Emma and David poured over the many texts that Ellysetta had translated, looking for any mention of a portal.
Unfortunately, other than the short text David had found about the possible portal in Boura Fell, whatever that was, they had found nothing. Still, they would discuss that possibility with the others tonight. Hopefully the others would have some ideas about that as well. They set aside the books they'd been souring through, knowing they could begin their search tomorrow.
Ellysetta had told them how to do this before she had left the second time. It still made Emma feel really uncomfortable. She marched up to the mirror in the center of the building. "Mirror set aside these books for us, please."
"Certainly," the mirror replied with a smile on it's face. She shook her head, her blond hair flapping all around her. David was right. This mirror wasn't evil. It had nothing to do with Regina; in fact, it was a tool that would help them. Still, the idea that she was talking to a mirror, just like the Evil Queen had used to plot against Snow White, who technically was her mother…she didn't like it.
They left the building together, after politely saying goodbye to Tealah. "Thank you for listening to me about the Enchanted Forest," Emma said to David. She still couldn't believe he actually paid attention to her this time. David had wanted to go back to the Enchanted Forest forever; Emma knew that. That he could accept the possibility of going back to Storybrooke after all…It meant a lot to her. It was almost…fatherly.
"No problem. I just can't believe it took me so long to see it was a problem for you," he said, sounding guilty. He looked at the cobblestone ground.
Emma shrugged. "Maybe I was no better. I was so focused on staying in Storybrooke I never thought about what Ellysetta said; home is where family is."
David laughed. "You're becoming so much like your mother, you know that. Snow said that same thing to me a couple of months ago."
Emma shrugged. She was becoming a little more comfortable with the idea of Snow White or Mary Margaret being her mother, but she didn't know if she was ready to embrace it. "Whatever," she replied. "The important thing is we have to figure out where the others are, so we can get back to where they are."
David nodded eagerly. "We have to find a way for me to get to the burning room again. She'll find a way in, too, just like she did last time." They made their way to the large palace.
Emma gulped as they approached the humongous building. Would she really live in a palace like this someday if they ended up in the Enchanted Forest? How would she ever be comfortable in a place like this? Because of her family, she reminded herself. She pictured Henry running out of the palace, laughing with delight. Maybe she could do it.
They ate dinner with Ellysetta, Rain, and the others, who were eager to hear what they found in the Hall of Scrolls. Dinner consisted of bread, some kind of meat Emma couldn't identify, and a salad. Emma wasn't usually so excited about rabbit food, but it was the only thing familiar she had eaten, besides bread and cheese, in over a week. She dug into it with a gusto.
"So", David began as he cut into some of the whatever – it – was. Maybe it was something she would have to try, too. Half of the food in the Fading Lands David seemed quite familiar with; if they ended up back in the Enchanted Forest, she'd probably end up eating some of it. Gingerly, Emma took a bite. It was alright, she supposed; a little chewy, and kind of spicy, but not bad. "We found one possibility in the Hall of Scrolls. A possible portal at the bottom of something called 'Boura Fell.' Do you know where that was and if it would be helpful?"
Everyone at the table looked horrified. "That Eld territory!" Rain shouted, seeming to almost burn with anger. "Absolutely not."
"That part of the world has been destroyed, anyway. When we rescued my parents and fought the High Mage, it destroyed Boura Fell," Ellysetta added, reasonably. She reached over and grabbed Rain's hand. Within a minute, his face was calm again. Emma shook her head. She wished she could have a relationship like that, but it wasn't in her cards. She'd just have to be happy with Henry and the rest of her family.
"So, I get that Eld territory is dangerous," David continued. "I can handle that if it gets me back to my family. But if it's been destroyed, would the portal still be there?"
"It's unlikely," Ellysetta replied, sadly. "I'm sorry."
Emma shrugged. It was disappointing, but they had plenty of other things to worry about. "We still have other texts to look at. Maybe we'll find something there." She ate some more salad.
David brought up their other concern as he finished a piece of bread. "But even more importantly, we need to find a way to figure out which world our family is in. Emma realized there is no way of knowing which world they ended up in. There is a netherworld that Snow and I have been to before. We were able to talk to each other there when we in different worlds. But I need a sleeping potion of some sort. Where can I get one?"
Everyone at the table except Emma looked confused. "What is a sleeping potion?"
David shrugged as he ate some of the chewy, spicy meat. "Anything that will knock me out and put me to sleep. A powder. A pill, a drink, whatever."
Everyone but Emma continued to stare blankly at David. "We have magic that can put people to sleep. I know there's a weave on a weave that will put someone to sleep somewhere in the Hall of Scrolls. We discussed this with Adrial." The Fey all nodded.
David nodded at first, and then paused. "I don't know if magic would work. If it's a curse, I don't have anyone to wake me up here. If it isn't I may not end up in the burning room at all." He shook his head, looking deep in thought.
"When I first came here, I didn't get a lot of sleep. When I finally did sleep, I ended up in the burning room again. What if I force myself to stay up all night tonight? Then tomorrow night, I should end up in the burning room again!" He looked pleased with himself.
Emma however was horrified. "That sounds unhealthy, David! If you stay up for close to 48 hours, you could get hurt tomorrow. Not to mention make yourself sick!" There had to be a better plan than him putting himself at risk like that. She and Mary Margaret had made a deal. She would take care of David, and Mary Margaret would take care of Henry. She would do her part.
David shrugged. "This is about getting back to our family, Emma. I don't care what I have to do to achieve that. I put myself under a sleeping curse before, and as I told you earlier this week, I don't have any regrets." He ate another piece of bread.
Rain shook his head. "I agree with Emma; it sounds unhealthy. Why aren't you working more on communicating through your bond? If you could reach her that way, you wouldn't have to worry about burning rooms or staying up to the point of making yourself sick."
Emma nodded. That made sense. Why didn't he just do that? Everyone else agreed this was the best plan.
Everyone that is, except David. He shook his head. "I tried that several times before, remember? I just can't make it work. I don't think Snow and I are truemates at all. Didn't I say that already?"
But Rain shook his head. "You relationship has all the necessary traits truemates have. Just because you're having trouble communicating in a way you've never done before doesn't mean you can't. You need to keep trying."
David shook his head. "I did try! I did everything you guys told me and I didn't feel anything. Or at least I didn't think I felt anything. How do you know when you're in someone else's head?"
Emma felt like beating David over the head. "What is wrong with you," she asked, exasperated. "I've never known you to give up on something like this! Where is that optimism, you're usually so famous for?"
"I'm not giving up Emma! I'm simply saying the 'bond' thing isn't working so I should try something that I know will work. Snow and I have communicated through the netherworld before."
Emma shook her head. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean it will work this time. It depends on so many things, David. It depends on her realizing she'd have to go back to the room, too. It depends on her being there at the same time as you are. You've been back to the room a lot in the first few days we were here. Have you seen her once?"
David paused, thinking about this. "No, I didn't. But that doesn't mean she won't be there this time!"
"But it doesn't mean she will," Tajik reminded him gently. "If you practice speaking to her through the bond a little bit longer, you will be able to talk to her, no matter where your wife is."
"I have an idea to help you practice," Ellysetta said suddenly. She sat up straight, as if a wonderful thought had just occurred to her. "You said you didn't know if you were reaching her because you didn't know what it was like to be in someone's head, right? That was part of your problem?"
"Yes," David replied, hesitantly.
"When I first used my bond with Rain, I told you I acted on instinct. And that was true. But I also knew how to reach someone's mind. Rain and the fey had been teaching me how to speak in a spirit weave. It's a way you can speak to someone's mind, without a bond, using magic. I taught Emma how to do it the other night. We could teach you, too. Then you'd know what it feels like, and we could tell you if we reached the message."
Emma nodded. That made sense…but, "David doesn't have magic like I do. How is he going to use magic to speak in spirit?"
David nodded, agreeing. "Yeah. It sounds like a good idea, and I agree that could help me practice so I could maybe communicate with Snow. But how would I do that if I don't possess magic?"
Ellysetta shook her head, her red hair going everywhere. "The only reason you don't possess magic is because yours hasn't been jump – started like Emma's was. You're Fey David; you have to be at least partially fey to have a truemate bond and a daughter who has shei'dalin magic. We give you water from the faerilas for a couple of days. Especially if it's from our most potent source, the spring in Dharsa, you will possess magic. Certainly enough to practice speaking through spirit weaves."
David finally nodded. "Okay, let's do that."
"Bel, why don't you get the water right now?"
Bel nodded, as he had almost finished his meal.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Rain, Ellysetta and the others gave David faerilas for the next few days with every meal. In the meantime, Emma and David continued to read the texts in the Hall of Scrolls. Unfortunately, they weren't able to find anything promising. They'd just have to keep looking.
Emma and David still ate meals with Rain and Ellysetta, even though Emma couldn't figure out how to act around Ellysetta. There was a part of her that wanted to resume her magic training and friendship with the woman. She has been very helpful to her and David so far, and she understood so many things about Emma. Plus, she had been a good instructor for Emma's magic. But what happened the other day still bothered Emma. Ellysetta had what they called "tairen instincts," that would attack if she was challenged. Emma had challenged Ellysetta, and look what happened. Could she deal with that? She didn't know. Emma did know she couldn't always walk on egg shells around Ellysetta. Emma was a fighter; she would challenge people when she disagreed with them. For now, she kept her distance from Ellysetta.
Today Ellysetta and the others were trying to teach David how to speak in spirit. They wanted her to be there, too. But the idea of being around Ellysetta while they were doing magic…Emma wasn't ready for that. So she returned to the Hall of Scrolls and the texts…and Azreisenahn, the soul magic, can allow travel to the Well of Souls. Well, that was a possibility, Emma supposed. Although she didn't know what the Well of Souls was, or what Azreisenahn was. Could the magic allow them to travel to other lands in addition to this Well of Souls? She'd have to ask.
XXXXXXXXXXX
David stood on an empty field. Literally empty, he thought to himself. Most of the Fading Lands looked like a desert, with the exception of some of those six – pedaled white flowers, and a few patches of grass. It was one of the only things that didn't remind him of the Enchanted Forest. Even Storybrooke had better greenery. But it didn't matter now. Ellysetta, Rain, Tajik, and the others were going to teach in how to speak in spirit. As soon as he could do that, he would know what it was like to be in someone's head. Then maybe he'd be able to contact Snow.
David? He heard in his head. It's time to start. Can you hear me?
"Yeah, I heard someone in my head. I don't know which one of you it was, though."
Rain nodded. "It was me. Someday you'll understand how to find which message is from whom. Let's try again.
David? Do you know who this is? David struggled, looking at all the different faces.
"No, I don't know who that is either. I can hear you, but I don't know which it is."
"Try again. Listen very closely. What do you notice about it? The voice may be inside your head, but it has traits unique to it, just like voices do when spoken out loud."
David?the same voice asked. It was a gentle voice, yet commanding, too. The voice wanted him to be happy, but it needed him to be strong. Just like…Ellysetta.
"Ellysetta?" he asked looking at the redheaded woman. She nodded.
"Good," Rain smiled. "Now try to send a message back to her. You need to feel your magic and use it to send a message to her head."
David had no idea how to feel his magic. According to the theory, since he had been drinking magical waters for a few days now, he should posses some magic. But where was it inside him? He tried to reach down and send a message. Ellysetta?Ellysetta?He asked. Ellysetta? "Did you hear that?" he asked her.
She shook her head. "No, sorry. Try again."
He did, and again Ellysetta did not hear the message.
"I don't know what I'm doing!" David threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Give me a sword, and I'll know what I'm doing. Give me some angry sheep, and I can calm them down. Ask me to motivate my people into doing the right thing, and I'll give a speech. Ask me to find my wife in an impossible situation, and I can do that, too. But ask me to talk inside someone else's head with magic? I have no context for this!"
"David, I think you're still trying too hard." Ellysetta smiled at him. "Speaking in spirit isn't strong magic. No more than level one. Try to speak to people without worrying so much about your magic. Just focus on who you want to talk to."
David was confused. "But Rain said I was supposed to feel it!"
Ellysetta nodded. "And you will. After you get used using it. But don't worry about it now. Worry about who you're sending the message to. I started speaking in spirit before I even knew I possessed magic, because I didn't see it as magic. That's how little magic you need to use."
David sighed and tried again. This time he didn't look for his magic. He just looked for Ellysetta. He thought about his thoughts reaching her mind again. How's this?he asked.
Ellysetta smiled at him. "You said, "How's this, didn't you?"
David nodded, feeling shocked. Had he really succeeded? Was he really on his way to contacting Snow?
The rest of the fey smiled at him. "See. You always had it in you," Tajik grinned at him.
"So, how did it feel when you reached my mind?" Ellysetta asked.
David shrugged. "I don't know. I was focusing so much on making it work I didn't think about that."
Ellysetta smiled. "Try again."
David focused on Ellysetta again. Thank you for helping me, he told her this time. He tried to think about what it was like to be inside her mind, but he was out too quickly.
You're welcome, Ellysetta replied in his head this time.
"Well, we communicated, but I wasn't "in" your head long enough to realize what it felt like.
"Keep practicing", Ellysetta instructed. "It will come to you."
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
David spent the rest of the day practicing speaking in spirit. By the end of the day, he knew what it felt like to be in someone's head. He was ready to try talking to Snow again. He couldn't wait. Unfortunately, that evening Rain and Ellysetta were called to Fey Bahren for something involving the other Tairen. They were sorry, but they had to go.
Without Rain and Ellysetta, David didn't feel comfortable trying to contact Snow. He needed to have this "bond" thing explained to him again. He needed to make sure it worked this time. So Charming, Emma, and the others all ate dinner without them.
David moped as he ate. Why did they have to be gone tonight? The granda – filled bread, normally one of his favorite foods from the Enchanted Forest, had no taste. Maybe he should try contacting her by himself. He could try, right? But as he thought about it, he shook his head. If he tried and failed again, he didn't think he could take it. He needed them to explain it again.
"So, when I was really young," Rijonn began, as he ate his granda – filled bread. He was obviously trying to get their mind on something else. "I wanted to learn to weave water magic, like my brother had. But I've never had much of a gift for water magic. So every time my brother wove water, I'd try to grab him, hoping the magic would go into me. Instead I'd get water sprayed in my face!" He shook his head, laughing. "And no matter how many times I got sprayed, I wouldn't stop trying."
Despite his the mood David was in, he burst out laughing with everyone else as he pictured Rijonn getting water sprayed right in his face as a youngster. These men were good guys.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
The next morning Rain and Ellysetta returned, bouncing with every step and grinning from ear to ear. "Torasul and Fahreeta are expecting kidlings!" Ellysetta exclaimed. Charming and Emma looked at them blankly. Who were Torasul and Fahreeta? Meanwhile, Bel, Gil, Rijonn, and Tajik all gasped in amazement and hugged Ellysetta and Rain.
"That's wonderful!" Bel told them. "Tell them we said congratulations!"
"Of course," Ellysetta and Rain said at the same time.
"Excuse me," said Emma, standing in the background. "But who are Torasul and Fahreeta? Kidlings are children, right? So who is pregnant?" David was glad Emma was starting to interact with Ellysetta again. Maybe they could become friends again. And seriously, who were Torasul and Fahreeta?
"They are tairen who live in Fey Bahren. And Fahreeta is what you might call "pregnant" although it a little different than what you would consider pregnant. After eight months, Fahreeta will be ready to lay the eggs. They will then spend a year in the ground before they hatch."
Emma's mouth dropped open in shock. "So tairen…which look like huge… cats …hatch…like a bird? You're tairen, too right? Does that mean you hatched…too?" She took a couple of steps backward. Poor Emma. Every time she seemed ready to accept something in her life, she was hit with something that overwhelmed her all over again.
But Ellysetta and Rain shook their heads. "No. We're tairen soul, not just tairen. We have the ability to change into tairen, and we have tairen instincts, but we are also Fey. We were born…the way you were. Torasul and Fahreeta are only tairen. Their babies will spend time in the womb and in eggs.". Emma nodded, still staying as far away from Ellysetta and Rain as possible. "So are they…like pets?" Emma asked, sounding as if she might be afraid of the answer.
Ellysetta laughed and Rain shook his head sternly. "No," Ellysetta replied for them. "They are intelligent creatures and don't like to be treated otherwise. Remember that if you ever encounter the tairen while you're here." Rain nodded in agreement, still looking stern.
"I see," Emma replied nervously, obviously overwhelmed again. David wished he could find a way to make it better for her, but he didn't think there really was a way. "We'll, I think I'm going to go to the Hall of Scrolls today. See ya." Emma ran out as fast as she could.
Ellysetta's face crumpled after she left. "I just wish…somehow…she'd…" her voice trailed off.
Rain wrapped his arms around Ellysetta, comforting her for a few minutes. Finally, they looked back at David "So are you ready to try contacting your wife?" Ellysetta asked.
David nodded eagerly. "Of course. I was ready last night. I've finally got it figured out, how it feels to be inside someone's head." The three of them went to one of the conference rooms in the palace so they could talk privately. They all set down. Ellysetta and Rain sat right next to each other. It reminded David how he and Snow would sit next to each other, unified at their conference and council meetings. He needed his Snow again.
Rain smiled. "Okay, so let's go over this again. So, you focus on the bond you have, that part of you that knows she's alive. And then you think about her and how much you want to be with her. It should actually be easier than what you were doing yesterday, because you won't have to weave spirit at all."
David began doing that. Then suddenly he stopped. "Wait. How do I know where to send the message? When I tried this before, I was trying to send it to the Enchanted Forest. But as Emma and I talked about the other day, I don't really know if that's where she is. So where do I send it to?"
Rain's eyes widened, suddenly understanding something. "That's your problem. Besides the fact that you didn't know what it felt like to 'be inside someone's mind', you weren't sending the message correctly. Don't try to send the message to a place. Send it to her. Focus on your wife and how much you love her and how much you want to be with her, regardless of where she is."
David nodded. "I guess you told me that already. I was just too focused on getting back to the Enchanted Forest to listen. I wanted Snow to be there, so that's where I assumed she was." He looked at his hands, full of shame. Had he really almost cost himself a chance to contact Snow because he wanted to go back to the Enchanted Forest so badly?
Ellysetta brought his mind back to the present. "While the important thing is to do it right this time."
David nodded again. Right. He closed his eyes and thought about Snow, and how he knew she was alive somewhere. He thought about all the reasons he loved her. Then suddenly he thought of something else. "What about her? How is she going to know how to talk to me if she's never done this either? Is Snow going to be able to talk to me at all?"
Rain smiled. "Don't worry about that. When you use this bond, you're not communicating through spirit weaves like you were yesterday. It's not just the words and a part of you that enter her head. It's you. That means you can hear her thoughts whether she's trying to send them to you or not."
David paused. That sounded dangerous. He wasn't going to do this if it could hurt her, no matter how badly he wanted to talk to her. "Will she be okay?...I mean her head isn't going to explode or anything because I'm in there?"
Ellysetta shook her head as she leaned against Rain. "No. You aren't going to be physically in her head. It's just your consciousness. And since your truemates, and trust us, you are, you belong in her head. You always have, even though you didn't know how do it before. Just like you belong together." She smiled at her own truemate.
Well, he and Snow definitely did belong together. And he did want to talk to her. He began thinking of Snow again, and all the reasons he loved her. Like the way she teased him when they first met, calling him 'Charming.' It was a name she still used today sometimes, especially when they were alone. The way she'd insist on saving him, just as he'd saved her. Her amazing capacity to forgive, even against Regina. The way she could make the best decisions for Emma, even ones that broke their hearts. How she always insisted that cinnamon and chocolate went together, no matter how strange everyone else thought it was. The way she liked to bake much to the annoyance of the chefs at their palace. Her faith in Charming's goodness, even when he wasn't sure (after the Anton fiasco). The way here lips felt against his. The way she always smelled like a combination of cinnamon and earth. How she always knew when he just wanted to cuddle and when he wanted to take things further. Her beautiful jet black hair, pale skin, full lips, breasts, and on and on.
Then he thought about how much he wanted to be with Snow right now, no matter where she was. If he was with her he could kiss her and love her and support her again, no matter where she was. Storybrooke? Fine. Wonderland? Fine. Another world they had never heard of? Fine. Snow? He thought. It's Charming. And suddenly he knew he was in his wife's head.
XXXXXXXXXXX
OOOOOOOOOO
Snow White climbed out of bed by herself again, not certain how much more she could take.
It had been almost two weeks since they'd been back in Storybrooke. Well…some of them, anyway. Every time they thought they finally had their family back together again, they'd get separated again. She missed Emma. She missed the way her daughter would grumble and yell at everyone in the morning until she had a cup of coffee. She missed watching her interact with Henry. She missed her being annoyed when she and Charming would kiss in front of her.
And of course, she missed her Charming. She missed kissing him, sleeping with him, and always having his support when she needed it. She missed the way they'd do dishes together, like they did everything together. She missed watching him walk around in that holster (because he really did look great in it). She missed the way he'd yell at Hook and threat him with bodily harm for his suggestive comments.
She put on her school clothes. Snow had returned to teaching again since they had been back, even though she didn't think she wanted to teach anymore after the Curse broke. But now…she had to have something to do with her time while she waited for Emma and Charming to return. Snow always privately thought she and Emma had a tougher job getting home from the Enchanted Forest than Charming and Henry had, waiting for them. After all they had to deal with Cora, Hook, ogres, and Mulan and Aurora, who sometimes acted like allies and sometimes acted like enemies. But Snow never realized how hard it was to do nothing but wait. She knew Charming would find a way home. He would find her, just like he always said he would. And Emma would never let something stand in her way from coming home to Henry. But this waiting…it was torture. So, to help with that, she asked for her teaching job back. The school department happily gave it to her.
Dressed and ready for school, Henry's feet came down the stairs. "Still no sign of them?" he asked.
Snow sighed shaking her head. That was the other reason she had returning to teaching. She had promised Emma she would take care of Henry. And Henry wasn't doing well either. If anything, he was doing worse than she was. Henry liked to "go on adventures" and solve problems himself. Just like she did, of course. When they had returned without Charming and Emma, Henry was all ready to create another code name for this operation. Then he had realized the only portals they had, Jefferson's magic hat, and the magic beans, were gone. It had almost sent him into depression. He had refused to eat, or play, or anything, for four days.
Snow had to explain to Henry that sometimes loving someone meant you had to wait for them to find you. Easier said than done, she knew. But Charming had taught her that. And she and Henry would wait together. Henry was happy knowing his grandmother was in school with him, even if she was no longer teaching his class. She was still there.
"How much longer do you think we'll have to wait?" Henry asked as she poured him some Cheerios.
"I really don't know, Henry." She poured herself some Cheerios as well.
"But could it be months? Or years, even? What if their still stuck in Neverland? Battling the shadow thing and the desire to stay there forever?"
It was something Snow hadn't even wanted to think about. She had left Charming in Neverland, bleeding to death, just like he was back on the floor of the nursery, twenty – eight years ago. How could she have done that? What if he was still unconscious in Neverland? What if he was…No! She couldn't think like that. Snow would know if he was dead. But even wasn't still unconscious, Henry was right. If they were still in Neverland, getting home could be really difficult. Not that it would be any easier in the Enchanted Forest. After all, she and Emma used the last portal there.
Snow finished her cereal and forced a smile. "I don't know Henry. We'll just have to keep hoping. It's all we can do." But in Snow's mind an idea was forming. If she and Charming could get to the burning room again, she could at least see him and talk to him. He could tell her where he was and if he had any leads on getting home. The local drug store sold sleeping pills. That should work as well as poppies, right? But she couldn't do it with Henry around. What if it didn't work? His hopes would be crushed.
"Henry? How would you like to meet Neal after school at Granny's today?"
Henry shrugged. "Okay." Neal was happy to still be a part of Henry's life. He still rented the room in the bed and breakfast and still tried to see Henry regularly. Henry tried to act happy around Neal, but it wasn't easy.
Not that it was much easier for Neal, either. Neal hadn't said much to Snow, but she knew he was missing Emma fiercely. He and Emma had just repaired their relationship in Neverland, and now they were separated again. The way he looked sometimes…Snow shook her head. Sometimes she thought she should talk to Neal, too. But she didn't know how to go about it.
Snow and Henry climbed into her car and headed for the school in silence. Somehow she'd have to get through the day. Snow couldn't wait until the afternoon when she could buy the sleeping pills and put her plan into action. But first she'd have to teach the fourth graders adjectives, and fractions, and states and capitals. Why had she decided to back to teaching again?
Henry gave her a small smile as he got out of the car. "I'm glad you're with me again, Grandma." Oh, right. That was why. Because Henry needed her.
Snow smiled back at him. "I'm glad I can help, Henry." Then she headed toward her classroom. It was funny. Henry called Charming "Grandpa" as soon as the Curse broke, and he continued to call Charming "Grandps" today. But until recently, Henry only called her "Mary Margaret." It wasn't until he accepted they were alone together without their family that Henry started calling her "Grandma." It was like he needed to establish the family bond with Snow because she was all he had left. It was kind of nice, she supposed.
Of course, that wasn't really true. Henry had Neal. But although Neal loved to spend time with Henry, Snow wasn't sure he was ready to be a Dad, and Henry didn't seem to be ready to call him "Dad." As hard as it was for Snow to admit, Henry also had Regina, whom he still called "Mom." But even Henry kept her at arm's length, unsure how much to trust her with all that had happened.
Snow stepped into the classroom and began teaching.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Snow was finally able to leave the school. She wanted to run right to the drugstore and buy her sleeping pills, but she had to drop Henry off at Granny's first. After that was done, she raced to the store as fast as she could. Luckily, no one stopped her, although she did get some strange looks from several people. As soon as she spotted the sleeping pills, she grabbed them and placed them on the counter.
Sneezy, one of Snow's best friends from the Enchanted Forest and still a good friend here, looked at her and the pills. "Mary Margaret, I know you're missing David…but I don't think this is the answer. He wouldn't want this." He shook his head.
Snow looked at him angrily. How did he know what David would want? No one knew David like she did, and she needed to find a way to contact him! David would understand that. "I think this is my business", she snarled.
Sneezy shook his head. "I'm trying to look out for your best interests, and I know drug abuse isn't in it."
Snow's mouth dropped open in shock. So that's why Sneezy was so upset. He thought she was taking these pills to sleep away the pain of losing David. "I'm sorry, and I appreciate you looking out for me, but I'm not using them for that." She laughed. "I'll just use them for one specific purpose. If it doesn't work, I won't use more. I promise."
Sneezy shrugged and rung them up. "Okay but be careful."
She took the pills home. Unfortunately, as she read the package, she realized they didn't work like the sleeping powder had. They required eight hours to sleep. She couldn't just put herself out this afternoon while Henry was at Granny's and be up in time to make dinner. Even when she had a plan it was still wait, wait, wait! Wait until the right time to go to the drug store without Henry knowing. And now wait until tonight to use them.
It would be a good day to bake a cake.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Henry was delighted with the cake when he got home. It was nice to see him happy about something. So even though she knew she shouldn't, Snow let Henry eat two pieces instead of one after dinner. She soon regretted that decision, as she now had an eleven – year old boy on a sugar high in a tiny apartment. To top it off, it was dark outside, so she couldn't even take him to the park.
"Grandma, look at this!" With that, Henry catapulted off the end of the coach.
"Henry, be careful, you're going to get hurt!" she exclaimed running to catch him before he hit the floor.
"I'm all set!" he replied shrugging, as he exited her arms and ran around the kitchen for the third time that night.
Henry may be incredibly smart for his age, but he was still a normal eleven –year old who was prone to sugar highs.
OOOOOOOOO
A long hour and a half later Henry finally calmed down enough to go to sleep. As soon as he did, Snow grabbed the sleeping pills she had stored inside the medicine cabinet and a glass of water. She drowned the sleeping pills as fast as she could and lay down on the bed, waiting.
Immediately she found herself in the burning room again. She squinted trying to keep the smoke and flame out her eyes. Where was Charming? He would know he needed to come here, right? Just like before. Maybe she'd have to wait a little while. She went to sit down, and the flame came up from under her. Ow! Was she going to end up with a burn on her bottom? Snow stood back up. She could do this. She didn't care how much flame and smoke she had to dodge. She jumped over the flame in front of her.
She didn't care how many burns she ended up with. If it allowed her to see and talk to Charming, and make sure he was okay, she was going to do it.
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Eight hours later, Snow finally woke up in Storybrooke. She had one burn on her bottom. She wouldn't be able to sit down at all today, she thought with a grimace. That wasn't the real problem, though. The real problem was she hadn't seen Charming there in the entire eight hours she was in the burning room. Was he okay? Why didn't he come to her? Despite herself, and her willingness to believe for Henry and for her own wellbeing, Snow began to cry. What if….?
No! She told herself firmly as she wiped away her tears. She couldn't let herself complete that thought. She would see Charming and Emma again. She plastered a big smile on her face, as she prepared for Henry to come downstairs. She could do this. Snow quickly put on her school clothes.
"Still no sign of them?" Henry asked as he came downstairs.
Snow almost dropped the cereal box as he asked that. Had he found out about her plan to look for Charming in the burning room? How? Was she going to have to break Henry's heart telling him it didn't work? This is exactly what she had been trying to avoid.
Finally Snow came to her senses. Henry asked her that every morning. "No," she replied to him as she poured the cereal.
Henry looked at her suspiciously. "It took you a long time to answer today. What aren't you telling me?"
Snow felt like pounding her head against the table. Why did he have to be so smart? "I…ah…tried something last night that didn't work. And I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to get your hopes up if it didn't work. Which it didn't." She sighed.
Henry nodded, his face guarded. She couldn't tell what he was thinking. "I see," he replied.
They finished breakfast and rode to the school in silence. Despite the awkwardness with Henry, she was really glad she was going to school today. She felt incredibly depressed that her plan to see and talk to Charming the night before hadn't worked. She felt like lying in bed and crying all day. And she knew she couldn't do that. She had to move on. For Henry and for herself. And someday, Charming and Emma would return.
OOOOOOOOOOO
Snow was in the middle of her Language Arts lesson. She had the following sentence on the board. "My cat has a black tail."
"Can anyone tell me what the noun in this sentence is?" Several hands went up. "Timmy?" she called on the boy who sat to the right of the door. He had brown hair and a big smile, like Henry. She liked having him in her class.
"The noun is cat," Timmy replied, sounding proud of himself.
"That's right. The noun is cat," Snow beamed at Timmy. "Now, can anyone tell me what the verb is in this sentence?" No hands went up this time. "It's a tough one, because it's not an action verb. But there is a verb. Can you figure out what it is?"
All at once, Snow felt Charming's presence. How was that possible? He wasn't nearby. He wasn't even in Storybrooke! It was just wishful thinking, she told herself. Then suddenly she heard his voice in her head! Snow? He said to her. It's Charming. Was she hearing things? Did she want him back so badly she actually conjured his voice in her head somehow? Should she see Archie? No! Charming's voice told her immediately. Don't talk to Archie. Talk to me. I'm in a new land, and they taught me how to communicate with you like this.
Could she really believe this? She was so upset when her plan to talk to Charming in the burning room hadn't worked. Could she really just talk to him…through her mind? She looked back at her students, who were still trying to figure out what the verb in the sentence was. "You know what?" she said to her students. "I think I'll give you a few minutes more to figure it out. I've got to…go for a few minutes." Then she ran down the hall to the ladies room.