Guys you have no idea how much research I did into the Bluebeard tale and it was so ridiculously fun! I also realized that I had yet to really include Henry in all of this so I had to bring him in because hello it's Henry and we love him. Anywho, Happy Holidays everyone and here is your latest chapter!

"You didn't recognize him the first five times you stared at that photo," Regina said, taking the photo from Emma's hands. "No more. Please."

Emma bit back her retort and just nodded. True to her word, she had looked into Avery's file and found the photo that had been taken of the man last seen with her. Stopping for gas had its perks for those investigating the case. Unfortunately, the man didn't trigger anything in Emma's memory.

"Every other memory has come back right away," Emma admitted. "I just want to be able to have something else. This case has gone on long enough."

Regina poofed the photo away before coming to sit next to Emma on the couch. "Liza has only been home a week. No one is expecting the case to solve itself."

"And while we're sitting here another girl is with that horrible man. And before you say that we don't know that someone took the deal, someone had to have taken the deal. He never lets anyone go."

Regina raised an eyebrow at Emma's last statement. "You sound as if you've met the man before."

"Of course I haven't," Emma replied. "But I do know the story of Bluebeard and no matter which version he never lets anyone go." Emma got up from the couch, suddenly needing to be moving. She paced around the room, running over each version in her head trying to find something to connect them. So far the only connecting piece had been the key, which was also mentioned in the tale. But what else in the tale had also shown up in each case? The tradeoff? That wasn't part of the deal. None of the versions mentioned letting one girl go in place of another.

While Emma paced around the room, Regina began to once again look through Avery's file. She had confiscated all of the photos that included Avery in them, much to Emma's protest, and felt like she was gaining nothing from staring at the same photos for the millionth time. Or what felt like it anyway.

From its spot on the coffee table, Emma's phone began to buzz with a call. The caller ID registered it as an unknown caller, but who received scam callers in a magical town?

Emma swiped to answer the call before putting it on speaker to let Regina hear. "Hello?"

"Emma?"

"Mary?"

"There's something you need to come see."

"The last time doves were in Storybrooke my curse was weakening," Regina mused, looking out the window with everyone else.

Directly outside of Liza's window sat a single red dove, cooing softly as it gazed curiously at the crowd gathered at the window.

"Is that even a normal color for a dove?" Liza asked. All of the adults in the room shared a look before shaking their heads. Liza nodded. "Great."

"So what does it mean?" Jackson asked, looking at Regina and Emma for answers. "Any leads at all?"

Emma and Regina shared a glance before Emma nodded. She would take the explanation on this one. "As you are aware, Storybrooke is a rather...special town full of interesting people with different pasts-"

Mary waved her hand impatiently. "Why do you think we came here, we knew all about it. The stories, who everyone is, all that jazz."

"Oh," Emma said, not quite sure what else to say. She was prepared to have to explain everything to do with the various curses, realms where everyone came from, and more and here Mary and Jackson were with the knowledge of it all and not a care in the world.

Regina noticed Emma's lack of words and cleared her throat to get the group's attention. "We believe that your family may be tied to the tale of Bluebeard. You know the tale I'm sure."

"It would make sense," Liza said, looking at her parents. "The key, the rules, the creepy old guy. It all adds up."

"The birds don't," Mary said, looking again at the dove sitting outside.

Emma looked outside at the bird again, and immediately wished she hadn't.

Emma was sitting at the kitchen table doing her homework while Ingrid made dinner. There weren't many things that Ingrid was strict on, especially since Avery's disappearance and Emma's subsequent disappearance into herself, but one thing she was strict on was homework. She wanted Emma to have the best education and opportunities and that only came with being responsible with schoolwork from an early age.

Needing a brain break from math, Emma set her pencil down and looked outside. How she wished she could be playing outside instead of being stuck inside with her math homework. Suddenly movement caught her eye, and she rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

Sitting peacefully on the bird bath was a dove as red as a cardinal, calmly cleaning its feathers. Doves were supposed to be white, weren't they? Looking closer, Emma realized there was a small piece of paper tied to the leg of the bird.

Not wanting to scare the animal, Emma slowly opened the sliding glass door leading to the backyard and slowly walked towards the bright red bird. When it didn't fly away, Emma reached out and gently grabbed the little piece of paper. Having completed its job, the bird immediately took flight and quickly disappeared into the distance.

Emma unrolled the little slip of paper and almost gasped as she recognized the handwriting as Avery's. Quickly she read the note, hoping Ingrid wouldn't see her.

Emma,

I want you to know that the dove will find you wherever you are. I hope that you're still with Ingrid, she seems to love you a lot and I think she plans to adopt you. Don't push this one away, okay? You deserve a family.

I was wrong trying to make you take my place because I have parents to go home to. I was desperate, but it was a low blow. Please forgive me.

Look for the dove, the colors mean something. Red means I'm okay, white means I'm ill, and black means I'm in danger. You won't be able to write back, but writing to you makes me feel less lonely.

Avery

"She just passed out in the middle of Liza's room and you're trying to tell me that everything is fine?" Jackson shouted, clearly angry. "What the hell is going on?"

"She has been pushing herself too hard on this case," Regina said, her voice the definition of calm. Emma knew years of training had made sure of that. "I promise you that everything is fine. She merely just fainted."

Emma slowly sat up, alerting the entire room to the fact that she was awake again. She didn't feel any pain, so it seemed as if thankfully Regina had caught her before she hit the floor.

Regina and Liza looked at her in concern, Mary in confusion, and Jackson in anger. Regina reached out a hand and helped Emma to her feet, squeezing Emma's hand gently when she didn't let go.

"I'm so sorry," Emma said, looking embarrassed. "I definitely need to get some more sleep. For now, don't worry about the bird. Let us do some more research."

Once back home, Regina waited for Emma to share what had happened today. So far, she wasn't speaking a word. Regina jumped when the front door opened, looking quickly at the time and realizing that school was out for the day.

"Mom?" Henry called. "Ma? Are you guys home?"

Regina wiped her hands on her apron and came out of the kitchen, smiling as Henry ran over to hug her tightly. She had sent him to stay with Snow and David for a while back when Emma was still struggling but had told them he could come home tonight.

"Where's Ma?" Henry asked. Regina smiled at his concern, his face mirroring the look on Emma's when she herself was struggling and needed her support.

She kissed his forehead before nodding towards the living room. He smiled and headed towards the room, slowing down as he noticed Emma. She was sitting on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest. She stared out the window, as if looking for something. Feeling eyes on her, Emma turned towards the entryway and smiled as she spotted Henry. "Hey kid."

Henry walked over to her before sitting on the couch and giving her a hug. "Hi Ma. Love you."

"I love you too," Emma said, her voice slightly cracking as she held in her tears. Tomorrow she would share with Regina what she had remembered earlier in the day. For now, Henry's love was all that mattered.