Once Upon A Time Pilot Page #8

Season #1 Episode #1

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CONTINUED:

If this so called “curse” is real, than Henry wasn’t kidding. It worked.

MARY MARGARET Can I help you?

ANNA:

I’m looking for one of your

students. Henry.

MARY MARGARET And you are?

ANNA I’m his...

(doesn’t want to say the word)

It’s complicated.

MARY MARGARET:

Well, I’m reasonably bright and as

I’m not really in the habit of discussing my children with strangers, you might want to tell me.

Beat. For the first time Anna actually SPITS IT OUT --

ANNA I’m his mother.

MARY MARGARET (raises an eyebrow)

I’m pretty sure the Mayor is his mother.

ANNA:

Yeah, right. Thing is -- I gave

birth to him. (then; pointed)

But you already know that considering you gave him your credit card to track me down.

Mary Margaret blinks. Puts it together. Her face falls --

MARY MARGARET My... credit card?

She hurries to her handbag, rifles through it. Her face falls. The credit card is missing from her wallet.

44.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

MARY MARGARET He’s a clever one.

And then what she says next stops Anna short.

MARY MARGARET:

This is all my fault. I never

should have given him that book. Anna stares at Mary Margaret, realizing --

ANNA:

The fairy tales? Are you the one

who put that craziness in his head?

MARY MARGARET:

That was not my intention. You

have to understand. Henry is -- he’s a special boy. So smart. So creative. And so lonely. He needed it.

ANNA:

What he needs is a dose of reality.

MARY MARGARET:

Tell me something... what do you

think stories are for?

ANNA:

Getting through a long flight?

MARY MARGARET:

Dan Brown, maybe. But these

stories? The classics? There’s a reason we all know them. They’re a way for us to deal with our world -- a world that doesn’t always make sense. You see, Henry’s had his share of hardships.

ANNA:

Kid seems like he’s got a pretty

good life to me.

MARY MARGARET:

Yes, but Henry’s like any adopted

child. He wrestles with that most basic question they all inevitably face.

(beat)

“Why would anyone give me away?”

(CONTINUED)

45.

CONTINUED:

And that question tears right through Anna’s heart. Because it’s ABOUT HER. Mary Margaret realizes --

MARY MARGARET:

I’m sorry, I didn’t mean in any way

to judge you.

ANNA No... It’s okay.

But it’s clearly not okay. That STUNG.

MARY MARGARET Look, I gave the book to him

because I wanted Henry to have the most important thing anyone can have. Hope. Believing in the possibility of a happy ending is a very powerful thing. But I guess he took it too far.

And Anna is emotionally wracked by this, so she tries to stay on target.

ANNA:

Do you have any idea where he might

be?

You might want to check his castle. OFF THAT PUZZLING PROCLAMATION --

INT. BEDROOM - CASTLE - FAIRY TALE LAND

CLOSE ON THE CASTLE. PUSH THROUGH the bedroom window to find SNOW in bed. Her face a ball of agony. Sweat dripping. This woman is in f***ing labor. Doc tends to her, Charming is at her side. She CLUTCHES his hand like a vice.

CHARMING:

Hold on. You can do this... hold

on...

SNOW:

I’m trying... I... can’t... have

this baby... now.

CHARMING:

You won’t. We’re almost done.

(then stands, yells out) Where’s that (f***ing) wardrobe?

(MORE)

MARY MARGARET (a beat)

46.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

CHARMING (cont'd)

(back to Snow --)

It’s gonna be okay. Hang on...

PRINCE CHARMING Just hold --

The door bursts open, Geppetto runs in.

GEPPETTO:

(thick Italian accent)

It’s a’ ready.

Charming smiles, moves to pick Snow up but is met by DOC’S HARSH gaze. Doc just shakes his head.

DOC:

It’s too late. We can’t move her.

OFF THAT and CHARMING’S HEART SINKING -- EXT. CASTLE - NIGHT

The BLACK CARRIAGE pulls up. Behind it, we see the mist slowly encroaching, getting nearer. The Queen steps out of the carriage, addresses her assembled BLACK KNIGHTS. And on her face -- a smile. A VICTORIOUS SMILE.

QUEEN:

Nothing like the smell of a good

curse. You know what you have to do. Find the child.

As the Knights hurry into the castle, the Queen watches the Green Mist move ever closer.

INT. BEDROOM - MOMENTS LATER

ON SNOW. Tears streaming as.... WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. A baby cries. ON DOC. Despite everything. SMILING.

DOC:

It’s a little girl.

He lifts up the crying BABY and hands it to Charming who immediately starts wrapping her in a blanket. He hands her over to Snow. Snow cradles her child. Looks at her with all the love in her heart, then up at Charming as a horrible realization dawns --

SNOW:

The wardrobe. It only takes one.

SNOW WHITE:

47.

AAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGH.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

OUTSIDE, we HEAR the SOUNDS of a BATTLE RAGING. The Queen, and her curse, are closing in. Charming takes his wife’s hand. Squeezes it. Determined to make the best of this.

CHARMING:

Well at least we’re together.

He holds her tight. Snow just stares at her baby. Then comes to a very difficult decision.

No.

SNOW:

Snow looks at her daughter, this is the hardest f***ing thing she’s ever had to say.

SNOW:

You have to take her. You have to

take the baby to the wardrobe.

Now it dawns on Charming what she’s suggesting. His eyes well up.

CHARMING:

No. We have to stick together --

SNOW:

-- It’s the only way. You have to

send her through.

CHARMING:

You don’t know what you’re saying --

SNOW:

-- I do. We have to believe she’ll

come back for us. (then; pained --)

We have to give her her best chance.

Tears stream down her cheeks as she makes this most difficult proclamation. And Charming is crying too. Because he knows she’s RIGHT. And, finally, he NODS.

The SOUNDS of BATTLE get closer. Time is running out, so SNOW kisses the baby’s forehead. The tears are flowing freely --

SNOW Goodbye, Anna.

She then hands the baby to Charming. He kisses her quickly and then runs off.

48.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

ON SNOW. Collapsing on the bed. Her heart wrenched. She’s just done the hardest thing imaginable -- giving up her baby.

INT. CASTLE - HALLWAY - SAME

With the baby wrapped in a blanket in his arms and his sword drawn, Charming races down the stairs and out into ANOTHER HALLWAY. He moves to the nursery door just as TWO BLACK KNIGHTS arrive. They CHARGE Charming. But -- even while protecting his newborn -- he’s one helluva swordsman, a father possessed. THWACK THWACK, he takes them out. But in the melee... he’s STABBED in the shoulder. GRUNTING and BLEEDING, he kicks open the door to the --

THE NURSERY. The baby is CRYING loudly as Charming stumbles toward the wardrobe. He UNLOCKS the LOCK and gently places the baby inside as --

TWO MORE BLACK KNIGHTS ARRIVE. Charming looks down at the baby, rubs his hand on her forehead. Whispers --

CHARMING Find us.

Then, he quickly closes the door, locks it, and faces the oncoming Guards. THE KNIGHTS CHARGE. And Charming is too wounded to dodge. He feebly attempts to parry their swords, but the first guard knocks it from his hands. The SECOND RUNS HIM THROUGH.

Charming falls over to the ground. FROM HIS POV, looking up he sees -- THE KNIGHTS reach the wardrobe. They pull at the door. It’s locked! So the Guards SLASH AND SLASH at the wood, chopping at it until the doors FALL OFF. And inside --

THE WARDROBE IS EMPTY.

And as the Prince smiles... successful, his eyes closing, perhaps for the last time...

END OF ACT FOUR:

49.

ACT FIVE:

EXT. RENAISSANCE PLAYGROUND - STORYBROOKE - DAY

ON THE SPIRE of a CRAPPY PLASTIC CASTLE. WIDEN TO -- reveal we’re in a shitty renaissance playground on the edge of town.

FIND ANNA. At the entrance. She carries the STORY BOOK and shakes her head as she looks at the plastic castle. Oh. This is what Mary Margaret meant. Anna walks up to the jungle gym like stairs and climbs up to --

THE TOP OF THE CASTLE. She pulls herself up and finds HENRY, sitting alone. Staring out over the playground and into the town. The castle directly faces the CLOCK TOWER. Henry turns to see Anna arrive, then wordlessly turns back to stare at the clock tower. Anna settles down beside him.

BEAT. She slides over the book.

ANNA:

You “left” this in my gym bag.

Henry takes it back. But keeps staring out.

ANNA:

Still hasn’t moved, huh?

Anna stares out at the tower. And it’s still stuck at “8:15.”

HENRY:

I was hoping that when I brought

you back, things would change here. That it would move again. That... that the final battle would begin.

Anna sighs. Poor kid.

ANNA:

Henry, I’m not gonna fight any

battles.

HENRY:

Yes you are. You’re here because

it’s your destiny.

ANNA:

Henry -- cut it with the book crap.

It’s enough already.

50.

(CONTINUED)

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