The Coward's Daughter [An OUAT Fanfic]

A Solo Breakfast

Y/N awoke to hear her cellphone buzzing. She looked at the alarm clock, it was 5am. She clumsily fumbled for it, pressing the answer button and held it to her ear.

"Hello?" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning Beatrice." Her father said over the phone.

"It's barely morning. What's up?"

"I'm afraid I won't be able to meet you for breakfast today love. Something's come up."

"But we always meet for breakfast... did something happen? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine darling, calm down. I just have an arrangement I need to... finalize before it's complete."

"Okay. Couldn't you have just texted me that?"

"I like speaking over the phone. More personal that way."

"Go personal yourself." Y/N groaned, hanging up on him.

But she couldn't fall back asleep no matter how hard she tried. She got up and fixed herself a hot cup of black tea and went out to her balcony garden.

She sipped the tea as she watered her plants, the slowly rising sun reflecting off of each leaf and petal. The quiet hum of early morning traffic was soothing. Some days it was good to be awake before the rest of the world. Once her plants were watered, she showered, brushed her teeth and dressed.

After completing her morning routine, she grabbed a book, headed outside and walked to Granny's.

She decided to relax this morning with reading and coffee, maybe she'd even people-watch a little. It was a calm Saturday morning, the perfect day to unwind.

The diner was mostly empty and Ruby hadn't arrived for her shift yet, Y/N ordered a latte and sat down with her book. It was an old Hawthorne short story called 'Rappuchini's Daughter' with vivid descriptions of gardens and flowers.

She sipped her latte as she alternated between reading her novel and watching patrons come and go. She watched the usual people file in and out: Leroy, Sheriff Graham, Marco.

But after reading her book for a little while she looked up again and noticed someone in the booth in front of her. It was Henry and Emma Swan, who was dressed in a luxurious silk blouse today. Y/N leaned forward as subtly as she listened in.

"Nice shirt." Emma said to Henry. "Hey is this your mother's?"

"She'll never notice." Henry grinned.

"Where does she think you are anyway?"

"Playing Wack-A-Mole."

"She bought that?"

"She wants to believe it so she does." Henry shrugged.

"Oh, imagine that."

Y/N listened in confusion. Was this a secret meet-up?

Suddenly the door chime rung, and Mary Margaret entered, speeding towards Henry and Emma's table. Emma whispered something to Henry before Mary Margaret sat down with them.

"How did it go?" Emma asked slyly, leaning over the table. Mary Margaret took a deep inhale:

"He woke up." She said.

"What?" Emma asked.

"I knew it." Henry grinned.

Y/N realized who they were talking about instantly, John Doe. Her curiosity was growing once again, and she found herself wondering if she should intervene.