At Mary Margaret's house, neither David nor Mary Margaret could help notice Merlin fidgeting throughout dinner, carefully using each utensil, holding the cup gingerly between his fingers. He acted as if the chair he sat on was fire, burning his skin through his clothes.

"Sorry," he coughed an apology, "I, uh, I'm not really used to such luxuries…" Mary Margaret and David exchanged glances.

"Really?" Emma asked, "what was it like in Camelot?"

"Camelot?" Mary Margaret asked, "as in King Arthur's Camelot?" Merlin's eyes lit up once the words escaped her lips- if they knew of King Arthur, then surely they knew where he was! Emma still had the book, he remembered. Maybe if he got another look at it….

"Yeah, that's where he's from," Emma said, shoving a forkful of salad in her mouth. Dressing dribbled onto her chin, and she wiped it away with her finger. Merlin nodded.

"I didn't introduce myself earlier," Merlin said, holding a hand out to David. The skin on his hand was more mottled than before, riddled with liver spots that went down to his wrist. Emma grimaced, watching as David took his hand gently, hoping he didn't break the poor man's hand. David was known to have a strong grip.

"Uh, Mary Margaret!" Emma said suddenly, catching the woman's attention. She looked up from her plate, dabbing at the corner of her mouth daintily with a loth napkin.

"Yeah?" she asked. Emma motioned to the living room, which was adjacent to the kitchen and dining area in the house.

"Can I speak with you for a moment?" she asked, "in private?" Mary Margaret looked at David, who had let go of Merlin's hand. It didn't feel right to just get up, especially with a guest. She sighed, eyeing the look on Emma's face.

Something was up.

"Sure," she said finally, "and David, if he needs anything-" she gestured to Merlin, "- help him with it? I don't want him getting hurt." The two women then disappeared into the other room, Emma sneaking Henry's storybook under her arm. Pulling it out, she flipped vigorously through the pages, past the princesses and fairies, winding through dragons and dwarves until she found it.

"This is Henry's book," Mary Margaret said. Emma nodded, tracing the page with her finger.

"I know," she said.

"Why do you have it then?" Mary Margaret asked, more polite curiosity than vicious accusation. Emma bit her lip, finally finding the beginning of the chapter, pounding the title with her knuckle.

"He said a chapter was added," she said. Mary Margaret shook her head.

"To whose story?" she said, lowering her voice. Emma knew what it was- she didn't want there to be another issue in her life. She didn't want to have to go through magic potions and fairy spells again.

The story of Snow White was sitting right in front of her, Prince Charming having dinner with a mysterious guest. Emma shook her head, flipping the book over to show her the page, the elaborate golden writing and meticulously drawn pictures.

"A new story," Emma said, "no one has had chapters added. Not Red Riding Hood, not Sleeping Beauty. There's nothing else in Rumplestiltskin's or Mulan's." Of course, Mary Margaret knew all these people- all of hem were in StoryBrooke, living under different names while trying to figure out how to get back to their own realms. Soon Emma had listed off every single fairy tale- everything from Peter Pan to Pinnochio, Cinderella to Alice In Wonderland.

"What about mine?" she gulped.

"Nothing else besides a happy ending, Snow," Emma sent her a reassuring smile, then flipping back to the newest chapter. She watched Mary Margaret widen her eyes, scanning the pages, taking in every little detail of he newest story.

"Merlin," she read softly, picking her head up, "but that isn't a fairy tale, Emma." Emma nodded in agreement.

"I know it isn't- Henry was telling me about how you guys covered King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table last week in class," Emma explained.

"Then why is this here?" Mary Margaret said, "besides- the curse was broken, Regina lifted it!"

"I know she did," Emma said, "and I feel like this was not her magic." Mary Margaret gasped, trying to sputter out a coherent sentence.

"Who said anything about magic?!" she hissed, her eyes moving to look in the kitchen- David (otherwise known as Prince Charming) was having an idle conversation with the old man, who was stirring in his seat.

"It had to be magic," Emma prompted, "how else would a completely new chapter have just manifested itself in this book?!" Mary Margaret narrowed her eyes at the golden writing, moving on to the picture that was next to it. It depicted a young boy with black hair and a red neckerchief. She pointed to Merlin in the kitchen.

"You think that he's….?" she trailed off.

"He told me he was," Emma finished for her, "and Henry too." Mary Margaret gestured to the picture, eyes wide with disbelief. There was no way the old man sitting in her kitchen was the one on the textbooks at school! Sighing, Mary Margaret took the book from Emma, skimming through the rest of the story.

A kingdom that was once powerful with magic, casting away wizards and witches.

A tyrannical king, chaining a dragon under the castle.

A young wizard becoming a manservant for Prince Arthur, having to hide that he has magic.

The king's ward discovering her own magical abilities.

She shut it, rubbing her thumb along the spine. Despite the fact that this story was in textbooks, it undoubtedly had a fairy tale side to it. Handing it back to Emma, Mary Margaret lead her back into the kitchen, Emma quick to hide the book under her legs as she took a seat in her chair. David caught the action, saying, "Isn't that Henry's book?"

Swallowing, Emma nodded, drawing the book out from under her legs. She slid it across the table.

"We're in it, remember, Mary Margaret?" David sent her a warm smile, which she returned, saying, "Yep- nothing but happy endings for us!" David nodded, leaving the book open to the story of Snow White. Merlin eyed it- they were in it as well?

"So you two are Snow White and Prince Charming?" Merlin guessed.

"Well, that's extremely straightforward, but yes," Mary Margaret confirmed, "we are, in reality, Snow White and Prince Charming." Merlin nodded. Just the way the woman had acted earlier sort of felt odd, as if she belonged in another time, another place.

"What are you guys doing with this?" David asked. Mary Margaret nodded at Emma, who reached over and flipped to the latex addition. Merlin winking at her as she turned the pages.

"What is this?" he asked, "Merlin…. is that a new one? I've never heard it before….." Emma nodded her head in Merlin's direction, David shifting in his seat to get a good look at the old man sitting next to him.

"Oh, shit…." was all David could say, turning through the pages, then looking back to Merlin only to flip through the pages again. Merlin nodded, stroking his long white beard. He one she would have to get rid of it soon.

"I'm still unsure of how I managed to make it in your book," Merlin explained, watching as David's eyes became saucers.

"It isn't Regina's magic, though," Emma said as David opened his mouth, "the curse was lifted, so we think she has nothing to do with this." David nodded, rubbing his chin, stealing a sideways glance at Merlin. Emma cleared her throat, Merlin picking his head up, "I remember you said you'd change back, Merlin." It took a moment to register, but Merlin nodded. The chair squeaked as he pushed it back to stand up.

"Of course, Miss Swan," he nodded.

"Change back?" David asked, "you mean that isn't his real form?" Emma nodded, gesturing to Merlin, watching as he stroked his beard one last time. Letting his hand drop limply to his side, he reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a red neckerchief. So that's where he had it, Emma thought, watching as Merlin sighed.

A wind picked up, blowing through the open kitchen window. Napkins fell front eh dispenser on the kitchen counter, getting swept up in the gray winds that had began swirling around Merlin's feet, billowing upward. It stopped at his waist, a shimmer flowing down his body. The winds suddenly dispersed, the shimmer disappearing completely.

"Sorry, sorry," Merlin said, feeling heat rise to his cheeks, "I haven't used my magic in a while- wrong spell…." David only stared at him in disbelief, Emma failing to stifle a chuckle as he raised a finger, telling them to wait.

His eyes then changed, a glassy blue to a rich gold. It happened in the blink of an eye. One moment, there was an old man standing in a ratty blue hoodie with black jeans, the next a young boy, no more than sixteen or seventeen years of age.

"His eyes turned gold…." David pointed out with awe. Merlin blinked, and the gold was replaced once more with their natural blue. His black hair was a mop atop his head, the red neckerchief bright against the deep blue of his shirt. Tucked into a pair of brown suede boots were brown leather pants, not too tight, not to loose. Merlin held out his arms to his shocked audience.

"Here you go," he sighed heavily, his hands slapping his thigh as he let his arms fall. Emma pursed her lips. He didn't look half bad for a bean-pole.

"I know I should be used to this by now, but holy crap….." Mary Margaret murmured, running her hands through her short hair. Merlin clasped his hands together, rocking back and forth on his heels. This was a normal reaction- then again, it might not have been, considering he never told anyone except Gaius about his magic. And that was by accident.

"What, so you just change your eye color and you change your appearance?" Emma asked. Merlin shook his head.

"I'm a druid," he said, "it's what you humans call wizards or witches. I can perform any spell at will."

"But do your eyes always turn gold?" Emma pressed, pointing to her own face to demonstrate. Merlin licked his lips, nodding.

"Yes," he said, "other druids have to recite spells. I don't."

"Why not?" she asked, "if you're a wizard, shouldn't all of them be able to change eye color?" Merlin shook his head. This was going to be difficult to explain.

"They had to learn their magic through books and teachers," Merlin explained, "I was born with it." Emma scoffed- people weren't just born with magic. Not even Regina, who practiced it as the Evil Queen back in the Enchanted Forest.

"Does that mean you've met Mr. Gold before then?" Mary Margaret piped up. Merlin cocked his head.

"Who?"

"Mr. Gold? He pretty much owns half the town." At his confused look, she sighed, saying, "He's Rumplestiltiskin." Merlin shook his head- the name was not ringing a bell. Groaning, Emma flipped through the book, turning to the story of Rumplestiltskin. They watched as he scanned the pages, brows knit together in confusion.

"He looks terrible," he commented, "how would such a creature as this know magic?"

"He killed the Dark One, a magician back in the Enchanted Forest," Emma explained, "then he gained his ability to perform magical spells. Of course, he still need to recite it sometimes, but not all the time. His eyes never change though." Merlin nodded- it still wasn't making any sense, but it was better to just go along with it.

"But what did he do with his magic?" Merlin asked, handing the book back to emma.

"He used it to make deals with people who wanted his potions, to get rich, to fall in love- Cinderella used it to become a princess-"

"Was there a price?" Merlin asked.

"There is always a price when making deals with Rumplestiltskin," Emma admonished. Merlin shrugged.

"What was the price for Cinderella?" he asked. The two women exchanged looks before Mary Margaret finally answered, "Her firstborn child. He ended up raising the boy as his own son. No one really knows what happened to him though." Emma closed the book, tucking it under her arm, watching as Merlin contemplated just the kind of person Rumplestiltskin- Mr. Gold, in this case- was.

"What happened to him here?" Merlin asked.

"He's happily married to Belle," Mary Margaret said, adding quickly, "if you like, we can take you to meet them later." Merlin gave her a wary glance.

"They might be able to help with why you suddenly popped up in Henry's book," Emma said , Merlin shoved his hands in the pocket of his brown coat, the blue cuffs of his shirt poking out from underneath.

"Would he help me find Arthur?" Merlin asked as they made their way to the front door. emma shrugged.

"Maybe," she said, "I still have the description you gave me if you think its helpful." Nodding, Merlin grinned, letting Snow White and Prince Charming usher him out of there suburban home.