A/N: Hi guys sorry this chapter is a bit shorter, but when I got the time I'll update with the contents of the letters. Thank you so much for your support. I really loved writing this story. Hope you enjoy :)

Chapter 12 — The Letters

David is a morning person. However late he came home, he always is the first to wake up. He usually checks in on Little James to make sure he's still asleep and doesn't need anything. After that, he will check in on Emma. Usually the soft snore coming from her room would be enough to make him smile in the dawn of morning. Her daughter was a light sleeper, she moves around a lot and on some rare occasion, she wakes herself up by falling from the bed.

At first when he past Emma's room (on his way to check on Little James) and heard nothing, he dismissed his concern. Maybe he was just being too protective. But when he came back and past her room for the second time and it was dead silence, he frowned. He popped his head and saw her daughter was sleeping peacefully, but silently. He scratched his head. It was not like Emma.

That's when his eyes fell into a bunch of envelopes near Emma's body. He frowned, again. Basically everyone knows how Emma feels about writing, so it was a bit odd to find a bunch of tidy envelopes, in her bed, nonetheless. He took a step closer to see what that was.

Upon seeing his name on a post-it notes near the envelopes, his concerned grew even further. The note was simple.

David, I wrote these letters to explain everything. I knew you always wake up before us and you will be the first to find my letters. Oh and don't be afraid if you couldn't wake me up. Love, Emma.

He lifted the note from the pillow and took a handful of letters. There were five envelopes, each were addressed to him, Mary Margaret, Henry, Regina, and to his surprise, James. He read the note one more time before he tried to shake Emma awake.

True to what the note said, Emma was sleeping but… David couldn't wake her up.

"Emma, kid. Wake up," David hissed as he shook Emma's shoulder. That is not a good sign. "Emma," he tried again. Now he is officially worried. He was deciding in between opening his letter or try to rush her daughter to the hospital. In the end he decided to rush Emma to the hospital. Maybe it was just some kind of light coma or something, but it's best to be safe rather than sorry.

He put the letters inside one of the drawer and ran outside to scrawl a little note for Mary Margaret. He went back to Emma's room and gently carried her and her blanket outside to his truck. Come to think of it, he was speeding the whole time he drove to the hospital.

The hospital was deserted at this hour. But as soon as one of the nurse saw David carrying Emma, they rushed to work. Sometimes having a good reputation is advantageous.

"What's wrong?" One of the nurse hurriedly asked David.

"I couldn't wake her up."

"Let us do our job, you stay here." The nurse pointed on the stiffy chair for David to sit while he waited for their words about Emma condition.

About ten minutes later, Dr. Whale approached David. However much he loathe the doctor who has hurt her family, hell, he even slept with Mary Margaret, he knows that professionally speaking, Whale was the best man for the job.

"Sheriff, Emma is in a deep coma. Her vital is stable for now, but… I think it's best if you and your family say goodbye to her."

"What?! She was okay last night. You're wrong! Check again." David felt her anger rise.

"She's unresponsive, David. I suggest you do what I told you." Whale shook his head and turned his back, then he walked away from David.

The letters, David thought. It didn't make sense. David then asked one of the older nurse to keep an eye on her daughter before sprinting out of the hospital to his truck. He drove as fast as he could without hurting anybody or anything, and by the time he went back to the loft, Mary Margaret was already awake with Little James on her arms.

"David, where were you?"

"Good morning to you too, sweetheart," David said half-heartedly before moving to kiss his wife chastely and kiss his baby boy on his little forehead.

"What's wrong?"

"It's… Emma. She's in a deep coma, and I came here to read her letter."

"What? What letter? How is she in a coma? Slow down, you didn't make any sense." Mary Margaret said quickly although her eyes started to water.

"Come here," David took the baby boy in his arms and walked briefly to put him in his crib before grasping Mary Margaret's hand and led her to Emma's room.

He opened the drawer he stuffed the letters into and gave the one with Mary Margaret's name to his wife. He grabbed the one with his name on it and sighed audibly. There's no turning back once he read the letter.

"What's going on David? Where's our daughter?" Mary Margaret's voice shakened, her expression was full of fear.

"Listen to me, Mare. When I woke up this morning, I past by this room and saw Emma. She was too… silent. Usually she would shuffle or toss around and make some noises. Because of that, I walked in and found out that I couldn't wake her up," David voice wavered. "I— I took her to the hospital and… and Whale said that we should say our goodbye," his eyes were full of unshed tears. One of his hand was holding onto his wife's upper arm while the other was clutching tightly onto his letter.

"It's not possible David. She was okay. Yesterday she was healthy."

"I know, Mare. I know." David reached out and hugged his wife tightly. They stayed like that for a while before wiping their tears away.

"Should… should we open this?"

"I don't know… I really don't know. There are another letter, for James, Henry, and Regina." David whispered.

"We should call her," Mary Margaret stated.

David nodded.

Once Regina and Henry arrived, David and Mary Margaret explained the situation and David gave the letters to the owner. He decided that he will put James' letter away for when his son is old enough.

"Henry's kiss should wake Emma up," Regina stated after they finished the explanation.

"Huh?"

"Emma came to me a few days ago and she said she was cursed. Well, as we all know, curses can be broken by True Love's Kiss. Seeing how we established that Henry is Emma's True Love, Henry just need to kiss her."

"It seems… too easy." Mary Margaret mumbled under her breath. "If it's that simple Emma will not write these letters," Mary Margaret pointed to the letters that sat on their laps.

"Mum, Emma… she— she sent me this unusual text yesterday night. Grams might be right." Henry's voice quavered. "Will Ma wake up? What if I tried and failed?"

"We have to try, Henry. It's the least we could do." Regina stated trying to be calm about the whole ordeal. She stepped closer to her son and tried to calm him down. It's not a burden anyone would ever hope on a twelve years old.

"Whale said Emma doesn't have much time," David reminded them solemnly.

"Go. I'll catch up later. I still have to wait for the sitter to come," Mary Margaret said with a sad smile etched on her lips.

David nodded as he kissed his wife goodbye and gestured for Regina and Henry to follow him.

By the time Henry, Regina, and David arrived in Storybrooke Hospital, the nurse ran to catch up on David. She told them about Emma's condition, which worsened every hours she stayed in coma.

"This doesn't make any sense," Regina gritted her teeth when they saw Emma's pale lifeless body. The only thing that indicated she was still alive was the soft beeping coming from several machines inside her room.

Henry bravely approached Emma's side. "Mum," Henry called Regina without looking at her.

"Yes, Henry?"

"What if I failed?"

"It's okay. But it will suck, and Emma might die." The only thing Regina could offer her son is honesty.

Henry took a step back and turned towards his Mum and Gramps. "I'm scared."

David knelt in front of the young man, grabbed his shoulder and said, "Me too. But we have to be brave. We have to try."

"Mum?" Henry looked up to his mother.

Regina nodded. "Yes, Henry. Your grandfather is right."

"Will— will you guys hate me if I fail?"

"No, Henry. We will always love you, no matter what." Regina said as she approached Henry and hugged him.

"Okay," Henry took a deep breath before exhaling audibly. "Here goes nothing."

David and Regina went out to give Henry privacy.

Henry took a step forward and gripped Emma's hand. "Ma, what did you do now? I just got all of you back and you did this," he gestured to all of Emma. "We agreed not to read your letter, not right now. I'm not ready to say goodbye to you. Please… please come back Ma. Please. We need you, we love you. Even my Mum loves you, she just doesn't realise it yet. So, come back to us Ma." Henry's eyes watered. "Please…" he whispered.

"I love you so much," Henry leaned in and kissed Emma's cheek. His eyes was blurred with his tears. When nothing happened, his tears fell down onto Emma's pale cheek.

"Ma… don't leave me…" Henry was a sobbing mess by now. "Please…"

Outside the room, David slumped onto the floor once he realised Henry's kiss didn't do anything.

Regina was hyperventilating. She was sure Emma said that Henry's kiss would wake her up. She saw Whale approaching from afar and sped up to him.

"How long does she have?" Regina growled at the loathsome doctor.

"One, two days max." Whale almost squealed like a little girl.

"Are you sure?" Regina growled again.

"Y— yes."

"David, get Henry. We're going home now." Regina ordered and they moved fast.

It was rather a simple plan, really. Regina ordered the Uncharmings to read their letters, hoping that there would be clue to how to reverse the curse. She then went home with Henry and tried to sort off her own feelings.

Yeah, she would try to wake her son's biological mother, even if it's the last thing she does.