Chapter 10

Regina watched as the clock, above the Storybrooke Library, chimed. The clock had been dead for the last 4 years and it was now active. She knew something was changing in town, and she knew what the cause was, 'Prince' Charming and his spawn's arrival in town had done something to her curse, and she needed to get rid of them. She had two options, she could either force them to leave, or she could kill them. As much as she had no problem with the idea of killing her former step-daughter's "true love", she didn't really fancy the killing of a child, unless it was necessary. She would just have to find a way to make them leave.

"You rang, your Majesty." Sidney Glass, her former mirrored-confidant, and now sort-of assistant, arrived.

"Did you get me what I needed?" Regina asked.

"I did, but what threat does a new guy in town and his young daughter pose to you?" Sidney asked.

"I don't know what you mean." Regina tried to act clueless.

"Oh come on, you ask me to dig up dirt on this guy, and you don't have some ulterior motive?" What's he done to you?" Sidney asked.

"Nothing, I just like to know about the residents of my town, and if this man and his daughter are set on settling in this community, I think I have a right to know a bit about their background." Regina said. "Now, did you find anything useful?"

"Not a lot. He was injured and found on the side of a road, along with his daughter, right after she was born. He was in a coma for a bit, but there's no mention of a wife or mother of the kid. I think she's presumed dead." Sidney shrugged. "After he woke up, he and his daughter lived in Madison for a while. He was a cop, she attended pre-school. That's all I could really dig up on them. He seems like a pretty normal guy if you ask me."

"Nothing on his background before he was found on the side of the road?" Regina asked.

"Nope. Seems like he kind of appeared out of nowhere."

Regina sighed. He didn't have a past in this world because he'd managed to escape the curse. His memories had never been affected by her magic, unlike the rest of this town.

"That'll be all Sidney." Regina said as she gestured for him to leave.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town…

Mary Margaret was enjoying listening to Emma talk about her beloved book. She could read, to a certain degree, but the book was still a little advanced for her age.

"What's your favourite story out of there, Emma?" Mary Margaret asked.

Emma didn't have to think twice about it, it was her story after all. "Snow White and Prince Charming."

"You mean Snow White and the Seven Dwarves?" Mary Margaret questioned. The version of the story she knew had only a short mention of Prince Charming when he saves Snow White from the sleeping curse.

"No, Snow White and Prince Charming's story is so much better." Emma insisted. "The dwarves are there too, of course, but they aren't the main story. Can we read this story?" She asked. Maybe if she got her Mommy to read the story to her, she'd remember something.

Mary Margaret smiled and nodded, as she padded the spot next to her on her couch. Emma eagerly handed her the book and helped her open it to the right page, before she clambered onto the couch next to her mother.

They spent the next couple of hours reading about Snow White's childhood, her time as a Bandit after running from the Queen, her stealing from King George's son, Prince James, Prince James and Snow White falling in love, and the final part of the story when Snow White gives birth to a daughter.

Mary Margaret was fascinated by this version of the tale. It was so different from what she'd come to know, and it was so well worded that it almost seemed life-life. "I can see why this is your favourite story." Mary Margaret laughed.

"Why?" Emma asked, genuinely wondering what her mother thought.

"Because the baby in the story has the same name as you." She pointed to the picture of the baby, nestled in a white blanket, with the name Emma in purple stitching.

Emma just smiled. "Want to see something else?" She asked curiously.

Mary Margaret nodded.

Emma reached behind her and pulled out a white blanket, exactly like the one in the picture.

Mary Margaret's jaw dropped. "Emma, that's so pretty, and looks just like this one." She pointed to the image in the book. She didn't think too much of it, thinking David had probably just had a blanket made to look like the one in Emma's story book.

Emma was disappointed that the book hadn't helped her mother remember. If there was one thing she knew for sure though, it was that true love broke all curses, and she was the product of it. She would find a way to break her mother's curse one way or the other.

David arrived back later that afternoon, arriving with bags of food from Granny's.

"David, you really didn't have to do this, I could have made something." Mary Margaret insisted.

David shook his head. "Its the least I could do after you helped me find a place to live and looked after my daughter all afternoon."

Mary Margaret blushed. "It was nothing, Emma's a joy to watch."

David smiled, as he looked toward the couch where Emma was now laying down taking a nap, her blanket draped over her.

"So what did you and my girl get up to this afternoon?" He asked.

"Oh you know, she helped me bake cookies and then we read some of her book." Mary Margaret said.

David's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Emma showed you her book?" Man, his daughter worked fast.

Mary Margaret nodded. "We read Snow White and Prince Charming's story."

David nodded in understanding, that was Emma's favourite. "And what'd you think?"

"I think its an amazing version of a classic story. I can see why Emma loves it." She answered honestly.

David was disappointed to hear that his wife still didn't remember everything, but he also realized that it wouldn't be that easy to jog her memory. He also knew that they would figure it out. Hope was something Snow had always taught him to have, and he wouldn't give up on her.