I do not own Once Upon a Time.

Welcome everyone to story three of the Bounty Hunter Chronicles. Please remember to read the previous two stories, "People Like Me Don't Deserve Happy Endings" and "The Fresh Start I Dreamed Of." So this installment will follow the events of season two. Which means, for all you Captain Hunter shippers, Killian is back!

From The Fresh Start I Dreamed of:

"What's that?" Neal Cassidy asked, worried.

Amelia Hunter carefully stood up and looked out the window. In the distance, there was a rapidly approaching cloud of purple smoke. Whatever it is, it means trouble." She answered quietly, trying not to sound panicked.

What was going on? Was this another curse? Who had sent this one? Amelia braced herself for anything. Next to her, Neal wrapped her in a hug. Like he thought that would protect her.

The cloud swept over the building, at least there was no pain this time. Instead, Amelia felt… empty. That was the best way to explain it. She still knew everything about herself but she wasn't whole.

"I'm okay." She told Neal and stepped out of his embrace. She actually liked that more than she thought she would have. "I don't know what that was. Stay here, I'm going to find someone who maybe knows." She went to the door.

Neal followed her. "I'm going with you.

"No, you're staying here." She wanted to do this alone.

"You basically passed out, you need a hand. I want to be there with you." He was concerned.

"It's just a side effect, the same thing happened when I first woke up here twenty-eight years ago. I'll be fine." She reached up and gave him a quick kiss on the check. Hopefully that should keep him in the apartment. "Thank you for worrying."

Amelia left the building and walked quite quickly to the main street. The streets were empty. Then she turned a corner and saw the whole lot of them, rejoicing that they had found each other. Mary Margret, David, Ruby, Granny and all seven dwarves, the core group of the Enchanted Forest. Amelia felt like she didn't deserve to be a part of their celebration, so she kept her distance.

David was the first to notice her down the street. He looked relived, he nodded and smiled at her. Mary Margret, Ruby and Granny actually gave her similar smiles, the dwarves on the other hand, did not. They were cautious and Amelia couldn't blame them.

Then Emma and Henry came on to the scene. And finally after twenty-eight years, her entire life, Emma was reunited with her parents. Amelia looked away, that was something she was never getting. A happy reunion with her parents.

But, maybe it wasn't that impossible. She did have a family here, Michael, Helen, Jordan and Nathan. Amelia would have to stop by their house or the bakery later. Maybe she would even bring Neal.

"Did you feel that?" Mother Superior appeared next to Amelia. The librarian looked at the nun confused. "There's magic here in Storybrooke now."

Amelia tried to display any emotion. "Why would I know anything about magic?"

"Because you spent a great deal of time in the mines. I only assume you would recognize it." Mother Superior said then went to join the group of heroes.

Magic, there was now magic in Storybrooke? What did that mean for… everyone? Research time.

The group headed to the pawn shop. Well, that did seem like the most logical person who wanted to bring magic to Storybrooke. Gold was behind everything. Amelia followed at a safe distance.

But Ruby caught up with her. "Amelia… We are still friends; you know that right?"

Amelia smiled. "I wasn't sure, now with the curse being broken and everyone remembering…" She would have said more but her attention was drawn to an angry mob.

Archie ran up to Mary Margret and David. "There you are. Come with me. I need your help. Dr. Whale's whipped everyone into a frenzy. They're going to Regina's house. They are going to kill her."

"Great, let's watch." Leroy said.

Amelia had to agree. "Can I get in line to help?"

But Archie had to be voice of reason. "No, no, we can't stoop to her level. No matter who she is or what she's done, killing her is wrong."

"He's right. Please. She's still my mom." Henry piped in.

Amelia instantly felt bad, Henry was in a very tricky place, more so than before.

Emma, ever the savior, stepped up. "We have to stop them."

"If the Blue Fairy is right and magic is here, Regina could have her powers back. They'll be marching into a slaughter." David said.

That would be bad. They group followed the mob to Regina's house. Amelia wanted front rows seats to Regina's downfall. She had waited long and lost enough. She needed some closure.

When they all arrived at Regina's, she was already pinned against a doorway pillar by Whale. Apparently she was powerless. Maybe she had to relearn magic in Storybrooke.

"Let her go!" Emma yelled and pushed Whale away from Regina.

"Why should I listen to you?" Whale asked and even from all the way in the back, Amelia wanted to punch him. He creeped her out.

"Because I am still Sheriff." Emma answered.

"And because she saved you. All of you!" David told them.

Of course Emma did, but Amelia wanted the details of that heroic act. Maybe she would ask Henry later.

Margret had to add her two cents. "And because no matter what Regina did, it does not justify this."

"Well, we're not from this world." Whale spat.

"Yeah, well, you're in it now." Emma seemed ready for a fight.

As did David as he pushed Whale. "Okay, Whale, we're done."

Whale began to act like a child and pushed David back. "Back off. You're not my prince."

"Then who are you, Whale?"

"That's my business."

"Well my business is making sure this town doesn't go to hell. So, whether or not I'm your prince, isn't the issue. We have a lot to figure out and this isn't the way to do it." David suddenly became Prince Charming. It was impressive.

"And Regina's death won't provide any answers. She needs to be locked up. For her safety and more importantly, for ours." Mary Margret at least sounded reasonable.

As much as Amelia would love to see Regina behind bars, she wanted to get back to Neal to fill him in.

She entered the apartment. Neal was still standing by the window, trying to see something. "What's going on out there?"

"Emma broke the curse, everyone got their memories back. And it would seem that magic is here in Storybrooke. On the plus side, Regina is powerless."

"That's a lot of change in a very short amount of time. Where are we going?" Neal asked when Amelia held out her hand to him.

"We need reconnect with some friends." Amelia smiled.

Amelia stood in front of the door, ready to knock, one hand tight in Neal's. Part of her was scared and worried and part of her was more than ready.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. They are your family." Neal whispered in her ear.

Now she knocked. The door was quickly flung open. Helen stood there, she was almost speechless.

"Bernadette…?" She whispered. Amelia could only nod, feeling tears prick her eyes.

Helen wasn't able to form anymore words; all she did was pull Amelia into the tightest hug ever.

Michael wasn't far behind, another hug, then Nathan. It was the young man who suddenly remembered he had twin brother and that he wasn't here. He quietly excused himself from the room.

His parents understood and gave him space. They would grieve again later. Their adopted daughter was back.

Finally, they were all seated in the living room, along with mugs of tea. For once, Amelia didn't mind something stronger; she knew she didn't need it.

"Twenty-eight years, at least we kept this family together. Sometimes it hardly seemed like a day went by." Michael commented.

"Seems like forever, so much happened though." Amelia said.

"Derek… he was the Sheriff…" Helen started to say before realizing what happened to him.

Amelia nodded sadly. "Regina crushed his heart." She was still holding together. Helen moved over to her side to pull her into another hug. It was death that brought people closer.

The door opened and Jordan stood in the doorway, staring at Amelia. The women then hugged, back together again. Jordan knew things about Amelia that her family members did not.

"Are you going to fill me on certain things now?" Jordan whispered.

"Sure." Amelia clearly knew what her friend meant.

"So, young man, do you have family here? Michael asked.

"Yes, I do." Neal wanted to lie, but that would only make things worse when they did eventually find out who his father was.

"Did you reconnect with your family?"

Neal shifted uncomfortably. "No, not yet. We didn't part on good terms, I'm not ready right now. Maybe soon though."

"Well, I hope you sort out your issues. Family is everything, and they stick together through anything. Sometimes you just have to listen and forgive."

"Did you mean what you said back there?" Amelia and Neal were walking back home. "That you would talk to your father?"

"Should I? He abandoned me, just left in a strange world alone. I know we're family but sometimes there are things you can't get past." His hand tightened in hers.

"Maybe you don't know the whole story. I am not defending him; I would never defend the Dark One but I know what it's like to maybe want forgiveness for failing someone you wronged. I let my brother down and it got him killed. What I wouldn't give to be able to say I'm sorry, and I don't know if he would accept it. I can't fix it now, so I have to live with that mistake for the rest of my life."

He wrapped her in a hug. Their moment was broken when the ground shook.

"And now what was that?" Neal asked, he hadn't let go of her.

"I don't know, but we shouldn't be on the road." Amelia grabbed his hand and they quickly made their way home, the night air was cut by a nonhuman scream that chilled them both to the bone. "I'm going to visit your father tomorrow and see if he knows anything about what is going on."

Wow, she did forget something. Still no details on the scar on her palm, there will still only be hints. She is not spilling that story any time soon.

Reviews?