Emma's Daughter OUAT

Phone Call

Emma walked through the hospital doors that she had entered through hours ago and out into the cool night. The sun had gone down long ago and it was now pitch black out. She had spent hours talking to Macey and getting to know her and would have stayed longer if it hadn't been for visiting hours ending.

As she climbed into her car Emma couldn't keep the smile off of her face. She had just met her daughter and she was more perfect than Emma could have ever imagined. Her daughter. There was something about those words that both excited and scared the hell out of her at the same time. She never thought she could be a mother and now she was, to not only one but two wonderful children. She was so close to bringing Macey home. So close to being a family.

Emma felt a vibration in her back pocket and reached for her phone. She didn't have to look to know who it was. Mary Margaret.

"Hey."

"Emma, you're on speaker phone. How is everything?" Mary Margaret asked breathlessly. "Did you meet her? Is she okay? Is..."

"Mary Margaret, give her a chance to answer." David interrupted.

Emma chuckled at her mother's enthusiasm and her dad's calmness. It was so like them.

"Well?" Mary Margaret asked impatiently.

"I did." Emma said. "I spent the last several hours with her at the hospital."

"Is she okay?"

"Other than a broken arm and some bruising she appears fine... physically. But I wouldn't be surprised if there's some emotional trauma."

There was nothing but silence on the other end of the phone. Emma could practically see the sad looks on their faces as they took in the news and she knew she needed to give them something happier to think about. "She's taking it well enough, even made a few jokes." Emma said. This seemed to work and her mother was once again speaking, voice happy as usual.

"What's she like?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Outspoken and stubborn." Emma said. She could hear David laugh.

"Wonder where she gets that from...ow, Mary Margaret."

"She's great though." Emma said sincerely. "I didn't expect her to open up so fast but she did. And that's not all. She knows everything."

"Everything? What do you mean by that?" Mary Margaret asked.

"The curse." Emma explained. "She knows about the curse. She's known for years."

Once again there was silence on the other end of the phone as they let the news sink in. After a while David spoke. "What?" He asked, clearly shocked. "How is that possible?"

Emma explained everything that Macey had told her about the apprentice and what he had told her all those years ago. "I don't know who this apprentice is or how he found her, but he gave her a book. The same book Henry has."

"Well that's good." Mary Margaret said. "At least you don't have to worry about explaining everything."

"Yeah." Emma agreed. "Anyways, she has to stay at the hospital tonight but if everything goes well she should be released tomorrow. It sounds like I should be able to bring her home right away, thanks to Gold."

"Emma, that's great!" Mary Margaret exclaimed. "We can't wait to meet her. It's all Henry's been talking about."

Emma smiled at the mention of her son. "So he's okay? He isn't upset about me leaving without telling him?"

"He's just fine." David assured her. "He understands and isn't upset at all."

Emma let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. After Henry's last outburst she had been afraid of letting him down again. She was relieved that he was taking it so well.

"He's sleeping right now." David added. "He wanted to wait up to talk to you but ended up passing out on the couch while watching Harry Potter."

Emma chuckled. "That's okay, I'll talk to him tomorrow. I should get going anyway. I still need to check into a hotel for the night."

"Right, of course." Mary Margaret said, the slight disappointment evident in her voice. "You'll call tomorrow? Let us know how everything's going?"

Emma's lips curved up into a small smile. Even after everything that had happened since breaking the curse she still wasn't used to someone caring. "Of course." She agreed.

"Good." Mary Margaret said. "And, Emma...just...be safe."

"Always am." Emma replied as she started the engine.

"We love you, Emma."

The phone nearly fell out of Emma's hands, those three little words catching her by surprise. Those three little words that she had longed to hear as a child but never did. Those three little words that shouldn't have meant so much but did. Three little words. How was she supposed to respond to that? Emma opened her mouth but no sound came out. Instead she quickly hung up the phone, tears blurring her vision. "I love you, too." She whispered.