voice;

[ringletted]

[The voice that comes over the tablets sounds calm and collected, masking the panic and fear of the woman speaking.]

I don't know who she was staying with, nor what unit she had been assigned, but if anybody has seen Emma Swan recently, I'd be glad to know. I can't seem to get in contact with her, and though I didn't know her well...

[She has to stop for a moment. It is so, so hard to force her voice not to crack, saying those words.]

Though I didn't know her well, she doesn't seem the type to purposefully make herself unavailable. I suspect she's returned to our home, but I thought it appropriate to inquire about her regardless. Thank you all.

[And then a pause.]

If someone told you about the future that awaits you back home, would you try to change it though it seems set in stone?

Comments

[ringletted]

[There's a moment of pause before she answers, and it's shaky when she does, as though she's trying to hold in emotion.]

Go ahead.

[whatsupcroc]

( Opening the door, Collette peers inside, wheeling in after a moment. She's not sure exactly how Snow's doing, but asks in a softer tone of voice, chin tucking in and looking toward Snow once she finds her from )

How're you feeling? I mean... really, how are you?

[ringletted]

[She respects Collette enough to know that any claims of being fine won't be believed. The girl isn't stupid, after all. And she wouldn't talk about this to anyone else, but this is Collette. It's different in a way she can't pinpoint. So there's a pause.]

You know that people come from different timelines, but from the same worlds.

[whatsupcroc]

( It's strange, but she actually closes the door behind her. Not that she needs to -- it's always just the two of them here.

But it feels right. )

Yeah. It's happened for a whole bunch of people I know, a few months for me and the guy I knew from home, when he was here.

( She makes herself fall quiet after that, knowing otherwise she might babble on when listening was the better skill to use right now. )

[ringletted]

[She steels herself, looking forward instead of at Collette, afraid she'll break if she makes eye contact.]

She is my daughter.

[whatsupcroc]

( Emma.

Collette remembers how Emma had reacted in hearing Snow was around, how it was that she asked about her and -- that hesitation. There's a lot to feel -- surprised, sad, elated -- and she chooses the happiest emotions at first.

Not to be cruel. But... )

You have a daughter. Snow, you have a family!

( It's -- amazing news. Great news! News she barely knows the half of, but Snow has a grown daughter, that's something good somewhere along the way, right? )

[ringletted]

I have a daughter.

[How can one sentence be so many things at once? It's awed, wondering, mournful, hopeful, packed with sorrow. Joyful at things to come, angered at things she will never have.]

[whatsupcroc]

A really great one.

( From what little Collette knew. )

Really beautiful one, too.

( Said with a small smile, searching Snow's face. )

What did she tell you? About you, and about her? About James?

[ringletted]

[A pause, and she shifts her gaze to look at Collette this time.]

Are you sure you want to hear?

[whatsupcroc]

( She meets Snow's gaze. It was serious, wasn't it? )

Yeah. I'm sure! It's important to you. I want to know.

[ringletted]

[She rubs a hand over her forehead almost unconsciously, fretfully.]

There's going to be this curse, a curse that makes people forget who they are. All of us will spend years like that, and - I won't know I'm her mother until she's already grown.

[She'd looked towards parenthood with both joy and apprehension; what if she made too many mistakes, what if her inexperience with mother figures made her a horrible one herself? She hadn't imagined that she'd never have the chance to do anything right or wrong.]

[whatsupcroc]

( Oh. Oh, no. Collette hears this, feeling almost guilty that part of her finds that idea so preposterous it's almost exciting -- a curse, a real curse! -- but it's not affiliated to anything good. She's not so insensitive to say how surprising it is that something like that can exist, or say she wants to see it in action. Not now, when family's involved. )

But then you get to meet her, and if you know by then, it means the curse gets broken. That's good, right? Even if you missed out on a lot of time with her... you guys find each other again!