangerous."

Emma noted that her mother dropped her gaze, unable to look into Emma's eyes. Her head tipped to the side as she tried to figure out why. Killian interrupted her thoughts.

"Emma?"

"Sorry, what?"

"I asked if you're ready to leave this place," he said with a slight laugh.

She opened her mouth but Regina spoke before she could. "How'd you get all those scars?"

Emma slowly closed her mouth and looked away from everyone else, not wanting them to see the fear and pain in her eyes as she recalled what she'd been put through. Killian gently out his hand under her chin and turned her so she faced everyone again.

Guilt shown in their eyes as they realized what they just made her remember. She was about to speak again when she froze, hearing a sound coming from the faucet.

Drip, drip, drip.

Her head tipped to the side and she blinked. Between the span of a millisecond, something in Emma's eyes changed. They had a sudden crazed look to them. Everyone was confused as a sudden grin spread across her face.

"You," she whispered, staring Snow and Charming dead in the eyes. They didn't know what to say.

"The ones who were so determined to have a good child that they put her potential for darkness into another living soul." A cackle erupted from her throat. "How fitting that I died with darkness inside of me."

She swung her gaze towards Regina. Killian stood up and backed away, unsure of what was happening to her.

"The not-so evil queen. I should have ended you when I had the chance." She paused. "Oh, wait. Now I can." She rushed forwards and grabbed the dazed woman by the throat, squeezing hard. Killian's instincts kicked in.

Leaping forwards, he grabbed her by linking both of their arms and dragged her back onto the bed, the deranged woman spitting words of hate the entire haul. Regina, angry, pulled her hand back and slapped Emma across the face.

The connection of their skin sent a loud cracking noise across the room and Emma paused, the regular gleam returning to the emerald orbs.

"I-" she broke off and covered both her ears as her body curled into a ball. "Make it stop. Make it stop."

"Make what stop," Regina questioned, uneasy.

"The dripping," Emma gasped. Everyone stared at each other, dumbfounded. They didn't hear anything. By the time they looked back at her, she was crazed once again and was glaring at Killian.

"Pirate," she hissed, venom in her voice. "I should've left you to die when Zelena tried to drown you."

Tears battled to escape Killian's eyes. He couldn't stand seeing her like this. "Emma, why are you saying these things?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Don't you get it? I have always felt this way. Just as I've always hated that kid over there," she snapped, pointing at Henry. "I am my true self. No more fake personalities." Her voice suddenly became childlike. "You have no idea what it's like, growing up without parents. Being teased and picked on for weeks on end. Being starved of food because other children would take it."

"You've no idea what it's like to be a lost little girl." All the while she'd been talking, the others were slowly backing away from the monstrosity that Emma turned into.

She blinked and in an instant, she was back to herself. She looked at her hands in horror, than up at the others, who were in the living room.

"I... I gotta go. I can't control this." She started out the door and tugged hard when they tried to stop her, ignoring the pain that shot through her arm. She ran outside and was instantly met by the sounds of crying children. Entranced, she began to follow the noise...

-

Hades slammed his fists into the desk when he saw Emma fight off the dark temptations.

"Pan! Get out there NOW," he demanded. No more games. It was time to break her once and for all. He wasn't taking any more chances.

"What would you like me to do, master?" A smirk was displayed on his face. How he loved watching the Swan suffer.

"Whatever it takes to break her." He turned to walk away but paused when he heard Hades speak again. "And... take everyone with you. These heroes are too close to succeeding to my liking."

When Peter had gone, Hades and Hercules were the only ones that remained in the room.

Hercules turned towards his uncle. "Shall I release the hounds?"

"Yes. I want Emma Swan so broken that she'll never recover."