DISCLAIMER:: do not own

A/N:: thank you to all who showed interest in this story. i have big plans for it and i hope you continue to read. enjoy and review. oh, and important formula to remember in regards to time 1 month in the fairytale realm is 2 years in our world.

SWAN QUEEN SWAN QUEEN SWAN QUEEN

-Present Day, Castle of King James & Queen Snow White, (unoccupied) Enchanted Forest-

She paced about restlessly. "She must be stopped! This has gotten out of control!" She gave out a sigh of frustration and whirled on her husband.

James stared at his wife with the caution of someone approaching an enraged lion. "We can't touch her and you know that. All our efforts, all the entire Enchanted Forest's efforts, have fallen flat. She's too powerful."

His tone had been meant to soothe, but Snow just felt the anger flare up again. "No one is unstoppable! There must be a way. If we had all the pieces, we'd have the advantage. We could plead our case."

James shook his head. "She's magically protected and we know she has at least two of them. How can we take them from her? We can't. She may have more for all we know. At least we can console ourselves with the fact that she'll never get Emma's piece."

"We lost our little girl because of her!" Snow's anger gave way to sadness in an instantaneous shift. She nearly collapsed from the weight of it all. It had been nearly fifteen months since the curse had taken Emma away from them. The war between the realms of their world had only escalated, and without their savior, Snow knew it was only a matter of time before the Evil Queen took control of them all.

James walked over and pulled his wife into his arms. "We will find where the curse transported her. We have the spell casters on it."

Snow shook her head. "They've been trying for over a year. The only person who even has a chance of knowing is the one person we can't ask."

They had made a pact never to ask for something from Rumplestiltskin again. He wasn't by any means responsible for Emma's capture, but it hadn't been hard for them to discover that the twisted dark magician had told the Evil Queen about Emma. He had painted a target on the back of an unborn infant, their unborn infant, and that was unforgivable.

"The spell casters will work." He kissed the top of her head. "They've caught the curse's magical signature several times, but every time they get close to locking down her location, it disappears, as if Emma is always moving."

"What if she is? What if the curse is programmed so that every time someone tries to find where it sent her, she gets transported somewhere else? Like some sort of curse-y defense mechanism?"

"A curse-y defense mechanism?" He pulled away just enough to stare down at his wife in amusement.

She sighed. "I want her back James. Wherever she is, she's a toddler. She must be so scared."

"We'll find her. I promise."

SWAN QUEEN SWAN QUEEN SWAN QUEEN

-Present Day, Castle of the Evil Queen, Undisclosed Location-

"Where is that insufferable little brat?" Regina felt like punching something, or blowing something up… just destroying something.

The face in the mirror watched her pace restlessly, as he did every day. It seemed that that's the only thing Regina felt these days, restlessness. Nothing seemed to keep her content for more than an hour. She had been searching for the child since the day she'd disappeared. The child had been the bane of her existence since she'd found out her arch nemesis was pregnant. It hardly helped that Rumplestiltskin had predicted her downfall at the hands of Snow White's spawn. Regina had made it her mission, and therefore his, to find and destroy the baby. But that had, so far, been a fruitless effort. There was little doubt left that the child no longer resided in their realm, but there were so many possibilities, so many parallel universes she could have been deposited in. All experienced time and life at a different rate. It was possible she had ended up in a universe where she had already lived a full life and died of old age. But Regina would not stop until she knew for sure.

SWAN QUEEN SWAN QUEEN SWAN QUEEN

-Present Day, The South Woods near the city of Rockspear, (unoccupied) Enchanted Forest-

Emma awoke to the smell of dirt. Dirt? In Boston? She tried to move and groaned as her muscles objected. She opened her eyes and found herself hugging the ground.

What did I have to drink last night?

She remembered catching her guy after their 'dinner date'. Then she had gone and picked up her cupcake order from the bakery. And she'd gone home. She felt the shift of leather against her shoulders. Obviously she had changed out of her date attire sometime after arriving home. She tried to move again, but to no avail. She felt it then. Body heat. She had been too mixed up to register the other person's presence before this instant, but… it was sitting on her. She turned her head to look at the intruder and was surprised when a smiling face hovered near hers.

"I can appreciate a need to take a load off buddy, but last time I checked, bench wasn't in my job description."

The face, obviously male, tilted his head, regarding her, still with a smile. He remained silent. He wasn't like anyone she had met in Boston before. She'd resided in Boston five months, one month away from the six month deadline she gave any place she stayed. A few times she had even entertained the notion that this might be the city that changed her mind. She made adequate money chasing down the lowlifes who jumped bail. But this man was definitely not a Boston native. She couldn't get a full look at him, but she could see his face clearly. He had a small wiry brown beard. His ears were several sizes too large and his nose was what could only be described as bulbous. His cap looked as if it had been cut from the cloth of a burlap sack.

She groaned. "Listen buddy, just in case you haven't grasped what I'm saying here… I want you to get off my back."

Again the man just stared at her silently.

"He won't get off you if you keep talking to him like that."

She couldn't see the owner of the voice. He was somewhere off behind her.

"And why is that?"

"Because his name isn't Buddy."

She rolled her eyes. Really? "And what, pray tell, is his name then?"

"It's Dopey."

Emma nearly laughed. "As in the dwarf?"

The voice seemed pleased. "You've heard of him then?"

Emma frowned. This guy couldn't possibly be serious. "Sure, everyone has." She regarded the smiling man on her back. "What do you say, er, Dopey? Will you get off my back?"

The man nodded and moved from her back. She sat up with a little effort and stretched, finally taking in her surroundings. There were trees all about. Was she in Boston Common? No. There were too many trees and all the wrong type. Where was she?

"You seem lost."

She finally was able to take in the man who had spoken and nearly gasped at the sight. He was short. Not quite as short as she would expect a dwarf to be… more like Tom Cruise short. He appeared to be older than the one he'd referred to as Dopey and he wore round spectacles. This was just too easy. "Don't tell me… you're Doc?"

The little old man seemed taken aback. "Then you've heard of me as well?"

She rolled her eyes. She wouldn't even answer a stupid wuestion like that. She looked around. "So… where exactly are we?"

"We are currently three leagues from the city of Rockspear."

"Rockspear? Where is that in relation to Boston?"

The two men exchanged a look. "We have never heard of Bosstown."

"Boston."

"Or that place either."

She blew out a frustrated breath. "Did you happen to see who left me here?"

The man with the glasses shook his head. "We found you asleep on our way home from work."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "At the mines?"

Both men nodded.

Emma rubbed her temples. This was a dream. It had to be. She'd just let it play out. What else could she do? Obviously, her body didn't want to wake up yet, so she'd play along until her alarm went off.

"So, Snow White still crashing with you guys?"

Doc gave her an odd look. "Certainly you know she is Queen now."

"Of course she is." She sighed.

"I fear her reign will soon come to an end however."

Emma frowned. "Why?"

"Why, there's been war all over the realm since the Princess disappeared over a year ago." He looked at her curiously. "You really know nothing of this?"

She shook her head.

Doc looked at Dopey and they both nodded at each other. "Come with us. We'll see that you get a hot meal and tell you all about the war."

She knew she shouldn't trust strangers, especially in a place she didn't know. But if Rockspear really was the closest city it would mean a nine mile walk through a forest she didn't know. Besides… this was only a dream after all. What could possibly happen? She fell into step next to the men as they navigated their way through the trees to a small dirt road and set out for home. "So, which Princess disappeared?"

SWAN QUEEN SWAN QUEEN SWAN QUEEN

-Present Day, Castle of King James & Queen Snow White, (unoccupied) Enchanted Forest-

"Your Majesty." The lead spell caster looked fairly unwell, as if he were about to be sick at any moment, but still managed a shaky bow.

James sat on the far side of the stone table in the meeting chambers. Snow sat to his right. Their captain of guards to his left. No one else was present. "What is it Leland?"

"We caught the magical signature of the curse."

Snow sat up straighter, her eyes seeming alive for the first time since her daughter had disappeared. "You've found her then?"

The spell caster looked at her apologetically. "I'm afraid not Your Grace."

"Why call this meeting if you have nothing new to tell us?" James tried not to let his agitation show.

"But I do have something, Your Majesty. The curse… it is no more. It has ended."

"But... how is that possible? Unless…"

Snow shook her head. "She's gone?"

The spell caster frowned. "We sent two of our best to the world in which it ended. She was not there. But neither was her body. Marimm was able to ascertain that she survived the breaking of the curse, but he cannot sense her life force after that. Once again, I'm afraid the Princess has just… disappeared." He looked sorrowful. "But now, we have no means by which to track her. Wherever the Princess is, our magic will do little to help find her."

James nodded. "You have done us a great service Leland. I will see that your spell casters and you are well compensated for your time and efforts."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I only wish we could have done more." He bowed deeply and left the chambers.

"She's alive James; I know she is." Snow stared at him.

James nodded. "I believe so."

Snow White's eyes clouded over with steely resolve. "No matter how long it takes, I will find her."