I do not own Once Upon a Time
Sibling time, good times.
Amelia's dining table was covered in paperwork. She had to figure out the schedule for the library for the entire month. There were book readings, children's story times most weekday afternoons. Class trips a few times a month for different grade levels. And this month the high school wanted to use the back room as practice space for their upcoming play. Amelia was pretty sure they were performing one of Shakespeare's plays, she just wasn't sure which one. Shakespeare was not one of Amelia's favorite playwrights, he was too kill happy for her taste.
Part of her wanted to shove the papers off the table, it was a lot of work for one person. It was times like this that Amelia wanted some help at the library. Why didn't she have help? Oh that's right, she tended to work alone. Though maybe she would put up a 'help wanted' sign tomorrow. Just to see what would happen.
Her phone rang, which now it was a habit of getting calls way past when the sun went down. But it was always something exciting, like Ruby wanting to go to the White Rabbit or Graham needing a hand with something.
"Hello?" She answered it.
"Amelia, did you turn in yet?" Graham was on the other end.
"No, too busy. I'm up to my eyeballs in schedule for the library. Why?" At least she was honest.
"You want to help with a search party?"
"Henry again?" She got worried, that kid had a crazy steak.
"Not this time. A patient from the hospital just walked out. Can you meet Emma, Mary Margret and myself in the woods?" Graham told her.
"What will Regina think? She was pretty annoyed you called me last time."
"I don't care what Regina thinks." He sounded like himself, for the first time in years.
"Good, because neither do I. This sounds like fun. I'll be there, fill me in on the rest when I find you." She hung up the phone. At least she was already dressed in comfortable clothes. All she had to grab was her motorcycle helmet. No point taking the car.
Soon she was on her way. Amelia had a million questions in her head. What patient would just walk out? Why was Emma and Mary Margret on this search? Well, at least she knew all her questions would be answered when she reached.
She parked at the edge of the woods and took her flashlight out of her jacket pocket before venturing in. Amelia had to rely on all her tracking skills if she was going to find anyone. Her ears were listening very careful for the slightest noise. She also didn't know what else could be in these woods.
Finally, she heard a branch snap near her. Amelia hated the fact she had no weapon, but she had to make the best of it. She turned in the direction of the noise and froze. Not out of fear but shock.
Not three feet from her stood Luna, again. She just stared at Amelia before walking right up to her and touching its nose to Amelia's leg. A wave of lost settled over her and she crouched down to hug the large wolf. It was a piece of home that hadn't forgotten her and more importantly never judged her.
It was a quick hug, Luna pulled back and titled her head.
"You know where Derek is?" Amelia asked. "Show me." It was odd to call Graham Derek, even though that was his real name. But Luna understood and ran off, Amelia followed.
Why was it hard to keep up with the wolf? She was louder than she meant to be. When she felt herself almost trip, she found herself face to face with Graham.
"Amelia, you found me? That was fast." He caught her hand before she fully fell to the ground.
"Of course I'll always find you. I had some help." She dusted leaves off her jacket. She looked around, Luna was gone. "So who are we looking for?"
"John Doe."
"Seriously? We are looking for someone without a name?" This was almost as bad as searching for Gold's son. Nothing to go on.
"He's a patient who was in a coma. That is until Mary Margret read some book to him. It apparently woke him up. And he left the hospital and headed in this direction."
"Wait, Mary Margret woke him up?" Snow White woke a nameless man up? Could he be Charming?
"Yes, do you know something important? If you know anything you have to tell me." Graham asked.
The things I know that I want to tell you, there are so many. But for your safety I can't. So you are going to have to be patient. But she kept her thoughts to herself. "I have thoughts, that's all." Amelia shook her head.
They had walked further into the woods and found Emma and Margret. They both had flashlights.
"The trail runs out here." Graham bent down to touch the ground.
Emma looked confused. "You sure? Because I thought tracking was one of your skills."
"Just give me a second. This is my world, I got it." Graham looked around then began walking.
His world? Their world actually. Bernadette and Derek.
"What does he mean, 'His world'?" Mary Margret tried to quietly ask Emma.
But Amelia heard her and just gave her a giddy grin. "Our world." Then she took off behind Graham.
They didn't go far, but they knew Mary Margret and Emma were close behind.
"Guys!" Graham suddenly yelled. He must have forgotten he was with three women. Or maybe he did know that Henry had joined the search party.
"Henry, what are you doing here? Regina is going to kill us." Amelia suddenly became the protective mother.
"He left so he could help. He has a crazy idea that the John Doe is looking for me." Mary Margret told them.
Graham pointed to the ground. "He can't be that far, I found this." It was a patient tag.
"Is that…?" Mary Margaret asked.
Emma was the one to answer. "Blood."
They continue on their way down to the stream and the toll bridge. Amelia fell into step with Emma.
"Bet you would love to be back at Granny's warm right now." Amelia said.
"I'm not there anymore." Emma told her.
"Why? What happened? Granny would never kick someone out."
"Regina can apparently. There's a brand new no felons law in town. I'm just kind of here."
"Do you need a place? If you're staying?" Amelia tried to get a straight answer out of her.
"I'll get back to you about that."
"Where is he?" Mary Margaret sounded frantic. And to think the cursed her never met the guy.
"Found him!" Graham called from up ahead.
There he was, lying face down in the water. Mary Margret ran to him. "Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" She turned him over before giving him mouth to mouth.
Yes, that was Prince Charming. And now Snow White was basically kissing him to bring him back to life. Did they have to be lovey and cheesy here too? When neither of them knows better?
Graham was on his cell phone. "I need an ambulance! At the old toll bridge as soon as possible!"
Mary Margaret started pounding on his chest. "No, no. I found you!"
Emma pulled Henry away and turned his head. No child should see a dead person, ever.
But he did start breathing. He coughed up water and just stared at Mary Margaret.
Amelia did catch his answer to Mary Margaret's question of 'who are you'.
"I don't know."
The curse really had done a number on Prince Charming.
Amelia followed the ambulance on her motorcycle. Actually she followed Mary Margaret's car, but they were all going to the same place.
They brought him back to the hospital where Doctor Whale worked on him. Amelia stood with Emma, Mary Margaret and Henry behind a glass wall. Not two seconds later, a woman pushed pass them, calling John Doe David.
What was going on now?
"David! David, is that you?"
Whale was the one who stopped her. "Excuse me, ma'am?"
"Oh my god!" The strange woman wouldn't stop.
"Ma'am, you can't be in here. Please, you can't be in here right now." Whale tried again. But whoever this woman was, she needed to be with… David.
Who is that?" Mary Margaret asked the question on everyone's mind.
"His wife."
That surprising and shocking answer came from Regina. The mayor had just appeared in the hallway. She stared daggers at all three women and then Henry.
"His name is David Nolan. And that's his wife Kathryn. And the joy on her face, well, it puts me in quite a forgiving mood." She turned to Henry. "We'll talk about your insubordination later. Do you know what insubordination means? It means you're grounded."
Kathryn spent a few minutes inside of David's room. Then she stepped outside. There was joy and relief on her face. "Thank you, all of you for finding my David."
Mary Margaret was shocking the only one who could speak. "I don't understand. You didn't… you didn't know that he was here in a coma?"
"A few years ago, David and I were not getting along. It was my fault. I know that now. I was difficult and unsupportive. I told him if he didn't like things, he could leave. And he did. And I didn't stop him. It was the worst mistake I ever made." Kathryn explained.
"You didn't go looking for him?" Emma asked.
"I assumed he'd left town all this time. And now I know why I never heard from him. Now I get to do what I wanted to do forever- say I'm sorry. Now we get a second chance."
"That's wonderful." Mary Margaret had the fakest smile on her face.
Amelia needed a moment to understand the whole situation. She leaned against a wall and slid down. David was Prince Charming; Prince Charming had been engaged to some princess but he turned it all down for Snow White. Was Kathryn the cursed version of that princess? Was this Regina's way of making sure Snow White didn't get her happy ending?
Graham sat down next to her. "What's going through your mind?"
"Why is Regina here?" That was another question.
"She is Mr. Nolan's emergency contact…"
"Of course she is…" So convenient
"And Mrs. Nolan's friend." Graham finished.
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Regina has friends?"
Graham looked at her. "Be nice."
"I'm always nice. But Regina is giving me a death glare. She does not like it when I help out."
"White Rabbit in thirty minutes?"
"Only if you're paying."
Amelia sat at the bar at the White Rabbit. There were already a few empty shot glasses in front of her. Did she drink this much back in the Enchanted Forest? Of course she did spend a great deal of time with pirates, so maybe she did.
Finally, Graham sat down next to her. "Good job out there."
"You're not so bad yourself, for a sheriff." She smiled at him, raising her glass to him.
"Can I ask your opinion on something?"
"Sure."
"I'm thinking about asking Emma to be deputy. I mean, it does look like she is sticking around for a while. Is it a good idea, should I do it?"
"What am I, the next door neighbor?" Amelia asked, trying to look offended. Graham's eyes widened at her. "I'm kidding, I'm happy with the library. As long as we have our few adventures, I'm good."
"So asking Emma is good?"
"Yes, she is certainly capable and knows what she's doing. Just be careful."
"Careful with what?" He asked.
"With Emma and Regina. If a fight broke out between them, I would put my money on Emma but Regina plays dirty. Besides the fact you're sleeping with Regina and I think you have feelings for Emma."
Graham didn't know what to say. Amelia stood up and placed a kiss on his cheek. "I don't want anything happening to you. You're all I have left."
Prince Charming and Snow White are back together, or are they?
Reviews?
