A Smaller Savior

6 - Therapy

She'd done it. Emma had spilled the entire story to Mary Margaret. She explained everything the fairytales, the curse, and her true identity. Mary Margaret sat silently allowing the young girl to confess everything she had been keeping to herself. She didn't say anything until she was finished.

Emma was ecstatic for about five seconds. She was going to have an ally. Someone who could help her figure out what she was supposed to do to break the curse. Mary Margaret turned out to not be that person.

Emma sat in the chair outside of Archie's office waiting for her turn regretting her decision to ever open her mouth. Mary Margaret probably wouldn't have forced her to therapy if she hadn't pushed the whole you're my mom thing. But alas this was how Emma found herself waiting for her first therapy session with Jiminy Cricket. It probably won't help her case to call him that.

"Emma," she heard him call. She looked up and noticed him standing in the doorway of his office looking at her. She sighed and got up following him into the office. He motioned for her to sit on the couch opposite of him as he sat in a comfy looking chair. She sat reluctantly on the edge of the couch. She really didn't want to be here. He just stared at her and finally the silence got to her.

"What never see an apparent crazy person before?" she asked him. He gave her a small smile filled with pity that made her stomach churn.

"You're not crazy," he said in a quiet voice that probably was supposed to be soothing.

"Oh, I know," she replied crossing her arms. His eyebrows raised.

"Why don't you tell me about it?" She scoffed.

"Because that worked out well for me," she stated motioning to the room. "Look at where I ended up."

"Mary Margaret is just concerned about you." She rolled her eyes not feeling it worth a response. She knew that Mary Margaret was concerned about her and her mental health but seriously she was telling the truth. "She is, so why don't we talk about it?"

"Because I don't want to, because there's no point, because you had already made up your conclusions before I walked through the door. Take you pick."

"Emma-" he started but she was fed up.

"No, you listen here Jiminy," she fumed. "I'm going to save everyone in this cursed town and when I do you and Mary Margaret will owe me an apology and I reserve the right to say I told you so." With those words she stormed out of his office, out of the building and was almost to the park before she began calming down.

That could have gone better. She winced thinking the appointment over. Great, they were probably going to lock her up in a mental institution soon. She sat down on the familiar picnic bench and put her head in her hands. What was she going to do? Henry would know what to do if he was here. He always did.

"Are you okay?" She whipped her head up and was shocked at who it was. David Nolan, aka her father, though he didn't know it. He actually looked concerned.

"I-I'm fine," she cleared her throat to cover up the stutter. He narrowed his eyes obviously not believing her. She expected him to just continue on his way but to her surprise he hopped up onto the table and sat beside her. She glanced at him questioningly. He just chuckled and leaned back.

"Beautiful day," he observed. "I'm just going to sit here and enjoy it." She knew he wanted her to talk to him but he wasn't going to ask and he wasn't going to force her. Maybe that was why she felt like opening up to him. But she had learned her lesson from Mary Margaret, there was some things she shouldn't share.

"Mary Margaret and I had a fight kind of," she explained looking down at the ground.

"Kind of?"

"I told her something and she didn't believe me," she told him keeping it vague. He nodded his understanding.

"So you trusted her and now feel like she doesn't trust you because she didn't believe you," he stated. Wow, he really nailed that one. She nodded.

"I know I'm young but I'm not stupid. I wouldn't believe in-," She cut herself off before she could spill too much information.

"Believe in what?" he asked.

"I've been down this road before and it didn't turn out too good for me the first time."

"I can understand that, kid. Want to just get some lunch instead?" he asked me. She raised her eyebrows at him. "It's just a meal. I don't know why but I just want to get to know you better." She felt her heart trying to practically leap from her chest. Even cursed his fatherly instincts were still coming through. At least that's what she let herself believe as he led her to Granny's. They were well into their meal when she finally figured out a way to ask for his help without telling him everything.

"It's about a game," she told him earning his full attention. "In it a town in cursed by an evil witch. All of the residents in the town are actually fairytale characters but they have no idea. There is supposed to be a savior that can break the curse and free them but they have no idea how to do that."

"Sounds complicated." She nodded emphatically.

"It is, I don't even know where to start." He sat back in the booth crossing him arms obviously thinking hard on it.

"Sounds like you need more information. Maybe if you find out how the curse was cast in the first place, you can figure out how to break it." She thought that over for a moment. She knew who the evil queen was. She knew where she would be. Maybe it was time to go snooping. The prospect of having a lead filled her with giddy optimism. She smiled brightly at David.

"Thanks, I think I have an idea now."

"Glad I could help," he said smiling warmly at the young girl who had been on his mind since he woke up in the hospital.

"David!" they heard a shrill voice call. "There you are." Kathryn approached their table rapidly. "Am I interrupting?"

"Just having a meal with a friend," he told her. Kathryn smiled at him but glared at Emma who suddenly wished she was anywhere else.

"It's fine," Emma said getting up. "I have to go anyway." David looked like he wanted to say something but glanced at Kathryn and thought better of it.

"Good luck," he told her before turning his attention to his fiancé. Emma dipped her head in acknowledgement before heading out the door. She glanced back in time to see Kathryn kiss David's cheek. Emma grimaced her stomach churning knowing it wasn't right. But she vowed to fix it. She would break this curse no matter what it took.