#6 amish musings

[thylady]

am I spamming on my khudka profile right now? Gooooooooooood! What am I? ಠ_ʖಠ

a Gen Z I guess ಠ‿ಠ

#desiblr #19 years old #6 amish musings #not sleepy

[branlovestowrite]

The Man of Misthaven: Part 2 of 4

Thank you all so much for the incredible reception you gave Part 1 of this story! I am blown away by the response. I hope you continue to enjoy the story. This next installment is a long one, but lots of CS interaction, so I don’t think you’ll mind too much. ^_~ 

Continuous thanks to @gingerchangeling for being my beta reader, @hollyethecurious for this amazing image set, and @kmomof4 for running @cssns.

The Man of Misthaven

Summary: Storybrooke Maine is preparing for their annual fourth of July parade when they stumble upon a 300 year old body buried in Misthaven Bog, just beyond the town line. This is the first bog body discovered in the Northern US, and could put the town on the map… if only it hadn’t gone missing. Deputy Emma Swan should be focusing on the search, but she’s been a little distracted by the dark haired, blue-eyed man with amnesia she rescued the day before. Just who is this man she feels such a strong attraction to, and does he have any connection to the missing body?

Rating: T

Words: ~7,700 (this is a long installment!)

Need to catch up? Part 1 can be found here. Also on AO3 and fanfiction.net.

Part 2 Storybrooke, Saturday June 30, 2018

For the third time in the last 24 hours, Emma parked in front of the hospital. This time, at least, she wasn’t going to the morgue. She made sure she had her badge before exiting the car and walked around to help John Doe out. Thankfully, the hospital was not very busy, and they were led to a private examination room. After a moment, a nurse walked in with a hospital gown and a robe.

“I’ll just put these here,” she said as she settled them at the foot of the bed.

John Doe sat on the bed and looked at the items, unsure of what to do. He glanced toward Emma.

“Don’t you want to get dressed?” she asked.

“Oh… aye. I’ll just…” He fingered the garments for a moment as he continued to stare at her. The tips of his ears began to turn red.

“Oh! Right,” Emma said. “I’ll just step out.”

He stood at the same time she did, bringing their bodies closer than she liked in such a small space. “Will you be back?” he asked, as his right arm snaked out from under the blanket to rub at the scruff covering his jaw.

“If you’d like me to.” She found his nervousness charming, and she gave him a genuine smile. “I can come back and stay with you until the doctor gets you settled.”

“I would like that, thank you.” He returned her smile with a brilliant grin of his own.

She got caught up in his eyes for a moment, drowning in their deep blue depths, before she heard Dr. Whale tap on the door. Clearing her throat, she stepped aside. “Doctor,” she said, her tone a bit too high for her liking.

“Deputy Swan,” he returned, his gaze teetering on the edge of lecherous. Dr. Whale was a notorious flirt, but was also one of the best doctors in the state. He’d repeatedly turned down opportunities to move to bigger hospitals in bigger towns, saying he preferred the pace of small town life. He’d never tried to make a move on Emma, but she suspected that was mostly due to his brief, but disastrous, relationship with Mary Margaret. Emma knew that the notorious womanizer was actually a secretly sappy, over-the-top romantic. No doubt he was aware that she possessed this knowledge and thus had decided to keep his distance.

Doctor Whale shifted his gaze to John Doe. He held out his hand. “Dr. Victor Whale.” The other man took it tentatively, and Whale gave him a firm shake before releasing. “So. What seems to be the issue?”

“Well,” John Doe began, “I’m not quite sure myself. I don’t remember much before this lass found me.”

Whale raised his brow. “Where did you find him?” he asked Emma.

“Walking along the forest road, maybe three miles from here.”

“And you don’t remember anything before then?” the doctor asked, turning back to the man.

“I remember waking up, but I can’t recall where I was. I had trouble seeing. The room was dark and very cold. I remember feeling confined and simply wanting to breathe fresh air. It was still dark when I got outside, but I just started walking, thinking I could find something familiar.”

“Do you know if you walked in a straight path?”

He gave an uneasy smile. “I don’t think I did. I really felt quite out of sorts.” He shook his head and his smile broadened. “I’m not making any sense, am I?”

Whale gave him a reassuring look. “Disorientation is common with cases of amnesia.” He opened the chart and began writing. “I’m going to order a few tests, just to check you out for any internal trauma. We’ll want to keep you here for observation and perhaps have Dr. Hopper come chat with you and see if he can’t help jog your memory.”

“I’m afraid I don’t follow you,” John Doe replied, his ears turning red again.

“Just know that we’ll take care you, sir. I’ll be back in a few hours to see how you are doing.”

“Thank you, doctor.”

Whale turned to Emma. “Deputy Swan, will you be here a while?”

“I was planning to stay until the patient was settled.”

“Please come find me before you leave. I’d like to get a few more details from you. But it’s not urgent.”

He stepped away from the room. Emma and John Doe stared at each other once more, his gaze more unsure than earlier. Emma reached out and placed a firm hand on his arm, squeezing his bicep through the blanket. “It’s gonna be okay. Whale is one of the best doctors in the state.”

He gave a dry chuckle. “I am glad to hear you recommend him so highly.”

She let her gaze drop to the clothes still on the bed. Looking up at him, she said “why don’t you get dressed? I will see if I can go find us some food. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

“Sustenance does sound good, thank you.”

She found herself wanting to laugh at his old fashioned language, but she bit her lip. “I’ll be back,” she said as she stepped out of the room and headed to the vending machines.

Emma spent most of her free Saturday at the hospital with John Doe. She shouldn't have stayed so long, but she couldn’t bear to leave him. He was so nervous, though he rarely spoke to that effect. When he was taken for a CT scan, he would only agree to go if Emma could come with him. She waited just outside the room while the scan was performed, and walked alongside the gurney, holding his hand, all the way back to his room.

After the tests were performed, the hospital gave him a proper meal. He stared in wonder at the tray, taking particular interest in the small bowl of jello cubes. He picked it up and shook it lightly, closely observing how the substance moved. “What do they call this?”

She smiled at his childlike wonder. “Jello. You’ve never seen jello before?”

“Can’t say that I have.” He smiled at her, then picked up a gelatinous cube and popped it in his mouth. He swallowed it down with an exaggerated motion. “It’s very sweet. Reminds me of jam, only without the fruit.”

“That’s basically what it is,” Emma replied with a laugh.

Despite his unfamiliarity with the contents, he ate everything on the tray and drank all the water in the small pitcher he’d been provided.

“Wow,” Emma said, “I’m impressed. Guess you were hungry.”

“I do feel like it’s been a very long time since I ate.”

When the room fell quiet, Emma turned on the TV. This sparked a new round of questioning. It seemed he had never encountered television in his life. “You must be from an Amish community, or something like that,” Emma mused.

He grinned at her. “I don’t know what that is, but sure.”

She giggled at his words. After he ate lunch, the day seemed to be taking its toll on him. His eyes drooped and he was struggling to hold his head up. Emma stood and looked at the clock, not believing it was almost four in the afternoon. “I think I should go. You look like you could use a nap.”

“Apologies, love. I do seem to be rather fatigued.”

“I’ve got to work tomorrow, but I’ll come by and check on you.” She paused, then stepped to the nightstand and picked up the pad of paper and pen left there. She quickly wrote her number and handed it to him. “That’s my cell number. Give me a call if you need anything. I’m here for you.”

He gave her a grateful look. “Thank you. You really have been my savior today.”

She returned his look with a smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Irish Sea, July 19, 1751

Alice stood against the gunwhale and relished the feeling of the wind whipping at her face. She’d never been on a ship before, though Papa had taken her to the sea enough times, as well as sharing with her tales of his own time as a sailor. Her Papa had a hard life, spending the majority of his childhood as an indentured servant before buying back his freedom by enlisting in the Navy with his brother. After rising through the ranks in his early adulthood, his promising career was cut short after only 6 years, when Uncle Liam contracted and died from typhoid fever.

Papa, who had only just earned the rank of lieutenant, deserted from the service and ran into hiding, drowning his sorrow in rum. Liam was his only family, and Papa said without his brother he felt adrift. He liked to tell Alce that had it not been for her sudden appearance, he might be dead. He shamefully admits that he does not remember much of her mother, but when a baby was left on his doorstep, with a note explaining that she was his daughter, he didn’t hesitate. He sobered up and cared for the child.

As Alice grew, there was no mistaking her for anyone else’s child. She had his eyes, and his ears. She had his smile and his sense of humor. Alice loved her papa, and he spoiled her as much as he could on their meager earnings. He worked various odd jobs, eventually learning the trade of blacksmith. Alice remembered her younger years fondly, as a time when she and her Papa were poor, but happy.

There wasn’t a time in Alice’s life that she didn’t remember the feeling of magic flowing through her body. It was a pleasant hum that she assumed everyone else felt in the same measure. There were incidents from before, things that may have been written off as mere coincidence, but nothing as blatant as the incident that followed shortly after her seventh birthday.

Alice and Papa were making marmalade, a favorite treat of hers. Consumption of citrus was always important to Papa after his time at sea, and he never denied his girl her requests to make more. They’d even sold jars of it during especially lean times, though Papa had learned that the money they made selling it was far less than the amount saved if there was more marmalade on hand to satisfy his starfish’s appetite.

Alice was thinking about how they never had enough marmalade for her liking while she stirred the pot. Without warning, the sticky substance in the pot doubled in volume immediately. Alice screeched in surprise, calling Papa to her side. He could not believe his eyes as the contents of the pot continued to rise, threatening to boil over. Papa hurriedly removed the pot from the stove and set it aside.

“I think we have enough marmalade to last a long while now, eh Starfish?”

Alice recalled smiling as she looked at the pot, still rising even as Papa hurriedly spooned the contents into jars. “I guess we do,” she replied with a chuckle, and immediately the jam stopped its churning and settled.

They had enough marmalade to fill all their jars as well as another dozen they acquired from neighbors. The larder was beautifully full, and Alice ate marmalade sandwiches every day for months. When they got down to the last two jars, the supply continued. No matter how often they removed the next to last jar, there were always two jars waiting the following day. Alice was delighted at this, and did not notice her Papa’s unease.

She bragged to her few playmates in the village. Alice never had many close friends, always being seen as a bit strange by her cohort. However, when she bragged of having an endless supply of marmalade, the village began chattering about the blacksmith and his strange daughter. Word got around, and one night, about a year after the marmalade incident, there was an ominous knocking at the door to their cottage.

Papa opened the door to reveal a short, well-dressed man with dark grey hair that fell loosely to his shoulders. His blue frock coat adorned with gold buttons made him look out of place in their sleepy little village. He seemed like he should be attending a function at the grand estate 15 miles away.

“Can I help you… sir?” Papa added the title as an afterthought, not sure if he was addressing nobility.

“Are you the blacksmith?” the man asked as he peered curiously at Papa.

“I am. How can I help you?”

“Might I come in?” the man feigned an air of helplessness, but Alice immediately saw through this and eyed him warily. She tried in vain to telepathically communicate her sense of danger to Papa, but he let the man in anyway.

Once the door was shut behind him, the man took in their small, cozy cottage. He spun around slowly to take in his surroundings. When he turned back, his gaze landed on Alice.

“It’s a wonder it took me so long…” he said, trailing off. He stepped closer and took her chin in his hand. “You look just like your mother, child.”

He released his grip and Papa hastily joined them, placing his hands protectively on Alice’s shoulders. “I didn’t get your name, Mr…?”

“Gold. Roderick Gold.”

“And what is your interest in my daughter, Mr. Gold?”

“I knew the child’s mother. I have been trying to locate this girl for a very long time.”

Papa gently coaxed Alice out of her chair to stand, before pulling her firmly into his side. “I ask again, sir,” Papa began, “what is your interest in my daughter?”

“Why, only to change her life decidedly for the better.”

“What?” Alice asked, unbelieving. She knew manners dictated that she should not speak to this man unless addressed directly, but Alice had never been one for following rules.

“What do you know of your mother, child?”

Alice looked up at Papa with wide eyes. Papa took his cue to answer the man. “I have not seen her mother since she was a very small child. Alice’s mother could not care for her, so I have raised her on my own.”

“So you likely do not know, then, that Alice’s mother, Eloise, was my ward? Eloise disappeared nine years ago, likely after she came to be with child. I learned of the child some time ago, and although I continue to look for Eloise, I feel a responsibility for her child as well. I want to take you, dear, and give you the life you should have. Pretty gowns, the best education, and when you are older, balls and high society.”

Alice’s eyes lit up at the many pleasures being offered to her. “Do you have a library, sir?”

“Indeed I do. With more books than you could read in a lifetime, I’d wager.”

Alice looked up at Papa, not believing her luck. “Can we go with him Papa?”

Papa’s hand lifted to rub the back of his neck. “I imagine Mr. Gold does not have a place for me in this new life of yours, Starfish.”

“What? How can I go without you, Papa?” She turned to face Mr. Gold. “Papa must come with me, Mr. Gold, please!”

“I am sorry, child. Your father is right. I would permit him to visit you, of course, but I have no need for a blacksmith on my estate at present. Should that change, I would gladly make the position open to you, good man.”

“How generous,” Papa responded with a smile that did not quite reach his eyes. “This is a lot to take in. You will give us a few days to consider, won’t you?”

“Indeed,” Mr. Gold replied. “I will be visiting the estate just east of here for a few days. I will return to you in three days time and expect to have your response then. If you decide to do what is in the best interest of your child, you should have her things ready and she will leave with me at that time.”

“Thank you, Mr. Gold. We will see you then,” Papa said, opening the door and making it very clear that it was time for the man to leave. Papa watched out the window as the man alighted in his carriage and traveled in an easterly direction. Only once he was sure the man was gone did he turn to Alice.

“Pack your things, starfish.”

“What? Now? Mr. Gold said I had three more days. I am not ready to part with you, Papa!”

“We are not parting, love. We are leaving this village, tonight. That man cannot find us again.”

“Why Papa?”

“Because he is lying. I don’t remember much of your mother, dear one, but she was not a high born lady, no matter what he says. But I do recall she had certain… abilities. I thought nothing of it at the time, but I have seen these in you. I have no proof, but I believe that man only wants you for the power you possess. And he will have to kill me before he gets it.”

They traveled by foot, stopping in small, unassuming towns. They slept in inns when they could afford it and in abandoned buildings or under the stars when they could not. Papa worked odd jobs to help them get by. Eventually Papa gained a position on a ship under a captain who allowed Alice to accompany him. And now they were traveling to Dublin to start anew. She hoped they would never see Mr. Gold again.

Storybrooke, Sunday July 1, 2018

The next morning, Emma entered the station to see both David and Graham standing in the bullpen. “What’s going on?” she asked, turning to David. “Aren’t you supposed to be off today?”

“Emergency meeting,” Graham replied.

“What’s the emergency?” Emma asked.

“I’ll tell you,” she heard a commanding voice speak from behind her, accompanied by the rhythmic tapping of high heels. The woman, Deputy Mayor Regina Mills, stood in her immaculately tailored skirt suit, her hands on her hips as she glared at them. “Somehow, your department managed to have both a breakthrough discovery and an unparalleled disaster in the same day.” She tossed her shoulder-length brown hair back as she stared at Emma. “Tell me, Deputy Swan, how is it possible to lose a body that has been dead for 300 years?”

Emma looked uncomfortably at the other woman. “Regina, come on, it’s not like we planned to lose him.”

“That’s a bit informal, I think. It’s Deputy Mayor Mills to you! And planned or not, this department needs to fix the mistake.”

“What’s the big deal?” Emma asked. Graham and David were being annoyingly silent. “Forty-eight hours ago we didn’t even know he was there.”

Regina heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. “The big deal, Deputy Swan, is that this is the first bog body to be found in the northern US! A discovery like this could bring tourists to Storybrooke. Tourists that will bring revenue. Revenue, which, may I remind you, pays your salary!”

Emma huffed in reply, but couldn’t think of anything else to say. Satisfied that she’d intimidated everyone sufficiently, Regina left the station. Graham ordered Emma to go back to hospital and see if she could find anything that he and David may have missed the day before.

Emma didn’t mind the errand, and hoped she could get a chance to check on John Doe during the day. She hurried down to the morgue to complete her task as quickly as possible. After a brief knock on the door, she stepped inside and found Jeff speaking with a young woman Emma had never seen before.

“Deputy Swan,” he said, turning to her as she entered the room. “I was just getting ready to call the station.”

“Oh?” Emma asked as she eyed the newcomer warily.

Jeff pointed toward the other woman. “Let me introduce Matilda Towers. She’s the forensics expert I mentioned the other day.”

“Please, call me Tilly,” the other woman said, extending her hand for a shake.

Emma peered curiously at the Tilly for a moment. “Emma Swan,” she replied, taking the proffered hand and perusing the young woman. Her blond hair fell around her face in waves, save for a few strands she’d pinned back. She had a British accent, large cobalt-blue eyes, an angular jaw, and ears that were slightly pointed at the tip. Inexplicably, an image of John Doe flashed in Emma’s mind. Could he be related to this woman? She immediately shook off the notion. Wouldn’t Tilly know if she had a missing relative who’d last been seen in the area? She chalked it up to her imagination.

“Is everything alright?” Tilly asked nervously.

Emma was embarrassed to find she’d been staring. She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. You remind me of someone else, but I can’t place it.”

Tilly chuckled. “I get that a lot.”

Emma narrowed her eyes and looked more closely at the woman. She didn’t look older than 25. “Forgive me if this sounds offensive, but I wasn’t expecting someone so…”

“Young?” Tilly replied. “I’m older than I look. And I’ve studied bog bodies for years. I was quite excited when Jeff phoned and mentioned you’d found one here.”

“Yeah,” Emma said with a shake of her head. “Emphasis on the past tense.”

“Yes. Jeff mentioned that. Any luck on finding him?”

Emma shifted her gaze to Jeff. “That’s actually why I’m here. Graham wanted me to come by and see if I could find anything they missed.”

Jeff waved his hand through the air in a flourishing motion. “By all means. I will never object to a closer inspection from you, dear Emma.” He gave her a flirtatious wink.

Emma scoffed, but before she could say anything more, Tilly jumped in. “Really Jeff? Has a lecherous come-on ever truly worked for you?”

Smiling, Emma pointed to Tilly. “I like her.”

She proceeded to search through the lab while Jeff and Tilly stepped out to visit the cafeteria. Emma searched all throughout the small space, but found nothing that wasn’t already reported by Graham and David. She was tapping her foot frustratedly when Jeff returned.

“No luck?” he asked.

“Nothing that David and Graham haven’t found.” She noticed he’d returned alone. “Where’s Tilly?”

“She wanted to stay upstairs to go through the pictures and scans I took the other day. Wifi is better in the cafeteria than down here.”

“Got it,” Emma replied. “I’m gonna go visit the security office and go over the tapes again.”

“Good idea,” Jeff replied. “I think Walter was the one working Friday night. I wouldn’t put it past him to have fallen asleep on the job.”

Emma bid Jeff farewell and headed up one floor to the security desk. Walter, nicknamed Sleepy, was a very nice guy, but she was pretty sure he was a narcoleptic. Emma had no idea why he was still employed as a security guard. She was all for giving opportunities, but surely there was another job more suited for this guy, right?

When she made it to the desk, she learned that Walter was not in, and wouldn’t be back until the night shift started at 8:00. Resigning herself, Emma sat down to begin reviewing the tape from the other night.

After 45 minutes of reviewing footage from the camera inside the morgue, Emma was nearly ready to pass out. She stood up with the intention of going to get a coffee. However, once she was on the elevator, she decided to first visit John Doe.

Arriving at his floor, she exited the elevator and followed the hall to his room. She knocked on the door frame and he turned to her, flashing her a brilliant smile.

“Swan,” he beamed at her as she walked over to him. He was leaning against the side of the bed, wearing a pair of blue scrub pants and a plain white t-shirt.

“You’re looking well,” she said, returning his smile.

“I feel well. ‘Fit as a fiddle,’ as Dr. Whale says. Other than my lack of memory.”

“You up for a walk?”

“I’d love one,” he replied, and she could swear he had a literal twinkle in his eye.

She looked down at his feet, which she noticed were bare. “Do you have any shoes?”

“Yes, they’re just under the bed there.” He reached down and pulled out a truly ugly pair of sneakers which velcro closures. They looked like orthopedic shoes. He held them up and laughed. “These were apparently left by a former patient. They’re quite a fright to look at, but at least they fit me. Although I do wish we could find the original owner. I hate to think of someone else going without footwear.”

Emma smiled and decided against telling him that whoever left them probably wasn’t missing them at all. He finished putting on his shoes and stood again, standing awkwardly. “Are they comfortable?” she asked.

“Not particularly,” he smiled. “But they’ll do. Now, lead the way.”

Dublin, Ireland, June 15, 1752

She heard footsteps pounding up the stairs moments before the door flung open and he ran into the room.

“Papa!” she cried as she ran to her father.

“Alice.” He panted heavily, trying to catch his breath. “It’s no use. He’s found us. We can’t run anymore.”

“How did he follow us here?”

“I don’t know, love. He must have a way to track your magic.”

She looked perplexed. “What will we do now? Are we never allowed to have a normal life?”

Papa’s lips set in a hard line and his eyebrows drew close together. “I need to face the demon.”

“Papa No!” She tugged on his arm. “Don’t! He’ll kill you!” Her eyes widened and she clung tighter to him. “Let’s run again. Eventually he will stop looking for us.”

“No, my love, he won’t. He will never stop.” He disentangled her from his arm with a grunt. “If I don’t face him now, what future is that? Always looking over our shoulders. Wondering if someone in the town works for him and is spying on us. I will not let you live such a life. This ends tonight.”

She defiantly grabbed his hand and pulled him to a stop. “The only thing that will end is your life! Papa! Please don’t do this!”

His posture relaxed and looked down at her, tears flooding his eyes. “I’m sorry starfish. I must.”

“Then let me come with you.”

“No! You have to stay here. I need to know that you are safe. That’s the only way I can make it through.”

“But Papa…” she trailed off as her eyes flooded with tears.

He kneeled down to look her in the eye. “No, listen to me. You cannot go near that monster. Promise me, love. No matter what happens to me, promise you will never step foot near that devil if you can avoid it. I’ve done all this to protect you from him. Will you so easily give up my labors?”

“What will you do?” She sniffled in defeat. “How can you convince him to leave us alone?”

“I have a plan, my dear. Trust me, please.”

“I don’t like this Papa. Please don’t leave me.”

He reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek “I know you don’t like this, but you are stronger than you know. If something happens, if I don’t come back, and if that bastard finds you…” he trailed off.

“What, Papa?” she asked, her voice quavering.

“Never stop fighting.” He moved his hand to settle it on her shoulder and tilted his head to force her to meet his gaze. “Starfish, you are so strong. You have abilities I could only dream of. He wants you so he can exploit your gifts. But you are stronger than him. You can fight him.”

Tears were pouring down her cheeks and she gulped huge sobs. “I…” her words were choked out by another sob. “I don’t know, Papa. I don’t even know how to control this power. How can I use it to fight him?”

“I hope we don’t have to find out just yet. I hope that my plan works. But if it doesn’t, then trust in yourself. Listen to your instincts.” He pulled her into a tight embrace. “I love you, Alice. And I am so proud of you. You are my light in a dark world.”

“I love you too, Papa.”

She stood by the window and watched him leave, tears flooding down her cheeks, accompanied by huge gulping sobs. She bit her lip to try and stop its quivering. She paced the room, tried reading a book, and did anything she could think of to occupy her time. But it was no use. Eventually she found herself at the window once more. She wanted to be near her Papa, no matter his wishes. She couldn’t bear the thought of him facing that monster alone. Alice squeezed her eyes tight and held her breath, thinking hard of her Papa and picturing his face. Her eyes stayed shut, but she suddenly felt the air around her change. She could smell the musty odor of grass dampened by an evening rainstorm. Prying one eye open, she saw that she was standing in the woods, just beyond a clearing of trees where a group of men had gathered.

No, she realized with a start. Not a group of men. A mob. Surrounding one man. Papa.

She opened her mouth to call out to him, but thought better of it and instead hid behind a particularly large tree trunk. She didn’t know her magic could do this! She could transport herself to any location just by thinking of it? It was no wonder the evil man Gold wanted her power! She focused her gaze on Papa. If she could change her location with just a thought, could she use her magic to protect him? She stared at him and concentrated her mind on one sentence: please don’t let them kill my papa.

Papa stood armed with a sword, his cutlass from his time in the Navy. He’d kept it sharp, and since their first encounter with the evil man, he’d been practicing his skills. He held it out now in a defensive stance as he faced down the semi-circle of five men.

“I admire your bravery, even as futile as it is,” she heard Gold call out, safely shielded by his guards. “Where is the girl?”

“I’ll never give her to you! She is not some possession you can take from me. She is my daughter and I will die to keep her safe!”

“That can be arranged,” the evil man growled, motioning to his henchmen, who started to close in on Papa. “This is your last chance. Give me the girl now and I will spare your life.”

“I am not a coward like you! I will not give her up to spare myself.”

“So be it,” the evil man replied, and his first henchman lunged toward Papa. But Papa was ready, and he parried the blow. He fought the brute of a man for only a few minutes before sinking his sword into the man’s belly. He withdrew the sword with a horrible sucking noise before turning to his next attacker.

One by one he took down the henchman, until he stood in front of Gold, sweating and panting, but otherwise none the worse for wear. Alice was proud of his abilities, but continued to repeat her mantra quietly to herself. “Please don’t let him kill my Papa. Please don’t let him kill my Papa.”

The smaller man heaved a put-upon sigh. “It is impossible to find good help these days.” Gold thrust his arm forward and Papa’s sword flew from his hand and into the other man’s grasp. “I really should be conserving my power, but for you, I’ll make an exception.” Alice could just make out the sneer on his face as he raised his other hand. Papa instinctively lifted his arm to block a blow, but was instead magically frozen in place. Gold brought Papa’s sword down and, in one swift blow, severed his left hand from his wrist.

The enchantment holding him in place lifted and Papa screamed in anguish, grasping his left forearm in his right hand while blood poured down over what remained of his wrist. Gold raised the sword again, going for a killing blow, but Alice felt as her magic reached out and encircled Papa. The blow glanced off the barrier, knocking the sword from Gold’s hand and throwing him back several yards. Alice ran out to the clearing and kneeled beside Papa.

“Alice!” Papa choked out. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s okay Papa. I’ve got you,” she replied in as soothing a tone as possible.

“You little bitch!” Gold screamed as he stood, but before he could advance, Alice wrapped her arms around Papa and squeezed her eyes shut, magically transporting them back home.

When they landed, Alice realized they weren’t at the boarding house in Dublin they’d been hiding in. They were back at their old house, in Dorset, in front of the blacksmith’s shop. The place Alice thought of when she thought of home. Papa clenched his teeth to avoid screaming again. Blood still gushed from the wound. She could tell he wouldn’t last long at this rate.

She moved to put her hands on his arm to try and see if she could use her magic to heal him, but he shoved her away as gently as he could in his current state.

“No, starfish,” he grunted. “Don’t touch it.”

“We have to stop the bleeding, Papa!” She pleaded with him, eyes wide.

His eyes, which had remained mostly dry until now, poured over with shameful tears as he looked upon his daughter. He nodded slowly and she wrapped her small fingers around his mangled wrist, closing her eyes and concentrating with all her might to heal him. She could feel her magic starting and sputtering, but the reservoir was seemingly drained, leaving nothing to allow her to heal him. She opened her eyes and stared at him.

“I’m sorry Papa. I can’t do it.” She felt fresh, hot tears leak from her eyes now as guilt washed over her.

“Don’t…” he grunted. “Don’t blame yourself… ah… star… fish. You’ve… done… so much… bloody hell!” He clenched his teeth, holding back the string of curses he so obviously wanted to let loose, but would not allow himself to do in her presence.

His face cleared for a brief moment as he looked at the shop behind them. It had been taken over by someone else, and she could see the coals of the fire still glowing. Papa stood and stumbled as best he could to the shop. The new occupant stood there, having just placed an oblong disk into the forge. He turned and jumped when he saw Papa and Alice, both covered in blood.

“What happened to you, mate?!” the blacksmith cried as he took them in.

Papa ignored him. “Alice, get the…” he paused, groaning. “Get the tongs. Take that disk out of the fire and put it on the anvil.”

Alice did as he instructed. The shop owner just stood back, watching the scene in abject horror. Papa stumbled to the anvil and stood there, gathering his courage as best he could. “Stand… stand back love,” he said to Alice, and she obeyed. She watched as he took a deep breath, then slammed the open end of his blunted wrist onto the hot metal. A loud hissing noise filled the room, followed by an inhuman shriek of pain from Papa. The sickening smell of burnt flesh permeated the air. Papa kept his wrist on the disk for as long as he could before he collapsed beside the anvil. Alice looked at his arm. Where once there’d been a strong, calloused hand, there now stood a black, smoking hunk of flesh. Alice felt her knees weaken and she fell to floor, letting her sobs overtake her.

Storybrooke, Present Day

“So,” Emma began, shoving her hands in her pockets as she peered over at her companion. “Have you had any luck in remembering anything?”

“Unfortunately, no. And Dr. Whale cannot find a medical explanation for my memory loss. It’s quite the puzzle. The only thing he’s determined conclusively is that I must be some sort of craftsman. Perhaps a metallurgist.”

“Why does he think that?”

He stopped and held out his hand to her for inspection. “I have a fair number of burn marks in my arms that would indicate I have spent some time in that trade.”

She tentatively reached for his right arm and held it at the wrist, inspecting the scars that indicated he’d on more than one occasion had hot flecks of metal embedded in his skin. “Well,” she said in reply, “at least we now have a name for you.”

“We do? That’s new information to me.”

“Mr. Smith,” she replied with a smile, meeting his gaze with her own.

He returned her expression with a dazzling smile of his own. “Mr. Smith it is, then.” He slowly pulled his arm back. Emma loosened her grip, but before she could retract her hand, he caught it in his own and threaded their fingers together. Their hands dropped to hang between them and they continued their stroll, taking in the pleasantly warm weather.

They walked along for some time, and Emma was struck by how thoroughly at home she felt with this man. She was so comfortable with him, nothing like her relationships with Neal or Graham. In both situations she’d felt a deep sense of inequality, where her partner was providing her with more than she was giving in return. And while she’d only known Mr. Smith for a day, she knew instinctively that a relationship with him would be different. She felt on equal ground with him, which, when she thought about it, was absurd since he was far more dependent on her at the moment. There was also the hugely inconvenient fact that she knew nothing about this man. Still, she couldn’t stop the sense of right that she felt at his side.

They stopped to watch the reflection of the sky on a small pond.

“So,” Smith began, “Since I can’t tell you about myself, can you tell me about you? I know you work for the constable.”

“Sheriff’s Office,” Emma corrected, “but yes, I’m a deputy.”

“Marvelous. I’ve never known a woman to hold that position before, although I’ve known many who would be much more formidable than some of the men I’ve seen hold that office.”

She smiled up at him. “I am really starting to believe that you must come from some sort of Amish community. It’s 2018. How have you never seen a female cop before?”

“It’s 2018, you say?” he asked suddenly, stopping and staring at the ground, his brow furrowed.

“Yes. Did you just remember something?”

“No… that is, not a fact or a memory. More of an impression. It seems very strange to me, the year. Like I am having a hard time believing so many years have passed.”

“So many years?”

“Hundreds…” he replied, trailing off as he met her gaze. He held her captive with his eyes for a brief moment before tearing away. “But that’s ridiculous. It would be impossible for me to be alive if hundreds of years had passed before I woke up.”

Emma licked her lips and swallowed thickly. “Right…”

“Can you tell me something else?” He asked, his expression pleading with her to change the subject.

“I have a son,” she responded with another smile. “Henry. He’s twelve. He’s not really interested in spending time with his mom anymore.”

“I see,” Smith said, looking dejected. “I am sure he is a fine lad. And the boy’s father?”

Emma stopped again and looked up, placing her hand on his shoulder. “He’s gone. It’s just me and Henry.”

His face relaxed and his eyes lit up. “I know this sounds crazy,” Smith said with a coy smile, “but I think I know what that’s like. Being on your own with a child.”

“You have a child?” Her sense of panic flared at his words and she quickly pulled her hand away. “I need to work harder to find your family. Your child could be all alone!”

He paused and reached out, grabbing her hand once more and squeezing lightly.“I don’t know for sure that I do, but any help you can provide to restore my memories I will gladly accept.”

Emma calmed as she looked at him again. She could get lost in the depths of his brilliant blue eyes. Without fully realizing it, she slowly began to rise on her toes, bringing their mouths closer to one another. When they were just a breath apart, she paused, realizing what she was doing. Part of her desperately wanted to close the gap and capture his lips with her own. But another part of her hesitated, skeptical of the unexplainable connection she felt to this man.

Before she could make up her mind, she heard her name being called from a distance. She lowered down quickly and gently released Smith’s hand, turning to face her brother.

“David,” she replied with a smile. “I was just taking a break from reviewing security footage. You remember the amnesic patient I found yesterday, right? I wanted to check on him.” She gestured to her companion. “David, this is Mr. Smith. Well,” she paused, “that’s what we’re calling him until he remembers his name. Mr. Smith, this is my brother, David.”

Smith took David’s hand in his own and shook it heartily. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise,” David said, looking at the other man warily. He turned his gaze to Emma. “So, we need to head back to Jeff’s office. The forensic expert he brought in has something to show us.”

“Tilly? Did she say what it was? I met her earlier. She didn’t show me anything new then.”

“No. She just said it might be helpful in our search.”

“Okay, let me walk Mr. Smith back to his room and I’ll join you down there.”

“I’ll walk with you,” David replied in a tone that brokered no argument. They speedily returned Smith to his room and then continued on toward the elevators. Once they were safely on board, David turned to his sister with a disdainful look.

“Were you seriously about to kiss that man, Emma?”

“What? No! Of course not.”

“Good. Don’t give into the urge if it arises again. That man is vulnerable. He doesn’t need you clouding his mind with confusing thoughts while he tries to recover.”

“David!” Emma smacked her brother on the arm with the back of her hand. “You act like I’m some sort of a man-eater. I was not doing anything that could be considered taking advantage of a patient.”

“Could have fooled me,” was all David said in reply. Emma felt shame bloom across her face and remained silent until they reached Jeff’s office. Once there, they were met with Jeff, Tilly, and Graham.

“Emma,” Graham said by way of greeting. “I believe you’ve met Ms. Towers?”

“Tilly, please Sheriff,” the young woman interjected before Emma could respond. Graham nodded in reply.

“Yes, we’ve met,” Emma said. “I hear you have something for us?”

“I do,” Tilly said in an excited manner. She turned to the laptop behind her and clicked through a few windows before finding what she was looking for. “I was able to create a composite sketch of what the body may have looked like when he was alive, based on the scans and pictures Jeff took.

“Okay,” Emma said. “While that’s cool, how does it help us find the body?”

“Emma, please, let her finish,” Graham scolded, and Emma felt like she was 10 years old and being pushed around by James.

Tilly turned her screen so they could see the sketch. It was remarkable. The picture looked like a very handsome man, with an angular jaw, deep set eyes, and a long nose that was slightly bulbous at the end.

“Hey,” David said. “That looks just like Mr. Smith.”

“Pardon?” Tilly asked, perking up and staring at David with more than a little interest.

“Mr. Smith,” David replied. “The amnesic patient Emma found yesterday. She was just upstairs visiting and I met him. The resemblance is almost uncanny. I wonder if they’re related or something like that.”

“You found an amnesic patient yesterday?” Tilly asked, turning to Emma. “No one thought to tell me this sooner?”

“What relevance would it have for you?” Emma asked, getting increasingly annoyed at all the people chastising her. “You’re not here to help us with a missing person case. You’re here to help us find a missing 300 year-old body.”

“Where is this man?” Tilly asked in reply, ignoring Emma’s question.

“Nowhere you’re going to find him,” Emma replied defensively. “He has no relevance to your purpose here. You need to leave him alone.”

Tilly huffed and snapped her laptop shut. “We’re done for the day. I’m going back to my room at Granny’s to continue some more work. Jeff, you have my number if something comes up.”

“Sure Tilly,” Jeff replied softly. “See you later.”

Tilly quickly threw her laptop in a backpack and stomped out of the room.

“What was that about?” Graham asked, turning to Emma.

“I don’t see why she needs to go bothering Mr. Smith. He’s no concern of hers.”

“And I think he’s had enough bothering for today,” David added, causing Emma to throw him an angry glare.

To be continued in Part 3!

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