A/N: Prince Charming's fairytale land name is going to be James in this story because it makes it easier to separate everything. Plus it annoys me Once doesn't actually give him a different name like they do with everyone else. But have no fear, he is the charming we all know and love I promise!

Thanks for the reviews! You guys are the best!

Enjoy!

/

Just like every other morning Regina woke up with a smile on her face and a sense of victory in her bones. This curse of hers had worked better than she ever dared hoped and allowed her to get closer to her happy ending then she ever thought possible.

Even now after 28 years of the mundane life Storybrooke had to offer Regina felt a sort of glee at knowing this world was all of her own design. She had won here.

She had everything.

Henry was probably still asleep in his room where she tucked him in last night, an unplanned addition to this life that Regina didn't know she longed for until Gold had somehow managed to procure the baby for her. Still, has unplanned as Henry was to her happy ending Regina knew he was now crucial to it as well. The only problem there was his unwavering belief in fairytales that Regina had been trying to stamp out ever since he had first mentioned them to her over dinner one night. That was years ago and Regina had made sure to discourage any kind of beliefs Henry had, it won't do well for the boy to start telling tales of heroes and magic to a town full of forgotten people. Regina had faith in the dark magic used to cast her curse, she had paid the ultimate price to make sure of its power but she wasn't about to let anything so much as fracture a world where she had complete control.

Snow White was nothing more than a cynical bartender with a shady past and a lonesome attitude. Regina had made sure to crush out any fire or hope her step-daughter once had like it was simply a bug under her shoe. She always marvelled at just how well this curse had worked on the town of people who once started a war to fight against her for the Kingdom, Snow definitely wouldn't be fighting for anything in this world and Regina made sure to strip everything away so she wouldn't be encouraged to do so either. She was cast adrift from all her former friends here, just as Regina planned when she designed the curse. Snow's handsome Prince Charming was as good as dead, having been in a coma for the past 28 years and with Snow having no knowledge that she even knew him once there was no chance of True Love's Kiss to save the former Prince from his fate.

Yes, Regina liked this world very much.

She got out of bed eagerly, ready to start the day as mayor. Once more looking over all the people whom used to be her subjects.

They still were in a way, Regina thought, they were just a lot more co-operative here.

Her body hummed as she stretched and she found herself smiling for a whole different reason. Graham had snuck out of the house in the earlier hours of the morning like he normally did when Regina summoned him and took him into her bed. At least she was able to right what the Charming's had once took from her in the former Huntsman and having him in her bed again definitely felt like a private and cruel victory.

The Huntsman who once found honour amongst mercy and friends amongst her enemies was hers just like he should have been in the Enchanted Forest. That was a particular grievance she held over Charming for encouraging Graham to come with him and then later managing to steal back his heart from her vault to restore the Huntsman to his former self instead of the shell Regina had made him. Now Graham was her puppet again, serving her needs instead of protecting Snow's family and sharing a particular kindship with the Prince.

The phone rang sharply, the noise breaking through the peaceful quiet of Regina's mansion. That was odd, it was far too early for business and nothing out of the ordinary ever happened in Storybrooke.

Well, except Emma Swan.

But that was nothing more than an annoyance Regina knew would sort itself out. Miss Swan didn't stay anywhere for too long and Regina knew how to be patient. Emma would try and stay for Henry of course, but that wouldn't last and this minor crinkle would soon be forgotten and Henry would run to her to pick up the pieces.

Patience was more golden than silence.

The phone was still ringing and Regina grabbed the cordless off her nightstand to answer it, she turned to face the window as she accepted the call.

"Hello?" She greeted, still unsure of who would be calling and for what matter.

"You need to get down here," Dr Whale's voice didn't hold any tone of pleasantries and that immediately put Regina on edge, "You wanted to know if there was any change in a certain John Doe?"

Regina felt uneasiness curling in the pit of her stomach at the statement, "What happened?"

"He's awake."

Regina let the phone slip out of her hand.

That was impossible.

She made sure of it.

Charming was somehow awake and Regina's day had just gotten worse.

She went straight to the hospital as soon as Henry was on the school bus, her mind reeling as to how Prince Charming was apparently awake without his Princess to save him. Regina managed to maintain her usual calm exterior as she all but stalked down the hospital corridor towards the Prince's room in her grey business suit but her eyes were hard.

Whale met her at the end of the corridor just outside the room, Regina could see through the window over Whale's shoulder and looked in to see Charming now sitting up in his bed with a paper in his lap.

Regina's eyes narrowed, "How is this possible?"

"I don't know, it's the strangest case I've ever since. The guy was in a coma for years, medically it shouldn't be possible." Whale replied seeming just as confused as Regina at this miraculous recovery in their former John Doe.

"Has he spoken?" Regina asked because having the Prince awake was one obstacle but having him remember would be another thing all together, "What does he recall about his accident?"

Whale sighed, "Graham came in yesterday and took a statement. Apparently his name is David Nolan but he doesn't remember the accident or anything else about his life." The doctor ran a hand through his hair, "It's not unusual, with the type of injuries he has sustained he is probably lucky that his memory is all he has lost."

David Nolan. His cursed name. That was a promising sign and it was probably better that he have no memories than have his real ones back. Regina didn't go to too much trouble in designing Charming's own personal hell here because she never expected him to wake up and really what was the point in using more magic if it wasn't needed.

That was a bad decision on Regina's part but not an unsalvageable one.

If Charming really didn't remember his old life then having him walk around as David Nolan, a man with amnesia wouldn't affect her curse in anyway. It's not like a man with no memories can seek out Snow White or come looking for her.

No, Regina thought, it would be safer for everyone to simple let David Nolan immerse himself in Storybrooke life and live as boring an existence as the rest of them. Regina could always act if she needed to later on but it would be too suspicious to do so now.

There was something about what Whale said that peaked her interest though, "Graham was here?"

He hadn't mentioned that to her last night.

Whale nodded, "Yeah, him and Emma came in. I think they were looking for Henry but Graham took a statement while he was there…"

"Henry?"

"Yeah, apparently Henry was in there reading to him before he woke up. I didn't even know he was in there until I came in to check the patient."

Henry was reading to him.

Regina didn't need to guess what stories Henry was telling the unconscious man.

Apparently she needed another conversation with her son.

"I want to see him, if I may?" Regina asked suddenly, she already knew Whale couldn't stop her but she had a role to play as well.

Whale simply nodded and moved out of her way as she step through the door into the room that had been Charming's prison for the past 28 years. The man in the bed looked up at the sound of her entrance and Regina thought she saw a flick of something in his eyes but it was gone before she could understand it.

"Mr Nolan," She greeted in her icy calm voice, "Glad to see you're awake. I'm Regina Mills, town mayor."

Charming didn't show any recognition of her which was a good sign.

"Does the major make calls to every person in this hospital or is it because I'm a medical mystery?" He asked although there was no malice in his voice.

If he did truly remember their old life Regina is pretty sure he would have been out of that bed with his hands around her throat as soon as she entered.

She stepped closer to the bed but didn't sit, "Dr Whale called me, and I'm listed as your emergency contact. I felt a responsibility to check on you."

"Are you?"

"I found you, the night of your accident. You were laying on the side of the road so I called an ambulance." Regina explained, it was a lie but he didn't know that, "And you met my son yesterday. He was reading to you when you woke up."

Charming seemed to pause for a second before answering, "Right, Henry. I don't really remember what he was saying but tell him I said thank you. I'm sure he helped in some way."

Regina smiled, "Of course, Mr Nolan."

Another pause on Charming's part, "I should probably… thank you as well Mayor Mills. If it wasn't for you I might have died out there."

Her smile grew.

The curse was still there. Prince Charming would have rather fallen on his own sword than offer her any type of gratitude.

"It was my pleasure."

…

"Henry you can't keep ditching school," Emma said by way of greeting as she spotted the little boy sitting in his castle, legs swinging in the air, "Your mom is going to find out and make both our lives miserable."

Henry's head snapped up at the sound of her voice and despite the fact she was scolding him Henry couldn't help but smile, "But it's important. I had to see you and she can't know about this."

"Operation Cobra?"

Emma sighed as she climbed up the structure to sit next to her son, shoving her hands in her pockets as she got settled, Henry was stubborn and Emma knew the only hope she had of getting him back to school before Regina noticed he was missing was to hear him out.

Henry pulled the book he always carried with him into his lap and opened it to a page Emma had seen before. A drawing of Prince Charming stared back at her.

"It's about your father. Prince Charming."

Emma closed her eyes, "Henry…"

"I know you don't believe yet but I woke him up which means we have another person on our side. The Evil Queen won't be expecting that and as long as we can convince her he is under the curse as well we can buy ourselves more time." Henry explained eagerly, shoving the book into her lap instead of his own.

Emma looked down at the page noting the fact this drawing did look like David Nolan probably did nothing to help centre Henry in the real world, "Henry listen to me, David Nolan isn't Prince Charming, okay? He's just a guy who was in a coma and he woke up."

"You can't believe that," Henry replied, "The only reason he was in the coma was because he was trying to get you to safety. He gave his life for you, Emma."

"My parents weren't heroes or fairytales, Kid. They were human and they left me on the side of the road in the middle of the night. That's it, they couldn't look after me so they walked away." Emma tried to keep her voice even for Henry's sake but she had to draw the line somewhere with Henry's imagination and she couldn't let him tell people David Nolan was her father when he was barely older than she was.

Henry shook his head, "You gave me up. It wasn't because you couldn't look after me or because you wanted to walk away. Why?"

That question threw her but she looked down at his face sadly, "I wanted to give you your best chance."

"Exactly!" Henry exclaimed, "And that's what they wanted for you as well. To give you your best chance. You don't have to believe me, but you will one day because we're going to need a saviour to break the curse. Just read the book? Please, you don't have to believe just read it."

Emma looked down at the book in her lap and back to her son's pleading face. This was important to him, that was obvious and maybe after all those years absent in his life this was the least she can do. Read a book of fairytales that her son was so invested in, maybe it would help her understand where this obsession was coming from.

She nodded once and closed the book, "Okay." She said softly, "I'll read it."

…

Regina shut the door to her office with a loud thud before turning round to see her guest already there, sitting in her chair with his feet propped up on her desk. Regina grimaced at the sight.

"This had better be important, Madam Mayor." He greeted, "If someone saw us it would be pretty difficult to explain."

Regina squared her shoulders and dropped her bag onto the couch, "Then you better get your feet off my desk, Jason." She replied as she unbuttoned her coat and slipped it off her shoulders, "Charming's awake."

"Impossible." He shook her head in disbelief, "You said he wouldn't wake up, you were sure of it."

"Well apparently I was mistaken." Regina snapped.

Jason stood, moving from out behind her desk with his black coat swaying, "And I'm here because? I can't do anything about your Prince trouble."

"No," Regina allowed, "But you can help me ensure the peaceful existence of my curse. That was part of our deal was it not?"

"I've held up my end. Snow White is miserable and weak, I've kept a watchful eye on her just as you instructed."

"And now I need your help making sure she remembers just how miserable and weak she is."

Jason sighed, "How does this help with the Prince?"

"The Prince is still under the curse so isn't a concern to me. He thinks he is David Nolan and while I would prefer him to still be in that coma we have to play with the hand we were dealt. I don't want Snow to see him on the street and start feeling hopeful about her existence."

"You want to remind her just how hopeless she is in this world, especially in regards to love and happy endings." The bar owner summarised.

Regina smiled, "And you, Jafar, are just the man to help me do that."

"You truly are evil."

"How so? I let you keep your memories didn't I? I let you get revenge on Aladdin and create his own hell in whatever way you saw fit." She reminded him as she stepped closer, "And in return you help me keep Snow under the curse and in my control."

Jafar nodded, "What do you want me to do?"

"Perhaps a reminder of her worth would jolt her into remembering she has very little of it." Regina mused, "I'm sure seeing the inside of a cell again would do it."

…

James really hated hospitals, he decided after Dr Whale had checked in on him for what felt like the millionth time that day, still being stuck in bed with nothing to do met he could stare out the window into the corridor and catalogue the faces he saw. A few people from the palace were here and James even caught a glimpse of Doc earlier that morning wandering about.

It was the visit from Regina that really threw him though, not expecting to see her so soon and yet not that surprised either. Of course she would have checked up on him, Henry waking him wasn't part of her plan in this curse and she had to check he was abiding by her rules.

James could only hope he gave a good enough performance to fool her, Henry had warned him the Queen would find out and he would need to convince her this curse was affecting him as well otherwise they were never going to be able to defeat it.

It was a difficult thing to do; be patient. Snow was always the patient one, he much preferred going in head first with a sword and dealing with things that way but he knew it couldn't afford that risk here. Not with Snow's safety on the line or Emma's or Henry's.

He would save them.

It was his job as a father and husband.

And apparently grandfather although James was still in shock over that one. His grandson was a sight to behold though, fierce and stubborn and very much like Snow. Perhaps like Emma too.

Not for the first time that day his thoughts drifted back to his daughter. This woman that seemed to be every bit him and Snow and who had no collection of it. A girl who was lost and had no idea where she belonged or how loved she was.

James' blood boiled.

How he wanted to just kill Regina when he had the chance that morning for tearing their family apart. For putting all these people through this.

But that wouldn't have saved anyone or stopped the curse. It might have even gotten him killed in the process.

James refused to sit in this bed while she walked around smug though, while Snow was out there as a shadow of her former self. No, he didn't know what kind of man Regina had planned for David Nolan to be but James couldn't waste another day in this hospital room. He would play it safe of course, but he was leaving as soon as Whale came back with his discharge papers.

Dr Whale had advised against it but James wouldn't listen. He wasn't going to fix anything from this room and they both knew they were nothing medically wrong with him. They wanted him here for Regina to be able to keep tabs on him and James wasn't planning on making her job any easy now he was awake.

"You know with the kind of coma you were in, maybe discharging yourself against everyone's advice is a bad idea." A familiar Irish voice spoke from the doorway. James turned to the new arrival and smiled as Graham entered the room in his leather jacket with a badge clipped to his chest.

"I hate hospitals," James replied to his former friend, "and I'm not too fond of being a pin cushion either."

Graham made his way over to the bed, taking a seat in the chair closest to him, "You're a stubborn one then." He smirked, "I don't suppose you have remembered anything else?"

"No," James said with a shake of his head, "And I'm not going to while stuck in here."

"What's the plan when you get discharged? Where are you going to stay?"

James was touched by the concern in Graham's voice and he felt a sense of guilt at seeing his friend like this, looking at him as if he were a stranger. "I'm not sure. Dr Whale mentioned something about Granny's bed and breakfast. I'll check in there and look for a job I guess."

"Maybe I can help with that?" Graham suggested and James found himself frowning in confusion, "I mean I have a spare room at my place and it will probably be better than being at Granny's at least until you get on your feet. Besides having someone around to make sure you don't keel over has to be a good thing, right?"

"You don't even know me."

Graham nodded once, "I know but I like to think being Sheriff means I have a sixth sense about people and for some reason there is something about you… that I trust."

Because you were raised by wolves and know how to look into people's eyes and understand their intentions, James thought bitterly.

Carefully he studied his former friend, searching for the Huntsman he once knew and greatly admired.

James and The Huntsman had scouted out just beyond the castle walls looking for any traces of the Queen's black knights after Grumpy informed them of a potential sighting along the east wall. They didn't take any more guards with them as they didn't want to draw attention but they kept their guards up just to be sure. James had his sword out, ready to strike and he looked over at his companion to see the Huntsman also ready for a fight with his bow strung and an arrow raised.

"How did you convince Snow not to come with us?" The Huntsman asked in a whisper as they continued their trek through the thick forest.

"I simply reminded her that she is 6 months pregnant and running around the forest at night wouldn't be helpful to anyone." James replied, his eyes darting around for any signs of a threat.

The Huntsman smirked. "And when that didn't work?"

"I told her I would admit she was right and our child will be a girl." James said with a smile.

"So she is pretty smug right now?"

James laughed, "She isn't going to let me live it down in a hurry that's for sure."

A twig snapping to their left causing both men to stop though they barely had a moment to think before five knights came charging at them out of the undergrowth.

Graham's arrow pierced through the armour of the first, knocking the knight to the floor in a heap as James leapt into action. He ran, slicing through the first knight with ease as he spun round and slashed through the next.

James had to duck from the attack the fourth knight launched against him but the knight managed to knock him off centre and they both tumbled to the ground. James vaguely heard another arrow whooshing through the air followed by a groan as Graham took care of the last man.

The prince had bigger problems though as he grappled with the knight. His sword had fallen just out of his reach and the knight looming above him was baring down with all his strength. James flipped them with a firm grasp on the knight's throat as he gained the upper hand, placing a well-aimed punch to the man's face.

"James!"

The Prince looked back at the Huntsman seeing him with an arrow already strung between the bow. James read the expression in the Huntsman's eyes with a nod and rolled over so the knight was exposed and Graham had a clear shot.

The arrow landed right through the knight's heart and he was still.

Graham helped pull James to his feet with a grunt, "She's not going to give up."

"Thank you."

"I owe you everything…"

James cut him off, "You owe me nothing, your heart is your own again and so are your actions."

"And I can think of no way more honourably to show that then to fight alongside friends."

"Then it is an honour, my friend." James smiled as he clapped the Huntsman on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Graham." James smiled genuinely at the offer, seeing more of the Huntsman in his eyes than the Sheriff.

"Don't mention it," He said with a wave, "I'll give you a ride back to mine after we get you discharged. As for a job, we can always use some more help at the station. Emma hates working nights just as much as I do."

James found himself reeling, an offer of a place to stay and a job. Perhaps the Huntsman was closer to the surface than James first thought.

Regina would no doubt be annoyed at David Nolan working for the Sheriff but James didn't care in the slightest.

Emma worked with Graham and he definitely wouldn't pass up the opportunity to spend more time with his daughter.

/

So what do you think? Thought?

Please review! They mean so much to me!

Next chapter includes: Some Emma/James interaction and Regina's plan against Snow comes into effect!