Chapter 7: Snow Falls Pt. 2

Dawn, Henry and Emma sat at a table in Granny's diner.

"Thanks for the shirt, Dawn," Emma said. She had needed a change of clothes and luckily she and Faith were the same size so Dawn had brought her a shirt from Faith's closet. "Who's is it?"

"Faith's," Dawn said.

Emma nodded and looked toward Henry. "Where does the Mayor think you are, anyway?" she asked.

"Playing Whac-A-Mole." Henry said.

"And she bought that?" Dawn surprised that excuse even flew with Regina.

"She wants to believe it, so she does." Henry answered.

Dawn let out a sigh. "If I had tried that with Buffy or mom, I would have been grounded like you wouldn't believe," she said as Mary Margaret walked through the front door of the diner.

"She's here." Henry said having spotted Mary Margaret.

"Hey, don't get your hopes up. We're just getting started, okay?" Emma said.

"Emma's right, Henry." Dawn said.

Mary Margaret came over to their table and sat down next to Emma. "He woke up," she said.

"What?" Emma and Dawn said surprised that John Doe had woken up.

"I knew it." Henry said excitedly.

"I mean, he didn't 'wake up' wake up, but he grabbed my hand." Mary Margaret explained.

"He's remembering!" Henry said.

"What did the doctor say?" Dawn asked.

"That I imagined it, but I'm not crazy. I know it happened." Mary Margaret answered.

"We have to go back. You have to read to him again." Henry said.

"Let's go," Mary Margaret agreed.

"Wait, wait what?" Emma said.

"If I got through to him, if we made a connection." Mary Margaret replied.

Emma shook her head, "You don't believe…"

"That he's Prince Charming? Of course not. Somehow, some way, I touched him." Mary Margaret said.

Dawn looked at Henry and nodded. If there was an actual curse like Henry believed. She knew it wouldn't be as easy as waking a coma patient to break it.

30 minutes later they arrived at the hospital and spot Graham.

"You're right – he's waking up." Henry said.

"Henry, you should stay back." Graham ordered.

"What's going on? Is it John Doe? Is he okay?" Mary Margaret asked.

"He's missing," Graham told them as Regina came out of John Doe's room.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" Regina asked looking at Emma and Dawn. She then turned her attention to Henry. "And you – I thought you were at the arcade. Now you're lying to me?"

"What happened to John Doe? Did someone take him?" Dawn asked as she looked at Graham.

"We don't know yet," Graham said. "His IVs were ripped out but there's no sign for sure there was a struggle."

"What did you do?" Henry asked as he looked at his mother.

"You think I had something to do with this?" Regina said wondering if her son was indeed accusing her.

"It is curious that the Mayor is here." Emma said.

"I'm here because I'm his emergency contact." Regina answered.

"You know him?" Dawn asked. She admitted it was odd when just the day before no one seemed to know who he was.

"I found him," Regina explained. "On the side of the road years ago with no ID. I brought him here."

"Mayor Mills saved his life." Dr. Whale said.

"Will he be okay?" Dawn asked.

Dr. Whale shrugged he really had no idea. "Okay? The man's been on feeding tubes for years on constant supervision. He needs to get back here right away or, quite honestly, 'okay' might be a pipe dream."

"Well then, let's quit yapping and start looking." Emma said.

"That's what we're doing? Just stay out of this, dear. And since I clearly can't keep you away from my son, I guess I'm just going to have to keep my son away from you. Enjoy my shirt, because that's all you're getting. Sheriff, find John Doe. You heard Dr. Whale. Time is precious." Regina said. She glared briefly at Dawn before she turned and left with Henry.

"Doctor, how long between your rounds since you last saw him?" Graham asked.

"Twelve hours or so." Dr. Whale answered.

Graham nodded, "Then that's what we need to account for," he said. They headed for the security room to review the tapes.

"You two were the only employees on the floor last night. And you saw nothing." Graham said as he looked at Walter and Leroy, the two men that worked the security office. Graham had a tape pulled up and they were looking at it to see when John Doe had disappeared.

"Not a thing," Walter said.

"Did anyone walk by?" Emma asked.

"I didn't see nothin'." Leroy answered.

"Miss Blanchard, Miss Summers, was there anything unusual either of you saw during the trip with your class?" Graham asked.

"I don't think so." Mary Margaret said. "Dawn?"

Dawn shook her head, "I don't remember anything. Hey we're looking at the wrong tape," she said as she noticed the decorations that Henry's class put up were missing from the video. "This is the ward where Henry's class put up decorations. If this was really the tape from last night, we'd see the banners the kids hung."

"Tch, you fell asleep again." Leroy said.

"You selling me out?" Walter asked.

"I am not getting fired for this," Leroy replied.

"At least I don't drink on the job," Walter said.

"Gentlemen, enough. Where's the real tape?" Graham said. Walter and Leroy quickly found the right tape and put it in. They saw John Doe get up and walk out the door.

"He walked out alone. He's okay." Mary Margaret said.

"Four hours ago. Where does this door lead?" Emma asked as she pointed at the door in the video that John Doe had left by.

"The woods." Leroy said.

As they left the hospital Dawn called Buffy and Faith and told them to meet her in the woods.

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

Graham was leading the way through the woods as they searched for John Doe. He eventually came to a stop.

"What is it?" Emma asked.

"The trail runs out here." Graham answered.

"You sure? Because I thought tracking was one of your skills." Emma said.

Buffy knelt down where the trail stopped. "Just give me a second. This is my world. I got it." Graham said as he turned to look at Buffy. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to pick up the trail." Buffy answered.

"What does he mean, 'His world'? Isn't finding people your thing, too?" Mary Margaret asked as she looked at Emma.

Emma nodded, "Sure. Just, people I find usually run places like Vegas. Not a lot hit the woods."

"That's an interesting job – finding people. How'd you fall into it?" Dawn said.

"Looking for people is just what I've done. As long as I can remember." Emma answered.

"What made you start?" Mary Margaret asked. "Your parents? Henry told me that your… Th-that you were from a similar situation to his own. Did you ever find them?"

"Depends who you ask." Emma said as she looked at Mary Margaret.

They heard a crack behind them as Faith and Buffy turn and put themselves between the group and the unknown individual.

"Come out," Buffy said as Henry came down the hill at a run. "Henry, what are you doing here?"

"Did you find him yet?" Henry asked.

Emma shook her head, "No, not yet. You shouldn't be here."

"I can help. I know where he's going." Henry said.

"And where's that?" Mary Margaret asked.

Henry smiled at Mary Margaret, "He's looking for you. You're the one who woke him up. You're the last one he saw. He wants to find you!"

"Henry, it's not about me," Mary Margaret said. "I just… I think he's lost and confused. He's been in a coma a long time."

"But he loves you!" Henry said. "You need to stop chasing him, and let him find you."

"Kid. You need to go home." Faith said as Buffy returned to trying to find John Doe's trail.

"Where's your mom?" Emma asked. "She's going to kill me and then you…and then me again."

"She dropped me at the house. Then, went right out." Henry answered.

"Well, we need to get you back immediately." Emma said.

"No!" Henry objected.

Buffy smiled as she spotted John Doe's bloody hospital bracelet, "Sheriff!" she called out as Graham came up beside her.

"Is that…" Mary Margaret said as Buffy held up the bracelet.

"Blood." Emma said.

"Looks like." Buffy said. "Oh, I wish Spike or Angel were here now."

"They could track the blood," Dawn agreed.

Buffy led the group through the woods till they came upon an old Toll Bridge.

"Where is he? Can you see him?" Mary Margaret asked.

"The trail dies at the water line." Buffy answered. Her eyes swept the water line and saw John Doe lying in the water. "Faith, help me." She and Faith rushed to John Doe and pulled him out of the water.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" Mary Margaret said.

Graham immediately got on his radio. "I need an ambulance! At the old Toll Bridge, as soon as possible," he said into it.

"No, no, no, no, no! No, no, no! I found you!" Mary Margaret said.

"It's going to be okay." Emma said.

Dawn nodded in agreement, "Emma's right, Mary Margaret."

"Help's coming." Graham said.

"Is he okay?" Henry asked.

Emma shook her head, "Henry…"

"Is he going to be okay?" Henry asked again.

"Henry, don't look. Okay? Don't look." Emma said.

"Come back to us. Come back to me." Mary Margaret said as she began CPR. When she put her mouth to his, he started breathing again and coughed up water.

"You saved me." John Doe said as he opened his eyes and looked at Mary Margaret.

"She did it. She did it! She woke him up." Henry said.

"Yeah, kid. She did." Faith said. "Little D, if that's all you need?"

Dawn nodded, "You two head on back. I'll catch up after a while. Why don't you two take Henry home."

"Come on, H," Faith said as she and Buffy started to head back to their car. Henry reluctantly followed.

"Thank you," John Doe said as a smile graced his lips.

"Who are you?" Mary Margaret asked.

John Doe shrugged; he didn't have the foggiest idea. "I don't know."

"It's okay. You're going to be okay." Mary Margaret said as the ambulance arrived and John Doe was transported back to the hospital. When Graham, Dawn, Emma and Mary Margaret arrived they found John Doe was being treated by doctors.

A woman burst into the room where John Doe was being treated and rushed to his side. "David! David, is that you?"

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Dr. Whale said.

"Oh my god…"

"Ma'am, you can't be in here. Please, you can't be here right now." Dr. Whale sais.

"David…" the woman said as she looked down at David.

"You can't be here, ma'am. Can you wait over here for a second, okay?" Dr. Whale said as the woman was escorted away from David.

"Who is that?" Mary Margaret asked as Regina walked up behind her.

"His wife. His name is David Nolan," Regina said. She noticed that Dawn was studying her very closely. "And that's his wife, Kathryn. And the joy on her face, well, it's put me in quite the forgiving mood."

Kathryn walked out of the room and over to the group who stood outside the window looking into the treatment room. "Thank you. Thank you for finding my David," she said.

"Um, I-I don't understand. You didn't… You didn't know that he was here in a coma?" Dawn asked.

"A few years ago, David and I were not getting along. It was my fault; I know that now," Kathryn explained. "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."

"You didn't go look for him?" Dawn asked.

Kathryn shook her head, "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've wanted to do forever – say I'm sorry. Now we get a second chance."

"That's wonderful." Mary Margaret said as she smiled at Kathryn.

"Well, it's something of a miracle," Dr. Whale said as he exited the treatment room.

"He's okay?" Katheryn asked.

"Ah, physically, he's on the mend, um, his memory is another issue. It may take time, if at all," Dr. Whale explained.

"What brought him back?" Mary Margaret asked.

Dr. Whale shrugged, "That's the thing. There's no explanation. Something just clicked in him."

"He just got up and decided to go for a stroll?" Emma asked.

"He woke up and he was delirious and his first instinct was to go find something, I guess." Dr. Whale said.

"Can I see him?" Kathryn asked.

Dr. Whale nodded, "Yeah, of course," he said as Kathryn walked into the treatment room.

Regina looked at Dawn as she thought to herself, 'What is going on with you all? Why did your older sister stab her twin?' She turned and left the hospital as Emma turned and followed her.

Dawn stood with Mary Margaret as they watch the tearful reunion between David and Kathryn. Mary Margaret looked down to her hand and fiddled with her ring.

"Do you think there is any truth to what Henry is saying?" Dawn wondered.

Mary Margaret shrugged, "I don't know. It would be nice to think so, wouldn't it? That David there is in reality Prince Charming and I'm his wife. But that's not the way the world works."

0 – 0 - Sometime in the Past in Sunnydale – 0 – 0

Prince Charming rode on a horse along a long stretch of land towards a forest, with a ring glowing the closer he got to Snow White. In the forest, he met several dwarves gathered around a glass coffin.

"You're too late." Doc said as Prince Charming saw that Snow White lay inside the coffin.

"No. No! At least let me say goodbye," Prince Charming said as the dwarves removed the lid of the coffin. He bent down and kissed Snow White. As he did so a pulse of magic spread throughout the land as Snow White woke up.

Snow White looked at Prince Charming and smiled. "You found me."

"Did you ever doubt I would?" Prince Charming asked as he helped Snow White out of the coffin. He took Snow White for a walk along the shore.

"How did you do it?" Snow White asked.

Prince Charming smiled, "With this. It's my mother's ring. It… Led me back to you. And now… I never want it off your finger." He got down on one knee to propose. "Will you marry me?"

"What do you think?" Snow White asked as Prince Charming slid the ring on her finger.

0 – 0 – In the Present in Storybrooke – 0 – 0

Buffy woke as memories of one person, and one person only, flood into her mind, she smiled, "Snow, I remember you."