A/N: What Happened to Frederick. Tells about our very own, Adam Knightly (I really didn't want to give him the obvious name of Fred, you know?) and his life in Storybrooke. Not really one of my best works, but I think it's okay, didn't have a lot of ideas from the episode, Gold wasn't in it so I was deeply disappointed. Anyway, onto the life of Adam.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the epic characters (and David/Charming) in the television series Once Upon a Time, those belong to the creators, writers, and ABC. these characters were brought to life by the amazing actors that play them (and Josh Dallas; just kidding) :)
Adam Knightley lived a pretty decent life in Storybrooke. He was the gym teacher of Storybrooke elementary, teaching kids fun games and all about teamwork. It wasn't a very glamorous job, but Adam enjoyed spending time with the kids, teaching them a little something everyday. It was one of the only things that Adam enjoyed about his day.
Living alone, Adam spent a lot of his time out and around the town, exploring everything and anything he could, even if it was just to the edge of Storybrooke. Adam was a friendly guy, always nice to everyone, and never skipped out on Gold's payments.
While most people liked to think about other places, leaving Storybrooke, Adam actually preferred to be here, living in the now, enjoying every second of life.
There was one other reason why Adam liked Storybrooke so much. It was because she lived here, a few houses down from him, never knowing that he existed.
Kathryn Nolan. She was a beautiful woman with a determination about her and something more adventurous that she never really showed, but Adam knew was there.
For years, Adam had seen her come and go, completely oblivious of him, but he never approached her. Whenever he felt he would do it, he would just shut down and get nervous, hiding in the shadows or running towards the other street, avoiding his gaze away from her.
He wasn't a stalker exactly, but in such a small town it was hard not to notice her every once in awhile. But in all his time in this town, Adam had not once spoken two words to her. He would sometimes see her walk into Granny's, or go into Mr. Clark's Generic General Store, every fiber in his being wanting to go up and say something, anything, but always backing down at the last second.
One day, shortly after the new arrival came into town, a woman named Emma, Adam had finally decided it. He would do it, he would finally talk to her, show her that he was here. Even if he only got a single "Hi," it would be worth it.
It was late one night at Granny's, she was in there finishing a late night snack of pie when he pulled himself together. Come on Adam, you got this. Just go up there and ask her how the cherry pie is, you can't screw that up. Then, get a conversation going, show her who you are.
Adam took a deep breath, climbing out of the booth in the back and making his way to the bar. He was only a few feet from her when Mayor Regina walked in, and Adam swore he felt the diner drop twenty degrees.
Mayor of Storybrooke, Regina had an air that Adam always thought was off. She was arrogant to say the least, but he never really focused on her, finding gossip a rather dull topic. But she was headed towards Kathryn, a smile on her face that didn't really seem to belong.
Frederick knew that Regina was one of Kathryn's friends, Adam backed off, not cowering away, just...keeping his distance.
"Kathryn," Regina called, that smile still plastered on her face. Kathryn turned from her pie.
"You will not believe what just happened!" she practically shouted, everyone in the diner turning towards them.
"What is it, Regina?" Kathryn asked, getting off her stool to meet the mayor.
"A coma patient in the hospital woke up a few hours ago and escaped. Graham found him next to the Toll Bridge," Regina said, the smile never faltering. Adam couldn't suppress a shiver when he looked at it. Something about that smile made Adam feel like there should be a row of fangs behind the perfectly white teeth.
"What does that have to do with me?" Kathryn asked, confusion in her voice.
"Because," Regina said, as if it were obvious. "The John Doe is David."
David? The name didn't really compute with Adam, but Kathryn obviously knew who it was, because a small gasp passed through her lips, tears beginning to fill her eyes.
"Oh my god, David?" Kathryn asked hopefully. Regina nodded and was immediately pulled into Kathryn's embrace. Kathryn's face was one of pure happiness, and Adam felt him slowly deflating like a balloon. Whoever David was, he was important to her.
"I need to go see him," Kathryn said, leaving the diner in a hurry, everyone returning to their previous activities. Regina began to leave, but Adam swore he saw her lock eyes with him for a split second before turning around, another shiver going through his body.
"Hey, Ruby," Adam asked carefully to the waitress. "Who's David? I've never heard of him."
Ruby's eyes brightened, loving the prospect of gossip.
"Wow, you really don't pay attention to anything, do you Adam?" she asked, a small sympathetic smile on her face. "David is Kathryn's husband, he disappeared like, forever ago. And apparently, he was in the hospital the whole time."
Adam didn't bother staying to listen to the rest of Ruby's story, leaving the diner in an air of despair.
After that, Adam watched as Kathryn brought David home, saw him around town, apparently readjusting to life in Storybrooke.
Adam hated seeing the man, although he would never admit it. He had missed his chance, he could have spoken to Kathryn, he had had so many chances, but now it was too late, she was happy with another man, apparently a husband who had been in a coma for years.
But that was the thing that irked Adam more than anything. Although she seemed to be overjoyed at having her long lost husband returned to her, David didn't even seem to notice her, a distracted look always in his eyes, and he always seemed to be talking with one of the teachers from school, Mary Margaret. Then, the worse thing in the world happened.
Adam had been in Granny's when it happened, it was Valentine's Day, and he noticed something. He saw David sitting in a booth, and Mary Margaret in the adjacent table, and they were talking.
This confused Adam greatly. Why wouldn't they sit next to each other instead of talking across the tables? And why wasn't David with Kathryn? Ruby came over to their two tables.
"You know, I can push the tables together if you want," she said, in which both loudly gave a negative to the offer. That was when Adam realized it, and anger blossomed in his chest.
David wasn't with Kathryn because...he was with Mary Margaret! Instead of being with his wife, the woman who loved him, for someone who was definitely not his wife. Adam wanted to go to Kathryn's house at that very moment, wanted to tell her everything, but he knew it was foolish.
Besides, maybe he was mistaken, maybe he was just trying to create some way for him to be with Kathryn, a way to turn David into a chump. Of course Mary Margaret wouldn't be having an affair with David, she knew that he was married and she wasn't the kind of person that would do that. Adam put the thought from his mind, trying to go back to his life.
He was at school when the tables turned again, walking towards the gym with a bag full of new soccer balls when it happened.
Adam had just sent two kids to the office for fighting over equipment, and was wondering what he should say to the kids when Kathryn bumped into him, tears in her eyes. Adam was so dumbfounded he didn't do anything but stand there as he saw her run out of the school, confusion marring his thoughts.
Kathryn had never been inside the school, what was she doing here? Adam noticed the quiet whispering in the halls, and he turned to see Mary Margaret walking the opposite way Kathryn had, everyone's eyes trailing her as she went. What was going on?
Adam found out later that he had been right. David had been having an affair with Mary Margaret, and Kathryn had been at the school to confront Mary Margaret about it.
He had heard Kathryn had slapped her, and Adam had to give Kathryn some credit. But now Adam wanted to do even worse to David, wanted to punch him, tell him that he had made the biggest mistake in his life, but Adam knew it wouldn't matter.
David wouldn't care, and Adam was just a stranger to both him and Kathryn, telling him what he thought wouldn't do any good. But oh, how he wanted to see Kathryn, to hold her and tell her it was okay that she didn't need someone like David.
Adam knew that this thought was probably ludicrous, but he couldn't help it, there was just something about Kathryn that he was drawn to, and maybe this was his chance to get her to notice him. He would be her knight, the man to comfort her after her awful ordeal. It wouldn't matter that romance was the last thing on her mind, Adam just knew that as long as he was with her, he would be okay.
Later that day he heard the news from a ver reliable source (Ruby) that Kathryn was going to Boston to become a lawyer, was going to leave Storybrooke maybe forever. Adam was crushed when he heard the news.
This couldn't happen, she couldn't leave. He needed to see her, to tell her to stop, to stay, to tell her she didn't have to be alone. He would tell her that he was here, and maybe she would listen, maybe she wouldn't, but Adam couldn't let her go after all these years without at least telling her how he felt.
It was late when he got into his car and got on the road, a new kind of confidence and courage in him that he didn't know he possessed. He was finally going to do it, he would get Kathryn to stop her car and he would say it, and Adam felt that after that, everything would be okay.
He was just at the edge of Storybrooke when he saw her car. Something was wrong though. It was stopped, and the driver's door was hanging open.
Pulling his key out of the ignition, Adam ran to her car, unease filling his insides. When he reached it, he knew what he would find. No one was in the car...she was gone.
For what seemed like the billionth time, Adam felt the world around him crash around him, but he understood what he had to do. Pulling out his cellphone, he punched in a number, the phone clicking as a woman's voice answered.
"Hello, my name is Adam Knightley and I would like to report a missing persons," Adam said, his tone neutral and devoid of emotion.
A/N: Ending was a little bit bad, but...so...sleepy. Really shouldn't write finish these at one, but oh well, the tiredness fuels my muse, or so I tell my mom when she asks why I stay up so late on weekends. Hope you've liked them so far, but we're not finished yet!