Instructions:

Flashback

Current time

---

"Come on everyone get up. School's in thirty minutes."

She got up, like every single day. If she stayed more time, she could be punished by Ms. Mader and she really didn't want that on her birthday.

Even though that was all she'd want to do, sleep some more. She was exhausted because she had stayed up watching the big clock on the wall in the dark while everyone was asleep until it was midnight, like she did every year.

Today was the day she turned 10.
One year older which meant even less probabilities of someone adopting her.

She picked her favorite outfit, because today was her day.

"Happy Birthday, Emma! I'm so happy for you." Lily, her best friend forever, told her when they saw each other.

She was the only one who always remembered.

At lunch, everyone sang her the happy birthday song, a big cake in her class' canteen table.

In the end, all they cared about was eating her cake, some throwing it to the floor while they played tag.

She pretended she didn't care. She didn't even like that cake.

---

After dinner, a small box was on her bed.

She ripped it open and found a book.
A book that she had already seen in many girls' hands.

Reawakened, she read.
What was is about? Fairytales? Princes and Princesses? 

She started reading the first page.

>>>ooo<<<

She couldn't wait to get home and be alone for an hour to breathe and tell herself that they were just busy and they hadn't just invented excuses to be with her. Even though, that was the truth.

She took off her backpack so she could get the keys in the front pocket, holding the bag on her stomach.

When she opened the door, she searched for the light switch on the wall with her right hand while the other was holding her school bag.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA!"

Her bag dropped on the floor.

She couldn't stop staring at all them that were standing behind the couch, with their hands in the air and big letters saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMMA were hanging on the wall.

She started crying right then, because yes, Elsa did have a presentation tomorrow and still, she was here.
Because Killian and Jefferson did have an exam next week, and they were here.
Because Anna and Will had been all day trying to make her feel better for the lies, because they'd be here.
Because her father and Mary Margaret and Neal were there grinning like idiots and looking at her like this was the best day of their lives.

She started wiping away all her tears that stubbornly couldn't stop coming, and then everyone was coming at her giving her a big, warming group hug.

---

"I never imagined."

They were all sitting on the couch, her eyes dried but still red from crying while they made small talk before dinner.

She was between David and Killian, David's arm around her neck and her head on his shoulder, while her hand was interlaced with Killian's.

"Yeah we hated to lie to you, but we really had to." Anna said.

David kissed her head and got up. Today was Emma's day and he let her to be with her friends too.
"I'm gonna help Mary Margaret in the kitchen, kiddo."

She nodded, smiling and mouthing a "thank you" because this was all she ever wanted.
People who loved her.

"Come here, love." He pushed her to his side, and she placed her legs on his lap, her face against his shoulder. "I hope you're not mad at me."

"No, no, no, I'm not. I'm sorry I was an ass I just wasn't really expecting this."

He pulled her away so he could face her and he just raised his eyebrow at her and teased her with a huge smile on his face because she was on the edge of tears again.

"Stop that!" She laughed and placed her head again on his shoulder.

---

During dinner, Jefferson took a photo of everyone at the table, Mary Margaret offered to take another one so he could be in the photo too.

When she went to grab the soda in the fridge David went to her because he knew she would be alone then.

"Emma... I hope you don't mind Mary Margaret being here, I just- she helped us with everything and she's so happy for you-"

"Dad. Hey. It's okay. I'm so happy to have her here, seriously. This is great." He smiled at that. "And thank you. For this and everything. You guys are the best to me. I feel like I finally found my home."

The words took David by surprise.
She never said this to any foster parent because she was always too afraid that they'd send her back and disappoint her.

"I love you, sweetheart." He said and pulled her in a hug.

"I love you too, dad." She said and at that confession, because that was the first time she ever said it to him or really to anyone, he just squeezed her more.

---

"Ms Blanchard could you pass me the-"

"No, no! I'm Mary Margaret here, please." She laughed and everyone chuckled.

"The mayonnaise, please, Mary Margaret." Will finally said.

The night was going well, David was the funniest with her friends.

"Belle is taking me there to dinner next week since she discovered that..."

"You got her pregnant."

"...she liked sushi- What?"

"What?"

Emma laughed non-stop, throwing her head backwards and covering her mouth with her hands.

She noticed Killian had been really quiet and, in some kind, distant.
She wondered if something was wrong.

---

Emma insisted on helping with the dishes while everyone was just randomly talking in the living room.

It was her day, but she couldn't not feel guilty if she just stayed on the couch while her parents- wait hun *her dad and mary margaret were in the kitchen doing the dishes.

"Emma, would you mind if Mary Margaret spent the night with us? Only if you're comfortable enough for it." David asked her.

"Oh- sure." It got her a little by surprise but she was really okay with it. "Would you mind if Killian spent the night with us? Only if you're comfortable enough for it, of course." She said trying to imitate his voice tone.

This way, she could ask him about what was troubling him, with no rush.

"I don't know, Emma..." He said sighing, after a chuckle.

"Dad, I just... You don't have to worry, I know what I'm doing. I trust him."

"I just... Gosh you're already 18. I... I don't want you to leave me, Emma. I already missed so much of your life-"

"Dad, hey, oh no no no I already had enough crying today!" She started laughing when his eyes started shining, because if she wasn't, she knew she'd be crying too. "I- I- Thank you for everything, David." She finally said, crushing him into a hug and tears spilling out of her eyes too.

"Okay, now go ask him if he wants to stay over before I change my mind. When do you have classes tomorrow?"

"Afternoon. He does too. Mary Margaret does too." She said the last sentence with a chuckle.

"Good then."

---

She approached him from behind the couch, bending down and circling her arms around his neck.

"Would you stay over?"

"David would let that?"

"I just talked to him. He said yes."

"Yeah, okay." He gave her the best of his smirks, his eyebrow raising in the most provocatively way that made her laugh and want to kiss his rosy swollen cheeks.

But his eyes were distant, sad.

In the meantime, Mary Margaret brought a big cake, candles already lighted and David turned off the room's lights, getting the camera ready.

Everyone brought Emma to the middle and started singing the Happy Birthday song.

"Emma! Emma! Can I blow?" Neal asked and everyone laughed.

"No, kid. Today's just Emma." David said, with his phone in his hands, ready to take a picture.

She blew the 17 candles on the borders of the cake and then the one in the middle.
And while everyone applauded, she heard a phone ringing, and Killian turning it off.

Something happened.

|TAN TAN NOW 5 MORE CHAPTERS OF TORTURE YOU'RE WELCOME

So I've already written the first 3 chapters of the sequel... And I basically already have everthing in mind.

Remember when I said this ff was gonna end badly but not to worry bc there'd be a sequel? Welllllll let's say satan couldn't resist it and the sequel will be painful too 😂😂😂😂 oops?|