Later the two kids met with Emma at the play castle to discuss Operation Cobra. Emma felt a bit ridiculous perched on top of a wooden play castle, but it was where the kids wanted to meet. They said it was one of the only safe places to discuss Operation Cobra.
"We found your Dad...sort of." Sarah explained as she flipped wildly through Henry's fairytale book. "He's in the hospital, in a coma. See this scar?" Sarah asked pointed to the picture she was looking for. "He has one too!"
"So, lots of people have scars." Emma shrugged.
"In the same place?" Henry sounded doubtful of Emma's reasoning. "Don't you see what this means?" Emma stared between the two of them, with no idea what she was suppose to see.
"The curse is keeping them apart with the coma!" Sarah repeated what Henry had explained on their way home from the hospital. "Now they are stuck without each other! We have to tell Miss Blanchard we found her Prince Charming."
"Ok Kids, telling someone their...soulmate...is in a coma, is probably not the best idea. Not having a happy ending is painful enough but giving someone unrealistic hope is far worse."
"But what if we're right?" Henry questioned. "We know who they are, now they have to know who they are."
"And how do you intend to make that happen?" Emma arched an eyebrow.
"By reminding him!" Sarah and Henry said together.
"We have to her to read their story to him. Then maybe he'll remember who he is!" This part of the plan had been Sarah's idea and she was quite proud of it.
"Look, I know this is odd..." Mary Margaret said to John Doe's sleeping form. "But I'm doing this for...a friend...so please just bare with me." Nodding to herself, Mary Margaret flipped carefully through the pages of Henry's storybook, searching for the story of Prince Charming and Snow White. "As the Prince chased the thief on horseback through the treacherous forest, his betrothed crossed her arms in pout, wondering how many dreadful boring minutes it would take until they could resume their journey again." Mary Margaret continued reading for what felt like hours. She read all the way to the last line in the story.
"For they knew that no matter how they were separated, They would always..." Mary Margaret stopped midsentence when she felt someone's hand latch on to hers. With shaking breathe, she turned to see John Doe's hand resting on top of hers. Without another thought she raced off for Doctor Whale. "I'm sure he's waking up!" She insisted as they raced back to John Doe's room. "He...he grabbed my hand!" She exclaimed triumphantly. Upon entering the room, Mary Margaret was disappointed to see John Doe had still not woken up. She watched excitedly as Dr. Whale checked John Doe's vital signs and EKG reports.
"Everything is steady." He said at last. "The same as it's always been. What were you doing in here?" He sound accusatory.
"Oh I was just reading him a story." Mary Margaret replied innocently.
"Oh." Doctor Whale nodded. "Well perhaps you, um, dozed off. Perhaps you imagined it."
"No, I didn't imagine it. I didn't imagine anything." Mary Margaret said kindly.
"Miss Blanchard, I can only tell you what I see, which is...nothing. Sometimes there are minor fluctuations in readings, perhaps you heard the machine register something?" Whale suggested. Mary Margaret didn't answer, she was very deep in thought. "Look why don't you go home, get some rest? If anything changes, I'll call you, okay?" Mary Margaret nodded curtly before ducking out of the room.
Mary Margaret did go home that night, but not to rest. Instead she sat up in her bed, re-reading the story of Snow White and Prince Charming.
"Thanks for the shirt." Emma said placing three mugs of Hot Chocolate down on one of the tables and Granny's. "Is this your mother's?" She fidgeted uncomfortably in the black silk top.
"She'll never notice." Sarah assured her. That shirt had been in the back of Regina's closet for years.
"Where does she think you two are anyway?"
"Arcade!" The twins answered together.
"And she bought that?" Emma asked surprised.
"She wants to believe it, so she does." Henry clarified.
"Oh imagine that." Emma chuckled sarcastically.
"She's here!" Sarah bounced excitedly as Mary Margaret entered the diner. Mary Margaret quickly spotted the group of three and raced over to join them. Well? Emma implored her silently.
"He woke up." She breathed out, taking Emma by surprise.
"What?" The blonde woman vocalized, not sure if she heard correctly.
"I knew it!" Henry whispered loud enough for all of them to hear.
I mean he didn't wake up, wake up, but he….he grabbed my hand." Mary Margaret explained
"He's remembering!" Sarah assured her.
"What did the Doctor say?" Emma asked still in shock.
"That I imagined it. But I'm not crazy, I know it happened."
"We have to go back!" Henry announced. You have to read to him again." He was excited that his sister's idea had worked out so well. Mary Margaret thought for a half second before nodding.
"Let's go!"
"Wait, wait…What?" Emma exclaimed as she followed after Sarah, Henry and Mary Margaret. The kids raced ahead, but Mary Margaret stayed with Emma so she could explain herself.
"If I got through to him, if I made a connection…"
"You don't believe…"
"That he's Prince Charming? Of course not, but somehow, someway I touched him."
"He's waking up!" Sarah exclaimed as she skipped into the ward with Emma, Mary Margaret and Henry. At first glance it would appear that way. The room that belonged to John Doe was filled with nurses and doctors swarming around. No one noticed Sheriff Graham before he jumped in Sarah's path, blocking her view.
"Sarah, Henry, you should stay back."
"What's going on?" Mary Margaret was concerned. "Is it John Doe? Is he ok?"
"He's missing." Sheriff Graham sighed. Graham stepped aside so that the others could see. Unfortunately just as he stepped away, Regina chose that exact moment to turn in their direction.
"What the hell are you doing here?" The Mayor stormed over, snapping at Emma. "And you," She tugged on Henry's arm, pulling him away from Emma. "I thought you said the two of you were going to the arcade. Now you're lying to me."
"We were going to the arcade, after we had breakfast at Granny's, then we ran into Emma at the diner. So it's really more of a detour." Regina cast a dark glare in her daughter's direction, causing both kids to involuntarily back up in Emma's direction.
"What happened to John Doe? Did someone take him?" Mary Margaret said turning back to the matter at hand.
"We don't know." Graham answered. "His IV were ripped off, but there was no sign of a struggle."
"What did you do?" Henry snapped at his mother.
"You think I had something to do with this?" Regina scoffed.
"It is curious that the Mayor is here." Emma pointed out, placing a protective had on each kid's shoulder.
"I'm here because I'm his emergency contact." The Mayor explained.
"You know him?" Mary Margaret sounded disappointed.
"I found him." Regina nodded. "On the side of the road years ago with no ID. I brought him here."
"Mayor Mills saved his life." Dr. Whale confirmed, now joining the group.
"Will her be OK?" Mary Margaret asked the doctor.
"OK?" The doctor snapped, looking pointedly at Mary Margaret. "The man's been on feeding tubes for years, under constant supervision, he needs to get back here right away or quite honestly, OK might be a pipe dream."
"Well then, let's quit yapping and start looking." Emma suggested, turning to leave.
"That's what we're doing. Just stay out of this dear." The Mayor called out to her. Emma turned to look at the disgruntle woman, a few choice words on the tip of her tongue. "Since I clearly can't keep you away from my children, I guess I'm going to have to keep my children away from you. Enjoy my shirt, because that's all you're getting." Regina clasped one hand of each child and dragged them out of the room.