AN: I have gone through the old chapters and now will be uploading every other day for now. This chapter is the rest of the first half of episode 3. Please continue to leave reviews, I like to hear your theories and thoughts.
Enjoy, Izzie475
Emma frowned at Henry.
"We have to tell Ms Blanchard we found her Prince Charming." he insisted.
"Okay, kid. Telling someone their... soulmate is in a coma is probably not helpful. Not having a happy ending is painful enough, but... giving someone unrealistic hope is far worse."
"But what if I'm right? We know who they are. Now they have to know." he said, shaking his head at Emma's protests.
"And how do you intend to make that happen?"
"By reminding him. We have to get her to read their story to John Doe, then maybe he'll remember who he is."
Emma sighed and leant towards him, her mind was spinning.
"Okay." she said, a plan beginning to form in her head.
"Okay?" Henry repeated, surprised.
"Yeah. We'll do it. But we'll do it my way. Let me ask her."
Emma had a plan, one that she wasn't sure would work and she also wasn't sure how to explain. But she knew she had to try.
She left Henry at his castle promising to meet him tomorrow and headed off towards Mary Margaret's apartment.
Once she got to the door, Emma hesitated. The teacher had given her a spare key this morning but she felt awkward using it. I was stupid, so she shook it off and opened the door.
"Oh hey. I was wondering where you were." said the teacher who was busy tidying in the kitchen. "Cocoa?" she asked.
"Uh yeah, please. I was... with Henry," said Emma, unsure how to continue.
"Is he okay? He looked a little confused at the hospital earlier," she asked.
"Well, that's kind of what I need to talk to you about."
Mary Margaret looked confused but continued making the cocoas.
"He has a plan to wake John Doe."
"And you need my help?"
"He wants you to read to him, from the storybook."
"You want me to read to a coma patient?" said Mary Margaret bringing over the two finished drinks.
"Henry thinks it will help him remember who he was."
"And who does he think he was?"
"Prince Charming."
"And if I'm Snow White, he thinks... me... and him." said Mary Margaret, rolling her eyes.
"He has a very active imagination. Which is the point... I can't talk him out of his beliefs, I'm not even sure I should try... But if we could show him, little by little, how things really work. Then maybe we can help him see-"
"That fairy tales are just that- That there's no such thing as love at first sight or first kiss. He'll see reality."
"Something like that. We've just gotta ease him into it."
"Well..." said Mary Margaret, placing her mug down. "Sadly, this plan is rather genius. We get him to the truth without hurting him."
"I told him that we will all meet tomorrow for breakfast at Granny's, and you will give a full report." said Emma, handing Mary Margaret the storybook.
"Well, I suppose I'll get ready for my date. I guess I'll have to do all the talking."
Emma chuckled. "Who knows, maybe a friendly voice really will help John Doe." she speculated finishing her drink.
Emma agreed to clear away the mugs while Mary Margaret got ready, she had just finished washing up and Mary Margaret was just walking out the door when Emma's phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Hey Em, you know where Soph's spare blanket is? The little monkey managed to get food all over her other one," asked Darren.
"Should be on top of the towels in the hall cupboard."
"Ah-ha. Got it, thanks, Em. Can I ring you back for a chat in a bit after the little miss is in bed?"
"Sure, I've got nowhere to be." chuckled Emma.
She hung up the phone and went into the kitchen make some dinner for herself.
Once she'd finished that she went upstairs to get changed out of her jeans and into her slacks.
Finally, her phone rang.
"Hey, love."
"Hey, Darren. Monkey give you any trouble?"
"A little but she was all tuckered out so wasn't so bad."
"What have you been doing."
"Well, I tidied the mess I had left trying to find Sophie's things last time we were here. Then I took Soph to daycare for a few hours, while I did some very tedious code fixing. I managed to be late to pick her up, so she was mad at me. But I won her over with a bunch of grapes. We played an intense game of guess the animal. Had dinner and bath, story and bed. So now daddy is sleepy."
"Sounds like you've been busy. What was Soph trying to break when you rang me earlier?" she asked.
Darren chuckled. "The clock over the dining table. She climbed up, grabbed it and was trying to "open it" by hitting it against the table."
"All while laughing I presume?"
"Yup got it in one Em. She's been a chatty little chap all day."
"That's good, she's always quiet after long car rides."
"Yeah." he agreed. "Anyway, what's been going down in Curse town, then?"
Emma sighed. "Well, we have apparently found Prince Charming. Snow White is currently reading to him and their daughter is thoroughly confused by it all."
Darren chuckled. "Is Prince Charming aware that he's being read to?"
"He's a coma patient, so I doubt it."
"Wait, hold up- What? You found the Prince but he's in a coma. The brilliant solution that you came up with was to read to him? Which book 101 ways to get out of bed?"
"Haha you're hilarious," said Emma sarcastically. "It was Henry's plan, and she's reading their story from Henry's book."
"Henry's book?" questioned Darren.
"You know the Once Upon A Time book with all the stories."
"No, I knew there was a story in the book about a curse but not about other people. Can I read it?"
"Sure," said Emma, confused by his interest. "I'm sure Henry would be delighted."
Emma heard the door open and close.
"Sounds like the storyteller just got back." she said.
"Well, ask her how it went then."
"I can't. I'm meeting up with her and Henry for breakfast tomorrow. I'll find out then." said Emma, unwilling to move from her cocoon of blankets.
"You can't be bothered to move can you?" asked Darren.
"No, I can't." revealed Emma.
Darren chuckled. "What time am I supposed to be in town then?"
"Around lunchtime?" she suggested.
"Got it."
Emma talked to Darren for a long time but she didn't hear a sound from the teacher, all night. Eventually, Emma stopped talking to Darren and fell asleep.
Emma's sleep was restless and her dreams were filled with images of conflict and distress, but as soon as Emma woke she had forgotten all about her restless night.
Emma dragged herself out of bed and checked the time, 8:09 am. It was much later than she expected and it didn't give her much time before she was supposed to meet Henry.
But after years of living with her husband's terrible time keeping Emma was a master at getting ready quickly.
Unknown to Emma, Mary Margaret had also had a restless night's sleep. When Emma came downstairs to find the teacher still in her pj's she chuckled.
"You look tired."
"I am. Go. I'll... meet you." said Mary Margaret, yawning.
Emma waved goodbye and left the apartment to go and meet Henry.
"Hey Henry," she called to him. He was sat in the middle booth of the diner wearing a huge goofy grin.
"Emma." he called back.
"Mary Margaret will just be a minute she was still not dressed when I left."
"You've seen her this morning?" he asked, confused.
"Did I not tell you I was staying with her?"
"No, but that's awesome this way I can get to you both easily. You know... if the mission needs it," said Henry.
Emma chuckled and left Henry for a moment to order some breakfast.
She collected her food and returned to the table.
"When's Sophie and Darren coming back?" he asked.
"Lunchtime, hopefully." she said, munching.
"Why, hopefully?"
"Because Darren's is as good at keeping time as the clocktower."
Henry laughed. "My mom's like that I can tell her I'll be back in a minute and be an hour without her noticing," he said, sounding pleased with the achievement.
"Where does she think you are now, anyway?"
"Playing whack-a-mole."
"And she bought that?" asked Emma, surprised anyone could buy such an obvious lie.
"She wants to believe it so she does."
"Oh imagine that." said Emma, sarcastically.
Henry nodded although he clearly hadn't followed what Emma had said.
"She's here," he said. Emma turned around to see a far more put together Mary Margaret in the diner's doorway.
"Hey... Don't get your hopes up. We're just getting started okay?" she said, knowing that Henry needed to be let down gently.
Mary Margaret looked slightly nervous, as Emma and Henry looked at her expectantly.
"He woke up." she said.
"What?" said Emma.
"I knew it." said Henry beaming.
"I mean, he didn't wake up, wake up but he grabbed my hand."
"He's remembering." said Henry, excited.
"What did the doctor say?" asked Emma in disbelief.
"That I imagined it but I'm not crazy. I know it happened."
"We have to go back. you have to read to him again," suggested Henry.
"Let's go." said Mary Margaret.
"Wait. Wait," repeated Emma struggling to get her head around what was happening. "What?"
Henry was already out the door before Emma was out her seat.
"If I got through to him, if we made a connection-"
"You don't believe-" asked Emma.
"That he's Prince Charming. Of course not." Mary Margaret insisted. "Somehow, some way I touched him."
Then she left the diner too, leaving Emma behind. Completely confused and curious.
Emma left the dinner and joined Henry and Mary Margaret.
"Shall we take my car?" asked Mary Margaret.
"Sure." said Emma sighing.
They all piled into Mary Margaret's car and were just setting off when Emma got a phone call.
"Hi Em." said Darren.
"Hey, where are you?"
"Portland, well in the area just stopped off to get gas. Thought I'd update you."
"You just wanted to boast because you're on schedule for once." said Emma looking at the time.
"Yeah... I did. And our daughter has been sleeping most of the way, and hasn't cried once."
"Okay, now that is an achievement. You drug her or something?" Emma joked.
"Considered it. I'm joking, no, I let her wear her lemon jumper so she's in a great mood."
"Has she sung the song yet?" asked Emma.
"Still waiting on that one. I'm going to leave now so I'm not late."
"See you in a while then" Emma was about to hang up but Henry was gesturing to give him the phone, so she did.
"Hi Darren." said Henry, Emma couldn't hear the reply but he smiled.
"Yes, that's exactly why I wanted to talk to you."
There were a few moments before Henry spoke again.
"She did?" said Henry, confused.
"Brilliant. Of course," said Henry, looking thrilled at whatever Darren had said.
"I'll make sure of it. Bye," he said, passing Emma back her phone.
Emma decided not to pry and left Henry quietly smiling in the backseat.
Once they arrived at the hospital, Mary Margaret let out a huge sigh and Henry was practically bouncing in his seat.
They got out the car and walked inside.
There was a mass of people surrounding the ward where John Doe had been.
"You're right he's waking up," said Henry, running down the corridor. But Emma wasn't convinced.
"Henry, you should stay back." warned the sheriff.
Something was definitely not right.
"What's going on? Is it John Doe? Is he okay?" asked Mary Margaret looking panicked.
"He's missing." revealed the sheriff.
Graham stood back to reveal an empty hospital bed, behind which stood the mayor.
Emma rolled her eyes, how perfect. Upon seeing the three of them Mayor Mills left John Doe's empty bedside and marched over to investigate.
"What the hell are you doing here? And you," she said grabbing Henry. "I thought you were at the arcade. Now you're lying to me?"
"What happened to John Doe? Did someone take him?" asked Mary Margaret.
"We don't know yet." replied the sheriff. "His IV's were ripped out, but there's no sign for sure that there was a struggle."
"What did you do?" accused Henry, looking at his mom.
"You think I had something to do with this?"
"It is curious that the mayor is here?" Emma pointed out.
"I'm here because I'm his emergency contact."
"You know him?" questioned Mary Margaret.
"I found him on the side of road years ago with no I.D. I brought him here."
Dr Whale came to join the conversation. "Mayor Mills saved his life," he said.
"Will he be okay?" asked Mary Margaret.
"Okay?" repeated Dr Whale. "The man's been on feeding tubes for years under constant supervision. He needs to get back here right away, or quite honestly, "okay" might be a pipe dream."
"Well, then let's quit yapping and start looking." said Emma, her mind switching easily to work mode.
"That's what we're doing just stay out of this, dear." sneered Regina, but Emma just rolled her eyes. "And since I clearly can't keep you away from my son... I guess I'm just gonna have to keep my son away from you."
Regina grabbed Henry's arm and began to walk away.
"Sherriff?" she called back. "Find John Doe. you heard Dr Whale. Time is precious." And with that, she stalked away dragging Henry with her.
"Doctor, how long between your rounds since you last saw him?" asked Graham.
"12 hours or so." replied Whale.
"Then that's what we need to account for."
The sheriff led Emma and Mary Margaret to the surveillance room, where Graham had rounded up a couple of staff members, including Emma's old cell partner, Leroy.
"You two were the only employees on the floor last night and you saw nothing," Graham asked.
The security guard yawned. "Not a thing," he replied.
"Did anybody walk by?" asked Emma.
"I didn't see nothin'." said Leroy.
"Ms Blanchard, was there anything unusual you saw during your trip with your class?" questioned Graham.
That reminded Emma the hospital ward in the tape was completely empty and bland.
"I don't think so." she replied.
Then Emma realised, "We're looking at the wrong tape. This is the ward where Henry's class put up decorations. If this was really the tape from last night, we'd see the banners the kids hung."
Leroy scoffed. "You fell asleep again."
"You selling me out?" replied the guard.
"I ain't getting fired for this." sneered Leroy.
"At least I don't drink on the job."
"Gentlemen, enough." interrupted Graham. "Where's the real tape?"
The security guard flipped a switch.
A tape started playing, this time the ward was full of decorations. And sure enough out walked John Doe. Alone.
"Oh, he walked out alone. He's okay." sighed Mary Margaret.
"Four hours ago. Where does this door lead?" Emma asked, concerned.
"The woods." said Leroy.
