Another one…
Emma and Ella
Chapter 14: Believing Alone
Mary Margaret snuck out of the hospital room after Ella fell asleep after eating her lunch. She wanted to see Emma before she left the hospital. David had told her they were discharging her after lunch.
"Knock. Knock." Mary Margaret said as she entered the room.
Emma brightened up even though she had been grumpy before from still being the hospital. She had finally ate her lunch, but it had been a struggle since she had told David she didn't need it since they were going home anyway.
"Hey sweetie. How are you doing?" Mary Margaret asked as she came and sat on Emma's bed.
"I would be better if my Dad would just take me home." Emma grumbled as she glared at David.
David chuckled and Mary Margaret smiled.
"It isn't funny. I am sick of this place." She whined.
"You are going to be leaving soon anyways right?" Mary Margaret asked kindly.
"Supposedly, but I am still here." Emma whined.
"Well I'm glad you are still here or else I wouldn't have been able to visit you again." Mary Margaret told her sweetly.
"I guess that's true." Emma said as she shrugged her shoulders.
"How's your arm?" Mary Margaret asked.
"It hurts a little, but its okay." Emma told her truthfully. She liked having Mary Margaret around it was like having a mom. She liked being with David, but sometimes she wished he had a wife like Mary Margaret or Mary Margaret herself would be best.
"I'm sorry it hurts." Mary Margaret said sympathetically before seeing a deck of cards. "Hey would you play a game of war with me?"
"Sure!" Emma said in excitement.
"I'm going to slip out for a few minutes. I'll be right back." David said as they got the cards ready.
"Ok, we will be fine." Mary Margaret said with a smile.
Mary Margaret played with Emma all the way up to when she was discharged. They only stopped when she could change out of her hospital gown.
"Well I guess it is time to say goodbye, honey." Mary Margaret said.
"I wish you and Ella could just come with us." Emma said sadly. She didn't want to leave Mary Margaret, but she didn't want to stay at the hospital.
"Me too, but we will see each other soon." Mary Margaret said softly. "You just get better and when I see you again, we can play more games."
"Ok, that would be fun." Emma said with a grin. She was just eating up the attention from Mary Margaret. Being injured and recently gone through a traumatic experience, she was just craving motherly attention and comfort. Mary Margaret was the closest person she had to a mother figure so she loved having her around during her time in the hospital.
"Alright, sweetie. I'll see you later." Mary Margaret said as she gave Emma a hug.
"Bye, Mary Margaret." Emma said with a sad look.
*****OUAT*****
2 weeks later….
Ella crutched out of Archie's office and sat on the bench on the sidewalk. She had just finished her first session with Archie. After she got out of the hospital, her mom told her that she wanted her to start seeing Archie once a week. She didn't come out and say it was because of her belief in fairytales and her belief the town was under a curse, but she knew it was. She was just frustrated that she had to go to sessions with him.
"Hey stranger."
Ella smiled as she recognized the voice before looking up at Mr. Wood. "Hi."
"What are you doing out here in the cold?" Mr. Wood said as he sat down next to her. He was a man that took odd jobs all over town to get by. He had always been around for Ella to talk to and was the closest, besides David, to a father figure.
"No one believes me." Ella told him sadly.
"About the curse?" He asked kindly and knowing. She had told him all about the curse long ago. He never discouraged her from believing in it. He just listened.
Ella nodded. "Do you believe me?" Ella asked worriedly.
"I think anything is possible and if you believe in it, that's enough for me." Mr. Wood said seriously.
Ella's eyes brightened. "Really? You actually believe me?"
"Yes. Now, have you figured out who I am yet?" Mr. Wood asked.
"Not yet, but I know who Archie is!" Ella said in excitement.
"Who?" Mr. Wood asked with a smile.
"Jiminy Cricket." She told him with a grin.
Ella went on to tell him about who else she found out since the last time they had talked. She had missed talking with Mr. Wood about the curse. She didn't have to tip toe around it like she did with Emma. She couldn't talk with her mom or David either since she knew they didn't believe her.
*****OUAT*****
10 minutes later….
David pulled up in his truck to see Ella talking with a random stranger. He frowned as he turned the truck off.
"Ella!" He called as he stepped out of the truck. He was picking her up for Mary Margaret since she was running late.
Ella looked up and put her storybook away.
"So he's Prince Charming?" Mr. Wood asked as David started to walk towards them.
"Yep and hopefully my Dad." Ella said quietly with a grin.
"Hey, what's going on here?" David asked as he looked from Ella to Mr. Wood suspiciously.
"Oh this is Mr. Wood. He's my friend." Ella told him and then turned to Mr. Wood. "This is David Nolan, the sheriff."
"It's nice to meet you, sheriff." Mr. Wood said as he stood up and held his hand out to David.
David looked at Mr. Wood skeptically before shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you too." David said a bit stiffly, not sure if this man was a good guy or not. He didn't like that he was just hanging out with Ella. "We better be off, Emma is waiting at the station." David added as he put a hand on Ella's back.
"See you later, Mr. Wood." Ella said with a genuine smile at her friend.
"Bye, Ella." Mr. Wood said, not obviously to the daggers the sheriff was giving him. He understood that it probably looked shady for him to be talking to Ella, but he would never do anything to harm Ella. She was like a daughter to him. He didn't have any kids and Ella kind of helped fill that part of his heart. He always had wanted to be a father and he got to know Ella a long time go.
David took Ella's crutches and put them in the truck bed before picking up Ella and setting her in the passenger seat. He pulled the seatbelt out and handed it to her. "Put your seatbelt on." He said softly.
Ella did and David shut the door and walked around to the other side, keeping an eye on Mr. Wood, wondering what kind of guy he was.
David got in and shut his door. He started the truck and headed back to the station. "So who was that guy?"
"Just an old friend. I have known him for years." Ella said like it was no big deal.
"Does your mom know him?" David asked curiously.
"Sort of. Everyone knows him. He does odd jobs all over town." Ella said as she shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know why he seemed so worried about her talking with him.
David nodded, but he was going to ask Mary Margaret about this man and do a check on him to make sure that he was a good guy.
"How was your first day back at school?" David asked after a moment.
"Alright." Ella said with a shrug of her shoulders. She was pretty tired from using her crutches all day and she hadn't take her pain medication after lunch like she was supposed to so she had been in pain for most of the day.
"Being on your crutches all day couldn't have been comfortable."
"I guess it wasn't, but it's fine." Ella said with a shrug of her shoulders.
David smiled at how she was being tough. "Well you'll be able to rest tonight. Did you get any homework?"
"A little, but not too much."
"Good." David said as he pulled into the station. He got out of the truck and went around to the passenger's side to open Ella's door. Instead of getting her crutches, he picks her up and carries her to the building.
"Wait, I can walk with my crutches." Ella said when he didn't put her down and give her the crutches.
"I think you could use a break from them." David told her as he continued to the station.
Ella rolled her eyes. "Wait, why didn't my mom pick me up?"
David chuckled. "She is running late so she asked me to pick you up. She'll be here soon."
"Hey Ella!" Emma said from where she was sitting doing her homework.
"Hey Emma." Ella said as David set her down on the couch next to the desk Emma was working at.
"Now, you stay off your leg and rest until your mom gets here." David said.
"Ok." Ella said, knowing that he wouldn't have it any other way. "But are you going to get my crutches?"
"I will. When your mom gets here." David told her calmly before going into his office.
Ella sighed. "Does he think I am going to try to sneak off?"
"Probably." Emma said with a chuckle.
Ella rolled her eyes. "What are you working on?"
"My math homework." Emma said with a frown. Her arm was still in a cast and in a sling so it was a little tricky doing any written work. "Do you understand this stuff?"
Emma came over and sat down by Ella.
"Sort of. My mom started to teach me about it, but I haven't quite got it down." Ella said as she looked at the first problem.
"Well I am lost and I haven't even missed as much school as you. Can you help me?" Emma asked.
"I can try. I have to do this later anyway." Ella said.
Emma and Ella both worked on their math homework together for the next 20 minutes as Ella waited for her mom to come get her.
"I am glad we got that done." Emma said in relief and Ella nodded tiredly. "You ok?"
"Yeah, I'm just tired and don't tell anyone, but my ribs and knee are really killing me today." Ella told her quietly.
"Is this because you didn't take your pain medication after lunch?" Emma asked quietly.
"Yeah, but it makes me tired and I knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate in my classes if I had taken it." Ella said.
"Hey, you don't have to convince me." Emma said with a chuckle.
"I know. I just have a feeling that my mom will have found out about it when she gets here." Ella said with a sigh.
Emma grimaced. "She might not."
"Hopefully." Ella said with a smile.
They heard the door open and close to the station and Emma looked over at Ella. "Sounds like your mom's here."
Ella nodded. "Maybe David will get my crutches now."
The girls both looked up to find that the person who came in wasn't Ella's mom, but the mayor of Storybrooke.
Regina locked eyes with Ella for a moment that made shivers go down her spine.
"Mayor Mills, what can I do for you?" David asked as he saw who it was that came in.
"I came to report that…that" Regina looked over at Ella with an icy glare, "girl has been sneaking around my place and my office. I noticed that I was missing things from my home and my office so I had my secretary review the security tapes from my house and office. It took some time, but about three weeks ago she was sneaking around my place and then my office the next day."
Ella knew she hadn't stolen a thing from either the Mayor's house or office. She had however been sneaking around them.
"What was stolen?" David asked curiously. He, for some reason, didn't quite believe her that Ella stole anything from her place. Yes, she had been sneaking around her places, but he doubted that she stole anything.
"I'll give you a list of things that were stolen and the security tapes. Then I want something done about this. Whether she pays for it or her mother, one of them will repay me for my personal property that she stole." Regina said.
"Mayor Mills. I assure you that I will look into this and review the case." David reassured her.
"Good." Regina said and turned on her heel to leave just as Mary Margaret was coming in. Regina glared at her as they passed each other.
"What did she want?" Mary Margaret asked in fear.
"She accused Ella of stealing a list of things from her house and office." David said with a sigh.
"What? She hasn't even been anywhere since the accident." Mary Margaret exclaimed.
"She found her on the security tapes from about three weeks ago." David responded.
"And she's just now finding out that she's missing these things that supposedly Ella took over three weeks ago?" Mary Margaret said skeptically.
"I know. It doesn't seem right." David said.
"I didn't steal anything from her. I promise." Ella told them from the couch in a sad voice.
"I believe you, Ella." Emma said as she took her friend's hand.
Mary Margaret came over. "I believe you too, honey. Now, let's get you home and resting." Mary Margaret said with a smile. "Wait where are your crutches?"
David smiled. "They are in the truck. I wanted her to rest since she was using them all day. I'll carry her out to your car and get them for you."
"Thanks, David." Mary Margaret said with a smile as he picked Ella up off the couch. She then looked over at Emma with a kind smile. "How's your arm, Em?"
"Fine, it's just annoying doing everything one handed." Emma responded.
Mary Margaret smiled. "That would be annoying. If you needed anything at school, you just let me know, okay?"
Emma nodded with a smile.
"Alright, see you later, sweetie." Mary Margaret said kindly.
"Here don't forget your math homework." Emma said as she handed Ella her math sheet.
"Oh thanks." Ella said with a small smile at her friend. "See you tomorrow."
"See you." Emma responded with a kind smile. She felt bad that the Mayor was accusing her of stealing. She could tell that Ella was telling the truth about not stealing anything. She had only seen the mayor a few times and she knew she wasn't a friendly lady, but she had never seen her like that. She just almost could believe Ella's theory that she was the Evil Queen, almost.
She just didn't understand why she was out for Ella and Mary Margaret. It just seemed really random for her to hate them so much. Ella had told her all about how the Mayor cut her mom's pay when she was adopted and made their lives horrible at times. She thought she had been exaggerating, but now she wasn't so sure. If looks could kill, Ella would have been dead after the look the Mayor had been giving her.
She didn't understand it all, but she did know one thing Ella was telling the truth. She hadn't stolen anything from the Mayor.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll try to get out another chapter tomorrow! Oh and I am working on writing after the curse right now so if there are any suggestions that you would like to see after the curse breaks message me or PM me. Thanks!