A Rose by Any Other Name

Sitting in her room at the inn, Rosalie sat on the window sill as she looked at town. A town of fairy tale characters that have been cursed and waited for two women that were sent away to protect them from a curse to actually believe in it. To believe in this curse, in a life that wasn't here was hard to understand. The last three days Rosalie had barely left her room, she didn't want to chance running into Emma or Graham or anyone else that wanted to talk to her. For some reason that didn't stop Red from stopping by twice a day, usually with food. It wasn't until last night that Rosalie finally asked Red for the information that had been bothering her since the night she went out with Graham.

“So he never really hurt Snow White?” Rosalie asked as she blew the steam from her coffee. “Ever?”

“No,” Red said shaking her head. “Even when he was in Regina's service which was not his choice, he would help Snow White. Or help someone that was helping Snow.”

“What do you mean that he was in Regina's service without a choice?”

“Well you know the story, right?” Red asked. “The huntsman was supposed to bring back her heart. He couldn't do that. When Regina figured it out she took his heart and kept it so she had total control over him.”

“And that continued into this world?”

“Until he started remembering,” Red said. “Then he had a heart attack. Or at least that's what everyone believes.”

“Was anyone with him?”

“Emma was.”

“Of course she was,” Rosalie sighed. “She has feelings for him. I know she does. And it is the first time in a long time that she's truly liked someone. And since I'm the outsider, I'll back off.”

“Has Emma or Graham said anything to you?” Red asked.

“I haven't seen them,” Rosalie said honestly. “You are the only one that I've talked to in a few days.”

“You mean Emma hasn't come to see you?” Red asked surprised. “She said she was going to talk to you.”

“She knows where I am,” Rosalie sighed. “I think she feels a little bad because we know for sure that my mother didn't survive my birth and no one knows or has heard from my father. And now she has that chance with her mother and father. In a way I’m a little jealous of her and on the other hand I am happy for her. She does deserve to be happy. Especially after everything that she has gone through.”

“Don't you deserve to be happy as well?” Red asked.

“I have been happy before,” Rosalie said tugging on her white tank top. “When Emma helped me straighten my life out. But I've been disappointed before, but Emma has been heartbroken and they are both pretty bad.”

“I think you should talk to Emma and then maybe even Graham. Why don't you come to the diner tonight? I could use some company. I'll throw in free dessert once Grams leaves.”

“Really?”

“If you don't tell her,” Red smiled. “And I don't tell her. How is she to know?”

Smiling, Rosalie nodded her head. “Throw in a strawberry milkshake and I'll be there.”

“Deal.”

It wasn't that far of a walk from the Inn to the diner. When Rosalie got there, she was a little surprised to see Emma there. Her son and parents were with her as well. Making her way over to the counter she sat down and only a few seconds passed before Red sat down next to her.

“I'm surprised that you came out,” Red said with a smile on her face. “Wasn't sure if you'd come.”

“How could I say no to free dessert?” Rosalie smiled back. “I didn't realize how popular this place is.”

“In a town like this,” Red said taking a seat next to Rosalie. “You have some place with good food and good service then people will come back.”

“That is the point of a good business,” Rosalie sighed as she glanced around the diner. When she came in she hadn't noticed that Graham was throwing darts while drinking what looked liked to be whiskey. “I didn't realize that they would both be here.”

“Snow and Charming will be taking Henry back to their place soon,” Red said. “Then you can talk to Emma and sort everything out. I believe that you two can both be happy. There is a way.”

“Not everyone gets a happy ending though.”

“Sometimes you have to try for it,” Red told her. “If it is what you really want.”

“Aren't there times that someone has to sacrifice their own happiness for that of someone they love?” Rosalie asked.

“No one said that you had to sacrifice anything,” Red told her as she stood up. “I'll get you a burger.”

“No onions please.”

Nodding her head to let her friend know that she heard her, Rosalie ran a hand through her hair. Glancing over her shoulder once again she saw Emma smile as she watched Henry leave. Getting out of the stool that she had been sitting in, Rosalie made her way over to where Emma was still sitting. Taking the seat across from her friend Rosalie gave her a small smile.

“Can we talk?”

“Done hiding in your room at the inn?” Emma asked.

“It wasn't hiding,” Rosalie said. “Anyone looking for me knew where to find me.”

“But you weren't leaving the room very often.”

“I had a lot to think about,” Rosalie said. “Ever since I got here, things have been on overload. I never even thought that there could possibly be another world or worlds out there.”

“Or that magic truly exists.”

“Exactly!”

“It took me awhile to believe in any of this.”

“What changed your mind?” Rosalie asked. “I know you Emma. You didn't just wake up one day and say that you believe that this town is a bunch of fairy tale characters that we grew up reading about.”

“No it wasn't like that,” Emma said as she shook her head. “I had decided to leave town. Go back to Boston. Find you and tell you what I'd been up to and then decide what to do next.”

“But you didn't,” Rosalie said looking at her friend. “Something happened to change what you set your mind to.”

“You can say that. I went to see Regina and told her I was leaving. She gave me some dish with apple in it and I thought that was it. But that was when Henry came to see me. He ate a bite of it and he had eventually died.”

“How?”

“Regina poisoned it,” Emma said. “True love breaks so many curses. At least that was what brought him back. And I had a vision of so many things and I knew what he was telling me was true.”

“I just-”

“Can't believe yet,” Emma said finishing her friend's sentence. “I know that. I'm not asking you to lie and say you do. That will take some time. I understand.”

Nodding her head, Rosalie got out of the booth after her friend. “Thanks Emma.”

“Rose,” Emma said looking at her friend. “You know that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you, right?”

With a smile on her face, she nodded her head before heading back to the counter so that she could eat while talking to Red. Out of the corner of her eye, Rosalie watched Emma leave the diner.

“I didn't think you would talk to her.”

Looking at Red, Rosalie bit down on her top lip to keep the question from leaving her mouth. With a sigh, she looked back at the door and saw Emma walk off with Graham. With a frown, she turned her attention to her friend.

“Red,” Rosalie said looking at her. “Can I ask you a question.”

“Hit me with it.”

“Do you think that my father is alive in your world? Or am I just hoping for the impossible here?”

Covering Rosalie's hand with her own, Red gave her a small smile. “Sometimes believing and hoping for something like that is what we need. But if you want me to be honest-”

“Please.”

“I think he is alive and just trapped while trying to figure out how to get to you. From what Charming told me of him, he is a great man and he loved you very much.”

“I wish he hadn't sent me away,” Rosalie said as she felt the tears form in her eyes. “For so long I wondered if I had done something so horrible that my parents didn't want me.”

“But he did.”

Turning around, Rosalie saw Emma's father behind her.

“I'll be over there if you need me, Rose.”

“I thought you left.” Rosalie said watching as he sat next to her.

“I know, but I wanted to talk to you again,” he said. “Emma says that you can be stubborn. Worse than her.”

Grinning, Rosalie nodded her head. “I can't deny that. We've gotten into pretty bad fights because neither one of us wanted to back down.”

“Emma seems to be adjusting better with you around.”

“No she's not,” Rosalie said. “She doesn't do anything that she doesn't want to. Emma believes in the story.”

“But you still don't,” David said with a smile. “She did say you would be even harder to convince.”

“Seeing is believing,” Rosalie said. “Growing up that was the hardest lesson I had to learn. Just because someone says something doesn't make it so. Until you can see it or it has been proved, then I refuse to go along with it.”

“Do you think that Emma would go with it just because someone told her that her long lost parents were from a different land? That they sent her away to protect her?”

“She probably asked if they were nuts.”

Letting out a laugh, David couldn't argue with her logic. That sounded like the Emma he knew when she had first come to Storybrooke.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Walking into the sheriff's station, Emma was surprised to see Graham there.

“Hey.”

“Hey, Emma.”

“I think we need to talk, Graham.”

Looking up from the desk he was using to write something, he looked at her confused. “Are you okay? Is Rosalie okay?”

“She's fine,” Emma said as she walked over toward him and stopped. “I just left her over at the diner. First time in a few days that she's come out of that room.”

“What's going on then?”

“Graham, this isn't about Rose. It's about us.” Emma told him as she watched him.

“Us?” he asked with a look of bewilderment on his face.

“Before...before you died something happened between us. You kissed me. It-it's what we both wanted,” Emma said as she took a deep breath. “We would have gone farther Graham, that one kiss wasn't enough.”

“Why didn't we Emma? Why did we stop?”

“God, how do I put this,” she said as she struggled to find the words to explain. “That's when it happened, the queen took you from me when you were in my arms.”

Tears formed at the corners of her eyes recalling how badly losing him at felt.

“Why now?” Graham asked as he walked out from behind the desk and towards her. “Why tell me this now?”

“I want you to be happy and if that's with Rose, then so be it,” Emma said as she let out a long sigh. “I just didn't want you to remember some day. Remember and hurt Rose. She's had enough hurt to last her a lifetime and maybe even more.”

“So you felt something for me then?” Graham asked looking at her. “And now Emma? Do you still feel something for me?”

“I've never lied to you, Graham. Yes I still have feelings for you.” Taking a step closer to him, she put her hand on his chest. “I still feel something....”

Leaning up, she placed her lips on his. Emma knew he'd be surprised, but what surprised her was when she felt him kiss her back. Graham didn't know she was going to kiss him, but he felt the pull of Emma. A spark that he'd forgotten, but before he could take it any further Emma pulled away from him.

“What I feel doesn't matter. I just don't want you to hurt Rose.”

Blinking back the tears she could feel in her eyes from the emotions that she felt when around Graham, especially in the room where she held him as he died. Spinning on her heel so that she could head to the door, Graham reached out and grabbed her arm before she could make her exit.

“And what about you Emma? What about you getting hurt?” Graham asked.

“I've already been hurt, Graham.”

Pulling her arm out of his grasp, Emma left the station before he could see the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.