Chapter Text
In all her years on this earth, Emma Swan, knew when something felt wrong.
It was either the kind of wrong, that she could do nothing about. Or the kind of wrong, she stood up, or even just went along with to please others.
And this one, Was the first kind. The one, that she could nothing about.
Because, what was she is supposed to do. When she had been just standing in her parents apartment, having another argument with Killian. When, a sudden flash of white light blinded her, and in the next moment, she's still standing in her parents apartment. But Killian is gone, and her parents are standing there, with wide eyes and looking much older than she remembers.
All she can do, is stare for a long moment in disbelief. Whilst thinking 'You guys look so old'
"Emma?" her mother, Mary Margaret, then says shakily, and the blonde blinks. Before coming back to her senses.
"What the hell" she says with disbelief, and then looks around the apartment and notices straight away, that the apartment looks totally different, to what she remembers.
All the furniture is different. The walls, are a different shade of blue, and there's no sign of her little brother, who usually would be sitting on the floor playing with one of his toys.
"Emma honey, are you okay?" her mother then asks, and she looks back to the grey haired woman, who is her mother.
"Why is this apartment different? why do you guys look older?" Emma then asks, baffled.
"Its not different sweetie" Mary Margaret replies, with a frown.
"What is going on here Emma?" her father then asks.
"Hell if I know" Emma snaps, whilst throwing her hands up in the air "This has got to be some mistake. A dream maybe" she then adds.
"What are you talking about Emma!. You were just telling us, that it was time to leave, to go and fix everything, and we told you not too do that, because you could mess up the whole timeline and make things worse. We know you miss her, but this is not the way" her father tells her, and Emma is even more confused.
"What do you mean, mess up the timeline? I don't know what your talking about. I was just here" she gestures to the floor and adds "Arguing with Killian, and then there was this blinding light, and Killian was gone, and you look much older and everything in this place is different" she gestures to the room.
Both Mary Margaret and David, now look at Emma more closely. Taking in how she does look a little younger. How her hair is a brighter blonde and there is no grey streak, and her clothes, are certainly not what there Emma would wear now.
They then try to place, when the last time Emma wore a peach dress, that had short sleeves and went to the knees.
"Did you just say Killian?" her mother then asks, just realizing what Emma had said.
"Yeah, why? is he here?" Emma asks, with a sigh.
"No" Both Mary-Margaret and David look at one another, with a worried look upon there faces.
"Emma, what year is it?" David then asks.
"What do you mean what year is it?" Emma scrunches her nose.
"What year is it?" he asks again.
"Okay, Well, its 2017"
The silence that met the room was deafening, and for a good twenty seconds nothing was said, before Mary-Margaret stepped forward.
"Come sit down Emma" she tells her daughter, before looking to David "I think she's going to need a glass of cider for this" and he nods and goes to the kitchen to get a bottle of Emma's cider.
"What's going on?" Emma asks, still confused and a little scared.
"Its okay sweetie. Nothing bad is going to happen to you" Mary-Margaret replies, trying to reassure her daughter.
"I think it already has" Emma mumbles to herself, and slumps down into the cream couch. That is far more comfortable, than the one she remembers.
Her mother, sits next to her and faces her.
"This may be a lot right now, for all of us. But we will figure this out" she then says calmly and takes Emma hand and squeezes it in reassurance. Whilst Emma just blinks at her.
"I need a drink" she then says, and David is suddenly standing in front of her, holding out a beer.
"Oh...Thanks dad" she reaches out and takes it, before taking a large gulp of it.
"So...why did you ask me what year it is?" she then asks, seriously.
"Well...This may be a shock to you, but it is not 2017 Emma" David then tells her seriously.
"Its not?"
"No"
"Okay...so...what year is it then?"
There's a pause.
"It is 2032"
The bottle in Emma's hand, then drops to the floor, as she stares at her mother in disbelief.
She then realizes, that she has dropped the bottle and looks down at the liquid spilling all over her parents carpet.
"Shit" she says, whilst reaching out and picking it up "I'll clear it up" she goes to stand up, but David puts a hand on her arm, and she looks up at him with wide eyes.
"Its okay. I will clean it up. You sit back down. You've had a bit of a shock"
"Okay" she mutters and her eyes dart left and right. Before, she sits back down and stares forward. Whilst thinking, '2032! That's...impossible. But, nothings impossible in this town. I should know. I've been to the past in the enchanted forest. So, going to the future is not impossible...'
"Right" she then says, coming back to her senses. "We will need to let Regina know. She'll know what to do"
Both Mary-Margaret and David look to one another sadly.
"What?" Emma asks "Why are you looking at each other like that?"
"Well, that's not possible right now" her mother replies, whilst clearly holding something back.
"Why not?"
"Were going to have to tell her" David then says seriously, and Mary-Margaret nods, with a sigh.
"Okay" she takes a deep breath "Regina is not going to be able to help us with this...because..." Emma holds her breath. "She's no longer with us. She... died two years ago"
Emma feels her whole world, falling to pieces at those final five words. Her stomach drops, her vision narrows. And all she can think is, 'She can't be gone....I..I love her'