It all started when I put faith in a complete stranger. I was supposed to meet Cara- my social worker- at the Hard Rock Caffe in Augusta, Maine where she lives in an apartment above the restaurant. I was in my usual spot for meetings like the one we were supposed to have today. We had discussed her adopting me back and forth since I was eight, my excuse was that I wanted to find my birth family first. I know she cares a lot about me but I have had this urge to at least find out if my parents are even alive. Maybe after I found them I would except that they had moved on, then would I be able to as well. I heard someone join me in my little both in the far corner on the right." So I brought the rest of my stuff-" I started then froze, sitting across from me was a scrawny kid my age. He had brown eyes with some green mixed in, like mine." Who are you?" I demanded as I watched him closely for any sign of danger." My name is Henry and your Maria right?" He smiled at me, which made him look more like an imp then a kid." You can call me Ria" I replied automatically with the name Cara had given me when she was assigned to me. Henry looked like he was about to say something then hesitated, " do I know you, you seem so familiar?" I didn't think it was possible for him to look serious but he did and said " I'm your brother."

By the time Cara had arrived for our meeting Henry had told me his story. I was astounded, he lives in a town of fairytale characters? We, apparently are the grandchildren of Snow White and Prince Charming and somehow he got adopted by the Evil Queen. This all seemed a little far fetched until he got to the bit about our mom. Her name is Emma Swan and because she is the product of true love she is the savior fated to break the curse the Evil Queen casted on our land.

" Oh, so I see you two found each other?" Cara had joined us at the booth. I looked up at her in shock " you know him?" I accused, how long had she kept this from me? She let out a long sigh " that's why we are here now, I found out that you were twins and I called his phone number. It's lucky his mother allowed him to come out here to meet you." Henry made a face that led me to believe that he hadn't actually told his mom where he is." You didn't come here just to meet me did you?" I asked him with high hopes that we would find our birth parents as well. "I need your help in getting Emma to believe in magic so she can break the curse" I pondered that for a minute. I had dealt with some issues with the foster parents I had over the last five years and that was mainly the reason I wanted to look for my family, to see if the life I could have had would have been any better. I tried not to get my hopes up but I couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to have a family that loved me, one that wouldn't abuse me or kick me out like most of my foster family's did. I met my brothers gaze and matched his look of determined gaze with my own " tell me what to do."

I waved goodbye to Cara from the window seat I had on the bus that would take Henry and I to Boston. My brother was seated across from me holding a book of fairy tales in his lap, from what I could tell that was the only thing he brought with him on the hour long bus ride from Storybrooke aside from a credit card which he stored in his pocket. I had a little duffel bag filled with all my clothes and a wad of cash I had saved up from Cara when I used to help out in her office a few years ago. She gave me another hounded just in case I would need to stay in a hotel or something. I also had a little backpack that had necessities and my journal. I decided that I wanted to write down my story after I moved in with Cara a week before. Since then I had been writing all about my life in that journal so one day I could look back and remember what it was like.

I had been staring out the window as we pulled out of the bus station when I realized how drastically things had changed in my life. An hour ago I had been a lost ten year old little girl with no family and no where else to be. Now I had the opportunity to get answers, why was I given up? What is my family like? Who is my father? I realized then that there wasn't a set plan for convincing our mother to stay in Storybrooke for however long it would take.

"What's our plan Henry?"

"We go to her apartment and tell her what we know"

" you realize she could just send you back to Storybrooke on a bus right? And she could just call the police."

"We could always tell him she kidnapped us."

I almost laughed at that, it definitely sounded like something I would do to get what I wanted. I had to go to court once a few months ago as a plaintiff against one of my foster parents, I was curious about the laws that were for caretakers of children so I read as much as I could on the subject. I ended up winning the case and my-ex foster parent landed his but in jail. I had to fight off a small smile at the memory and said.

"Yeah that would work I suppose."

"So that's what we will do."

I let the silence hang between us, it was nice, I could tell he wanted to keep talking but he didn't push it. I met his gaze quickly before turning back towards the window again before I could be overwhelmed.

Cara used to tell me that it was easy for me to be empathetic of others, all I would have to do is look someone in the eye and I would understand them. Because of this I was able to understand Henry's reasons for needing to do this, no matter how crazy it seemed. But I would also understand how they would feel about other things, I sort of receive an aftershock of the persons strongest emotions and I sometimes would feel them myself. Eventually I developed a system for control, don't look people in the eye if I can help it. Because of this it is hard for me to share information about my life with anyone, I isolated myself and held trust in few people. I had known Cara for years before I opened up about being abused, but I never told her everything and I don't suspect I ever will.

I fiddled with a lose string hanging off of my favorite blue plaid button up I had put on earlier that morning. I tilted my head slightly and let my long brown hair form a curtain that separated myself from prying eyes. I let myself sink into the aftershock of Henry's emotions. It was like standing in a sea of people but having know one to look for comfort, we were alone and miserable. Underneath the misery was eagerness and an abundance of hope. He put so much faith in a woman he has yet to meet, he believed our mother would change everything and we would be reunited as a family. I ripped myself from the tide of his emotions before I gave anything away. I could see my reflection on the metal wall of the bus and realized that my brother and I didn't look that much a like as I had thought. His face was slightly rounder then mine and his eyes were more brown then green, unlike my prominently hazel eyes. Otherwise we looked basically the same, same deep brown hair, though mine reached halfway down my back.

The sun was setting and the driver had just announced that we would soon be arriving in Boston, Henry was studying his book with a small smile. "Henry?" I asked getting his attention " who gave you that book?"

"My teacher gave it to me, I'm not sure where she got it from though."

"And which on is she?"

"Snow White" he said as if it wasn't a big deal he was being taught by her every day.

"You don't mind if I take a look do you?" I asked inclining my head towards the book suddenly curios of the tales inside, wether they actually held information on our family.

He set the book down on the arm rest between us and I was looking at picture of what appeared to be the evil Queen.

"So that's her then"

"Yeah she adopted me when I was a baby"

"Does she remember who she is?"

"I think so yeah"

"She doesn't look evil, not really anyway, just sad."

I could feel his gaze, he was curious now, I had said to much.

"You'll see" was all he said and he closed the book as the driver pulled into the station in Boston.