Well here we have the turning point in the story. Thank you to everyone that reviewed. I hope I am keeping at least a few of you entertained. As you know I own nothing of Once Upon a Time. Please read and review.

…

The sun was just starting to rise and a small streak of sun weaved its way through the heavy curtains upon a well rested couple on a much disheveled bed. Emma began to stir, not enjoying the patch of sun landing in her eyes. Instead of waking up she turned away from the streak of sun to the other occupant in the bed.

Gold simply held her closer rather than wake from the best night's sleep he had in years. He felt wonderful and didn't want to wake up and disturb the restfulness he only felt when with Belle all those years ago.

The bond had worked but Gold wasn't sure how such magic would work here. This was new territory for him and could only hope that his other gifts didn't lead him wrong. This was surly the calm before the storm. He felt Emma begin to wake and decided not to delay the inevitable.

"Emma."

She opened her eyes and surprised herself that she didn't react in horror or disgust. Her mind was actually content and she felt very safe with him. He held power and for the first time she could feel it from him but knew that he would never use it against her. She was safe. For the first time in many, many years she felt truly safe.

"I feel different, you seem different as well."

Gold nodded. "Yes, we are the same but see each other without filters."

"You're looking for Baelfire, your son."

"Yes, have been for almost…"

"…three hundred years. How do I know that?"

He leaned on his arm to get a better look at her. "The same way I know you stole the yellow bug and are a very cleaver thief. I hope this Neal person never meets his son. Seems like he'll be a bad influence on Henry if they ever met."

Emma had to laugh at that. "Yes well I was also causing trouble." A thought came to her mind. "You know you can make a sketch of him, your son, and age him if you think he is older. That way you will know what he could potentially look like if you are looking for him."

Gold was floored. He never thought of doing such a thing as he wouldn't be considered a missing person, especially if he thought he lost his father all those years ago. "That's a fantastic idea."

"Hey that's why I'm Sheriff." Her stomach began to growl and the call to nature was pressing in on her. "I would love to stay in bed but…"

"I understand. The washroom is the door in the corner."

Emma stood and didn't bother to cover herself. Gold simply watched in appreciation as she made her way to the bathroom. He sighed and made his way out of bed only to realize that his leg gave him no pain. It felt as it was when he healed it when he was Rumplestiltskin. There was no pain or discomfort.

Fear filled him as he looked at his hands and rushed to the mirror to see his face. There was no green skin or monster eyes and his hair was only disheveled from sleeping. His leg was pain free and the ugly scar no longer marred his leg.

He wanted to make sure that this was real and he began to hop on what used to be his bad leg. It was more than fine.

Emma stepped out of the washroom and noticed that Gold was standing out of bed and walked towards her with no cane.

"Your leg seems to be doing better." She then looked at it. "It's healed?"

"Yes, Emma. This is the first time in 28 years that I have not felt discomfort from it." He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. "It's like a thorn that I couldn't remove."

Emma saw the relief in his features. "Then you should enjoy it."

"Right after breakfast."

She couldn't argue with that and after getting cleaned up and dressed she made her way downstairs to enjoy breakfast for the second time with Gold.

….

That morning Regina woke up with a start wondering what had changed. She could feel that some powerful magic was cast and that things would turn bad to worse for her because of it. Plans had to be made quickly in order for her to escape whatever plans Gold had for her. He even stated that he wanted her alive for some reason.

Regina wanted Emma to be aware of the situation so hasten the spell and take power from Gold but never had she thought that the bond would be made this quick.

Not bothering with breakfast she showered, dressed and drove to the one man that could still help her. He may not be the most stable but she still had leverage over him.

Jefferson was none too pleased to be woken up so early in the morning by Regina. "What do you want?"

"Your hat; you need to use it to help me out."

"It doesn't work. Don't you think I would have tried the hat if I thought I could use it?"

Regina entered looking for the thing and found it. "Let's go. I have some magic that can be used and I have an idea to send someone to our old world."

"Let me guess, you want to send Emma there. Not wise considering that she is now very much bonded to Gold, or did you not feel the spell cast last night?"

"Of course I felt it! I know what he has done and I am NOT going to be used by him again!" She shoved Jefferson against a wall. "I learned how to harness magic and how to use it and this hat IS going to work. Get dressed, we are leaving!"

He was dropped to the floor. "No, no I am not going to do a thing you ask of me. Not again. I lost everything because of you. You selfish bitch! My daughter is separated from me and you had me watch as other people raised her and allowed me to keep two memories!"

"Fine I'll tell her, her father is alive and well. I'll even drop her off on your front doorstep or better yet throw her across the barrier so she'll never remember you at all."

His worst fear was realized at her words. His sanity only holding on by a thread. "No, fine I'll help you. Just leave her alone. I just want all of this to end. You're not the only one that came up here and demanded things of me recently."

"Gold, I take it."

"Yes, he came here wanting me if required to send Emma way to hasten the bond. That doesn't matter now does it?"

Regina knew that offering information to Emma was the reason the bond was completed so quickly. It also meant that Regina had less time to organize what she needed to do. "I thought she blond bitch would have held out for at least another day. No matter, get dressed."

Not wanting to risk his sanity or Regina's ire he got ready quickly. Regina never mentioned where they were going and he ducked down in the seat realizing that they were heading into town. Jefferson recognized where they were going. "This is the spot."

Jefferson simply followed and quickly got inside as fast as he could in case his daughter was about.

Regina knocked on the door at least attempting to be polite. Mary Margaret was just about to leave with Henry when she arrived.

"Regina, what are you doing here?"

Regina didn't even bother to answer and burst in. "Where is she?"

"She didn't come home last night. I can only assume she's with…" Mary Margaret looked at Henry who gave her a knowing look.

"She's with Gold. I may be young but I hear things. He wants to teach her magic." Henry looked worried but kept his opinion to himself. He was used to that by now.

Regina felt a jab of guilt in her side seeing Henry. She didn't want her caught up in all of this. "Henry you should go to school. I have some things to speak with Emma about."

Henry looked up at Jefferson who was holding a rather strange hat. "Who's he and what is that hat for? Is it magic?"

Mary Margaret didn't want Henry involved. "Henry please go to school. I'll handle this."

There was little point in arguing. He looked at Regina who was so sad looking at him. Henry felt very guilty as he never really wanted to hurt her. In fact he had no idea that she could even feel pain. "I want to tell you that I don't hate you. I don't want you to think that." He pushed past Regina who stood there speechless. She was not prepared for those words after being used to such negative words from him for so long.

Henry rushed down the stairs and decided to call Emma from the nearest pay phone. The phone rang more than a few times but Emma eventually answered. "Mom, you need to get back home. Regina is there looking for you with some man with a big strange hat…no I'm fine…yes she is and please hurry…the Diner?...Ok I'll wait there…bye."

Henry had no interest in waiting away from the action and simply waited outside the entrance for Emma.

Regina looked at Mary Margaret and smirked. "The curse may be broken but you are still stripped of your identity."

"I don't care about that now. Neither of us is royalty anymore. It doesn't matter in this world."

"Spoken like a true peasant. I am a queen Mary Margaret and everyone in this town will do well to remember that."

Mary Margaret knew she should be afraid of Regina but simply couldn't must the strength to do so. "Henry never saw you as queen. For the longest time he only saw you as mother until you showed him your true colors."

Beofre Regina could react Jefferson interrupted. "Can we please get this over with?"

"Yes, let's. Throw the hat."

Jefferson did as asked and the hat spun slowly and then became quicker. Mary Margaret jumped up the stairs to get away from it. Regina and Jefferson moved further into the room to get out of the force of the hat.

Within a minute the door opened and in ran Henry. He didn't see what was going on and Regina jumped out to prevent Henry from falling into the hat's pull. It was too late. Henry fell into the well of power followed by Regina.

Emma was about to jump as well but Gold held her back. Emma wrenched herself out of Gold's hold only to fall on the hat just after the porthole closed. After getting up she realized that the hat was damaged beyond repair.

Gold looked at Jefferson and looked about ready to kill him. Jefferson jumped back. "Regina forced me to do it. She threatened to throw my daughter over the border if I didn't help. She wanted to throw Emma through."

Mary Margaret came down the stairs the same time and looked at the floor in disbelief. "Where did they go?"

"The old realm."

Gold scoffed. "It does't exist."

Emma threw the hat to Jefferson. "Fix it!"

"I can't!"

"The realm must exist, if it didn't where did they go?!" Mary Margaret screamed at Jefferson.

"It does exist otherwise the hat would not have opened."

Gold got quiet then. "Then they are staying there."

"I am holding you to your word Gold! You made a deal to protect him to the best of your abilities and you are going to start now!"

"There is no way to get back there. Not without Regina. She cast the curse that brought us here and she'll be the one to send us all back." Gold was not pleased as now he would have to spend time in getting both back. Regina for a future spell and Henry to uphold his deal with Emma.

Emma breathed in and out to calm herself. "Is there a way to communicate with them?"

Jefferson shook his head. "The savior has no idea how things work. Amazing. That's not the question you should be asking. How is it that world still exists if the curse brought everyone and everything here?"

"I'll answer that Dearie. Cora, Regina's mother. She's the only one that knew about the curse or knew enough about it to defend herself against it."

Emma tossed the damaged hat to Jefferson. "What does that mean? What are you not telling us?"

Jefferson jumped in. "It means that they will find a way here before we find a way back. You'll see Henry again but you may not live long enough to enjoy it."

Only then when things calmed down did Mary Margaret notice something. "Mr. Gold what happened? You don't have your cane."

…

Henry landed hard on his shoulder and screamed out in pain. Regina landed hard on the ground but didn't suffer any damage. She jumped over to Henry and attempted to heal him with magic. She was pleased to find that her power was much stronger here.

"Henry, are you alight? You are not hurt anywhere else?"

"I'm fine. That was cool. The magic you did." Despite knowing that magic always came at a price he was still impressed. "Can you use magic to send us back?"

Regina looked crestfallen. "No Henry, it's not that simple. Look we are in a very different world. Things are dangerous here. I know you want to explore but please believe me that you need to stay close to me."

"OK, I don't see a problem with that." Henry looked around and saw ruins of an old building of some sort. "What was this place?"

"A palace, one of many in this realm. And before you ask no we are not going to explore it." Henry looked disappointed but didn't argue.

Regina looked at the rubble on the ground and used magic to create a carriage. A few mice scurried by and they were transformed into horses. "This is how I used to travel. The magic won't last more than a day but it will help us get to where we need to go."

"Where are we going?"

"To Rumplestiltskin's castle. There is a possibility that he has a mirror that may not have made its way over to the other side. If there is I get a strong feeling he knows about it."

…

Not far from where Regina and Henry found themselves was an older woman who smiled. She looked up from the pit that her captors believed held her. "Oh, darling Regina, you're home at last. I'll be sure to see you soon. I know where you are heading."

…