Disclaimer: rights to ABC and Odette Beane.
Emma ran off to find Graham, heading towards Regina's house. I stayed at the sheriff's station, and so did Henry. Henry sat in the chair behind the desk, and I paced the small office. "Ashton, why are you pacing?" Henry asked. "Because I'm worried. And I always pace when I'm worried." "Why are you worried?" "Because Graham is remembering, and that can't be good if he is the only one, can it?" "Maybe this is the start of the whole curse breaking." "But you said the cause of the curse breaking would be Emma, right? All she did was kiss him. It can't be as simple as that." "I dunno. But... if Graham is the start of the curse breaking, maybe everyone else will remember soon enough," Henry said hopefully. "I hope so, kid." I decided to ask Henry something I had been wondering for a while, "hey, Henry?" "Yeah?" "About my dad... er, is he here? I haven't seen him...not that I've been looking, but-" "I haven't seem him, and I know practically everyone in this town. I don't think he is here." "Okay, you don't think he's dead, do you? I mean, as far as he knows, I left the Jolly Roger and never came back, he probably thinks I'm dead..." "I don't know, Ashton. My book has some stuff about you and your dad, but anything after you go to this world, isn't there,because the author didn't know." "Okay, hey kid? Do me a favor, I don't want anyone knowing who my dad is, okay? He wasn't the greatest guy ever, and if he is alive somewhere, I don't want people knowing. If someone asks me, I'm going to just say a pirate, and I want you to say the same." Henry nodded, "Okay, if you say so." "Thanks, kid." Emma and Graham walked into the station. "Whoa, what happened to you?" I asked Emma; she had a cut on her lower jaw. "Regina," Graham said, "we went to her crypt to try and find my heart, and Regina showed up." "Well?" Henry asked, "did you find it?" "Henry!" Emma said, protesting. Graham sighed, "No, no I didn't. But I'm sure it was there somewhere. I just have to go back and find it." Graham dabbed some hydrogen peroxide near Emma's cut. She protested, but let him. "Hey, Henry," I said, "let's go get some grilled cheese sandwiches for all of us." I made a motion with my head towards Henry, trying to signal to him that Emma and Graham wanted to be alone. "Okay, we'll be right back!" Henry and I left the station, heading to Granny's.
Henry and I headed back to the station after picking up four grilled cheeses from Granny's. Henry was telling me all about Graham's story again, detail for detail, when we heard a loud yell from the station. "What the hell?" I said, rushing into the station, Henry right behind me. "Oh my god." Emma was on the floor, clutching Graham, who whispered, "I love you." "Don't act like you're crying, Graham," Emma said, panic clear in her voice, "please don't do that." Graham reached up, touched Emma's face. She was crying, and Graham reached up with his last bit of strength to wipe away the tears. I whipped out my phone and called 911, telling the ambulance to get to the police station asap. Emma stayed on the floor, holding Graham's head, crying.
Graham was gone. Just like that, gone with little explanation. Cardiac arrest? Henry gave me a look, and pulled me aside. "My mom." "Emma?" "Regina. She took his heart from the crypt and crushed it." "I know your mom is mean, but is she really that evil?" Henry nodded solemnly, "The Evil Queen." Emma stayed on the floor with Graham until the paramedics delicately removed her arms from Graham's lifeless body. I watched numbly as they put him on the stretcher and carried him away. There was no need to go to the hospital. It was obvious to everyone in the room. Unlike John Doe, this one would not be waking up. There were no miracles to be had here.