A Rose by Any Other Name

Looking down at her iphone, Rosalie Collins continued to read the message over and over again. The words didn't change, but she couldn't help but wonder what was with the message. Her friend Emma had disappeared on her months ago without a word of where she was going, and now out of the blue she got a text message from her asking her to call. Getting out of her seat, she grabbed her coat and black clutch bag, she made her way out of the reception where one of her childhood friends was celebrating her marriage to her high school sweetheart.

Once she was alone she started walking before she called Emma's cell phone.

“Rose. I wasn't sure you'd call me.”

“I wasn't sure I was going to either.”

“I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that I was leaving.”

“You should have told me Emma,” Rosalie told her. “If there was something I could have helped you with I would have. But I'm not a mind reader.”

“I need your help.”

Letting out a sigh, Rosalie started to put on her jacket as she started to walk out of the hotel where the wedding reception was being held. “What do you need?”

“Where are you right now?”

“Leaving a wedding. What do you need?”

“There is a baby blanket in my apartment. I need you to bring it to me.”

“And where are you?”

“A small town called Storybrooke.”

“You have to be joking me,” Rosalie laughed. “A town called Storybrooke?”

“Trust me, it isn't anything like you think.”

“So why am I getting you this baby blanket?” Rosalie asked. “I mean you gave up your kid what, ten years ago?”

“It wasn't his.”

“Yours?”

“Yeah,” Emma said. “Can you do this for me?”

“When do you need it?”

“Tonight. I'll be in a diner called Granny's.”

“Emma have you gotten yourself into something?”

“Yeah, something huge.”

“Alright,” Rosalie said. “I'm going to your place and getting your blanket. Anything else?”

“Yeah,” Emma said. “Don't get pulled over.”

“I cannot believe I'm driving to a place called Storybrooke. Where is this place Emma?”

“In Maine.”

“Maine? I'm gonna stop for coffee after I get the blanket. I have a feeling that this is going to be a long night.”

“Be safe.”

Hanging up her phone, Rosalie dropped it into the cup holder in her car as she pulled up to Emma's place. Parking her car, she got out and headed to the elevator and to Emma's apartment. Having an extra key to the apartment did help, but it wasn't always necessary. From a young age, Rosalie had taught herself how to survive without the help of others and if she needed to take something back that was stolen from her, then she knew how to get in without setting off any alarms. Being in and out of foster homes for as long as she could remember had taught Rosalie one thing, be careful who you trust.

Walking inside the apartment, Rosalie closed the door behind her. Looking around, it seemed as if nothing had been touched since the last time she had come to see if Emma were back home from where ever she had disappeared to. Heading in the direction of Emma's bedroom, she saw it was still made which meant she had never left this Storybrooke place since she first got there. Making her way over to Emma's closet, she opened it and walked past the shoes to the shelf where there were random items and among them was the blanket that Emma had been found in.

With Emma's baby blanket under her arm, Rosalie locked the apartment and headed back to her car. Opening the trunk of her car, she grabbed one of the larger purses that she kept in there and placed the blanket inside. Slamming the trunk shut, she made her way over to the drivers seat and got in. Tossing the bag to the floor of the passengers seat, Rosalie shut her door before starting the engine. Leaving the apartment building, she headed to the closest coffee shop. If she wanted to get this blanket to Emma tonight then she would need the pick me up.

After getting her coffee and putting gas into her tank, Rosalie was on her way to Storybrooke. She had never even heard of this place that Emma had asked her to come to. She couldn't help but think that something was different about her friend, but she didn't know what it was.

Getting into Storybrooke was easy enough and the town seemed pretty small so how hard would it be to find where Emma was at. Granny's Diner. That's where she said she would be. Finding a spot to park, Rosalie grabbed her clutch and placed it under her arm before grabbing the bag with Emma's blanket. Grabbing her phone and her keys, she got out of the car and shut the door. Putting the alarm on the car, she started walking towards the diner as she placed her phone and keys into her clutch as she got to the diner's doors. Opening the door, she walked inside and it felt like all eyes were on her and they were. That was one thing she didn't care for when it came to small towns, everyone knew everyone’s business.

Glancing around the small diner, her eyes went to the person she was looking for. Letting out the breath that she didn't realize that she had been holding. Seeing Emma smile at her, she walked over to her as Emma walked towards her. The only sound Rosalie could hear was the sound of her heels on the tile floor. Stopping just short of her friend who was standing in front of a table with people she had no idea who they were.

“You didn't go home to change first?” Emma asked, taking in what her friend was wearing.

“I'm not staying Emma,” Rosalie said. “Just dropping your blanket off and heading back. Got a lot of stuff to do soon.”

“But you can't leave!” a little boy with brown hair said as he held onto a leather covered book. “You have to help fight off the evil!”

“Henry, let Emma tell her friend.”

Looking at the people and then back at Emma she handed her the bag. “Why do you need your old baby blanket anyways?”

“It isn't mine,” Emma said as she motioned for a man with a beard to scoot over and let Rosalie sit down. “It's yours.”

“Emma, it was a long day,” Rosalie said as she sat in the booth next to the man. “I'm wearing heels, I drove from Boston in heels. What is going on?”

“What do you know about fairy tales?” the little boy asked.

“Never believed in them. Thought they weren't worth the heartache.”

“Heartache?” the woman with short hair asked.

“I'm a foster kid. Been through more than my fair share of homes and when you get your hopes set on something it doesn't lead to anything good.”

“Fairy tales have to come from somewhere, right?”

Glancing at the man next to her, she was a little surprised. “Overactive imaginations?”

“Sorry I didn't do introductions,” Emma said grabbing a chair and sitting down at the edge of the booth. “Rosalie this is my son Henry, that is David and Mary Margaret and the one you are sitting next to is Graham. Guys this is Rosalie.”

Giving them a half smile, she turned her attention back to Emma. “What's your deal?”

“The fairy tales in this town are all real,” Emma said. “Not only are they real, but you and I are a part of it.”

“Part of a fairy tale?” Rosalie asked. “You and me?”

“Emma started to defeat the curse, but she can't do it all alone.”

“I'll bite for a second,” Rosalie said as she looked into Emma's eyes. “Who are you in this fantasy Emma?”

“Fairy tale.” Henry corrected her.

“Okay,” Rosalie said. “Who are you in this fairy tale?”

“I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.” Emma said.

“Okay,” Rosalie said unbelieving. “And who am I?”

This time it was the man, David who spoke up. “You are the daughter of Queen Aurora and King Phillip.”

“Sleeping Beauty and her prince.”

“King and Queen. By the time you were born, they were ruling their kingdom.”

“And I'm supposed to believe this?” Rosalie asked, with a laugh. “Emma, you should know better than-”

Placing the blanket in front of her, it was white with her name stitched in red along with a rose. Then she watched as Emma placed her own baby blanket next to it. “Look how similar they are.”

“So they were made by the same person,” Rosalie said. “It doesn't mean anything.”

“Rose, do I look like I'm lying to you?”

“Hard to tell since this is the first time I've seen you since your birthday.”

Lowering her gaze, Emma knew her friend was right. “I expect this sort of stuff from other people Emma. Just not you. Nice to know that you are alive and well. You wanna stay here, then fine, but my life is back in Boston. Everything I have is in Boston.”

“Stay the night,” David said. “I mean it is pretty late.”

Looking into the face of the man David, Rosalie thought that he was right but she didn't want to stay there. Her bed in her apartment in Boston was where she wanted to sleep and pretend that this never happened. “I've done worse.”

“Rosalie, there is an Inn. The last time you did too much driving you were almost in a car accident.”

Shaking her head, Rosalie got out of the booth and walked towards the exit of the diner. Once outside, she looked at the sky. Wondering why this was happening to her, she looked away from the sky and headed towards her car.

“Rosalie!” Emma called out. “Rosalie, please stop!”

Turning on her heel, Rosalie didn't say anything. She watched as Emma and the man she sat next to walked towards her.

“I'm sorry, okay?” Emma said.

“Sorry for what Emma?” Rosalie asked. “For not telling me you weren't coming back to Boston? For not letting me know that you were okay? Or for just forgetting that I was around?”

“I didn't forget you.” Emma argued with her.

“Then why the no contact until you wanted to tell me some fairy tale?” Rosalie asked. “Did you even wonder what would happen when I noticed that you were gone? Did you know I waited for you come to the restaurant that we go to every week in hopes that one week you'd show up?”

“Rose-”

“You didn't show up for me Emma,” Rosalie said. “So why should I show up for you?”

Walking to her car, Rosalie unlocked it and got into the driver's seat. Looking at Emma who stood with the rest of her group that joined her outside, she shook her head and started to drive away. For a moment she thought about looking for that Inn that Emma had mentioned, but the drive would help clear her head.

So that was that. She'd go back to Boston and if Emma and her friends wanted to speak to her again, then they'd just have to come to Boston to see her.

Getting closer to the town limits, Rosalie heard her phone go off. With a sigh she grabbed it and saw that it Emma calling her. “This better be important because I'm leaving right now.”

“Where are you?”

“Almost at the town limits. Should be there shortly.”

“You have to stop.”

“Emma, what-” Rosalie stopped mid-sentence when she let out a scream when she saw the woman in the middle of the road with a smile on her face. “What is it with this town? Who stands in the middle of the road?”

“Listen to me carefully,” Emma said. “Lock your car doors. I'm on my way to you.”