Once Upon a Time 1. Chapter 1

**Archie's POV**

"No! You don't need to do that." I had been yelling into my cell phone. "Em-Emma, stop talking." I had repeated that statement three times in the last minute. Emma has been trying for two weeks straight to set me up on a date, with Ruby. "This makes me very uncomfortable, Em." She continued on about me leaving my house and such. I finally hung up. Grabbing Pongo's leash, I was met at the door by my companion. I tossed the phone on the couch and my friend and I left the apartment.

I chained Pongo to a piece of fence in front of Granny's. I took a seat outside and Ruby brought my coffee to me. I nodded at her and she walked away seemingly disapponted. Something, or someone, caught my eye while I was looking in the mirror. I turned quickly to see no one, but Pongo, staring back at me. I sipped on my coffee and left the money on the table. Pongo and I continued our walk to my office. Clients came in and chatted and had their sessions then left. I told myself everyday that I was lonely, but everytime Marco walked in my office, I convinced myself otherwise. Marco and I went to lunch and sat at our regular table.

"Archie, my boy, you should really go and meet a girl. Settle down." Marco smiled as he took a forkful of food. "There is someone out there for you."

"I know, but I don't want to go find her, you know?" I finished the last of sandwich. "My turn to pay." I put down the few dollars for lunch.

"I don't want to see you lonely." Marco put his conforting hand over my shoulder. "Find me a pretty daughter-in-law, huh?" He chuckled and we parted ways. None of them knew what I knew. Archibald Hopper was not single, or, atleast, I was not the last time I checked.

**Emma's POV**

I started my walk early in the morning, Stopping occasionally to look at the flowers that were blossoming. When I approached the door, it appeared unlocked. I took out my pistol and slowly entered the building.

"Now, dearie, that's no way to treat a friend." Mr. Gold said, relaxing in my office chair.

"How'd you get in here." He looked at me, stunned. Then I realized, "It wasn't locked, was it?" He grinned his sly grin.

"I have news. Belle Dear sent me to tell you." I stood in front of him until he understood. He picked up his bag and stood. I took his place in my chair. "Actually, the truth is she didn't send me. I'm not supposed to tell anyone."

"Really, Gold?" He shrugged. "Just tell me so we can go about our business."

"She's going to have a baby. A little girl." He smiled, unnoticably at first, then it took over his entire face.

"Oh my God, Mr. Gold, that's amazing!" I got up from my seat and hugged him. "Congrats!" His smile was evident.

"Thank you, Ms. Swan. Don't let it slip in front of Belle, though, she does not want anyone knowing." I nodded and he left.

Hours passed with nothing for me to do, so I decided to take a drive and patrol the town. I drove around for a few minutes until I decided it was uneventful. I passed Granny's and stopped at a red light. It was quiet as I drove until some sound peirced the air. I listened for a short while. It was a woman, she sounded like she was in pain. I pulled off to the curb and got out of the crusier. I checked the alley way between Mr. French's flower shop and the hardware store. I saw nothing intially.

"Help." I heard a whisper. "Please." I walked behind the dumpster. There, to my shock, was a woman. She was brutally beaten andhad many cuts and bruises.

"God, what happened?" I helped her up. "I have to get you to the hospital." I helped the frail body to the car and drove off. I called Archie's office phone.

"Arch? Hey, can you meet me at the hospital. Yea, I found a girl behind the dumpster between Moe's and Harry's. See you there." I put my phone on the dash and hit the gas pedal. I pulled into the hospital drop-off and walked her inside. They got her a wheelchair and pushed her into one of the emergency rooms. I sat, alone, in the lobby of the hospital.

Archie had finally arrived. He and Pongo ran through the door and met me at my chair.

"Do you have an ID?" I shook my head. "Did it look like abuse?" I nodded. I saw, behind my friend, Dr. Whale was approaching.

"You can see her now." He lead us into the woman's room and we stood over her bed. Archie had to go tie Pongo up, so I stood alone. The patient became responsive and her eyes fluttered open.

"Am I in Storybrooke yet?" I nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. I am Sherriff Emma Swan. I found you behind a dumpster, any idea how you could have gotten there?" The poor girl shook her head weakly. Her glance changed to behind me. A smile creased her lips and her eyes got doe-ish. I turned to see a gawking Archie in the doorway. My glances changed between the starstruck pair. "Do you know each other?"

"Yes, Sherriff." I looked at Archie.

"Emma, this is Perdita." He walked to her bedside and took her hand. "She was-is-the love of my life." I smiled and looked at their locked hands. I then uderstood, because on the ring finger of her left hand was a huge, bright diamond ring.


	2. Chapter 2

Archie's POV

"Perdi, what are you doing here?" I sat down on the edge of the hospital cot. "I thought you'd left _for good_." I choked out that last bit. I remembered our arguement and what I had said. Her smile cured all woes I had at that moment.

"I came back for you, Archie. I felt we needed to catch up and, maybe, plan a wedding." Her smile curled downward a bit. My jaw dropped to the floor and came back up. My heart did flips and my stomach was full of butterflies. Perdita was still as perfect as ever and she glowed, but I was not ready for this. She left me for some guy and a new job.

"Me? Aren't I the reason you left to begin with?" Her smile faded. "To be honest, I'm pretty shocked that you kept the ring." I kissed the top of her hand and gathered my things. "Get well soon, lovely." I walked to the door and as I opened it, I could hear her cry. I untethered Pongo and started my walk back to the office. _It wasn't my fault she left_, I thought, _maybe if she had listened to me in the first place, we wouldn't be in this mess. _I passed by Granny's on the way and decided to get myself a drink. A strong one. I sat at an open seat and ordered my medicine. Ruby brought me my drink. I took a long sip from it, but Ruby just sat there and stared at me.

"Can I help you, Red?" I snarkily said, my lips still wrapped around the cup. Her sly grin forming letters and words I did not feel like comprehending.

"So, do you wanna go out tonight or what?" She leaned across the counter, exposing things I really did not need to see. I put the tall glass down and laid the money on the table.

"No, Red. I don't wanna go out tonight. Thanks, but no thanks." I grabbed Pongo's leash and I had realised what I had said and done. I felt terrible. I kicked myself about all the way back to my apartment. I checked my phone when I walked throught the door. Emma had texted me and said Perdita was fine and that she should stay at my apartment that night. I cleaned up a little bit in the kitchen and tidyed up the guest room. I sat and waited on Perdita to come along and ring my doorbell. I could not be less prepared to see her. There came a knock followed by a doorbell noise. I got up and straightened out my vest. I opened the door. There stood a beautiful, doll-faced girl. Her skin like porcelain and hair like color of the sun. She was only five-six and she looked up at me with happiness and brilliance.

"Hello, Archie."

"Hello, Perdi." I pulled her to my chest and hugged her as tight as I could. We stood in the doorway for a few minutes, just hugging. "I've missed you." She let go of me and I led her to the guest room. "You like this room?"

"Well, of course I like it. I decorated it." She smiled as she traced the intricate design on the comforter with her delicate fingers. Her smile faded as she looked to the corner of the room and saw a big box, like one you ship large items in. A tear rolled down her rosey cheeks.

"Perdi, I'm so sorry." She opened the box. She pulled out the peices of the crib that had once been in that very corner. I held her hand and pulled her up to her feet. "You were an amazing mother to that child, but things-tragedies-happen."

"He slipped through our fingers, Arch. Those thing don't just happen." Her tears stopped. "It wasn't us. It was that woman, Regina." I took ahold of her shoulders.

"You were the most fit parent for him, but she ruined everyone else's lives too. Not just ours."

"Do you know why I left, Archie?" I shook my head. She sighed deeply. "I was pregnant. I didn't want the baby raised around her. I was scared that that since Regina didn't believe we were fit to raise Ben, then she would take _our_ kid away from _us_." _Dumbstruck._ I was a father. I had a kid of my own.

"Where is..."

"His name is Bainbridge and he lives with a friend of mine."

"Bainbridge. That's an interesting name. Why that one?"

"It means 'useful bridge.'" I obviously looked puzzled because she held my hands to her chest and told me why. "He was my bridge to you. The only reason I came back for you was because of him. I think I'm going to move here."

"You're really willing to risk a job and a house and a life you had to move here?"

"To be with you?" She shrugged. "I'd give up almost anything."

"Then, yes. I beg you to move here." We got up from the bed. "Soon too. We have a wedding to plan and I have a son to raise."


	3. Chapter 3

**Dr. Whale's POV**

_Days had come and gone, but I was still lonely. Dr. Hopper had found someone. Ms. Swan was tied down to the Captain. Mary Margaret and David had another child. Even Mr. Gold had a wife, Belle. I was always going to be lonely. I had love once, although, it was a very long time ago. I thought of my darling wife constantly. My own dearest Suzette was someone extremely gentle and smart._ I took a sip of my whiskey, that is what it took to drown out my past. My pager buzzed as I hurried down the stairs.

"David, is there something I can help you with?" David stood, his arms crossed.

"We need to talk, Whale." He pulled me inside the side room. "You were Dr. Frankenstein _there_, were you not?"

"Well, yea." His faced was covered by an expression of doubt.

"When you came here, you knew. You didn't forget."

"No, I forgot myself and my family, not my craft," I corrected him, "but what's your point?"

"You reanimated a young girl in the ER." It hit me like a train. I remembered that day. A sweet-faced girl had been dropped off in front of the hospital. I was just coming into work when I noticed her curled up in a ball behind the bushes. Her knees were weak and she had a very high fever. I carried her into a an operating room. We discovered the polio in its very late stages. It had been impossible to cure. We, the staff and I, had left for the night. A rush of guilt overcame me and I returned to the hospital. I operated on her legs and made sure she was able to walk or, if not, limp. I placed her back in her bed with a cane next to it. I cleaned up and went home.

"She had been paralyzed and I saved her. She was able to walk."

"Is that all?" His tone hinted something else.

"She wasn't dead, but she could've been." I had returned the next day to work and she was gone. The staff and I looked everywhere, but we could not find her.

"What if I told you that girl is in need of your assistance again?"

"With what?"

"Her memory." Puzzled with Charming's request, I shrugged.

"How do you suppose I do that, huh? You should ask Gold."

"She requested only you and I know that she's here. How about respecting the girl's wishes?" I nodded hesitently. David walked with me to the child's whereabouts.

"Why me?" I asked him.

"Probably because you helped her escape Storybrooke."

"I just-"

"You helped her to walk again. That is when she left. She only needed that ability again to do the thing she wanted most." I understood. "We found a nest, probably belonging to her. She has been living here for a couple months with substance." We approached Mary Margaret's door. David unlocked it using his house key and walked me into the living room. There sat a frail youth, she was familiar. Not just from the hospital.

"Mary? Dr. Whale is here, he's going to help you." She locked her blue eyes with my matching ones.

"Hello, dear. My name is James, James Whale. You know, like the big fish in the ocean." I puffed out my cheeks to impersonate a fish. I small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "What's your name, dear."

"Mary Shelley Stein." She was flushed. I sat criss-cross on the ground in front of her. "Mary."

"Mary, tell me about you." She stared at me and shook her head. "I'm going to help you get your memory back." She crawled off the couch and sat in front of me. I looked at her and felt like I was looking in a mirror.

"I'm sixteen and I've never been to school. I like science and reading. I've taught myself about animals and anatomy." I smiled at her openness and warmth. "Oh, I like cats and hamsters. My favorite animal, however, is a giraffe. What is your favorite animal, Dr. Whale?"

"I myself like hedgehogs and, of course, whales." She smiled. I wanted her in my life regularly. She was sunshine. "Where are your parents, dear?"

"Uh," She scooted back and returned to the couch. "They didn't like me. It was my fault, I slipped and dropped daddy's coffee and ma was upset too. I ran because they were always mad at me. They don't remember me. I checked on them a few days ago, they're fine." Her fading rays made me want them to be permanent rays.

"Come live with me. You will be my daughter and I shall treat you like a queen." Her sun came back and radiated around the room.

"Would you really do that?" I nodded. I offered her a hand off the sleeper couch.

"Come Queen Mary, we shall run as fast as we can to the castle and eat as much ice cream as our stomachs will allow. Grab your things." I left the little girl to her things and walked into the kitchen to speak with David.

"Oh, Charming. I'm going to take the girl with me."

"No, Whale. That's a bad idea."

"We're getting along swimmingly. She'll love my home and I will treat her kindly." He began to say no again, but we were interupted by Mary.

"I'm ready to go." Her measley shopping bag in one hand and a large textbook in the other. She faced it towards us. "Zoology." She said plainly.

"Good-bye, dear Prince." I took her bag and attempted to take her book from her.

"I'll carry it." She beamed her radiance.

"Let's go, baerchen." With that, we walked out of the door and began a new life together. It seemed spontaneous, yes, but in a different way than most, we cared for each other. She was my ray of light and I was her safety rope. Together, we were going to be okay.


End file.

Once Upon a Time, Adventure, Romance