y'aaall. where is the love? you gotta have a little more faith in me than that! there is a master plan, i promise.

speaking of master plans, this is part one of a two-part chapter, which will be followed by two more chapters and then (possibly) an epilogue. i never intended this to be as big of a thing as it has become, and so i have to cap it at some point. plus, i have, like, a zillion other ideas floating around in this here noggin that need attention. so. that's that.

hopefully you guys are still reading, and i hope you enjoy!

p.s. many thanks to my buddy, 2takuya, who basically comes up with every idea ever in this story (she's responsible for the fire escape). you rock!


Mary Margaret stared up at Regina, tear-stained cheeks puffed underneath eyes blazing with outrage and confusion. "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Regina shook her head slightly. "Oh, I know. But I do, and that's all that matters to me."

Mary Margaret opened her mouth to say something else, but then her hand brushed over Emma's. 'What are you still doing here?' Her mind screamed at her. 'Get Emma to the hospital!' "I don't have time for this, Regina," Mary Margaret hissed.

"They won't be able to help her, you know," Regina said smugly, as Mary Margaret whipped out her cell phone.

Mary Margaret ignored her, and dialed the familiar three digits. "I need an ambulance! The Mayor's house - my daughter's not breathing!" With a few affirmative responses, Mary Margaret hung up the phone.

"Your daughter?" Regina asked, an undercurrent of discomfort running beneath her mocking tone.

"My foster daughter; no matter." Mary Margaret said, the conversation inconsequential in the face of such horror. She leaned down to Emma, and brushed an errant tendril of hair out of her face. "Sweet Emma," she murmured, voice cracking. "I'm so sorry. Help is on the way."

Regina slipped upstairs as she heard the sirens pull nearer. A heavy brass key weighed down the front pocket of her dress, and she flipped it over in her hand as she stood before the door. Muffled shouts came from within the room, and Regina was surprised that Henry hadn't tired himself out by now. She slid the key into the lock, and gave it a decisive twist.

The door popped open, and Henry tumbled out. "What have you done to her?" He rasped, face red from exertion. "What did you do to my sister?"

"Henry, for the thousandth time, you don't have a sister," Regina sighed, voice long-suffering.

"Yes I do, and you took her away from me once! I won't let you do it again!" He pulled himself up by the railing, and was now glaring defiantly at his mother.

"Henry-"

"I don't care! I don't care what you say! I will find her, and I will save her from whatever curse you created this time!"

Regina stood, frozen, at the top of the stairs, while Henry chased the EMTs out the door and down the street. "What have I done," she murmured.


Trapped. Emma was trapped. She was in an octagonal room, where all the walls were mirrored, and the only sounds she could hear were the taunts and jeers of everyone who'd ever been mean to her, and everyone she'd ever been mean to.

"No wonder your parents didn't love you!"

"Swan, you piece of trash!"

"You, Emma Swan, will never amount to anything!"

Faces swam before her eyes as she recognized the words she'd heard forever. And then the noise cleared out, and she was left with herself. She stared at her reflection, eyes watery and red-rimmed. She pulled a face, hating her image more and more with each passing second.

"I hate you," she muttered to herself.

The words reverberated around the room, growing louder and louder so that Emma had to cover her ears just to keep her eardrums from bursting. She folded in on herself, scared and helpless.

Trapped. Emma was trapped.


"C'mon, Emma," Mary Margaret whispered into the girl's ear, holding her hand as tightly as she dared. "You can do this, I know you can!"

She ran a gentle hand down the side of Emma's ashen face. She tried to ignore the tubes coming out of Emma's hand and nose, and focused on the warmth still emanating from her body.

"You're so strong," she murmured, pressing a kiss to Emma's temple. "You'll pull through. I believe in you."

The ride to the hospital, and the disembarking of the ambulance and entering the ER, was a blur to Mary Margaret. Everything happened around her, but the only thing she could focus on was feeling Emma's life, and reassuring her (however futilely) that everything was going to be okay.

In those moments, simultaneously fleeting and never-ending, Mary Margaret was thankful for Dr. Whale's infatuation. She noticed that he brushed aside anyone who tried to move her away from Emma, and she knew that it was probably in their best interest to go through him, and not her. These feelings of guilt, and responsibility, and overarching grief consumed her, and made it impossible for her to unlink her hand from Emma's.

After some time, perhaps even the entire night, an attending nurse brought a chair for Mary Margaret to sit in. She pulled it close by Emma's bed, and sank into it gratefully. Mary Margaret ran her fingers through Emma's hair, which was even more tangled than normal, and began to speak to her.

"I'm sorry," she said again. "There's no excuse for my behavior over the past few days. All I can tell you, Emma, is that I'm nowhere near as brave as you. I was scared. I was scared of losing your trust and love if I pushed you too far. I should never have left you alone. I'm sure you were scared, even more than I was, and that's why you pushed me away. I'm so sorry for making you feel as if you were going to lose me. In truth, I was afraid of losing you. I realize now that I could never lose you, or your love, because you live inside of me. There is a little Emma-shaped space, nestled deep within my heart, and it will never go away - not even if you do."

Mary Margaret absentmindedly brushed away the tears that had fallen from her eyes onto Emma. She leaned in, pressing her cheek close to Emma's, and smoothed away the hair from her face and forehead. "I love you, Emma," she murmured, her lips cool and wet against Emma's warm cheek. She planted a kiss there, and pulled away, dissolving once more into inconsolable sobs.

Then a shiver went up her spine, causing all the hair on her arms and neck to stand at attention. A breeze spread out from Emma's heart in rippling circles, and Mary Margaret leapt from her seat, shock and awe writ bold across her face.

"Emma?" She gasped, her right hand flying to her mouth.

The blonde girl let out a gasp, sitting straight up in bed. Mary Margaret rushed to her, applying light pressure to her shoulders to make her lie back down.

"I...you...huh?" Emma stuttered, confused at first. Then she gazed into Mary Margaret's eyes, and recognized something new there. "Snow?"

"Oh, sweetheart," Mary Margaret said with a sob. "Oh, my Emma. Yes, it's me. I'm so glad you're alright!"

Emma let Mary Margaret embrace her, glad to have her mother back. She was tired, but oddly exhilarated, and thrilled beyond words to be released from her dream-like prison. She tried to sit up again, ready to be out of the hospital and the gown that had come with it.

"Emma, you need to rest," Mary Margaret tried to insist.

"I'm fine, and we need to go!" Emma said, remembering what Gold had done the last time. "Don't you wanna find your Prince?"

Emma could see she'd caught her mother with that question, and used Mary Margaret's distraction to her advantage. She leapt out of bed on the other side, and began to to peel the various monitors from her body.

"Emma-" Mary Margaret began to scold, but it was too late. Emma had ridden herself of tubes and shucked the hospital-issue garment, leaving herself in a camisole and underwear. Sighing, Mary Margaret handed her the stack of clothing she'd carefully folded, and pulled the curtain to give Emma some privacy.

Once Emma was dressed, Mary Margaret enveloped her in another hug, showering her face and head with kisses. "I'm so glad you're alright, Emma," she said.

"I know," Emma replied with a grin. "I love you too."

They held hands as they left the hospital room. Turning the corner, though, they were bombarded by frantic citizens.

"Your Highness!" Mother Superior exclaimed, being the first to reach them. "The town is in a frenzy! What shall we do?"

"Blue, gather the fairies and try to maintain calm. Once I find Charming, we'll organize a meeting on how to proceed. Alright?"

No matter how many times Emma heard her mother give orders in that gentle, yet authoritative way, it never grew old. She was so enamored of Snow's royal persona, and how easily leading came to her. She hoped, somewhat uncomfortably, that when she became Queen, she would be respected half as much.

"Emma!" Emma's head whipped around at the name, and was tackled to the ground by a bundle of Henry. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"I'm fine, bubba," Emma said, hugging her brother back. "Snow woke me up."

Henry helped his sister off the floor, and stared at his mother in wonder. "Snow?"

Snow smiled gently, new tears filling her eyes. "Hello, my son."

Henry flung his arms around her middle, burying his face in her stomach. She kissed his hair and murmured sweet nothings in his ear, much like she'd done with Emma. But she never let go of Emma's hand, and when Henry pulled back from the hug, she took his hand in her free one.

"Let's go find your father, shall we?" Mary Margaret suggested.

They were stopped along the way by a few townspeople, some of them friends, and some of them asking for help. Mary Margaret gave them the same directives she'd given the Blue Fairy, and told them to wait for further information before taking any action.

They'd nearly reached the center of town when the first earthquake hit. It was a small rumble, but enough to knock Mary Margaret and the kids off their feet. The people around them began to panic.

"Everyone, please remain calm!" Mary Margaret instructed. "We will soon know the cause of this quake, and figure out a course of action, just as soon as I find my hus-"

Out of the corner of her eye, Mary Margaret spotted a familiar frame. He was propped against the side of his battered blue truck, and he had a soft, adoring smile on his face. "Band," Mary Margaret breathed, finishing her thought. "Charming?"

His grin broadened, and he began to walk to her. She broke contact with her children, and ran to him, leaping into his arms. "Oh, Snow," he said, cupping her cheek in his hand. "How I've missed you."

"I love you, James," she answered, leaning in for a kiss.

"Ew, gross!"

"Hey, kids here!"

Henry and Emma wrinkled their noses and stuck out their tongues at their parents' PDA. When Mary Margaret and David had finished their embrace, they turned to the kids with identical smirks on their faces.

"Get used to it," Mary Margaret chided playfully.

David didn't say anything, but tentatively extended his arms for a hug.

Henry was the first taker. He ran to his father, throwing his arms around his neck. David grunted in pleasure, lifting Henry to his hip with a strong arm around the boy's waist. Emma was shy. She flushed, looking up through her lashes at her dad.

"I'm sorry about what I said last night," she apologized. "But I like you better, now."

David let out a hearty guffaw. "Me too, Emma...me, too."

Emma let a grin twist her lips, and burrowed into his open side.

Mary Margaret sighed in contentment. "Look at our family," she whispered.

"Come on, Snow," Henry said. "Join the hug!"

Emma and David echoed his statement, and, with a chuckle, Mary Margaret pressed her front to David's as she wrapped her arms around her children.

"Pardon me for interrupting, Your Highnesses," a gentle voice poked through their happy bubble. "The townsfolk are growing a bit...restless. When are we going to have a meeting?"

"What time is it, Jiminy?" David asked the former cricket.

"Quarter past ten, sir," he responded.

"Tell them we'll meet at noon, at Granny's. We'll dine, and then we'll discuss a game plan."

"Very well, Your Highness. I will pass it along." He bowed, his umbrella going across his stomach, and then walked away.

David leaned once more into his family's embrace, only to be shaken backwards by another tremor. "Hold tight to me!" He ordered, bracing himself and his loved ones against the brick facade of a storefront.

Together, the foursome weathered the quake, and when it was over, David commanded their attention.

"We've got to get to safety," he said. "Snow, let's take the children to your apartment. It's closer, and they'll be safe there. Then we can meet with the people and take action from there."

"I want to go to the meeting!" Emma piped up, rather disgruntled at being spoken about as if she wasn't there.

"Me too," agreed Henry. The twins stood in front of their parents, stubborn expressions on both their faces.

Mary Margaret would have found it highly amusing if she wasn't so worried. "Regina will be looking for you," she whispered. "It isn't safe for you to be exposed like this."

"We can take that old witch," Emma said seriously. Then, casting a glance at her brother, she muttered, "Sorry, Henry."

He shrugged. "It's okay. And she wouldn't hurt me, anyway."

"She poisoned your sister!" Mary Margaret shouted, flabbergasted by the kids' inability to grasp the severity of the situation.

"Yeah, but I'm fine now," Emma insisted.

"You're going to the apartment, and that's final!" Mary Margaret said, and that was the end of the discussion.

Two sets of puppy eyes turned pleadingly to their father, but though he was a bit tickled at being considered the pushover in the family, he stood firm beside his wife. "Listen to your mother," he said with a small smile.

Emma and Henry slumped their shoulders, but when their parents' backs were turned, they shared a private moment. They would find out what was behind the quakes - it was just a question of when.


Emma and Henry had holed up in her room, poring through the story book to try and determine the cause of the earthquakes. Emma had not told anyone that she had memories of her past life, and didn't want to waste time on explanations now, but she tried to point Henry in the direction of the old fairy dust mines.

"I think it's coming from the woods," Henry said suddenly, after Emma flipped back to a scene of the dwarves at work.

"What makes you say that?" She asked.

"Well, look at this," he said, flipping to a story about Abigail, their father's ex-fiancee, and her love Frederick. "Frederick was saved by the water in this well. Doesn't that look familiar to you?"

Emma bit her lip and shrugged. "Maybe?" She remembered vaguely a well in the forest that August had taken her to, and him saying something about it being magical. "But why would that be causing earthquakes?"

"Because this is the land without magic," Henry explained. "Until the curse was broken, anyway. And now that everyone knows who they are, magic must be coming back. And that is where it would come!"

"Okay, so, when we get there, if that really is where this stuff is coming from, what do you suggest we do?"

Henry frowned. "Uh...I hadn't gotten that far, yet. But I mean, we woke up Prince Charming! How hard could it be?"

Emma rolled her eyes. 'You have no idea.'

"But first, we've gotta figure out a way to get out of here," Henry continued. "Our parents are only gonna be gone so long, and once they're back, we definitely won't have a chance of sneaking out. We've gotta strike fast, and we've gotta strike hard."

"Whoa there, Thor," Emma said. "What do you wanna do to Ruby; knock her out?"

Henry winked at his sister. "I've got a better idea."

Henry explained his plan, and Emma's smile went from unsure to sly. "Henry, that's brilliant!"

He mimed tipping his hat to her, and stood from his spot on the floor. "Ready for Phase One?"

Emma nodded, her heart starting to race. When she'd been in the system, she never backed down from a dare. She summoned up every ounce of bravado she could muster, hopped up onto her bed, and unlatched the sash of the middle window in the bay. Stepping out onto the fire escape, she nodded to her brother.

"Ruby!" He shouted. "Ruby!"

Emma ran, quick as a flash, down the metal stairs and into the alley behind the building. She was thankful for Henry's preparedness as she felt the cold air on her cheeks and nose, but nowhere else. He'd packed their bags with supplies, and made sure that they each had warm enough outfits on.

The plan was for her to hide behind the trash cans in the back, and for Henry to lead Ruby in the wrong direction so he could split off and meet her back there.

She waited, crouched beneath piles of smelly black plastic, for what felt like ages. Then her ears perked to two sets of footsteps on the icy concrete.

"Did you see where she was going, Henry?" Emma heard Ruby ask. She winced guiltily at the note of panic in her friend's voice.

"Well, the fire escape lets off in this alley, so she probably went down the street," Henry directed. Emma winced again, this time at the obvious lie in her brother's tone.

But Ruby seemed to buy it, because she darted off in that direction. Henry began to follow her, and then doubled back to grab his sister and go.

"What if she notices you're not next to her?" Emma hissed, irritated at the idea of being caught.

"We'd better not give her time to," Henry hissed back. "Run!"


"Citizens of Storybrooke!" David called, grabbing the attention of the assembled masses. "Welcome back," he said with a small chuckle.

There were assorted laughs, but no one's mirth lasted too long. They were all upset about having lost so many years, and still not being in their homes in the Enchanted Forest.

"Your Queen and I have assembled you here to answer any questions you may have, and reassure you that everything here in Storybrooke is just fine," David said. Mary Margaret marveled at him, still enchanted by his poise and charisma after all these years.

"Your Highness, why have we not returned home?" A woman asked from the crowd. A ripple of agreement and disapproval splashed through the townsfolk.

"We're not sure," Mary Margaret spoke, joining her husband at the podium. "But we will do everything in our power to return home. Believe us when we say, we miss it too."

"Where is Queen Regina?" Another voice shouted. "Should she not pay for her crimes?"

Before either David or Mary Margaret could answer, a third voice rose above the noise.

"Your Highnesses!" Ruby was breathless, her hands pressed firmly against her knees as if to make sure they were still in place. As if remembering herself, she flushed and gave a small curtsey. "Please forgive me for the interruption, but the children are gone."

"Emma and Henry?" Mary Margaret gasped, stricken.

"Emma jumped out the window, and Henry tricked me. I am so sorry, Snow," Ruby apologized, her expression one of utter devastation.

"It's not your fault, Red," Mary Margaret consoled her friend, stepping down off the platform to put an arm around the waitress. "They're very slippery when they want to be."

"If Queen Regina is still at large, does that not mean that they are in danger?" Archie's voice was soft, but it carried in the now quiet hall.

"Oh, gods," David whispered, his usually strong voice weakened by fear. "I can't lose them again."

"Nor can I," Mary Margaret agreed. "Red, do you have any idea where they might've gone?"

Ruby nodded, opening the large leather-bound book she'd brought with her. "The storybook was open to this page, in Emma's room," she said. She propped it up on an empty chair, and the four adults stared at it in scrutiny.

"The well?" Mary Margaret asked, confused.

David nodded slowly. "The well."


Emma and Henry flicked on their flashlights as they entered the woods. It got darker as they went deeper, because the thick canopy of trees blocked the afternoon sun from view.

Emma pulled Henry along, her gut telling her the way to go. They zigged left, zagged right, and went a little ways up a hill before ducking under a low-hanging branch and entering a small clearing.

"Here we are," she announced.

Her limbs shook with energy, and without even looking at Henry, Emma could tell that his did too.

"Do you feel that?" He asked her, confirming her thoughts.

"I guess you were right," she said by way of confirmation. "Magic is strong, here."

There was a noise - a bird call, maybe, or a small animal running through some leaves - that startled both kids. Henry jumped, and Emma stumbled a bit. They shared a look, each feeling a bit silly, but also a lot unnerved.

"Should I check out the well?" Henry asked nervously.

"We'll do it together," Emma answered, sounding much braver than she felt.

They slowly walked up to the watering hole's edge. Suddenly feeling timid, Henry stuck out his hand to reach for Emma's. When she took it, a blinding shaft of bright white light spilled from the lip of the well, and an unseen force sent the twins toppling backwards.

"Ow," Emma said, rubbing the back of her skull where it had hit the ground.

She clenched her eyes shut tight, squeezing her brother's hand to try and lessen the pain.

Images flashed before her eyes, some of them memories, but most of scenes she'd never seen before. There was a strange, desolate land (that she vaguely recognized), a wind-whipped lake, and sickening purple fire that chilled her heart with terror. She saw herself and Henry, dressed in magnificent costumes, and each raising swords astride horses as if they were born to do it.

Her brain throbbed, and her forehead ached from the strain. Her knuckles were white, and she quickly released Henry's hand as she noticed that the tips of his fingers were nearly burgundy. But he didn't seem to mind, and as Emma looked into his face, she saw that his expression mirrored the one she'd previously worn.

"I can hear it," he muttered. "I can hear you talking about me, Emma."

"I didn't say anything," she said, a bit disturbed. 'I wonder what just happened to us.'

"Me, too. Why were we on horses, and why did we have swords?" Henry opened his eyes, and they shone in excitement. "Do you think we were riding into battle?"

"Henry, did you see what I saw?" Emma asked.

"What do you mean, did I see?" Henry frowned, puzzled. "I heard you talking about the dream you had."

"I didn't say anything," Emma reiterated. "I saw something...a vision, or whatever. I don't know."

"You mean...you thought it?" Henry asked.

"Maybe, I guess. What does it matter?"

"Think something," Henry demanded. "Anything! Something I wouldn't know."

"Uh, okay." Emma looked at Henry like he was crazy, but did it anyway. 'My favorite ice cream is mint chocolate chip.'

"My favorite is moose tracks," Henry said with a proud grin.

Emma gaped at him. "So, what you're saying is, I'm a psychic and you're a mind reader?"

"Told ya we have magic!" Henry's smile was horribly smug, and Emma crossed her arms.

"Alright, smarty, how do we fix this well, then?"

Henry got up, and Emma followed suit. They walked cautiously back towards the well, careful not to get too close lest they be rebuffed again. But this time, as they neared, a greenish electricity seemed to jump across the surface of the water. Emma eyed it warily as the sparks smoothed out and began to whirl around in a cyclonic formation.

"What's happening?" Emma asked, having never seen anything like this before.

"I don't know," Henry said nervously. "Let's hold hands again, maybe together we can stop it!"

Figuring that Henry's idea was as good as any, Emma agreed, and grabbed hold of her brother's proffered appendage.

But the neon tornado increased in force, tossing their hair back in a static frenzy, and creating a storm in the formerly-clear sky.

Then the winds shifted, and the eye of the storm came down to where Henry and Emma stood. Emma felt her chest being tugged forward as she got sucked in the middle, and she could've laughed at the ridiculous nature of the situation had she not been so terrified. Henry tumbled in after her, and they flipped around in midair as they were buffeted around by the wind.

"If only there was a house," Emma joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Henry didn't respond, because he was too busy being sucked downwards into the bottom of the well.

"Henry? Henry!" Emma screamed. Then an unseen force gripped her ankles, and she was tugged down after him. Her chest constricted, but she summoned up enough air to call out a final plea.

"Somebody, help me!"


END OF PART ONE