Author's note: Thanks to those who have taken the time to read my story, it means a lot that it has had over a 1,000 views. And extra thank you to those who faved/followed and an extra extra thank you to those who reviewed. Your reviews made my day.

Here's the next chapter, enjoy! I'm currently working on chapter 6 but work is busy and my muse has decided to go on a break =D. Let's hope she will return soon.


Chapter 3

Wendy had stopped the car and stepped out. She had been in the United Stated for three weeks now and finally she had the nerve to go to that one small town that had been the reason she'd wanted to go. She had been reading and rereading the journal she'd found at Heathrow airport, but it had made her non the wiser and she knew she really had to go to Storybrooke. Looking at the sign 'Welcome to Storybrooke' a feeling of belonging claimed her. It looked the exact same way as in her dreams. She stepped back into her rental car and started to continue her journey. As she neared the sign, she felt her control over the car slip. To no avail she tried to get the control over the car back.

As the car spun towards the welcome sign, Wendy saw parts of her dreams flashing by. But the feelings that accompanied the images left her wondering if they really were just dreams conjured by what she'd learned as Peter told her. She felt the intense love the young woman had for her baby girl. And when the woman softly said the baby's name, Wendy knew her dreams were more than just dreams. It was then that her car crashed against one of the trees next to the welcome sign and her world went black.

The moment Wendy's car had crashed against a tree, the earth rumbled and shook. The citizens of Storybrooke looked at each other confused. Was this the sign their town would cease to exist? Would they go back to Fairytale Land? But as soon as it had come, it stopped and Henry came running towards them on Main Street, yelling something about a car hitting a tree.

Snow White immediately took charge over the situation and gave out orders. Emma shook her head in disbelief, still having a hard time believing the change in the woman she thought of as a best friend, but now appeared to be her mother.

Henry looked on in wonder too. "Was it like this when you and grandma were in Fairytale Land?"

Emma nodded her head and told her son it was. Henry looked up, expecting to hear more of it. He loved their stories of their time in Fairytale Land. However, the situation was precarious and Emma told Henry he needed to wait to hear more.

Leroy - Grumpy, Emma reminded herself - immediately followed Snow White's orders and together with David - James, Charming, whatever his name was, her father - he left to the place of the accident. Snow White quickly followed and Emma felt she had no other choice than to follow as well and she quickly grabbed Henry's hand. The rest looked at each other before they also quickly followed.

When Grumpy and James arrived, they saw gas leaking from the car. They immediately went over and carefully got the young woman out of the vehicle. Snow White was quick to grab the purse that lay on the back seat.

They had moved only a couple of metres when they saw Emma and Henry arriving, together with the rest of the towns people. It was that moment the car caught fire. Quickly they moved further away. Mere seconds later the car exploded with such a force, it knocked people of their feet. Grumpy and James laid the woman on jackets that had been put on the street. She was breathing but not the slightest movement made her regain consciousness.

"Who is she?" Henry asked, while he grabbed the purse out of Snow White's hand. He opened it, in the hope to find any form of identification, but the first thing he saw was a blanket. He pulled it out and handed it to Emma, who took it. As Henry continued to search for an ID, Snow White saw Emma holding the blanket.

"Where did you find the blanket?"

"Henry got it out of the purse." Emma answered. "Do you recognise it?" But Snow White didn't answer and her eyes got a far away look.

"I love the blanket you made for my baby brother or sister" The young girl kept spending her time with her stepmother, extremely happy to know she'd soon have a brother or sister to take care of and play with. The young woman's face was completely void of any emotion when she said a polite thank you to the young girl.

Her husband came in and told his daughter it was time for bed. Reluctantly the young girl left her stepmother's side. She grabbed her father's hand and he walked his daughter to her room. Not even once had he acknowledged his wife. It was when she was finally alone the mask of indifference slipped away from her face and tears started to fall. The blanket she still had in her hands were put in the small crib and then she made her way over to the window. While looking outside, her hands absentmindedly stroked her belly, a far-away look in her teary eyes.

"Mary Margaret? Snow White?"

Snow White looked up to see concern written all over Emma's face. "I'm alright, dear." she motherly said, while she gently took the baby blanket from her daughter. "I have seen a blanket like this before and I just remembered when and where."

"So you know who she is?" Emma asked.

Snow White shook her head. "It can't be her, it's impossible. They told me she'd died." She mumbled, making Emma even more curious.

"I found it!" Henry was holding up something that looked like a passport. He opened it, looked at the photo, the at the woman lying on the ground and back to the photo again. "It's definitely her."

"Well, what's her name?" Emma asked and Henry looked up to see his mother, grandparents and several other people looking at him expectantly.

"Her name is Wendy Darling."

Snow White gasped and her face turned as white as a sheet. Hearing the young woman's first name and still holding the baby blanket, she knew there was only one possibility left. James instantly stood beside her, while Emma saw tears forming in her eyes. "Daddy told me she died, and she didn't tell me anything different. Why would he lie to me?"

Emma looked at James, confuse evident on her face, but also James had no idea what Snow White was talking about and he was just as confused as his daughter was.

The ambulance had arrived and the paramedics (they had been healers in Fairytale Land and apparently Regina hadn't thought it necessary to change their knowledge) hauled the woman named Wendy Darling into the ambulance. Snow White was about to enter the ambulance as well when a voice stopped her.

"I wouldn't do that, dearie."

Emma whirled around, hearing the voice. She saw Mr. Gold standing a few metres away with a smirk on his face and a glint in his eyes. It gave her a feeling of foreboding. Henry apparently felt the same, because he stood closer to Emma, grabbing her hand. Snow White stood still, knowing immediately who the voice belonged. And where Emma had whirled around, Snow White slowly turned to face the man. She stood regally, every bit the Queen she was and had been in Fairytale Land. "Rumplestiltskin."

Emma's eyes widened hearing Gold's fairytale name. Slowly the story of Rumplestiltskin came back to her. She looked down at Henry, who slowly nodded his head, knowing what his birth mother was about to ask.

"Snow White." Rumplestiltskin bowed, putting up a show.

"What is it you want?"

Rumplestiltskin let out a laugh. "Can't I simply warn the queen of the danger she will be in, when going with that girl?"

"There's always a catch with you." James said.

However, Snow White's interest was spiked. "Why would I be in any danger if I enter the ambulance?"

"Because, that ambulance will crash just like her car did. This time she won't survive."

Snow White's eyes first widened, than narrowed. "You wouldn't!"

"Yes, I would. Cora's orders, dearie."

Hearing the older woman's name made Snow White realise several things at once and she let out a few curse words. Both Henry and Emma looked amazingly at the petite woman. They had never heard her use foul language before. James had to stifle a laugh seeing the amazement on both his daughter's and grandson's faces. They were in for quite a few surprises. Then he looked up alarmed as his wife made her way over to Rumplestiltskin. The way she held herself forebode nothing good, he knew.

"What do you mean; Cora's orders?!"

"Just like it's supposed to be meant, dearie. Cora's orders, means Cora's orders."

"And why would you follow up with Cora's orders? You never follow anyone's orders but your own!"

"Let's just say, she and I struck a deal, many, many years ago." Rumplestiltskin's eyes moved to the ambulance.

Snow White immediately knew who was in the deal. "She bargained Wendy as part of a deal with you. Now why doesn't that surprise me. What did she get out of it? Besides apparently you following her 'orders'."

"Oh, she got to keep her daughter."

"My father wouldn't have agreed to it. He told me he really disliked Cora."

Rumplestiltskin let out a maniacal laugh and said in a sing-song voice: "I know something you don't."

"Oh, please tell me what you know, that I don't." Snow White mocked.

"She," and Rumplestiltskin pointed at Wendy, "is not the daughter of whom you think she is."

Snow White let out a humourless laugh. "I might have been a twelve year old, but I wasn't, and still am not, stupid. I knew all along."

"But you didn't know how your father felt about it. It was him who told Cora to get rid of the girl."

"He would never have done that!" Snow White said outraged.

It was then that Doc spoke up. "I'm sorry, my Queen, but he did order Cora to get rid of the girl. He was afraid she would love her and her lovers child more than she would love you. He'd married her not because he had fallen in love with her, but because of your attachment to her. He wanted you to have a mother and as you had clearly taken a liking to her, he thought she would be the best candidate."

"So, you see, dearie, your sweet father, was the culprit after all."

James, never knowing how all had happened, suddenly understood more. While Snow White and Rumplestiltskin had been talking, Henry's face had paled considerably. Suddenly he understood life wasn't only black or only white. There are lots and lots of grey areas in it as well. His knees felt weak and he let himself down on the ground. He pulled his knees up and rested his chin on them. "What have I done?"

Emma still didn't understand about whom they were talking. Hearing the remorse in Henry's voice made her crouch down to his level and she told him he hadn't done anything wrong. Then she turned around and asked who this woman named Cora was. But no answer came.

"I am going with her to the hospital. And you," Snow White pointed to Rumplestiltskin, "would do best to keep in mind to let us all live! Because you know what she's capable of when she finds out!"

Rumplestiltskin smile disappeared, as he contemplated Snow White's words. Then he turned around and with a puff of gold smoke he disappeared. Snow White walked to the ambulance and stepped in. Just as the doors were about to close, Emma appeared and asked if she really thought Gold would do as she told him to. Snow White told Emma, not to worry and closed the door.

Emma watched the ambulance leave and only turned around when it was out of sight. It was then that she saw James sitting next to Henry. She made her way over towards them and heard the last part of their conversation.
"Life isn't only black or white, is it?"

James shook his head. "No Henry, it's not. Life knows many shades of grey in between."

"But…"

"No one knew, Henry. No one, except for those who did. And they didn't tell anyone for their own reasons."

"Come on, kid." Emma said. "We're going home." She saw Henry flinch when she said the word home, but didn't comment on it. He had to figure certain things out on his own, it was part of growing up.