Snow Falls
Enchanted Forest
A lone deer roamed on the forest road, grazing on a patch of grass. Hearing a man's voice, it startled. Turning its head, it trotted hastily into the woods.
Carriage horses stamped forward, pulling a carriage up the road. Inside, Prince Charming watched out the window.
"What do you think of the view, my dear?" Charming asked, looking at his fiancée, Princess Abigail, sitting across from him.
The woman was fanning herself rapidly and sighed.
"I've seen better. This is taking forever. I told you the Troll Road would've been quicker." The carriage bounced. "And far less bumpy." She looked at Charming who had pulled a bag of jewelry out of his pocket and stared at it. "Are you even listening to me?"
"Of course I am," Charming said distractedly.
The carriage horses neighed as they drew to a halt.
"Now what?" she sighed. The carriage stopped and the prince got out to investigate, leaving behind the bag on his seat. He saw a fallen tree in the way of the road. He looked back at Abigail.
"Worry not – it's but a fallen tree." He turned back to his men. "Fellas? Shall we?"
Charming examined the end of the three closely as a cloaked figure landed on top of the carriage, startling Abigail.
"M'lord?" asked a guard. "What is it?"
"These markings," he mused. "This tree didn't fall – it's been cut. It's an ambush!"
The cloaked figure reached into the open carriage door and grabbed the bag on the seat. Abigail screamed at the intrusion and Charming rushed back.
"Sir!" the guards yelled.
"Guards!" Abigail cried. "Stop, thief! Help me!"
The thief mounted a horse, making a getaway. Charming mounted a horse as well, chasing after the thief. As he passed by the carriage, Abigail looked out the carriage door at the commotion.
Aligning his horse with the other, he forced the thief from the horse to the ground. "Show your face, you coward!" Charming flipped the thief over and prepared to fist a punch. He stopped and the anger melted from his face to show dazed surprise.
"You're… a girl."
"Woman," the thief corrected.
Grabbing a rock, she hit Charming in the face with it. He sprawled to the side in pain. She got back onto her horse and rode up. Getting up, he touched his bloodstained chin.
"You can't hide from me? Wherever you are, I will find you." The thief turned to flash him a satisfied smirk as she got away. Charming shot her an irritated look in return.
Granny's Diner
Mary Margaret smiled at Dr. Whale as they sat at a table in Granny's Diner.
"Um, where were we?" Dr. Whale asked. "Something about you wanting fifteen kids?" Mary Margaret's face turned shocked and she quickly shook her head.
"No! Good lord, no. I meant in my class, where I teach. You'll meet them tomorrow."
The man across from her nodded in understand, then as she continued to speak, his gazed drifted to the person behind her. Ruby was clearing tables and was scantily clad in a white shirt showing her midriff with a red mini-skirt and high heels.
"They're coming to the hospital as part of the Volunteer Outreach Program." Dr. Whale watched as Ruby moved to another table almost directly behind Mary Margaret. He quickly shifted his eyes back in time to response.
"Oh, yeah. That is a great program."
As Mary Margaret spoke again, Dr. Whale tried to remain focused, but kept quickly glancing back at Ruby.
"I mean, obviously I don't want fifteen kids of my own. I-I mean, not that I don't want kids. I do." He lost interest in the conversation, his gaze fixed on Ruby. "I want kids, marriage, true love – I want it all. But that of course is…"
Noticing his distracted look, she slowly turned her head to see him ogling Ruby, who had finished cleaning the table and carried a tray as she passed them.
"… wildly inappropriate for me to discuss on a first date," Mary Margaret said quietly.
"Hmm?" he asked.
"Ruby," Mary Margaret called. Ruby stopped and turned back, holding the tray in the air with one hand.
"Yes, Mary Margaret?"
"Check, please," the teacher said sadly.
Storybrooke Main-Street
Mary Margaret's shoulders were slumped as she walked down the street away from the diner. She stopped, catching sight of something. A smile appeared on her face as she saw Emma inside her little yellow bug.
Approaching the car, she greeted Emma, who was reading the newspaper with a flashlight.
"Hey. You okay?" Emma turned off the flashlight.
"Oh, in the world of tight spots I've been in, crashing in my car doesn't even rank in the top ten."
"You're sleeping here?" the teacher asked appalled.
"'til I find a place," Emma nodded.
"You decided to stay," Mary Margaret said brightly. "For Henry."
Emma glanced down at her newspaper again.
"Yeah, I guess. This town doesn't seem to have any vacancies. None, actually. Is that normal?"
"Must be the curse," Mary Margaret joked.
"Why are you out so late?" Emma asked.
"Well, I am a teacher, not a nun. I had a date."
"From the looks of things, it went well."
"As well as they were do."
"Tell me he at least paid."
The teacher shook her head sadly and Emma made a face.
"Ewww."
"Well, I guess if true love was easy, we'd all have it. You know, if things get cramped, I do have a spare room."
"Thanks, but I'm not really the roommate type. It's just not my thing. I do better on my own."
Mary Margaret nodded, "Well, goodnight. Good luck with Henry."
"Yeah…" Emma gazed after Mary Margaret as the woman walked away.
Storybrooke Hospital
The kids from Mary Margaret's class walked around the hospital, hanging decorations and talking to patients. Looking up, Mary Margaret noticed Henry in the ICU unit at John Doe's bedside.
Henry was reaching out to touch the man's face when Mary Margaret walked in.
"Henry," she said. He startled, yanking his hand back. "We could really use your help with the decorations." He looked over at her.
"Is Mr. Doe going to be okay, Miss Blanchard?" Mary Margaret laughed lightly.
"His name's not John Doe, honey. That's just what they call people when they don't know who they are."
"Do you know who he is?"
Shaking her head, Mary Margaret placed a bouquet of flowers on the patient's bedside table.
"Nope. I just bring him flowers on my rounds."
"What's wrong with him?"
She shrugged, "I don't know. He's been like this as long as I've been volunteering."
"Does he have any family or friends?"
"No one's claimed him."
The boy's eyes turned downcast.
"So… he's all alone."
"Yeah, it's quite sad." She gazed at the man's face.
"You sure you don't know him?" Henry asked suspiciously. "Of course I'm sure. Come on. You shouldn't be in here." They exited the ICU as Henry stole a glance back.
Henry's Castle
Emma and Henry sat on the wooden playground as Henry showed Emma an illustration in his storybook of Prince Charming with a visible scar on his face.
"I found your father – Prince Charming."
"Henry…"
"He's in the hospital, in coma. See the scar?" He pointed it out in the book. "He has one, too."
"So? Lots of people have scars."
The little boy looked at her incredibly.
"In the same place? Don't you see what this means? The curse is keeping them apart with the coma. Now, they're stuck without each other. We have to tell Miss Blanchard we found her Prince Charming." Emma laughed, shaking her head.
"Okay, kid. Telling someone their… soul mate is in a coma, is probably not helpful. Not having a happy ending is painful enough, but giving someone unrealistic hope is far worse."
His eyes turned sad.
"But what if I'm right? We know who they are. Now they have to know."
"And how do you intend in making that happen?"
"By reminding him," Henry shrugged. "We have to get her to read their story to John Doe. Then, maybe, he'll remember who he is." Emma took a deep breath to contemplate his plea.
"… okay."
"Okay?" he repeated.
"Yeah, we'll do it. But we'll do it my way. Let me ask her."
Blanchard Loft
In her apartment, Mary Margaret made cocoa for herself and Emma. Penny was sitting at the counter with a mug of tea in front of her. She was working on her laptop, keeping an attentive ear on her surroundings.
"You want me to read to a coma patient?" Mary Margaret asked.
"Henry thinks it will help him remember who he was."
"And who does he think he was?"
Taking a breath, Emma looked up at Mary Margaret.
"Prince Charming." Mary Margaret blanched.
"And if I'm Snow White, he thinks… me… and him…"
"He has a very active imagination, which is the point," Emma told her. "I can't talk him out of his beliefs, we need to show him. Play along, do what he says and then maybe, just maybe –"
"He'll see that Fairytales are just that – that there's no such thing as love at first sight or first kiss. He'll see reality."
"Something like that."
Mary Margaret sighed, "Well, sadly, this plan is rather genius. We get him to the truth without hurting him." Emma nodded, heading towards the door.
"I told him that we'll all meet tomorrow for breakfast at Granny's. And you will a full report."
"I suppose I'll get ready for my date, then. I guess I'll have to do all the talking."
As Emma left, Penny shut her laptop.
"Ooooo! What are you going to wear?" she teased. Mary Margaret pulled her fanciest dress out of her closet.
"This?" Penny giggled, seeing the sparkly plum colored dress.
"Seriously?" Mary Margaret shrugged, a playful smile on her face. "It looked good when I bought it."
Storybrooke Hospital
Dressed in a green shirt with a tan skirt, Mary Margaret sat beside John Doe, Henry's storybook in his lap. "Look," she said to him. "I know this is odd, but I'm doing it for… a friend. So please, just bear with me." She began reading aloud.
"As the Prince Chased the thief on horseback, through the treacherous forest, his betrothed crossed her arms and pouted, wondering how many dreadful, boring minutes it would take until they could resume their journey again. The thief vaulted over a fall…
… They didn't need words to express what they felt in their hearts, for it was here, in the shadow of the troll bridge, that their love was born, where they knew no matter how they were separated, they would always –"
Mary Margaret started as the still unconscious John Doe reached out and grabbed her hand. She stared at him in shock, but he didn't awake. Gently, she moved away, closing the book. She left the room, looking for Dr. Whale.
Upon finding him, she led the doctor back to John Doe's room.
"No, I'm sure he's waking up," she told him. "He… he grabbed my hand." Dr. Whale read the reading, a look of disbelief on his face.
"Everything's steady. The same as it's always been… What were you doing in here?"
"Oh, I was just reading h-him a story."
The man shrugged, glancing at Henry's book.
"Perhaps you, um, dozed off. Perhaps you imagined it."
"No, I didn't imagine anything."
"Miss Blanchard, I can only tell you what I see, which is nothing. Sometimes there are minor fluctuations in readings. Perhaps you heard the machine register something and misunderstood? Look, why don't you go home, get some rest. If anything changes, I'll call you, okay?" As she left, Dr. Whale fished out his phone, calling someone.
Mayor's House
Sitting in her study, Regina picked up her cell phone as it rang.
"Yes?"
"It's Dr. Whale. You told me to call you if there was ever a change in a John Doe. Something's happened."
Regina sat up straighter, "What?"
"One of our volunteers said he grabbed her. And there was a slight fluctuation in brain activity."
"And who was this volunteer?"
"Mary Margaret Blanchard."
Enchanted Forest
The Thief who stole Charming's jewels gathered various things inside her cave hideout. She shoved them into a bag before putting a necklace with a small bottle around her neck. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she headed outside.
Walking only a short distance, she suddenly found herself being caught up in a net. The Prince came out of hiding, laughing merrily.
"I told you I'd fine you," he reminded her. "No matter what you do, I will always find you."
"Is this the only way you can catch a woman?" the Thief asked. "By entrapping her?"
"It's the only way to catch a thieving scum," he shrugged.
"Aren't you a real "Prince Charming"," she snarked.
"I have a name, you know."
"Don't care. Charming suits you. Now, cut me down, Charming."
The Prince shook his head.
"I'll release you… when you return the leather pouch you stole with my jewels."
"Not the jewelry type," she told him.
"Indeed. I noticed."
She bristled, "What is that supposed to mean? Are you insulting me?"
"No, quite right. My apologies. How dare I cast aspersions at the person who robbed me? Where are my jewels?"
"I sold them," she answered flatly.
That caused him to recoil.
"What?"
"What do you care? Don't you have a palace full of treasures somewhere?"
"These were special," he snapped. "Among them was a ring that belonged to my mother. A ring I was about to give –"
"The nag with the bad attitude?" the Thief interrupted. "That's what this is about?"
"She's my fiancée." The woman snorted.
"Good luck with that. You must be getting something impressive to have agreed to that union."
She rolled her eyes at him, brushing a piece of dark hair out of her face.
"I know how this works. True love? It doesn't exist. It's all arranged marriages and business transactions. There's no such thing as love at first sight or first kiss. Let me guess – her kingdom wants to take over yours and this is, what, a last ditch effort to avoid war?"
"This is not a takeover. It's a merger, and quite frankly, it's none of your business. Now, this is what's going to happen."
"Mmhmm?"
"I'm going to cut you down, and you will take me to whoever has my jewels and then, you're going to get my ring back."
"Mm-mm… Why would I do that?"
Smirking, he pulled out a piece of paper from his satchel.
"Because you don't want me to tell anyone who you really are." He unrolled the paper, showing it to her. It was a wanted poster for Snow White, who the thief actually was. "Snow White. Help me get my ring back, or I turn you over to the Queen's forces. And I have a feeling the Queen's not as "charming" as I am."
She glared at him, "Well, I wouldn't want to stand in the way of you getting true love." Drawing his sword, he cut down the net and she went tumbling to the ground.
Granny's Diner
Henry sat in a booth, looking up as Emma came back from the bathroom. She was wearing a new shirt.
"Thanks for the shirt," she said. Something dawned on her. "Hey, is this your mother's?"
"She'll never notice," Henry dismissed.
She nodded slowly, "Where does she think you are, anyway?"
"Playing Whac-A-Mole."
"And she bought that?"
"She wants to believe it, so she does."
"Oh, imagine that…"
At the sound of the bell ring, they glanced up as Mary Margaret and Penny walked in. Mary Margaret had an excited gleam in her eyes. The teen looked barely awake, dark circles under her eyes.
"She's here!" Henry cheered.
"Hey, don't get your hopes up," Emma warned. "We're just getting started, okay?"
The two women slid into the booth, Mary Margaret beside Emma, Penny beside Henry. Almost instantly, a cup of black coffee was placed in front of Penny from Ruby. Mary Margaret looked at them.
"He woke up."
That wasn't what Emma was expecting.
"What?"
"I knew it!" Henry exclaimed.
"I mean, he didn't "wake up" wake up, but he grabbed my hand."
"He's remembering!" Henry said.
"What did the doctor say?" Emma asked.
"That I imagined it, but I'm not crazy. I know it happened." Henry looked wide-eyed up at Mary Margaret.
"We have to go back. You have to read to him again."
"Let's go," Mary Margaret nodded.
Penny and Emma exchanged confused glances. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. Penny slid of the booth, letting Henry out. Emma grabbed Mary Margaret's hand before they followed Henry out the door.
"Wait, wait, what?"
"If I got through to him, if we made a connection…" the teacher said breathlessly.
"You don't believe…"
"That he's Prince Charming? Of course not. But somehow, some way, I touched him."
Storybrooke Hospital
Emma, Henry, Penny, and Mary Margaret arrived at the hospital and walked to John Doe's room. They stopped, seeing Sheriff Graham there.
"You're right," Henry told Mary Margaret. "He's waking up."
Graham turned, stopping Henry from entering the room.
"Henry, you should stay back."
"What's going on?" Mary Margaret asked. "Is it John Doe? Is he okay?"
"He's missing," Graham answered.
The group noticed Regina in John Doe's room. Regina caught sight of them and approached them.
"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked. She frowned at Henry. "I thought you were at the arcade. Now you're lying to me?" Mary Margaret looked worriedly at the Mayor.
"What happened to John Doe? Did someone take him?"
"We don't know yet," Graham said. "His IVs were ripped out, but there's no sign for sure there's a struggle."
"What did you do?" Henry asked his mother.
Frowning, Regina looked at her son, eyes darkening.
"You think I had something to do with this?"
Emma crossed her arms, "It is curious that the Mayor is here."
"I'm here because I'm his emergency contact."
"You know him?" Mary Margaret asked.
"I found him," Regina answered. "On the side of the road years ago with no ID. I brought him here."
"Mayor Mills saved his life," Dr. Whale said.
Running a hand through her hair, Penny looked at Dr. Whale.
"Will he be okay?" Dr. Whale shook his head.
"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."
Emma crossed her arms, "Well then, let's qui yapping and start looking."
"That's what we're doing," Regina snapped. "Just say out of this, dear."
Grabbing Henry's arm, she pulled him close to her.
"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." She started forward, stopping beside Emma. Her voice lowered. "Enjoy my shirt, because that's all you're getting." She turned to Graham. "Sheriff find John Doe. You heard Dr. Whale. Time is precious."
As Regina led Henry away, Graham looked at Dr. Whale.
"Doctor, how long between your rounds since you last saw him?"
"Twelve hours or so."
"Then that's what we need to account for." Starting forward, he led them to the security room.
Walter, the security guard, and Leroy, the hospital janitor, were inside.
"You two were the only employees on the floor last night… And you saw nothing," Graham said.
"Not a thing," Walter agreed.
"Did anyone walk by?" Emma asked.
"I didn't see nothin'," Leroy spat.
With a sigh, Graham turned to Mary Margaret.
"Miss Blanchard, was there anything unusual you saw during your trip with your class?"
"I don't think so," Mary Margaret said quietly.
"We're looking at the wrong tape," Emma remarked.
The group turned to look at her. She was staring at the screen.
"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 snarked.
Walter glared at him, "Are you selling me out?"
"I ain't getting fired for this."
"At least I don't drink on the job."
They bickered, much to the confusion of the two women and the Sheriff. The only one not fazed was Penny. After a moment, she snapped at them.
"Gentlemen, enough." They instantly stopped, unused to Penny raising her voice. She smiled sweetly as they calmed. "Can you please put in the real tape, Mr. Walter?"
After the tape was switched, Mary Margaret gasped in shock as they watched John Doe get up and walk out the door.
"He walked out alone," she breathed. "He's okay."
"Four hours ago," Emma said.
"Where does this door lead?"
Leroy gulped, "The woods."
Enchanted Forest
Prince Charming spied a necklace around Snow White's neck. It had a strange looking substance in a glass pouch.
"I thought you weren't the jewelry type," he remarked. "What's that around your neck?"
"Don't worry about it," she muttered.
In one single move, Charming took the necklace. Her eyes went wide as she lunged for it. He held it out of her grasp.
"Careful!" she exclaimed. "It's a weapon."
"Dust," he scoffed. "What kind of weapon is dust?"
"Fairy dust," she snapped.
"I thought that was a good thing," he said.
"When it comes from a good fairy," she told him. "This stuff? It's deadly. It transforms the most fearsome of adversaries into a form that easily squashed."
Brow furling, the prince frowned at her.
"Then why didn't you use it on me?"
"Because you're not worth it. It's very hard to come by. I'm saving it for a special someone."
"Ah, the Queen. You got a lot of anger there, don't you, Snow?"
"The charges on her posters are lies. It didn't stop her from sending her huntsman to rip out my heart."
"What happened?" Charming asked.
"Well, not everyone is a soulless royal. He took pity on me and let me go. I've been hiding in the forest ever since. Trying to amass enough fortune to leave this place. Escape to another realm. Somewhere isolated. Where I can never be hurt."
He gave her a forlorn look.
"Sounds lonely."
"No lonelier than an arranged marriage."
"At least I don't prey on the innocent," he shot back at her.
"Up 'til now, I've only ever stolen from the Queen. I thought your carriage was one of hers. No one else ever uses that road."
He shrugged, "I took the scenic route."
"Well, lucky for me. All I'm doing, Charming, is what it takes to survive. She wants me dead." Charming looked at her, wanting to know the truth.
"So, what did you do to incur that much wrath?"
"She blames me for running her life," Snow answered.
"Did you?"
"Yes."
They continued until they came to a river. Snow looked at the Prince.
"I'm thirsty. May I?"
"Sure. Make it quick." They both took a drink from the river. While Charming had his back turned, Snow hit him and pushed him into the river. She dug through his bag to find her pouch.
Running into the forest, she came to a stop when she encountered the Queen's guards. They surrounded her.
"Huh," said one of them. "Look who we found. There's nowhere to hide, Snow White. The Queen wants your heart." He pulled out a dagger. "And we're not going to disappoint her."
Storybrooke Woods
Emma, Graham, Penny, and Mary Margaret were in the wood, searching for John Doe. Graham came to a stop with a frustrated groan.
"What is it?" Emma asked.
"The trail runs out here," he answered.
"You sure?" Emma asked. "Because I thought tracking was one of your skills."
"Just give me a second," Graham said shortly. "This is my world. I got it."
"Right. Sorry," Emma said quickly.
As Penny went to her brother, Emma moved back to Mary Margaret.
"What does he mean, 'His world'?" Mary Margaret asked. "Isn't finding people your thing, too?"
"Sure," Emma nodded. "Just, people I find usually run places like Vegas. Not a lot hit in the woods."
"That's an interesting job – finding people. How'd you fall into it?"
"Looking for people is just what I've done," Emma shrugged. "As long as I can remember."
"What made you start? Your parents? Henry told me that your… Th-that you were from a similar situation to his own. Did you ever find them?"
"Depends on who you ask."
There was a cracking sound behind them, and they turned as Henry came running down the hill.
"Henry!" Mary Margaret exclaimed.
"Did you find him yet?" he asked.
"No, not yet," Emma answered. "But you shouldn't be her."
"I can help. I know where he's going."
"And where's that?" Mary Margaret asked.
"He's looking for you."
The Enchanted Forest
Snow White was slammed against a tree by a guard. The old holding the dagger approached her.
"Hold her still," he ordered. He started to raise the dagger above Snow White's chest, but was suddenly hit by a knife from behind and collapsed.
Prince Charming emerged from behind a tree and began to fight with the other guard. Snow ran towards the fallen guard's horse, which had a weapon, but she was grabbed by another guard on horseback.
Defeating the guard he was fighting, Charming noticed the retreating guard and Snow White. Taking a bow, he notched it and shot the guard off the horse. Snow tumbled to the ground.
"Are you all right?" he asked, hurrying to her.
"You saved me," she said softly.
"Seemed like the honorable thing to do. Are you ready?"
"For what?"
"My jewels."
Snow got to her feet.
"Right, you've got a wedding to get to. The trolls I sold them to are just beyond the next ridge. We need to be careful."
"What?" Charming asked. "Of trolls?"
"You've clearly never met one," she remarked.
"Aren't they just little people?"
"You're thinking of dwarves. Show a little respect. They'll cut your hand off sooner than they'll shake it."
"Well, then let's get this over with," Charming said.
She nodded, following him over the horses.
"Yes, we've both got places to be. So, let's go."
"You have your lonely little corner of solitude to find."
"And you have a ringless fiancée to appease."
Storybrooke Woods
Mary Margaret stared at Henry.
"What?"
"You're the one who woke him up!" Henry said. "You're the last one he saw. He wants to find you!"
"Henry, it's not about me. I just… I think he's lost and confused. He's been in a coma a long time."
"But he loves you!" Henry argued. "You need to stop chasing him, let him find you."
Emma marched up to her son.
"Kid. You need to go home. Where's your mom? She's going to kill me and then you… and then me again."
"She dropped be at the house. Then, went right out."
"Well, we need to get you back immediately." "No!" Henry cried.
"Guys!" Graham yelled. They looked over, seeing Penny's flashlight shining over something. Mary Margaret gapped at the bloody hospital bracelet.
"Is that…"
"Blood," Penny finished.
The Enchanted Forest
The traveling pair reached a bridge on horseback. They got off and Snow sent the horse away.
"Trolls don't like horses," Snow said, reading Charming's curious expression. "We walk from here. Follow me and keep quiet."
"Where are they?" Charming asked, seeing the empty bridge.
"Oh, they're here."
Dropping a pile of gold coins on the edge of the bridge, she crossed her arms, waiting as patiently as she could. Several trolls loudly climbed up the side of the bridge. "It's fine," Snow reassured Charming. "I know them."
The leader of the Trolls glared at Snow.
"Why're you here? I thought we were done."
"I want to make another trade," Snow answered.
"I'm not talking in front of him," the Troll said, pointing meaningfully at Charming. "Who is this guy?"
"No, he's with me."
"Oh, that's good. With you. That makes it all fine," Troll 2 snarked.
"He's no one. Look, I want to buy back the jewels I sold you."
"Who is he?" Troll 2 pressed.
Crossing her arms stubbornly, Snow refused to tell the truth.
"I said don't worry about it. Look, I'll give you back all your money. Just give me the ring. You can keep everything else." Troll 3 took out the pouch and went to give it to Charming.
"Thank you," Charming said smoothly. "We appreciate the help."
Troll 1 stopped his colleague.
"He's too eager. This is a setup!" Eyes going wide, Snow White quickly shook her head.
"It's not!"
"He's a royal!" Troll 2 grabbed Snow and the Prince drew his sword.
"Let her go!"
"No!" Snow exclaimed. "You can trust me. Look, you can trust me. If I wanted to set you up, I would have done it the first time."
"The time for dealing is done," Troll 1 snapped. "Seize him!"
One Troll checked Charming's bag while another patted the Prince down. Troll 3 took the necklace of fairy dust and threw it aside, much to Snow dismay. It also found the wanted poster for Snow White.
"Snow White," Troll 2 laughed. "Quite a reward. Take her."
Picking up his sword, Charming attacked the trolls. Snow started to run.
"Go! I'm right behind you," Charming shouted. She ran, but grabbed her fairy dust on the way. Charming fought off the trolls an damaged to kick one off the bridge. Another tripped Charming and the others dragged him back.
Snow White didn't noticed and continued to flee a safe distance.
"Follow me! They don't know the forest like I do," she called. When there was no reply, she stopped and turned, realizing the Trolls still had the Prince. They were about to kill him.
"Royal blood is the sweetest of all," Troll 1 said.
Running back, Snow used her fairy dust to transform the trolls into bugs. Charming stared down at the ground when he saw the crawling insects.
"You… You saved me."
"It's the honorable thing to do," she said with a small smile.
The Prince looked at Snow's empty vial.
"What about your special someone?"
"I'll think of something else," she shrugged.
"Thank you," he told her.
"Anyway, how could I let Prince Charming die?" she teased.
"I told you – I have a name. It's James." She held out her hand and he shook it.
"It's nice to meet you, James." She glanced at the bridge. "We should go. There may be more of them coming."
Toll Bridge
The group combed the woods for John Doe and came upon the Toll Bridge.
"Where is he?" Mary Margaret asked Graham. "Can you see him?"
"The trail dies at the water line," Graham answered.
"Look!" Penny called.
They looked over at her where she was kneeling over the body of John Doe, who was lying in the water. "
Oh my god! Oh my god!" Mary Margaret fretted, rushing over. Graham spoke through his walkie.
"I need an ambulance! At the old Toll Bridge, as soon as possible."
He ran over, helping Mary Margaret, Emma and Penny drag the man onto the shore.
"No, no, no, no, no!" Mary Margaret exclaimed. "I found you!"
"It's going to be okay," Emma tried to comfort her.
"Help's coming," Graham said.
"Is he okay?" Henry asked.
Hopping to her feet, Penny ushered the boy away.
"Henry," she said sternly when he tried to dodge her.
"Is he going to be okay?" Henry asked, looking up at her with worried eyes.
"Just don't look. Okay? He's gonna be fine," Penny promised, bringing her friend in for a hug. Mary Margaret started CPR.
"Come back to us," she begged. "Come back to me."
When she put her mouth on his, his started breathing again and coughed up water. He blinked up at her.
"You saved me," he managed to get out. Henry's eyes brightened.
"She did it! She woke him up!"
"Yeah, kid," Emma nodded. "She did."
"Thank you," John Doe told Mary Margaret.
"Who are you?" Mary Margaret asked.
"I don't know," he answered.
"It's okay. You're going to be okay."
Storybrooke Hospital
Dr. Whale and a nurse ushered a stretcher with John Doe into the ICU.
"Watch your back," the Nurse called to several doctors. "Coming through!" Dr. Whale looked at the group that was following him.
"We got it from here."
The five watched through the outside glass door as John Doe started being treated by doctors. Penny's eyes turned confused as a blonde woman burst into the room and rushed to John Doe's side.
"David! David, is that you?"
"Excuse me, ma'am?" Dr. Whale began.
"Oh my god…"
"Ma'am, you can't be in here. Please, you can't be here right now."
"David…"
"You can't be here, ma'am."
Gently, Dr. Whale took hold of the woman's arm.
"Can you wait over here for a second, okay?" Mary Margaret's brow furled.
"Who is that?" she asked. Regina walked up behind them, heels clipping on the ground.
"His wife," she answered.
The Enchanted Forest
Snow White and Prince Charming walked through the forest. After a while, Charming handed her a bag of gold.
"So… well, you probably want this." She traded him his pouch.
"And, um, you can't get married without this."
Smiling, Charming pulled out the ring.
"Ah. I know – not your style."
"Well," she shrugged, "There's only one way to find out." Taking it out of his hand, she put it on her finger. She frowned after a moment. "Yeah, not me at all." She pulled it off. "I'm sure your fiancée will love it."
She handed it back to him and he put it back in its pouch.
"Yeah. Yeah, if you need more, you can gave the rest. The ring is all I require." She shook her head.
"Oh, no. I'm good, thanks. We both got what we wanted."
"Well, wherever you're going, be careful. If… if you need anything—"
"You'll always find me," she teased.
"Always," he nodded. A tiny smile played on her lips.
"I almost believe that."
They came to a fork in the road and stopped.
"Well, goodbye, Snow White," Charming told her.
"Goodbye, Prince Charming."
"I told you – it's James," he said. She shook her head.
"Nah, still like Charming better." Smiling at each other, they parted ways.
Storybrooke Hospital
Regina spoke quietly as the woman stood beside Joe Doe in the ICU.
"His name is David Nolan. And that's his wife, Kathryn. And the joy on her face, well, it's put me in quite the forgiving mood." She looked at her son. "We'll talk about your insubordination later. Do you know what insubordination means?" Henry shook his head. "It means you're grounded."
Looking up from her phone, Penny watched as Kathryn walked out of the ICU and over to them.
"Thank you," she told Mary Margaret. "Thank you for finding my David." Mary Margaret tried to smile.
"Um, I-I don't understand. You didn't… you didn't know that he was her in a coma?" Kathryn shook her head sadly.
"A few years ago, David and I were not getting along. It was my fault, I know that now. 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. That was the worst mistake I ever made."
Penny's forehead scrunched up.
"You didn't go looking for him?" she asked.
"I assumed he'd left town. 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." Mary Margaret smiled sadly.
"That's wonderful."
Dr. Whale walked into the room, a look of surprised shock on his face.
"Well, it's something of a miracle," he said.
"He's okay?" Kathryn asked.
"Ah, physically, he's on the mend, um… his memory is another issue. It may take time, if at all."
"What brought him back?" Mary Margaret asked.
"That's the thing. There's no explanation. Something just clicked in him."
Emma frowned at the doctor.
"He just got up and decided to go for a stroll?" Dr. Whale shook his head.
"He woke up and he was delirious. His first instinct was to go find something, I guess."
"Someone," Henry corrected under his breath.
"Can I see him?" Kathryn asked anxiously. Nodding, Dr. Whale ushered her into the room.
"Yeah, of course."
Looking down at her son, Regina tilted her head to the doors.
"Henry, let's go." Henry went to follow before remembering something.
"Wait, my backpack!" Rushing back, he grabbed his bag from where it sat beside Mary Margaret. "Don't believe them," he whispered. "You're the one he was looking for." "Henry…"
"He was going to the Troll Bridge. It's like the end of the story."
"Henry, he was going there because it's the last thing I read to him."
"No, it's because you belong together," he argued.
"Henry!" Regina snapped.
With a sigh, he followed after his mom. Emma exchanged a look with Penny before hurrying after them.
"Madam Mayor!" Regina looked at Henry.
"Wait by the car," she ordered. Henry nodded, walking to the car. "Miss Swan, I let you off the hook back there. Don't press it."
"I'm sorry, but Mrs. Nolan?" Emma asked. "Kinda feels like her story could be a load of crap. All this time, there's a John Doe lying around in a coma and nobody puts it in the news, nobody goes looking. Something's not right here."
Regina narrowed her eyes.
"Well, what else would make sense to you? Why would Miss Nolan lie? Do you think I cast a spell on her?"
"I think it's rather strange you've been his emergency contact all these years and you only found her now."
"Well, this town is bigger than you know. It's entirely possible to get lost here. It's entirely possible for bad things to happen."
Emma raised an eyebrow.
"And just when it's convenient you manage to solve the mystery?"
"Thanks to you," Regina said."That tape you found was a stroke of genius. So, we went back and looked at past tapes. Turns out Mr. Doe's been talking in his sleep. He's been calling out for a Kathryn. After that, it wasn't hard to put the pieces together. And here I thought you and Mary Margaret would be pleased. True love won out. So bask in the moment dear. Were it not for you tow, they would have lived their lives completely alone. That's why I'm willing to forgive your incessant rudeness. Because all this has reminded me of something oh-so very important… How grateful I am to have Henry. Because not having someone? Well, that's the worst curse imaginable."
Blanchard Loft
Sitting at home, Mary Margaret stared sadly down at the tabletop. A part of her wanted to believe Henry. To believe that John Doe… David would be her true love. But true love didn't exist, so it didn't even matter.
There was a knock at the door. Confused at the lateness of the hour, She went to open the door. She was even more confused to see Emma waiting outside.
"Emma?"
"Sorry to bother you so late," Emma said. "Is that spare room still available?" A smile started to bloom on Mary Margaret's face.
"Of course."
A/N: Hey Y'all. Thank you so much for reading this story. Sorry it took so long to update. I promise that it will be finished.
All Rights go to ABC and Disney.
MERRY CHRISTMAS! HAPPY HANUKKAH!