Chapter Four: Adjusting
In the course of a week, John and Michael Darling were pretty sure they had figured out the nature of the curse. It had come to them in pieces, but soon they realized why the clock never moved from 8:15. At first they just thought the town was kept on a very tight schedule by Mayor Mills. People always seemed to arrive at the diner for lunch at the same time and it was always around the same time of night when everyone vanished off the streets. But the two brothers soon noticed how deep it ran. The denizens of the town were literally living the same day over and over. They would have the same conversations and perform the same tasks. They were stuck in an eternal loop like a skipping record, and John and Michael appeared to be the only two who picked up on it. On the whole, this was starting to lead the two to have some pretty interesting interactions with their neighbors.
The day after they had moved in Michael had found Henry to be especially antsy and decided to take him for a walk. John had shrugged the idea off, but Henry seemed a lot happier as he rolled along Main Street in his stroller. Michael knew he might need to make this an everyday thing if it was this successful, and he found he didn't mind spending time with Henry without John's disapproving gaze always on his back. Henry was a baby, and despite their mission he was going to need someone to care in order to grow up right. It'd be fine because Michael would still trade him for Wendy in a heartbeat.
He had been taking everything in, eyes slightly fixed on the clock tower, and failed to notice when he almost bumped into a gentleman with red hair and glasses. In the times after this they wouldn't collide, but they would meet at around the same spot every day. It always started the same with him giving a little bow and genuine smile. "Hello, Michael. And hello there Henry. How are you doing today?"
The middle of the conversation was completely up to Michael and whatever he brought up. "We're doing just fine, Dr. Hopper. Where are you off to?"
"I was going to visit Marco. And then I have to get the office opened up and the day started." The conversation would continue from there until a few minutes later Dr. Hopper gave a nod.
"I best be moving along. Marco is expecting me. Have a great day." And then he would leave the way he had been going. It was like clock-work. And that had been the moment Michael had figured the curse out, as well as when he realized Storybrooke might not be the most exciting place to live for the next ten years. But Dr. Hopper was nice enough and it wasn't his fault he was living a Groundhog's Day. Michael would even consider him the closest thing to a friend he had around here. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to explore what that said though.
-FTWH-
Michael prided himself on his cooking abilities. It was the one thing he had been able to step up and do since John was so poor at it. It was the way he provided for his brother and showed him how much he appreciated everything John had sacrificed to take care of him with Wendy absent.
But recently every night dinner was being provided and Michael had no one to blame but himself. It was his fault that he had slept in one morning and thus his walk with Henry had been delayed until the later afternoon. And then was when he had run into her- Mary Margaret Blanchard. She had been very shy and polite, though it was clear the sight of Henry seemed to light her up. They had parted ways after she held him for a moment on Michael's insistence.
That night though there had been a knock at the door. Michael had of course answered since John was locked up somewhere and there she was with a casserole. "Granny told me the two of you are vegan, so I made sure it was up to your standards," she said with a kind smile. Michael was of course more than happy to accept and take the night off from cooking.
He didn't know exactly how the curse worked, but apparently the casserole thing became built into her repeating day because every night there would be the knock at the door. He would of course accept it and the two would talk for a few minutes, mostly about Henry, before she would give a small wave and leave. The fridge was becoming crowded and John was starting to become sick of the same meal every night.
So the night Michael officially had no room yet he made the tough choice and tossed the casserole in the garbage (luckily every day was garbage day), going on to prepare one of his famous salads. He wasn't horrible. He'd still accept it every night with a smile and thank-you. It would always end up in the same place and soon the fridge was clear. Michael had retaken his spot between the two of them, but he was more than happy to play along with Mary Margaret if it made her happy. She seemed like someone who could use some happiness in her life.
-FTWH-
The other usual encounter that would occur on these walks was the seemingly only member of Law Enforcement officer Storybrooke had. Sheriff Graham would come striding out of the diner just as they walked past with a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. He would offer Michael a simple nod before climbing into his car and driving off. It was only after a few rotations of this routine that Michael turned his attention to see that Mayor Mills sat at the counter watching him go, a sparkle in her eye. If he wanted, he could have arrived a few minutes earlier to stop in and catch the tail end of whatever the two of them were up to. But he quite honestly wasn't sure he wanted to.
-FTWH-
John tried to keep to himself as much as possible. At first it was easy, making up odd jobs around the house while Michael would spend his time taking care of Henry. He never left, barricading himself away from any interaction with the town. He left all that to Michael. They seemed to have an unspoken agreement between the two of them that John would have nothing to do with the baby as well. He had even gotten away with not holding him so far. If he had the option of not looking at him he probably would have been quick to jump on that as well.
But that didn't stop him from needing to eat, and sandwiches from the fridge could only hold him over for so long. Soon he found himself becoming a usual at Granny's for lunch- always around the same time when practically no one was there. He felt it helped him look like nothing more than a part of the curse, and despite the pixie dust locked away he wanted to make sure Mayor Mills kept seeing it that way. It was the only time he went out and he always made sure to keep it an hour at maximum.
Unfortunately, lunch at the diner meant interacting with Ruby, who went through the same motions everyday of trying to grab his attention. Her number was always on the napkin under his drink, she would always wink after he ordered, tell him how handsome and sensitive he was for raising a son, and she would always place the food in such a way she hoped he sneaked a peek at some things. He never did. He wasn't even vaguely interested. Then she would walk away just as her grandmother came out to have the same argument. John could recite it by now where Granny would accuse Ruby of being promiscuous when she needed to take more responsibility, and Ruby whining about how one day she was just going to take off and run away. He was getting pretty good at blocking the whole thing out.
He would have been content living this life for ten years. Sure, it started to get increasingly boring around the house but he could've managed. It was better than being in a cage, or an orphanage, or anywhere where Pan was. He was free to do what he wanted for the first time in hundreds of years and was quite content with merely that freedom. Everything would have worked out fine. That was until about two months in when Henry became sick.
-FTWH-
Michael kept the baby monitor in his room and had not gotten a real good night's sleep since they had adopted baby Henry. He would always wake him to wailing in the middle of the night that demanded a fresh diaper or a warm bottle. Michael would fuss with him until her was asleep again all the while John remained in his room- asleep or not. Michael was starting to become increasingly agitated with his older brother's attitude about Henry, but his distance allowed Michael opportunities to give Henry the affection he believed the baby needed. He was willing to oblige a game of peek-a-boo or playing airplane with baby food if it made Henry happy. God only knew how much time he had if Pan wanted him. He should enjoy his life while he could.
But this morning was different. It wasn't the wails that woke Michael up. Instead it was the sound of the smallest and most pathetic coughing he'd ever heard. After soothing the poor guy when he started crying Michael became increasingly worried b the fact that he was running a temperature. It was enough for him to wake John and demand an immediate ride to the hospital.
Dr. Whale had been quick and efficient with his diagnosis. Michael and John instantly were put off by his personality and demeanor but he was the only doctor this town seemed to have. There had been a pause when he had begun examining Henry, but the pixie dust was obviously still working as he shook it off a moment later as coincidence. "Well, Mr. Darling, it seems that your son has a case of the flu. We seemed to catch it early so we'll start him on some antibiotics right away. Other than that, keep him comfortable. He should be fine in about week." He handed John a prescription. "You can pick this up at Mr. Clarks General Store. Bring him back in if it goes up again though." The two brothers nodded, Michael picking up Henry with clear concern. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be. I left a lady at home."
Now if one had any experience in medicine, they would realize that this was perhaps not the best plan of action to take. But there was no way for John and Michael to know this. Let it just be said that they were very lucky Henry was who he was and his family tree was who they were. Let it be said that a lot of stock cannot be put in a doctor who received his degree in modern medicine from a curse.
The next morning Henry would not stop crying. The medicine on the surface did nothing to help the pain he was in and neither did Michael's constant attempts to comfort him. John was starting to hate how large the house was because cries echoed to every corner he tried to hide in. He ended up breaking his usual schedule and spending most of the day around town, becoming very surprised to be recognized and then learn that Michael had basically introduced their whole story to just about everyone. This had not been what they had planned at all.
He had been ready to confront him about it the next day, but it was Michael who found John first. "John, I have no idea what to do," he shouted over the wailing of Henry in his arms. "He won't stop crying. He won't eat. I haven't slept and I can't do this anymore."
John threw his hands up. "Well, what do you want me to do?"
"Just… look after him for an hour so I can get some sleep. Take him," he practically begged, extending Henry to his older brother. John instantly took a step back. "John, please. I need your help."
In that moment, John could hear just how young Michael was. He often forgot with everything they'd been through, but Michael was his baby brother. He still needed to take care of him now as much as ever. Reluctantly, he allowed him to slide Henry into his arms. "I'll wake you up in an hour." Michael merely nodded and was instantly up that stairs.
John really couldn't explain what it was like to hold a baby, especially that first time. To have somebody so little completely dependent upon you. He knew what it was like to feel helpless all too well, and Michael had depended on him growing up. But this was something completely different. This was… no. No. He wasn't going to get attached. Henry- the baby was nothing more than a means to an end.
But it really didn't help that he stopped crying almost immediately, or that his yawn a moment later actually managed to make John crack a smile for the first time in a long time. John knew he could sort out his own feelings later. Right now Henry needed him. So he diligently climbed the stairs rocked in the rocking chair Michael had bought, Henry cradled in his arms. He even hummed some of a lullaby his mother had always sung to him. If he was in his right mind, he would have realized right there a line was being crossed and retreated back to his room. But he wasn't. For once he wasn't thinking.
One could not measure Michael's surprise when he woke up and saw that he had been out for close to ten hours. Or how that multiplies exponentially when he stepped into Henry's room to find the sight of two sleeping lost boys in a rocking chair.
-FTWH-
Dr. Whale may have not had the best life judgment, but he was luckily right about Henry. In about a week the fever had cleared and the coughing lingered only a few days longer. Both brothers were relieved to see him pull through, but then their actions really started to set in.
"I'm not going to stop talking to them," Michael argued as he worked on dinner. John was sitting at the island with Henry in his arms. "You can't ask me to do that. Without them, we are going to be all by ourselves and I am going to lose my mind. Support his head."
"Right," John fumbled, adjusting his hold. Henry always squirmed now that he was feeling better, but at least he didn't cry when John held him. It baffled no one more than John, who had reluctantly taken one for the team if it meant less screaming echoing through the house. "But we don't want them to pick up on anything, especially if it gets back to the Mayor. I'm convinced she has that Sheriff in her pocket as well," he commented, referencing the other gentleman he had always spotted at the diner. "Who knows how far her spies go?"
"John, you may be content boxing yourself in for ten years but I can't do it. I'm counting on the fact that Pan has the magic to back up what he told you. You know what the motto of Neverland is- Pan never fails." John couldn't argue with that. "Besides, isn't it better we figure out the good guys from the bad guys now? For Henry's sake?"
They both were becoming acutely aware of the shift that had occurred within these two and a half months, but both of them felt that by not acknowledging it then it wouldn't all be true. But the point stood that Henry was no longer an "it" but definitely a living "he". And they could no longer just get by with treating him like an object they just had watch for ten years. They were going to have to step up because this little guy had no one else. He needed them to. So his best interests were now coming to the forefront of their thoughts. But as long as neither of them mentioned it, then perhaps it wouldn't be true.
So John had reluctantly nodded and agreed with his brother, wanting to bury the subject and put it off until some other time. Thus he no longer commented when Michael would buy Henry new toys to play with- his room now a zoo of stuffed animals. And Michael didn't say anything we he came home from a day out to find that Henry's room had mysteriously gone from white to a pale green. Because neither of them were sure where they would end up if they started.
-FTWH-
John soon started to frequent daily walks as well, participating in conversation here and there, but always holding back as much as he could. He was mentally trying to figure out who the Mayor had in her pocket and the list was becoming worrying if they planned on carrying this out. The Sheriff was definitely not on the straight and narrow, the reporter would be more than willing to spin stories in her favor judging from the newspaper (which never changed every morning when they received it), the District Attorney Albert Spencer seemed to be a very sour character as well, and though he was positive the local pawn shop owner wasn't on the Mayor's side he trusted him least of all.
But nothing could prepare the two for an encounter they had a few weeks after Henry was sick. They had gone out their regular time to find a character standing on Main Street, almost as if he was waiting. It didn't help that he started for them the instant they were spotted. "I've never seen him before, John," Michael whispered. "We walk down here every day and I've never seen him."
John stepped in front of the stroller. "If anything happens, get him out of here." Michael nodded, turning white and taking a step back.
The man was dressed impressively with a scarf around his neck, but his hair was pretty wild and his eyes almost mad. He instantly kneeled down to get a better look at Henry, giving a smile. "Oh, there's some powerful magic around you," he cooed. "It makes your mind see things, but we're lucky mine's not all there."
"May we help you?" John questioned in his clipped tone, glaring down at the stranger. He gave a laugh and rose to stare him down.
"I know I don't have a lot of time before whatever you're using works its way back into my head so I'll make this quick. He's growing and he shouldn't be." With this, Michael was instantly pulling back with the stroller while John looked ready to deck the stranger at any moment. "Which means you not only remember… but… but the curse doesn't affect you," he beamed, clapping his hands together with joy and eyes sparkling. "And she has no clue! Oh, you're going to bring her down like a house of cards!" But then suddenly, his face became completely neutral and any hint of madness was buried behind a calm demeanor. "I'm sorry," he said completely apologetic and almost confused. "I don't know what came over me. I-I must be going."
And that was the moment John decided that Jefferson had jumped his way to the top of his list and needed to be avoided at all costs.