Queenie works her magic, Emma catches the sheriff in a lie, and when things between David and Mary Margaret reach an ultimatum, which life wins?

***

Mary Margaret ripped her letter opener through one of her envelopes, the tear of paper uneasily satisfying as she sorted through her mail.

"Careful," David's voice came from the doorway, and she looked up in shock to see him leaning against the frame. "Looks sharp."

Mary Margaret gulped, eyes darting around nervously. "You can't be here," she whispered, turning her back to avoid looking at him.

David sighed and stepped into her classroom, watching Mary Margaret gather booklets. "I needed to see you," he told her.

Mary Margaret swallowed as they came face to face. "Tell me you didn't leave your wife because of me," she begged. "I do not want to destroy your marriage."

"You're not," David shook her head. "It's me. I don't want to hurt her, either, but the most hurtful thing to Kathryn would be me pretending." He took a deep breath and looked down at her. "She needs someone to feel about her the way I feel about you."

Mary Margaret recoiled and shook her head, slamming the booklets down on her desks. "I'm really trying hard to stay away from you," she told him, swallowing back tears as she worked. "To do the right thing."

"Why is that the right thing?" David asked, backing away as Mary Margaret worked towards him.

"Because you already have a life!"

"With someone I didn't choose!" Mary Margaret gawked at David in shock, and as the school bell rang, David lowered his voice as kids started pouring into the room. "The man who chose that life, whoever married Kathryn, is gone," he told her. "The man here wants someone else."

Mary Margaret gritted her teeth and grabbed David by the sleeve, pushing him towards the door. "You really have to leave me alone."

"Is that truly what you want?" David asked, stumbling over his feet.

"Go!"

David grabbed the edge of the door, stopping her from shoving him out of the room. "Meet me tonight," he urged, making Mary Margaret blink in shock. "At least think about it. I'll be at the bridge where you found me at eight o'clock. Think about it until then and then decide. If you don't show, I'll know, and I'll never bother you again." Mary Margaret hesitated, and encouraged, David continued. "But if you choose this, if you choose us . . . you know where I'll be."

His part said, David walked away from the classroom, and Mary Margaret watched him go in surprise.

***

Queenie opened the door at David's first knock, and she smiled happily and stepped back to let him inside. "Come on in."

"Thank you," David nodded, absently fiddling with the jacket in his hand as he looked around the room currently occupied by Queenie and - "Where's Newt?" he asked, looking around in surprise. He recognized some of the man's belongings in the room.

"Oh, he's helping Harry with some summer work," Queenie waved away the concern. It was true, after all . . . sometimes, Harry did much better putting his work into practice instead of just reading theory. "Now, have a seat."

"Thank you," David nodded, taking a deep breath and sitting on the edge of one of the neatly-made beds. Queenie sat across from him on the other, reaching for two mugs that rested on the bedside table. "So . . . " He cleared his throat awkwardly. "How do we do this?"

"Oh, it's not so much what you do, David, as what I do," Queenie shook her head. "I'm afraid that when I told you there was no price to pay . . . I may have told a little lie."

David looked at her warily. "What price do you need?"

Queenie held out one of the mugs. "Trust," she answered. "Your trust that I am here to help you, not harm you."

David eyed the mug as if it held poison, and he cautiously reached for it. "What is this?"

His fingers brushed hers as he took the mug -

A roar that was inhumane, recognizable because Queenie heard them all the time at the reserve . . .

A rush of heat, so hot it burned, just past his ear . . .

David in a suit of armor, panting and eyes wild as he watched a dragon writhe and attempt to escape a closed gap in rocks . . .

"You didn't see that coming, did you?"

The sound of metal cutting through scale and blood, the thump of a head hitting the ground . . .

Queenie's breath hitched, but she gave no other reaction as she transferred the mug into David's hand. "Tell me, David," she watched him look at the mug. "Do you believe in magic?"

David looked up at her sharply. "Excuse me?"

"It's a simple question," Queenie shrugged, watching him attentively. "Do you believe in magic?"

"Erm . . . " David chuckled nervously, absently scratching the back of his head. "Queenie . . . I don't have any memories that can tell me that. If you can get them back to me, I'm pretty sure I'll say that I do."

"Good point," Queenie conceded. "Well . . . " She delicately cleared her throat and gestured to the mug. "Drink all of that, and I will do the rest."

"Just like that?" David asked suspiciously.

"Well," Queenie tilted her head side to side, "not quite just like that. The memories may be slow to return . . . but I guarantee that once they start, they won't stop."

David licked his lips, looking down at his drink with uncertainty. "You promise this will help me?" he asked, his voice small.

Queenie leaned forward. "I swear on my nephew's life," she promised.

David took a deep breath, then he lifted the mug and drank. Queenie watched with anticipation, knowing it wouldn't take long for the Dreamless Sleep potion to kick into gear. She had only laced the tea with enough of the potion to put David to sleep for a few hours . . . but combined with the Memory Potion, that should be all she needed to get David's memories moving.

In a few seconds, the tea was finished, and David's eyelids were already starting to droop. Queenie took back the mug, and she gently pushed David to lay on the bed. "And now," she whispered, placing her fingertips gently on David's head.

Maniacal giggling with a touch of cruelty and evil . . .

"He came along with an offer. One of you for the farm."

"I'm not a dragon slayer."

"You do this, your poor mother . . . well, the king is going to make sure she never wants for anything ever again . . . now, don't tell me you don't want that."

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Oh, everyone has a choice, dearie. Just make sure it's the right one."

She smiled in satisfaction. "Let's make sure you remember who you really are, Prince Charming."

***

Emma hummed to herself as she flipped through one of the folders Graham had left on her desk, then the smell of baked goods caught her attention. She turned as Graham approached, and when he opened a box of doughnuts, she gave him a curious look. "Sometimes the clichés are true," he shrugged unapologetically.

"OK," Emma nodded, closing the folder and folding her arms. "What do you want?"

Graham chuckled. "Remember when I said no night shifts?" Emma narrowed her eyes, and Graham gave her a pleading look. "I need you to work tonight. Just this once."

"Why?" Emma sighed in irritation, leaning back her head with a groan. She had been hoping to have enough time to return to the reserve and take a flight on Achilles. Why the pegasus didn't like Newt's case, she'd never know.

"I volunteer at an animal shelter, and the supervisor is sick, and someone needs to feed the dogs," Graham answered, extending the box hopefully.

Emma eyed the sweets, then she sighed. "Very lucky you brought a bear claw," she told him as she plucked the doughnut out of the box.

Graham smiled in relief, then Mary Margaret rushed into the room. "Emma, can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked, sounding out of breath.

Emma looked at Graham, and he pointed in the direction of his office. "I'll just go patrol my office."

Mary Margaret waited anxiously until Graham's door shut, and as soon as it did, her words spilled out of her. "He left his wife. David, he left her! He left Kathryn!"

"OK," Emma held up her hand. "Slow down."

"He did it for me," Mary Margaret breathed, rounding Emma's desk to perch on the edge of it. "He wants me to be with him. He wants me to meet him tonight!"

"That's . . . " Emma fumbled for words. "Uh . . . "

"I mean, I'm trying so hard to be strong, but he just keeps coming," Mary Margaret plowed through her. "I mean, how do I stop it? You know, how do I let him down? What would you do?"

The cogs in Emma's mind finally started working again, and she considered all the words Mary Margaret had dumped on her. As she looked at the torn expression on her friend's face, the answer was simple. "I'd go."

Mary Margaret froze and looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"Well, he left her," Emma explained. "It's one thing to say that he wants you, but it's another to actually make a choice, and now he has." She shrugged, taking a bite out of her bear claw. "That's all you can ask for."

Mary Margaret bit her lip anxiously. "Given her new friendship with Kathryn, I don't think Regina would be happy."

Emma snorted inelegantly with her mouth full of fried dough. "All the more reason to do it."

Mary Margaret chewed her lip, looking out the window with nervousness. "Good Lord, is this really happening?" she whispered.

Emma smiled. "You tell me."

***

Newt knocked on the door to his and Queenie's room, stepping inside when he heard Queenie's distracted voice call for him to enter. He found his sister standing at the window, her hand drawing back the curtains. She watched out the window intently, and Newt set his case on the floor and walked to join her. "How did it go?" he asked.

"There's so much in his head to sort through," Queenie whispered and reached for his hand. Newt took it between both of his without hesitation, and he felt her relax at the familiar touch. "Newt, whatever magic made it possible for this curse to happen . . . it's magic I've never seen before. To smother all of those memories . . . "

She trailed off, and Newt followed her gaze out the window. David was walking down the streets of Storybrooke, occasionally glancing down at a map in his hands. "Will he remember?" he asked.

Queenie sighed, pressing her fingers to her head. "I've done what I can," she answered. "It's up to his mind now."

***

David's head felt like he was fighting through fog as he walked through Storybrooke, and he was certain it was from whatever Queenie had done that afternoon. He had no recollection of what she had done, but it felt like his brain was pressing against his skull. He had wanted to stay longer, to ask what she had done, but he had given Mary Margaret a choice, and he intended to see how she answered.

"Mr. Nolan?" David yelped and looked up from his map, and the dark-haired woman held up her hand apologetically. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Regina told him. "I was just heading home from work, and I saw you. Are you lost?"

"Yeah," David admitted, looking down at the map he held. "Yeah . . . kind of. I'm looking for the toll bridge."

"Ah," Regina smiled. "Where you were found. Trying to jog your memory?"

"No," David shook his head. "I'm meeting someone."

Regina's smile froze. For some reason, David thought it was a familiar expression. "So you made your choice."

David nodded. "Yes."

"Well, I don't suppose I can convince you to change your mind?"

David reminded himself that this was Kathryn's friend, and he buried any negativity he felt and shook his head. "I can't change what I feel."

"No," Regina laughed lightly. "Of course not. Walk down the street to Mr. Gold's pawnshop. You'll find a fork in the road. Go left. It will take you to a hiking trail that leads directly to the bridge."

David sighed in relief. "Thank you," he told her, lightly jogging across the street. "For understanding."

"Good luck, David." David looked back and saw Regina give him an unreadable look. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

David slowly nodded, then he continued his way down the street towards the pawnshop. The lights out and inside were still lit, signaling it was still open, and David passed the shop expectantly. He frowned when he only found a parking lot past the shop, no fork in the road in sight. After a quick glance at the map, he walked into the shop. "Hello?" he called. "Hello?"

There was no answer, so David took a few moments to look around the pawn shop. He passed a pair of puppets (were they screaming?) and a set of teacups, then the tinkle of glass caught his attention. Unicorns of blue and clear crystal dangled from a mobile hanging above one of the glass cases, and David walked over, eyes locked on the creatures. He reached out and cradled one in his hand -

"Charming."

Pain laced through his head, and David winced before turning, releasing the unicorn as he did. "I'm sorry?" he asked, seeing the man in a suit behind the counter.

"The mobile," Mr. Gold gestured. "Isn't it charming? Exquisitely designed, masterfully crafted. I could get it down, if you like."

"No, no, no," David shook his head, walking over to join the owner. "I mean, it's very nice, but actually, I'm looking for the toll bridge. The mayor said there was a fork in the road by your shop, but . . . "

He shrugged helplessly, and Mr. Gold clicked his tongue. "It seems Ms. Mills has led you astray."

"Yeah," David sighed. "Yeah, you'd think the mayor would know her own town."

"One would think," Mr. Gold muttered. David raised an eyebrow in confusion, and Mr. Gold gestured to the door. "Out of the door, turn right. Two blocks, you'll find the trail. Can't miss it."

"Thank you," David nodded, turning towards the door.

He stopped in his tracks when he saw the wooden figure by the door. "See something you like?" Mr. Gold asked.

David stepped forward as if in a trance, pointing at the wooden windmill. "Where did you get that?" he asked.

"That old thing?" Mr. Gold asked in amusement. "That's been gathering dust for . . . forever."

David carefully pushed the blades of the windmill, sending them spinning. "I think," he said slowly, ignoring the pain blossoming in his head. "This belonged to me."

Blades swinging through the air, made of steel, not wood . . .

David recoiled from the windmill, gasping as his mind flooded.

A woman's loud sobbing, born from sorrow just as much as pain, echoing . . .

"Really?" Mr. Gold's voice sounded far away. "Are you sure?"

A newborn baby's cries of fear, red blood seeping through white fabric . . .

David's breath hitched, and he stepped away from the windmill.

"Find us!"

Pain, unbelievable pain, and darkness flooding, even as the empty trunk of a tree loomed in front of him . . .

"Let's make sure you remember who you really are."

Queenie's voice echoed in his head, and David's eyes flew wide open.

"Goodbye, Prince Charming."

"Prince Charming."

"I remember."

***

Mary Margaret paced by the stream under the toll bridge, looking up at the full moon with nerves causing her heart to race faster than ever before. She had arrived early, and now the seconds were ticking ever closer to eight o'clock . . . and yet David had not arrived.

The sound of footsteps on stone made her turn, and her eyes widened when David crashed into view. The moment his eyes landed on her, they lit with delight. "You came," he breathed.

Mary Margaret blushed at the awe in his tone. "You sound surprised."

"I didn't know if you would," David stammered, his footsteps careful as he approached her. "I didn't - " He cut his words off with a chuckle, his gait more confident as he approached. "I should've known."

The warmth made Mary Margaret shiver. "Known what?" she asked.

David smiled. "Love always wins in the end." Mary Margaret's cheeks flushed redder, and David stopped just inches from her. "You chose us."

"You chose first," Mary Margaret held her head high, looking David in the eyes. "Saying is one thing . . . choosing is another."

"I did," David nodded. "And I promise, I always choose you."

Any remaining resistance in Mary Margaret crumbled, and she couldn't stop a sob of relief from bubbling out of her. Alarm crossed David's face, but Mary Margaret shook her head and stepped forward, placing her hands on his chest. "Then I choose you, too," she told him. "I choose us."

David laughed in delight, pulling her closer, and when he leaned in to kiss her, Mary Margaret met him halfway. The kiss was passionate and eager and so full of love that when David wrapped his arms around her waist and twirled her around, she had to break the kiss because of the gleeful laughter she couldn't contain.

Maybe Henry was right. Maybe this was her happily ever after.

***

"I'm telling you, Newt," Emma sighed, sipping her coffee as she drove down the streets of Storybrooke in the police cruiser, "I'm going to owe Achilles so many sugar cubes after this."

Newt's laughter echoed from her phone, which rested on her knee. "You spoil that pegasus, Emma."

Emma rolled her eyes with a snort. "Like you don't spoil Arete."

"Hey, Qilins are meant to be treasured! And you know what happened to the last Qilin I tried to help."

"Yeah, I know," Emma conceded with a sigh. "I didn't mean it like that."

"No, I know you didn't. I'll see if I can convince him to visit in the case. Maybe he just likes having the reserve to himself."

Emma barked in laughter. "That's my boy!"

"It's my reserve, Emma!"

Emma laughed as she drove down the street, then a shadowy figure climbing out of a top-story window caught her eye. She recognized the house immediately, and her heart lurched in her chest. "Newt, I'm gonna have to call you back," she said sharply, picking up her phone and hanging up.

She quickly pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the car, grabbing her nightstick from the passenger seat. She closed the door as quietly as she could, then she ducked under the trees and hid behind the shrubs. She carefully peered out and watched the shadowed figure approach the road, and when those footsteps finally reached the sidewalk, she swung her nightstick with all her might.

Graham collapsed on the sidewalk with a yelp of pain, clutching his stomach with both hands. Emma stared down at him in shock, her grip on her nightstick faltering. "This is volunteering?" she asked incredulously.

Graham blinked wearily up at her with a groan. "Plans changed," he said weakly. "Regina needed me to - "

"Sleep with her?" Emma interrupted, narrowing her eyes.

"No," Graham shook his head.

Liar, Emma's instincts whispered as the sheriff struggled to his feet, clothes unkempt and wrinkled. That was no way for someone to look if they had just been at the house for a visit. "Why were you sneaking out the window?" she challenged.

Graham swallowed, and his shoulders slumped. "Because she didn't want Henry to know," he admitted.

Emma's jaw dropped. "You did this with Henry in the house?!"

"He's sleeping!" Graham tried to assure her. "He doesn't know!"

Emma's pale face was tinged green. "Oh, my God, I wish I was Henry right now," she shook her head, her glare scathing as she looked at Graham. "This is disgusting."

"I really do work at an animal shelter," Graham began.

"You can finish my shift," Emma shook her head, not wanting to hear another word, and she shoved the keys into Graham's chest, pushing him back several steps. "I'm done working nights."

She walked away before Graham could say a word, and she almost dropped her phone as she pulled it out of her pocket. Thankfully, she just had to redial her last contact. "Emma?" Newt answered immediately. "What happened?"

Emma closed her eyes, swallowing back tears. "I need you to pick me up," she whispered. "My shift's done."

"Where are you?"

***

"I get off my shift in ten minutes," Ruby told Dr. Whale as she rounded the counter. "Stay long enough for a drink?"

"I would be happy to," Dr. Whale smiled charmingly.

The bell above the door chimed, and Ruby looked up, curious to see who had come to the diner. "Mary Margaret!" she brightened, and Dr. Whale curiously turned. "What can I get you?"

"Considering how I'm feeling?" Mary Margaret grinned, her eyes bright. "Give me the best you've got."

"Oh?" Ruby grinned. "Take a seat and tell me all about it!"

"I guess that means I'm no longer wanted," Dr. Whale held up his hands teasingly as he backed away from the bar.

Ruby merely pointed to one of the booths in the back, and Dr. Whale obligingly headed for the seat. "Alright, girl," she ordered Mary Margaret as she patted the bar. "Spill. Who made you light up like a Christmas tree?"

Mary Margaret bit her lip, watching Ruby pour her some top shelf whiskey. "David," she admitted quietly.

Ruby almost dropped the bottle. "David Nolan?!" she squeaked, looking around to make sure no one heard her.

"He left his wife for me," Mary Margaret nodded, keeping her voice low as Ruby leaned in closer. "He told me to meet him at the toll bridge if I felt the same."

"And he was there?" Ruby asked in disbelief.

"I got there first . . . but he came," Mary Margaret told her, twirling her silver ring around her finger. "I mean, he's been trying to tell me for several days . . . but actually did something to back up his words." Ruby's face showed her uncertainty, and Mary Margaret reached out to take her hand. "Ruby, I'm happy," she stressed the word. "Really, really happy. I wouldn't have gone to meet him if I didn't want this."

Ruby sighed, looking down at their hands. "You're really sure about this?" she asked. When Mary Margaret nodded eagerly, her smile coming back despite her visible attempt to suppress it, Ruby sighed and patted her hand. "Well, I'm not the best person to lecture you on what's right given the number of headaches I've given Granny," she said. "But if he does hurt you - "

"You're first in line to say 'I told you so,'" Mary Margaret guessed.

"I was gonna say I would rip out his throat," Ruby smirked, and she winked when Mary Margaret giggled into her drink. "Enjoy your drink, girl. And enjoy your happiness."

Mary Margaret held up her drink in silent toast. "And to you getting yours, Ruby."

"Thanks," Ruby smiled, her gaze drifting to where Dr. Whale sat in the back, then to where the clock ticked away the time until she ended her shift. She blinked, then she looked back at Mary Margaret. "Where is David?"

"Oh," Mary Margaret swallowed her drink. "He said he needed to thank someone."

Ruby raised an eyebrow curiously.

***

"That rotten bastard," Emma ground out as she stormed up the stairs in the inn, Newt her silent shadow and letting her rant. "If it had just been what he said it was, I wouldn't mind doing the night shift. But telling me to do it so he could sleep with Regina?" She all but growled when she reached the landing. "This is why I don't do relationships, Newt."

"Well, I don't think I can really help you here, Emma," Newt shrugged, watching Emma use her spare key to unlock the door to Newt and Queenie's room. He frowned in confusion, tilting his head when he reached the door. He could have sworn he heard -

"Queenie!" Emma said as she shoved open the door and marched into the room. "I need to talk to - "

She stopped so suddenly that Newt ran into her back. He made a sound in surprise and backed away, then he realized what had made Emma stop. Queenie was perched on the edge of her bed, her eyes wide when she saw who had come into her room. Then her face split with a grin, and Newt felt the delight that rolled off of her.

And across from her, David stood from the bed, his face draining of color as he looked at Emma. He appeared speechless as he looked at her, and Emma swallowed, taking a tentative step back so Newt was only a reach away. "Queenie?" she asked in a quieter voice. "What's going on?"

"Emma?" David whispered, his voice breaking on the name.

Emma froze in place, and she didn't feel Newt reach out to take her hand reassuringly. That look on David's face . . . she knew that look. She saw it every time she saw Lucius look at Draco, every time Dan looked at Hermione. That was the face of a father looking down at their only child with all the love they felt.

And David's face . . . she saw that face every time she looked in the mirror while she was with Harry. That was her face. Time stopped around her as she looked at the raw hope and awe in David's expression, a look that reminded her of all those cheesy movies when long-lost relatives found each other again. The memory of her Gringotts visit flashed through her head, and she swallowed hard. She had wanted proof. And here it was, staring her right in the face.

"Dad?"

The whisper was so quiet, Newt almost didn't hear it. Somehow David did, for he let out his breath in a rush and crossed the room quickly. "Emma," he choked, reaching for her with trembling hands.

Emma lurched out of Newt's grasp and fell into David's embrace, and the feeling of rightness sank into her bones. Her magic sang in her veins, and she did a horrible job of stifling a sob as she clung to David. His arms tightened around her in response, and she whimpered. "Dad," she repeated, her voice wobbling. "I found you."

"You found me," David - no, Prince Charming - agreed, pressing his lips to the top of her head as he cradled his daughter to his chest, and Queenie quietly flipped past them to lead Newt out into the hallway, the door shutting with a quiet click behind them. "And nothing is ever separating us again."

***

How's that for a big wrench in the Evil Queen's plan? :) Welcome to the family, Prince Charming! Everyone is so happy to have you!

I have been asked to give everyone a note from Miss Singer: she's taking a mental health break right now, and she's taking a break from hardcore writing until she's feeling better. She'll still write, but she won't be fully active until she decides she's ready. Send some bear (or niffler!) hugs her way! <3

So, with Prince Charming back in the game . . . I wonder how everything's going to go from here? ;) Next up - "The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter!"

~ Miss Moffat