Summary: Based off 6x17; Awake. David goes through the door and had a chance to raise Emma to become the savior. Snow made a sacrifice and stayed behind, to fool Regina into thinking that the curse was still very much intact. DaddyCharming! Eventual Snowing and Charming Family Feels.

Chapter 1

Mary Margaret had just thrown away the flowers that she'd just destroyed by bumping into the mayor, when she saw a beautiful flower growing. She picked it from the ground and made her way to the hospital to see John Doe.

"Sorry I'm late." She told the man in a coma. "I almost didn't come. Then I saw this and something in me told me I had to bring it to you." She sat the single flower in a vase on his bedside table.

She turned around to walk away and didn't see the flower working it's magic. Purple dust began to come out of the flower and onto John Doe's hand, causing his monitors to start beeping.

"Oh no." She walked back over to him. "What's happening? What've I done?"

Just then John Doe's eyes snapped open. Mary Margaret was grinning like a cheshire cat. "Snow." He breathed out.

"Snow." She repeated, then shook her head. "Oh… no. I don't under-"

He shot up in the bed, startling Mary Margaret. "Where is she?" He asked suddenly, then started unhooking all the wires attached to him. He woke up with common knowledge of this land.

"N-n-no. Oh…"

He stood up. "Where's the Evil Queen?"

"Oh! No, no, n-no. You're confused. You've been in a coma." She tried reasoning with him to stop him as he tried leaving. "I'm gonna go get a doctor."

He stopped her. "You're Snow White. I know somewhere inside you, you know that. You can trust me."

"You're confused and you are speaking gibberish. Why should I trust you."

He smiled and held his hand out for her to grab. "Because I love you and you love me." She reluctantly took his hand, then the purple dust reached her and all her memories came back.

She gasped. "We have to see Rumplestiltskin."

XXX

They snuck out of the hospital and after Snow checked on the search party, the couple made their way to see Rumpelstiltskin at Mr Gold's shop. Once David said the name Emma, it broke Rumple's curse.

Snow and David met at an abandoned building, but Snow was late. "I was worried." David said when she arrived, then they kissed.

"We have to hurry. Regina's on to us."

David nodded. "Did you bring it?" Snow pulled the flower- that was later identified as a pixie flower- out of her pocket. He grabbed the flower and held it in his hand. "It's magic should be strong enough to lead us to Emma."

Snow smiled. "Let's go find our daughter."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Rumple said, walking into the room. "She's only just turned 10 today, she isn't destined to be the savior for 18 more years."

"She doesn't need to be the savior anymore. We're awake." Snow insisted.

Rumple shook his head. "Snow White and Prince Charming are awake, but what about everybody else? If you guys leave, Regina will be prepared to fight you, with everything she's got."

"What do you expect us to do?" David asked angrily.

He pulled a potion out of his pocket. "Drink this. It'll put you back under. When the time's right, Emma will come for you."

"You can't stop us. You don't have magic in this world. Here you're just a man." David stormed off and waited for Snow in the hall.

Rumple gave the potion to Snow. "What if I stay here. Only David goes. He could prepare her to become the savior. If both of us disappear she'll know, but if David is the only one, she'll assume he died. It gives my daughter an actual fighting chance."

"It may work. Is that a sacrifice you're willing to make? Giving your husband a chance to raise your daughter, even though you can't. Are you willing to sacrifice the chance to raise your daughter?"

Snow stepped closer to him. "I will sacrifice anything for my daughter." And with that, she met David in the hall and they left.

"Where should we do it?" Charming asked his wife, on their way outside.

Snow smiled weakly. "The Toll Bridge. They've already searched there. They have no reason to search there twice."

David couldn't help but smile. "The Toll Bridge? As in this lands version of The Troll Bridge?" Snow wanted to smile but couldn't bring herself to do so.

They finally reached The Toll Bridge. "Here we are." Snow sprinkled some pixie dust from the flower into the palm of her hand. "How exactly does this work?"

"I don't know. Just… think about Emma and let the magic do the rest." He said, giving her a supporting nod. Snow obliged, then threw the dust up. They closed their eyes and when they opened them, there was a door in front of them. David opened the door and they saw a beautiful little girl sitting on a bed, reading. "Oh, she's beautiful." He breathed out.

He was just about to walk in when Snow stopped him. "Wait."

"What? What's wrong?" David asked.

She was crying. "I can't go through there."

"Snow. We have to."

She shook her head. "If I go through that door, Regina will be prepared. She will know. She'll be ready for us. You have to go through, just you David."

"What? No. You can't listen to Rumple."

She sighed. "He's right Charming. I love you so much. I love our little girl too. You need to protect her, for the both of us. You need to do this. For our girl, our Emma." They kissed passionately. "This isn't goodbye."

"We'll find you Snow." Snow nodded. "Would you think I'm crazy if I suggested we take a picture together for you to take with you?" She asked, pulling a polaroid out of her purse. He couldn't help but laugh. "What?"

"You just carry polaroid cameras in your purse?" She rolled her eyes. "Let's take this picture." He held the camera out and took a few pictures. One of them smiling, another of her kissing his cheek, and the last one of them kissing one another. Okay, the last one was for him to keep.

She smiled lovingly at her husband, then got back to reality. "Remember, you have to get a job and a house before they'll let you take her." She pulled some money out of her purse. "You'll need this."

"I know. I love you." He said, his own tears streaming down his face. .

She looked into her husband's eyes. "You can't try to find Storybrooke early. She won't be able to break the curse if you do."

He kissed her again, and reluctantly said, "I promise." Then he walked through the door. Snow shut the door behind him, then drank the potion, putting her back to sleep, back under the curse.

XXX

Emma Swan was sitting on her bed reading when she thought she heard noises coming from her closet. She looked over just in time to see a man come out of the wall in the closet, her jaw dropped and her eye went wide.

When he saw her, he just smiled at her. Her jaw was still dropped and her eyes were still wide. She blinked a few times trying to process how a man just walked through a wall. "Hello Emma."

He just walked through a wall and he knows her name. That's a lot. "How…?" She tilted her head in confusion. "How did you..." she pointed to the closet. "How do you know my name?"

He gave her such a gentle smile. "Mind if I sit?" He asked, pointing to an empty spot on the bed.

She merely nodded. "You're crying." She stated and reached up to wipe his tears away.

"I was separated from my wife… but it was worth it, to find you." He explained.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Who are you… how did you come through there?"

"It's sort of a long story. I can start by telling that my name's David and… I'm your father."

She looked into his eyes and saw nothing but honesty, she looked back down at her book. "You left me… all alone. Why?"

"To protect you. We were in a dangerous situation, my wife's, your mother's- step-mother threatened us and you. We sent you away to protect you Emma. I promise. We didn't want to. It was the hardest thing we've ever had to do."

Still, straight honesty. "I believe you." She sighed. "What happens to me now? Do I go with you?"

"I'm afraid not. Not yet at least." He saw the slight disappointment in her eyes. "I won't be allowed to until I get a job and a house." She nodded understandingly. "I promise I'll be back though. I can walk you to and from school everyday. I promise, you'll see me often."

"Okay." She looked at the time. "You have to leave soon. Taylor and Rebecca will be in soo for bed. I share a room." She walked over to the window and opened it. "You can go out this way. No one pays attention, so no one will see you."

He got off the bed and went over to where Emma was standing and crouched down so they were eye-level. "Before I go, I want you to know that I love you."

She furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head in confusion. "You barely know me."

He chuckled. "I've loved you since the moment I found out she was pregnant." He informed her. "What time should I be here to walk you to school in the morning."

"Meet me at that corner," she pointed to a corner down the road, "at 8:15."

He smiled and before she had a chance to react, he pulled her into a hug. She slowly returned it. "I'll be there." He broke the hug, then started climbing out of the window. "I'll see you in the morning Emma."

He climbed out of the window and started walking, until he spotted a motel, he paid to stay there for about a week and still had enough money for food and a little extra.

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