Being back at home had been nothing like he expected. Normally he was thrilled to return to the town he grew up in- it was always a whirlwind, the best traits in all of his family and friends emerging just for him. Everyone smoothed over any indescrepancies when Henry Mills came back, and he didn't mind one bit.

His current visit, however, was exactly the opposite- the entirety of his family had been exposed, unearthing some things he hadn't seen in years. It had all started with Roland telling his secret about him and Grace, and that felt like an eternity ago.

Although he and his brother had moved on from that incident, something far worse had emerged in its place. Roland had always been anxious and high strung about things, but the most recent events had sent him spiraling. He couldn't have a conversation with him without becoming irritated. After a few failed attempts at asking him what was truly going on inside, Henry simply stopped trying, keeping him at a distance and silently observing what he was seeing.

His mother was trying her hardest to put on a good face, but he could sense the pain that resided just below the surface. What caused Henry the most anguish inside was the fact that Roland hung around Regina like a skittish guard dog, always asking her if she was okay or grabbing her something. Henry didn't know how she still remained sane. It had only been three days, and he felt like he was going to explode. He know things couldn't keep going the way they were going- someone had to give, and it wasn't going to be him.

When he emerged downstairs, however, the ambition to create change dropped significantly- Roland was making pancakes in the kitchen while their mother sat alone on the couch, a stoic look on her face as she stared off into the distance. Seeing her like that only brought up unpleasant memories from the last time Robin was stuck in the Enchanted Forest. It was a time almost as hopeless and dreary as their current situation, and Henry remembered it well.

"Are you okay Mom?"

Her attention was regained after the third time calling her name- she looked surprised to see him standing in front of her.

"Did you get any sleep last night?"

The answer to the question was obvious from the dazed look she was giving him. He knew she was dealing with ghosts from her past, but living life that way was a clear path to destruction.

"I finished looking through the last of my spellbooks from the vault. I... I have no idea where to go from here."

He put an encouraging hand on her shoulder. "We'll think of something. With all of the smart people in our family, we're bound to figure it out."

Regina released a small smile, but her son could tell that she was exhausted from the fight. With their options getting smaller, they needed all the reinforcements they could get.

"Have you talked with Emma about any ideas?"

He knew he was striking a sensitive chord within her by bringing up Emma, but he knew that was one of their last options. Regina hadn't spoken to Emma or Snow since she returned to her body, not due to spite, but because the knowledge of the two women knowing such a dark truth was something that tore her up inside. She didn't have to admit it to Henry- he sensed it so strongly that he avoided bringing it up for days. But, unlike Roland, he couldn't sit idly and allow her to remain in the cloud of trauma that she had grounded herself in.

"Emma's been busy with work, I don't want to bother her," Regina replied, though they both know that was a lie.

Sensing the tension in the conversation, Roland abandoned the pancakes and returned back to their mother's side.

"Well I think you should reach out to her and Snow, they want Caroline and Dad back just as much as we do."

Before she could respond, Roland budded in, his arms folded crossly. "If she doesn't want to talk to them, she doesn't have to."

Henry rolled his eyes, preparing himself for the worst. "You know we can't keep doing what we're doing, it's not getting us anywhere."

"I'm so sick of you thinking that you can make all the decisions around here! You don't even live here anymore and you-"

"Stop this, both of you!" Regina exclaimed, causing her two sons to cease their arguments, their words frozen in mid sentence. "If it makes you happy, I'll call Emma right now."

Against all of the irritation he felt for his brother, Henry still considered the morning to be a victory. As his mother stood up and headed towards the kitchen, phone in hand, he backed off and left Roland alone, standing in a huff.

The conversation between her and Emma didn't last long, but from what Henry heard, she was on her way over there. He knew it was Emma's day off of work, and that she was more than willing to help. As he waited for her to arrive, he watched his mother from afar- she began pacing back and forth in the kitchen, exhibiting a level of anxiety that she rarely showed. It was mesmerizing to him, seeing her true nature come out. As soon as the doorbell rang, however, her composure snapped back into place, like nothing ever happened.

Emma was flustered, but looked relieved as Regina allowed her in.

"I've been looking through records at the station to see if there's any evidence of Caroline," she told her, eyes bright with ambition, "time travel is one tricky bastard- any little change they make could show up on our end."

"That's a smart idea," Regina said as they entered the living room, "we have no idea how far back in time they are. Using the locator spell does nothing."

The three of them sat down on the coach just as Roland was leaving for his room, clearly still angry with Henry. He barely acknowledged Emma before he slipped back upstairs.

"What's all that about?" Emma asked, her voice hushed.

"He's being melodramatic as usual," Henry was quick to say, earning a hasty nudge from Regina.

"He's... going through a lot right now, be nice."

Henry rolled his eyes. "We're all going through a lot right now. At least we're doing something about it."

In an effort to diffuse the irritation that began to set in around them, Emma took out a small object from her coat pocket. "I thought we could try this- maybe with our combined magic, we can get some clue on where to look next."

Henry looked at the object in wonder, immediately recognizing it as the looking glass that had helped them out so many times in the past. As he watched both of his mothers work on joining their power, he remembered the bouts of jealousy he felt as a teenager. The magic he had witnessed throughout his life had been fascinating, defying all odds of the normal world. He used to wish so badly that he could somehow learn, especially since he was the only one that knew of his sister's secret abilities. After starting college and experiencing the world outside of Storybrooke, however, Henry realized that he wanted to learn as much as possible. He was lucky enough to be a part of both worlds and understand what others did not.

The looking glass Regina held between her hands kept flashing between various images of the Enchanted Forest, all of them completely void of Caroline or Robin. After a minute or two went by, both Emma and Regina simply gave up, letting the energy they created dissolve into the air around them.

"This is pointless," Regina sighed, leaning back on the coach in a defeated slump.

Emma noticed her dejection, and knew she was far from the Regina everyone knew and adored. Deep inside she wanted to help her friend and properly assess her emotions, despite how guarded she was.

"Henry, why don't you go out and get us some coffee?"

Her son gave her a slightly inquisitive look in return, quickly seeing right through the front she was putting up. He hated the feeling of being pushed to the side- it was almost like he was a child again. But, for the sake of getting things done, he reluctantly matched Emma's attitude and agreed. The thought of inviting Roland to come with him crossed his mind, but he quickly decided against it. His brother was great at hiding in the shadows when the going got tough.

"I'll be back," Henry said, giving his mom an encouraging look before heading towards the front door.

With silence rapidly creating a chasm in his absence, Emma knew she had to step it up and cut to the chase.

"I can't stop those hours in the castle from repeating over and over in my head," Emma told her, the words gushing out. Immediately she could tell that Regina became tense beside her, but for her it was such a weight lifted off her chest. When Regina didn't reply, she continued on. "Everything was so... off. I have no idea how you survived there for as long as you did."

Although she was uncomfortable, Regina held her gaze, finding some solace there. "It's not the world you were raised in. Before I created Storybrooke, the life of royalty was all I knew- it was supposed to be my destiny to become Queen."

She found herself tempted to smile at her last remark.

"That's another thing I've been hung up on," Emma continued, abandoning the looking glass for the time being, "the whole destiny thing. If your curse never happened, I would have grown up in that castle, just like my mother. The thought won't leave me alone."

"Destiny is bullshit, that's what I've learned," Regina told her, "look at us royals now. My life here has been everything I could ever ask for."

As her thoughts became more rapid, her countenance fell. "At least it was before all of this happened. I locked up all of those awful memories in a place so deep they would never resurface- and I was so happy. Now..." her voice trailed off as tears welled in her eyes, anger the only thing moving her forward. "Now it's as if all of my memories were tossed up into the air at once, and now everything is... mixed together. Sorting through it all seems impossible right now."

Emma took a few moments to let what she had just heard sink in. What was left unsaid was that on top of the inner turmoil, half of her family were tossed into an unknown time period, existing in a land nearly forgotten by the residents of Storybrooke.

"Just know you're not alone," Emma said, her voice steadfast, "we all love Caroline and Robin so much- we're family. If you need anything from me, David, Granny, you name it- we'll do the best we can. You need to focus more on taking care of yourself."

Regina knew she was telling the truth, but she resented those words. There was nothing more terrifying to her than facing the demons she had inside. Knowing her youngest child was out in the same dangerous world she herself once lived in practically hit a nerve, shaking her to the core like leaves from a tree.

She barely remembered thanking Emma for reaching out, everything inside seemed to take over. Soon Henry would return with coffee, and the vicious cycle would continue- they would give all of their energy to an effort that was doomed to fail, sending them right back where they started.