Chapter 2: Pathfinding
It wasn't long until the charming little hamlet of Storybrooke came into view, although Emma was operating on autopilot as she navigating her way to Granny's Bed and Breakfast. She glanced at her rearview mirror for what was probably the hundredth time, studying the two women stuffed into the back seat of the tiny car, chatting with Henry. They didn't look crazy. Emma herself felt crazier than they looked, simply by virtue of what she'd just witnessed. And even if it was all real, how did she know these women were on the level?
"You can trust us." Emma flinched, surprised at the voice suddenly breaking her ruminations. It was the woman who had said she was a mother as well. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."
Emma shrugged, doing her best to seem nonchalant. "Hey – no problem. I was just thinking." She paused. "Sorry… I didn't catch your name."
"Piper. Piper Halliwell."
"Right. Piper," she nodded. "Emma Swan – though I'm getting the impression you already knew that."
Piper shrugged. "In a manner of speaking."
"Look – I… yeah. This is a lot to take in. And I'm still not sure what I believe."
"I don't blame you. My sisters and I know what it's like to have the whole prophesized savior thing dumped on us as well. And if I were you, I wouldn't know what to trust, either. Like I said, I'm a Mom. I get it. You were trying to decide if you can trust us, right?"
Emma shrugged. "Wouldn't you?"
"Hell yes. And you don't strike me as the wilting flower type. Which is why I know that simply telling you is pointless."
The blonde shot her a skeptical sideling glance. "So your plan for winning my trust…?"
"Not a clue," replied Piper simply. "But… I'm hoping you come around to trusting your son's judgment. Not holding my breath, of course."
Emma smirked, finding herself liking the woman, despite her skepticism. "Almost sounds like you've been in the same boat."
"In many ways, yes, I have. Except, he was just a baby. At least your son can talk. But there's something to be said for trusting your instincts. Or his, in my case. Especially when it comes to magic."
There was a long pause and Emma parsed through what the woman had just said. "So I'm just supposed to trust you because Henry does?"
Piper cocked her head, looking at the blonde woman. "What does your gut tell you?"
"It says that…" Emma shook her head. "… I can't believe I'm even having this conversation."
"And…" prompted Piper.
"And God help me – I think you're on the level."
"Well, that's a start," replied Piper as Emma pulled her car up to a curb and parked alongside a house that looked as old as the Manor back in San Francisco. Only the signage betrayed it to be a bed and breakfast rather than a home. "Granny's, huh?" Henry nodded, as did Emma, albeit without the boy's enthusiasm. "Don't tell me that this Booth guy is the Big Bad Wolf? I've already met my lifetime quota of being swallowed by fairy tale wolves."
Henry's head shot between the two front seats. "You've met a big bad wolf?" he exclaimed in a way most little boys would reserve for stories about their sports heroes.
Piper couldn't help but smirk. Her boys, having grown up with magic, had never shown this kind of enthusiasm for the subject. Emma, meanwhile, was at a loss for words as her brain flitted between a knew-jerk sarcastic response and the realization that she needed to learn fast if she hoped to face the unfathomable. Piper, noticing Emma's flummoxed state, simply held up a hand. "Long story. Don't worry about it. Well… unless there is one."
Henry shook his head. "Nah. See, Red Riding Hood kind of is the wolf. At least, she was. I don't think the werewolf thing works in Storybrooke."
"Why do I get the feeling that Grams' storybook wasn't totally accurate?" remarked Phoebe.
"My book isn't like any other versions out there. I just wish I knew where it came from!" replied Henry.
"Well, how did you come into possession of it?" asked Paige.
"Ms. Blanchard, my teacher, gave it to me. She's Snow White, by the way!"
"But she doesn't know it?" asked Paige as she unfolded herself to climb out of the cramped back seat.
"Nope!" replied Henry brightly, scooting along to follow her out the car door "But she will soon enough, right?"
Paige smirked. "We'll see, kid. Once we know a little more. Operation Cobra needs a plan if we're gonna win."
"Operation Cobra?" asked Piper.
"Henry's code name for…." Emma sighed. "Breaking the curse. Which is totally not a figment of his imagination…" she added the last to herself.
The group of five let themselves in to Granny's and made their way to August's room, where Emma knocked briskly. "You there?" she called through the door.
A pause, followed by a man's voice. "Be right there!" The snap of a few latches and something scraping against the floor could be heard before the door opened. "Emma! To what do I owe the pleasure?" But before Emma could answer, the scruffy man caught sight of the three sisters and he swung the door open the rest of the way. "You got my letter," he stated at Phoebe simply, and stepped to one side. "Come in – come in."
The party of five shuffled into the tiny room and Piper crossed her arms. "Alright. You got us here. What's this all about?"
"It's like I said – you can help us lift the curse!" exclaimed Henry.
"Right…. Fairy tales," replied Paige.
Booth nodded. "You, of all people, should understand how real, and how important, the fairy tale realm is, Paige."
"How do you know my name?" asked Paige suspiciously. "And what do you mean me, 'of all people'?"
"Wait – you're not from this other supposed place?" asked Emma.
"It' s not 'supposed'. It's real," replied August simply.
"And we sure as hell aren't from there," added Piper. "Wherever that is. Unless you count San Francisco as a kingdom 'far, far, away'."
Paige shrugged. "I dunno. Half the people in the Haight look like they're from another planet. And there is that one guy who calls himself the King of Fairies…" she laughed.
"Wait – so you can do magic but you're not like, fairies from Henry's book or something?" asked Emma. The sisters shook their heads. "Well, what are you then?"
"They're witches," replied August.
"Witches," stated Emma, to which Booth nodded. "But you're good? Like, what? Glenda the Good Witch?"
"For lack of a better example – sure let's go with that," said Phoebe.
Piper held up her hands. "Ok, look. I know how crazy this all sounds, believe me. Try finding out you are a witch with some convoluted prophesized destiny when you're an adult."
"She has. She 's the prophesized savior!" replied Henry.
Paige chuckled. "Touché."
Emma shook her head. "Whoah, hey, I'm just getting my head around this magic thing. We can discuss this whole savior thing another time."
"No, we can't," said August seriously. "We're running out of time."
"Time for what?" asked Phoebe.
"To break the curse," replied Henry.
"That's not all," said Booth. He lifted a pant leg to reveal a wooden leg. "I haven't got much time left. I'm reverting. And it's speeding up."
"Hold on – you can't be saying what I think you're saying…" said Emma. "That's not possible…"
"You're Pinnochio!" exclaimed Henry, to which August nodded in affirmation. His delight was extremely short-lived, however, as he realized the implications of what he'd just seen. "But why are you turnin' back? I thought that the Blue Fairy-"
"- turned me into a real boy? She did. But remember what she said?" asked Booth.
"Only as long as you are brave, truthful, and selfless," replied Paige. At her sister looks she shrugged. "What? It's not like the evil enchantress was the only story I knew!"
August nodded. "Let's just say I haven't been a very good boy." Despite the flippant language, the guilt in his tone made it quite clear how ashamed he was. "And now I'm paying the price. That's why I contacted you, Phoebe."
"But how do you know who we are?" asked Phoebe.
"Why shouldn't he – everybody else seems to!" grumbled Piper.
August nodded."You may not have been exposed to the mortal realm, but you're as big as they come in the magical community. Never mind your run in with fairytale magic before," said August.
"The Keeper of Fairy Tales," said Piper.
August nodded. "His apprentice was a very good friend of mine. That's how I knew how to contact you."
The muted chimes of a cellphone ringtone coming from Henry's backpack cut off any further explanation. He quickly pulled off the pack and dug through, looking for the phone, finding it quickly. "Regina?" asked Emma. Henry nodded. "You should probably answer it. She's suspicious enough as it is…"
Henry sighed before answering. "Hi… uh-huh… yeah, we were just…" A disappointed look clouded his face. "But – but…. Yeah. Okay. I will. Bye." Henry shoved the phone back into his pack. "She says I've gotta go home. I think she might be on to us – she sounds really weird. Can you just, like, say you need my help at the station or something?"
"Henry…" began Emma. "You know I can't."
"But-"
"Henry." The boy sighed, but relented. "I promise I'll give you a full recap tomorrow, okay?"
"Alright…"
"So, you need me to take you home?"
"Nah… she's downstairs waiting in the diner."
"Which means she's probably seen my car." Emma patted him on the shoulder. "Which means, you should probably get going. No need to give her an excuse to snoop, and uncover Operation Cobra, right?"
Henry nodded. "Yeah…" He gave Emma a quick hug before waving goodbye to the sisters and Booth. "See you tomorrow!"
"Later, kiddo," replied Paige.
When the boy had made his way down the stairs Piper turned to Emma. "So why 'Operation Cobra'?"
Emma nodded. "Henry came up with the codename for what I thought, until a half hour ago, was a harmless little fantasy about breaking a curse. He chose it because it sounds like it has nothing to do with magic." She turned back to August. "So what does this fairy tale keeper have to do with everything?"
"He keeps fairy tale magic safe," said August. "When the Queen banished everyone to this world, many of the objects from that world came along, like being sucked up by a tornado, and were scattered across this world."
"And that means what, exactly?" replied Emma flatly.
"Fairy tales, and their magic, are the guiding force of this world's moral compass," said Booth.
"But they're just stories. I mean, okay, apparently about real events, but still just stories," said Emma incredulously.
"Sort of," replied Piper. "I don't quite get how it works, but-"
"We're connected. All realms are. This one and ours are just a little more so than most," interjected August.
"Thank you captain magic," replied Piper. "Anyway. However it works, you change the story, you change the message, and we're gonna have a world that doesn't believe in happy endings, or integrity, bravery, or any other the other lessons in fairytales."
Emma frowned in confusion. "And? There's plenty of people out there, myself included, that don't believe in happy endings."
"But you still believe in kindness and integrity," replied Booth. "Why else would you save Regina from that fire?"
"It was the right thing to do," said Emma.
"And where did you learn that from? Your foster parents?" asked Booth.
Emma crossed her arms. "I'll ignore that little jibe for now. But I think I know what you're saying. And that's not a world I want Henry to inherit. But still, what does this 'keeper' do?"
"He keeps things," replied Piper. Emma raised an eyebrow. "Ok, ok. He guards the fairytale magic by guarding the artifacts."
August nodded. "Each of which is imbued with fairytale magic. Which is different than the magic in this world. It can be used to reach the world of fairytales and alter them"
"Ok, so how is it that Regina hasn't just turned me into a toad or something if there's magic here too?" asked Emma.
"There's no fairytale magic here – aside from that inside the objects the Keeper protects – in this world," said August.
"But there's other magic…" said Emma.
Paige nodded. "Right."
"But she can't tap into it," added Booth.
"So, what? It's like fairytale magic here is diesel, and her powers can only run on unleaded?" asked Paige.
"Right," said August.
"So, why doesn't she just steal them?" asked Piper.
"She doesn't even know about it at all, as far as I can tell," replied Booth.
"And you know about it because…?" asked Paige.
"Because a fairy tale character gets around enough and eventually the Keeper will notice you. He can sense the magic. And since I originated in the fairy tale realm he could sense me just as he can any of his objects. Long story short – there's more than one Keeper. Each guards the items from each realm. When Regina cursed her realm she upset the balance everywhere. This real is like a vacuum of magic, compared to the others."
"And since nature abhors a vacuum, everything ended up sucked into here?" asked Paige.
August nodded. "You met the Grimm Brother, Piper, but you could have just as easily met the Keeper of Wonderland, or Aesop. The Elders set up the Keepers Council when Storybrooke, and all the objects, appeared."
"So, why didn't the Elders shut down this whole curse thing the moment they appeared?" asked Phoebe.
"Since when have the Elders actually done something sensible?" replied Piper.
"Hey, I'm not their biggest fan, myself, but in this case, they can't do anything. This world's magic can't effect fairy tale magic – and vice versa," replied August. "If it could, I wouldn't be turned to wood."
"Ok, so this still doesn't explain why you know all this and this evil queen doesn't," said Paige.
"Regina can't leave Storybrooke anymore than anyone else, and the Elders have kept Storybrooke cloaked, so no mortal stays long. I didn't know this, of course." He turned to face Emma. "My father had made a deal, to keep me safe, by sending me through the same wardrobe that saved you. I was that boy who 'found' you on the road, Emma," he revealed quietly.
"What?" exclaimed Emma. "But – how? And how am I supposed to know you're even telling the truth?"
"The blanket you were found with had your name embroidered on it. And the boy who found disappeared shortly after he was taken to the same group home that you were." Emma's face drained of color, her mouth hung open, at a loss for words. "I'm so sorry Emma. I should have taken care of you... I can't ask for your forgiveness. I don't deserve it – I let everyone down."
Emma swallowed and looked at him, her eyes hard for a moment before she finally shrugged "It's okay. Really. You were seven years old –you can't take care of anyone at that age. The system wouldn't have let you stay with me anyway."
"She's right," interjected Paige. "I should know, I was given up as a baby, too, and used to be a social worker. Without proof that you're related, there's no way they're gonna keep some boy with no paper trail, with an infant."
"That doesn't make it right. And I promise you, Emma, I won't let you down again," he added with resolve. "I eventually ran into a Keeper, and became good friends with his apprentice, who kept me hidden from the Elders. He was a true friend – and I think he thought of me as his first 'artifact'." He smiled wistfully. "I eventually got the travel bug again and struck out on my own, building contacts with any magical creatures I could find, which inevitably led to someone squealing. When the Elders found out about me and Emma, I talked them into leaving well enough alone. After all, Emma had grown up in this world; everyone here didn't remember their old lives – forever young." Booth turned to the small window of his room, holding his hands behind his back, and gazed out of the window. "Once they found me, there was no going back. That was a year ago. They brought me back to my senses. It's not just about saving my friends and father from the curse. It can only go on so long before the curse would erase all fairytales, dooming the billions of people here as well. I've been working with them ever since."
"Right," said Paige. "So, keep evil witch away from magical museums. But why do you need us for that? If their magic doesn't affect fairy tale magic, ours shouldn't either."
"That's not why I contacted you." He sighed. "I strayed, and I'm paying the price. And now, no matter what I do, there's no escaping my fate. When Emma began to weaken the curse, I started to revert. For all the good that may come from helping Emma break the curse, it will still be selfish, since it helps me. All I can hope is that breaking the curse will give me a second chance." He turned back around. "But what's done is done, and someone who knows magic needs to be here to help Emma. So, who better than the Charmed Ones? You world is just as much at stake as ours. You'll find a way."
"Uh. Huh," said Piper, crossing her arms, and turned to her sisters. "Just once it would be nice to have a choice in these things."
Emma raised an eyebrow. "Tell me about it. I didn't ask for any of this."
"And yet you seem pretty calm about it," replied Paige. "I was pretty freaked out the first time I saw magic. And met my dead mother in the same day."
"I think it hasn't sunk in yet," replied Phoebe. "She's more numb than anything else."
"And I should probably wonder how you know that, but I'm not going to, for probably exactly the reason you just said," added Emma. "I think I'm in information overload – and my brain is still in buffering mode. Give it an hour."
"Fair enough," replied Paige.
"Maybe not. We need to act fast. Every minute we waste is one that Regina has to work against us," said August.
"It's been 28 years. How much could another day matter?" asked Emma.
"That was 28 of statis. Time is moving again, Emma. I wouldn't be turning to wood if it wasn't."
"Oh. Right," said Emma. "Sorry about that."
"It's not your fault," replied August.
"Destiny is funny like that," remarked Paige.
"Gotta love it. Oh, wait. I don't," added Piper. "But they're right. Destiny always gets its way."
"I make my own destiny," replied Emma resolutely.
Piper shook her head. "It only goes so far. Trust me. I've tried."
"So why try at all, if it's all going to happen, anyway?" asked Emma.
"Because how it gets its way is only half of it. It's how we get there that is up to us. And some paths are a helluva lot better than others," answered Piper, whose tone made it clear she'd been down that road more than once. "Besides, the sooner we get started, the sooner we all get home."
Emma nodded. "And the sooner this craziness is over with. I hope."
"Right," said Paige. "So how do we break this curse?"
"I'm not entirely sure. But I think the key is making people remember who they really are," said August.
"And how are we supposed to do that?" asked Piper.
August shrugged. "How did you wake up Graham, Emma?"
"I don't even know that I did," replied Emma. "And how do you know about him?"
"I haven't been driving around town all day for my health," replied August. "I've been asking around. And he had to have woken up. Regina wouldn't have killed him, otherwise."
"He died of a heart attack!" argued Emma. "I should know – I was there. And we were alone."
"Right. A young, healthy man in prime physical condition just happens to drop dead, of a heart attack, right after you become his deputy," said August.
"Look, Booth, plenty of people have heart conditions they don't know about," answered Emma hotly.
"Don't those usually need the person's heart rate to be elevated to set them off?" remarked Phoebe who was abruptly hit by a wave of embarrassment from Emma. Phoebe laughed. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me!"
Emma looked confused for a moment before her eyes widened, putting two and two together. "What? No! No! It was just a kiss!"
Paige smirked. "Niiiice." Emma's face dropped at this, and Paige suddenly realized that he must died at that moment."Oh, honey, sorry. Not nice. But at least you know it's not your fault, now, right?"
Emma blinked thoughtfully. "I suppose so." Her eyes took on a hardness and she shook her head. "I can't believe I saved that bitch's life," she growled.
"You saved her because you're a good person," said August.
"Remember that," added Phoebe. "Don't let her bring you down to her level."
"Lucky for her, the only person she loves happens to be my son…." said Emma.
"Lucky for you both," replied Phoebe. "Vengeance isn't a road you want to go down. Trust me."
"So, you were kissing him when it happened?" asked Piper, trying to get the discussion back on track.
Emma nodded slowly. "Come to think of it, he was acting weird. Maybe he had remembered. He was trying to tell me, and I just kept blowing him off... if I had just listened to him!" she growled at herself.
"It's not your fault, honey," said Phoebe. "You couldn't have known."
"She's right. The important thing now is to not let his death go to waste," said August. "Now think, what happened right before he started to remember?"
"He said… " Emma cleared her throat. She was a private person and all this sharing was more than she'd ever engaged in, aside from Mary. "He said that he realized that he hadn't ever felt anything, until we kissed. And that Regina had stolen his heart. We went looking for it, and didn't find it of course. How is that even possible?"
"A horcrux," remarked August.
"Like, in Harry Potter?" asked Paige.
August nodded. "Terrible magic. A person's heart, metaphorically speaking, can be stolen from their soul, leaving that person, well, heartless. It's great for creating remorseless guards, assassins, et cetera. And also a great failsafe, should the slave need to be eliminated. Destroy the horcrux and you destroy them."
"That's awful," replied Phoebe.
Emma shook her head. "Well, whatever. It stops now. Regina isn't hurting anyone I love, ever again."
"Which is why we need to be careful. If she suspects you believe, or that anyone is remembering their true identities that person will be in serious danger," said August.
"Wait a minute, if she's so powerful why hasn't she just killed Emma?" asked Piper.
"Because if Emma dies, the curse will be broken, and she'll have an entire city of people out to kill her," answered August.
"Well, at least there's that," remarked Paige. "So, how to we break this curse without Emma losing her life?"
"I'm not entirely sure. But I do know that Mr. Gold knows. He crafted it, and made sure he'd remember. No way would he let Regina have that kind of upper hand."
"So let's go talk to him," said Piper. "It doesn't sound like he's a fan of hers either. What is he, like Merlin?"
"Rumpelstiltskin," said August.
"Are you kidding me?" exclaimed Emma. At Booth's deadpan expression, she rolled her eyes. "You're not. Well, I can see why he goes with Mr. Gold…."
"Dealing with Rumpelstiltskin isn't to be taken lightly. His only allegiance to himself. If we tip our hand too soon, he could play it against us," said August. "And I was just a boy when this all happened. I only know as much about him as anyone who's read Henry's book, which leads me to believe he's trying to find his son. But there could be more deals in the work. After all, he's the one who foretold your return, Emma."
"Ok, who can we trust that has dealt with him in the past?" asked Piper.
"Mary Margaret," said Emma.
"Who?"
"My roommate. Snow White…" answered Emma softly. "And my mother."
"And I thought our family was screwy!" exclaimed Paige. The rest of those assembled gave her a look. "What?"
