True North
Every storybook character you've ever know...
Is trapped between two worlds...
Victims of a powerful curse...
Only one knows the truth...
And she'll stop at nothing...
Till someone breaks the spell.
Buffy shows up at the convenience store after a call to the station only to see Henry and Regina "Henry. What happened?"
Regina glared at the blonde "Ms. Summers, must I remind you that genetics mean nothing? You're not his mother, and it's all taken care of."
Buffy raises an eyebrow at the Mayor "I'm here because I'm the Sheriff."
"Oh, that's right." Regina rolls her eyes "Go on. Do your job. Take care of those miscreants."
Buffy rolls her eyes Regina as her and Henry leave, then heads over to the owner "Did you call their parents?"
"Uh, the number they gave me was...disconnected."
Buffy turns to the brother and sister around Henry's age and watches them intently "Did you guys give Mr. Clark a fake number?" The two shake their heads nervously "Then why is it disconnected?
The young blonde girl is the one to answer the question "Because our parents couldn't pay the bill." Buffy looks at the girl sadly then turns her head to look at the stolen items, which were all house hold items. Buffy picks up the box of toothpaste "You guys were just trying to help out, huh?"
"Please. Please don't arrest us. It'll just make things worse for our parents."
Buffy sighs "Okay. Come on." Buffy buys the item for them then takes them to the car where she drives them home.
"This it?" Buffy asks as she pulls in front of a small blue house. The girl nods, as Buffy goes to get out of the car the girl stops her "Please. No. If our parents see you, they'll be so embarrassed." Buffy closes her door and turns to face the two of them "Did Henry tell you about one of my superpowers?" The kids look at her confused "We just met him."
"I have this odd ability to tell when someone is lying to me. So tell me the truth. Money problems aside, is everything okay at home?"
The girl nods "Yeah, we're great. Can we go?"
Buffy looks at the two of them skeptically "All right." After the two of them get out she circles to the back of the house and comes in through the back door. A few minutes later the two kids climb up from hole in the floor and Buffy startles them "Why'd you guys lie to me?" Both of the children gasp at the sound of her voice and turn to face her. "Where are your parents?"
After a moment the girl looks at Buffy "We don't have any."
Buffy brought the two kids back to Mary Margaret's apartment and they were currently eating at the table while Buffy talked to Mary Margaret "Do you know them?" Buffy asked in a lowered voice so they wouldn't hear "Do they go to your school?"
Mary Margaret nods "I've seen them, but...I had no idea. None of us did."
Buffy opens the book Mary Margaret gave her "Ava and Nicholas Zimmer." She read "Said their mother was a woman named Dorrie Zimmer. She died a few years ago." Mary Margaret shakes her head having no idea who the woman was, Buffy sighs "No one seems to know her or remember her."
"And the father?"
"There isn't one—at least not one that they know."
"What does, uh, what does social services say?" Buffy hesitates "You didn't report them." Mary Margaret realises.
"I report them, I can't help them. They go into the system."
"The system that's supposed to help."
"Look I have seen the system, I watched someone I cared about go through the worst or it. Do you know what happens? They get thrown into homes where they are a meal ticket. Nothing more. These families get paid for these kids, and as soon as they're too much work, they get tossed out and it all starts over again."
"But they're not all like that."
"How can you know that?"
"What, we're just gonna adopt them?"
"I want to look for their father. They don't know him. He may not even know they exist."
"And you think if he knows he'll want them?"
Buffy looks at the school teacher sadly "I don't know. But what I do know is it's hard enough finding foster families to take one kid that isn't theirs, let alone two. I know what it's like to be separated from a sibling. Trust me it's their best shot or—"
Buffy is interrupted by the sound of crying "We're gonna be separated?"
Buffy turns to see Ava, tears falling down her face "No, that's not gonna happen."
"Please." Ava begs "Please don't let it."
After calming down Ava Buffy left the two of them with Mary Margaret and headed down to the town archives office. Buffy walked over to the counter seeing a man behind it working "Excuse me. Mr...Kry-zowksi?"
"It's Kryzyszkowski." He corrects as he gets up from his seat and walks over to her "Everyone calls me K."
Buffy nods "Mr. K., I am Sheriff Summers. I'm hoping to look at the birth certificates of Ava and Nicholas Zimmer."
"Well, just, uh, fill out this form..." He tells her as he places 3 pieces of paper and a pen in front of her "In triplicate."
"Okay." Buffy says slightly weirded out as she reaches for the first form. As she is writing Mr. K draws her attention "I'm so sorry. Those documents have been recently removed."
"By who?" Buffy asks confused.
"The Mayor."
"Don't worry, Ms. Summers. You can relax." Regina tells Buffy as she enters the Mayor's office "I've contacted social services. Turns out these kids are on their own. They need help."
Buffy glares at the Mayor "Which is exactly what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to find their father."
Regina picks up the file on the desk and hands it to Buffy "Well...He doesn't exist."
Buffy takes the file "He has to."
"Well, of course, biologically, he exists, but there's no record of him, which means we have no choice. These children need a home. So they will be put into the foster system."
"Storybrooke has a foster system?"
"No, but I've contacted the state. Maine's group home, unfortunately, are filled, but they've put us in touch with two homes in Boston—A boys' home and a girls'."
Buffy's eyes widen as she watches Regina move around the room "They're separating them?"
"I don't like it either, but we've got no choice. You need to have them in Boston tonight."
Buffy looks at the mayor confused "Me?"
Regina smiles "Well, you wanted to be sheriff. This is what sheriffs do. Yes, you're taking them."
"No. I promised them they wouldn't be separated."
"Well, then perhaps you should stop making promises you can't keep. These children need a home. I'm just trying to find the best one."
Later at the Station Buffy is going through Ava and Nicholas' file hoping to find some clue to where their father might be. "Any luck?" Henry asks as he enters the room carrying the storybook.
Buffy sighs "No."
Henry places the book on the table "I know who they are. A brother and sister, lost, no parents. Hansel and Gretel." Henry opens the book to the story of the brother and sister and shows it to Buffy who smiles.
"Anything in there about the dad?"
"Just that he abandoned them."
"Great. Sounds like a familiar story. Whoever this guy is, he could be in Laos by now. Or he could be in Spain with his secretary like my father."
Henry bites his tongue trying to keep to truth a secret and goes on "No. He's here."
Buffy scoffs "Just how do you know that?" Buffy asks as she moves out of the office and heads to the file cabinet.
Henry follows her "Cause no one leaves Storybrooke. No one comes here. No one goes. It's just the way it is."
"I came here." Buffy argues.
"Because you're special. You're the first stranger here ever."
Buffy nods "Right. I forgot." Buffy pulls out a large file and closes the cabinet "Well, if he's around here anywhere, I'm gonna find him. If I was able to track down my loser of a father, I can find theirs."
Buffy turns away from Henry and sits at the desk. Henry sits on top of the desk and looks at Buffy "Can you tell me about him?"
"I don't know anything yet."
Henry shakes his head "Not their father. Mine."
Buffy's eyes widen, she had not thought of Henry's father in years and that was for a good reason. "Please?" Henry begs.
Buffy hesitates, thinking of what to say, she turns to Henry and leans back in her chair "I was 15 when I met him. My mum and dad were fighting so they sent me to stay with my aunt for the summer. To say she was not happy about it, was an understatement so she told me to get a job. And the only job I could get was at this 24-hour diner just off the interstate. And um...Your dad was training to be a fireman. He always got the worst shifts, so he'd come in and order coffee and pie and sit at the counter and always complain that we didn't sell pumpkin pie, but he always came back the next night anyway."
Henry smiles slightly "Did you guys get married?"
Buffy laughs "No. I was 15 Henry, can't exactly do that. But no. Nothing like that. We just—we hung out a few times outside of work. And...life happened. His got better and when I got back to L.A mine got worse, and...I got into some tricky situations.
"When you got arrested."
Buffy sighs "Yeah. After I got back to L.A, I...I found out I was pregnant with you. And...I tried to contact him. And I found out...that he died saving a family from a burning apartment building. So you think I'm a savior, Henry? He was. Your father was a real hero."
A sad look crosses Henry's face as he looks at Buffy "Do you have anything of his? Something you can remember him by? Something I could see?"
Buffy sits back in her chair "I...I don't. Henry...I'm sorry. I gotta go. I may know how to find this guy." Buffy picks up the file and heads back to her office.
Once Buffy got back to the apartment she heads upstairs to her room and grabs a small box. As she comes down the stairs she sees Ava and Nicholas eating cookies she walks towards them and dumps the box on the kitchen counter "I want to show you guys something. Here." Buffy says as she pulls out the white and purple baby blanket from the box. "What's that?" Nicholas asks.
"It's my baby blanket. It's something my mum gave me after I was born. It's something that I've held on to my whole life. After Sunnydale was destroyed I lost almost everything. But this is the one thing that I saved. It's the only thing that I have left... of my mom. I know what it's like to lose your parents and any one in that situation... we hold on to stuff. I want to find your father, but I need your help. Is there anything of his, you've held on to?"
"I might have something." Ava tells Buffy "But if I give it to you, you'll make sure we say together, right?"
"Right." Buffy says as she places the blanket on the box. She looks at Ava as the blonde girl pulls at compass out of her pocket and hands it to Buffy.
"A compass?"
"Our mom kept it. She said it was our dad's."
"Thank you. Now I'm gonna go find your dad."
After Buffy leaves the apartment she heads to Gold's shop. "Buffy." Gold says as she enters the shop "How lovely to see you. I'm flattered you'd take time out of your busy schedule for me. What can I do for you, Sheriff?"
Buffy walks over to Gold and places the compass on the counter in front of him "I'm looking for information on this old compass. Any idea where it could've come from?"
Gold picks up the compass and looks at it closely "Well, well. Look at the detail. You know, this is crystal, this jeweled setting? Despite the rather unfortunate shape that this is in. This is actually a very unusual piece. The person who owned this obviously had great taste."
Gold places the compass back down and looks at Buffy, who asks him another question"And where would someone like that buy it?"
Gold smiles at the question "Right here, of course."
"You know it?"
"Indeed. A piece like this is difficult to forget."
"Do you happen to remember who bought it?"
"Well, I'm good with names, Ms. Summers, but maybe not that good." Gold told her as he moved towards the cash register. "However, as luck would have it, I do keep quite extensive records..." Gold opens a drawer by the register "And...yes. Here we are."
Gold pulls out a piece of card from the drawer and waves it in front of Buffy. Buffy smirks "What's your price?"
"Forgiveness."
Buffy looks at him skeptically "How about tolerance?"
"Well, that's a start. The compass was purchased by a Mr. Michael Tillman."
"Anything else?"
Gold shakes his head "Just a name, but I generally find that's all one needs." Buffy nods and turns away from Gold and heads to the exit "Good luck with your investigation." Buffy hears him say causing her to turn slightly and look at him before leaving the shop.
A little while later Buffy stands with Michael as he stares at the picture of Ava and Nicholas she handed him. "Not possible." He tells her as he hands the file pages back.
"Actually, it is."
"I'm sorry. Look, Dorrie—she wasn't my, um...it was just once." Michael turns away from her and walks into the mechanic shop.
"Sometimes that's all it takes." Buffy tells him.
"I met her when I was camping...and we, um...no. It's not possible. I don't have twins."
"Yes, you do. You have twins that have been homeless ever since their mother passed away. You have twins who have been living in an abandoned house because they don't want to be separated from each other. And twins who are about to be shipped off to Boston like cattle unless you step up and take responsibility for them."
Michael who is working on the car hanging up from the wall cuts his finger "Ow." Then looks to Buffy "Look...I can barely manage this garage. I can't manage two kids. And why are you so sure they're mine?"
Buffy looks at him sadly before reaching into her pocket and holding out the compass "Beside the timing? Have you ever seen this?"
Michael walks toward her and looks at the compass which Buffy hands him "I lost this."
"Let me guess—12 years and 9 months ago? I know it's a lot. Believe me, I know. A while ago, a kid showed up on my doorstep I gave up for adoption, asking for help with...something. And I ended up moving here, for him."
"I heard about that. It's the mayor's son. But...staying in town is...it's a lot different than taking him in."
"I don't have my kid because I don't have a choice. You do. Those kids did not ask to be brought into this world. You brought them into this world. You and their mother. And they need you. And if you choose not to take them, you are gonna have to answer for that everyday of your life. And sooner or later, when they find you—because believe me, they will find you...you're gonna have to answer to them."
"I'm really sorry. I am." Michael says as he gives the compass to Buffy "I don't know anything about being a dad. If it's a good home your looking for it's not with me." Michael looks at Buffy once more before heading inside. Buffy closes her eyes sadly and heads back to the loft.
Once she is outside she grabs her phone calling Mary Margaret "Hey, it's me." Buffy says as Mary Margaret answers "I need you to come outside right away."
"Is everything okay?"
"Don't say anything in front of the kids, but no, it's not."
"He doesn't want the kids." Buffy tells Mary Margaret once she comes downstairs.
"And you don't want to tell them?"
Buffy shakes her head "I can't, because all I'll be telling them is that the false hope, I gave them is exactly that."
"The truth can be painful, Buffy, but it can also be cathartic."
"I agree on the painful part."
"Well, hey, look, you told Henry the truth—that his father's dead—and he's handling it great."
"I didn't tell him the truth."
Mary Margaret looks at her stunned "What?"
"Henry's father was no hero, and trust me, he does not need to know the real story. Maybe we can hide the kids, just until we can find a family for them—someone to take care of them."
"Yes, hiding the 12 year olds is a good plan."
"You have a better idea?"
"Or maybe there isn't an idea. Maybe you just have—"
Mary Margaret is cut off when Regina walks over to them "Sheriff? Shouldn't you be on the interstate?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Seeing to it that you do your job."
"You know you don't need to check up on me. I know what I have to do."
"Really? Because those kids are supposed to be in Boston tonight."
A few hours later Ava and Nicholas stand in front of the Sheriff's car as Buffy opens the door for them "Come on. It's gonna be—here." Buffy says as she hands the miserable Ava back the compass "I'm sorry, but we gotta go." The two kids slowly get into the car and Buffy gets into the front seat. Henry appears at the window "No. You can't take them. They can't leave Storybrooke, Buffy. They can't. Something bad will happen."
Buffy sighs "Something bad has already happened." Buffy starts the engine as Henry moves away from the window. Buffy puts the car into drive and heads for the town line. As they get closer to the town line the engine begins sputtering before stopping. "You've gotta be kidding me." Buffy says as the car stops.
"What happened? What's wrong?" Ana asks from the back seat.
"Engine stalled." Buffy says before reaching for her phone.
"Who are you calling?"
"Help."
Buffy leans against the car waiting for the tow truck, a moment later it appears and Michael climbs out of the car and freezes when he sees Buffy. He turns his head slightly and sees Ava and Nicholas looking at him from the backseat "Are those them?"
Buffy nods "Those are them."
Michael moves closer to Buffy "And your car? It's fine?"
"I just wanted you to see 'em. Just once. I didn't think I could do it either. I gave up Henry 'cause I wanted to make sure he was safe and to give him his best shot. When I saw that he didn't have that, I couldn't leave. I was just as scared, more probably. But once I saw him, got to know him...I couldn't go back."
Michael walks closer to the car watching the kids then turns to Buffy "You're taking them? To Boston?"
Buffy shakes her head "I don't have to."
"No. No you don't." Buffy smiles and feels a tear fall down her check as Michael goes over to the car and talks to Ava and Nicholas.
When Buffy gets back to the loft Mary Margaret who is sat on the bed doing laundry sees her "Hey. What happened?"
Buffy sits on the school teachers bed "Their dad? He showed up. Changed his mind." Buffy tells Mary Margaret as she lies down on the bed.
Mary Margaret looks down at Buffy and smiles "Changed his mind? Just like that?"
Buffy nods "He might have had a little nudge."
"They found their father. That's great."
Buffy sits up "I wonder what that would be like, being reunited with family."
"Maybe you'll find out. Maybe you and your sister will make up."
"I don't know. I love me sister but I don't know if things will ever be the same between us. She most probably hates me for leaving. I kinda think giving up on the idea that me and my friends all being together again like the way it was might be the best plan. I think I need to let go of my old life for good this time. Their better off without me anyway."
"Are you sure?"
"If my mum was still around things would most probably be different, after she died I wasn't the same, I was distant, I shut down and my friends suffered because of it. I couldn't be who I was expected to be." Buffy sighs "I think I need some air." Buffy gets up from the bed "I'm gonna go think." Buffy heads for the door and Mary Margaret walks towards the kitchen "If you're gonna be back late, I can wait to eat with you."
"No, don't do that."
"I'll leave you leftovers." Mary Margaret says before noticing the blanket "What a pretty blanket."
"Thanks. Good night." Buffy leaves the loft. After the door closes behind her Mary Margaret picks up the blanket and inhales, a second later she shakes her head and puts the blanket down. As she walked away from the box, a phone at the bottom of the box begins to vibrate, too quiet for Mary Margaret to hear.
Buffy sits in her car going through a file about her past when Henry appears by the passengers window "Um, what's that?"
"Just an old file. What's up?
"Pumpkin pie." Henry says showing her the small box in his hands "I...I thought you'd like some. It was pumpkin, right?"
Buffy smiles at Henry "Right." She says as she climbs out of the car. Henry walks around the car to stand in front of Buffy who sighs "Henry...about your father..."
"Yeah?" Henry says with a smile
Buffy hesitates and decides to keep the truth buried "I'm glad I told you."
"Me, too."
Henry hugs Buffy and when he pulls away Buffy looks at the box "Gimme that." She says as she takes the box smiling
"What you did with Ava and Nicholas—you really are changing things." Buffy raises an eyebrow at Henry but then looks down the road when she hears an engine roaring. Henry hears it as well and turns to see a motorcycle. The man on the bike pulls over and gets off before walking towards them, as he takes off his helmet. "Hi." He says, as he smiles at Buffy "Hey."
"Is this Storybrooke?"
"Yeah."
"Any place to get a room around here?"
Henry looks at the stranger "Uh, you're staying?"
The stranger turns his attention to Henry "That's the plan. Just looking for a bed."
Buffy watches Henry before focusing on the stranger "Granny's bed and breakfast is just up the road. Another two blocks."
"Thank you."
The man starts to walk towards his bike as Buffy calls out "Hey. I didn't catch your name."
He turns around as he walks "That's 'cause I didn't give it." He says before getting back on his bike and driving away. Buffy watches the man for a moment before tunring to Henry "I though you said strangers don't come to Storybrooke."
Henry looks at her worried "They don't."