Chapter 12: Joy of New Discoveries

I arrive at Mary Margret and David's apartment at 7:30. I knock on the green door and wait outside patiently.

I suddenly hear voices behind the door. I try to ignore them, but curiosity was getting the better of me. I lean in.

"What can we do?" I hear, a voice that I recognize as Henry's.

"We just need to act like we're a normal family until she decides to leave." the voice I know is David's.

"But how long can we act normally, were you born yesterday, nothing stays normal for long around here."

"I agree with Henry." the female voice who is Mary Margret's.

"Stop it Henry!" David groans.

"She's not stupid, she'll begin to notice things!" Henry barks.

"And I'm not ready to let a complete stranger into our house to care for our son. She just got into town, she has no job, most likely fired. She's probably a run away or for all we know she's on the run from the police!"

"Snow it's just a couple of hours."

"I'm not ready to trust her."

"You don't have to but our options are limited Snow."

"And what if she get suspicious. If she finds out and then spills the secret to the outside world?"

"Worst case scenario Henry... Let's not think about that right now. She'll be here any minute. We'll discuss it at the meeting tonight, go out on your date with Violet. It's only a few hours and we have to face the fact that she's probably the most qualified to take care of Neal."

I'm starting to feel uneasy, but the lack of trust is justified. I'm Rumpelstiltskin's daughter and I have powers that are unpredictable at times. This is the reason I ran away...well that and my boyfriend dumping me over a text message.

But it's this secret...what secret. It has something to with everyone in town. Are they a drug town? Associated with the Mafia? Did somebody kill someone and the town has been keeping it a secret? Why is David calling Mary Margret Snow? Is it some weird nickname? I fiddle with my locket and knock again, louder than before.

"She's here." Mary Margret says. "Henry get the door."

Henry opens the door. He's dressed in a casual suit and a tie.

"Hey" he says with a grin.

"Hi..." I say. I examine his outfit. "You look good."

"Thank you..."

"So where are you and Violet going on your date?" I ask. He steps aside to allow me to enter the apartment.

The loft is extremely big, larger than I expected. There's a fully stocked kitchen with an island in the middle, a bedroom off to the right which I assume is the master bedroom with the double bed and adjacent cradle. There's a hole in the roof where a ladder and trapdoor open into the upstairs room, which I assume is Henry's place to sleep. It's nice place, covered in some flowery art and scattered with baby toys and other essentials. It kind of reminds me of my loft back in New York, only much bigger and not quite as homey or modern.

"We're going to Granny's for dinner and I though we might take a walk along the shore."

"Sounds romantic." I smile encouragingly.

"Hopefully it will be." he says, scratching the back of his head.

Just then Mary Margret comes in with Neal on her shoulder.

"Just in time." Mary Margret says. She has her hands full of baby, bottle and some papers, I assume are for the meeting.

David comes up behind her.

"Hello Crystal." he says in a friendly voice.

"Hello David. You have a lovely home."

"Thank you it's Sn-...Mary Margret's."

"Very comfy." I say earnestly.

Mary Margret mills about trying to get organized, while trying to keep the baby calm. I assume from the burping rag that she just fed him.

David grabs his car keys and puts his coat on. He turns to me.

"So he needs his nightly bottle at around nine and then he goes down after you burp him. Wind his mobile a bit for that because it will usually put him to sleep. If he does wake up while we're gone, just check the diaper and talk to him. He loves listening to people's voices and that will lull him quite quickly. If he gets fussy there's toys to calm him down and a extra bottle in the fridge."

He goes to the kitchen and I follow him.

"This is the number we use that you can reach us at anytime. Henry also has a cell phone number. Everything emergency is on the side of the fridge and if you need extra help, call Granny or..."

"Okay." I say, knowing full well the drills for proper child care.

"Help yourself to anything in the fridge and the TV is in the back room and..."

Mary Margret comes bustling between us in a frenzy.

"David have you seen my phone I left it..."

"It's on the table by the door." he says.

"Thank you and my purse and..." she continues on. "And if anything does happen, call as soon as possible and if..."

"We'll be fine Mary Margret." I say with a re-assuring smile. "I've done this for a living you know."

She reluctantly looks at me, still cradling her son, wrapped in a blanket. She looks down at him and kisses his forehead.

"Love you sweetie." she says to him.

Slowly, but surely she hands her son to me. I cradle him expertly and bounce him in a soothing motion to re-assure the parents. David slowly motions his wife to the door, he kisses his son as he goes. Mary Margret has worry all over her face. She gives her son one last kiss before going out the door.

I take Neal's tiny hand and wave it at his parents. They shut the door and it's just me, Henry and a baby.

Henry keeps looking in the mirror, fixing his hair to make sure it looks okay. I gently lift Neal to my shoulder and pat his back to make sure he's well burped. Henry begins to get frantic, fixing his tie as most men do when they're nervous.

"Nervous huh?" I ask.

"More than ever. We've only been on a few dates and one technically didn't count cause it...was at a dance and it's where we met."

"How sweet." I smile. "Did you dance to a slow song?"

"Not..exactly...there weren't really slow songs."

"Don't tell me you met at a club?" I grimace. "Very unromantic."

"No...it was... a real classy dance, long dresses and that."

"Sounds elegant." I say. "I wish I had met a guy at a dance in high school."

"I...don't actually go to high school."

"Home schooled?"

"Uh...yeah let's go with that."

I sit down with Neal on a comfortable chair and pat his back a bit more.

"What about you?" Henry asks. "Any special someones?"

My face shrinks slightly, my smile fading, my head goes down and my cheeks go red. Henry immediately picks up on it.

"Sorry...I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay" I say gently. I swallow hard to fight back the tears. I guess I've been kind of avoiding it until now, but the sooner I come to terms with it...the better I'll feel.

"His name was Mason and he was British. He came from England a few years back and..." I sigh, imagining his deep brown eyes. "He was the sweetest man, so well mannered and he treated me better than I've ever been treated. We went out for about a year. We hiked in the Himalayas together and we worked at soup kitchens on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We'd go to the beach and sometimes...we'd just sit outside and talk."

My eyes grow teary and wet, thinking about him. My heart pounds faster. I gave him everything and a measly text is how he ends our relationship. I guess this was a shock because it was usually me ending the coupling, but...if I'm honest I thought he was the one. He restored my faith, even with the scuffle where I thought he was cheating on me, but he told me that was a lie and that he loved me, the fight was just a stupid blow up over nothing.

"What did you talk about?" Henry asks gently, understanding how hard it is and trying to change subject a bit. I know he's trying to get me to talk about it, which can help me heal.

"What our work was like. He worked as a veterinarian's assistant, I at the day care. We talked about what we wanted in life... the future... he and I wanted kids someday and house..."

It starts to become too much for me and bounce Neal up and down to distract myself. Henry offers to take the baby for awhile so I can weep.

I cover my hands over my eyes and just let it all out. In a normal way, no seismic waves or purple light, just normal tears and pain. It feels normal , it feels good. Some release from the rage and anger I had inside.

It's a long time before Henry speaks.

"Is that the reason why you're here?" He asks.

I look up at him and he hands me some tissues. I give him a smile and take them. I just nod.

"It was just yesterday and I couldn't stand being there any longer."

"So you took off for the horizon." Henry finishes.

"Yes and right now...I'm glad I stopped here."

"Me too." he says earnestly.

"As you can probably guess I'm a mess and you probably don't want a weepy whiny stranger in your house caring for your uncle."

"Uncle...?"

"I know David and Mary Margret are your grandparents." say with a small smile, wiping my eyes. "The pieces fit together quite easily."

"You're quite observant."

"I think that sometimes peeves people off. It's probably why I dumped so many guys in the past. The tried to hide their weird habits from me, but I figured them out.

"Why what'd they do?"

I tell Henry more about the infamous exes and he can't help but laugh at some of the psychos I've dated. I can't believe it myself. I laugh along with him and even baby Neal is smiling, even though he doesn't understand. I think he just might be happy to hear laughter. Henry and I chat for twenty minutes when there's a knock at the door.

"Must be your date." I say, taking Neal from him.

"Yes, she likes to be fashionably late."

"Have fun Prince Charming, bring Cinderella home at a decent hour."

The smile fades a little bit as he goes to the door.

I suddenly realize what Violet might think and understand his discomfort.

I drop my voice.

"Just tell her I'm someone from town she wouldn't know and that I'm 25. Just so she doesn't get suspicious or jealous." The last thing I want is to ruin someone I don't know very well's chance at a relationship. A better relationship than the ones I had.

Henry nods and goes to the door.

"Good luck." I whisper and I take Neal into the master bedroom in case Violet gets too curious.

Henry smiles and opens the door.

I rock Neal back and forth, keeping the little one happy and Henry talks to Violet. I wait patiently for him to leave, praying that Violet doesn't suspect anything. When I hear the door shut, I let out a breath of relief.

Now that I'm alone with the little one, I take him to the living room. I lay a blanket down and put him on top. He's quite the kicker and he seems eager to play. I grab one of his toys and shake it in front of him. He grabs eagerly at it. He coos, babbles and drools as all babies do. I can see he's growing quickly and enjoys kicking. He's eager to start moving on his own. At the same time, he's quite content. I let him have the toy and he sucks on it.

He eventually wriggles around like he's trying to move somewhere. He kicks and reaches his hands up. I can tell he's trying to roll over as most 4 month olds do. I first I let him do it until he starts grunting and getting frustrated. I don't want him to strain himself, so I help him onto his stomach.

Once he's on his stomach, he reaches for the blanket's edge, grabs a hold and puts it in his mouth.

I sit and watch him for a little while, he grabs onto anything he can and holds it, including fuzz from the carpet. He's exploring his environment, seeing what things feel like. He can't really go anywhere, so I don't worry about him getting into trouble.

I sit on the floor and lean against the couch watching him. My hand touches something. I pull out a large brown book with a leather cover and the words, Once Upon a Time on it.

I know immediately it's a fairy tale book, probably meant for Neal, but the use out of it indicates it's been around for awhile. I then assume it was Henry's first.

I trace the edges of it with my fingers. And open the front cover.

There's a message on the inside.

Dear Reader,

The book you have discovered carries a great many tales that I have collected over the years and decided to share with you. All these are the fairy tales generations have grown up with and could recite by heart. These may seem a little different, but these are the originals translated from page to page. Please be aware that everything in here is more than merely a fantasy, it is real. To me, they feel real because the characters spring to life off the pages and I do hope they do the same for you dear reader.

So just before you turn the page. Open your eyes and heart to the magic that will surround you and always remember there is always a happy ending.

Sincerely,

The Author

I smile and I hear Neal squeal, turning my attention back to him. He seems bored of being on his stomach so I put the book down and pay attention to him. I pick him up and swing him above my head.

"Super Neal" I smile. "It's a bird, It's a plane, It's..."

The kid giggles and suddenly my hands begin to glow. I immediately put the kid down on the couch and stare at my hands. They're glowing, but the colour was lighter, gentler.

I clench my fist, but Neal continues to giggle, bouncing up and down on the couch wanting more. This magic is stronger, warmer, better. I open my hand and a tiny ball of light floats from my palm. I realize that I can control its movements. The ball is a bright yellow, but begins to dim soon after.

Neal, begins to cry slightly and the ball of light turns a mixture of red and blue. I immediately run to his aid and pick him up and cuddle him. The ball of light is still in the air, only the bright yellow colour is back. I tickle the baby under the chin and he giggles. He squeals and the ball is the brightest it's ever been. I use my free hand and bring the tiny object towards us. The closer it gets, the happier Neal is. When the ball is floating in my palm, Neal is staring at it in amazement until he reaches out and touches it. The ball immediately shines and bursts into a thousand tiny stars. Neal laughs and sucks on his fist.

I have no idea what just happened, but the light seemed to react to Neal's mood, being bright and yellow when he's happy and red and blue when he's sad. Some kind of baby whispering thing. Whatever it was, my powers liked it and they felt different...good and...happy

Neal suddenly grabs for my necklace and puts it in his mouth. He grabs aggressively at the chain, he pulls hard enough for it to hurt me. I slowly pull the chain from around my neck and give it to him. he clings to it and shakes it up and down, thrilled with this new plaything. I let him play with it, glad somebody enjoys it. At one point I try to take it away and he starts to cry so I let him hold onto it.

I give Neal his bottle soon after and sit on the master bed with him. I hum to him and he still holds onto my necklace, he seems to never want to let it go. When he's done, I burp him and then lay him on the bed. I try to put the necklace back on, but Neal gets upset. So I hold it over him like a mobile and he grabs for it, loving the game. He reaches up with his tiny hands and giggles. I play with him until he starts to yawn.

I put him the cradle but he immediately becomes distressed when I try to leave with the locket. I hold it over him and he grabs for it, happy as ever.

I'm reluctant to leave it in his crib with him, so I hang it on his actual mobile and let it dangle within his reach. This seems to satisfy him enough to settle down a bit. I turn the mobile on and sit next to him and watch as he yawns again and closes his eyes.

I watch his little angelic face sleep peacefully, so innocent, not a care in the world. I envy the infant, being in a loving family, roof over his head, a warm bed, no complicated situations. He certainly knows what he wants at such a young age. I start to cry a little bit, so happy and at the same time, so sad.

I eventually pull away and shut the door slightly so if he stirs, I'll know. I go back to the couch and open the book up again.

I start turning through the pages and my heart stops.

There's a picture of Snow White and her Prince Charming. I drop the book on my lap and rub my eyes before looking again.

"Did I just see that?" I gasp.

I look up at a picture on the mantle piece, a picture of Mary Margret and David. I compare the pictures...

"No!" I whisper. "It can't be!"

I start scanning through more pages until I land on a picture of the infamous imp. The smile...the bronze skin...the same in my locket, except the locket picture was moving.

I can feel tears coming.

Everything starts to make sense now. Everything...

I read the first page and the words, The Enchanted Forest come up and everything just clicks into place. Is this the truth that Mason was telling me about? Is this where my mom and I came from? Are all the fairy tale characters we know...they're all right here!

I can feel tears in my eyes, realizing what the secret was all along . It's what my powers were trying to show me, the different characters beneath the surface. Mary Margret is Snow White, David is her Prince Charming. I have no idea who or what Henry, Neal or Emma are, but I assume I'll find the answers in the book.

I start reading, line by line, page by page, absorbing all the details that I can. The illustrations/pictures help me make connections to some of the people I saw around town. The wolf figure in red makes sense for me, Ruby is a wolf...werewolf that shifts during full moons. That's a real twist on the Red Riding Hood. I think they tried to make a movie out of it. I wonder if Ruby has the rights to the idea? The red headed man I saw was Archie and he is in fact Jiminy Cricket of the Pinocchio story and so on.

I get so engrossed I don't realize what time it is. Fortunately, I get lots of reading done before I hear a car outside.

I suddenly come to realization why the book was under the couch in the first place. The others were hiding it from me. I don't really want an awkward conversations right now...the fact that the storybook characters I grew up with are here and alive, living normal lives. I don't know if I want to let them know what I know, at least not right now. If they find out I'm Rumpelstiltskin's daughter, they might treat me differently, especially if they know I have powers. They'll never let me near Neal or anyone again...then again they do have werewolves and crickets running around and allow them near the baby. I have this gut feeling that I should keep my secret for a little bit longer...let them get to know the real me before I show them there's more than meets the eye.

I quickly grab my coat and disguise the book as best I can. I keep my coat close to my body and listen as David and Mary Margret come in. I smile and they...sort of return it.

"How was the meeting?" I ask casually.

They pause, not really sure what they can tell me.

"Alright." Snow says. "How was everything here?"

"Fine... We played for a bit, I gave him his bottle and he fell asleep with no problems."

Snow...It's so weird to be calling her that. Snow White. She really did live with seven dwarves and they are also walking around town somewhere. Snow goes into the bedroom and checks on him. I'm alone with David.

"We don't really have any money to..." he starts.

"Don't worry about that." I say. "I was happy to do it."

We pause again.

I add. I also left my necklace above his bed. He seems really drawn to it and gets fussy if it's taken away. Don't worry about it."

"You sure..."

"Yes..." I smile, sounding more sure than I feel. That locket is special to me, but it does bring me great pain and can be a burden sometimes. It is enchanted,but it is to protect those who need it. If Neal wants it and it makes him happy. He can have it. Maybe some good energy will rub off on it and it will soak u some happy memories.

Snow comes back out and goes for her purse. I stop her.

"Don't worry about it." I say. "I was happy to do it, no charge."

"Are you..."

"Yes" I insist. "If you need me again, I'm at Granny's Motel. I might be here longer than I thought..."

I can feel the unease in their smiles as I say this. I put my coat under my arm and walk towards them. I can feel they have te urge to move back...away from the stranger.

"See you around hopefully." David finally says.

"Yes!" Snow adds.

Snow reaches over and shakes my hand. I also shake David's and head for the door. I can tell they don;t want to keep a secret about who they are for too much longer, but they might have to, since they don't know that I know this town's secret.

"Good night." I say to them

"Good night and thank you." Snow says.

"Tell Henry good night too." I add.

"We will" says David. "Safe trip home."

"Thank you." and with that I shut the door. I rush to my car and head up to the motel. I feel some guilt for stealing Henry's book, but it has all the answers...answers Mason and I were going to...

I shove Mason from my mind and go up the street to the motel, key in my pocket.

I get to my hotel room and change for bed. I turn on the lights and start reading again.

I learn a lot more about the characters...including my father. He is known as the Dark One, cursed to be the way he is because he killed the previous Dark One and ended up with the blood on his hands. He has much dark magic and he pops up in almost every story, besides his own. He seems like a real menace and pure evil sometimes. It explains so much about my darker side. His magic must have been passed down to me via blood.

I finally get to where I'd assume my story comes up...but instead it's about some woman named Cora...also a miller's daughter. She also falls for Rumple, but she actually wants to keep the magical ability, learn from him. She eventually trick him, thinking the baby is his and she marries another man for wealth and bears a girl named Regina. Rumple ends up sad and alone again, not tearing himself in two

Where the hell is my story?! I want to shout.

I exist too and if these...powers are any indication... I am his daughter, one with dark magic like his. I don't know if there are any other magical beings besides Cora and Rumpelstiltskin that I could be related to, it's unlikely and my mom wouldn't lie in her diary. Something is amiss here.

Where is my story?!