A/N: Hi guys! Thank you for all your support! I'm glad you liked the story. We only have two chapter left and an epilogue after this chapter :) Thank you so much, I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 14 — Mary Margaret and David

By the time Regina and Henry went home, David and Mary Margaret was emotionally spent. They hated the fact that this is the third time they're losing Emma, it's not even funny anymore.

When Mary Margaret took a shower, David decided to read his letter. To his surprise, when he opened the envelope, there's another smaller envelope inside that was addressed to him and Mary Margaret. He pulled everything out and he was surprised when he saw two photographs slipped off.

One was their selfies when they were doing absolutely nothing on the station. It was taken a few days before their journey to Neverland. Emma was smiling while David kissed one of her cheek. It was bittersweet. At that time Emma was starting to believe rather than know that David is her dad. The other one was a photo of their little family, Mary Margaret, David, Henry, and Emma at the diner. It was Ruby who took it. They were smiling and goofing at each other after a family dinner. They looked… normal.

David smiled sadly before he put the new envelope aside and start reading his letter.

David,

Well, I guess I learn and adapt to call you Dad, because everytime I closed my eyes, I already think of you as my father. I think deep down, you're everything I've ever dreamt as a father. You're kind, you're gentle, you're understanding, you listen, but most of all, you would do everything to protect your family. And I'm glad I'm, or… was, a part of all that.

I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the curse, I didn't want to worry you. I didn't want you to have to think that the only thing you've ever done as my dad was letting me go. To be honest dad, I don't know if I will ever wake up. There's this small piece of the spell in my heart that needs to be removed at the same time as the True Love's Kiss. The removal part would be pretty easy considering you could ask Regina to do that, but the True Love's Kiss was… I don't know. The person I've ever loved (beside Neal) are the one with their names etched on the envelopes you found.

Sometimes I envy you and Mum. You guys are so in love with one another. But sometimes I hate you guys for it. Sometimes Mum put you first, when she should've put me first. You too. Sometimes you do that. And I hate you guys for it. But when I see the side of you and Mum who are so in love, I wonder. Will I ever experience love like that? The one where you're partner, equal. I'm babbling now.

I guess it's easier to talk to you because… you always listen. You were always there, although Dad, seriously, your sense of bravery needs to be dial down a notch or something. It's not cool that you were willing to spend the rest of your life in Neverland. No more hiding things from anyone, okay?

I hope you and Mum and Little James would be a happy little family that you've ever dreamt of. Maybe he will grow up as charming as you. Don't forget to check in on Henry every once in a while. He loves and adores you, and he looks up to you Dad. And whatever you do in the future, don't let go of Little James like you did me. He deserves a good life with a loving family, and you guys are so full of love I doubt he will grow up lacking love.

About Mum… could you always remind her that it's not okay to put you first and then your children after? And Mum is always so stubborn, I guess I get that from you guys as well. Please take care of her?

And… be good to Regina. She's changed. She's a beautiful person, inside out. And before you asked, yes, I do love her, Dad. If I have all the time in the world, I will marry her. She's the one Dad, she just is. If I had had the time, I would've loved for you to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. She's my equal, but… but um, I don't know if she feels the same way I do. We never got the chance to figure things out because by the time everything is cooling down, I will be asleep (hence why you're reading this). I hope you're okay with all these.

Thank you for being my dad for a brief period of time. Turns out I've cherished every moment I could with you, and that's a dream came true for me.

I love you Daddy.

Love, Emma.

David hands were shaking by the time he finished reading it. The thick stubbornness of his gene and Mary Margaret's combined is rather… annoying. Emma could've woken up by now if she had told David the truth. It's simple. They need to talk to Regina. And he hoped there's still enough time to wake Emma up.

He realised that the loft was a little bit too calm before he heard a soft sobs from the master bedroom. He got up and walked towards his bedroom softly before knocking the door.

"Hey sweetheart, can I come in?"

A stifled sobs and then a squeaked yes was uttered. He opened the door softly and walked inside. "David…" Mary Margaret reached out and hugged him. "I can't believe this. I don't want to let her go, again."

David saw the photographs sitting on the bed in front of his wife. It was of Emma and Mary Margaret with their cheeks touching while smiling their best cheeky grin while looking directly at the camera. The other was a picture of them laughing together in the diner, no doubt it was Ruby who captured that. The last one was the picture David took when Mary Margaret and Emma tried to make a family dinner with Henry but it all turned out to be a mess, Emma was having her panic face while Henry and Mary Margaret was laughing. It broke David's heart. Whatever Emma said or wrote or did, she loves Mary Margaret as her mother, even long before they realised who they were to each other.

"I think I know what to do to save her," David whispered softly.

"You do?"

"Yeah, she loves Regina, Mare."

Mary Margaret's eyes bulged wide. "That's what she meant…" Mary Margaret mumbled. "I— I need to read this again. Could you check on James?"

"Sure," David kissed her cheek softly before he strolled down to the nursery.

Mary Margaret, no— Mum,

This is gonna sound odd but… please take care of the others for me? Dad, Henry, Regina, and Little James.

You're the first person that has given me a place to call home. A family of some sort, even when we were just roommate. I guess it was fitting, because after all, you're my mother. Sometimes I still hate the fact that I grew up as an orphan, as a lost little girl who dreams of her parents to come rescue her. Sometimes I hate the fact that I was alone this past 28 years of my life, and I made many bad choices. But then when I think about all that with clear head, I— I don't want to trade it for anything because it made me who I am today. Even without knowing who I am, I came through, I pushed all the barriers and I came home, to find you, to find Dad, to find a family.

I don't know what I would do if I were in your position on the day I was born. I don't know if I'm going to let my baby go, or to be cursed for eternity just so I could hold my baby everyday and letting an entire realm endured infinite suffering just because of my ego. I didn't know. I still don't know.

What I do know though, that you were giving me my best chance. I understood that, because I did the same for Henry. I hate that you let me go. You were wrong, you let me go three times. Not once, not twice, but thrice. The first time was when I was a baby, the second time was when you willingly wanted to stay in Neverland if David couldn't get out of that goddamn forsaken island, and the third time was when Pan cursed us all. I hated that you let me go. You shouldn't let me go, I'm your baby. That was me as your daughter speaking. I hate you for letting me go three times, Mum.

If we have all the time in the world, I believe you will try everything to make up for it. But we don't. I'm still trying to forgive you, every minutes of every day, but it seems silly not to forgive you after I myself knew what it meant to have a family, to want to protect anyone but couldn't.

So I genuinely say this with all my heart Mum, I forgave you. That's what family do, right? Stick with each other no matter what happened. You have that power over me, you know. You could break my heart over and over and over again, and I will still choose to love you. I've said it before that I loved you because you earnt it, and I stand by it. But there's moments, where I love you just cause. No other reason.

You were Mary Margaret, and now you're Mum. It's simple really.

Please take care of Dad. He can be a brave idiot sometimes, hurting himself in order to protect his family. Could you tell him that I will forever be his princess? That's all I want from Dad, you know.

Please promise me that you would never, never, let go of Little James. He deserves all happiness in the world.

Henry. Oh Mum, please love him. He's such a precious kid, I wonder how I could've spawned someone so special like him. On that note, be good to Regina, Mum. I think she was never evil, life just has been so cruel at her, but I think your reconciliation (whatever happened on the Enchanted Forest the whole year I was in New York) meant so much for her, and for you as well. She loves you, Mum. She always has, she always will.

And Mum, please know that these past few days I'm happy. I have my family, I have a home, there was no disaster (yet), and then Little James came to the world. I was freakingtasticly happy. I even tasted a little of what might be my happy ending. Yes, Mother, I fall in love. I don't know if you would be happy that I choose her as my happy ending, but I am happy. The only thing I regret was not having the time to woo her as a queen that she is, or do the things that normal couple does. And the only thing I regret more was… breaking her heart. I loathe myself that I broke her heart Mum, it was never my intention to do that.

I hope you forgive me this time because I didn't have a chance to say a proper goodbye. Now Mum, now you have to let me go, please.

I love you Mum.

Your daughter, Emma.

Mary Margaret couldn't hold the tears anymore. Her heart was broken into pieces. Her baby girl. Her baby girl might not wake up. It's not fair. But David was right. Once she wiped her tears away, she went to find his husband. He was in the nursery, watching over James.

"David, we need to talk to Regina, now," Mary Margaret stated firmly.

His husband smiled sadly and nodded before he lifted James into his arms, grabbed the baby bag and taking her hand in his. With determination, the little family hurriedly went to the mansion. Their destiny could be changed by one simple answer from the former queen.