Author's Notes: A special thank you goes out to BizarreBard. She has been helping me by Betaing this story and giving suggestions on where to take things. I'm very appreciative of her help.

Chapter 17: True North Pt. 2

At Mary Margaret's Ava and Nicholas are eating cookies. Emma comes downstairs with a box. Buffy watches from a corner of the room.

"I want to show you guys something." Emma says as she pulls a blanket out of the box.

"What's that?" Nicholas asks.

"It's my baby blanket. It's something I've held onto my whole life. That's the only thing that I have from… From my parents. I've spent a lot of time with a lot of kids in your situation, and all of them – all of us – we held onto stuff. I want to find your father, but I need your help. Is there anything of his you've held onto?" Emma says.

"I might have something. But if I give it to you, you'll make sure we stay together, right?" Ava says.

Emma nods, "Right." Ava pulls a compass on a chain out of her pocket and hands it to Emma. "A compass."

"Our mom kept it. She said it was our dad's." Ava said.

Emma smiles, "Thank you."

"Did you find them?" Ava asks.

"Who?" Emma asks.

"Your parents." Ava said.

Emma shakes her head, "Not yet. But Buffy and I are going to find yours."

Later Buffy and Emma enters Mr. Gold's pawn shop. Mr. Gold is at the counter polishing a lamp. "Emma. Buffy. How lovely to see you both. I'm flattered you'd both take time off your busy schedules for me. What could I do for you, Sheriff? Deputy?"

"We're looking for information on this old compass. Any idea where it could have come from?" Emma says.

"Well, well. Look at the detail. You know, this is crystal. This jeweled setting… In despite the rather unfortunate shape it's in, this is actually a very unusual piece. The person who owned this obviously had great taste." Mr. Gold says.

Buffy nods, "And where would someone like that buy it?"

"Right here, of course." Mr. Gold says.

"You know him?" Emma asks.

Mr. Gold nods, "Indeed. A piece like this is difficult to forget."

"Do you happen to remember who bought it?" Buffy asks.

Mr. Gold smiles, "Well, I'm good with names, Miss Summers, but maybe not that good. However, as luck would have it, I do keep quite extensive records." He walks over to a small filing cabinet on the counter and looks through it. "And… Yes, here we are." He pulls out an index card. However, he doesn't read it.

"What's your price?" Emma asks.

"Forgiveness." Mr. Gold says.

Emma shakes her head, "How about tolerance?"

"Well, that's a start. The compass was purchased by a Mr. Michael Tillman." Mr. Gold says.

"Anything else?" Buffy asks.

"Just a name. But I generally find that's all that one needs." Mr. Gold says.

Buffy and Emma goes to leave the shop.

"Good luck with your investigation." Mr. Gold says.

Later Buffy and Emma has found Michael at a garage, where he works as a mechanic. He reads the kids' file and looks at their pictures.

"Not possible." Michael says.

"Actually, it is." Emma says.

"Well, I'm sorry, but Dory – she wasn't my, um… It was just once." Michael says.

"Sometimes, that's all it takes." Buffy says.

"I met her when I was camping and we, um… No. It's not possible. I don't have twins." Michael says.

Emma nods, "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. You have twins who are about to be shipped off to Boston, unless you step up and take responsibility for them."

"Look – I can barely manage this garage. I can't manage two kids. And why are you so sure they're mine?" Michael says.

"Besides the timing…" Buffy says as she pulls out the compass. "Have you ever seen this?"

"I lost this." Michael says.

"Let me guess – twelve years and nine months ago? I know it's a lot – believe me, I know. A month 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." Emma says.

Michael nods, "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 going to have to answer for that every day of your life. And sooner or later, when they find you – because believe me, they will find you – you're going to have to answer to them." Emma says.

"I'm really sorry. I am. I don't know anything about being a dad. If it's a good home you're looking for, it's not with me." Michael says.

Henry, Ava and Nicholas are baking at Mary Margaret's. The phone rings and Mary Margaret answers it. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. I need you to come outside right away." Emma says.

"Is everything okay?" Mary Margaret asks.

"Don't say anything in front of the kids, but no, it's not." Emma says.

Moments later Buffy, Emma and Mary Margaret meet outside.

"He doesn't want the kids." Buffy says.

"And you two don't want to tell them." Mary Margaret says.

Emma shakes her head, "I can't. Because all we'll be telling them is that the false hope we gave them is exactly that."

Mary Margaret sighs, "The truth can be painful, Emma, Buffy, but it can also be cathartic."

"I agree with the painful part." Emma says.

"Well, hey, look – you told Henry the truth that his father's dead and he's handling it great." Mary Margaret says.

"No she didn't." Buffy says.

"What?" Mary Margaret asks.

Emma sighs, "As I told Buffy earlier after Henry left. 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 twelve year olds is a good plan." Mary Margaret says.

"You have a better idea?" Emma asks.

Mary Margaret sighs, "Emma, maybe there isn't an idea. Maybe you just have to-"

Regina and Faith approaches the three on the sidewalk.

"Sheriff. Shouldn't you be on the interstate?" Regina asks.

"What are you doing here?" Emma says.

"Seeing to it that you do your job." Regina says.

Buffy shakes her head, "You know, you don't have to check up on us. Emma knows what she has to do. And so do I."

"Really? Because those kids are supposed to be in Boston tonight." Regina says.

Later Buffy, Emma, Ava, and Nicholas are next to Emma's squad car, while Faith, Regina and Henry watch from a distance.

Emma opens the door to the car and gestures for Ava and Nicholas to get in. "Come on. It's going to be… Here." She gives Ava back her compass. "I'm sorry, but we got to go."

Ava and Nicholas get in the car.

"Let's go, Henry." Regina says as she puts her hand on Henry's shoulder, but he shrugs her off and runs over to Emma's window.

"No, you can't take them! They can't leave Storybrooke, Emma! They can't. Something bad will happen." Henry says.

"Something bad has already happened." Buffy says.

Buffy, Emma and the kids drive off.

Later Emma, Ava, and Nicholas are driving along the road that leads out of Storybrooke. Suddenly, the car starts slowing and the engine starts malfunctioning. They pull off on the side of the road.

"You've got to be kidding me." Emma says.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Ava asks.

"Engine's stalled." Emma says.

"Who are you calling?" Ava asks.

"Help." Emma says.

Later Buffy and Emma is waiting for help outside of the squad car, while Ava and Nicholas sit in the back seat.

"Nicholas, look!" Ava says.

The compass moves and appears to be working again. A tow truck pulls over to assist them. The driver, who ends up being Michael, gets out of the truck. He sees Ava and Nicholas, who are looking out the back window of the car.

"Those are them." Michael says.

Buffy nods, "Those are them."

"And your car – it's fine?" Michael asks.

Emma nods, "I just wanted you to see 'em. Just once. I didn't think I could do it, either. I gave up Henry because I wanted to give him his best shot. When I saw that he didn't have it, 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.

"You're taking them? To Boston." Michael says.

"We don't have to." Buffy says.

Michael nods, "No, you don't." He walks up to the side of the car, where they roll down the window. A few minutes later Ava and Nicholas leave with Michael.

That evening at the Summers/Lehane mansion Faith walks in the front door.

"Faith?" Buffy asks.

"Yeah, B." Faith says as Buffy comes out of the living room.

"Why were you with the Mayor, today?"

"Just thought I would get to know our neighbor is all. She's not a bad person if you get to know her." Faith said.

That night Regina is sleeping…

"Look, I hate asking for help. But I'm asking. 'Cause I... I'm in trouble. Like the real kind." Faith said.

"It's okay." Angel replied.

Faith shook her head, "Nah, it's... a couple of county lines over from okay, believe me."

"I believe you." Angel says as he lets her in. She sits on the bed, eyes staring forward, in her own world of fear. "Just talk. Start at the beginning."

"Mind if I skip past the "Mom never loved me" part and get right to it? I'm scaring myself." Faith said.

"I know the feeling." Angel says.

Faith sighs, "That's why I came to you. I don't want to get all twelve-steppy, but remember, you told me that killing people'd make me feel like some kind of God?" Angel nods. Faith shows him her hands. Blood. "Think I just came down to Earth." Angel examines her hands, concerned. "It's not human, if that's what you're thinking. Not that that makes me feel any better. Or this guy any less dead."

"Faith. You need help. And you can't do it alone." Angel says.

Faith nods, "I know. For real now, I'm scared. Scared of what I am, what I'm turning into. Cold blooded, straight-up killer."

Regina sits up in bed and lets out a sigh, "My poor darling. Is that why your sister stabbed you? Because she had to stop what you might have been becoming?"