She has to find the boy, there isn't much time. Her green sheer dress ripples in the breeze, leaving a trail of goose bumps across her slender legs. The short, blonde, fair-skinned girl peeks around the clock tower, tucking a loose curl behind her ear; her brilliant green eyes detect every movement in the surrounding area. The hands on the clock strike a new time and the girl steps out of the shadows, her bare feet padding on the sidewalk, to gaze up at it. Time was running out, and every minute was precious. Another cool breeze brushes against her skin and she wraps her arms around herself, allowing her sun-kissed hair to bounce around her face like delicate tendrils. She wonders where she can find the boy. Will she be able to capture his attention exclusively? She most definitely did not want to capture the queen's attention. The boy was the key to his mother, and she was the key to the salvation of Storybrook. The only obstacle was finding the lock that the key fit into in order to free them all. The queen could ruin all of it if she were to find out that the blonde was here. Lost in thought, the girl was oblivious to the footsteps nearing her. "Excuse me?"

Startled, the blonde whirls to face the stranger. She finds herself face-to-face with a young, short-haired, brunette with soft facial features. She is dressed moderately, yet flattering, in a mid-calf dress and a thin cloth sweater. She immediately recognized the woman as Snow White, the princess. But she is not Snow White here, not in this time.

"I didn't mean to scare yo-" She begins, but the girl darts away into the shadows before the once Snow White can finish her sentence. Chest heaving, the green eyed girl slows to a stop behind a collection of apple trees in a neighboring yard. While catching her breath, she silently curses herself. She is not to be seen. That is of the utmost importance. After she's regained her breath, she slowly peers around the branches of the tree she has taken refuge behind. Her eyes dart from window to window in hopes that this is possibly the boy's residence. She crouches defensively as her eyes find the queen herself through a second story window of the house. The girl's brow creases and she watches in fascination. The queen has short hair now, and is dressed... motherly. She looks like a real mother. The blonde's eyes fill with a longing she has never encountered. The need to be part of a warm, family-like atmosphere is strong and she feels it through her core. The need for someone to love her...

She snorts. The queen. The evil queen. Love her? She forces the feeling to leave her body and disregards it as a spell put in place to draw one to her end, much like a lotus flower. She re-continues her search, for this must be the boy's home if the queen is here. Her gaze moves to the other side of the house and she finds a small, brown-headed boy staring out of his window dreamily. She smiles to herself and silently makes her way toward the house with extreme care.

The girl makes her way up to the sill with the aid of a nearby tree and slowly, so as not to startle the boy, she lifts her head up to look inside the pane. He has moved to his bed and is intently engaged in a large brown book. She bites her lip and lightly taps on the glass. His head snaps up; the startled look on his face quickly turns to amazement and the book slides ever-so slightly down his lap. She puts her fingers to her lips to instruct him to remain quiet and he nods, but the book slips completely out of his grasp, hitting the floor with a heavy thud. The blonde winces and crouches below the window as the queen calls, "Henry, what's going on in there?"

"N-nothing mom!" He calls back and the girl makes herself visible to him once again. She motions for him to open the window and he quickly obliges. She quietly clambers inside and before Henry can speak, places a cool slender hand over his mouth. She delicately raises her eyebrows and he nods, silently promising that he will remain quiet. The blonde speedily shuts the window and returns to Henry, who is now clutching the books in his arms.

"You're Evangeline, aren't you?" He asks, bright-eyed.

"Yes." She answers him, her voice like clear and beautiful.

"Whoa..." He says, sitting on the bed. She follows suit and sits next to him, her green orbs piercing his. "So, like… how old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"You seem older than that."

"That's because I have experienced much in my life." She replies. She intakes a quick breath and hesitates before asking her next question.

"Henry, I've been told you know the whereabouts of the daughter of Snow White and the Prince. She is your mother, no?"

"Yeah, she's here. I went and found her on her 28th birthday, like it says in the book." He explains, clearly pleased with his input on the task.

"I must be taken to her; she is one of those to be connected."

"Alright, but... how will we get out? My mom will hear us if we leave my room."

Evangeline flashes him a brilliant smile before grabbing his hand and leading him to the window. "I can get us out, if you can get us there."

Henry grins and laces his fingers through hers. She opens the window and once on the ground, let's Henry lead her to his birth mother's house 'the back way he knows'.

It's a late night, and Emma is sitting on Mary-Margaret's couch watching the latest episode of Law & Order: her favorite thing to do on a sleepless night. She has her head propped up on the arm of the couch and one leg draped over the edge; her arms are enclosed around a large half eaten bowl of popcorn. Her eyes begin to droop shut when the door bell rings. She huffs and squeezes her eyes shut. "Coming, coming," She calls when the ringing doesn't stop. She sets the bowl on the opposite cushion of the couch and shuffles to the door. Opening it reveals a very excited Henry who beams up at her. "Henry? Kid what are you doing here at this time of night? Does your mother know you're here?" She mumbles out at the end.

"I have someone you have to meet!" Henry exclaims. He moves to the side to reveal a slender blonde girl with bright green eyes and freckled cheeks. She is dressed in a sheer green spaghetti strap dress and is wearing no shoes. Emma stares at the girl curiously, but allows the two entry – or rather, Henry drags the girl inside – and Emma closes the door behind them.

"Henry, who is this? Where did she come from? And… why doesn't she have any shoes?" Emma asks skeptically and the girl gives a shy smile, revealing perfect pearly white teeth.

"This is Evangeline; she's from my book too!" He explains as though Emma should have already noticed. "She's here to help."

Emma shifts her weight uneasily from foot to foot as Evangeline stares her in the eyes. "Why is she staring at me? I feel like she's looking into my soul or something."

Without any words, the girl strides up to Emma and takes one of the woman's hands in both of hers. She closes her eyes and Emma flinches, but Henry motions to her to stay still. The girl closes her eyes in concentration and Emma feels a warmness flow into her hands. After a few moments, Evangeline's eyes re-open and she looks at Emma with an array of emotions across her facial features: concern, confusion, frustration, and more confusion. She gently shakes her head, her eyes never leaving Emma's. She speaks out loud, but it doesn't seem directed toward anyone in particular. "I… I don't understand. It doesn't make sense." Her brows knit together with worry. "My instincts are never wrong, nor is my sight… but maybe…" She trails off deep in though, her eyes still piercing into Emma's, but the girl is not looking at her. "No. I can't distrust my instincts." She concludes and comes back from her mind to the apartment. She mentally shrugs if off and backs away from Emma, standing once again next to Henry.

"What? What is it? Who is her true love?" Henry babbles out excitedly.

"My what? Hold on kid, that's-"

"Not for you to know." Evangeline states pointedly.

"Yeah, that's my busine-"

"I mean you, Emma." The girl clarifies. Emma gapes, but seeing the look in Evangeline's eyes, decides not to push the matter any further.

They all stand in an awkward silence, looking in non-particular directions for what seems like forever before Henry cautiously broaches the subject of Evangeline's need of a place to stay.

"Why me?" Emma all but whines, and Evangeline narrows her eyes, obviously offended.

"I'm not a difficult keep Miss Swan." She retorts and for a split second Emma is reminded of Regina, but only a second. "I need nothing from you but a place to stay until my work here is finished."

Emma internally debates, but doesn't see the duo giving up anytime soon. "Fine, there's a pull-out couch in the spare bedroom I'm using." she says, mentally wincing apologetically to Mary-Margaret for allowing a stranger that her son brought over to stay at an apartment that wasn't hers. Too late now, she thinks to herself as she leads them upstairs. Once Evangeline is inside the room, Emma turns to Henry. "Okay kid, you really need to get home. Your mom is going to kill me, and then you, and then me again." She says frowning.

Henry sighs, but finding the truth in Emma's words goes back down the stairs and she follows.

"Do you need a ride?" She offers.

"No, we don't need my mom any more suspicious of you." Emma is concerned about him going home in the dark, but he grins at her reassuringly. "I live down the street mom, I'll be okay."

She opens her mouth to protest at him calling her mom, but closes it and instead nods and watches out the window until he is in his own yard and she can no longer see him due to the apple trees in it. She takes a deep breath and remembers that there is a girl she doesn't know in her -Mary Margaret's- bedroom. She crosses over to the couch, turns off the TV, grabs the bowl of popcorn and sets it on the counter, and heads back up the stairs. Once inside her room, she shuffles over to where Evangeline is sitting on her bed, staring out the window, and gently sits down next to her. She studies the girl and wonders what is wrong with her own head. What am I going to tell Mary-Margaret? Emma looks at her phone: the school teacher will be home any minute; she should probably wait for her downstairs to prepare her. Before she moves to stand, however, she hears a quiet "thank you… for letting me stay."

"No problem, I just hope Mary-Margaret doesn't mind." She mumbles.

"Mary-Margaret?" Evangeline turns to face Emma, her eyes curious.

"Yeah, she lives here, I'm just her… uh… roommate."

Emma can see the smallest amount of fear in Evangeline's eyes and decides to question. Why would anyone be scared of Mary-Margaret? "Do you know her?" she asks.

"I'm not sure… I know a lot of people in this town, but none of their names here."

Emma's brows crease. "What do you mean?" How could this girl possibly know the people in this town? She'd never seen her before tonight.

"None of them remember me, which for some is good, I suppose. I wouldn't want Henry's mother to recognize me, nor the pawn shop owner. I'm not supposed to be seen… but I guess I'll have to break that rule if I'm to connect you." She replies, and Emma wants to ask her more about how she knows the people of the town, but the girl's last statement takes over her thoughts.

"Yeah, about that… what does that even mean? And who are you 'connecting' me to?"

Evangeline gives Emma a disappointed look. "Emma, do you know who I am?"

"Not really."

Evangeline sighs and rolls her eyes, but explains none the less. "I am what you would call here, fate. I find two souls destined to be together but not able to come together on their own, and unite them. With some, it's obvious that they are meant to be and I can connect them quickly, with others, I have to come into contact with one and search to find their 'soul mate'."

"Is that what you did with me?"

"Yes. You and…" She clears her throat, "…your lover are a very odd pair. I wouldn't have been able to see the connection without searching for it, partially because I've never seen you two together, and partially because it's not the way normal pairings go. This tie goes against everything we've ever believed. It's hard for me to understand, but I think if I saw you together it would make more sense."

"Uh-huh." Emma says, not totally believing the girl. This is probably some girl from Henry's school who he convinced to do this. Mary-Margaret will probably know who it is when she gets here and we'll take her home. The sound of the door opening pulls Emma out of her thoughts and makes Evangeline jump.

"Hello? Emma, you home?" A voice calls and Emma can see Evangeline freeze out of her peripheral vision. She looks concernedly from the girl to the door and calls "Yeah I'm up here, but just wait a minute, I'll come down there." She puts her hand on the blondes and squeezes it. "It's okay, Mary-Margaret wouldn't hurt a fly." She assures her and heads down the stairs.