Missing Signals

When Emma helps two orphaned children find their father she starts to wonder about her own, even more after an interesting conversation with Mary Margaret.

NOTE: THIS STORY STARTS FROM EPISODE 9! I DON'T OWN THE SHOW.

A/N: I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG STORY BUT I JUST WANTED TO POST AN EPILOGUE TO SET UP THE SEQUEL WHICH I HOPE YOU ENJOY AS MUCH AS YOU DID THIS ONE.

Chapter 55:

Epilogue

The bright light hurt her eyes. Emma Swan opened her eyes slowly. She felt extremely tired and sore. Suddenly all the images from the last eighteen months since her arrival to Storybrooke invaded her. Her son showing up at her doorstep. His crazy theory about how everyone in town was a fairytale character and she, Emma Swan, a friendless orphan was the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. The constant bumps in the head with Regina, the mayor of Storybrooke who was also Henry's adoptive mother. Mary Margaret. Her best friend. The woman who had opened her heart to Emma since their first encounter. David. The man who had stolen Mary's heart and somehow managed to mess up constantly even though he loved her deeply. Her friends in town. Ruby, Ashley… Graham, who she had lost to Regina but somehow had found love again when a stranger rolled into town. August.

But now all those memories seemed blurry as she now was no longer Emma Swan. She had discovered she was a princess. A princess for crying out loud! Snow White's daughter. Heir to a throne she wasn't sure she wanted. She had had a hard time adjusting into the role of the daughter her parents expected her to be. She didn't know how to be parented, but Snow and James had somehow managed to fit into their roles instantly.

It had taken a life near death experience to finally come to terms of being someone's daughter. It had taken her so long to call them Mom and Dad. She never expected those words to come out from her mouth but she had decided that if Henry had been brave enough to call her Mom, she'd pay her parents the same courtesy. Then she grew fond of the words. She loved the way they lighted up her parent's faces when she used them. They had given her space to make her happy and she intended to make them happy as well…it only took so little but it was the biggest challenge for Emma at that point.

Then it had all gone smoothly from there… Hardly! Her parents found out they were having a child and it had caused Emma serious doubts about her role in her parents' lives other than her being the savior. They had been given a second chance. But then again so had she.

Slowly she discovered small things that assured her she was her parent's child and no matter what came ahead she would always be theirs. Michael was just like a kid taken out of a painting. He was the spitting image of Charming, which made him hard to resist. Emma wondered if her parents had to go through as many hardships before she was born, as they had had to endure while Snow was pregnant. The main of them being Regina.

Regina. Emma had to focus to remember what had happened to her. She had disappeared once more. For them to find. Or she would find them soon enough.

A sense of panic invaded her. Regina would come back for Henry. She would never stop. Her curse had been broken but that didn't mean she wouldn't be back.

"Oh, good! You are awake," a high voice said, relieved. She looked up to see Doc smiling up at her. It was then when Emma became aware of her surroundings. She was in a bed that didn't look anything like the one she had at the apartment she shared with her parents or the one she had shared with August. No. This was a princess size bed. The room she was in was bigger than most of the foster homes she had been in.

Could it be possible? No, it wasn't… they hadn't found a way to take everyone back home. The wardrobe was now sealed.

How?

"Mom!" Henry's smile was wide as he hurried to her side. Emma blinked twice to make sure he was real. This was real. "We were so worried."

"Henry…what…what's happening?" Emma asked, swallowing hard. "Where are we?"

"You did it!" Henry beamed. "You brought everyone back!" Emma's head was spinning.

"What?" she asked. Henry turned around as James and Snow entered the room. Snow was holding Michael close. Emma sighed relieved.

"Hey," her mother said softly, standing next to Henry. "Finally decided to wake up, huh?"

"I was beginning to think you were under some kind of curse," her father told her, smiling.

"No…please," Emma groaned against the pillow. "No more curses."

"Fine by me," a husky voice said. Emma looked up to see August smiling at her. "Our lives will be kind of boring now though."

"Wait," Emma looked around. "What happened?"

Snow sighed and totted Michael on her hip. "That night when you fought Regina…"

"You brought us back somehow." Charming smiled proudly. "I don't know how you did it but…you brought us back, Emma."

"How cool is that!" Henry said excitedly. "I have been exploring with Dad and Gilbert for days! I have to take to the stream... grandpa showed me!"

"Days?" Emma asked horrified. "How long did I sleep?"

"Long enough for your body to recover from all the effort you made that night," Snow said. She shared a quick look with her husband.

"How long?" Emma repeated, annoyed. Her mother smiled.

"About a week." James said. Emma's eyes were wide.

"Talk about a beauty sleep," August joked now closer to Emma's bed. She leaned to brush her cheek with his finger. Emma rolled her eyes.

"I am sorry, but the princess must rest now," Doc said.

"Haven't I already?" Emma groaned. August laughed leaning his forehead against hers.

"Yes, but I must evaluate how you are progressing," Doc said seriously. Emma looked at her parents' pleadingly. James laughed sweetly at her face.

"Just a minute," Snow said. "We promise not to take long."

"Please?" Henry asked Doc. The dwarf did not seem pleased at first but them limited himself to smile at the Royals, bowed and closed the enormous doors behind him.

"That was close," Emma breathed letting her head fall on the pillow.

"You are not free just yet," her mother said sweetly. "He'll be back."

"Of course he will," Emma said. There was an awkward silence. Emma eyed her brother for a moment. His bright blue eyes shining. If Emma hadn't seen it all she could have sworn she was crazy but he looked older. "Is he okay?" she asked worriedly.

"He's fine," Snow smiled. "You two saved each other that night." Emma creased an eyebrow.

August smiled. "We think you sacrificing to save Michael that night triggered some kind of magic that brought us back," he explained. "I guess love is really the most powerful magic of all." Emma smiled. She had saved her brother. Then there was the matter of magic. She had magic? Sure she was the product of pure magic, but her? A magical being?

"So does he have magic too?" Emma asked.

"We think so too, yes" James said.

"Isn't that amazing?!" Henry beamed at her. Emma smiled but didn't speak.

"We should really let Doc come now," Snow said taking Emma's hand. "He won't be happy."

"And it's not going to be pretty." August smirked. James nodded solemnly.

"We'll be right outside when you are done," Snow said, touching her cheek slightly. "I love you."

"There's a giant cup of hot chocolate with your name on it," August said, kissing her slightly. "Don't take too long." She smiled.

"Love you, Mom!" Henry jumped up to kiss her cheek. "You are going to love it here!"

"I'm sure I will," Emma said sweetly. Not really. How was she going to survive without a TV? "Love you too kid."

"Come on now," James told Henry placing a hand on his shoulder. August and Henry took the lead with Snow close behind. James was last.

"Dad wait," she said sitting up. There it was again. That charming smile. "I never did thank you."

Charming creased an eyebrow. "For what?" her father asked. Emma smiled.

"For risking your life to save mine," Emma admitted. In truth she had never really thanked him. He was the reason she was alive.

"Oh no, Emma," James said sweetly. "I should be the one thanking you. You saved us. Found us and saved us once more."

"You saved me first." Emma's grin was as big as his. "So, there. Thank you."

"Anything for you, ba…" And he stopped. He was pushing his luck.

"What?" Emma teased him. James closed his mouth. Emma chuckled. "Come on, you said it, now spit it out… you know you want to."

"Next time." James leaned to kiss her forehead. "There will be time for a lot of next times."

"I love you… you know that? I don't think I say it enough," she said slowly.

"I love you, too." James squeezed her hand before walking away and allowing Doc inside. Emma sighed.

Yes, she still didn't know how she had missed all the signs but somehow this was where she belonged now.

And now she had all the time to begin her life fresh. A man who loved her. Her son. Her parents.

All of them a part of who she was and who she was meant to be.

THE END.

I DO HOPE YOU LIKED THIS LAST BIT OF IT! I CANNOT RESIST FAMILY FLUFF ;) ANYWAYS... I STILL HAVE A FEW IDEAS TO SORT OUT FOR THE SEQUEL AND SOME STORIES I HAVE TO FINISH BEFORE I GET ON BOARD WITH IT BUT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EACH AND EVERYONE FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR, FAVORITING, ADDING, REVIEWING, ETC. YOU GUYS MADE MY LIFE BRIGHTER WITH ALL YOUR THOUGHTS AND INPUT ON THE STORY AND I AM SO GLAD YOU ENJOYED IT!

I HAVE BEEN WRITING FANFICTION FOR QUITE A WHILE NOW AND THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST READ STORIES ON THE FANDOM SO I AM HUMBLED ABOUT HOW AWESOME IT TURNED OUT TO BE...

BEST FANDOM IN THE WORLD, SERIOUSLY!

THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE I WANT TO THANK SO, I WILL REPLY AS MUCH AS I CAN TO ALL THE REVIEWS I GET ON THE LAST TWO CHAPTERS FOR THIS TO THANK YOU ALL...

SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO SNOWANDJAMES4EVA AND LAUGHTER LOVER FIGHTER... LOVE YOU GUYS!

AND TO MY AMAZING BETA That70sshowlova THANKS FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME ;) YOU ROCK!