AU in which the Dark Curse was never cast, Red was born one generation later, and for reasons to be revealed in time, Emma was not raised by Snow and Charming.

Emma was halfway out the window when Red angrily grabbed her by the boot and pulled her right back into the cottage, where Emma landed in a heap on the floor.

"What the hell Emma? Not even a good bye? I didn't peg you for the type to run out on her friends. And don't you think you owe Granny-"

Emma cut off Red with an exasperated groan, brushing dirt off her pants as she stood. "Red, that is exactly why I have to leave. I can't let you and Granny get hurt because of me. Not after everything you two have done for me."

Red and Emma shared a look of understanding.

Emma had just been released from prison when she stumbled upon Red five years ago. It had been a full moon, and Red's cloak had been torn. Emma had approached the shaking, terrified young woman, and after Red warned her to run, Emma had watched as the beautiful girl shuddered and transformed into a wolf. Emma's eyes had locked with those of the wolf now standing in front of her, but their connection was soon broken by the shouts of villagers who were quickly approaching, armed and scared; a dangerous combination.

Emma had acquired fighting skills from her childhood as a street orphan that had developed into expertise rivaling that of many trained warriors. Waving off the wolf, she had kept the villagers from pursuing the creature that Emma knew to be at least part human, holding them off until she had finally been knocked unconscious.

When she had awoken in a bed – a warm one nonetheless – she had been extremely confused and apprehensive. However, an elderly woman with a gripping handshake had introduced herself as Granny and thanked Emma for saving her grand daughter. Red approached the bed soon after and muttered with embarrassment that she was sorry Emma had to see her 'time of the month', earning a laugh from everyone.

Upon finding out she did not have a home to return to, Granny and Red had insisted she stay with them, and Emma was forced to agree by Granny's kind but firm look.

Five years later, Emma and Red had become best friends, considering one another family. Their unorthodox family of three loved one another, even if arguments ended with crossbow bolts embedded in the walls, claw marks on the furniture, and knives stuck in the kitchen table. It was because of this love that Emma had decided she had to leave, in order to keep Red and Granny safe.

"Emma, we can all run together. Believe me, Granny and I have had to move around a lot. Some neighbors aren't exactly welcoming when they find out the girl next door is a werewolf."

Emma sighed and locked eyes with her best friend. She knew without a doubt that she would give her life to save Red's, and that Red would do the same for her. But this was not Red's problem, and she couldn't live with herself if she dragged the closest thing she had to a family into danger.

"Red, you know I love you. Without you and Granny, I'd have died in the streets long ago. But this is not something that should fall on you. I don't know why the hell The Dark One wants to capture me, but I do know that anyone who gets in his way will be killed. If he wants me, he's going to have to find me first," Emma said, a slight smile on her face as she imagined angering The Dark One.

"So you are really going then?" Red finally asked, sadness clouding her eyes.

"Yes. I'll be safe. More importantly, you both will be safe," she said.

Abruptly, Red left the room, leaving Emma incredibly confused before she returned a minute later, arms overflowing with supplies.

"You are going to have to blend in. The posters all have sketches of your face, and there is nothing we can change about that. But they also note the blue hood Granny made for you, so you'll have to leave it. I pulled out a few of my old jackets and cloaks – they're all brown or gray, so in a crowd there won't be any way to spot you," Red listed, continuing to sort through the things she had gathered.

"Red, you know you don't have to… I have things of my own," Emma whispered, overcome by the generosity she was still unaccustomed to. Being abandoned over and over didn't exactly condition someone into thinking that they deserved love or any bit of kindness to be shown.

"Shut up, Ems. If you're to leave before the sun rises, we have to get you going," she quipped, a ghost of a smile on her face, "I also brought a few essentials I'm sure you forgot: canteen, extra socks, and a compass. Your hair sort of gives you away too, Em, so I grabbed a few caps."

Emma nodded in agreement. The village they lived in had hundreds of people, but Emma was one of a small handful with blond hair, and her flowing waves were a dead giveaway. "I grabbed some clothes and my knives. I, um, think I'm set to go," she said, throwing the now-filled pack over her shoulder.

For a single moment their eyes locked as they stood facing one another, and both were reminded of the moment a newly released criminal and a wolf had shared the very same look, a moment that had changed both of their lives forever.

Emma took the step forward, hugging Red fiercely, and whispered, "Please tell Granny I'm sorry. I can't say it myself."

Red laughed with tears threatening her eyes, "Only because you know she'd kick your ass before tying you to the kitchen table."

Letting go, Emma walked to the same window and climbed onto its ledge.

"Bye, Ruby-Red," she whispered over her shoulder.

When she hopped out of the window and began her walk toward the neighboring village, she barely heard Red whisper,

"Bye, Swan-Lake."

Barely five hours after leaving Red and Granny's, Emma was thanking God for Red's planning. Walking across the second stream had completely soaked what little dry sections remained of her shoes, and a nasty blister could seriously slow her down.

Sitting in a small clearing, she pulled out her map of the coast and a bit of food. Snacking on bread and fruit, she traced the path she could guess she had taken, and found herself approximately three miles from her destination; a larger town that was mainly used as a port. With so many people coming in and out, she knew she was much less likely to be spotted by The Dark One's men.

Rising to her feet, she tugged her boots back on, noticing a moment too late that a pebble had lodged itself into her sole.

"Damn it, bloody little stupid stone," she swore, hopping on her other foot and tugging off the offending shoe, tossing it a few feet away.

"Well, well, well, that ain't the kind of talk that should be comin' out of a pretty little lady's mouth."

Emma spun quickly spotting the man who had spoken. Paunchy, dirty, and seemingly drunk, he stumbled into the clearing and approached her.

Sighing under her breath, Emma reached for her pack where her weapons were stored. Growing up on the streets she had learned early on that drunk men who approached lone women rarely had good intentions. She could knock him unconscious within seconds, but as she gripped her favorite dagger, his next words surprised and intrigued her.

"Want to grab a drink with a pirate?" the man slurred, beaming with pride at the title he foolishly was declaring to a stranger.

Curious, Emma rose and flipped her hair over her shoulder, adopting a helpless expression as she said in her best seductive voice, "Really? A big, dangerous pirate wants to grab a drink with me?"

The man reached for something in his back pocket, putting Emma on edge and having her quickly brandish her dagger. However, a moment later when he pulled out a small piece of paper, she hastily sheathed her weapon in its hidden holster once again.

Shoving his hand nearly an inch from her face, he continued on in his alcohol-infused rant. "Ye see, my brother's best mate worked for some time as a pirate, and he heard this here pirate is looking for a crew."

Emma's amusement was waning, and as she took a step forward to incapacitate the drunken man, his next words made her freeze, "He's only takin' a few, and they are settin' sail around the world tomorrow. Might be my last night on this side of the world," he leered, clearly thinking that he was going to be spending that night with the woman before him.

With barely a second thought, Emma crouched low and swung the man's legs out from under him before striking his temple with the heavy hilt of her dagger, knocking him unconscious.

Emma plucked the parchment from his grubby fingers, as the words echoed in her head 'last night on this side of the world'. This was fate. Her chance to escape The Dark One's manhunt and keep her loved ones safe.

Emma pulled a large charcoal cap from her pack. Tucking her hair up under the hat, she wiped some dirt on her face. Pulling the cap low on her forehead so her face was barely exposed, Emma read the paper.

Captain Hook looking for five men at the docks – 7 AM

Putting on her shoe and throwing her pack over her shoulder, Emma smiled to herself and looked in the direction of the sea port town.

"Well, Captain Hook. This might just be fate."