Author's Note: Oh...My...God...tonight's episode. I can't even...that was just...oh my god! Please tell me somebody else is freaking out as much about this as I am! Ugh! That was ridiculous! R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S! And now I have to wait until March for another episode? This hiatus may very well kill me (especially when I'm laying in bed for half of February with nothing to watch but reruns!)! Okay, fangirling over...for a few minutes. And on to chapter 36! (wow...I didn't think this story would get to be this long...)

Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time...sadly.

Thirty Six

"Emma, breathe." Sophie was holding Emma's shoulders. The two had been watching as the doctors worked on the man, who was supposed to be her father, for over an hour now. "He's fine. Look, the doctors are working to make sure of that. He's okay." She gently rubbed Emma's back trying to be soothing. "He's okay. I promise."

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to make a promise you can't keep." Emma watched through the tears as doctors slowly drifted out of the room.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to give up hope?" Sophie turned the question around on her friend. "Believing in even the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing, Emma."

Sophie watched Emma's head turn quickly with a scowl. That was something her mother always said to her when they were down on their luck.

"Sheriff Swan?" Dr. Whale called after another half hour of tear filled silence. Emma feared the worst as she watched the doctors work.

The tears and their trails on Emma's face were quickly wiped away by her sleeves before she answered.

"Yes?" She called out with a little bit of cracking in her voice from the tears; walking into the room to listen to what the doctor was going to say. "How is he?"

"I think if it had been any later, we would have lost him." Whale spoke solemnly. "That being said, he isn't out of the woods yet. We did have to put him back in a medically induced coma, but if he makes it through the night without any major issues we will have a lot less to worry about in the morning."

"Great." Emma smiled slightly as she watched her father's heart rate monitor carefully. "I'm glad we found him when we did then."

She lost herself while watching him, the sounds of the monitor softly lulling her into a trance for over an hour. All she could think of was everything she had ever read about him in the fairy tales: his past, his family, the way he met her mother, the adventures he had with her mother, the almost marriage between him and a woman who wasn't her mother. It all kept running through her head.

"Emma?" The blonde felt her shoulders shake carefully. "Emma, it's four fifteen. If you don't leave now you're going to be late to get Henry."

At the sound of her son's name she was pulled out of it all. Emma was suddenly standing up from a chair she hadn't remembered sitting down in.

"He'll be okay. I'll keep an eye on him." She heard Henry's godmother offer.

"Thanks, Soph." Emma smiled, showing her gratitude for everything.

The facial expression was returned. "It's what friends do. Now come on, you need to go get Henry."

Ten minutes later Emma was strolling into her son's classroom.

OUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUATOUAT

Emma was on her way to the hospital for the third morning in a row since she and Sophie found John Doe. His hospital room had been where she had spent most of her free time while Henry was in school for these few days. She felt an obligation to be there when he woke up, and she promised herself she would be if it was possible.

As the bitter morning's cold attacked her exposed skin, Emma started to think about the apology she had finally made to her mother a couple nights ago.

"Hi, Mary Margaret." Emma walked into the loft with Henry in tow, not surprised that her roommate didn't reply to the greeting from the couch.

"Hello Miss Blanchard!" Henry smiled at his teacher and grandmother. It had only been a couple hours since Emma had picked her son up from school.

"Henry, my black, fuzzy winter jacket is upstairs in the closet. Do you know which one I'm talking about?" He nodded in response. "Can you go and grab it for me?" She asked, getting rid of her son.

"Alright." Henry smiled before running up the stairs of the loft.

"Your jacket is on the hook by the door." Mary Margaret stated without looking up from the book she was reading.

Emma knew that's where her jacket was, but it would take her son a few minutes before he realized her jacket wasn't upstairs, and buy her some time. "So…uh…I told Henry I would ask you if he could maybe spend the night here tonight?" She felt like a teenager asking their parent for permission.

"That's fine." The response was very mono-tone.

"Can you at least look at me for a minute?" Emma asked bravely. She watched as the woman on the couch barely even fidgeted at the request. "Mary Margaret." She demanded.

"Yes Emma?" Her eyes were still glued to book intently.

"I'm sorry." The blonde's voice was much softer when she apologized. "I'm sorry for what I did, and I can't change that I did it now," Mary Margaret's eyes were now on Emma. "But I am sorry."

"Why?" Mary Margaret's face finally joined her eyes in looking at her forgotten daughter.

Emma's face must have shown her confusion for the question because the question was repeated and expanded on.

"Why did you do it?"

Emma had thought about this exact question since she returned. She knew exactly why she did what she did, but Emma didn't want to admit the reason out loud, especially if her mother would remember this when the curse broke. "Storybrooke is starting to feel like home." The words were muttered out.

"Then why would you run?" The book was put on the small end table and she was leaning forward on her knees.

"That's how I grew up…it's what I've always done." She could feel her eyes filling with tears, but Emma refused to let them fall. "When I was growing up we never stayed anywhere for more than three years. I've referred to houses as 'home,' but I only ever really called the house I was born in 'home,' and that's only because we always went back there. I spent time there every summer and whenever I could." Her voice started to crack because of the emotion. "I never really had the chance to feel comfortable or call somewhere home. It scares me that I not only am starting to feel comfortable here, but I keep trying to call it home."

"Oh, Emma…" Mary Margaret felt terrible now for being mad.

"Mom!" Henry yelled from upstairs breaking the tension a little. "I don't see it!"

"Check my dresser, maybe?" Emma yelled in the direction of the stairs. "So, I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye…or telling anyone where I was going…or even when I would be back." She was still fighting the tears. "I always planned on coming back though. Always."

"Hello, Sheriff Swan." The woman sitting at the front desk of the hospital greeted Emma when she walked in, pulling her out of her own mind. "How are you this morning?"

"Good, thank you." Emma smiled before making her way to the cursed Prince's room. "Hello." She spoke as if the man wasn't comatose when she entered his room.

"Hi…?"

She took her spot in the chair near his bed before she realized there had actually been a response. Her face was frozen in shock when she looked over to see the man now sitting up more than usual in his bed.

John Doe was awake. He was awake, and he was looking at her.

She was staring. Emma knew it was rude to stare, but she couldn't help it. After all, this man was her father…or was occupying her father's body.

She had no idea if he remembered anything, and that was killing her. Emma needed to know if he remembered anything at all.

"Do you…do you know who I am?" Emma questioned him when her brain finally started communicating with her mouth again.

You know the drill: Let me know what you think about anything, the story, what you liked or didn't like, whether or not you're freaking out over that episode or not, anything. I've been inspired by that whirlwind of an episode so I'm in a writing mood tonight so if I'm lucky maybe I will pound out another chapter tonight...we'll see. :)