Finding You Always

Smoke and Mirrors

Finding You Always

Chapter 20: Smoke and Mirrors

It was well past three in the morning and Sidney Glass stared at the ceiling in his cell. With his memories returned by the Queen, he had much to contemplate. Ever her loyal servant, he had promised to play his part and take the blame for framing Mary Margaret Blanchard.

Regina promised she would secure his freedom as a reward, but he knew his Queen, perhaps better than any. Whether he was behind his mirror or standing by her side, he was locked in her servitude. Freeing him would raise too many questions. No...the only thing awaiting him with Regina was some dark cell, even more isolated than this one, where Regina could tuck him away until she had magic back to seal him in his mirror. Sidney loved her...but he hated her too.

He heard something at the door to the station and his brows furrowed in confusion. Who would be here at this hour? It certainly couldn't be the Sheriff, no...nothing short of an emergency would tear him away from his pretty little family at this hour.

He sat up, as he heard the lock snap and the clicking of heels on the wood floor. But the woman that came into the small bit of moonlight streaming through the window was not one he had ever seen before.

"Hello Mr. Glass," she said.

"And who pray tell are you?" he asked suspiciously.

"Someone that can help you...if you help me," she said. He smirked.

"And what do you need help with...Miss?" he prompted.

"Call me Mako. I can promise you a path out of town...away from Regina's clutches if you help me with my plan," Mako stated. He smirked.

"No one leaves this town," he said.

"Or comes to this town...yet here I am," she retorted. He frowned.

"You're not from..." he started to say.

"The Enchanted Forest? No...I'm from this land. Intrigued?" she prompted. He smirked.

"What is it that you need me to do?" he asked. She smirked and unlocked his cell.

"Come with me," she said. Neither noticed the silent, purple stocking cap clad man in the shadows, watching them.

Emma woke up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She was confused for a moment. This wasn't her room. She suddenly heard crying in the next room and the memories came rushing back in full force. She was in her bedroom of her last foster home.

"No...Mommy? Daddy?" she called.

"They're dead..." a gruff voice said from the doorway. Emma's eyes widened in fear. It was her last foster brother. In the last home, the mom and dad were usually drunk and it left the oldest boy to his own volition, which included doing what Emma assumed was very bad things to a girl that was a few years older than her at the time.

"I told you I'd never let you get away," he said, as he roughly grabbed her arm.

"You're finally older now...just the right age. You can be mine now," he hissed, as he touched her cheek and then held her down on the bed. And Emma screamed...

At Emma's scream, they bolted out of bed. David threw his sleep pants on and Snow found her nightgown. They hurried up the stairs and burst into their sobbing daughter's bedroom.

"Emma!" they cried, as they scooped her up between them. Her arms went around David's neck and she cried into his chest, while Snow stroked her long blonde hair.

"Baby...was it a nightmare?" Snow asked. Emma sniffed and nodded.

"I was in the last foster home again and Devon was there. He was my foster brother when I was there. He was sixteen then and he was really bad," Emma cried.