Author's note: Thanks for all the lovely reviews! Sorry for the long wait. Studying for AP tests takes up a lot of time.
Chapter 2
The Enchanted Forest. No. There is no way.
Those are the thoughts coursing through David's mind as he paces frantically around the large room. The room that he now recognizes as part of his old home. A room that is now nothing more than an empty shell. In the back of his mind, he can vaguely picture where the old round conference table used to stand, and the wooden chairs where the very conversation about the curse had taken place all those years ago. If you overlooked the caved in roof and debris, it was as if nothing changed.
He hears the sounds of someone stirring, and immediately whirls around. He can't help but feel on edge, despite the fact that he is back in a familiar place. He sees a figure among the cluster of sleeping Storybrooke residents sit up and stretch. The figure's black choppy haircut alerts him to the fact that it's Regina. He walks over towards her, stepping over everyone else, nearly tripping over someone's outstretched hand in his haste to reach the Evil Queen. Out of anyone, she has to have answers.
"What happened?" He blurts, trying to keep his voice down. The last thing he needs right now is a mass panic. He feels himself begin to tremble with fear, and he forces himself to stay calm.
"What're you talking about?" Regina's voice oozes irritation as she combs through her black haircut. She doesn't seem to have noticed their current predicament.
"Look around." David snaps. Regina does so, and her eyes immediately widen in alarm as she takes in the scene before her.
"What? But this is..." She gasps. "W-what happened?" For once, the Evil Queen is at a loss. It is such an unnerving sight that David can't help but turn away.
"That's what I would like to know." He replies brusquely. "What did you do?"
"Me?" Regina counters, standing up and placing her hands on her hips defensively. "I did nothing."
David stares deep into her eyes. Into the eyes that have haunted his dreams for so long. The eyes belonging to the person who single handedly screwed up his family's life. He backs up uncertainly. Unlike usual, Regina's eyes are pools of fear. They don't sparkle with the usual hateful malice. It was the same look David usually saw when she looked upon Henry. A look of concern. His brain is telling him not believe her, yet his gut instinct is telling him that she's telling the truth. That she really doesn't know. That she's innocent.
His stomach plummets. "You don't know?" An edge of fear creeps into David's voice. Somehow this doesn't make him feel any better. At least if he knew it was Regina, he'd have a goal. A target. A tangible purpose. But now, he doesn't have any answers. And as someone who others naturally looked to as a leader, that scared him senseless. If Regina didn't know what was going on, it couldn't be good.
"No." The Evil Queen shakes her head vigorously. "I don't."
They are silent for a long moment.
"We must've traveled through a portal somehow." Regina deduces, pacing around.
"But how?" David asks. "I thought those were hard to make."
"They are." She confirms.
"So how could one just mysteriously pop up out of nowhere?"
"Does it look like I know?" Regina snaps. "Maybe it has something to do with your magic beans." She pauses for dramatic effect as David's face pales. "When were you gonna tell me about that? Did you really think you could keep a secret from me?" Her eyes flash with hatred and…was that loneliness?
"Doesn't matter." David shakes his head dismissively. "It can't be the beans. Anton and the dwarves said they weren't ready for harvest yet."
"Well it looks like they were!" Regina hisses. She too, understands the need to keep things quiet for now. For once, they are on the same page. United against an unknown enemy.
"Isn't this what you always wanted?" Regina says sarcastically. "You were growing those beans for a reason."
David is silent for a moment, contemplating Regina's comment. It's true, he has dreamt of returning to the Enchanted Forest for ages now. At the very least, it would solve a lot of problems. Plus...he can't help but admit that he's missed being a Prince. A hero. A deputy for a small town just doesn't cut it. Not compared to his past life.
But no. He can't help but feel that there is something terribly wrong. They didn't just get transported back because of fate. There was another, more malevolent explanation. He opens his mouth to speak, but before he can do so, he hears sounds of people waking up. Cries of surprise and shrieks of fear as people begin to realize that they are not safely in their homes.
The air is suddenly peppered with questions. The mass panic has begun.
"Where are we?" Red says frantically.
"I-is this a dream?" Leroy asks in wonder. "Am I where I think I am?"
"What happened?" Someone else, an unidentified voice, asks. "Am I hallucinating?"
David stands in the middle of the swirling chaos. He hears children crying, families shouting, and people protesting.
"Regina!" Someone shouts. "She did this!"
Immediately, the crowd turns hostile as they ball their fists and begin to look around for the Evil Queen.
"Kill her!" He hears an angry cry, and the crowd roars their approval.
David pushes through the crowd, for his first priority is to locate his family. He desperately attempts to find Mary Margaret, Emma, and Henry, to bring them elsewhere so they can regroup and figure out what happened, but fails. They seem to have vanished, and the crowd is too thick. Already, the ruckus is getting worse. People are growing increasingly frustrated. Fights are beginning to break out as families and friends accuse each other of sabotage. People are getting trampled. He knows he has to do something. Stop the chaos. Regina had magic, so this could easily turn into a bloodbath.
I need to get everyone's attention. He thinks as he looks frantically around. He spots an old hunk of wood that appears to be from the old conference table and manages to stand up on it. This will have to do. Finding his family will just have to wait.
"Everyone!" He shouts at the top of his lungs. From his new vantage point, he tries once again to spot his family, but there are too many people. A tiny spark of frustration flares in his chest. "Quiet down!" He waves his arms in the air. Slowly, everyone turns towards him. He cringes as he sees the faces before him; the anger and fear that mirror his own tumultuous feelings.
Suddenly, all the questions are directed towards him.
"What happened?"
"Are we back?"
"Is this the Enchanted Forest?"
The questions came faster and faster.
"How did this happen?"
"Are we really back?"
"Who did this?"
"Settle down." David says. "This is not Regina's fault."
"He's lying!" Someone calls dismissively, and the crowd grows rowdy once again. Fists are waved in the air and David sees makeshift weapons clutched in angry fists.
"Listen!" He shouts forcefully. That does the trick, as everyone quiets, albeit unwillingly.
"What's going on?!" Someone asks. The crowd murmurs their agreement.
"I don't know." David admits. "I…"
"We're doomed." Someone in the crowd laments. "We might as well start digging our graves."
"Wait a minute." David holds up a hand, his stomach twisting itself into knots. Never before has he felt so hopeless. In so many ways, this situation mirrors the day after Mary Margaret and Emma disappeared, but at the same time it is so much worse. Last time he had a direction. A purpose. And now…he doesn't have any answers. Nothing to offer. They are fighting against an unknown force, and a powerful one too.
"It's true. I don't know what happened." David continues. He is aware of the defeat in his voice, like he is on the verge of giving up entirely. But he knows he has to stay strong. "I'm just as confused as all of you are. I woke up here shortly before you did."
"Yes, we are back in the Enchanted Forest." He confirms. The crowd squirms visibly under his gaze, but everyone remains quiet, their attention focused on their Prince, their chosen leader. "For those of you who don't know, this is indeed my old home. Or at least it's ruins."
"This is not Regina's fault. Believe me, I am fully aware of her past actions and reputation. Of who she is. But I am certain that Regina did not cause this. As your Prince, I am begging you to trust me on this. She is innocent." He reiterates, carefully enunciating every word loud and clear.
"It is imperative that everyone remain calm until we find a solution. I know things look bad now, but we need to look on the bright side. We have shelter and each other. And let's face it. How could things be anyworse?" He meets each and every single gaze before him, hoping that this will be enough to get his point across.
"Some of us are familiar with the area. Others can help repair the castle. I know everyone's scared, myself included. But for now, everyone needs to stay calm and work together. Together, as a community, I assure you we can resolve this issue." David finishes, half amazed at how well he was able to compose this speech out of thin air. Public speaking had never been one of his strengths. However, it seems as though his speech did the trick, for people are beginning to nod. Weapons are slowly lowered and the crowd murmurs their approval. David sighs with relief. With everyone under control, it'd make things a lot easier.
He begins splitting everyone up into various committees. A group for finding food, a team in charge of repairs, a medical area. He appoints Granny in charge of hunting and the dwarves in charge of building. The citizens of Storybrooke organize themselves, forming clusters. David steps back and smiles as he sees Granny already leading a group out to the forest, crossbow in hand. Out of anyone, Granny is someone David knows he can trust, especially when it comes to hunting. Leroy is gathering up his fellow dwarves, beginning to bark out instructions in that familiar and somewhat endearing way. The familiarity of it makes him smile for a moment. He almost forgets about their current predicament. It is still chaotic, but now the chaos has a sense of order. Something that as a prince he especially appreciates.
As he sees a young mother lead her two kids to the first aid area, it occurs to him that he still hasn't found his family. He stands on his tiptoes, trying to see through everyone's heads, but there are too many similar looking blondes, too many young boys, and too many women that resemble his wife. He's never realized before just how many people there are in Storybrooke.
Finally, he catches a glimpse of Mary Margaret's profile. Without hesitation, he immediately rushes towards her. She is standing alone, in a corner of the bustling room. As David shoves his way across the room, he develops tunnel vision, for all he can see is her. Vaguely, he notes that her distance from the rest of the crowd is very uncharacteristic of her. The Snow White he knows so well would never merely stand there in the middle of a crisis. She'd be out in the middle of it, trying her hardest to help everyone. That's who she is. She's always placed others above her. And yet, she's just standing there, staring down at the cracked marble floor.
Her tear struck face stops him short, brings him to a crashing halt.
"Mary Margaret?" He stops tentatively before her, mentally assessing his wife's appearance. She doesn't appear to be hurt or injured, and he knows her well enough to know that she wouldn't let a little fear get in her way.
He places her hands on her shoulders, feeling her trembling body underneath his fingertips. Her gaze remains down as she crumples into him. She seems so unlike herself, so weak and vulnerable and…scared.
"What's wrong?"
She doesn't say anything.
"Look, I know you're scared, but everything's ok." He says soothingly. "We're gonna work on a way to go back, I promise."
As she remains silent, it occurs to him that it's unlikely that being back in the Enchanted Forest would scare her so much. Once the initial shock wore off, there's no reason she'd be huddling in a corner, crying.
He forces her chin up with one hand. The look in her eyes fills his heart with the dreadful realization that this is about so much more than being back.
Her eyes are wide pools of fear as she regards him. "Charming…" Her voice is a mere whisper, her voice full of panic. Tears are pouring down her cheeks, cutting rivers down the face he knows so well.
"What? What's wrong?" He asks urgently, reaching out to wipe away some of the tears with her thumb. He notes that she's called him Charming. Not David. She hasn't called him Charming in so long.
Her next words bring home the fact that he'd been wrong when he said that things couldn't get any worse. Things could worse.
"The baby's gone."
Author's note: So what do you think that means? Unfortunately, I won't be able to update till the end of May (at least till May 23rd), due to AP testing. So plz review and I promise I'll try to update ASAP.
