Bitting his nails had become a new habit David couldn't stop, still feeling serious anxiety and anger about everything. They were all sucked into a dark abyss only to be saved once again by Emma who they found in the arms of Regina, something that left a bitter taste in his mouth. Still feeling a need for cathartic relief after learning Regina had been a part of Emma's life as a young child. David new that acting on these feeling towards Regina would not lead anywhere good. So, he sat across from his wife bitting his nails while they waited for their lunch order.
It seemed impossible to get back to normal life, whatever that meant in their special circumstances. The closer they got to Emma the more she went in a different direction not even realising she was doing it at times. A reflux the type of the behaviour Emma had to try and unlearn, to trust herself again. Neither Mary Margret nor David brought up the fact they heard Emma call out for them when they disappeared. Emma had called for their assistance before of course, never had she referred to them as Mum and Dad. They could still here that echo like somehow Emma was still calling out to them, they felt it every time she was out of sight. Feeling even more overwhelmingly guilty about everything that happened to Emma throughout her life. All because they sent her through the wardrobe to break a curse, not even considering the repercussions that would place on her emotional state once they found her.
"Hey, where are you?" Mary Margret asked David reaching for his hand noticing his lost expression, starring off into the distance. David didn't answer but accepted the gesture holding Mary Margaret's hand.
"I'm here" David finally said making eye contact trying to reassure Mary Margret, he was ok.
"You're not, you don't have to be ok" Mary Margret said because the truth was, she wasn't ok either. Part of her now wishing she'd never found those boxes bringing up Emma's past. It felt like all she did was cause Emma more pain.
David didn't answer looking down he wasn't feeling ok none of them were. Accepting that was a part of healing he knew that, but it was still a hard road to cross. Listening to Emma's story did make him feel a little better for a while. Knowing that she had some happy childhood memories, but he couldn't help but feel guilty especially after everything that was said in this very booth just days ago.
At this moment Mary Margret was preoccupied with other fears about the deal David made with Mr Gold. Knowing him this wouldn't be a small ask a surely could put David's life in danger mostly she was upset he failed to mention it to her. It wasn't usually like him to keep secrets. They were in it together, all or nothing he should know that.
"I thought it would be easier to connect with her" David blurted out after a long silence.
"Seriously you two, are just like each other" Mary Margret said shaking her head.
A mother should be happy discovering daughter and father where one in the same. Mary Margaret was filled with fear knowing they both had the same tendency to treat their lives as disposable. They weren't in any means disposable to her they where everything.
"It's going to be ok, the deal I made with Gold it's my problem, my responsibility" David replied. As he said that last word, he felt the weight of all the guilt.
Guilt for never living up to his responsibilities as a father. Not wanting to put Emma in another life-threatening situation felt right in the moment, but know it was feeling like he was just abandoning her. David looked up about to speak but before he could Mary Margret interjected.
"I just don't understand how you could have made a blind deal with him" Mary Margret replied after a moment concerned wondering what he was thinking.
"I couldn't leave it on Emma's shoulders, not again" David said bitterly before calming down "It made no difference in the end anyway" David realised, still stuck in that moment he placed Emma in the wardrobe. With it putting all the hopes of an entire kingdom on the shoulders of a small innocent life and now she still carried that weight.
"I know what you mean, sometimes I wonder if we did right by Emma, or just right by everyone else" Mary Margret added realising that being angry at David for putting his life in danger, was just making the situation harder. After all he did what he thought was right, what any father would do. Mary Margret was feeling worse than ever about how the story ended not with a happily ever after. Ironic really given the goal, break the curse. Too bad they had to break themselves to do it including a more then anyone Emma.
The truth was they needed help, coping with everything was way out of the scope of their knowledge. Everything they had been going through with Emma. Accepting the fact that Regina, the person responsible for their situation got to be a part of Emma's childhood, however small a timeframe it was still more than they had. What was on their mind mostly was they knew they heard Emma call them mum and dad but neither of them had brought it up since, to afraid that moment would slip away further if they asked for more. Thinking they had not yet earned that place in her life.
David and Mary Margret hadn't noticed yet but while they were having there, not to private discussion someone was in earshot. A mysterious stranger someone new to the town of Storybook. He couldn't help but have his ears perk up at the mention of Emma's name. After listening to them for a moment he realised he needed to intervene. If they didn't know their own story, he would have to read them a few chapters.
"Our daughter can now create a literal barrier between us" Mary Margret said to David after a moment. Wondering if they were going to make much more progress breaking down Emma's emotional walls.
"What if she's never able to bring it down" David said hopelessly.
"She won't, how can she forgive us, I can't forgive us" Mary Margret replied still reeling from reading through what little they did they day before.
"Emma doesn't need to forgive you" The rugged looking stranger said as he slid into their booth rather awkwardly like his limbs where stiff and he could barely bend. Eventually he was sitting next to David.
"What?" David said frustrated and a little annoyed this man had decided to insert themselves into their lives.
"What I mean is, what you did wasn't some self-sacrificing crap for the greater good" The man continued to explain.
"How do you know that?" David asked even more confused now.
"Because it's written right here in black and white" The man said holding up a book he had in his lap.
He handed the Storybook over to Mary Margret who had never bothered to read it in detail as she had lived it. Especially this particular most painful memory just before the curse came and she had to give up everything. Mary Margret could still feel the tears streaming down her face as she wailed after Emma's was taken from her, mere minutes after giving birth.
"No, I can't" Mary Margret said shaking her head as the stranger flicked through the pages.
"Trust me, it's worth it" The man continued to push seeing the pain in her eyes he knew he could help.
They had never set eyes on the man before assuming he may be one of those freed from the beast. However, something about his presence seemed selfless and true, Mary Margret took a deep breath and started reading the page aloud believing it could hold some answers.
"Closing the doors of the wardrobe he felt a sense of relief knowing the curse that awaited him would not take his," She paused "son's life" Mary Margret stopped reading confused this wasn't their story but someone else's.
"This is about Geppetto" David said paying close attention to the illustration now that Mary Margret had read the passage.
"Exactly you weren't the only ones who sent your child off to another world that day" The man explained.
"I didn't even know" David replied shocked "how could he have..?" David finished almost in tears realising her could have gone with Emma.
"Exactly he sent his son away and kept it a secret. He didn't have any prophecy telling him it would all work out, but he didn't want his son to suffer the same fate as everyone who lived in this town" The man continued to explain.
"Being cursed, to what live in Maine" David shrugged as if it wasn't that bad of a fate.
"Having no chance at love or making connections, Regina took your free will to have that basic human need, at least he gave his son that chance and that's what you gave to Emma" The man finished.
They were both silent starring down at the Storybook the surprise of this revelation caused them to rethink all that they had put on themselves. Truly believing they made not only the logical choice but the only choice they had. Having no real idea that if the story went in a different direction, if they didn't send their daughter away, would the ending better than this one. Would Emma be better for it or if they would all still be lost.
"What do you think would have happened to Emma, if you didn't make that choice?" The man asked. Something that had never been asked of them before. They where both shocked thinking back to that dreaded day.
There was silence as David thought about it for a moment thinking of another world where he didn't close those doors. Those knights came right in after, sliced him through with no remorse. Who knows if they would have shown any for his infant daughter? Mary Margret remembered their word crumbling around them as she held her dying husband in her arms having no idea what awaited her. There was only the hope that Emma was safe in another world, to get her through those seconds.
You could tell by the look on their faces they had finally stopped blaming themselves they were just people, people facing and impossible situation. That gave their daughter her best chance as the cliché' as it sounded it was the truth. Emma really could have had a great life found a family. They sent her out into this world to find love and have happiness. It was people like Emily that took that from Emma, not them. What sane person wouldn't send their child away to the only safe place available, even if they could not follow.
"Remember you are the victims, we all where" The man finished with a reassuring smile.
Both Mary Margret and David let out a deep breath something they have been holding in for as long as they could remember. They felt such relief by the stranger's words, no one had ever said it to them or recognised their pain before. It was true they were victims just as much as Emma was to a horrible situation, they had no control over. It was refreshing to have an outsider's perspective on their situation to remind them what they did was heartbreaking for them. That the truth was they sacrificed everything for their daughter.
"Thank you" Mary Margret said after a long silence letting what he said sink in, and tears poured down her checks.
"Trust me, I owe you" The stranger said standing up to make his way out.
"Who are you?" David asked realising he was a new face, which was surprising in such a small town.
"I'm new in town, looking for someone" The stranger answered.
"Who?" David asked a little concerned that he knew so much about them.
"My father" The stranger said pointing at the picture of Geppetto. "Do you know where I can find him?"
Notes: Hey thanks for keeping up sorry couldn't post last week I was on holiday but probably post two chapters this week anyway. Also this chapter is my catharsis I know this doesn't just relate to snowing but I feel like a lot of Regina's victims kind of get blamed for what happened to them or there pain is just ignored especially when it comes to the curse itself.