Author's note: This chapter is super, super long, which I hope helps make up for the lack of regular updates :)

Chapter 49

Typical mornings at the Mills household consisted of three things, beginning around 6:30 when Regina came to wake Emma up since Emma never failed to hit snooze at least six times: lots of whining and negotiation, grumbling and at least several threats to quit school. That, and a ton of coffee, both for Emma and Regina.

So that morning, Emma was fairly surprised when she jolted awake to find her room still dark. Typically sunlight flooded in through the white curtains Regina had chosen when they'd redecorated her room last year, and Emma was not nothing if not a seriously deep sleeper.

She sat up in bed and squinted at the clock. 4:37 am. What the hell? She just rolled her eyes and started to snuggle under her blanket when she heard a booming voice. Well ok, to be fair it wasn't that loud, but to Emma any sound above a whisper was too loud when she slept.

"...he went missing last night." A voice she recognized as Dr. Whale said. "The nurses noticed during their rounds this morning."

"We're sending out patrol teams right now," another familiar voice said. Graham. Emma heard static that must've come from his walkie. "We'll search the area until we find him."

Really? Why were they bothering her mother about a missing patient? Were they seriously that incompetent? Emma groaned and buried her face into her pillow, trying to tune everyone out and get a couple more hours of sleep when she overheard something that caused her to sit up abruptly again.

"...not sure where John Doe could've gone given that we have no idea what his identity is. We're hoping this can lead us to who he is." Dr. Whale said.

John Doe? That meant Prince Charming. Her father. Well, now Emma was fully awake. She opened her door and crept to the top of the stairs, keeping herself obscured behind the banister. Her mother, Dr. Whale and Graham stood at the front door, and Emma looked down with annoyance when she noticed that her mother's hair looked perfect even at this early ass hour, while Emma knew without even looking at a mirror that she was currently sporting an extreme case of bedhead. She was even already dressed in neatly pressed slacks and a cute blouse Emma made a note to borrow soon. Typical.

Regina cast a glance at the stairs, and Emma quickly scurried back up the hall. "Do I need to tell you again to keep it down? Do you need to wake up my daughter, not to mention the whole neighborhood, with your concerns?"

"But Madam Mayor, you did tell us to keep you informed of John Doe-" Dr. Whale protested.

"I know." Regina interrupted, her voice crisp. "But you can lower the volume of your voice. I can hear you just fine. Now, I want you to send out teams and do whatever it takes to find John Doe. He may be a danger to himself as well as others and I want him found immediately. Is that clear?"

Oh God. Her father was missing. But how was that possible? He was in a coma, unless...

Did her reading to him yesterday have something to do with it?

Graham and Whale murmured what Emma assumed were agreements, and the door shut behind them. Emma heard her mother sigh and her heels (heels at this hour, really Mom?) echoing in the foyer.

Emma couldn't stand it any longer. "Mom?"

Regina looked up, startled. "Emma! Did they wake you up?"

"Yeah, sort of."

"I'm sorry about that, dear. But it's still early, why don't you go back to sleep? I'll come wake you when it's time for school."

"Were they talking about John Doe the coma patient?" Emma asked in lieu of going back to sleep. No way could she relax now that her father was potentially in danger.

"Yes, but it's nothing to worry about."

"He's my father though." Emma responded. Regina visibly stiffened at this, but Emma kept going. "So yeah I'm kinda worried."

"How did you-" Regina shook her head. "Never mind. I should've known you'd figured it out."

"Yes, I'm awesome." Emma agreed jokingly. "But do they have any idea where he went?"

"Not yet. But it's nothing to worry about," Regina repeated. "Let the police do their jobs, no matter how incompetent they can be sometimes. They'll find him."

"I want to help." Emma said. "Maybe this is my fault. I went to read to him yesterday and well it can't be a coincidence that he woke up right after that."

"Maybe." Regina shrugged. "But no. You have school. Now get back to bed."

"Mom-"

"No, Emma. I will not allow you to skip school to traipse all over town. School is too important."

Years of arguing with her mother taught her that the pursed lip and furrowed brow Regina was currently sporting meant there was no way she'd get her mother to agree. "Fine." Emma said, thumping back up the stairs. "But tell me if you find him."

"Of course, dear." Regina said. As Emma headed back into her room she could hear her mother turning the coffeemaker on.

She laid back down in bed, her mind already formulating a plan. Just because her mother didn't agree with her didn't mean Emma would listen...


Emma waited until she was certain her mother had left (heels in the foyer followed by keys in the door followed by the revving of her car's engine) to bolt up from her spot at the kitchen table. Now that it was spring, Emma tended to bike to school instead of having her mother drop her off, something that would come in very handy today.

As she pretended to sleep, Emma had actually lain awake, thinking of possibilities as to where her father could've gone. She'd quickly figured that there was no way he was just rambling aimlessly on Main Street or something, since he would've quickly and easily been spotted by Graham or some other early rising citizen.

She also figured that the police would check the residential parts of Storybrooke first, since she'd overheard that they thought John Doe would try to go home. So if he was there he would've been found already, and as far as she knew Regina hadn't received a call yet.

So that left the forest and the back roads. Maybe the docks? They weren't overly populated. But then again there might be people at the docks working now, so that just left the forest. Besides, he was Prince Charming and from what she'd seen in the books he'd spent a ton of time in the forest. Either that or a castle, but there weren't exactly a ton of those in Storybrooke.

Instead of riding her bike, which she figured would be difficult in the forest, Emma stashed it behind some bushes in the backyard and headed out on foot. She usually got home earlier than her mother anyway, and could easily retrieve it.

First, though, Emma stopped at the gas station. Although she usually stopped by before school to pick up a pack of gum or a snack or two to augment her ridiculously healthy sandwich or school lunch, today she skipped the snack aisle and headed straight for the rack of maps, looking for one of Storybrooke's forests. As she squinted at the top one, she heard the door jingle. She took a deep breath and tried to look casual; her mother knew she stopped by here every once and a while so she technically wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Well hello there love." A rather familiar voice drawled. Emma looked up, her ponytail flipping in the air, ready to fire a comeback. But Killian Jones's attention was directed at the cashier instead.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to sell me a pack of those," he said, nodding at the display of cigarettes behind the cashier. Emma kept her head down and her body positioned behind the map rack, trying not to attract his attention when she so didn't have the time to deal with him. She hadn't seen him since that day at the docks (since he wasn't exactly studious) and wasn't looking forward to talking about that. Without looking up she knew he was probably flashing the poor cashier his winning smile.

Wait. What the hell did I just say?

"Nope. I don't think so." The cashier responded. Emma had to bite down on her lip to keep herself from snorting out loud. You have the guy credit for trying though.

"Not even for me?" Killian said.

"Especially not for you. Now get out before I call the sheriff."

Finally satisfied with a map, Emma looked down at her watch. 7:15 am. Crap. School started at 7:30, so she needed to be out of here and in the forest ASAP in order to not arouse suspicion. So she, keeping her head down, walked quickly to the cashier and pulled a couple crumpled bills out.

"Will that be all?" If the cashier wondered why Emma needed a map of the forest, she didn't ask. But then again for all she knew, Emma was planning to use the map for a school project or something. Yep, that sounded plausible.

"Yep, yep." She responded curtly, hoping Killian was gone by now. "Thanks."

But of course, just as she turned to go she caught a familiar glimpse of black leather. Double crap.

"And where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Hello to you too." Emma muttered, all but groaning loudly.

"Yes, it's been a while." He replied. If he was thinking about their last awkward encounter, he wasn't letting on. "You didn't answer me, though."

"School." Emma replied, although she clearly wasn't carrying her usual backpack. She'd decided against it, thinking it was ridiculous to cart around her books. If she ran into anybody who would tell her mother, she figured she could just wing it and hope for the best. "I'm gonna be late, as are you. So if you would please move-"

"With this?" Killian plucked the map out of Emma's hands.

"Yes." She tried to sidestep him but he blocked her way. "Jones. Move."

"Not until you tell me where you're really headed."

"I told you. School. Which is where you should be going too."

"You and I both know you're lying, Swan. Now, I can tell that you're in a bit of a hurry, so this would be a lot faster if you would stop arguing."

Ugh. Fine. Irritating idiot. But he hasn't said anything yet, maybe he forgot? "Alright, you got me. I'm not going to school. I have...an errand."

He raised an eyebrow. "An errand." He repeated. "Does this have anything to do with...what we discussed at our last meeting?"

Oh, shit. "I don't have to tell you anything." She said, her cheeks flaming. She pushed her way outside, and he followed her.

"You're quite correct. You don't." Killian replied. But he continued to follow her as Emma headed towards the path that led into the forest.

"Quit following me! Don't you have, I dunno, bunnies to kill or something? Deer to hunt?"

"Do I look like Robin Hood to you?"

Despite her extreme annoyance, Emma bit back a smile, because she pretty much knew who Robin Hood was and he was nothing like Killian.

"Besides, you and I haven't had a chance to chat yet." He continued.

"And why do you think I want to talk to you?" Emma walked faster and faster, feeling her legs start to burn, although she didn't slow her pace.

Killian caught up to her easily. "Because the last time you seemed rather...distressed. Is everything alright?"

"That was like a month ago. I'm fine." Emma stopped as they reached the edge of the forest and pulled out her map. She decided on the left-most path and started walking.

"Is that why you're here instead as opposed to school?"

"Yes, didn't you know I just love hiking in the morning?" She quipped. "If you're gonna insist on following me, can you at least keep a lookout for Graham or any other cops? I don't want my mom finding out I'm here."

"Why are you here?"

Emma figured she had two options. She could keep dodging his questions, but he was like a dog with a bone when he wanted something. Or she could just tell him. Maybe he could even help her, and as he'd proven once before he hadn't laughed hysterically at the idea that everyone in town was a fairytale character.

So option two it was. "I'm looking for my father." Emma admitted.

"Which is, if I remember correctly...Prince Charming?"

"Don't laugh." Emma muttered. "But yes. That's him. Or as everyone knows him, he's a John Doe in a coma who recently woke up thanks to God knows why, although I suspect I had something to do with it because I read to him yesterday which sounds weird doesn't it, but Mary Margaret said that helps with coma patients, and now apparently he's just wandering around town or something. Still want to help?

Killian nodded. "Aye, that I do."

"Seriously? It's freezing out here."

"I don't exactly have much to do. And at least this way I get to spend the day with you."

Such a big flirt. But it was oddly comforting.


"Ugh! This is useless!" Emma rolled a pebble her sneaker as she looked back at the map. "We've been walking for hours and there's no sign of him! What if they already found him?" But she knew she would've heard. She pulled her phone to check. No texts.

"Let's think about this for a moment. If you were him, and you woke up after so many years, you'd probably head somewhere familiar. Where do you think that would be for him?

"God! I don't know! His mother's farm? King George's castle? Snow White's castle? Yeah, fresh out of those! Hmm, the forest? Well we're there already! The troll bridge...wait." Emma grabbed the map. "Isn't there a troll bridge around here? See? Right there!"

"Not quite." Killian pointed at the map. "There's a toll bridge. About a quarter mile from here."

"But if you were like, I dunno, blindly stumbling around after waking up from a freaking coma you might read the sign wrong, right?

"Then yes," Killian finished. "It's possible he might head there and why we haven't seen any sign of him yet."

As they neared the toll bridge, Emma caught a glimpse of blueish fabric, contrasting starkly against the forest floor. "Look!" She held it up. "It looks like a hospital gown or something!"

"Aye. Must be a sign we're near."

But instead of continuing on at the same determined breakneck pace as before, Emma slumped against the tree, her hands starting to shake as she stared down at the scrap from the hospital gown.

"What's wrong, love? We're nearly there."

"Maybe this was a bad idea. If I call my mom or Graham now they can find him. I mean I'll be in trouble..."

"I thought you wanted to find your father."

"I did. I do. But...but what...what if he sees me and like, remembers?"

"That's a bad thing?"

"I mean, it's one thing if he just thinks of me as Emma. Like a hospital volunteer or something. Then I can, I don't know, get to know him without any pressure. If he doesn't like me, then whatever right? But as his daughter? I mean, whoa. That's...huge."

"You know what I think, Swan? You clearly read to him because part of you wanted him to wake. Whether you want to admit it or not, you want your father to know you." You want a father, and not just the one-sided relationship you have with Snow White."

"Yeah." Emma said softly. "I guess I do."

"And as for whether he'll like you? I believe he will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just am." Killian responded. Emma looked up at him, expecting a snarky grin or something, but instead his face was open and earnest as he looked back at her.


They found him collapsed right next to the bridge. Emma immediately broke into a run. "Call my mom! And then Graham!" She said, throwing her phone at Killian before falling to her knees beside her father.

Her eyes widened as she took in the blood on his head. "Oh God. Please be alive. Please be alive."

"Your mother's on her way." Killian reported. "As is the sheriff."

Emma grabbed her father's wrist and gasped. "I-I think there's a pulse."

Killian reached for the wrist as well. "Aye, there it is. Not to worry. He'll be fine."

But as her father lay there unmoving with his eyes closed, he didn't look like he'd be fine. If there was ever a time she wanted him to be back in that coma, it was now. At least then he'd be safe. Was this her fault? It had to be. "I'm so sorry if I did this, Dad. Please wake up. Gosh, I'm so sorry."

As soon as the words left her lips his brow furrowed. He began muttering something indecipherable.

Emma strained to listen. "What's he saying?"

Killian leaned in as well. "I think it's..."

"Emma." Her father murmured, his voice growing louder and more distressed. "Emma. Emma." His eyes opened slightly, spotting her as her face floated above hers. "Emma." He repeated, although this time he sounded more relaxed. "Emma."

"It's you." Killian supplied rather uselessly.

"I'm right here." Emma said. "It's me, Emma. I'm right here." She and Killian sat together on the forest floor, and she held one of her father's hands as they waited for help to show up.

"Emma!" This time, it was her mother and Graham, followed by a host of paramedics. How they'd gotten here so fast, Emma had no idea. Her father was quickly loaded onto a stretcher.

Regina pulled Emma into a tight hug. "Are you all right?" Her mother's eyes widened. "You're bleeding."

"Huh?" Emma looked down at her shirt. "That's not mine." She hugged her mother again, burying her face in Regina's soft jacket. "And before you say it yes I know I'm in so much trouble, but I couldn't just go to school like nothing happened."

"We'll talk about it at home." Regina responded curtly. But she smoothed back Emma's hair and smiled. "I'm so glad to see you're still in one piece, at least. Now come on. Let's get you cleaned up."

As Regina led Emma away, she turned back to Killian, thinking to offer him a ride home or something. As if he'd read her mind, he just waved her off.

Thank you. Emma mouthed at him.

He smiled back at her, and as Emma followed her mother she thought to herself that maybe she should invite him to a movie sometime or something.


As soon as her mother and Dr. Whale gave her the green light, Emma immediately headed towards her father's new hospital room.

He knew, right? How else would he have known to go to the toll bridge? And more importantly, how else would he have known her name? Ok yes, she'd said it to him before, but that was when he was in his coma. The way he'd said it in the forest, it was almost like he knew exactly who she was. Like he was glad to see her.

Despite the fact that she was grounded until she was old enough to retire, Emma couldn't suppress her smile. She finally had a father! She could stop feeling awkward every Father's Day, and she'd finally have someone to teach her how to fish, although to be fair she didn't even want to learn and there was no guarantee her father even knew how.

Emma pushed open the door to his room. He was sitting up in bed, still looking sort of dazed. A bandage covered his head.

"Um...hi."

"Hello." He responded. His voice was exactly what Emma imagined, sort of low and scratchy. Although that might be from the coma.

"Do you remember me?" Emma asked, feeling all kinds of awkward as she slowly approached him. "I'm the one that...found you." And I'm also your daughter. There's that too.

Her father-David Nolan, as the police had figured out his cursed identity-nodded slowly. "Yes, I-I think so. From the forest, right? Emma."

"That's right. Do you remember...anything else? About me?"

She stood up straight and very still as David squinted at her, taking in her eyes and the light hair that sort of resembled his. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't think so." He said finally. "Should I?"

Author's note: Yes, he's definitely cursed in case that's not clear.