Chapter 1

Purple smoke cleared up, and Emma and Henry were still holding on to each other. Mother Superior also known as Blue Fairy or just Blue, to only certain individuals, was still in the room with them.

Emma turned to Blue. "What was that?" she asked.

"Magic's back," Blue replied, "and we're all in very real danger."

"Danger?" Emma asked curiously. "Danger from what?"

"Your mother's step-mother for one," Blue said.

"You know who I am?" Emma asked.

"I do," she answered and then elaborated, "You are the daughter of Snow White and Prince James, and you saved us from the curse."

Emma closed her eyes. "Mother Superior."

Blue smiled. "You can call me Blue," she told her.

"Blue, how exactly did the curse work?" Emma asked.

"You'll have to ask Rumpelstiltskin," Blue said. "He's the one who made the curse in the first place."

Emma stared at her. "Mr. Gold," she exclaimed.

"Yes," Blue replied not surprised Emma knew that answer. "That would be the name you know him as."

"I do owe him a favor," Emma told her.

"So Princess Ella could keep her child," Blue said knowing that piece of the town gossip. "I think I know what his favor would be."

Emma looked over at Blue. "Oh, really?"

"Centuries ago in the land you were born," Blue started as she told Emma the tale of Rumpelstiltskin as she knew it.

"Belle?" Emma replied stunned.

"She's not dead," Blue added, "but I wasn't going to be the one to tell him after what had happened when I gave Baelfire the seed."

"No, I wouldn't have either," Emma told her. "I won't look for him until he tells me to in case he'll extract another favor."

"I would," Blue said.

"But Belle wouldn't be," Emma replied. "I believe Jefferson would've mentioned that to me."

"He's mad at himself," Blue told her with a bit of irony. "He was stuck in Wonderland after helping her majesty, and he was betrayed by her; therefore, he left his daughter in the care of neighbors."

"But why?" Emma asked. "He had to have known what she had done."

"He did," Blue replied. "He was blinded by the fact he wanted a better life for his daughter."

"Paige," Henry replied thinking about how interested Emma was after dealing with Jefferson and then asking about Paige.

"Grace," Blue corrected him. "The name Jefferson and his wife gave her is Grace."

Emma then thought of something then. "If Belle is alive, Regina would've brought her over, but then where is she?" she asked as she looked over at Blue.

"I...I don't know," she said.

"I do."

Emma, Henry, and Blue looked at the entrance to see Jefferson. "Well, enlighten us," Emma replied.

Jefferson smirked. "She was a mental patient in this very hospital," he replied. He then looked over at Blue. "You and I both know Belle isn't mental."

"No, she's not," Blue agreed, "but where is she now?"

Jefferson leaned against the door jamb as he smiled at Henry. "I should thank you for dieing when you did," he said. "While doctors and nurses alike were trying to revive Henry, I was able to sneak in and let Belle go." He crossed his arms. "I told her to go find Mr. Gold and to tell him that Regina locked her up."

Emma, Henry, and Blue stared at him. "I don't know if that is ingenious or not," Blue replied a little astonished.

"Regina has been lying to all of us," Jefferson replied. "I knew Mr. Gold would be the best payback there was."

"Uh-huh," Emma said understanding him better now. "You just wanted to cause problems."

"I did something for her, and she promised to give me something," Jefferson replied. "She didn't deliver."

"So you told Belle to go find Rumpelstiltskin?" Emma asked him with some surprise as she put two and two together.

"I did," Jefferson replied, "but I had no idea that you would break the curse in the meantime."

"I'm surprised you haven't gone to collect her," Blue said gently knowing this was a sore subject for him.

"I can't," Jefferson replied. "I abandoned her."

Blue walked to him. "I wager Grace would forgive you," she said. "You just need to find a way to forgive yourself first."

"I don't know if I can do that," Jefferson replied as he turned to leave, but not before he heard Emma's suggestion.

"Why don't you learn to try?"

Jefferson without turning back to acknowledge Emma's suggestion.

"He's stubborn, but he'll figure out what he wants to do," Blue said and then trailed off when she looked into Emma's eyes. "Princess Emma?"

Emma winced at the title. "Don't call me that," she said.

Blue just smiled. "But what has gotten you so on edge?"

"Did Regina ever send others out of town to do her work?" Emma asked her.

"She let Rumpelstiltskin pick up Henry," Blue reminded her, "and when Graham was alive, he went of town to errands for her."

Emma gave her a look.

"What's going on?" Blue asked a little concerned.

"Could I talk to you outside?" Emma asked.

Blue walked out the door, and Emma exited after her and closed the door. "What's wrong, your highness?" Blue asked. She saw the anguish in Emma's eyes. "What's the matter?"

"I lied to Henry when he asked about his father," she told her. She looked at the most beautiful thing in her life through the glass wall.

"You were protecting," Blue said in understanding.

"I didn't know who he was," Emma said, "but I remember now."

Blue looked at Emma confused. "Emma, when your father put you in that tree, you weren't supposed to be part of the curse. You or Pinocchio both weren't meant to be part of the curse."

"Yes," Emma replied, "but this is something different."

"Emma," Blue replied catching on. "Who is Henry father?"

Emma looked over at Blue to answer her. "Graham," she answered as tears started spill from her eyes. "Graham is Henry's father."