AN: So this is something I got to writing after the finale (Which was amazing!). I just think that Henry's situation sucks, being the only kid to ever grow up and not being able to connect to anyone. Children are usually the ones who have the most capacity to believe in the unbelievable and have the greatest capacity to love and belief and love are huge themes in the show. Even if Regina never allowed any storybooks in Storybrook, some have to have been shipped in from Boston or something like that—so children have to be aware of fairy tales and magic.

Really I wrote this because I wanted the children in the story to have a little more power, as they are traditionally important in fairy tales, and I like the idea of the children saving their families by waking their parents up and believing (Henry and Emma, Emma and the Charmings).

Anyway, it starts a little after the Stable Boy, so Mary Margaret is out of jail but not with David and Emma is thinking about leaving as she's feeling confused but hasn't been pressured by August yet. Jefferson is alive but MIA. This will follow cannon as much as is possible regarding character backstories.

Prologue

"I wish… I wish everyone would remember." Henry Mills closed his eyes, wishing with all his heart as the full moon shone down. "I wish we were all in the fairy tale." Whispering in the darkened room, he wished, knowing in his heart that it didn't matter.

It didn't matter how much he wished. It didn't matter that he was wishing exactly right.

Wishes didn't come true, not in Storybrook. Because wishes only work if there's magic in the world.

And there was no magic. Because no one believed.

But still Henry wished. What else could he do? "I wish someone would remember."

- ONCE… -

Across town Paige Bennett sat up in bed, her small chest heaving. The stars on her ceiling glowed and at her feet, the book she'd been reading snapped open, pages flipping as a strong breeze from the window whipped around the room. She ran a hand through her blond hair, unsure after her startling dream. Glancing round the room, she was comforted by the familiar corners and finger-paintings, her things scattered as they always had been.

This room was what she had always known. Where she always slept and played and dreamed.

But… for the first time in her young life, Paige… felt… something.

At the foot of her bed, the pages rattled again and she reached down, silently apologizing to the books pages, which were creased from her comforter. She smoothed them out, loving the storybook as she always had—it was her favorite.

Alice in Wonderland.

She'd always wanted to live in a world of magic and fantastic things, just like Alice and the Hatter. She'd drink raspberry tea every day and never do homework. From the pages the Mad Hatter smiled up at her, cracked tea cup halfway to his lips, the dormouse hanging for dear life from the lip. She ran a finger over the illustration. Something…

Paige looked up at the stars, a memory tickling behind her eyes. For a moment, the stars shone with an unnatural light, their faint glow in the dark paint sparkling with magic. When she looked down once more Paige fisted the illustration in her hand, tearing the page from the book. Miss Blanchard would be upset.

But Grace didn't care. She had a tea party to get to.

Chapter 1

Henry was surprised when Paige was late to school. The little blond was always early, her white rabbit card snapping against her back tire as she sped past the front steps to the bike rack. The popular 4th grader would stand on the steps with her friends, discussing things Henry was never included in.

The dark haired boy resented the other children, who played and socialized, perpetual friends in their never ending loop of life. Henry had to let go of every classmate he made friends with, aging and graduating from year to year as the others remained. Paige had always been in Miss Blanchard's class, had always sat in the front of the class and been one of the three children who fed the class pet, a hamster who never died—not even as Henry aged from 5 to 10.

Timeless.

He gripped the book tighter, finding comfort in its familiar spine. Emma had given it back not long ago and it made him feel better to know it was close.

Miss Blanchard stood in the front, trying to ignore the class's interested gaze. Henry knew from breakfast with Emma that Mary Margaret was nervous, unsure of herself since she'd come home. That made him even sadder—Snow White would never have been nervous. Paige slipped in just as their teacher started to begin, and even as she entered, Henry could tell something was wrong.

Her normal school uniform of blue jeans and a pink collared shirt had been exchanged for a brown jumper, white long sleeved shirt below it. Hair that was usually tamed by a headband or twin braids was tied back with a robin blue ribbon. Paige looked unsure as she stood at the front, staring at the class like she'd never been there before. "Paige? Are you alright?"

Henry's classmate glanced at her and seemed to bob up and down in a confusing motion until before answering. "Yes y- Miss Blanchard. I just…my seat..." Her expression looked strained as she looked over the three possible open seats.

"The first row Paige." Miss Blanchard informed her kindly, gently pushing her that way. Once Paige was seated their teacher knelt beside her. "Are you sure you're alright dear?"

"Yes. I just…" Henry could see Paige shrug and tug at her new clothes from his seat near the window, "forgot." Miss Blanchard looked at the girl strangely but started the lesson, something Henry had gone over in his workbook already at the mayor's insistence. Instead of paying attention he watched Paige.

He did this a lot, watch.

Since he couldn't really be friends with the other children he liked to watch them, figure out who they could be. But he'd never put in a great deal of time watching Paige. She seemed so normal… plus, he already knew she was Alice. Who else could she be, with her White Rabbit card and blond hair? And he'd noticed, she always knew the time—not the real time, but Storybrook time. Paige Bennett never wore a watch but she could tell you the minute and second of every hour. Yes, he'd figured her out almost as soon as he'd gotten the book. "Alice." He whispered to himself.

Almost as soon as he spoke Paige's head whipped around, her brown eyes pinning him. "Paige, eyes front please." Miss Blanchard redirected her attention but Henry was frozen in his seat. She'd heard him.

He remembered his wish last night. He needed someone to believe.

Someone to remember.

Henry crossed his fingers under his desk and tried to keep the grin from his face. It looked like one of his wishes finally came true.