Outside what he was told was his home, David Nolan stood on the front lawn, looking at the house. He didn't recognize any part of it, and it didn't feel like his home. When Kathryn took his hand, he turned to her. For a brief moment, she almost looked like someone else, but when he blinked, it was just Kathryn.
"You know, you had the same look on your face before we bought it, too," She told him. "You couldn't see past the ugly windmill on the lawn, and declared you'd never buy an old lady house. Do you remember what made you change your mind?"
David paused for a moment, struggling to find an answer.
"I see the windmill's gone," he noted.
"Come on. Everyone's waiting."
"Who's everyone?"
…
Inside the house, a large crowd was gathered, breaking into applause as the Nolans came walking in. Kathryn went around, introducing everyone to David. They all greeted him as if they were old friends, but the only one he recognized was Dr. Whale. The doctor passed him words of encouragement, but David remained visibly uncomfortable and out of place.
Across the room, sitting on a bench, Eve and Henry were looking out at the crowd, trying to place faces to names in Henry's book. Mostly, Eve was pointing out people while Henry scribbled notes in a notebook he had.
"That one there, Glenn, he was a butcher back in our world," Eve recalled. "His wife made some of the best meat pies I've ever eaten. Unfortunately, her recipe didn't follow us here."
"What about him?" Henry asked, pointing to another man.
"Oh, he was… I think he was a farmer. I distinctly remember buying produce from him… or was it eggs? Honestly, I've forgotten."
"Well, did you forget her?" Henry questioned as he pointed at Kathryn.
"Oh no, I remember her. Her real name is Princess Abigail. She's King Midas' daughter, and the ex-betrothed of Prince James."
"You mean Prince Charming."
"Yes, and no. You see Charming isn't the original Prince James. That was his twin brother, who died at the hands of a Behemoth."
"Oh… I don't think I've read that story yet."
"Well, let me tell it to you then." Eve sat up straight, and cleared her throat. "Once Upon A Time, there were a King and Queen. They were barren, and had no heirs, due to a curse placed on the Queen many years ago. Desperate to have a child, the King, King George, sought out the Dark One, promising him anything he wanted in return for a son. Accepting the deal, the Dark One ventured to a poor farmhouse, where a couple were trying to save their twin sons from a terrible illness."
"Hang on… Prince James and Prince Charming… they're not really Princes?"
"Not by blood, no. Now do you want to hear this story, or not?"
Henry nodded, and Eve continued.
"The parents were offered money for their poor farm, as well as a cure to their children's illness. They refused at first, but eventually conceded. The father flipped a coin to decide who would be taken, and who would stay. The one who left became Prince James, and the one who stayed became a simple shepherd by the name of David."
"The one who became Prince Charming, right?"
"Right. After James died, King George was desperate. He had sworn to King Midas that his son would slay a dragon plaguing his kingdom. They desperately needed Midas' gold, but without his son, the deal would be forfeit. Thus, he summoned the Dark One once again. This time, he offered up the location of his family's fairy godmother for his son's return. Now, even magic cannot bring back the dead, but Rumplestiltskin always had an ace up his sleeve. He ventured to the farmhouse again, which had once more fallen on hard times, and was in desperate need of money. All David had to do was pretend to be Prince James, and play the part of a dashing hero slaying a dragon. Then, he would return to his farm, where he and his mother would live happily."
"But that didn't happen."
"Oh no. While the dragon was slain, and Midas was impressed, the plan didn't go accordingly. Charming ended up becoming betrothed to Midas' daughter, and when he tried to get out of the arrangement, King George threatened his mother. Now, he could never return to being just David the Shepherd. He had to become Prince James… permanently."
"But he didn't. Because he met Snow White. Right?"
"Indeed. His attempts to prolong his engagement to Abigail by taking a long road led him to cross paths with Snow, and the rest is history. After all, nothing can beat True Love. It is the most powerful magic of all."
"Yeah… you know, we may be able to help him. Being with Miss Blanchard helped him wake up from his coma… maybe getting them together would help him remember who he is."
Eve thought for a moment, contemplating the idea.
"It could work… my protection spell prevented the new memories from taking root, even if it failed to contain his old ones. But… perhaps reuniting with his true love and sharing True Love's Kiss could help him remember… and who knows? Maybe it will restore Mary Margaret back into Snow White."
Off to the side, Emma was sitting off to the side, swirling a solo cup of punch in her hand as she observed David and Kathryn. David spotted her and slipped away to talk to her. Upon seeing David, Emma blinked and stood up, discarding her cup.
"Hey," she greeted.
"Hey yourself," David replied. "You're the one who saved me, right?"
"Uh… one of them I guess."
"Well, aside from Dr. Whale, you're the only one I know here. And between you and me, I do not need another lecture on memory triggers."
"Well, you can hide here with me if you want," Emma offered. "It's either you, or Henry, and he seems pretty invested in… whatever he's doing with Eve. Frankly, I could stand for some adult company that's not discussing fairy tales and who's who..."
"Thanks," David replied. "So… you live with Mary Margaret, right? You know if she's coming tonight?"
"Uh, no. She couldn't make it."
"Oh."
An uneasy silence fell at that point as he plucked a cheese cube off a passing tray, just twirling it in his fingers. He sighed sightly, feeling more disappointed then he felt he should at Mary Margaret's lack of attendance.
...
In the kitchen, Kathryn was in the middle of arranging some small hors d'oeuvres on a plate. In truth, he was hiding out in there, trying to avoid her husband. Standing with her was Regina, who did not like Kathryn's defeatist attitude about David. Still, she kept her col, and began gently trying to nudge Kathryn into action.
"You should go out there," she insisted. "There's plenty of food. Go. Be with you husband."
"I lost him once. Now I have him back… but it's like I still don't have him back. You have no idea how that feels."
Regina looked down, genuine sympathy slipping into her gaze.
"Actually… I do," she admitted. "I lost someone once too."
Kathryn looked up, surprised by the admission.
"Really?"
"Yes… but the love I lost, there's no bringing him back." Regina turned to Kathryn, actually sounding sincere as she spoke. "You have a chance here. Go to him."
Kathryn let that sink in, then smiled and nodded.
"You're right," she realized, heading for the kitchen door before stopping. "And Regina, thank you. You're such a good friend, and one I really needed during these lonely times. To be honest, I'm not used to having friends."
Regina stood there for a moment, blinking slightly at the idea of having a friend.
"Neither am I..."
"Well, like it or not, you have one now."
Kathryn then turned around and returned to the party, not seeing any sign of her husband. She looked around, then spotted Eve off to the side and approached her. Eve looked up.
"Mrs Nolan, can I help you?"
"Have you seen David?" she asked.
"I'm afraid he slipped out not too long ago," Eve answered. "Sorry."
…
Meanwhile, outside of her apartment, Mary Margaret was up on a ladder, attempting to hang a birdhouse up on a tree. As she struggled to reach her intended branch, she was startled by someone behind her.
"Did you not get the invite?" David questioned.
Mary Margaret gasped, turning and putting a hand to her chest.
"David.."
"Here," he volunteered, hopping the fence and walking over to her.
He held out his hand, offering to hang up the birdhouse for her, which she graciously took. She handed him the birdhouse and stepped down on the ladder, allowing him to step onto it and hang it up.
"So I heard you resigned from the hospital," David told her. "Was it me?"
In saying nothing, somehow Mary Margaret said all she had to.
"Because of what I told you," David continued, stepping off the ladder. "About how I felt. About you. Come on. Don't tell me it's one-sided.
"You're married," Mary Margaret said, finally finding her voice. "It should be no-sided."
"What it should be doesn't matter," David insisted. "Whoever married Kathryn, it's not me. I didn't choose her." he reached out, taking Mary Margaret's hands in his. "I'm choosing you."
Mary Margaret was stunned, just standing there as she met David's eyes. She looked starstruck, and was at a loss of words once more. David smiled as he ran his thumbs over the back of her hands.
"Now I know you feel it," he told her. :I can tell."
"I know you think that we have this connection, but maybe it's because I happened to be the person who saved your life?" Mary Margaret insisted, pulling her hands free as she began backpedaling. "So why don't we leave it at that."
She then proceeded to walk away, leaving David dejected and lost.
…
Inside the apartment later that night, Mary Margaret was hard at work scrubbing some dishes. She was scouring at a plate so hard that Emma took notice. She approached the counter, taking note of the tense expression on her roommate's face.
"You might want to ease up or that Brillo Pad's going to press charges," Emma quipped, finally making Mary Margaret stop her chore.
"The dishes were just piling up," she insisted.
"This have anything to do with David stopping by? I saw him sulking away as I pulled up."
"We just, um, he just…"
She trailed off, but Emma already knew what she was trying to say.
"Yeah, I know what you both just. And you did the right thing."
"He made a pretty compelling case."
"But he's still married. I know. I was just at the party."
"What do I do?"
"You need to stop cleaning and have a drink," Emma suggested, pouring them some drinks. "Here's the thing. I don't know a lot about relationships, other than having many that failed. But generally speaking, if you think something you want to do is wrong, it is. So, you got to stay strong, and he has to figure out his life."
She handed one glass to Mary Margaret while holding onto her own.
"Cheers."
…
Back at the Nolan house, the party was over and everyone had gone home. David was sitting on the couch, looking at some pictures of himself and Kathryn. Despite how happy he looked in the photos, and how clearly loving the two of them were, he felt nothing. At least… nothing for Kathryn.
"You look different," she noted, causing him to look up as she joined him on the couch. "Your hair. It's longer. You used to always have a buzz cut. You used to complain that long hair was itchy. And hard to take care of."
"I guess it grew while I was in there," David joked, earning a slight laugh from Kathryn.
"So I was going to go to bed. Do you want to join me?"
The idea made David uneasy.
"Do you mean 'go to bed' go to bed? Or...go to bed?"
"Whatever you want."
"Why don't we just...sit and talk some more?"
Kathryn responded by leaning in and kissing David. Once again, that lack of feeling hit David hard and he pulled back. He stood up, looking torn and pained.
"This isn't right."
With that, he walked out of the house, leaving a stunned Kathryn just sitting on the couch.
...
The next morning at Granny's, Mary Margaret was sitting at one of the middle tables, sipping on some coffee while reading the Daily Mirror. The headline was on David Nolan, something she pretended not to notice as she read every article but that one.
"I'm one hell of a doctor, huh?"
Mary Margaret lowered her paper to see Dr. Whale approaching her, sipping at his own coffee as he pointed at the paper.
"No way he wakes up on someone else's watch," he boasted.
"Hello Dr. Whale," Mary Margaret greeted civilly.
"So I heard that you resigned from the hospital," Whale remarked, attempting to make small talk "I hope it wasn't because of me."
"Why would it be because of you?"
"Well, our date. I never called you after. Yeah, I know, I know. It's not classy, and I'm sorry, but if you could find a way to get over-
"So sorry I'm late, Mary Margaret!" Eve suddenly called out, sliding past Dr. Whale and sitting down across from the stunned teacher. "I overslept and nearly missed our breakfast meeting."
"Ah, yes..." Mary Margaret nodded. "Well, better late than never."
"I see you're busy," Whale commented, turning and making for the door. "Have a good day."
He left, and Mary Margaret visibly relaxed.
"Thank you, Miss Flemming."
"Please, call me Eve."
"Well, 'Eve', thank you. How did you-?"
"I'm well aware of the effect Dr. Whale has, probably more than anyone else. That, and I've always had a soft spot for those in distress."
"Well, Distress just seems to be following me these days… Especially with David and-" Mary Margaret cut herself off. "And it's none of your business, and I have no right to just unload on you."
"It's alright," Eve assured her. "You can tell me anything. That's what friends are for."
"Your little heart to heart can wait," Regina suddenly interjected, coming up behind Eve. "Ms. Blanchard, may I have a word?"
"Oh…" Mary Margaret replied in surprise. "Of course."
"I'll… go and see about getting some cocoa," Eve decided, getting up and heading for the counter.
"I wanted to talk to you about my friend, Kathryn," Regina explained, taking a seat. "But more importantly, I wanted to talk to you about her husband, David." she leaned in close to emphasize her point. "You don't belong together. He's not yours. He's taken. Find somebody else."
"I haven't done anything," Mary Margaret insisted.
"Really?" Regina asked incredulously. "So he just up and left his wife on a whim?"
Mary Margaret was stunned. She straightened up, utterly taken aback by the news.
"He did what?"
"You don't know," Regina noted, Mary Margaret shaking her head in response. "Well, I suspect you soon will, so listen carefully, dear. Because it's in your best interest. Stay away. He's in a fragile state. He doesn't know who he is or what he's doing, and you're this close to wrecking multiple lives. So before you do something that can't be undone, let him remember who he was."
She got up to leave, allowing Eve to return to the table.
"Couldn't help but overhear," she commented, sitting back down. "So… what are you going to do?"
"I… I don't know..."
"David left Kathryn… for you. If I were you, I'd take it."
"I- I..." Mary Margaret got up. "I need to get to school."
She darted out before Eve could stop her.
...
Back at the school, Mary Margaret was opening mail in her classroom. She sliced her letter opener through an envelope
"Careful," David called from the classroom door, startling her and making her drop the letter opening. "Looks sharp."
Upon seeing him, Mary Margaret grabbed the fallen things in a haste.
"You can't be here," she insisted, grabbing a stack of books off her desk as she began setting them out on the students' desks.
"I need to see you."
"Tell me you didn't leave your wife because of me," she begged, still putting the books on the desks. "I do not want to destroy your marriage."
"You're not. It's me. I don't want to hurt her either, but the most hurtful thing to Kathryn would be me pretending." He moved in front of Mary Margaret, forcing her to stop what she was doing. "She needs someone to feel about her the way I feel about you."
"Look, I'm trying very hard to stay away from you. To do the right thing."
"Why is that the right thing?"
"Because you already have a life."
"With someone I didn't choose," David retorted as the bell rang. "The man who chose that life, whoever married Kathryn is gone. The man here wants someone else."
Mary Margaret looked on the verge of tears, then just began pushing him towards the door.
"Just leave me alone… please..."
"Is that truly what you want?"
"Go. Please."
"Meet me tonight. At least think about it. I'll be at the bridge where you found me at eight o'clock. Think about it until then, and then decide. If you don't show, I'll know, and I'll never bother you again. But if you choose this, if you choose me… you know where I'll be."
David then finally walks out, leaving Mary Margaret with a lot to think about.
…
At the Sheriff's department, Emma was going over some files when Graham approached her, holding out a box of donuts.
"Sometimes, the cliches are true," he told her.
"Ok, what do you want?"
Graham gave her an awkward smile.
"Remember when I said no night shift? Well… I need you to work tonight, just this once."
"Why?" Emma whined.
"I volunteered at an animal shelter, and the supervisor is sick, and someone needs to feed the dogs."
"Very lucky you brought a bear claw," Emma remarked, snagging the bear claw from the box.
Suddenly, her phone started buzzing, prompting her to fish it out and see that she got a text from Mary Margaret.
"Something wrong?" Graham asked.
"Don't think so. Just a friend that needs some advice." She got up, grabbing her red leather jacket and sliding it on. "Don't worry, I'll be back in time for my only night shift."
…
At Granny's, Emma walked in and saw Eve sitting at one of the booths.
"Eve, hey," she called out. "Have you seen Mary Margaret? She told me to meet her here."
"I just got here myself," Eve explained. "She asked me to meet her here as well. Sounded rather… excited."
"Think it has something to do with David?" Emma asked, sitting down across from her.
"I'd be more surprised if it wasn't. Honestly, those two are meant to be together."
Before Emma could say anything, Mary Margaret came walking in, making a beeline for the booth.
"Good. you're both here."
"What's this all about?" Emma asked as she sat down.
"He left her. He left Kathryn."
"What?" Emma let out.
"He did?" Eve questioned, actually sounding excited.
"He did it for me," Mary Margaret continued. "He wants me to be with him. He wants me to meet him tonight."
"That's..." Emma began. "Uh..."
"That's great!" Eve exclaimed. "He wants you!"
"But-" Mary Margaret let out a long breath. "I can't just... I mean, I'm trying so hard to be strong, but he just keeps coming. I mean, how do I stop it? You know, how do I let him down? What would you do?"
"I'd go," Emma insisted.
That threw both Mary Margaret and Eve for a loop.
"What?" Mary Margaret and Eve said at the same time.
"I thought you were one insisting she be strong," Eve inquired.
"And then he left," Emma replied. "It's one thing to say it, but it's another to actually make a choice, and now he has."
"Given her new friendship with Kathryn, I don't think Regina would be happy," Mary Margaret remarked.
"All the more reason to do it," Emma declared.
"I'm with Emma," Eve agreed. "Who cares what she thinks? If two people are meant to be together, nothing can stop them from finding a way."
"Good lord," Mary Margaret let out. "Is this really happening?"
"You tell me," Emma replied.
"Go, Mary Margaret," Eve insisted. "Go!"
…
That night, David walked down the streets of town, looking at a map to help him find the Toll Bridge. Unfortunately, his amnesia was to his detriment, as he didn't know which way was up.
"Mr. Nolan?"
David turned around to see Regina walking up to him.
"Madame Mayor," he greeted. "I didn't expect to run into you."
"Well, I was just on my way home from work and saw you wandering around." She spared a glance at the map in his hands. "Are you lost?"
"Yeah, kind of. I'm looking for the toll bridge."
"Where you were found. Trying to jog your memory?"
"Actually, I'm meeting someone."
Regina's face fell at that, and she adjusted her coat to hide the fact that her hands were shaking.
"So..." she said softly, and more than a little bitterly. "You made your choice."
"Yes," he confirmed.
"Well, I don't suppose I can convince you to change your mind?"
"I can't change what I feel."
"No, I suppose you can't," Regina relented, gesturing down the road. "Head down there until you reach Mr. Gold's pawnshop. Take a left at the fork in the road, and it will lead you to a hiking trail. Follow it, and it will take you directly to the bridge."
"Thank you," David replied before starting to walk off. "Thank you for understanding."
"Good luck David. I hope you find what you're looking for."
…
At the bridge, Mary Margaret had a small picnic set up as she waited, unable to keep an eager smile off her face. Up on the bridge, hidden from view, Eve observed her with no small amount of excitement.
...
Of course, Regina's instructions were completely bogus. Upon reaching Gold's pawn shop, David found himself completely lost, and utterly unable to find the fork in the road she'd mentioned. With a sigh, David turned towards the shop and walked in, hoping to find directions.
"Hello?" he called out, walking into the shop. "Hello?"
He continued looking around, pausing as he caught sight of a glass unicorn mobile, an exact replica of the one that used to hang in the Charming Castle in the Enchanted Forest. He moved towards it, gently lifting one of the unicorns as something began to tickle at the back of his mind.
"Charming."
The tickle vanished as David turned, seeing Mr. Gold standing not far from him.
"I'm sorry?" David finally let out.
"The mobile," Gold gestured. "Charming, isn't it? Exquisitely designed. Masterfully crafted. I could get it down if you like."
"Uh, no," David replied, turning away. "I uh… I don't have any kids."
Gold chuckled slightly at that.
"Well then, what can I do for you?"
"I'm actually looking for the toll bridge. The mayor said there was a fork in the road by your shop, but…"
Gold sighed, shaking his head.
"It seems Ms. Mills had led you astray."
"Yeah. Yeah, you'd think the mayor would know her own town."
"One would think," Gold replied cryptically. "Out of the door, turn right, two blocks, you'll find the trail. Can't miss it."
"Thank you."
David started to leave, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw something else. An old, wooden windmill was sitting under the window, the very same woodmill that used to sit in the yard of his home. Gold noticed his interest, but didn't react.
"See something you like?" he asked.
"Where did you get that?"
"That old thing?" Gold remarked as David walked up to it. "That's been gathering dust for forever."
David gave it a little spin, the blades turning slowly, and somewhat hypnotically.
"I think this belonged to me…" he said, almost as if in a trance.
"Really? Are you sure?"
"Yes... I remember.
…
At the toll bridge, Mary Margaret continued waiting for David, twisting a small silver ring with a green gem on her finger. She didn't remember, but it was a ring that had been given to David in the Enchanted Forest by his mother, one she had stolen, and that had led to their lives together before the curse. Even without her memories, she knew the ring was important, and never, ever took it off.
Finally, she looked up and saw David approaching her.
"You came," David noted, a bit out of breath from his journey.
"You sound surprised," Mary Margaret commented, then she seemed to step back as she detected something else in his voice. "In fact… you almost sound a bit disappointed."
"I remember."
There was a long pause, and Mary Margaret's face fell.
"Kathryn?" she asked.
"Everything," David replied.
"And… you love her..."
"I don't know… But I know I did. I remember how I felt, and I think I have to honor that."
Now Mary Margaret really was crying, her heart feeling like it was being torn in two.
"And everything you said to me-"
"Is true. I do have feelings for you. Intense feelings. Feelings I don't quite understand.
"You're going back to her."
"It's the right thing to do."
"The 'right thing to do' was not to lead me on," Mary Margaret voiced sternly.
"I know."
"So you've made your choice."
"I'm sorry-"
"That's ok," she cut off. "I guess it just wasn't meant to be."
She turned and walked off, crying in full force. Eve looked down at the scene, covering her mouth.
"No… it wasn't supposed to be like this..."
…
Meanwhile, Emma was driving down the street, turning onto Maple, where Regina's house stood. As she passed by the mayor's mansion, she noticed someone slipping out one of the second story windows. Quickly killing the engine, Emma slipped out of the car and grabbed her pistol. She slipped along the small fencing of bushes, keeping low as the figure approached. When it got close enough, Emma lashed out, getting them in the stomach. They fell to the ground, and Emma was horrified to find that the figure was none other then Sheriff Graham.
"This is volunteering?" Emma let out.
"Plans changed," Graham tried to explain, getting back up. "Regina needed me to-"
"Sleep with her?"
"No."
"Why were you sneaking out the window?"
"Because...she didn't want Henry to know."
Emma was utterly disgusted. "You did this with Henry in the house?"
"He's sleeping," Graham hastily explained. "He doesn't know."
"Oh my god. I wish I was Henry right now. This is disgusting."
She turned away, stowing her gun and just rubbing her face.
"I really do work at an animal shelter," Graham told her.
That seemed to be the wrong thing to say. Emma turned to him, tossing the keys to the police cruiser at his chest.
"You can finish my shift," she told him coldly, stalking down the street. "I'm done working nights."
…
Back at the Nolan house, David rang the doorbell, nervously waiting for an answer. After a minute, Kathryn answered, surprised to see him standing there.
"You were right," he told her. "I did hate that windmill out front."
Kathryn slowly opened the door more, stunned.
"You remember. How much do you remember?"
"Enough. I know we weren't at a good place when I left. I know you thought I was leaving you, but I wasn't. I wanted to work things out, I just needed some time. Then I had my accident and got much more time than I expected. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too."
She let him in, and David walked inside. When she closed the door, he turned to her, letting out a breath,
"I know we have work to do. Let's see what happens."
Kathryn smiled warmly.
"I'd like that."
…
At Granny's, Mary Margaret found herself sitting at the counter alone. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, and she just looked broken. As she sat there, Whale approached her, being surprisingly gentle as he did.
"Rough day?" he asked.
Mary Margaret let out a shuddery breath.
"Don't feel like talking…" she told him.
"Come on. Sometimes it's easier to talk to someone when you don't give a crap what they think."
Mary Margaret turned towards him, seeing the logic in his words.
"You ever walk into a situation where you know exactly what's going to happen? And then you go into it anyway. And then when what you're afraid of happens, you kick yourself because you should have known better. But that's just who you are, so you keep punishing yourself."
Dr. Whale mulled on that for a moment, then just shook his head. "No."
"How do you do that?"
"By never doing what's expected. It keeps life interesting." He gave Mary Margaret a smile, then settled down next to her. "Can I buy you a drink?"
Desperate to forget, and in need of some company, she relented.
"You can buy me two."