Chapter Seventeen~
Emma and Henry stood in shock as the water vaporized around them and Mr. Gold carefully lifted Darcy's body into his arms. She was blue, her lips an odd shade of purple and eyes closed as her hair stuck to her skin that was clammy and frozen cold from the water. Mr. Gold stared down at her before trying to do CPR muttering to himself,
"Come on, come on wake up, wake up." from behind him Henry gripped Emma tightly in a hug as she put a hand on his shoulders to comfort him as they watched as Mr. Gold tried in vain to revive Darcy.
"Come on, please come on wake up." he muttered before pulling back to see her still blue, lips still and an odd shade of purple and eyes still closed. Suddenly, years and years—perhaps centuries of pain, loss, grief and anguish came out as he wrapped her body in his arms close to his and started to sob.
"No, no I—I can't lose you when I only just found you." he hushed into her hair as he stroked it with the tenderness of a lover as he blinked away tears that stung because they had come far too late.
"Everything I said, everything I've done was far too cruel. I'm only a monster inside a man's body and a coward at that—not worthy of any sort of love or affection. Yet I thought—I had the single most fleeting image of a Happy Ending for myself with you at my side. I thought I could get you to love me and have you love me in return. What a fool I was wasn't I? To think that." from behind Mr. Gold, Emma heard someone coming into the room and turned to see David and Mary side by side and as soon as they entered and saw what the scene it was Mary who let out a sob and David who dropped his flashlight. Emma, with tears in her eyes fought back a sob of her own as she turned back to Mr. Gold who was now simply rocking Darcy's body in his arms back and forth. The Charming Family watched him mourn silently, Henry sniffling softly and Emma holding onto him tightly before Mr. Gold said,
"It seems that not everyone deserves a Happy Ending. But because of you dearest Odette, I promise—I promise that nothing will harm the Charming Family. Regina will never hurt them, any of them and she will never have Henry as her son—he never was her son to begin with." then he looked at Darcy's limp figure and closing his eyes tenderly brushed his lips with hers as a final farewell before breathing against her cheek,
"I love you Odette." as he held her to him it was Henry who first notice the strange smoke around the two and pulled at Emma's shirt to get her to notice too. Looking at Henry then back up, she saw the smoke around the two encasing them so that when Mr. Gold notice he pulled away slightly and stumbled away as Darcy's body began to glow slightly. Her body began to brighten and vibrate and right before everyone's eyes the light brightened until they all had to shield their eyes from it. When the light burst into sparkling dust it was Mr. Gold who opened his eyes fist and saw Darcy still lying on the ground only her skin was back to her normal color and her eyes where moving under the lids.
"Darcy?" he asked moving towards her so that she let out a tiny groan as the others stepped closer and Mr. Gold asked,
"Odette?" this time she actually opened her eyes and looking around met with faces of people she knew, and also didn't. Blinking a few times, she began to sit up and was helped up by Emma who said,
"Oh Heavens, I—I can't believe this!" Odette pulled back from her asking,
"Who are you?" making Emma frown so that Mary stepped into view and Odette smiled saying,
"Snow? You're alright?" then she noticed David and added,
"And Charming! You're both ok!" here it was David to help her stand up asking,
"What do you remember Odette?" furrowing her brows, Odette frowned saying in all honesty as she looked to Emma who was still watery eyed and looking so hopeful,
"I—I remember being put into the well because Father was dying and the Curse was going to be enacted by the Evil Queen."
"But nothing before then?" Mary asked her so that Odette shook her head asking,
"Why? What am I supposed to remember?" at this everyone realized the same exact thing at the exact same time; she was now Princess Odette and no longer Darcy. Any memories she had as Darcy were gone meaning she no longer knew Emma, or their friendship—or her love for Mr. Gold—the very thing that had saved her life. As she saw their faces, Odette noticed Henry and frowned then spotted the silent and utterly broken looking Mr. Gold and in her eyes saw only one person.
"Rumpelstiltskin." she breathed out in amazement and with wide eyes took a step back trying to understand why his face turned to pure hurt.
"Come on, we better get out of here before Regina discovers you've escaped." David said so that they all agreed only the ceiling overhead and the very ground below their feet began to shake so that Emma shouted,
"The place is starting to collapse! Come on!" and grabbing Henry's hand she started for the exit along with Odette, Mary, David following. It was Odette who noticed Mr. Gold wasn't following and so turned to see him just standing there and said,
"Come on!" only Mr. Gold gave her a tiny smile saying softly as he gaze lovingly at her,
"I don't deserve a Happy Ending Odette."
"But you do deserve to live! Now come on hurry!" she snapped at him grabbing his hand so that she could pull him to safety but he only pulled her to him so that she stopped short as he breathed,
"No dearest, I don't deserve you're pity."
"It's not pity Rumpelstiltskin." Odette breathed and since they were so close her lips brushed against his before he smiled and the two raced to freedom and safety. By the time they reached the entrance of the mine everyone was already out and Emma was screaming her name so that they had to jump so that behind them they heard a horrible crunching and crashing sound as the mines collapsed in onto themselves. Panting, David helped Odette upright as everyone cheered upon seeing her only she realized she didn't know anyone—she didn't recognize any faces.
"Come on Odette." Mary said so that Granny, who stood nearby said,
"Odette? As in the Princess Odette?" here a mummer went through the crowd as Emma said in reply simply,
"Yeah, yeah pretty much." then the Charming Family were leading her away from the town and Odette turned to see Mr. Gold standing in the distance simply watching. When his figure disappeared Emma asked,
"Why weren't you behind us Darcy?"
"Who's Darcy?" Odette asked making Emma roll her eyes at the fact she had forgotten that she didn't remember. Groaning, she looked to Mary for help so that Mary—Snow—said,
"It's a long story, but first we'll get you settled at my place and then we'll explain everything."
"Why aren't we in the Enchanted Forest Snow? What is this place anyway?" Odette asked clearly not understanding she was in Storybrook and not the Enchanted Forest or her father King William's Kingdom.
"I know it might sound strange, but the Curse has already been enacted by the Evil Queen Odette. You weren't a part of it and neither was Emma, out daughter and your best friend." and here Mary—Snow—indicated Emma who smiled as Odette's eyes grew wide in shock.
"But that's impossible!" she cried only David added,
"And this kiddo here is her son, Henry our grandson. Odette, this town houses everyone from the Enchanted Forest who was Cursed including Regina or the Evil Queen."
"Then why don't I remember any of this? Why don't I remember anything but being a five year old!" Odette cried in vain trying to understand what was going on so that the Charming's exchanges glances before Emma said,
"Odette, I don't know how to say this honestly without you not believing me so I'm just going to say it. You died—and Rumpelstiltskin's True Love's Kiss brought you back to life. Only that's how you lost your memories of being Darcy and everything else." Odette—Darcy?—stared at her and then turned to Snow and Charming before glancing at the child they said was their grandson who already looked like he was ten years old! Shock started to take over and Odette felt herself growing faint and before she could stop herself she started to grow limp. It was David who caught her and lifted her into his arms as Mary said,
"We best bring her to the apartment and just let her rest." so the Charming's as a family did just that, together as one—but torn at the seam by the fact that Odette had gotten her memory back.