Hi everyone! So sorry for my absence. I've been traveling constantly for the past couple of weeks and had to continue the travels unexpectedly for a family emergency. Thankfully, everything is going pretty well and will hopefully continue to improve.

I regret to say I won't be able to update twice a week like I had originally hoped. I recently found out that I got accepted into Veterinary School, so a lot of new tasks have suddenly presented themselves and my schedule has become a lot busier. I am going to do my best to update once per week, but I don't want to make any promises. I just have to focus mostly on preparing for school and my family for the time being, but I will write as much as I can.

Thank you everyone for bearing with me, and I hope this new chapter helps make up for the long wait. Please enjoy and let me know what you think.

Chapter 10: Time to Remember

Amidst darkness and the steady beeping of a heart monitor, David Nolan attempted to open his eyes for the first time in 15 years. Dr. Whale had gone home for the night and the sole nurse on duty had retreated downstairs for a fresh cup of coffee, so no one was around for this miracle. David, better known as Storybrooke's John Doe, blinked rapidly a few times in an attempt to clear his cloudy vision, and then permitted his pupils to adjust to the shadowed hospital room.

Unsure of what was going on, he eyed the area for anything familiar. Nothing jogged any memories. Aside from a vacant chair in the corner of the room, a small table topped off with a flower-filled vase, and the various monitors that seemed to be keeping tabs on his body, the room was bare. Lifting a hand, he carefully observed an IV pumping fluid into his veins. Where the hell am I? His thoughts were growing increasingly panicked.

David attempted to shift in the bed to obtain a more comfortable position. It felt as if he had been stuck on this bed for far too long. That was when he felt an odd pressure hovering over his legs. Curiosity getting the better of him, he sat up in bed and noticed an old book sprawled open across his lap. He must have had visitors earlier in the day, between the fresh flowers and now this. Perhaps this book could jog a few memories. Reaching forward, his palm fell across the shadowed image of Prince Charming delicately placing an infant Emma into the enchanted tree. No sooner had his fingers brushed the page, than all of his memories came flooding back at once.

...David being recruited, or perhaps more so forced, to take the place of his twin brother, Prince James... The carriage ride through back roads with the woman whom he was being forced to marry, which had suddenly been interrupted by a thief who stole his engagement ring... Later trapping the thief in a hidden net and discovering the scoundrel to be a woman, Snow White... Fighting the trolls along Snow's side, nearly losing his life, only for the princess to save him by sacrificing a product she needed for revenge on the Evil Queen... Watching Snow try on the engagement ring, mesmerized by her beauty... Watching in helpless terror as the Evil Queen forced Snow into a sleeping curse... Finding his true love motionless in a glass coffin, anguish replaced by elation as true love's kiss brought Snow back to him... Their wedding that had been disrupted by the Evil Queen and her worrisome threat... The feelings of amazement and love as he watched Snow deliver Emma into the world... and finally, the overwhelming feelings of utter fear and anguish as he had to place his baby girl in the enchanted tree and send her to another world before being stabbed.

David gasped loudly, yanking his hand away from the book as if it had been burned. His mind reeled with the flood of images as realization hit him, and he quickly felt for the stab wound on his side; however, there was nothing. How long had he been asleep? Where was Snow? But then the memory of the Dark Curse came to the forefront of his mind as well. Regina must have trapped him under some kind of sleeping curse without his memories, which meant that Snow would have no idea who he was if he tried to find her. Then it hit him... Emma.

There was no possibility that he could have woken up and regained his memories without her help. She was the Savior, and the only one that could break this curse. With his memories back, it was up to him to help his daughter do just that. But, how old was she, even? What did she look like? He knew absolutely nothing of his own flesh and blood. As these thoughts entered the prince's mind, his blood began to boil at the realization that Regina had caused all of this. She had taken everything away from him, Snow, Emma... everyone. All because of her own selfish desire for revenge.

David shot up from the bed, yanking IVs out of his arms in a fit of rage. Regina would pay for what she had done, but first, he needed to find Emma. Recalling that the book had trigged all of his memories, David threw himself over the bed and snatched up the aged leather. While he was shocked to find that the book was indeed about his own story, he was more intrigued by the page it had been left open on- him, mentally going against all of his instincts as a new father, and placing his defenseless daughter inside a portal that would take her to another realm... this realm. A new sensation, something unknown that urged David to move, gently nudged at his mind as he stared at the drawing. He needed to leave and follow this gut feeling, now. Giving into hope and desperation, the blonde snapped the book closed and made a beeline for the door. Thankfully, no one had appeared to try and stop him, so within minutes he was outside the hospital and heading for the cover of the woods, his feet guiding him effortlessly through the night.

Emma sat on her normal stool at the kitchen island the following morning, tired eyes casted towards the counter as she stabbed aimlessly at a mound of eggs on her plate. While she had hoped sleeping would ease her mind and make her body feel better, it hadn't. Her body ached dully everywhere and she felt like all of her energy was drained. Her head also throbbed mercilessly, regardless of the amount of pain pills she forced down her throat. The combination of all this had left the teen in a sour, agitated mood.

"Okay Emma, what's wrong?" Regina sighed heavily. She watched Emma scoop another round of eggs onto her fork, only to tip the utensil and let the food fall back onto the plate.

"Not hungry," the blonde muttered tersely.

"Does it not taste good?" Regina prompted, trying to make sense of her daughter's strange mood.

"I'm just not hungry," Emma snapped, slamming her fork onto the counter. Regina jumped at the sudden action, eyebrows immediately rising towards her hairline. She was about to chastise the younger woman, but held her tongue as Emma hid her face within her hands and began massaging her temples.

"Is it a headache?" she tried carefully.

Emma nodded beneath her hands, moving her fingers in small circles to try and sooth the tension building beneath her skull. "Bad one..."

Regina's concern grew and she stood from her seat, moving around the island to gently massage Emma's shoulders. Sometimes tense muscles could also cause headaches, and as Regina began working her fingers over the area, she could feel Emma's muscles straining against the new pressure. "Did you take any medicine?" she questioned.

"More than usual. It's not doing anything this time," the teen moaned. "And I just... ache... everywhere."

Regina paused the massage to swivel Emma around on the stool. She brought the back of her right hand to her daughter's forehead. "You don't feel like you have a fever."

"I don't," the teen agreed, pulling slowly away from Regina's hand. "It's just..." Emma couldn't quite will the words to come out of her mouth. She trusted Regina, but she also knew that what she was about to say would sound crazy. She didn't want Regina to look at her like so many others had. But if these memories... or flashes... whatever she had been seeing, were real, then the cat would most definitely get out of the bag eventually.

"What Emma?" Regina pushed, her hands resting gently on each of the teen's shoulders. Her brown orbs were filled with so much genuine concern, they prompted Emma to speak.

"It's just, something happened yesterday at the hospital. And the other day when I got pulled out of the mines." She dropped her eyes to her lap, nerves scraping at her stomach.

"What Emma? What happened?" Regina pried. She slowly ran her hands up and down Emma's upper arms, trying anything to calm her down. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Emma nodded without a second thought. "It's just... it sounds crazy, but I swear I'm telling the truth. After I got pulled out of the mine, when I passed out- I saw what I'm positive was a memory... my memory. There was a man. He was carrying me, back when I was a baby, and he looked panicked like he was running from something..." Emma knew full well that, if the storybook was correct, he was saving her from the Evil Queen, but she would leave that whole part out for the time being. "I think- well, I think he was my father... my biological one..."

"Your father?" Regina repeated. Naturally, she was skeptical, but she wanted to hear Emma out.

"Yes, but... um... there's more. He- he looked exactly like the John Doe at the hospital..." Emma trailed off.

Something snapped within Regina's brain, and her orbs grew wide. John Doe? The John Doe? As in Prince Charming? No... no, this couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. Regina actually stumbled backwards, and Emma swiftly reached an arm out to steady her. "Mom, are you okay?" she gasped.

No, no, no! This can't be happening! Regina's mind wouldn't stop ranting and her panic was growing by the second. Her head began shaking back and fourth slowly as she lifted a hand to run slender fingers roughly through her hair. This couldn't be happening!

"Mom!" Emma sharp tone snatched Regina from her thoughts. Frazzled brown eyes fell on concerned hazel ones. "What's wrong?" Emma prompted.

"It's- it's nothing," Regina lied as she tried desperately to get her tone back under control. Not able to force herself into the stoic woman she usually was, the former queen tried another tactic- a concerned mother. "Emma, you hit your head really hard when you fell. Your mind was just coping... trying to take you to a better place."

Emma shook her head and furrowed her brows, dropping her hand from Regina's arm. She had already heard this before. "No, that's not what happened. It was too real, mom. It was a memory."

"Emma... that man can't be your father. It's impossible," Regina tried again, her voice unconsciously rising.

"Why? Why is it impossible?" the teen challenged.

"Because, Emma! He's been in Storybrooke for years, in a coma! He has no wife, no family! He has no one!" Regina practically sputtered, trying anything to get Emma to listen.

"But that-"

"No, Emma!" If her daughter wouldn't listen to reason, she'd have to think of something else. "As I said, you hit your head really hard. And you... well, you've been through a lot in your life. It's natural for your mind to try and cope in some way."

Emma's eyes grew wide, and then narrowed into disbelieving slits. Their normal liquid hazel appearance became solid. "No, don't go there," the blonde snapped harshly, shooting up from her stool. Her whole body protested the sudden movement, but she didn't care.

"Honey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe you could just talk to someone-"

"No!" The word was loud and final. Emma stumbled backwards, her body suddenly pleading to get away from Regina. It was a defense mechanism. Every time someone gave up on her, her instincts were to run. She ran into the stool by mistake, making it skid a few inches across the floor. "You think I'm crazy," she stammered.

Regina's motherly instincts began to rise above her sheer panic over this situation. Her eyes softened and she reached a hand towards Emma. "No, Emma, I could never think that," she promised. Regardless of her powerful feelings for this girl she had grown to love, the Evil Queen within still tugged heavily at her mind. If she's having visions of the prince, and she believes him to be her father, she could be your undoing! She's the age of your curse, and Gold always has an ulterior motive! Her inner voice nagged and nagged, forcing the more tame and sensible Regina down. If there was any chance that Emma could be the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, she couldn't allow her to discover it.

"Then why won't you believe me?" Emma pleaded, eyes growing damp. "You're supposed to be my mother, the one person I can trust! And yet you're looking at me like- like that!" The blonde motioned roughly with her arms towards Regina's face.

"Emma..." Regina tried to step forward again, but Emma would have none of it and scurried out of the way. "Please, I just want to help."

Emma scoffed, a nearly hysterical sound. "Right, but not the kind of help I need from you. You know, I thought I finally found someone that I could trust... someone who would listen and wouldn't give up on me. I guess I was wrong!" Emma darted around Regina, pushing through her headache and growing bodily pains, and sprinted from the house.

"Emma, wait!" Regina pleaded, but she was already gone. Her body and mind were too stunned to give chase at the moment, instead falling back against the wall. She slowly sank down into a sitting position, both hands buried deeply within her chin-length tendrils. "Dammit!" She choked out the word brokenly. How could this be happening? Her daughter, a girl the queen had grown to love more than anything else in all the worlds, could possibly be her biggest enemy and her undoing.

"Gold!" Regina stormed into the pawn shop, throwing the door open with such force that it flew as far as it could before bouncing back harshly against the hinges. The shelves nearby vibrated in response to the motion.

Mr. Gold looked up from a book he was reading behind the counter, grey eyes conveying annoyance. "Madam Mayor, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he grumbled.

Regina stalked forward and slammed her hands down on the counter, eyes blazing. "You bastard! You knew!" He only quirked a brow at her.

"I know a lot of things, dearie, but you're going to have to be more specific," he taunted while gently closing his book. It was clear that he wouldn't be getting anymore reading done anytime soon.

"Emma! You rigged the whole adoption! You knew who she was!" Regina accused sharply.

Gold sighed, placing both of his palms upon the counter. "And who is she?" he questioned.

"Oh, stop playing dumb! You know exactly who she is, and you know exactly who you are," she finished in a lower, blatant tone.

The aging man offered a sideways smile, amusement in his dark eyes. "Why yes, dearie, I do know who I am. Mr. Gold, the exceedingly handsome pawn broker of Storybrooke."

"No!" Regina leaned over the counter, dominating Gold's personal space with accusing eyes. She was in no mood for games. "Who are you, Gold? Really?"

The man regarded her carefully, not even flinching at their close proximity. On the contrary, after a moment of pause, Gold leaned in as well to reduce the limited space even further. With their noses merely an inch apart, eyes glinting with sudden mischief, he finally revealed his true identity. "Rumplestiltskin."

Regina drew back, face set in stone. When she spoke, her tone was flat and merciless. "You did this. You brought her here."

"Actually, I did what you asked. I got you a child," he piped back arrogantly. "You brought her here. You were so wrapped up with the need to be accepted and loved, that you looked past all the blatant signs. It's not like I did anything to hide the truth from you. You did that all on your own."

Regina drew in a deep, long breath, anger rising within her chest. "The law of the Dark Curse states that Emma was supposed to return on her 28th birthday," she bit out between clenched teeth. "She's 15. Bringing her here early has accomplished nothing."

"Ah, but it has. Have you not checked your phone?" he queried. Regina only glared and reached into her jacket pocket, only to realize her phone was back at the house. She had left earlier with nothing in a fit of rage. Knowing the answer, Rumple sneered. "A little birdie might have mentioned that John Doe... or should we just call him by his true name now? Prince Charming... woke up and strolled right out of the building last night." He made a playful walking motion with two of his fingers.

"No..." Regina's eyes grew wide.

"Yes!" Gold interjected. "And I'm sure he's out looking for his sweet, precious Emma right now."

Regina growled in anger and began storming back towards the door, intent on finding Charming before he found Emma. "Oh, and Regina..." She paused in the doorway, chest heaving up and down heavily as she waited impatiently for Rumple to finish. "As you know, all magic comes with a price, especially magic with broken rules. Perhaps you should consider the price of mixing young Emma with this curse before the meeting was prophesied," he warned, although the words were accompanied by a knowing smirk.

Regina's breath hitched in her throat. The headaches. Swiveling on her heels without giving Rumple a second glance, the mayor hurried across the street towards her car. She had to get to Emma before it was too late.

Emma ran as fast as her feet would carry her, no specific destination in mind. Right now, all she wanted to do was put distance between herself and Regina. The bouncing motion of her stride caused her headache to flare even more, the pressure behind her eyes creating black spots in her vision. She bit her bottom lip and forced back tears, unwilling to slow her pace.

Before long, Emma ended up on one edge of town where the forest dominated. Knowing the trees would provide good cover, she continued straight. Dead leaves crackled beneath her sneakers, breaking the natural silence. A fallen branch hidden beneath the underbrush caused Emma to trip, and she used a nearby tree to break her fall. As her hand met the wood, a shock of pain jolted through her head, accompanied by the familiar image of the man from her memories. Emma collapsed on the ground, the pain getting the better of her, and leaned forward to bury her head within her arms. She could feel nausea building within her stomach, and the dull aches and pains within her joints flared. A gasp tore its way from her throat.

"Emma?"

A vaguely familiar voice drifted towards her. Startled by the unexpected company, she threw herself backwards towards the nearest tree, her spine pressed firmly against the trunk. Confused hazel eyes fell on the last person she had expected to see, and her heartbeat accelerated. Before her stood the John Doe from the hospital, now clothed in black sweatpants and an old t-shirt. He must have grabbed the first set of clothes he had come across. "You... how?" she stuttered.

He held his hands up slowly, indicating that he meant no harm. "I woke up last night, and I found your book." He withdrew the familiar text from beneath one of his arms.

"Why are you here?" she questioned, her tone tired and unsure.

"I needed to find you. I just had this gut feeling, so I followed it," he attempted to explain without much success. Emma stared at him as if he had two heads. "You don't need to be scared of me."

"Who are you?" she asked quickly. Perhaps this man could finally provide her with some answers... prove to her that she wasn't crazy.

"That's hard to explain..."

"Try me," she challenged. David noticed a fire in her hazel eyes that reminded him so much of Snow. He couldn't help but smile.

"Well, this book," he attempted as he leaned down to place the leather binding on the ground, "...at least the page that I saw... is true. The prince inside of this book is me, Emma." At the look on her face, he continued with confidence. "And I'm betting that you know who you are."

"The baby..." she breathed. Again, a jolt of pain blinded her vision and she cringed.

"Emma?" David unconsciously got to his feet and hurried to the blonde's side, moving instinctually to place a hand of comfort on her back. But, before he could, Emma shied away.

"Please, don't. It's like the contact triggers the pain," she heaved through heavy breaths.

David stared down at his daughter with great concern. "It must be the memories trying to come back to you," he mentioned, clearly unhappy with Emma's discomfort.

Emma scoffed suddenly, running her hands across her face. "This is all insane!" She looked between slender fingers at the man before her. "So I'm just supposed to believe that I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming? They're made up characters in a freaking book!" she gaped.

"Emma, I know it's a lot to process..."

"You think?" Emma suddenly shot to her feet, pushing through the pain that went with the movement. Charming carefully followed. "Everyone... everyone lies! The one person in my whole life I thought I could trust..." A disbelieving, non-humurous smile overcame Emma's lips. "My mother is the Evil Queen..."

At that statement, Charming bristled. "Emma, no. Snow is nothing like..."

"Not her!" Emma heaved, cutting him off. "Regina! She, well... she adopted me."

Charming's mouth fell slack, blue eyes growing wide. He tried to speak, but no words would come out. "She... did... what..." he finally croaked.

"I thought I could trust her," Emma whimpered, voice breaking. She wiped away a stray tear, then focused her gaze back on her newly discovered father. "But she was just using me... just like everyone else. They use me and then throw me away like I'm garbage..."

David's heart shattered at Emma's words. What had she been forced to endure over the course of her life, all because of this curse? "Emma..."

"No," she snapped, backing away from him. "You sent me away when I was a baby! You don't get to say anything!"

He stepped towards her slowly, pleading her with his eyes to understand. His voice grew hoarse with emotion as he attempted to speak. "It was to protect you," he tried. "So that you wouldn't be stuck in this curse. So that you could find us."

"But you could have kept me!" she argued, any sense of reason long gone. "We would have been cursed, but we would have been together." Deep down, Emma knew that statement wasn't necessarily true, but she was too distraught to think clearly at the moment.

"Emma!" a new voice called in panic. The blonde swiveled her head around to see Regina approaching her.

"No, you stay back!" Emma snapped, instinctively backing away from the woman she had grown so close to over the last few months. "You used me!"

"No, Emma, I swear I didn't- I'm not!" the brunette begged, shaking her head. Thankfully, Emma and David were only a few yards into the tree line, and she had noticed them while driving by.

"Don't lie to me!" the teen screamed. There was so much pain in her voice... so much distrust. Regina's heart nearly shattered.

"You witch!" David suddenly snapped. "What did you do to her?" He closed the space between them within seconds and slammed Regina back against a nearby tree, pinning her with his forearm. True fear entered Regina's eyes as she realized she had no magic to protect herself.

"I didn't do anything to her!" she choked out, glaring confident daggers at Charming. "I had no idea she was your daughter when I adopted her!" She shifted her gaze from David to Emma, who was shakily standing a few feet away. "Emma please, I love you! I would never hurt you! Regardless of my past, you helped me find what goodness I have left inside. I owe you everything."

"Lies!" David screamed, pressing down harder on Regina's throat.

"No, stop!" Emma's request suddenly garnered both of their attention. David reluctantly, but immediately, adhered to his daughter's wish by releasing the pressure on Regina's throat so that she could breathe again. "Please, just... don't hurt her."

While everything inside of her despised Regina at the moment, she had sensed truth behind her mother's words. She didn't want her to be harmed. She didn't want anyone to be harmed. "I just... this- it's all just so much," Emma sighed. She turned to walk a few paces away, but stopped dead in her tracks when a familiar setting presented itself. On the top of a small crest in the ground, standing by itself, was the battered tree from Emma's second memory... this world's side of the portal she had traveled through as a child. "This... it's where I arrived as a baby. This is the tree..." Emma gasped. She stepped forward, almost instinctively reaching for the bark.

"No, Emma wait!" Regina screamed, fighting against Charming's hold. "Wait, please! You weren't supposed to arrive in Storybrooke for years! I don't know what the consequences will be if the curse is broken too early!" Emma paused and looked at Regina over her shoulder, hand held in mid-air. "Please, Emma! I don't care about the curse. You mean so much more to me than it ever will. I can't lose you..." she trailed off, words becoming broken sobs.

David, soaking in the meaning of Regina's words, released the Evil Queen and focused his attention on Emma. He had learned a long time ago that all magic came with a price. This curse would be no different. "Emma, allowing yourself to connect with this part of your past could trigger something bad. Why don't you wait? Let's just take a second to figure everything out..."

Emma took in the importance of their words, but her mind was made up. "I'm sorry," she apologized with sincere eyes. "But I need answers." With that said, and through the cries of fear from both her parents, Emma reached out and placed her palm flat against the trunk. A spark of white light ignited between her hand and the wood, triggered a wave of intense pain like she had never felt before. The torment started within her head, pressure building within her skull until she felt like it would explode, and then agonizingly slowly clawed its way through her body. She felt as if she was being ripped apart from the inside out.

Through the agony, flashes of memories took over her vision. She remembered everything. The tales within the storybook became her reality, melding with her mind. As the final memories faded away, so did her consciousness. Sparks of light invaded her vision before everything suddenly went black. Somewhere far away, she could hear David and Regina calling her name in despair. Her body gave away as her mind shut down, falling limply towards the forest floor.