Snow Falls

"Snow Falls" is the 3rd episode of Once Upon a Time.

Summary
At Henry's urging, Emma convinces Mary Margaret to pay a visit to a comatose John Doe in the hospital and to read to him from the storybook. But Mary Margaret is stunned at the outcome of her visit. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale world, Prince Charming meets Snow White for the first time in a most unexpected way.

Plot
"There is a town in Maine..."

We see an overview of the streets of Storybrooke. Emma enters Granny's Bed and Breakfast and requests a room for one, Granny welcomes her to Storybrooke. Henry looks at his storybook at the page picturing the wedding of Snow White and Prince Charming. "Where every storybook character you've ever known..."

Prince Charming kisses Snow White, reviving her from her glass coffin. "Is trapped between two worlds..."

Mary Margaret Blanchard releases a blue bird out of her classroom window from her hand. Snow White releases a blue bird from her castle's balcony from her hand. "The Evil Queen sent a bunch of fairytale characters here?" Emma asks her son. Queen Regina walks down the aisle at the royal wedding. Regina looks at Emma from her front door. "And know they don't remember who they are." Henry says, answering Emma's question. "Victims of a powerful curse..."

The Dark Curse envelopes the castle. Queen Regina has crashed Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding, "Everything you love, everything all of you love, will be taken from you." she threatens. "Only one knows the truth..."

Regina stares down at Henry's storybook and then looks up at her reflection in the mirror. "And only one can break her spell..."

Emma talks to Regina from her front yard. "It's your destiny, you're gonna bring back the happy endings." Henry tells Emma as they sit on his "castle". "Enjoy your stay." Mr. Gold tells Emma after she accepts a room. The Storybrooke clock ticks.

ONCE UPON A TIME

Act I
In the fairytale land that was, in the forest, a deer is feeding on the side of the road when a carriage is heard drawing nearer. The deer runs away as the horses canter down the road, dragging with them a royal carriages, knights riding them as guards. The Prince is seen sitting in the carriage. "What do you think of the view, my dear?", he asks, and the shot reveals a blonde woman, who says, "It's been better." Princess Abigail, fanning herself, then adds, "This is taking forever, I told you the troll road would've been quicker." They hit another bump in the road. "And far less bumpy.", she finishes. The Prince pulls a leather pouch from his pocket and Abigail asks if he's even listening to her. The cabin stops. "Now what?", Abigail asks, and the Prince steps out of the cabin, leaving the pouch behind. He walks forward and tells his fiancée to worry not, as it's just a fallen tree. The Prince inspects the trunk with the knights. Someone lands upon the carriage. Abigail becomes worried. "My lord, what is that?", a knight asks the Prince, looking at the carriage, "These markings, this tree didn't fall, it's been cut." Charming says, "It's an ambush.", he states. A hand reaches into the carriage and grabs the pouch full of jewels. Abigail screams loudly as she's robbed, but the robber gets away. The Prince begins to chase them, but they grab a horse and ride away, as does he, and he begins to follow her. The two gallop down the road, the Prince gaining on the robber. He rides alongside them and jumps from his horse, grabbing the robber and taackling them off of their horse and to the floor. "Show your face, you coward!", the Prince exclaims, removing the robber's hood and seeing that it's a female, surprising him. "You're a... girl.", he states; "Woman.", Snow White corrects him, before grabbing a rock from the ground and hitting him around the face with it. She stands up and mounts her horse, and begins to gallop away as Charming stands up, shouting "You can't hide from me! Wherever you are, I will find you!". Snow looks back at him briefly before riding onwards.

In Storybrooke, Maine, Mary Margaret is sitting at a table in Granny's Diner with Dr. Whale sitting opposite her, "So, where were we?", he asks his date, "Something about you wanting fifteen kids?" he asks, "Oh, good Lord, no, I meant in my class, where I teach. You'll see them tomorrow, they're coming to the hospital as part of the "Young Teen Outreach Program". Mary Margaret tells him. Ruby walks past them and begins to clean a table in low-cut shorts and a crop-top, Dr. Whale begins to look at her, "Oh, yeah, that is a really good program." he says, distracted by Ruby's body. Mary Margaret goes on to say that she obviously doesn't want fifteen kids of her owne, stating that she does want kids but not that many, as well as marriage and true love, Whale continues to ogle Ruby, completely ignoring Mary Margaret. "But that of course is..." Mary Margaret looks as to where Whale is gazing and realizes he's objectifying Ruby who walks past, "...completely innapropriate for me to discuss on a first date." she finishes. Whale asks what she said and Mary Margaret hastily asks Ruby for the check.

Mary Margaret walks sadly along the streets of Storybrooke and notices something, Emma reading a newspaper by torchlight in her car. Mary Margaret walks over to the window. "Hey, you okay?", she asks; "Oh, in the world of tight spots I've been in, crashing in my car doesn't even crack my top ten.", Emma tells her. "You're sleeping here?", Mary Margaret asks, shocked. "Until I find a place.", Emma says. Mary Margaret notes that she decided to stay for Henry. Emma steps out of her car and mentions that the town doesn't seem to have any vacancies, she asks if that's normal, "Must be the curse." Mary Margaret jokes. "Why are you out so late?", Emma asks. "Come on, I'm a teacher, not a nun. I had a date." she explains. Emma realizes that it didn't go very well, "As well as they ever do." Mary Margaret tells her. "Tell me he at least paid?" Emma asks, Mary Margaret shakes her head, "Well... I guess if true love was easy, we'd all have it." Mary Margaret says before mentioning to Emma that if things get cramped, she does have a spair room, "Thanks... I'm not... really the roommate type." Emma says, "It's just not my thing, I do better on my own." she informs her. Mary Margaret bids Emma farewell and wishes her good luck with Henry. Emma watches as the teacher walks away.

The next day, Mary Margaret is walking around the hospital with her class, volunteering and helping patients. She places a vse of flowers next to someone's sick bed and sees that in a private room, Henry is talking to John Doe, an unnamed coma patient. Henry reaches out his hand to the man as Mary Margaret enters the room. "Henry, we could really use your hand on the decorations.", she tells him. "Is Mr. Doe going to be okay, Miss Blanchard?", Henry asks. "His name's not John Doe, honey, that's just what they call people when they don't know who they are." Mary Margaret tells him. "Do you know who he is?", Henry asks. "No, just bring him flowers on my rounds.", she says. Henry asks what's wrong with him and Mary Margaret says that she doesn't know and that he's been in the same state ever since she started volunteering. Henry wonders about his family and friends but Mary Margaret shakes her head, telling him thatno one's claimed him. "So, he's all alone." Henry states, "Yeah, it's quite sad." she says. Henry looks to John Doe again and back to Mary Margaret, "You sure you don't know him?" he smiles, recognizing him as Prince Charming from his book, "Of course I'm sure, no come on, you shouldn't be in here.", she informs him before leading him out of the room, The shot moves down to the comatose prince.

"He's your father, Prince Charming." Henry tells Emma at his "castle" whilst showing her a picture of Charming in his storybook. "Henry..." says Emma, unsure, "He's in the hospital, in a coma," he says, turning the page, "See this scar, he has one too." he says, pointing to a page. Emma says that lots of people have scars but Henry mentions that they don't have them in the same place. Henry explains that he and Mary Margaret are kept apart by the curse, but this is blocked by the coma. "They can't live without each other. We have to tell Miss Blanchard we found her Prince Charming." Henry says. "Okay, kid, telling someone their... soulmate is in a coma is not helpful, not having a happy ending is painful enough, but... giving someone unrealistic hope is far worse." Emma explains to her son. "But what if I'm right? We know who they are, now they have to know who they are.", Henry tells her, Emma asks him how he intends to make that happen and Henry says he'll do it by reminding him. "We have to get her to read their story to John Doe. Then maybe, he'll remember who he is." Henry tells her, Emma leans in, "Okay." she allows, Henry is shocked and Emma says that they can do it. "But we'll do it my way, let me ask her.", Emma requests.

Mary Margaret takes two hot chocolates from the counter in her apartment where Emma is staying, "You want me to read to a coma patient?" she asks, giving Emma her cup, "Henry thinks it will help him remember who he was." Emma explains, "And who does he think he was?" Mary Margaret wonders, "Prince Charming." Emma tells her, "And if I'm Snow White, he thinks... me... and him..." Mary Margaret figures out, "He has a very active imagination, which is the point; I can't talk him out of his beliefs, so we need to show him." Emma says before telling Mary Margaret to play along and do what he says and then maybe, just maybe, "That fairytales are just that. There's no such thing as love at first sight, or true love's kiss, he'll see reality." Mary Margaret concludes. Emma says it's something like that and Mary Margaret tells her new roommate that sadly, her plan is rather genius. "We can't get him to the truth without hurting him." she says, "I told him that we will all meet tomorrow for breakfast at Granny's and you will give a full report." Emma states, taking the book out from her bag. "Well... I suppose I'll get ready for my date." Mary Margaret tells her, saying that she supposes that she'll have to do all of the talking.

That night, Mary Margaret sits at John Doe's bedside with the book on her lap, she tells him that she realizes that it's ridiculous but that she's doing it for a good reason. She opens the book and reads, "'As the prince chased the thief on horseback through the treaturous forest, his betrothal crossed her arms and pouted, wondering how many dreadful, boring minutes it would take before they could resume their journey again. The theif also...'" Mary Margaret later reaches a further part of the story, "'...they didn't need words to describe what they felt in their hearts, for it was here, in the shadow of the Troll Bridge, that there love was born...'" the scene goes on, "'...but they knew, no matter how they were seperated, they would always-'" John Doe grabs Mary Margaret's hand, the teacher is shocked. She looks at the sleeping man and back down to his hand which now rests upon hers.

Act II
The John Doe is still lying on his bed as Mary Margaret hurries towards him with Dr. Whale at her side, telling him that he woke up and grabbed her hand. They make it into the room and Dr. Whale goes to check his heart monitor and his pulse through his wrist. "Everything's steady, same as it's always been.", Whale tells her, and Mary Margaret becomes confused and disappointed. Whale asks her what she was doing in there, to which she replies, "Oh, I was just reading him a story." "Oh, well perhaps you, um, dozed off. Perhaps you imagined it.", Whale suggests, and she assures him that she didn't imagine anything. "I can only tell you what I see, which is... nothing.", he says, then telling her that sometimes there are minor fluctuations in readings and that perhaps she heard one and misinterpreted it. "Look, why don't you go home, get some rest? If anything changes, I'll call you, okay?", he tells her. Mary Margaret nods and grabs Henry's storybook from the patient's bedside table, and then then turns around to leave. Dr. Whale turns to the chart again, once Mary Margaret is gone, and then picks up his cell phone. "Hello...", he says to the other line; "Yes?", asks Regina. "It's Dr. Whale. You told me to call you if there was ever a change in the John Doe... something's happened.", he tells her. In her office, Regina is on the phone. "What?", she asks, standing up. "One of our volunteers said he grabbed her, and there was some slight fluctuation in brain activity.", Dr. Whale explains. "And who was the volunteer?", Regina asks, to which he replies: "Mary Margaret Blanchard." Regina grips her phone tightly out of anger.

Mary Margaret sits down on her bed with Henry's storybook, she opens it and begins to read, she turns to a page containing a picture of Snow White carrying a lantern, the shot moves in so that the page becomes the scene.

Now, in the fairytale land that was, in a cave, Snow places the lantern next to the jewels she has recently stolen, she places them all into a small bag, she then takes a vile on a necklace and places it around her neck before equipting herself with the bag and pulling up the hood of her travelling cloak. Snow takes her large sack and carries it from her back before emerging from the entrance of the cave which is situated within a hollowed tree trunk in the Enchanted Forest. Snow gives the entrance a glance before walking onwards, however, a few steps later she squeals as she is lifting by a net and hung within it from the trees, trapped. She hears laughing as she tries to escape, Prince Charming emerges from the trees, happy to have caught his thief. "I told you I'd find you. No matter what you do, I will always find you." Charming tells her, walking closer to the net. "Is this the only way you can ctach a woman, by entrapping her?" Snow asks, "It's the only way to catch thieving scum." he tells her. "Oh, aren't you a real Prince Charming?" she sarcastically retorts, "I have a name, you know?" he tells her, "Don't care. Charming suits you. Now cut me down!" Snow exclaims before adding, "Charming." he laughs, "I'll released you when you return the leather pouch you stole containing my jewels." he tells her, she tells him that she's not the jewelry type and he tells her that he's noticed, she asks him what that's supposed to mean, wondering if he's insulting her, he points out that it's fair for him to insult the person who robbed him, he asks for his jewels. "I sold them.", Snow explains; he is shocked; "What do you care, don't you have a palace full of treasures somewhere?", Snow asks.

"These were special, among them was a ring that belonged to my mother, the ring I was about to give-" he is cut off, "To the nag with the bad attitude, that's what this is about?!" she laughs. He tells her that she's his fiancee, Snow holds back her laughter, wishing him luck, saying that he must be getting something impressive in exchange for that union. "Excuse me?" he asks her, "I know how this works. True love, it doesn't exist. It's all arranged marriages and business transactions. There's no such thing at love at first siught, or first kiss. Let me guess, her kingdom wants to take over yours and this is, what, a last stitch effort to avoid war?" she guesses, "It's not a takeover, it's a merger, and quite frankly, it's none of your business, now this is what's going to happen, I'm going to cut you down, and you're going to take me to whoever has my jewels, and then you're going to get my ring back!" Charming instructs her, Snow shakes her head, asking why she would do that, "Because you don't want me to tell anyone who you really are." Charming tells her, he takes a piece of paper out of his pocket to reveal it to be a wanted poster for, "Snow White." he addesses her, holding up the poster. "Help me get my ring back or I'll turn you over to the queen's forces, and I'm guessing the queen isn't quite as... Charming as I am." he explains. Snow says that she wouldn't want to stand in the way of him getting his true love, Charming draws his sword and cuts a rope next to him, causing the net containing Snow White to fall to the ground.

At Granny's Diner in Storybrooke, Emma emerges from the bathroom, having just changed her shirt, and goes to sit with Henry, "Thanks for the shirt. Hey, isn't this your mother's?" she asks, "She'll never notice." Henry assures her. "Where does she think you are, anyway?" Emma asks, "Playing Whack-a-Mole." Henry says, "And she bought that?" Emma wonders, "She wants to believe it, so she does." Henry says. "Oh, imagine that." Emma says, Henry looks over to the door, "She's here!" he happily exclaims as Mary Margaret walks into the diner and over to their table. Emma reminds her biological son not to get his hopes up and Mary Margaret sits next to him. "He woke up." Mary Margaret reveals, shocking Emma and making Henry excited, "I mean, he didn't wake up-wake up, but... he grabbed my hand." she tells them, "He's remembering!" Henry exclaims, Emma asks what the doctor said and Mary Margaret explains that he told her that she imagined it, but she knows that she didn't. "We have to go back! You have to read to him again!" Henry exclaims, "Let's go." Mary Margaret nods and the teacher stands up with her student, Emma is confused, and begins to follow them, wondering what's going on, "If I can get through to him, if we made a connection-" Mary Margaret starts, "You don't believe...?" Emma asks, "That he's Prince Charming? Of course not. But somehow, someway, I touched him." Mary Margaret says before leaving, Emma is just confused.

Henry is running to the John Doe's room, thinking that maybe he's waking up, with Mary Margaret and Emma not far behind him. He sees people crowding around the room, including Sheriff Graham, who suggests that he move back. "What's going on? Is it John Doe? Is he okay?" Mary Margaret asks, Graham puases, "He's missing." he states, the three of them are stunned and look over to John Doe's empty bed, with Regina standing over it.

Act III
Regina walks out of the John Doe's room and over to Emma, Mary Margaret and Henry who are still shocked at the patient's disappearance. "What the hell are you doing here?" Regina asks Emma, "And you." she says, pulling Henry towards her, "I thought you were at the arcade, now you're lying to me?" she asks him. "What happened to John Doe, did someone... take him?" Mary Margaret wonders, "We don't know yet, his IVs were ripped out, but there's no sign that there was a struggle." Graham tells her. "What did you do?!" Henry asks Regina, "You think I had something to do with this?" she asks, "It is curious how the mayor's here." Emma mentions, "I'm here because I'm his emergency contact." Regina explains, Mary Margaret asks if she knows him, "I found him, on the side of the road, years ago, with no ID. I brought him here." Regina tells her. Dr. Whale walks over to them, saying that the mayor saved his life. Mary Margaret wonders if John Doe'll be okay, Dr. Whale explains how the man's been on feeding tubes for years under constant supervision and that he needs to get back there right away or could could quite possibly die. "Okay, well let's quit yapping and start looking." Emma says, "That's what we're doing. Just stay out of this, dear." Regina warns Emma, "And since I clearly can't keep you away from my son, I'm just gonna have to keep my son away from you." she states, grabbing Henry's hand and walking away, Regina tells Emma to enjoy her shirt because that's all she's getting. They leave after Regina tells Graham to find John Doe because, as Whale said, time is precious. Graham asks Dr. Whale when he last saw the John Doe and Whale says that it was twelve hours before, "Then that's what we need to look for." Graham tells them.

Sheriff Graham, Emma and Mary Margaret are in the surveillance room of the hospital with Leroy, the janitor, and Walter, the security guard, "You two were the only employees on the floor last night, and you saw nothing?" he asks, Walter ywans, "Not a thing." he says, "Did anyone walk by?" Emma asks, "I didn't see nothing." Leroy assures her, "Miss Blanchard, was their anything unusual you saw during your trip with your class?" Graham asks, "I don't think so." she says. Emma looks curiously at the surveillance tape and walks over to it, "We're looking at the wrong tape, this is the ward where Henry's class put up decorations, if this was really the tape from last night, we'd see the banners the kids hung." Emma points out. "You fell asleep again." Leroy says to Walter, "You selling me out?" Walter asks, "I ain't getting fired for this!" Leroy exclaims, "At least I don't drink on the job!" Walter retorts, Graham cuts off the argument and asks them where the real tape is. Emma places a tape into the recorder and they see that John Doe walks across the decorated ward and out of the door. Mary Margaret notes that he escaped by himself and is okay, "Four hours ago. Where does this door lead?" Emma asks, "The woods." Leroy tells her, they become worried.

In the Enchanted Forest, Snow White and Prince Charming are walking through it in silence to recover Charming's jewels. The journey takes a long time. As they are walking, Snow clutches a vile on a necklace that she's wearing, "I thought you weren't the jewelry type, what's that around your neck?" Charming asks her, "Don't worry about it." she tells him. The prince snatches it from her neck and inspects it, she exclaims for him to give it back to her, "It's a wapon!" she warns him, "What, dust? What kind of weapon is dust?" he asks, looking within the vile, "Fairy dust." she warns him, trying to grab the necklace from his hand, "I thought that was a good thing." he says, "When it comes from a good fairy. This stuff... it's deadly. It transfroms even the most fearsome of adversaries into a from that's easily squashed." she explains, trying to grab it again with him not allowing her to do so. "Why didn't you use it on me?" he asks, pocketing it, "Because you're not worth it." she tells him, he laughs and they begin to continue walking, "It's very hard to come by, I'm saving it for a special someone." Snow tells him. "Ah, the queen. You got alot of anger there, don't you, Snow?" he points out, "...the charges on her posters are lies. It didn't stop her from sending a huntsman to rip out my heart." she says, Charming asks her what happened, "Not everyone's a souless royal. He took pity on me and let me go. I've been hiding in the forest ever since. I'm trying to mass enough fortune to leave this place, escape to another realm, somewhere isolated, where I can never be hurt." she finishes. "Sounds lonely." Charming tells her, "Not lonlier than an arranged marriage." she mentions, At least I don't prey on the innocent." he says, "Up until now, I've only stolen from the queen, I thought your carriage was one of hers. No one else uses that road." she explains, "I was taking a different route." he says, "Lucky for me. All I'm doing, Charming, is what it takes to survive. She wants me dead." Snow begins to walk ahead and Charming follows her a little more slowly. "So, what did you do to encur that much wrath?" Charming asks, "She blames me for ruining her life." Snow explains, "Did you?" he asks, "...yes." Snow admits.

Snow and Charming arrive at a lake, "I'm thirsty." Snow tells him, Charming nods, "Sure, make it quick." he says. They walk over to the lake and soon, Snow scoops some of the water with her hand and drinks it, Charming does the same. As Charming stands up, Snow attacks him and pushes him into the water, shocking him. As he's carried by the tide. Snow grabs the pouch of jewels from his sack, Snow then runs speedily away from the lake and through the forest, she comes to a fork in the road and turns back another way, she then sees three of the queen's soldiers coming down the road on their horses and panics, "Well, look who we found." one of them says, happily. Snow goes to grab her dust but realizes that it isn't there, he steps of off his horse and tells her that there's no where to hide and that the queen wants her dead. He draws his dagger as he advances on her, saying that he won't disappoint the queen. Snow appears doomed.

Act IV
In the woods of Storybrooke at night time, Sheriff Graham leads the search party, composed of him, Emma and Mary Margaret, for John Doe. Graham notices something on the forest floor and Mary Margaret asks him what it is, he says that the trail ends where they are, "You sure? Because I thought tracking was one of your skills." Emma points out, "Just give me a sec. This is my world. I got it." Graham assures her. Emma apologizes, "What does he mean his world? Isn't finding people your thing too?" Mary Margaret asks Emma after Graham walks ahead, "Sure, just... people I find normally run places like... Vegas. Not alot hit the woods." Emma tells her, "It's an interesting job, finding people. How did you fall into it?" Mary Margaret asks, "Looking for people's just... what I've done. As long as I can remember." Emma explains, Mary Margaret asks her what made her start and goes on to ask if it was her parents, Emma turns to her in shock, Mary Margaret explains that Henry told her she was in a similar situation to his own, "Did you ever find them?" Mary Margaret is curious, Emma tells her that it depends who she asks. Before Mary Margaret can react, the girls hear a twig snap, they turn to the source and Henry runs to the scene, they are surprised to see him and ask him what he's doing there. "Did you find him yet?" he asks, "No, not yet. You shouldn't be here." Emma says, Henry professes that he can help, saying that he knows where he's going. "And where's that?", Mary Margaret wonders. "He's looking for you.", Henry tells his teacher.

In the Enchanted Forest, Snow's head is slammed against the trunk of a tree as one of Regina's soldiers holds her in position by her hair, as another soldier approaches her with his dagger. "Hold her still." he says before lifting the dagger, ready to plunge it into her, however, he is suddenly hit by something and falls to the floor. A knife is seen in his back and Prince Charming is seen to be the culprit. He draws his sowrd and the soldier holding Snow draws his own and advances on Charming, Snow looks at the knife in the soldier's back and then to the empty horse her vacated, as Charming battles the soldier and the other just turns on his horse. Snow makes a run for the vacated horse but the spair soldier is alert, he rides in her way, and, just as she is about to mount, he lifts her off the ground by her hair and rides with her in his hand, lifting her onto his horse. Charming cuts the soldier down and notices that one of them is riding away with Snow, he sees a bow and quiver of arrows on the saddle of a horse and grabs the weapon and one arrow, he then runs after the horse, taking a shortcut through the trees, and sees it riding on the nearby road. He readies his bow and arrow and waits in position, he lets go and we see the arrow fly straight through the trees and into the soldier, causing him to fall from his horse, dead. As the horse runs, Snow manages to be in a position of control and rides the creature along the road of the forest, Charming runs through the trees to meet her and Snow stops where he emerges. She dismounts the horse and Charming asks her if she's alright, "You... you saved me." she states. "Seemed like the honorable thing to do." he explains, he asks her if she's ready, "For what?" she asks, "My jewels." he tells her, "Right, you've got a wedding to get to, the trolls I sold them to are just beyond that next trench, you need to be careful." she warns him, "What, of trolls?" he asks, "You've clearly never met one." she notes, "Aren't they just little people?" he wonders, "You're thinking of dwarves, trolls have no respect, they'll cut your hand off sooner than they'll shake it." Snow informs him, "Well, then. Let's get this over with." he says, "Yes, we've both got places to be, so let's go." she agrees, he says that she has her lonely little corner of solitude to find and she says that he has his ringless fincee to meet. They walk on, now with the horse.

Back in Storybrooke's forest, Graham, Emma, Mary Margaret and now Henry continue to search for the John Doe, Henry still thinks that it's all centered around Mary Margaret, saying that she's the last one he saw, "He wants to find you!" he exclaims, "Henry, it's nt about me, I just- I think he's lost and confused. He's been in a coma a long time." she says, "But he loves you! You need to stop chasing him and let him find you!" Henry tries to remind her, "And kid, you need to go home, where's your mom? She's gonna kill me, and then you, and then me... again." Emma says, "She dropped me at the house then went right out." Henry explains, "Then we need to get you back immediately." Emma states, Henry is completely refusant, "Guys!" Graham yells froim afar, the three of them all run over to him to find him crouched on the ground, staring at something by torchlight, it's a hospital tag reading, "JOHN DOE'" giving substantial information, it is spashed with something, "Is that...?" Mary Margaret begins, "Blood." Emma confirms it. The four of them are shocked.

Act V
Snow White and Prince Charming are riding the horse they took through the Enchanted Forest, hoping to find the trolls with Charming's jewels. They trot up to an entrance way to a bridge, it seems secluded and unfriendly, Snow dismounts her horse followed by Charming who does the same, Snow walks with the horse and makes a loud noise, spooking it, and sending it away. "Trolls don't like horses... We walk from here. Follow me, and keep quiet." she instructs him, the two of them approach the Troll Bridge. The two of them walk a small way across the bridge and Charming asks where the trolls are, Snow simply walks over to the bridge's edge, assuring him that they're here, and places a small pile of gold coins on the ledge. The shot moves down to the steamy underbelly of the bridge and a figure is soon seen climbing up it. It climbs fast and has long hair with a beaten, wrinkled, greay face and a tattered robe, it leaps onto the bridge behind the prince and the princess, momentarily startling them as they turn to it. Two more of the creatures emerge, the original one asks in a grunting voice why they're there, "It's okay, I know them." Snow reassures Charming, "I thought we were done!" the Head Troll points out, "I came back, I wanted to make another trade." Snow tells him, the troll asks who Charming is and Snow says that he's just with her, the troll seems very unhappy at the presence of another person but Snow assures him that he's no one. "Look, I wanna buy back the jewels I sold you." she says, "Who is he?!" the Haed Troll asks again, "I saiddon't worry about it! Now, look, I'll give you back all your money, just give me back the ring, you can keep everything else." she offers, the Head Troll looks over to his peers, another troll begins to hand back the pouch containing the ring and Charming thanks him, however, the troll soon pulls the pouch from the prince's hand and the Head Troll disagnoses the situation as a set-up. "It's not a set up, it's not!", Snow exclaims; "He's a royal!", the troll yells, enraged, he then grabs Snow a draws his sword, pulling her into him and threatening her with the weapon.

"Back away from her!", Charming exclaims, pulling his own sword before being restrained by the two other trolls. One of them bangs down on his sword with his own, causing it to drop to the floor, as the other pins him up to the wall of the bridge, restraining him there, ready to push him over the edge. "No! You can trust me! If I wanted to set you up, I would have! Don't hurt him!" Snow cries, the Head Troll still with a grip on her neck with his arm, being refusant to let her go or oblige to her request. "The deal is done!" the Head Troll tells Snow, "Search him!" he orders his peers, the one ready to throw him begins to search him whereas the other pours out the contents of his sack, the one searching him pulls the necklace containing the vile a bad fairy dust on it and inspects it, he throws it to his master and throws Charming to the other side of the bridge, meaning he slams against the wall, the Head Troll then releases Snow who is too flung into the wall. Another troll then seizes her by the arm and holds a sword to her throat. One of the trolls pulls Snow's wanted poster from charming's bag a laughs, handing it to the Head Troll who has a likewise reaction, "Snow White, what a reward, take her!", the Head Troll exclaims as his two minions advance on Snow. Charming looks at his sword on the ground of the bridge and makes a grab for it, he is successful and then runs to the trolls, her hits one sword with his own, causing him to back away a little from Snow, one then tries to strike him, so he elbows him in the face, all three son begin to come for him so he twirls within them, striking them all with his blade, "Snow! Come on, we're leaving!", he exclaims, she grabs the pouch containing the ring and begins to run with Charming, however, a troll runs up behins them with his sword, Charming matches the sword with his own and fights the troll as Snow grabs the bad fairy dust and continues running.

Charming is now battling all three trolls at once and the upper hand appears to be shifting, Snow is nonethewiser, one troll makes a roll away from Charming but Charming kicks the beast in the chest, meaning he falls down the large gap in the bridge, he pummits to his death. Charming tries to walk along the bridge by his ankle is grabbed by one of the trolls, tripping him, his other leg is then grabbed by the other troll and he is dragged back along the bridge by them. "Follow me! They don't know the forest like I... do." Snow says, running through the trees, under the impression that Charming is following her, however, she turns back to the bridge to see him being attacked on the floor by the trolls. She looks back and forth between her way out and her Prince Charming. Charming is ransacked by the three beasts, two grab his arms and hold him still as the Head Troll holds a sword to his neck, he is about to viciously strike down on Charming's throat when there is a sudden bright flash. The Head Troll is reduced to a cockraoch in a sidden spin of smoke and Snow is seen standing behins him, haing just used her bad fairy dust to save the prince. Snow takes some more of the dust from the palm of her hand and throws at one troll and then the other, reducing them both to the same state as their master. Charming looks up at the three snivelling cockroaches on the floor of the bridge and then up to Snow, he stands up, "You... you saved me." he states, "It was the honorable thing to do." she tells him, stealing his earlier line. She removes her necklace, "What about your special someone?" Charming asks, "I'll think of something else." Snow says, throwing the vile onto the floor. Charming thanks the princess and the two of them retrieve their dropped possessions that fell in the fight, Charming returning his to his sack. "Besides, how could I let Prince Charming die?" she says, helping him retrieve his items, "I told you. I have a name... it's James." he reveals, "It's nice to meet you, James." Snow tells him, before saying that they should go as there may be more of them coming, Charming lifts his sack over his shoulder and the two begin to walk, as they do so, Charming both retrieves Snow's gold coins from the bridge wall and steps on one of the cockroaches, killing it.

Near the Toll Bridge of Storybrooke, Emma, Mary Margaret, Henry and Graham trudge through the wet forest, still searching for the John Doe. The shot moves over the sign of the Toll Bridge, where someone has strategically inked in an 'R', and over to the search party. They shine their torches around the waters and Mary Margaret comes across an unconscious figure across the stream, she runs over to him speedily, throwing her torch and the floor and panicking at the John Doe lying on the shore. Emma and Henry run to him to and, by radio, Graham requests an ambulance. Graham, Mary Margaret and Emma pull him out of the stream and onto land as Henry watches, "No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, I found you! You're gonna be okay!" Mary Margaret exclaims over his unconscious body, Henry asks if he's going to be okay, he begins to panic and Emma rushes to his aid, hugging him, hiding his view and telling him not to look. "Come on! Come back to us! Come back to me." Mary Margaret whispers the last part as she listens for the patient's breath. Then, with both hands, Mary Margaret beats down on the man's chest five times, she opens his mouth and puts her lips on his own, trying to ressussitate him. The mouth-to-mouth basically becomes a kiss and the John Doe suddenly coughs up a puddle of water, he is revived, he is awake, he is alright. The group is shocked and John Doe breathes heavily, he looks at Mary Margaret, "You saved me..." he says. Mary Margaret smiles at him, "She did it. She woke him up." Henry happily states, "Yeah kid, she did." Emma says, very surprised. "Thank you." John Doe tells Mary Margaret, "Who are you?" the teacher asks, "...I don't know." he tells her, "It's okay. It'll be okay." she assures him as the ambulance sirens draw closer, ready to collect the escaped patient.

The John Doe is rushed through the hospital on a gurnie led by Dr. Whale who staeadies it, the pull him over next to a series of machines meant to stabalize him. Mary Margaret, Emma, Henry and Graham run up to the doors of the ER and watch as they save the John Doe, all are worried but he seems all right. A blonde woman suddenly runs through the halls and into the John Doe's room, exclaiming, "David! David! David, is that you?!" she is addressing the John Doe, "Excuse me, mam. Mam. you can't be in here." Whale tells the woman, she seems happy to see "David", however, Whale continues to pull her away, telling her that she canot be there. "Who is that?" Mary Margaret asks, "His wife." states Regina, arriving on the scene. The four of them, particularly Mary Margaret, are stunned.

Act VI
In the fairytale land that was, Charming and Snow are going back through the Enchanted Forest, Snow stops a little and Charming turns to her, she laughs, "So... you'll probably want this.", Charming says, pulling the pouch of Snow's gold coins from his inside pocket, she accepts it and thanks him, tying it to her belt. "And, you can't get married without this.", Snow tells him, handing him the pouch containing his jewels, including his mother's ring. He takes the ring out and stares at it, smiling, "I know, not your style.", Charming figures, "Well, there's only one way to find out.", Snow states, taking the ring and placing it upon her left ring finger, she gazes upon it. There is a moment of silence. "Yeah, not me at all.", Snow says, breaking the moment, she takes off the ring and hands it back to him, assuring him that his fiancée will love it. Charming smiles and takes the ring, placing it back into his pouch. "If you need more, you can have the rest. The ring is all I require.", he offers, Snow refuses, saying she couldn't do that. She notes that they both got what they wanted. "Well, wherever you're going, be careful.", he warsn her. "If you need anything...", Charming starts, "You'll find me.", Snow finishes, "Always.", he assurs her, "I almost believe that.", Snow tells him. There is another moment of silence. Snow retrieves her sack, "Goodbye, Snow White.", he bids her farewell, "Goodbye, Prince Charming.", she reciprocates, "I told you, it's James.", he reminds her, "Nah, I still like 'Charming' better.", she tells him. Snow walks away and Charming watches her longingly as she does so, he then turns around himself and begins to walk, and, at this point, Snow stops and turns to him, she watches him longingly as he walks away also. They depart.

In Storybrooke's hospital, Mary Margaret looks at "David" as he taks to his wife in his room. "David Nolan, and that's his wife, Kathryn. And the joy on her face, well, it's put me in quite the forgiving mood.", Regina explains, looking towards Emma. "We'll talk about your insubordination, do you know what insubordination means?", Regina asks Henry who shakes his head, "It means you're grounded.", she tells him. Mary Margaret is about to say something when Kathryn emerges from David's room, "Thank you.", she says, gratefully, "Thank you for finding my David.". Mary Margaret says that she doesn't understand, wondering how she didn't know he was there in a coma, "A few years ago, David and I were... not getting along. It was my fault, not that he'd know that now. I was difficult and unsupportive. I told him that if he didn't like things, he could leave, and he did. And I didn't stop him. It was the worst mistake I ever made.", Kathryn informs them. "You didn't go look for him?", Emma asks, "I assumed he left town by this time. Now I know why I never heard from him. Now, I get to do what I've wanted to do forever: say 'I'm sorry'. Now we get a second chance.", Kathryn tells them. "...that's wonderful.", Mary Margaret says, holding back what she really thinks. Dr. Whale walks out of David's room, "Well it's something of a miracle.", he tells them, "He's okay?", Kathryn asks, hopefully, "Physically, he's on the mend, but his memory issue, it may take time if it returns at all.", Whale explains. Mary Margaret asks what brought him back and Whale says that there's no indication, something just clicked him. "He just got up and decided to go for a stroll?", Emma asks, disbelievant, "He woke up, he was dilerious, and... his first instinct was to go find something, I guess. ", Whale says, "Someone.", Henry corrects him. Mary Margaret and Regina turn to him before letting the comment go, Kathryn asks Dr. Whale if she can see David, he allows it and opens the door forher, she walks through it. "Henry, let's go.", Regina sternly says. Henry gets up and begins to follow Regina, however, he tells her to wait as he forgot his backpack. Hnery grabs the bag and whispers to Mary Margaret, "Don't believe them, you're the one he was looking for.", "Henry...", she tries, "He was going to the Troll Bridge. It's like the end of the story. "Henry, he was going there because... it was the last thing I read to him.", Mary Margaret says, "No, it's because you belong together.", he assures her. This statement gets to Mary Margaret but Regina calls for Henry. He goes with his mother but Emma turns her head, confused.

Regina and Henry are walking through the hospital halls and Emma runs after them, "Madam Mayor!", she calls, catching up to them. "Wait by the car.", Regina tells Henry, he leaves, "Miss Swan, I let you off the hook back there, don't press it.". "Sorry, but Mrs. Nolan, kinda seems like her story could be a bunch of crap.", Emma points out, "All this time there was John Doe lying in a coma and nobody puts it in the news, goes looking... something's not right here.". Regian tilts her head, "Well, what else would make sense to you? Why would Mrs. Nolan lie? Oh, do you think I cast a spell on her?", Regina asks, "I think it's rather strange you've been his emergency contact all these years... and you only found her now.", Emma notes, "Well, this town is bigger than you know. It's entirely possible to get lost here. It's entirely possible for bad things to happen.", Regina explains, "Just when you manage to solve the mystery...", Emma says, "Thanks to you.", Regina tells her, Emma is confused. "That tape you found, that was a stroke of genius. So, we went back and looked at past tapes. It turns out Mr. Doe's been talking in his sleep. He's been calling out for a Kathryn. After that, it wasn't hard to put the pieces together... And here I thought you and Mary Margaret would be pleased? True love won out. So bask in the moment, dear. Were it not for you two, they would have lived their lives completely alone. That's why I'm willing to forgive your insessive rudeness... because, all this has reminded me of something oh, so very important: how grateful I am to have Herny, because not having someone, well... that's the worst curse imaginable.", Regina tells Emma.

In his room, David hugs Kathryn as Mary Margaret watches through the glass, he suddenly turns his attention away from his loving wife and to the woman who found him, they stare at each other. Mary Margaret looks sad and down to a ring on her finger which she begins to slip off... Charming's ring. Later, in her apartment, Mary Margaret is fiddling with the ring in her hand, there is a knock at her door and she goes to answer it. It's Emma. "Sorry to bother you so late. Is that spair room still available?" she asks. Mary Margaret smiles and nods, beckoning the blonde inside. Emma walks into the apartment and her new roommate closes the door.

Trivia

 * The title card features a troll.
 * Although credited, Raphael Sbarge (Archie Hopper/Jiminy Cricket) and Robert Carlyle (Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin) are absent from this episode.
 * Charming reveals his name to be "James" in this episode. However, in episode 1.06 we learn James was his twin brother's name. It is still unknown what Charming's real name is.

Production
This episode was written by co-executive producer Liz Tigelaar and directed by Dean White, marking the first said credits for both on the series.

During the filming of the scene in which Snow White is captured by the Queen's henchmen, actress Ginnifer Goodwin was injured by a horse that ran right into her, sending her flying and causing her to injure her hand and face. Goodwin also commented that co-star Jennifer Morrison taught her to perform CPR during a scene with Josh Dallas, as Morrison learned the procedure while she was a regular on House M.D..

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode.