"Once Upon a Time" and any characters featured in the show belong to their proper owners, in other words, not me.
Set just after "That Still Small Voice."
It was a cool, late summer night in Storybrooke. The sun had set, leaving only the faint blue light of twilight. Stars, one after another, gradually poked through the growing darkness. The leaves rustled in the trees along the edge of town, blown by a wind from the north bringing the warmer weather's end. There was only one thing out of the ordinary that night, a thing that should have been ordinary: the sound of cricket song. Their chirping and humming filled the air and beckoned the townsfolk outside to listen and to question why they had never, for as long as they could remember, heard or perhaps noticed them before. One person in particular, sat on his front porch listening to the oddly nostalgic sound.
Dr. Archibald Hopper rocked lightly off the balls of his feet, enjoying how the squeak of his rocking chair harmonized with the cricket song. Happily sipping his tea, he watched as the last of summer's fireflies rose into the sky to join the brightening stars.
A small throbbing pain interrupted his calm and he put a hand to his forehead. It had been a few days since the incident at the abandoned mine but the bump Archie received in the elevator still ached now and again. The reminder brought the memories back afresh and he couldn't help but think on what Henry had said.
"I think you can be him." Henry said with a sigh. "I think you can be a good person. I mean," he shrugged as if he was stating the most natural thing in the world, " you're Jiminy Cricket."
"Henry," Dr. Hopper leaned towards the boy. How could he explain to him that he wasn't this fairy tale character? "Henry, Jiminy Cricket was a – he was a cricket, okay? And he was a conscience a-and," he shook his head with an ounce of self-loathing, "I hardly think that's me."
Henry bent forward with a determined look in his eye and an innocent smile.
"But before that, he was a guy who took a long time to figure out … the right thing to do."
That gave Dr. Hopper reason to pause. Was this Henry's way of forgiving him for saying such awful things in the office? Was it his way of saying he believed Archie was a good man? No, it was so much more than that; he could tell. Thinking about it now, it took getting trapped underground in an ancient, rickety elevator for Archie to realize that he should have never listened to Regina, as … convincing as she was.
He smiled lightly, nodding. "That kind of sounds like me." How could he have been so foolish?
"Now, it's harder for you," Henry continued, "because of the curse, to hear the voice inside of you, to be who you want to be."
Dr. Hopper felt a small smile tug the side of his lips and he looked to the dusty floor. Henry was such a good kid. Archie knew that, despite his imaginative method of relating with the world, Henry was very insightful about the character of people, certainly more so than the mayor ever was.
Suddenly, the elevator shook with a clatter and both Dr. Hopper and Henry jumped in fright.
Archie felt his hope for rescue falter and fear rose in his chest. Not fear for himself, no, fear for Henry. Fear for the life of the boy for whom he was responsible. Fear for the boy who still looked to the sky with hope and faith that someone would rescue them; this boy who was such an innocent child and wise beyond his years; the boy who thought his poor, flawed therapist was worthy enough to "be" Jiminy Cricket.
It was then, Dr. Hopper remembered, that he decided, if they made it out safe, to never let Henry down again, to do the right thing. It was then that Henry reminded him of that.
But being reminded of what kind of man he wanted to be was far from being the man he wanted to be. Yes, he stood up to Regina but that in no way meant he wasn't still terrified of her. Yes, Henry had forgiven him for very nearly shattering his fairy tale world but that did not erase what had been done and certainly did not rid Dr. Hopper of his guilt.
When the time came, if push came to shove, could he really be who he so desperately needed to be?
Well, it was something to work on, at least.
Dr. Hopper sighed and glanced longingly at his neglected cup of tea, the remaining puddle near the bottom too cold to enjoy. His peace ruined, he resolved to prepare for Henry's first meeting with him tomorrow. It would be the first since the incident. Rising from his rocking chair, he took his teacup inside.
Archie's home was a humble one, styled much like his office. Hard wood floors creaked with age underfoot. The leaves of his many potted plants rustled with the breeze from open windows. Pongo looked up with a small whine from his spot on the single grass-green couch.
"Pongo, off. Go lay in your bed." Archie waved the dog off of the pillow-covered couch and watched as the Dalmatian made its way down the short hallway to their bedroom with soft clicking footsteps.
With a smile for the dog, he walked into the small kitchen and took his teacup to the sink. He made quick work of cleaning it – he had had enough practice since his dishwasher broke down – and set it next to the sink to dry. Toweling his hands absentmindedly, he stole a glance out of the kitchen window. The lighting bugs were all but gone now. A blue dark had settled in the air pierced by the harsh glow of street lamps. Hanging up his hand towel and straightening his maroon vest, Archie turned off the kitchen light and proceeded to his study.
"Need to write down my observations from the elevator," he mumbled to himself as he reached the room at the end of the hall. He sat at his dark wooden desk and, clicking on a lamp, pulled out his file box and flipped through it. "Now, where did I put those notes…" Removing all of the M's, he shuffled through the pile of files he had laid out on his desk but did not find any labeled "Mills, Henry."
"Crumbs," he grumbled, "must have left it at the office."
Dr. Hopper looked at the cuckoo clock on the wall: nine twenty-five. Still early enough for a quick walk to his office and back, he decided. Gathering up his coat and umbrella, he made his way to the front door where he found Pongo waiting, leash in mouth.
"You always know, don't you?" Archie chuckled, stooped to the dog's eye level and gave him a pat on the head before attaching the leash. "Good boy, Pongo."
Archie lived in a small residential corner near the edge of downtown, between the businesses and the woods. The walk to his office was long, but that never bothered Dr. Hopper. The road was scenic, trailing along the edge of the woods before turning just short of the docks into town. Pongo was always a willing walking partner and his ever-present umbrella, a shield against the frequent rain.
Dr. Hopper paused after some time and looked out over a clearing to the woods. The cricket's chirping was loudest here and, it seemed, most calming. The strangest urge to go walking through the trees flickered through his mind, but he shook the thought away. It was certainly too dark now to go wandering aimlessly through the woods. Besides, he still had to get his notes from his office and return home with Pongo.
He let his gaze sweep across the clearing one last time before his eyes were drawn skyward. There, sitting just above the tree line, was a brightly twinkling star. Wringing Pongo's leash, he lost himself in the glow. After a moment, he tore his gaze away and shook his head, chuckling at himself. Had he really considered wishing upon a star? That was rather Jiminy Cricket of him. His sessions with Henry must be leaving a lasting impression. Though …
Thoughts of his experience with Henry in the mineshaft surfaced again and brought back the self-doubt and the questions. Frustrated, he took a few hurried steps forward but stopped again to look at the star.
It would be a benefit to Henry if you could see how he sees the world. A little voice seemed to whisper in his ear. Stand in his shoes for a moment. Maybe if you wished once – just once – you could begin to understand him.
"What harm could there be?" he reasoned with himself. "I-I wish…" Feeling foolish, he glanced around to find he was quite alone on the street, excluding Pongo. He nervously patted the Dalmatian's head and wondered what he could possibly wish for. "I wish…" He looked back to the star and swallowed his inexplicable jitters. "I wish I could see myself as Henry sees me, if only for a day. I want to – to understand why he thinks the way he does." He finally blurted and squeezed his eyes shut. After a moment, he opened his eyes again.
The star twinkled as it always had. The crickets still sung. The wind still blew.
Nothing had changed.
Dr. Hopper released the breath he hadn't known he was holding and looked to the ground. Of course nothing had changed. It was just a star. So, why was it disappointing?
Feeling more than a little silly and glad no one had witnessed his outburst, he pushed himself the rest of the walk into town.
Finally turning onto Main Street, Dr. Hopper sighed, glad to slow his pace. He had just reached Granny's Diner when he heard someone shout.
"Dr. Hopper!"
"Oh, Ms. Swan, "Archie greeted, turning to see the blonde jogging towards him. "Good evening."
"Evening," she replied, "Hey, are you busy?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"No, no, it's fine." Dr. Hopper smiled at the woman who had saved both Henry's and his own life. "Just taking a stroll to the office. What's on your mind?"
"Oh, it's nothing like that." She gave him a don't-psychoanalyze-me look, hooking her thumbs in her red jacket pockets, "I just wanted to thank you. Things were crazy for a while there and I – I didn't really get to say thank you for finding Henry."
"Honestly, he found me in those tunnels –," Dr. Hopper admitted, glancing at his shoes before meeting the boy's birth mother's eyes again.
"That isn't all." Emma continued seriously, "I heard what you said to Regina. That had to have taken a lot, considering the kind of grip she has on people in this town. So, thanks for that. Henry was glad to have you back in on Operation Cobra." Emma put a hand on Archie's sleeve and squeezed lightly, "You really mean a lot to him, you know."
A strangely warm breeze blew through the street, passing around the two, giving a charge to the air and suspending their thoughts. After a moment, the breeze passed and Emma released Dr. Hopper's arm.
"Do I?" Archie whispered as he looked to the sky and chuckled with a grin, tapping his shoulder with the hook of his umbrella before looking back at the rookie deputy, "Henry is an incredible boy. With the right guidance, I am sure he will grow up to be a very good man. I'm glad that I am able to – I will do whatever I can for him," he promised.
"Glad to hear it." Emma gave him a thoughtful look. "Anyway, Mary Margret's waiting for me over at Granny's." she pointed back with her thumb. Mary waved at the two of them and Archie raised a hand in return. "Keep up the good work, Doc."
"No, no, I'm not Doc. I'm Jiminy Cricket, remember?" Archie joked with a smile.
"How could I forget?" Emma rolled her eyes, "I'll see you around." With that she turned to walk back to the diner.
"Have a good evening, Ms. Swan," Archie called in farewell. He then, feeling warmer than he had all evening, turned away with a grin and crossed the street.
The long brick building opposite Marine Garage sported a number of shop fronts, and there, above the Purbeck Shoe Shop, was his office, on the corner of Second and Main. A simple glass door, directly across from Granny's Diner, stood with a sign – "Dr. Archibald Hopper, M.D. Psychiatrist" written in a dull gold – hung in welcome.
"Hold on Pongo," Archie tried to sooth the excited dog, fumbling with his umbrella, leash, and keys. Getting the keys untangled from the rest, he unlocked the door with a click and pulled. "Alright. Alright, up you go" he said, letting Pongo run up the stairs and down the long hallway to his office door.
Upon finally entering his office, Archie let Pongo off of his leash. Chuckling at the dog, he hung his coat and umbrella up on the coat rack, and strode over to his filing cabinet. Dr. Hopper opened the drawer and flipped through the M's. There it was, file 650. After checking and rechecking the worn out folder he failed to find the recent notes he had for Henry. Where had he put that book? Closing the drawer with a snap, he scanned the room.
"Ah!" he exclaimed with a smile. The book of notes was laid out neatly on the coffee table. He walked to the couch and, sitting next to Pongo, picked up the leather bound book. Taking a fountain pen from his pocket, he opened the book to his most recent entry.
Dr. Hopper marked the date of the mineshaft incident and described all he could remember leading up to and during the event. His writing slowed and finally stopped as his recollection caught up with the present. Rereading it with a nod, he neatly scribbled Check for any stress relating to the mine incident. After remembering what Emma said, he continued. Let him talk about whatever he wants. Give him time before going back to the importance of the "curse" as truth. Shutting the book, he took off his glasses and rubbed his face. All the sudden, he felt exhausted.
"Oh, Pongo," Dr. Hopper sighed with a smile and, replacing his spectacles, rubbed the resting Dalmatian's ear, "What am I going to do with you?" He glanced and the clock and winced; it was nearly midnight. Archie squeezed his eyes shut and yawned, "Or me, for that matter?"
The clock tower outside began to toll the hour reminding the physiatrist of his rather urgent need to return home.
"Come on, boy," he patted the dog's back and stood, "we ought to head h- oh." He put a hand to his woozy head and stumbled back against the couch. The bells continued to peal loudly as he fell back onto the cushions and groaned. Pongo, perhaps sensing there was something wrong, jumped off of the couch and pressed his nose against his master's knee.
"Pongo?" Dr. Hopper asked in confusion as his vision faded. The bell toll ceased.
With the second part of season two coming up, I figured I should get moving on this. And after seeing the sneak peek… I can only hope for the best.
Read and Review please.