His eyes ringed with exhaustion, Henry's on his last leg, literally as well as figuratively. He's spent every spare moment (and, as his grades show, several he shouldn't have spared) searching for the Author, by every means he could conceive. He's failed.

So have the adults, even when, at the last moment, a brilliant display of silver-tongued oratory from Rumplestiltskin had brokered a truce and brought the competing factions together for a solid two weeks of brain-wracking, riddle-solving, clue-squeezing but, alas, failed effort. The work was abandoned at last when a fire fight broke out between Regina and Maleficent over the latter's inability to forgive the former's having imprisoned her in a basement for thirty years. Mal might have been mollified by Belle's plea for tolerance, since Belle had suffered an identical fate, but Regina failed to express her regret in a manner Mal found sincere. So fire was thrown, the library accidentally caught aflame, the volunteer fire department had to be called out, and the three villains were ushered out of town by dagger point, the dagger this time wielded by Emma.

Henry's had enough. He's disgusted with the immature antics of the whole bunch of them, self-styled villains and heroes alike. They're all acting like a bunch of babies, in his opinion, and the worst of the lot is the schoolyard bully he intends to speak to right now.

He pushes up his sleeves as though preparing for a fight and he takes a stance in the street across from the charcoaled building that used to house Step-Grandma Belle's great work. He's finally figured it out: they've been wasting their time searching for the Author. If he or she really does control their stories, then he or she must be watching them, yes? That's why they can't find him/her; he/she sees what they're doing. But if he/she is watching, then he/she must also be listening, so. . . .

"Come on out here, you big bully! You coward! Come out here and face me and tell me the truth!" Henry shouts to the smokey sky. Lights go on in the nearby houses; windows are raised, but no one comes out. "If you're so powerful, you have nothing to be afraid of! If you're wise enough to judge us and punish us, you should be wise enough to explain yourself! Come out here, you coward!"

The boy waits, peering into the street, the buildings, the sky, watching for a sign. When none comes, he continues, "You took my mom away from her parents, then you took her away from me! How is that right? You took my other mom's true loves away from her, twice! How is that right? You took my dad away from his dad, and you took my grandpa away from his dad! And then, you bastard, you took my dad away from me after I hardly got a chance to know him! Come out, you coward, and face me, if you think you've got the right to judge us!"

He waits, but no one steps forward, no one answers.

"Listen! We're just people! Just plain, ordinary people, even the ones with magic, and we all screw up sometimes! But it seems like you just set us up to fail! Like you never give some of us a fighting chance! Now how can you blame us if we try to cheat your system when the system's rigged to begin with?"

But there's no response.

"Bring back Robin and Roland! Bring back my dad! And bring back my grandpa! Or come out here and answer to me!"

But no one comes and no one answers. Henry walks away. "I don't believe in you any more."

Late in the morning, he's awakened with a shoulder shake. "Henry, we're gonna be late. Mom said hurry up."

He pries one eye open. "Roland?"

"Come on!" The kindergartener urges. He tosses his stuffed dragon at Henry's head. "Wake up!"

Downstairs, Robin has a plate of scrambled eggs waiting for him. "You're going to miss the bus, but your mom will kill me if I don't get a hot breakfast into you on such a cold morning. Sit down and shovel it in, boys. Your mom's already left for work."

Henry eats in stunned silence, staring at an array of family photos hanging on the dining room walls: Regina and Robin, cuddling beside a fireplace. Snow and Charming and their baby daughter Ruth. Emma in a wedding dress, shoving a slice of cake into Bae's mouth.

"My dad?" Henry chokes on a bite of bacon. "He's here?"

Robin is puzzled. "No, he's at your other house. Are you coming down with the flu or something?" He presses his palm against Henry's forehead, but before he can pronounce him unwell there's a rap at the door. Roland runs to open it, shouting "Rumple!" as the door swings open and a figure sweeps Roland up into a hug.

"Morning, Robin. Thought I'd stop by and offer the boys a ride to school so they don't have to wait for the bus on such a cold day."

Henry stares at the new arrival: from his Italian loafers to his D & G tie, Gold looks every bit the dapper businessman that Henry's always known (and sort of loved and feared, all at once).

"That's very kind of you, Rumple. Thanks." Robin says, stuffing Roland into a coat. "I appreciate it. I'm late for work myself. Grab your jacket and your bookbag, Henry."

Henry obeys, but as Robin loads Roland into the car seat in the back of the Caddy, Henry takes the opportunity to seize his grandfather's sleeve and whisper, "Hey. You know, don't you? About the Author, I mean."

"I do," Rumple whispers back.

"Well?" Henry demands. "What happened?"

"Well, it would seem, Henry, that there's one brand of magic that's more powerful than mine or the Author's: a young man's faith in his family." Rumple holds the passenger door open and waves Henry inside. "Even the ones who've used up all their second chances."

"Huh?"

Rumple smiles gratefully as he closes the car door. "Come by the shop after school. Your papa and Emma and I need your help planning a surprise party for Belle. It's her birthday tomorrow, you know." He climbs into the driver's seat and starts the engine as Robin waves them off, but he hesitates a moment, his gloved hand on the gear shift. "The Author listened, Henry, and she gave us all another chance. I thank you for that, and I won't let you down this time."