Enchanted Adventure

VI. The Shepherd

Aubree's POV:

Henry, Emma and I stood by the stairs at David's Welcome Home Party.

Henry looked at Emma as he referenced David. "You know why he doesn't remember? The curse isn't working him yet."

I nodded. "Yeah. He needs a little more time."

Emma glanced between me and Henry. "Henry, Aubree, David has amnesia."

"Well, it's preventing the curse from replacing his fairy tale story with fake memories."

"Right. Because everyone here has fake stories that prevent them from remembering who they really are."

"Right," Henry agreed. "And now's our chance to help him. We just have to get him to remember that he's-"

"He's Prince Charming."

"We just have to jog his memory by getting him and Miss Blanchard together."

"Didn't we just try that?"

I smiled. "And it woke him up."

David joined us and said, "Hey. You're the ones who saved me, right?"

"Oh, yeah. I guess," Emma said.

"And, uh, you're also the only ones I know here."

"You can hide with us. Fantastic."

A man served David an appetizer. He stabbed a cocktail one with a toothpick.

"Oh, thank you," David said.

I elbowed Henry and made a sword-swinging motion and he nodded.

"So, you ever use a sword?" Henry asked.

David frowned. "I'm sorry? Emma, you live with Mary Margaret, right? You know if she's coming tonight?"

"No, she couldn't make it," Emma replied.

"Oh."

Kathryn approached Emma, Henry, Dr. Whale and me about ten minutes later and asked, "Have you seen David?"

Emma frowned. "Um, he..."

"No," Dr. Whale said bluntly.

Third Person POV:

Mary Margaret scrubbed a dish in her kitchen as Emma entered.

"You might want to ease up, or that brillo pad's going to press charges," Emma said.

"Dishes were just piling up..." Mary Margaret mumbled.

"This have anything to do with David stopping by? I saw him sulking away as I pulled up."

"We just, uh... He just..."

"Yeah, I know. You're both just. And you did the right thing."

"He made a pretty compelling case."

"But he's still married. I know -- I was just at the party."

"What do I do?"

Emma grabbed a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. She poured them both a drink.

"Here's the thing--" Emma began, "I don't know a lot about relationships, other than having many that failed. But generally speaking, if you think something you want to do is wrong, it is. So, you got to stay strong and he has to figure out his life. Cheers."

They clinked glasses.

David was in his living room. He had a box of pictures in front of him and was looking through them. Kathryn entered and sat next to David on the couch.