Chapter Text
Chapter 1
The Western Tiger
The blonde woman stood staring at the purple mist vanishing with confusion in her eyes. She was confused not because she had just witness Regina Mills and her fairy tale family from being forced back to the Enchanted forest, but because she could remember. She could remember the past year so easily like nothing had happened. She remembered standing outside the Mayor’s pathway as she ran to Henry and hugged him as if he’d vanish in the wind with that curve hugging grey dress on. She remembered comforting Regina while their son was in the mine.
She damned sure remembered breaking the curse and the epic cluster fuck that followed. Yet, that wasn’t all she remembered. She remembered her time as Emma Swan. She remembered stealing the bug, getting locked up. She also remembered changing Henry’s diaper after getting out of prison. Which, she couldn’t have possibly done. She closed her eyes inhaling sharply as those new memories flood her mind. She saw Henry falling off the jungle gym breaking his arm. She felt the ensuing panic of the sight of his arm in such an unnatural angle.
Emma could hardly believe she had these memories. A rush of gratitude filled her and she promised herself to thank Regina for these memories. She would also apologize the next time she saw her. Somehow the former blonde sheriff knew she’d see Regina again. Still, despite this something in her memories felt wrong. It wasn’t the memories Regina had given her, they somehow melded just fine with her memories. It was the memories a few months before she went to jail and after she got out of jail without the magic memory changer.
They felt blurry and transient. As though if she could reach out and touch them they’d just fade away. It was wrong. So, she pushed into her mind trying to contact the memories. To know their contents. She of course failed spectacularly and knew she should give up. “Mom?” She turned to see her son staring at her with expressive green eyes and confusion.
“Yeah, Kid.” Henry wrinkled his nose at the nickname.
“Are we going to leave soon?”
Her eyes trailed across his face hoping to have some sign that he wasn’t effected by the memory spell. Finding none, she felt her chest clench. She swallowed a lump in her throat and wondered how would she cope, with her son not remembering the past year. Fuck, how would she cope with having no one to talk to about it. Well, a person who wouldn’t have her committed. Because, she could go off on a rant of being the daughter of two fairy tale characters all she wanted.
“Yeah let’s go.” With that she hopped in the bug and drove off.
As she drove the blonde idly wondered if this was what Henry had felt when he knew they were all fairy tale characters and no one would believe him. It was like there was this weight on her shoulders. A weight of a knowledge she didn’t truly want to have.
“I can’t wait to get back home. This road trip was exhausting.” Henry yawned.
Emma reached into remember this life’s memories and responded accordingly. “Sorry about that Kid. I know you don’t like it when I have to take you along for a job.” He glanced at her eyes bleary with sleep.
“It’s fine Ma. I know you don’t like to leave me alone in our apartment. It’s fine.” He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. “Can we stay in the apartment in Boston. I want to sleep in a good bed tonight. Not another dingy motel.”
“Of course, we can.”
So, she still had her Boston apartment. She never terminated the lease for it. And she did pay for it for a few years. So, it isn’t that odd to still have it. But, the new curse should’ve gave her a new life. She was still a bounty hunter. Though, she was far more well off than she was before. She was sure that was Regina’s doing. And she still had her Boston apartment.
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After arriving at the Boston apartment, the duo fell into slumber. One restless and the other peaceful. Emma dreamed of the previous years. The peculiar tests that she went through to survive. Tests of courage, wisdom, belief and so many more. She knew she had failed a good many of them. Still, she was the Savior and had to swallow everything she thought was true about her life like a bitter pill.
Now that she looked back through her dreams she realized she did nothing heroic truly. Her son was the true hero that broke the curse. All she did, was pit herself against Regina to see who was the better parent and even at that she failed at. She didn’t save Henry, well not alone. Regina was the true hero there. And the crux was that she didn’t even arrest or lecture her mother about Cora’s death. She knew that the brunette was hurting and she did nothing to staunch it.
Regretful tears stung her eyes as she woke up to knocking. Emma was glad to be out of those memories if only for a little while. The former sheriff pulled on some pants before stumbling to the door. She opened and froze as she stared at the man before her. His eyes were a piercing blue that hinted at sparkling. The hair on his head was an unnatural silver that looked so rule it couldn’t be a die job. His skin was so pale that it would’ve made him look fragile had it not been for the line tattoos on his face like a tiger’s stripe. As well as, his large stature.
At seeing him, a nagging feeling entered her mind as if she knew him from before. Her eyes trailed over his face, searching for an answer as she searched her memories. She returned to the transient memory that had kept slipping away until now. She gasped as her eyes filled with surprised, yet happy tears as she remembered the man.
“Big brother Ko.” He spread his arms wide and she immediately hugged him smiling widely as she did so.