~ Davina
I wait for Henry outside of his school, watching the other kids meet their parents while standing well out of the way. I fall into a small daydream for a little while, but someone saying my name and tapping me on the shoulder wakes me up. It's Sn- Miss Blanchard.
"Hi...Davina, was it?" She says, and I nod.
"You're Miss Blanchard, right?"
"Please, call me Mary Margaret, only the kids call me Miss Blanchard," she says.
"Okay..." I reply awkwardly.
"Are you okay? Did I do something?" She asks, suddenly worried.
"What? Oh, no, you just...really remind me of someone..." I say.
"Snow White, by any chance?"
"What?" I blurt out, panicking, but also hoping that she remembers.
"Don't worry, I get it from Henry all of the time. It's because of the book," she answers, completely calmly.
"You know about the book?"
"I gave it to him. When he needed it the most, it almost...appeared...and he hasn't parted with it since."
"What do you think about Henry's...thing...with everyone being the characters?" I ask out of curiosity.
"I think he's a young boy with a big imagination and just needs someone to share that with. So far, he hasn't had any luck."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, Regina makes him see a therapist and Emma...hasn't mothered him for ten years, she's going to find it difficult to adapt to supporting such a bright, young boy."
"Well, there's nothing to worry about when it comes to me. My imagination has no boundaries...what's the point?" I reply.
She grins and we chat for a while. I ask her a lot of questions about the town and the school, and she answers happily. But, when half an hour passes, I'm worried.
"Sorry to change the subject, but have you seen Henry?" I ask.
"Oh, yeah, Emma picked him up. She always does on this day."
"Oh, I didn't know that. Thank you for letting me know."
"They'll be in Granny's if you still want to see him," she says, smiling.
I nod, she hugs me and we part ways. I make my way to Granny's – I want to speak to Emma.
- - -
The bell above the door of Granny's diner rings and a few heads look up to see who it is, and then return to either their conversations or their food. I scan the diner to see Henry and his mother sitting in a booth with hot chocolate. I compose myself, trying to leave any pretences behind me, and confidently stride over to them.
"Hi, Henry," I greet. "Hello, Emma."
"Hi, Davina," Henry replies with a big smile. "Here, sit next to me" and he slides over a seat so I can join him.
"Thank you," I say and sit down.
"So what brings you here Davina? Today's not your day to look after me," Henry asks.
"I just wanted to let you know that I got a job and I was wondering if you could tell Regina."
"Congrats! Where are you working?" he exclaims.
"At the docks."
"What will you be doing there?" Emma interjects.
"Just keeping boats intact, diving down to get lost objects, helping out in the shop," I answer.
"That sounds cool, is that all?" Henry says.
"Well, no, I actually wanted to talk to you," I say and look at Emma.
"Oh...what about?"
"Adult...stuff," I say, hinting that I don't want Henry to know.
"Okay, Henry, can you go and sit at the breakfast bar and tell Granny that we've gone for a walk? We won't be long," Emma says and I let Henry out of the booth.
While we distance ourselves from the diner, it's silent, and it's awkward. I've only spoken to her once, and it was brief, so I'm not entirely sure what she's thinking right now, or expecting, for that matter. My only understanding of Emma is that Regina doesn't like her, and Snow doesn't seem to expect much of her as a mother.
"So, uh, what did you want to talk about?" She asks.
"Henry. And his book."
"Oh..."
"Firstly, what do you think of his...belief?"
"Well, I think it's crazy. Magic's not real, it can't be," she says with certainty.
"I thought you might say that...who does he say you are?"
"He says I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, and if it's true, I don't know how it would work. No one's seen 'Prince Charming'...ever," she answers, air quoting the character's name. "What about you?"
"I'm not anyone, as far as I know, I'm not in the book."
"How does that work? Henry said that everyone, even 'minor' people, are in the book which means they're in town but no one knows that because their memories were wiped," Emma asks, confused.
"Well...you see, I wasn't supposed to be there, in the 'Enchanted Forest' when the 'curse' happened."
"Wait a second, what are you talking about? Do you, believe Henry?" Emma asks.
I sigh, "This is where it gets complicated..."
"Why...?"
"Emma, this is going to sound completely and utterly insane but I need you to listen and just try not to deny everything straight away," I say and take a deep breath. "The thing is, I've been there, and I remember." I begin and she frowns. "Basically..."
I explain myself once again, boring myself with the repetition. But she needs to know everything, especially if I'm going to try and make her a little bit less sceptical. She listens and doesn't interrupt, making a nice change from Pan and the Lost Boys.
"You're not lying," Emma decides when I finish.
"How are you so certain?"
"I have a, what I call, superpower. I can tell if people are lying or not. You're definitely not. But, I still want proof."
"I have some, back in my room at Granny's."
"Let's go then."
We go back, and go in through the back entrance which leads straight into the bed and breakfast, avoiding Henry so as not to raise any susipicion with him. We go up to my room, and while I get the box with my cloak in, she stands and looks around. I place the box on my bed, but stop myself from removing the lid.
"First, I want to show you something else."
I bend down and reach under the bed, removing my sword from the frame edge that holds up the slats. I bring the sword up to my palms and hold it out to her. "This is mine."
Emma takes it into her hands and studies it in detail. At this moment, I see in her face that she believes, a tiny bit.
"Now, this," I say and open the box, "Take a look."
Emma removes my clothes, looking at them and disbelieving. She reaches for the map, but I take it first and she frowns. I smile and unroll it in front of her.
"See, they're all real. And there, right there, is Storybrooke," I say and point to the dimly-glittering outline of the town.
"Okay, I guess, I kinda... believe now, but what about Henry?"
"He can't know, we can't get his hopes up. If you start believing, then the curse is broken which potentially means that magic will be in Storybrooke which means that Pan has access to the town and all of the children, which includes Henry, do you really want him to be trapped on that island?" I say in desperation.
"No, I don't. Who else knows?"
"Regina and Gold."
"They don't know I know?" Emma asks aloud, and I can see ideas generating behind her eyes.
I shake my head, "It has to be a secret, at least until I can find my ship and get back to Neverland myself, or find a way to stop him from finding me."