Quick Note: Due to the insanely long hiatus between Ch20 and 21, some changes happened in the story set up and I made some edits to the end of Ch 20. I'd definitely recommend re-reading that chapter before reading this one.

21.

Mary Margaret had made it a point to stop by the hospital to check on their John Doe every day since they had found him. If Mayor Mills knew anything more about him, she hadn't said, so the elementary teacher had made sure to drop by frequently during her volunteer hours, and sometimes even outside of them. No one should be alone, especially if they couldn't remember who they were.

It was strange. She would have thought someone with no memory of who they were would have been a bit of a blank slate. There were no memories of experiences to form up a personality, but somehow it shined through with him. The more time she spent, the more she enjoyed his company. He made her laugh at the most unexpected moments and there was a lightness she felt around him. A rightness. Somehow, she was drawn to him, and he seemed to be drawn to her. What a strange world.

He wasn't in his room, though. The bed was empty and a stranger stood with his broad back facing her, seemingly looking out the window towards the pond that Mary Margaret so often walked around with the man she'd come to visit. As the stranger turned, though, she saw that he couldn't possibly have been taking in the scenery. His eyes were milky white, scars marring the skin around them. Long-healed burn scars with what looked like had once been deep gashes mixed in. He must have been in a tremendous accident at some point in his life.

"You must be looking for David," the stranger said, his voice deep and strong.

It took Mary Margaret half a beat longer than it should have to key into the fact that not only had he been speaking to her, but he'd been speaking about her new nameless friend. "David?" she asked. "Do you know him? Is that his name? How -"

"Patience, child," the stranger cut her line of questions off. "Your answers will come in time."

The elementary school teacher tilted her head a little to the side as she studied him. Then it clicked. "You're Mr Dawson, aren't you? You work at the convent."

"Indeed I do. I was hoping to enlist your help in a matter."

She flashed him a smile that he couldn't possibly see. "I'm always happy to help."

"Yes you are. I'm looking for Mr Gold."

The statement caught her by surprise. Why would he have come to John Doe's - or David's, supposedly - hospital room to look for her of all people to help with Mr Gold? Dark brows drew together. "I rent my apartment from him, but I don't really know him."

"Few do," Jacob Dawson responded, "though you do know Emma, and I have reason to believe that she and the boy are with him."

"I don't know where."

"But you have a way to contact her."

Strange, it sounded much less like a question than it probably should have, but there was something in the man's tone that lulled her. Mary Margaret found the questions that she somehow knew she should be asking slipping away and the next thing she knew, she was handing the blind man her phone. He flipped it open and seemed to know exactly where to go. He offered her a smile that didn't sit quite right. "You've done well, and you will be rewarded. Go."

"Go?" she echoed. All of this felt wrong. She couldn't explain it, but that sharp sentiment cut through the fog.

"The others will be gathered to the town square. Fetch David and you'll receive answers there."

It was a dismissal that would have rivaled the mayor's, and as Jacob pulled the phone up to his ear, Mary Margaret found her feet leading her out before she'd ever given them permission. It was as if she couldn't stop them. The brief flashes of curiosity started to subside, left dulled by the fog that replaced it. David. Town square. Okay.

She rounded the corner and slammed directly into Mother Superior. The lead nun looked as startled as Mary Margaret felt, but seemed to recover more quickly. "Sn…. Mary Margaret. I need you to come with me."

"But I'm supposed to get David and go to the town square."

Mother Superior shook her head. "He's not at the town square. Come. I'll take you to him."

Her words didn't have the pull that Jacob Dawson's did, but somehow they felt more right. Despite the fuzziness in her mind, Mary Margaret nodded and allowed herself to be led out of the hospital.

She wasn't sure how long they had been sitting on the floor of the bathroom in a fancy hotel room, her boyfriend helping his poisoned father into the adjoining room and said father's girlfriend sitting with her on the cool tiles, providing more support than Emma thought she'd ever received from someone she'd met so recently. This woman didn't know her. Not really. But here she was acting more like family than an orphaned girl knew what to do with. They all had.

Emma blinked hard against a tear that escaped down her cheek and Belle reached around her, pulling her into a side hug and letting her lean. The flood gates might have opened if her phone hadn't rung, distracting her from the near breakdown. She reached into her pocket, saw Mary Margaret's name there, and cleared her throat before answering. "Hey, listen, I know that Dr Whale didn't want him leaving but -"

"Hello, Emma," a deep, authoritative voice boomed in her ear that was very much not Mary Margaret and a chill flooded her system. She knew that voice. It was a voice that would haunt her nightmares now, and suddenly she felt like she was standing on the steps of the convent with the man ordering Neal's execution. And he had Mary Margaret's phone. He had Mary Margaret.

Emma was on her feet in an instant. "What'd you do to Mary Margaret?"

"She is safe. For now," came the cryptic answer. "The Evil Queen Regina's fate remains dependent on choices you make here. Everyone in the town's fate does."

The teenage girl bit her lip as Belle stood slowly at her side, a supportive hand going to the teen's arm. "You can't hurt Regina. Everybody would know."

"You've spent time in Storybrooke. No one would know. Any questions are lost to the fog of the curse."

Emma felt her stomach roll again, but this time for a very different reason. Since the confession and his promise of proof, Neal had spoken so openly about his home and his family, as had Belle and even Mr Gold and Regina to a lesser extent. To hear that this man refer to a curse so casually was still enough to make her head spin. "I don't believe you. You're just trying to get us to bring Neal's dad back. It's not happening."

"Believe me or don't, child. Rumplestiltskin will die either way. It's you I offer the chance to."

The blonde teen swallowed hard. "What do you mean?"

"You don't know, do you? The Dark One keeps his secrets well."

Emma clenched her jaw. "You say a lot of nothing, don't you?"

"Then unlike the demon you protect, I'll speak plainly. Your family - your parents - are in Storybooke."

Complicated. That's what Gold had called it when Emma had asked how she tied in. It was a complicated question. More complicated by the minute, and Emma thought she might know why. Magnus' threats were crystal clear. "You hurt one hair on Regina's head and Gold will be the least of your problems," Emma snarled and snapped the phone shut.

"He has Regina?" Belle asked in a strained voice.

"Yeah. And it's about time I got some answers." She didn't wait, but instead stormed out of the bathroom and through the double doors that separated the two rooms.

—

Everything was in motion, but he felt as if he were frozen still. The Hatter's little girl sat in the corner of the living room with her knees pulled up to her chin and a stuffed rabbit clutched tightly against her chest. Though her body language showed fear, her glare was something else entirely. It was the look of a child that knew she'd been used against her own father, yet could do nothing about it. It was a well-earned look, if Caiden were honest, and he pushed back the nagging feeling that he'd crossed yet another line in his service to Magnus. He couldn't dwell on it. He had no intentions of hurting the girl, and once Jefferson brought whatever two useful souls back through from the Enchanted Forest that Magnus had sent him after, the younger cleric could be done with this distasteful business of leveraging a child. First Baelfire and then Grace… he was ready to be done with it.

Magic swirled, picking up dust and kicking up loose papers from the coffee table. Framed photos shook and a figurine danced itself off of a bookshelf as the whole house trembled and crashed loudly to the wooden floor. The intensity only grew as the portal opened and Grace climbed to her feet. "Papa!"

Caiden flashed out of existence and back in infront of her to keep from rushing it, lest she be dragged in. "Patience," he instructed quietly, watching the maw open up and the Hatter appear. With him came a blond man dressed as if he meant to blend in with the trees. His face was rough and his eyes wide, and at his side was a little boy, even younger than Grace.

Magnus had said that the thief he wanted to employ as a tracker to find the Dark One once he returned to Storybrooke might need convincing. After two children - one grown and one very much not - had already been a means to an end, Caiden shouldn't be surprised. He refused to let the conflict reach his face.

As the magic settled, Jefferson leveled a dangerous glare at the cleric. "I did what you demanded," he growled, disgust woven into every word. "Now release my daughter."

Caiden's fingers loosed around the girl's shoulder and she shot forward, launching herself into her father's arms. The Hatter caught her up and held her close. Pale eyes watched the scene for a long moment before their owner was jolted back into reality by a flurry of motion.

The boy took off in the opposite direction as his father notched an arrow in his bow faster than any man should have been capable of, pulled back, and let it fly. Caiden lifted a hand, magic wrapping around the projectile first, the boy a fraction of a second after, and both were frozen where they were.

"I have no intention of harming you or your child. Only to ask for your help."

"And you steal children to leverage that," the blond accused.

"Desperate times," Caiden answered softly and turned his gaze back to Jefferson. "When the war with the Dark One is over, we will remember your place in it."

The Hatter pulled Grace a little closer. "Get out of our home."

A brief nod and a swirl of magic, and Caiden pulled father and son with him, the sound of the loosed arrow flying through the space he'd just occupied following after them.

—

He felt like he was drifting in and out, even if he never quite slipped below the surface of unconsciousness. Bae got him inside and to the bed and he could practically feel the stress rolling off his son in waves. When he finally took a seat on the bed and then back against the stacked pillows, he was able to look into those dark eyes filled with worry. Rumplestiltskin's lips pulled thin and down as he reached an unsteady hand up to his gown boy's face. "Oh, Bae," he breathed out, voice less steady than he would have preferred. "I'm gonna fix this. I swear to you."

Before drew in a trembling breath and caught his hand. "What if we waited too long? What if… what are we doing? We should have you in a hospital."

"And tell them what?"

"I don't know," Bae snapped, gripping his hand a little tighter. "Just like I don't know what kind of damage that poison may have caused. For all we know your organs could start shutting down and then —"

Rumple reached his free hand up to cover the one with a death grip on him and the rough chuckle that had been threatening died in his throat as he saw tears standing in his son's eyes. "We're not quite there," he promised instead.

"I can't lose you again, Papa," Bae managed.

And he'd thought the poison ripping through him had been painful. He took a moment, his hand around Bae's and he swallowed hard in hopes it would allow him to speak in a stronger voice. He needed Bae to believe him. To have faith in him. "I'm not letting go, Bae," he swore softly. "I just got you back. I'm not letting you go. You believe me, don't you?"

Bae offered a strained smile and bent to kiss his papa's knuckles, mumbling that he did.

The door burst open from the adjoining room, startling them both. Emma rushed in with a white-knuckled hold on her phone and Belle trailing behind. "He has Regina. And maybe Mary Margaret."

Rumplestiltskin loosed a breath. Well, that was quicker than expected. He removed only one hand to help push himself up on the stacked pillows so that he was sitting up a little more and gave Bae's hand a squeeze with the other at his immediate protest.

"Magnus called from Mary Margaret's phone," Belle offered a bit more explanation.

"To tell me he has Regina," Emma added, panic working its way into her voice.

"We don't know that he does," Rumplestitskin murmured, his voice intentionally gentle so as to not rile her up any further and Emma's gaze snapped to him. Well, at least he had her attention. "Magnus can't kill her. He knows that."

"He said no one would notice because of the curse —"

"That she cast. There are protections in that. Regina knew it. That's why she bought us time." He winced and sunk a little deeper into the pillows before meeting her eyes again. "She's resourceful. She'll be fine."

There was a loud huff from the blonde's direction and Bae squeezed his hand before releasing it to stand and take a step closer to Emma. "Hey, let's let him rest and you and I can talk about —"

"No," she snapped at him, her hazel gaze fixed on Rumplestiltskin as he forced his eyes to remain open. "It's time."

"For what, exactly?" he drawled tiredly.

"In the car. You said you'd tell me how I fit in in time. It's time."

"Emma…" Bae tried again and she dodged the hand reaching for her, turning her fiery gaze on him. "Magnus said you dad knows who my parents are! That they're in Storybrooke."

Bae paled noticeably and Rumple sighed. Of course Magnus did. The bastard was trying to turn them against each other. "He's toying with you,"

"That's not a denial," Emma growled , but clearly hadn't missed Baelfire's expression she turned on him now, and a little hurt made it through the rage. "You knew too?" she asked smally.

"Emma…"

"You were just going to let me leave her there to rot, weren't you?" she demanded, the accusation barely leaving her as she turned on heel and stalked back through the door she'd slammed through earlier.

Rumplestiltskin met his son's torn gaze. "Go."

He didn't need to tell Bae twice as his boy darted after the girl he loved.

Belle watched the door closed behind them for a long moment before turning back to meet Rumple's dark gaze. He loosed a long breath. "You heard the call?"

"Only her end."

"Best you tell me what you can before we find ourselves on the sharp end of any more surprises."

—

Emma was almost to the exit into the hotel hallway from their room as Bae followed her through the doors. He picked up speed, reaching out and touching her arm, though careful not to take too tight a hold that she felt trapped by it. "Hey? Hey. Look at me." He did his best not to flinch under the vicious, teary gaze she leveled at him. Instead, he met her gaze. "Talk to me?"

"What do you want me to say? My mom is…. You know I've been looking for them my whole life! She's there! She's there and we just left her to him!" The dam broke and with it came the tears. Damn it. He was useless against her tears.

Bae swallowed hard, steeling himself to try to explain in a way that wouldn't make this worse. He really didn't want to make this worse. "It was a lot. Magic, the Enchanted Forest, a curse… I was trying not to overload you. And then everything happened so fast with Papa and I just..."

"You've had time since I admitted this craziness was real."

"I know, but I figured we'd get there. It wasn't like you could just walk up to her and call her mom. She's cursed. She doesn't remember you yet."

Blonde brows drew together and she blinked hard against the salty tears still falling one by one. "What are you talking about? She's one of the only people that remembers!"

Everything seemed to slam to a stop at that. "Wait. Who did Magnus say is your mom?"

Emma seemed to slow down with him. "I mean, he didn't say it outright, but it makes sense… the connection, the fact he's using her against us…."

"Okay, who do you think is your mom?" Bae clarified.

"Regina. Isn't it Regina?"

A flash of relief swept through Baelfire. Okay. Everything was starting to make more sense. "No," he breathed when he realized he hadn't answered. "Mary Margaret is Snow White. She's your mom. David - the guy from the coma - he's your dad."

"Snow White? What does that make him? Prince Charming?"

"I guess?"

All of the anger seemed to rush out of her, leaving her deflated and her limbs heavy. Bae reached out to steady her under the realization and inched her towards the bed to take a seat. He waited as patiently as he could, her pretty eyes staring unfocused on the carpet and her fingers wrapped tightly around her bent knees.

"They're alive," she breathed at last.

"Yeah. I was going to tell you. I just… wanted to give you time to process. Then Magnus."

"Then Magnus," she agreed, the name rolling off her tongue like a curse, even as she sagged against him.

Good. That meant that they'd bypassed the worst of her flight-risk tendencies, at least for the night. He eased her back and she let him, both of them falling into the bed. "You were going to tell me?"

"Of course I was."

"Is there more to it? Your dad said it was complicated."

"It is. I don't even know if I get it all, but if we get some sleep tonight and he's up to it in the morning, we'll get him to explain."

Emma curled into him and he tucked her head under his chin, feeling her arm around his ribs with her fingers wrapping themselves up in the fabric of his shirt. He kissed the top of her head. "You really thought Regina was your mom?"

"I thought… maybe," she answered softly and much less certainly than she'd sounded just a few minutes before. She repositioned herself so that she could meet his eyes in the dimly lit room. "I care about her. That's not gonna go away just because I know the truth."

"I know. We're going back for her."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

That seemed to be enough as his exhausted girlfriend settled down nestled into him. He breathed her in, the closeness calming. They'd get through this, he reminded himself. Papa would be okay and they'd rescue Storybooke from Magnus. Emma's parents, Regina, and everyone else… they could make a life there. It could be their Tallahassee.

He'd fight for that with everything he had.

TBC

Notes: So... hi. Looks like my last update was April 2015, so why not add a new chapter nearly a decade later? :') In all honestly, this story has always kind of haunted me. I loved it, I loved the premise, but I was writing it at the end of my ability to stomach where canon OUAT was going. To this day I still have large chunks of post S4 that I haven't seen and can't watch because it was so atrocious.

I can't promise that I will finish this because I did that last time and here we are. I can tell you that I have the story pretty much worked out to the end and I have ever intention of poking at this along with my other multi chapter fic (over in the Star Wars fandom) that I've been writing on. So here we are. Let's see if anyone's still interested in this fic.

Next Time: Emma receives answers, the Blue Fairy takes a risk, and Regina gets an unexpected surprise.