The sounds of the forest gently waif over the edge of a lake before slowly disappearing as a an older woman, Ana, slowly walks a trail along the edge of the lake. She stops, closing her eyes and listening as the sounds of the forest resumed once her presence was accepted. Her arms open wide feeling every part of her body absorbing the peacefulness and solitude that was being freely offered. The smile that appears feels forced, falters, causing the Ana's eyes to snap open. Her eyes widen as she feels the smile returning much easier than before. "Well, well. Who would have ever thought that that was possible?"

Ana resumes walking along the edge of the lake her eyes and her posture relaxed yet listening and observing everything around her. She stops near a rock outcrop, studying it and then walking forward to slide in between the rocks into a well hidden cave. A whispered, "Perfect," echoes softly along the rock walls before evaporating like a soft breeze that is barely felt before disappearing as quietly and as gently as it had come.

Emma Swan storms into the Sheriff's office her frustration evident by the glass rattling when she slams the door hard enough that it bounces open. She walks to the center of the room and stops. Her hands coming to rest on her hips, as her fingers tighten in frustration. She tilts her head back closing her eyes releasing a low growl when her cell phone buzzes with an incoming text. She ignores the text knowing instantly that it is another of the citizens of Storybrooke that seem unable to take care of the smallest of problems. "Days like today make me almost wish I had never come to this town."

Another buzz from her phone has her jerking the offending object out of her pocket and slamming it down on her desk. Her badge soon rests along side the phone. Her frustration is even more evident by the removal off her red leather jacket and heaving it across her desk where it slams into her chair and then slides unnoticed to the floor. The ripple of air as the jacket flies over the desk creates a landslide of paperwork, that she swears multiplies over night just to taunt her, that buries her phone and her badge.

Emma stalks to the window, staring out at the town, contemplating how much her life had changed for the better and yet somethings that had changed, that she only admitted quietly to herself, were for the worse. She was no longer responsible only for her actions and the massively increased responsibilities were wearing on her mentally and physically. Everyone expected her to help them with whatever problem they were having but who was she suppose to ask for help. She wanted to have someone simply hold her and let her be herself without judging or criticizing her actions. Someone to help ease the weight she carries on her shoulders. Someone that was simply there for her and her alone.

Her hand roughly combs through her hair before turning to study the room that mocks her with its emptiness. Her head tilts to one sides as a tentative smile appears on her face. She walks to her desk, opens the center drawer, removes a key ring and tosses them into the air before grabbing them and slipping them into her pocket. She starts to leave, hesitates before grabbing a piece of paper and quickly scribbling on it. A piece of tape is placed on the paper before she quickly walks over and attaches the paper to the glass of the door. She hesitates in the door way, listening before quietly sliding out of the room pulling the door shut behind her. The locking of the door echoes in the empty room.

Ana relaxes in a recessed doorway, her eyes on the rear entrance of the Sheriff's office. She smiles as the door barely opens allowing Emma to quietly slip out and dart for the safety of an alley before disappearing from sight. She pushes off the wall whispering to herself, "And now it begins," before walking into the alley.

The bell on the door of Granny's dings as Mary-Margaret enters the diner. She steps to the counter waiting for Ruby to finish serving a customer.

Ruby walks over to Mary-Margaret "Want your usual?"

"No, have you seen Emma?"

Mary-Margaret's eyes are full of concern that has Ruby leaning closer so that only the two of them are involved in the conversation. "What's wrong?"

"She isn't answering her phone."

Ruby shrugs her shoulder, "She was here for her usual this morning, but I haven't seen or heard from her since then. Maybe she was called out for something."

"Could be. But," Mary-Margaret taps her fingers on the counter, " Something doesn't feel right. And it's not like Emma to at least call."

"I don't think there's anything to worry about. But if you're that concerned then I'll ask everyone that comes in if they've seen her. Maybe she just wants some alone time. Especially after the last couple of weeks. Everyone has been asking for her help and Madame Mayor… she's been her usual sparkling personality when it comes to Emma."

"Perhaps but if she truly didn't want to be found we both know she can find the least likely place that we would ever look for her."

Granny emerges from the kitchen. "Then ask Regina. She always seems to know where Emma is."

Mary-Margaret and Ruby glance sideways at each other and then to Granny. "Like Regina would ever voluntarily help us find Emma. We all know she wants her out of Storybrooke."

Granny leans closer to the two women, "But think how annoyed Regina would be if she was forced to help find the one person she rather never see again. Gold may be a splinter in Regina's finger but Emma is the thorn in her side." She taps Ruby's arm, "You need to get back to serving the customers and asking, and I realize this might be difficult for you Ruby, without raising any suspicions about why you're asking if anyone has seen Emma." She lays her hand on Mary-Margaret's nervous fingers, stilling them "Why don't you try the Sheriff's office. She's probably just has the lights off so everyone will assume she's not there." Granny smiles at the two women before re-entering the kitchen.

Mary-Margaret turns to leave the diner and looks back at Ruby, "If…"

"I'll call."

Mary-Margaret nods her head towards Ruby before a deeper look of concern crosses her face about Emma's whereabouts as she walks out of the diner.

Ana watches from a distance as Emma glances around before using a key to open a locked door and quickly disappears into the interior of the building. The door softly locks as it closes behind her.

A light illuminates the interior revealing a large object in the middle of the room covered by a canvas cover. Emma pulls the cover off slowly uncovering Graham's motorcycle, a helmet with a dark visor and a leather jacket resting on the seat. She trails her fingers along the cycle remembering the rides she took when she first came to Storybrooke before clutching the jacket to her chest.

A single tear slides down Emma's cheek and is soon joined by more dampening the jacket that she clutches like a life preserver. The trembling in her body begins and intensifies as the powerful emotions that she had been so careful to keep in check, in fear, both of Regina using them against her and the fear these emotions if fully unleashed would destroy her, are forcing themselves to be dealt with. Unknowingly she steps back until her back is against the wall and slowly slides down until her knees are against her chest, her head buried in the jacket that now covers her knees. Anguished, deep soul wrenching sobs break the silence of the room.

Emma lifts her head until the mass of blonde curls are resting against the wall, tears still streaking down her cheeks. She struggles to regain control of her emotions but with an inner strength and determination that had helped her survive everything life had thrown at her soon replaces the feeling of loneliness and frustration that had lead to the small but much needed cathartic cleansing that allowed her to regain control of her emotions. Her fingers wipe away the remaining tears both from her face and the leather jacket.

She stands, steps toward the bike, pulling the keys from her pocket before sitting astride the bike and starting it. The rumbling of the engine brings a smile to her face as she ties her hair into a ponytail before pulling on the jacket. She makes sure that her ponytail and her well known curls are hidden beneath the jacket before removing a door remote from an inside pocket of the jacket and then zipping it up. She puts on the helmet and aims the remote at the door. As it starts to open she closes the visor, hiding her identity from the casual glance of anyone.

Emma pushes the remote again, puts the bike into motion and exits the garage as the door begins to close.

The staccato clicking of heels echo along the dim hallway of the Sheriff's office. The silhouette of a figure can be seen, through the glass of the door, removing the paper that had been taped to the door. A click is heard as the now unlocked door opens with an annoyed Regina Mills striding into the empty office, crumpling the taped paper from the door in her hand.

The buzz of a text message has Regina checking her phone only to realize that it's not her phone buzzing. An eyebrow rises as she scrolls through her contacts before sending a short text. The buzzing sound has Regina walking over to the Sheriff's desk studying the piles of paper spread over the top of the desk. "Really Sheriff." She shuffles papers revealing Emma's phone and badge. She starts to pick both items up but instead pushes them to one side and runs a finger over the piece of paper that the phone and badge were resting on. Her eyebrows furrow as she quickly reads the various words and doodles that are randomly written in every direction on the paper.

A decidedly unfriendly, yet nervous, "Regina," has her looking towards the doorway to find Mary-Margaret holding onto the doorknob for support, "Have you seen, Emma?"

"I have no idea where Miss Swan is. Nor do I care, except she is, as usual, not doing her job. And that is not acceptable." One corner of Regina's mouth curls into a slight sneer, "And if I did know where she was, why would I tell you?"

Mary-Margaret steps further into the darkened room. "I'm concerned. This isn't like her not to answer her phone."

Regina lifts Emma's phone from the desk and uses the movement to hide the paper she had been studying. "Rather difficult to answer a phone when you don't take it with you."

"Now I am worried."

"Perhaps Miss Swan finally decided to leave. After all, as her past has proven, she is very good at running from her problems.

Mary-Margaret shakes her head, "No, she wouldn't leave her son."

Regina's eyes darken in rage as she takes a step towards Mary-Margaret, who takes a step back. "Henry is my son, not hers." She turns and angrily gathers some of the papers on the desk including the one with doodles. "And now because Miss Swan has decided to randomly disappear, I am forced to do her job as well." She places the papers, Emma's phone and badge in her purse not noticing the red leather jacket that rests on the chair mostly hidden by the desk. She brushes past, ignoring Mary-Margaret as she strides out the door.

Emma rides slowly along an old gravel trail that is surrounded on all sides by trees. When the gravel ends, she parks the bike, removes her helmet and leaves it hanging from the handlebars. She pockets the keys and unzips her jacket as she walks down a barely discernible dirt path.

From out of the tree line Ana appears and follows Emma down the path. She's startled when Emma abruptly appears in front of her. "Care to explain why you've been following me?"

Ana's laughter rings across the lake. She continues to laugh as she walks past Emma towards the lake but is un-expectantly brought to an abrupt halt by Emma's hand on her arm.

A wide eyed, shocked look appears on Emma's face as images from her life begin to flash before her eyes building speed until they are moving so fast that her brain can't comprehend. She drops to her knees as the images continue to bombard her but she is unable to release her grip on Ana's arm.

Regina sits at her desk in the mayor's office rereading the paper she had removed from the Sheriff's office. A barely noticeable lifting of one corner of the paper has her looking up in annoyance that someone would dare to enter her office without permission. Her head tilts to one side when she realizes that no one has entered the room nor can she determine the source of the air movement that had so clearly moved the paper she was studying.

Deciding it must have been her breath that caused the movement, Regina resumes reading until she abruptly pushes back from her desk, gripping the edge of the desk in excruciating pain. A softly uttered, and if anyone had heard her, she would have denied saying it, "Emma," has her clutching her chest but not where her heart would be. Rather her hand curls into a fist over the center of her chest where her soul once resided but is now where a void of emptiness resides.

The pain of her missing soul continues to grow until Regina finally succumbs to the welcoming darkness of unconsciousness. But even in unconsciousness, her curled fingers further tighten as if a battle was being fought to safeguard the small fragments of her soul that still resided within her. A battle, that these small fragments had only survived by burying themselves in the darkness that surrounded them when the curse was invoked.

The pain that Regina was feeling gave strength to her soul fragments and proved what many had thought impossible, that the Evil Queen was still capable of feeling something other than hatred and contempt for those around her. That the evil that darkened everything The Queen touched was not fully encompassing. That there was still a flicker of goodness, no matter how slight, that was struggling to survive. Henry entering her life created a fracture but his simple presence could not give enough strength for the soul fragments to fight but he was enough to give them hope and the strength to endure for the upcoming battle. A battle that if lost would extinguish the last flicker of goodness in Regina.

Ana steps away from Emma breaking their physical connection. She watches Emma struggle to regain her equilibrium. A hoarse but surprisingly strong, "Who are you?" Has Ana amazed at how fast Emma is recovering. "And what the hell just happened?"

The smirk in Ana's response of, "Which question would you like me to answer?" Results in a growl from Emma and a much stronger, "Both."

Ana laughs, "All in due time my dear Miss Swan. But the question I will answer first, even though you haven't asked it is, why am I here?"

Emma stands, swaying from dizziness. She closes her eyes and slowly relaxes her breathing until the dizziness passes. She opens her eyes to find Ana studying her with a smirk and if she looked closely a flicker of surprise and amazement.

"Impressive. I've only meant one other person that recovered faster than you have after touching me."

"Who was that?"

Ana taps her finger against her lips as she ponders the question. "Perhaps I'll tell you sometime. But I believe you have a question to ask me."

Emma stares at Ana and finally asks, "Why are you here?"

Ana smiles and holds out her hands in a manner of saying, now was that so hard, "To tell you why the choice you made to come to Storybrooke changed so many lives but most importantly how it changed your life."

Emma laughs at the earnest look of Ana. "I came because my son, that I had given up for adoption, ran away from home and I brought him back."

Anna nods her head in agreement, "That's true. But you decided to stay and that changed everything."

A perplexed Emma rubs her eyes in frustration before tilting her head to one side studying Ana. "I know I'm going to regret this but how did it change everything?"

"You mean if you had left your son and returned to your life in Boston?"

"Yes. Now answer the question."

"It's very simple," Ana steps closer to Emma, " You, Emma Swan would be dead."

TBC