Once Upon A Time: The Devil Revealed, Part Four

By Rebekkalee Mouri-Hibiki

Emma sat on the edge of the hospital bed, tired of laying down and nervous. She had just finished talking to Mary-Margret, begging her to not tell David about her condition. Mary-Margret agreed even though she was still in a bit of a daze from getting the news herself. A few moments after that, she left to go get David so he could see her.

It was pretty obvious she was trying to get her head around the concept of Emma having Rumplestiltskin's child. ~ Rumplestiltskin, ~ She thought, the name really starting to take the place of his Storybrooke alias in her mind. It wasn't the first time she had thought it but she had yet to speak it, much like the real names of her mother and father. She hoped some day she would be able to but it was still a little unreal to think of them as Snow White and Prince Charming.

She was worried about how David would react to the news and really didn't want to face him so soon. Mary-Margret had convinced her to though, telling her he had been just as worried about her. David was easy to please though, taking short answers and never pressing for details. She hoped he would be the same way now.

She looked down at the floor, sighing. The longer she waited, the more agitated she was getting. She gripped the edge of the bed, startling when there was a knock on the glass. She looked up to find David standing there, a gentle smile on his lips and a foot tall brown teddy bear with a red ribbon around its neck in the crook of his left arm.

Her stomach flipped as she went cold, her heart stopping in her chest. She was certain he knew but hadn't expected him to react in such a way. Mary-Margret had explained that, in spite of everything Rumplestiltskin had done to get them together, David still had quite the grudge against him. Emma hadn't read the story in the book but made a mental note of doing so once she got home.

His sweet expression changed to one of concern, " Are you okay? "

" The bear, " Emma motioned to it as a wave of nausea washed over her. The shock was almost too much for her stomach to bear, feeling like she was going to be sick.

David looked down at it and frowned, " You don't like it? "

" It's cute, " Emma said. She braced herself before asking the next question. She didn't know if she wanted the answer. " Why did you get it? "

David sighed, " I got it for you to make you feel better. "

Emma let out a chuckle in spite of her queasiness. She was happy it wasn't what she thought it was but could only hope he would have as good of a reaction to the news she dreaded telling him. She shook her head gently, " I'm not a little girl. "

David gave her a warm smile, " You're my little girl. "

" I'm not little, " Emma sighed. She felt tears come to her eyes but quickly blinked them away. She looked at the floor, knowing the words she was about to say would probably lead to a tough conversation. " You missed that. "

David sighed, moving closer. He reached down with his right hand, hooking his fingers under Emma's chin and gently made her face him. He looked into her eyes and said, " If I could have helped it, I wouldn't have. It's just... it's just that was what had to be done. "

Emma pulled away slowly, " I know. "

David let his hand fall back to his side before he placed the teddy bear on the bedside table. " Emma, we had planned on coming though with you but you came early and the wardrobe could only hold one... " David's voice trailed off.

Emma blinked, realizing Mary-Margret had not told him about her discovery. Perhaps she was protecting him but she couldn't say that for sure. " It's not your fault, " Emma said quietly. " I don't blame you... not now. "

" You must have hated your mother and I for years though, " David said. He brought his left hand up and ran a finger along the teddy bear's right ear. " Not knowing why. "

Emma was silent for she had. She had looked for them for so long so she could find out what kind of people they were to throw out a baby. She had theories, thinking maybe she had been the result of a teenage tryst or just flat out abandoned. She thought of a thousand reasons why they had done what they had done but nothing seemed to soothe her.

She had decided long ago that the only thing that would satisfy her was the truth. Now she had it, she wasn't quite for sure what to do with it. She understood but it was still strange to believe and not fully grasp it all.

She knew it was what faith most likely felt like. To believe without bothering to dissect it and find proof within it's glittering depths. It wasn't as hard as before but she still had some reservations. She wondered if those lingering doubts in herself were what was keeping her from realizing her true potential.

~ Rumplestiltskin said it would take time, ~ The words passed through her mind, a tear sliding down her cheek at the thought of his name. She needed someone there to hold her hand and lead her to what she needed to do but there was no one to do that. She would have to stand on her own two feet and find it for herself, a prospect that daunted her to say the least.

David took his hand away from the teddy bear, " And then... "

Emma looked at him, noticing his face had changed. He had been a bit sad but now he looked like he was getting angry. Emma furrowed her brow, " And then what? "

" And then I wonder just how much of the vision that bastard Rumplestiltskin didn't tell your mother and I, " David said as he began to clench his left hand into a fist. " If he could have warned us that only you would be able to go and he kept it from us so we would have to send you away. "

" You probably wouldn't have had a choice either way, " Emma replied.

" There's always a choice, " David said sharply. " And he made the choice to not tell us everything. "

Emma frowned, " What if he had? Would it have changed anything at all? "

" Are you defending him? " David asked, his tone harsh. " You sound like you're defending him. "

Emma blinked. She wasn't really but she did want to give him the benefit of the doubt. She shook her head, " No. I'm... I'm just trying to look at things from a different angle. I wasn't even there so how can I defend him? "

David relaxed his fist but he still looked worked up over talking about Rumplestiltskin. He thought for a long time before sighing, " I guess you're right. "

" It's the past now anyway, " Emma made a mental note not to bring up Rumplestiltskin again. It was apparent that David was still holding a grudge against him. She would have to talk to Mary-Margret and get her to help to figure out a way to either tell David about the baby or to keep it a secret for as long as they could. Emma wanted to go with the second option but she knew Mary-Margret would want to go with the first.

Emma sighed, " Can't we just move forward? "

David nodded, " I'd love to. "

There was a silence before Emma spoke again, " So... has Doctor Whale said anything about releasing me yet? "

David quirked his mouth, " That's a good question. I'd like to know too. "

" Maybe you should go find him and ask, " Emma said. There was a knock on the door and she looked around David to see who it was.

" What did you want to ask me, Sheriff Swan? " Doctor Whale said with a slight smirk. He held Emma's chart in his hands.

David had turned as well. He motioned to Emma, " She wanted to know when she's leaving. "

" Soon, " Doctor Whale said. " I just sent Snow to go get her some clean clothes. "

David frowned, " So where's Henry? Is he alone in the waiting room? "

" He left with her, " Doctor Whale replied.

" Oh, " David nodded once. " I guess he can come see Emma when they get back. "

" Yes, " Doctor Whale nodded then stepped out of the door. He motioned towards it with his left hand, " I need to talk to Sheriff Swan in private so if you could... "

" Right, right, " David said and walked to the door. He glanced back at Emma, " See you in a little while. "

Emma forced a smile, " We can only hope. "

David walked out and Doctor Whale closed the door behind him. He shut it and turned to face Emma. He tapped the chart against his right hand as he chewed his lip thoughtfully for a second then looked her in the eye. " Doctor Hopper had some interesting things to say. "

" He did? " Emma arched an eyebrow. " What did he tell you? "

Doctor Whale opened the folder, " He said you talked his ear off. I'm glad to hear it. You've probably kept way too much bottled up inside for far too long. I'm pretty sure you're aware everyone knows you haven't had the easiest life. "

Emma rolled her eyes, " Yeah. Thanks to 'The Mirror' and Regina. "

Doctor Whale paused then continued, " I believe if you continue letting it out, you may be able to move on from what happened to you not only at the mausoleum but everything else you've been through. "

" So am I getting out? " Emma asked.

Doctor Whale nodded, " Yes but on two conditions. "

Emma rolled her eyes, " You and your conditions. "

Doctor Whale closed the folder, " I want you to promise me you'll keep your appointments with Doctor Hopper and I want you to eat regularly, even if you don't feel like it. "

" I'll do my best, " Emma said.

" I also want you to remember that you've got options when it comes to that baby, " Doctor Whale said. " Now I'm not going to tell you what to do about it but I'll support you no matter what decision you make. "

Emma narrowed her eyes, " I've already made a decision, Doctor. "

Doctor Whale arched an eyebrow, " You have? I thought you would think about it a little longer. This isn't something you should make a rash decision about. You might be setting yourself up... "

" I'm keeping it, " Emma cut him off before he could he go into a spiel about setting herself up for more heartache. She knew he would because she had heard it before she had decided to keep Henry. It really wasn't that hard of a decision to make after seeing the sonogram and realizing he was a living person.

Doctor Whale blinked, " Uh, okay. Considering the circumstances, I didn't expect that. "

" What circumstances? " Emma arched an eyebrow. She instantly knew what he was getting at. He had come to the same conclusion Mary-Margret had.

" Uh, " Doctor Whale floundered. " You mean it wasn't the guy that kidnapped you? "

Emma shook her head, " No. I made this baby with someone I care about deeply and it may be all I have left of him. I'll do everything I can to hold onto it. "

Doctor Whale nodded, ' Well then, that means you have to agree to the terms I set forth a few minutes ago. You need to take better care of yourself and get some help. You can't do it all alone, Emma. "

Hearing Doctor Whale use her name made her realize just how earnest he was. He really did seem to care about her. She relaxed her shoulders, sighing. She thought about his words and quirked her mouth, " I know I can't but who's going to help me? "

" Just look around, " Doctor Whale said. " You're surrounded by people who will. "

Regina poured over the pages of her purple spell book, looking for the spell she needed. She had no need for it before but it was vital she find it. She had plans that hinged on it. As she searched, The Mirror cleared his throat. She didn't bother to look up as she said, " Yes? What is it? "

" You still haven't told me what you are up to, Your Highness. How are you going to use Belle against Rumplestiltskin and still give her back to her father? "

Regina looked up, narrowing her eyes. " There is a spell in one of my books that will help me accomplish it. "

" I know what spell you are looking for but that is the wrong book, " The Mirror said. " It's in the black one. '

Regina frowned, " I guess it would be, wouldn't it? What I want to do is rather diabolical and dark. "

" Indeed it is, " The Mirror said. " And you need some rather special ingredients. "

Regina furrowed her brow, " You know a lot about this spell then? "

" I do, " The Mirror said. " And it requires another living person in order to accomplish the goal you're trying to reach. "

Regina scoffed, " That much I recall. A doppelganger if I remember correctly. "

" It's preferable, " The Mirror nodded. " If you really want it to succeed. "

Regina smiled wickedly, " Then I think I have a job for you while I find the spell and gather what I need. "

" I understand, Your Highness, " The Mirror said and faded.

Emma sat in the passenger seat, absently stroking the teddy bear as she looked out the window. Mary-Margret had brought her a pair of jeans and a plain gray sweater to wear home. She was glad for it would be easy to change for bed once she got there. She would go to bed but start in again early in the morning to follow Belle.

She couldn't let her get away with what she had done but she wanted to hang back, maybe see if she would lead her to Regina. There was a chance she was still in contact with her and she didn't want her own chance to catch her to slip away. Even if there was nothing left she could do for Rumplestiltskin, she would be damned if she let Regina get away. She wanted to stop The Evil Queen now more than ever.

Mary-Margret was driving, trying to concentrate on the road but Emma could feel her stealing glances at her. She took a deep breath then let it out before quietly saying, " Emma? "

" Hmm? " Emma replied.

" David said he came in to talk to you while I was gone, " Mary-Margret said. " What did you talk about? "

Emma looked down at the teddy bear, " He came in to give me this and we ended up talking about what happened when you had to let me go. "

Mary-Margret was silent for a long moment before saying, " Oh. "

" You haven't told him yet, have you? " Emma said. She knew Mary-Margret would know what she meant.

" I haven't figured out how to tell him The Blue Fairy lied to us, " Mary-Margret replied. " Your father has a temper and I've been trying to think of a way to say it without setting him off. "

" He does, " Emma said. " He started talking about Rumplestiltskin and he got very worked up. "

Mary-Margret nodded, " Yes. He thinks he didn't tell us everything when he told us of his vision. He think he kept some really important things from us. Of course, he really didn't give him much of a chance to talk. He got mad and we left before he could really tell us everything. "

" Do you think he would have if you stayed? " Emma arched an eyebrow.

Mary-Margret thought about it then shrugged, " Who knows? Maybe? Maybe not? "

" Oh, " Emma said then looked at the teddy bear. " I guess telling him about the baby wouldn't be a good idea then. "

" We'll have eventually, " Mary-Margret said. " You won't be able to hide it forever. "

" I know, I know. But I can just seeing him going ballistic when he does find out, " Emma started plucking at the teddy bear's slightly fuzzy fur. She wasn't pulling it out but she needed to do more than stroke it. The thought of David's reaction filled her with dread.

" He'll have a huge fit, that's for sure, " Mary-Margret said. She then shrugged, " But once he calms down, he may accept it. "

" We can only hope, " Emma said.

There was a silence before Mary-Margret looked at Emma again, " So... having that talk with Jiminy help? "

Emma quirked her mouth, " A bit. I really didn't want to do it. "

" You really do need to talk about things, Emma. You can't keep everything pent up inside forever, " Mary-Margret's tone was serious. " You don't know how much it hurt me to watch you suffer over this last month. "

Emma frowned, not sure how react. It hadn't gone unnoticed but the thought of explaining it all anyone, even her mother, seemed impossible. Emma sighed, " I just don't know how. "

" Then just listen to me, " Mary-Margret said. " Maybe if you listen to how I've felt maybe you'll feel more like talking. "

Emma looked at her, knowing she had felt horrible because of her condition but she was getting the idea that it may have been worse than what she had seen on the surface. " Okay. I'm listening. "

Mary-Margret sighed, " To watch you be so upset and depressed has hurt me deeply. Do you know how bad it feels to be a mother and not be able to do anything for your child? "

Emma frowned because she did know the feeling. She had felt that way during the time Regina had kept Henry from her. She would catch glimpses of him on the street, looking forlorn but knew better than to pull the cruiser over and ask him what was wrong. She had a good idea, knowing that Regina was probably bad mouthing her the entire time and tried to break the boy's faith in her. Henry was unshakable though, Regina's lies making the boy's love for Emma even stronger.

" A little, " Emma said.

" Then you should know what you have been doing to your father and I over the last month, " Mary-Margret said. " James and I put off moving out because we didn't want to leave you alone. We knew you needed us and we stopped looking for a house and everything. We wanted to be there for when you wanted to talk and you've been dodging us. "

" I don't know if you would understand, " Emma said, looking down at the teddy bear.

" Then try to talk about it to me, Emma. I'll listen even if I don't get it. You have a family now and families talk to each other in times of trouble, " Mary-Margret said. " Let's start with where you were that few days before you were kidnapped. You were home so little and... "

" It has to do with magic, " Emma cut her off. " My magic. "

" Oh, " Mary-Margret said. She frowned, " Were you practicing it? "

Emma nodded, " Sort of. I really didn't get to do much with it before... before Mr. Gold disappeared. "

" Wait, " Mary-Margret said. " So you were with Rumplestiltskin? "

" It's complicated but... yes. I was with him and dealing with that whole mess with August and Marco too, " Emma said. " All of it kept me very busy. "

" Don't I know it, " Mary-Margret said. She then frowned, " You said you hadn't seen Rumplestiltskin since the magic came back... you lied to me. "

" To keep things easy, " Emma turned the teddy bear over and wrapped her arms around it. She hugged it to her chest, its softness giving her a little comfort.

Mary-Margret scoffed, " Emma. Life isn't easy and lies complicate it even more. If you had told me the truth I would have... "

" You told me to stay away from him, " Emma cut her off. " I knew... I knew it would hurt you if I told you. "

" And you think lying to me was going to hurt me less? " Mary-Margret's voice was coming up. She was actually sounding angry or at least frustrated with Emma. She glanced at her with a hard look, " What were you doing with him? Wait, I think I can guess. "

Emma frowned, " No. We weren't doing that. "

Mary-Margret frowned, " Then when did you two... "

Emma sighed, " After your welcome home party. "

" You were mad at him that night, " Mary-Margret recalled correctly.

" It was a couple of days after, " Emma said. " I found out he wasn't lying to me about Kathryn and I felt so bad about it, I went to apologize. "

" And one thing led to another? " Mary-Margret asked.

" You could say that, " Emma nodded once. " It was the only time we did anything like that. "

" Oooh, " Mary-Margret said. " So what was going on when you spending all day at his house? "

Emma sighed, " It wasn't all day. I was dealing with August too. "

" I don't care about that, " Mary-Margret said. " Why were you with Rumplestiltskin? "

Emma chewed her lip then muttered, " He said he would teach me how to use my magic. "

" Surely you could have picked someone else, " Mary-Margret said.

Emma frowned, " I thought you told me you were alright with me being around him. "

" That was before I knew all of this, " Mary-Margret replied. " I had no idea the two of you had gotten so far. "

Emma sighed, " I don't know how we did. "

Mary-Margret pulled up to the curb just outside the apartment building. She looked toward it then at Emma, " Is there anything else you'd like to tell me? The boys will be here any second. "

" I don't want to talk about anything else tonight, " Emma said. " I just want to eat something and lay down. "

Mary-Margret nodded, " Fine then. I just have one more thing to say before we go inside. "

" What's that? " Emma had been reaching for her seat belt but paused.

Mary-Margret reached over and grabbed Emma's right hand in both of hers. " You are surrounded by people who love you and will do anything for you. Please don't forget that. We'll help you any way we can, all you have to do is ask. Alright? "

Emma felt a lump rise in her throat at the action, the look in Mary-Margret's eyes telling her it was indeed the truth. She took a deep breath and nodded, " Okay. I'll remember that. "

Mary-Margret let her hand go, " Now. Let's get you inside. I'll get you upstairs and I'll fix you anything you want. Just ask. "

Emma unbuckled for her seat belt, " Anything sounds good right now. I'm not that nauseous so let's take advantage of it. "

" Right, " Mary-Margret smiled and unbuckled her own seat belt. She opened the driver's side door and got out, shutting it before walking over to the passenger side. She opened the door and Emma got out. A slow smile came to her lips as she looked at the teddy bear, " I can't believe your father got you that. "

Emma chuckled, " I don't either. "

Mary-Margret shut the door once Emma was on the sidewalk and they walked up the path slowly. They remained silent as they climbed the stairs and Mary-Margret opened the door. They went inside, Mary-Margret closing the door behind them. " You go on upstairs and get comfortable while I fix the food. "

Emma nodded, " Sure. "

Mary-Margret walked over to the kitchen and Emma walked up the stairs. As she reached the top, something just felt off. She scanned the room, knowing something was different and her eyes fell on what it was. Propped up against the pillows on the bed was a large stuffed white rabbit, about the size of the teddy bear.

Emma had still been carrying her father's present but it slipped from her arms and hit the floor without a sound as she stared at the rabbit. It wore a paisley waistcoat and held a teacup in its right paw. In its left paw, a small envelope was taped. Emma moved slowly to the bed, fairly sure who the gift was from.

Her right hand shook as she reached for the envelope and opened it. A small note card was inside, Emma slipping it out in spite of her trembling fingers. Three words were elegantly written on the card: 'Come See Me'.