Chapter 10: David

A few hours later Emma and Neal arrived back in Storybrooke. Emma had woken up just as they reached the town line. Something was different though.

"What's going on," Emma asked as they saw a sheriff's car, an ambulance, and fire truck at Storybrooke General Hospital.

"I don't know," Neal said as he pulled off.

The two of them got out of the car and began walking toward the hospital. Once inside Mary Margaret was sitting in the waiting room, her face in her hands.

"Mary Margaret," said Emma, "What's going on?"

Mary Margaret looked up, grateful to see her new friend. "Emma thank god. He woke up. After you left he woke up."

"Who David?"

Mary Margaret looked at Emma wondering how she knew the name of the patient but she dismissed that curiosity. "The doctors came in routinely after he was awake. I took a break ten minutes ago and by then he was gone. I feel like this is all my fault. I was the one watching him."

"We'll find him Mary Margaret," said Sheriff Graham as he came over to the three of them. "He couldn't have gotten far."

"Have you checked the surveillance footage," Emma asked.

"I'm sorry who are you," asked Graham.

"Emma Swan."

Neal took a step forward not liking the look Graham was giving her. "Neal Cassidy, the fiancé."

Emma rolled her eyes at the short pissing contest.

"The surveillance," she said getting Graham back on track.

"Right. With all due respect Miss Swan it's best you probably stay out of this and let the authorities handle it."

"I'm finding him either way."

Graham sighed. There was no getting rid of this woman it seemed. "Fine but don't get in our way."

The four of them went to the backroom where the surveillance cameras were. On it they saw David leave through a backdoor.

"Where does that door lead," Emma asked.

"The woods," Leroy stated fearfully.

"Then let's go."

Neal placed a hand on Emma's just as she was about to open the door.

"Emma think about this," he said to her. "Think about the baby."

"Neal he's my fath…" Emma couldn't believe she had nearly said that word out loud. "I can't sit around at home while David is out there. We came to this town for a reason, remember? Do you really expect me to sit by on this?"

"That's exactly what I expect."

"Neal!"

"It all ready worried me enough that I walked you through the woods earlier but this time is different. It's darker and the search team will have to go deeper in to find him if it comes down to it."

"Afraid I'll end up slowing everyone down." Neal didn't know what to do his words had caught him in a trap but Emma continued to bait him, "Just say it."

Neal bit the inside of his lip but Emma was waiting, "Well you are pregnant."

Graham glanced over at Emma noticing the round bump over her abdomen. He didn't know but then when he met her he hadn't been paying much attention.

"I know that," said Emma.

Neal took Emma's hands, "Honey, all I'm saying is it would be different if you weren't showing but you are."

"Your fiancé is right," said Graham feeling uncomfortable with the word. He wasn't sure why this bothered him so much. "You will just slow us down.

"Emma, please think about the baby. I'll go out with them."

Emma sighed. All ready she was starting to hate the limits her pregnancy was putting on her even though the kid wasn't directly at fault.

"I'll stay with her," said Mary Margaret.

Neal smiled, "See you won't be alone."

"Fine," Emma conceded.

Emma hated waiting around at the apartment. Though it was nice to have Mary Margaret she was just as on edge, still blaming herself even though David had never been officially her responsibility.

"You didn't have to babysit me you know," Emma said as the two of them sat in the living room both with a cup of hot cocoa and cinnamon.

"That's not what I'm doing."

"No it is," Emma then smiled, "but I appreciate it, sort of."

"Neal's just worried about you and the baby. All ready he's being an overprotective father."

Emma smiled, "Yeah I k now and he's right to have someone keep an eye on me. He knows me well enough to know that I'd go off on my own and god forbid if something did happen I'd rally be in trouble." Emma took a deep breath. "They'll find him right?"

Mary Margaret got up from the opposite couch and moved to the seat next to Emma. She reached over and took Emma's hand. As concerned as she was for the patient she had been caring for she could not dismiss Emma's concern. Mary Margaret wasn't sure what was going on but her own worry, though equally as important, suddenly seemed minor compared to the emotions Emma was feeling, almost like a mother comforting a child in a time of distress though Mary Margaret wasn't a mother unless you counted looking after a group of third graders for most of the day but even they went to their own homes at the end of it.

"I don't know," Mary Margaret said placing the young woman's head on her shoulder. "I sure hope so."

"They have to. I just wish we knew he was going."

And then it hit her like a bolt of lightning. Emma had placed the story book on the kitchen counter when they got home. She knew the idea sounded foolish but at this point she was willing to try anything if it meant finding David. She got up and started flipping through the book, Mary Margaret simply thinking that the fairytales would help calm her friends' nerves.

Emma came to the story of how Snow White and Prince Charming met and then came to the part about the trolls on the bridge.

"Are there any bridges around here," Emma asked suddenly in full bail bond's person mode.

""yeah," Mary Margaret said coming over to Emma. "There's one out near the west side of the woods heading toward the town line why?"

Emma left the book open to the page of the bridge. She grabbed her leather red jacket that she had gotten with her first paycheck as a bail bond's person. She made a note to look for more leather jackets for her growing belly when the time came for it but for now this one was perfect. She then grabbed her keys.

"I think I know where he's going."

Mary Margaret followed Emma out of the apartment.

As they made their way to the toll bridge Emma had told Mary Margaret to keep an eye out through the headlights. She did so and as Emma turned into a pull off near the bottom of the bridge the two women got some flashlights that were in the car and began scanning the area.

"There!" Mary Margaret said her light catching the glimmer of something blue near the water.

"There's more blood over here," they could hear Graham call out.

"Neal!" Emma called in the direction upon seeing the other search lights.

"Emma!" Neal called emerging from the woods.

He saw Mary Margaret trying to help David and went to help her.

"Grab his arms," Neal said taking hold of David's legs.

The two hoisted David and brought him to a higher mound away from the water. Emma wanted to help somehow but there really was nothing she could do.

"We need paramedics over by the old Toll Bridge," Graham said into his walkie.

"Neal?" Emma asked as she placed her hands on her belly as if to shield her unseeing child from the intensity of the situation.

Neal came over and wrapped an arm around Emma as Mary Margaret worked to revive David using CPR.

"You're crazy for coming out here you know that right?" Neal asked somewhat in a teasing manner.

"We found him didn't we?" She looked at Mary Margaret. "Anything?"

Mary Margaret didn't answer, focusing only at the task at hand.

"Come on!" she said continuing CPR. "I've been looking after you. Don't die on me please David, please." Mary Margaret placed her lips on David breathing life back into him.

After two seconds David began choking and woke up. He looked at Mary Margaret. He had never seen anyone more beautiful in all the times he could have remembered.

"You found me," he said hoarsely.

Mary Margaret smiled at him. "Yeah, I guess I did."

When Dr. Whale came into the room the trio of friends stood up.

"How is he," Mary Margaret asked.

"He's suffered some mild hypothermia from the water and a few cuts and bruises but other than that he should be okay. To be honest I doubt he would have lasted the night so it's lucky you found him when you did."

"Who is he?" asked Emma.

"No one dear," a woman said behind Emma and Neal.

"Mayor Mills," Mary Margaret said nodding to the woman.

"So," said Regina, "You're Miss Swan," she said sizing her up.

So this was the Savior Regina thought. She was not at all what she was expecting. She had expected someone older looking and certainly not a pregnant teenager.

Emma remained silent. It was a very small town so of course the mayor would notice when someone new came into town.

"You know him," Emma asked.

"I've seen him around. Poor guy, he spends most of his time camping in the woods, a recluse mostly. I found him one evening on my way home from the office. His truck had run off the road near the town line. I saw that he was slumped over so I brought him in."

"And he has no family," Mary Margaret asked.

"None," Regina replied with a smile.

Emma gave Regina the once over too. "So you just brought him in like that. Didn't bother checking in on him?"

"He's a stray dog Miss Swan and given the fact that he was in an undetermined length vegetative state I was not about to make him my problem."

"So why are you here now?"

"I had heard that he had woken up and then gotten lost again so I wanted to make sure he was okay."

"Convenient."

"Excuse me? Is that really so hard to believe?"

"Yeah it is."

Neal took a step between the two women. "Okay I think we've all had a long night. Babe, what do you say we turn in?"

Emma looked at Dr. Whale. "Call us if anything changes."

Regina looked at Emma suddenly confused, "Why would he call you?"

Emma smiled at Regina, "Because Madam Mayor, Mary Margaret and I are now David's emergency contacts. Dr. Whale and Sheriff Graham here approved it given the fact that he was basically a John Doe."

Regina looked at Graham, "You did what!"

"It's all perfectly legal," said Graham.

Emma continued to smile, "And who better than the people who found him and are actually willing to stick around? Goodnight Mayor Mills."

When she and Neal were a safe distance away Emma whispered, "Who the hell was that?"

Neal whispered back, "That would be your step-grandmother."

Emma thought to the Snow White story. Her voice raised her a little, "The Evil Queen is my step-grandmother?"

"Could be worse, you could have the Dark One as your father though you might get him as your father-in-law. Sorry about that."