Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any unrecognizable characters and dialogue.

So, this was another chapter that I thought about skipping completely, but, as this was one of my favorite episodes, I figured I'd take a crack at it.

And, I feel like I don't say this enough, thank you all for the support and encouragement you guys give me. It's amazing and means the world to me.

Chapter playlist: 'I had to do that' from the 'Hunger Games: Catching Fire OST' and 'Warrior of Light' from 'Game of Thrones: Season 2 OST'

Storybrooke

"Pick axes down, brothers!" The rhythmic hacking first began to slow, then stop altogether. "First round at Granny's is on me!"

Five of the seven brothers happily lowered their axes, grinning from ear to ear at their perpetually cheerful brother's announcement. As they all shelved their axes, Doc paused when the sound of a pick axe striking stone started up again. Turning, he frowned, puzzled, at the sight of Leroy hacking away at the wall as he had been since early that morning.

"Come on, Leroy," he tried to cajole the grumpy man. "We're going to miss happy hour."

Happy noticed and doubled back, joining their eldest brother in trying to convince their youngest to join them. "Granny's running a two-for-one special on mead."

Leroy's swinging didn't cease. "Just 'cause it's called happy hour, Happy, don't mean you got to be there." He snarled at his chipper brother, turning back to the rock before him. "We got work to do."

"But you're tired - we all are." Happy protested, his ever-present smile faltering slightly at his brother's dark scowl. "A break could help."

"Charming asked us to mine for dust – fairy dust. To help bring Snow, Lilith and Emma back home," he reminded them, his strikes growing fiercer with every word. "And that's…," the wall trembled beneath the blow, "what I'm…," he grunted, drawing back, throwing all his weight behind the next strike. "Going to do!"

The wall crumbled beneath the weight of the blow, sending rocks and dwarf tumbling through the gap and into a whole new cavern. His brothers rushed, carefully looking into the hole in the wall, as Leroy righted himself, sputtering. The noise died as his eyes raised to look at what lined the walls of the previously unknown cavern.

"Get David and Mother Superior."

Less than an hour later, David and Mother Superior, Henry trailing behind as David wasn't about to let his grandson left to his own devices after the Daniel incident, stormed through the mines. The first dwarf they encountered was Happy, who was awaiting them anxiously and easily fell into step with them, leading them.

"Where is he?" The blond man asked, anxiety jacking up his pace.

Without a word, Happy guided them through the maze of tunnels to where they'd been mining that day. There was a large hole in the wall that, to David's knowledge, hadn't been there before. As Happy slipped into it, with David and his companions following, David stopped dead at the sight that greeted him inside it.

Leroy, along with his brothers, stood off to the side, each of them, even Leroy, grinning widely. Mouth going slack, David drew his eyes from the dwarves to the wall before it, and the gleaming, shining diamonds that spanned from the base of the wall to the ceiling.

Head craned back, Henry didn't look away from the sparkling gems embedded in the walls. "Are those…."

Mother Superior nodded, almost overcome by the sheer delight that overwhelmed her at the sight. "Diamonds," she smiled down at Henry, whose eyes had widened almost comically. "They're back," a smile bloomed on her face. "The magic brought them back."

"You mean, the kind that become fairy dust?"

"Indeed," her smiled grew when his lips formed into a grin. "We just need to refine them – grind them up." She turned to David, who was still staring around, gobsmacked. "Do you still have what remains of Jefferson's hat?" She didn't bat an eye when the acting sheriff actually produced the battered remains of the portal making hat from his coat. "You lock this up," she instructed sternly. "Keep it safe. Because," her eyes were drawn back to the diamonds. "By this time tomorrow, we'll have enough magic dust to make it work again."

Henry gravitated toward his grandfather, who was beginning to grin so widely it looked like his face was about to split in half. "So, Mary Margaret, Lillian and Emma…."

David drew his arm around the boy, holding up the hat. "That's right, kid." They beamed at one another. "We're bringing 'em home."

The happy party, minus Mother Superior, had quickly relocated to Granny's for the promised round of mead Happy had offered to buy. As Ruby bustled around, tray in hand and a gleeful smile on her face, David raised his mug.

"To the dwarves!" The cheers in response were almsot deafening, and as they died down, everyone settling down somewhat, David approached Leroy. "That was quite a spill, are you okay?"

The burly man merely smiled in response. "I've had worse."

Approaching a table she'd neglected to get the dwarves and David their mead, Ruby jumped when a voice from beside her said, "a mouse."

"What?" She jerked, rapidly looking around for the rodent. "Where?"

The man, Billy the mechanic, she belatedly realized, smiled sheepishly. "No, I meant me. I was a mouse," he elaborated, still smiling. "My name was Gus, I lived in Cinderella's pantry; I ate cheese, I gnawed on wood, but I preferred the cheese."

Lost, she stared blankly at the man. "And, why are you telling me this?"

"Uh, we haven't had a chance to talk since things…changed." He rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. "I just wanted you to know who I was… back home."

"Uh, can I, um, still call you Billy?"

Billy returned her weak, uncertain smiled. "You can call me whatever you want, as long as you let me buy you a drink after your shift." He shifted closer. "I already know Ruby. I want the chance to meet Red."

For the first time, she shifted back from the sign of overt flirting, suddenly skittish and uncomfortable. "Um, tonight's actually not great. Because- "

Belle popped up on her other side, smiling brightly. "Uh, we, uh… we have, uh, plans," she stuttered out, making it up as she went.

Ruby began to nod so vigorously that it made her hair swish. "That's right, um… it's girls' night. I'm bringing the cheese." Her eyes widened, mouth getting ahead of her. "Which has nothing to do with you being a mouse - it has to do with the wine."

Billy visibly deflated. "Okay. Um… maybe next time…." Nodding at them both, fighting to keep his smile in place, he turned and left them.

"Thank you," Ruby expressed the moment he left earshot, turning to the other woman.

"I can spot a girl in trouble," Belle grinned with a shrug of her shoulder. "He… he seems really nice," she began hesitantly. While they were no longer veritable strangers, thanks to the bonding sessions that mostly consisted of Ruby teaching Belle all about the modern world, Belle was still careful not to accidentally upset or annoy her hosts.

"It's… it's complicated," Ruby rushed out, tray clutched to her chest, before she darted away.

As he patted another dwarf on the back, David turned and caught sight of Henry in a booth across the diner, sipping slowly from a mug. Brow creased, as Henry usually downed hot chocolate within minutes, he strode over.

"Is that coffee?" He asked pointedly, staring down at the dark liquid his grandson had been drinking. Regina will skin me if she finds out…

Henry carefully drew the cup closer. "No."

David sighed, seating himself in the booth across from Henry. "Trying to stay up, huh?" He received a nod. "Still worried about those nightmares?" Another nod. "Well, don't be. 'Cause, when you go to sleep tonight, I'm going to be right in the next room." He'd resolved to use Emma's room, despite wanting to be closer to Mary Margaret by using her bed. "Now maybe, lose the java, and go grab a cocoa."

Sending him a small smile, one that only enforced the drawn, whiteness of his face, Henry slipped from the booth and headed to the counter where Granny awaited. David watched him with a fond smile, the expression fading when a balding man seated himself across the booth.

"Congratulations, Sheriff," Albert Spencer praised, his words flat and mocking. "Quite a celebration."

David stared hard at the man he'd been forced to call 'father'. "What are you doing here?"

"You may have taken care of me in the old world, but, in this one, we get another go at each other."

"Whenever you're ready."

"It's a big moment for you, isn't it?" Albert said instead, ignoring the calm challenge his son's twin had laid down. "On your way to getting your family back."

David smirked lightly as they got to the heart of the matter. "Ah… yeah, it must be hard for you." He leaned back casually, the movement belying the tenseness in his features. "You know, watching good win."

Albert raised a brow. "Good? So sure of yourself, but I know the truth. You're still just a shepherd pretending to be a prince." His eyes narrowed. "You weren't fit to run the kingdom, and you sure as hell aren't fit to run this town."

"I think the people of Storybrooke might disagree with you."

The older man shrugged, clearly unconcerned. "Today. But I'm going to see to it that they see things my way." David watched him, features blank but for the faint quirk of his lips. "That they see you for who you really are. By the time I'm done with you, you'll wish you'd killed me when you had the chance."

Said shepherd merely arched a brow in response, steel creeping into his words. "The people of this town know who I really am. And they've seen me defeat you before." He reminded the former King, satisfied with the irritation that lurked in the other man's eyes. "So, if you want to try and take me down, they'll see it again."

With that, he stood and stalked from the booth, striding toward his grandson and pushing all thought of Spencer in the back of his mind. Hours later, as their party trickled down, David headed toward the back of the diner to look for Ruby and Granny. Henry was asleep in a booth, his short caffeine buzz having already passed, leaving the poor boy more tired than before.

Brow creased, David stopped dead at the sight of Granny, a welding torch in hand, as she raised the shield from her eyes. "Almost done," she called to Ruby, who was exiting the large walk-in freezer with an armful of lasagna pans. "Let's finish clearing out those perishables."

"What the hell is this?" David demanded once he'd gotten his tongue to work.

Ruby glanced up after setting down the pans on an already large pile. "We're making a cage," she said, unconcerned, and gestured to the staggering pile of pans. "Know anybody who might want thirty-eight frozen lasagnas?"

He blinked. "I'm sorry, what?"

Granny turned, hand on the shield. "I know," she grinned. "Nobody would believe it if you told them my lasagna was frozen."

David sent her a look that clearly said he thought she'd gone senile. "No," he shook his head. "Why are you building a cage?"

"Tonight's the first full moon since the curse broke." Ruby's expression turned somber. "It's the first night of Wolfstime."

His head tilted. "I thought you figured out how to control the wolf in you ages ago?"

Looking uncomfortable, she nodded briskly. "Yeah. But, thanks to the curse, I haven't turned in twenty-eight years." She informed him. "I might be rusty. I can't let what happened last time – what happened to Peter – happen to anyone else."

"What about your red hood? That could keep you from turning."

Ruby made a face in response. "If I had it. I've looked everywhere, I even went to Gold." While going to the pawn shop had been a long shot, the proprietor had been oddly helpful. I suppose I can thank my friendship with Lillian for that kindness. "It's not in town. I don't think it came over with the curse."

"Ruby, I know you. I trust you." David said, attempting to try and help her to realize how silly her fears were now. "Snow trusted you. Wolfstime or not, you won't hurt anyone tonight."

Ruby shared a look with Granny, who was a somber faced as anyone had seen in a long time. "Maybe. But I can't afford to take any chances."

With that, she skirted the pile of lasagna and stepped into the freezer. David watched, frowning deeply, as, after receiving a nod and strained smile from her granddaughter, Granny obligingly shut the heavy freezer door.

Enchanted Forest

They'd been running so long that Snow had lost count of the time, too focused on the shouts of their pursuers and the burning in her limbs. Shaking with exertion as they scrambled over tree roots and rocks and shrubs, Snow looked behind them and slowed at the absence of the distinct black knights of her stepmother's kingdom.

"Oh," she bent at the waist. "I think we lost them."

Red, however, was still moving. "Snow, wait." Her nose twitched, easily picking up the scent of the knight moments before he sprang out at them, a second at his side. "Wait!"

"You can't run from the Queen, Snow White!" One snarled as they lunged.

While they had no weapons with them - their desperate flight from Red's village hadn't allowed them much time for anything else - they managed to fend off their attackers.

"Come on," Red urged when Snow began to relax. "There are more of them."

Swallowing back her fatigue, Snow followed her cloaked friend, skidding to a stop when her eyes landed on the poster nailed into the trunk of a tree. Scowling, she ripped the offensive paper, balled it in her fist, and sprinted after Red. Realizing that they were getting nowhere by running, Red ducked behind a large tree, tugging Snow to follow.

Scarcely daring to breath they waited, still and silent, as the knights thundered past. They waited longer, until the footsteps and voices had long since faded. Releasing a low breath, Red peeked around the massive trunk. "It's okay," she announced, keeping her voice down out of habit, "They're gone." Her slight smile died, however, when Snow produced a wrinkled paper from the folds of her cloak.

"She's never going to stop, is she?" The once princess muttered resignedly, half to herself. She didn't expect an answer from her friend, and wanted to shy away from the pity she could see lurking in Red's eyes. But there was understanding there, borne from shared experience. Red too had lost everything in one short evening, and they both knew her Granny was more than likely on the run herself.

As she opened her mouth to reply, hand raised to fidget with her hood out of reflex, her heart skipped a beat when her fingers hit a snag. "My hood… it's torn." She breathed out painfully, pulling the fabric down to inspect the rip in the fabric. "You have to go. You have to get away from me."

"I'm not leaving you."

Frowning, Red shook her head. "There's a full moon tonight; Wolfstime is beginning." She refused to put another person she cared about in danger. Not after Peter. "This hood is the only thing that can protect me from turning."

"It's just a tear," the other girl attempted, trying to calm her increasingly agitated friend. "Maybe it'll still work."

"What if it doesn't?" Red was unable to hide the desolate note in her words. "You saw what I did to Peter. This thing, the wolf… when it takes over me, I can't control it." Eyes overly bright, she met Snow's worried gaze head on. "Please, Snow, find shelter. I'll go further into the woods and find a place to hide." She took a step away from her friend. "For your own sake, we have to split up."

"Alright," Snow agreed, if only to put Red's fears at ease. "But just for tonight," she insisted, refusing to hear any word to the contrary. "Let's meet up in the morning by the stream. And then we'll find a safe place for both of us." Her expression turned wistful. "Maybe a nice cabin in the woods."

"Why are you doing this?" Red demanded quietly, unable to stop the words from escaping the tightness of her chest.

Snow stopped, head tilted. "Doing what?"

"Being so kind to me." Red whispered in return, brow creased and eyes once more shining. "You saw what I did as a wolf. It's what I am."

Snow took a step forward, reaching out to lightly touch Red's arms. "I know that's not who you really are," she assured the other girl quietly, smiling so warmly that it made Red's heart squeeze. "We're in this together, Red."

After receiving a tremulous smile from the taller girl, Snow watched as Red turned tail and fled deeper into the woods. As the once princess turned, intent on finding her own shelter for the night, neither noticed the third person watching them.

Nor did they see his eyes begin to glow a vibrant yellow.

Storybrooke

Muttering under her breath about the inventory she and Ruby had managed to find space for in one of the other freezers as she turned the corner, Granny called out to her granddaughter, knowing that the change would have finished at dawn.

"You awake yet, Ruby? Ruby?" She wasn't bothered by the lack of response, assuming her granddaughter had yet to awaken. "Ruby," she turned the corner, stopped dead, and breathed her granddaughter's name like a prayer. "Ruby."

The freezer she'd crafted into a makeshift cage looked like a hurricane had hit it. The heavy door had been all but ripped off the hinges, hanging loosely to the side, with claw marks marring the surface. Peering inside the structure, her stomach dropped at the sight of the deep scratch marks that lined the steel walls and floor.

"Ruby!"

"Henry? Henry, wake up."

He jerked awake violently, still able to smell the smoke and feel the heat from the flames. Regina gently caught her son by the shoulders, frowning when she felt how badly they were shaking. "It's okay," she soothed, running her hands up and down his arms. She'd arrived less than twenty minutes before, practically breaking every traffic law in existence to get to the loft where her son now called home, to find him in the throes of a nightmare. "It's okay, you're okay," she continued, inwardly shaken by how haunted her son look, his whimpers as he slept fresh in her mind.

Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he looked around before settling on her worried gaze. "Wh-what are you doing here?" He asked quietly, though she was glad to hear the lack of accusation in his tone. "Where's David?"

"He got an emergency call this morning, and he asked me to look after you." She explained quietly, unable to hide the happiness from her words. While a part of her railed that she now practically needed an invitation to see her son, to watch over him, to do anything she'd done for the last decade, she pushed all that aside to focus on her child. "He told me you've been having nightmares," she continued, running a gentle hand along his brow. His eyes shifted away, breath still sawing from his lungs, and she lowered her voice. "It's okay, you can- "

"AH!"

Regina startled at the sound of her son's pained cry, too stunned to react when he jerked his hand away from her touch. Moving carefully, she gently pulled his hand away from where he was cradling it against his chest, eyes widening when she turned it to the side.

"Is that a burn?"

"This way," Granny called, marching forward so rapidly that David was forced to jog to keep up. "Over here."

They'd been in the forest for less than half an hour, and the older Lucas had never been more grateful that, while she no longer shifted at the moon's whim, she still retained some of the more useful traits of the wolf's blood.

Her granddaughter lay on the ground, tucked beneath the hollow of a fallen tree. There were faint scratches along her exposed face and neck, her clothes torn and dirty. Twigs and leaves had made a home in her tangled dark hair, twisting through the strands, and the older woman instinctively knew that this change had been hard on her granddaughter.

"Ruby," Granny barely noticed David when he knelt next to her, reaching out to gently shake Ruby's shoulder. "Ruby, wake up."

The young woman did so, jerking awake so quickly that she almost knocked heads with David. Blinking at them dazedly, she barely registered David's soft, "Hey," before confusion set in.

"Where am I? What happened?" She demanded quickly, her wide eyes looking around rapidly.

"You're in the forest," David explained gently, all too able to see the beginnings of a panic attack. "You must've fallen asleep here last night."

"I-I don't understand," she all but whimpered as they helped her to her feet. "You put me in that cage," she all but pleaded with Granny, who was grimacing. "You locked me up."

"The freezer was torn to shreds when I came to check in on you this morning."

Panic flashed across her face, followed by terror, and David reached out to stead her. "Ruby," he called, waiting until she'd looked him in the eye. "Ruby, it's alright."

"No, It's not." She snapped back, hysteria creeping in. "I don't remember anything from last night. This is exactly what I was afraid of -" All the breath left her lungs, a tightness squeezing in her chest. "Oh my God. Did I do something last night?" She demanded, and the look they shared confirmed her worst fears.

"Ruby, all we know for sure is that you broke out and ran through the woods." David replied, attempting to placate the agitated woman. "There's no reason to assume the worst," he finished before his phone began to vibrate. Frowning, he pulled it from his pocket. "Sheriff," he answered, aware of both Granny and Ruby listening intently. "Yeah, okay, I'll be right there."

Ruby pounced the moment he snapped his phone shut. "What is it?"

He shrugged, unconcerned. "Somebody left their car double-parked in front of the cannery - I got to go check it out on our way back into town." While she'd calmed down marginally, there were still traces of panic in her features, and David placed a hand on her shoulder as they began to walk back to the road. "Hey, relax. Everything's going to be okay."

Enchanted Forest

The gentle sound of running water awoke her. Heavy lids fluttering as the shook away the last vestiges of sleep that clung to her, she exhaled deeply as her surroundings came into focus. Halfway jerking upright, she glanced down, relief flooding her at the sight of the familiar red cloak and hood.

"It worked." Red slumped back down onto the pebbles and stones beneath. After laying there for several seconds, at ease for the first time in weeks, she rolled onto her feet and made for the river. Carefully removing her hood and placing it on the bank, she stepped closer to the water, drawing some out in her cupped hands. Her nose twitched, too late, as the wind shifted and the scent of another came her way.

She spun in time to see the red of her cape flash, the grin on the man's face, before he turned and ran. "Hey!"

She gave chase without a thought, her promise to meet Snow by the river pushed to the back of her mind. He was fast - faster than a human should be - and she was nearly out of breath before she began to gain on him. Ducking around another tree, she skidded to a stop, breath crushed from her lungs when she saw neither hide or hair of him.

"Looking for this?"

Red spun, heart lodged in her throat, at the sight of her hood held above the flames. The man was smiling faintly, clearly amused. "No, no!" She shouted, hands extended pleadingly. "Don't! Please, I need that."

His head tilted. "This old thing?" He gazed at the cloak, bemused. "What could you possibly need this for?"

"Drop it!"

"Unless… it protects you from something."

Red stilled, disliking his tone. "What are you talking about?"

The smirk fully blossomed across his face now, all teeth and too bright eyes. "You think I don't know a wolf when I see one?"

She moved faster than he could react, faster than she even thought she could herself. She tackled him to the ground, the torch flying to land and sputter uselessly on the ground. Her cloak was still in his grasp, and she grabbed hold of it as well, snarling above him.

"How do you know what I am?!"

He bared his teeth in response before using his heavier weight to switch their positions. Breath knocked out of her, she stared up at the man. His expression lost all hints of teasing, somber and serious.

"Because I know how to recognize a child of the moon." He told her seriously.

Her breath caught. "You… you're one, too?"

He nodded once. He eased off her and stood, offering his hand. "Name's Quinn," she took it, allowing him to pull her up. "I picked up on your scent last night. You never had anyone talk to you about this, did you?" He asked, brow furrowed with concern. "Teach you about what you are?"

The cloak slipped from her suddenly trembling fingers. "My parents were killed by hunters when I was a baby," she whispered quietly. "I was raised by my Granny."

"But she kept the truth from you," he continued despite the defensive expression she wore. "Made you wear that."

His finger pointed to the red hood lying in a pile beside her. Suddenly remembering herself, she stooped down and rapidly flung it over her shoulders, knotting the tie with trembling fingers. He watched her curiously, more amused than anything.

"Still blacking out, right? Still losing control when you turn?" Quinn asked conversationally, and her head snapped up in response. "Probably even hurt someone." Guilt clouded her face. "I know how you feel – I've been there." He took a cautious step forward, smiling faintly when she stood her ground. "It doesn't have to be this way."

Her heart fluttered, weak and frantic, inside her chest. "What do you mean?"

"What if I told you there was a way to control it, so you never have to be afraid of what you might do again?"

The hope in her eyes made his heart ache. "Is that possible?"

He nodded. "Follow me."

They moved swiftly through the forest, Red dogging him, step for step. The deeper they went, the more she began to rethink her rash decision. However, they came upon the base of a large tree before she could turn around and make a run for it. Quinn knelt down, opening a hatch she hadn't noticed. He moved to enter it, and she paused.

"Is this some kind of trick?"

He ignored her, gestured with a hand to follow, and disappeared down the hatch. Fidgeting with her hands for several heartbeats, she drew in a deep, fortifying breath, before she too went down the hatch. It was dark and dim, with a musty smell, and she blinked several times for her eyes to adjust. She took in the stonework, the bronze torch brackets and braziers that lit up the space.

"Used to be the grand hall of a castle, until it sunk underground." Quinn explained after he'd closed the hatch behind them. "Now, it's all ours."

She was looking around, skittish and uncertain. Several more people loitered in the hall, eying her with expressions that varied from curiosity to disbelief.

"Are they…?"

Quinn nodded. "Yes," he told her softly. "We are all the same." He touched her elbow and steered her deeper into the sanctuary. "Come – Anita is expecting you."

"Who's Anita?"

No sooner had the words left her lips, than a woman approached. "That would be me." Tall, with long hair, dark and wild, the woman stared at her kindly. "Well done, Quinn," she praised her lover, who smiled in return. "You finally found her." Longing entered her voice. "You've grown so much."

"You know me?" Red asked, heart once more in her throat.

The woman smiled in return; expression so eager and wistful all at once.

"I'm your mother."

Storybrooke

Ruby was shaking beneath Granny's arm. Seated in the cab of David's truck, the younger lay her head on the older's shoulder. Patting her granddaughter's hand as they came to a stop in front of the cannery. Exiting the car, Ruby and Granny's noses wrinkling at the smell of fish and saltwater, they strode toward the truck that Ruby recognized with ice in her chest.

"That's Billy's truck."

David groaned faintly. "Great," he muttered lowly. "Who do I call to tow a tow truck?" The half-hearted joke fell flat. He turned to see the blood rapidly drain from Ruby's features. "What is it, Ruby? What's wrong?"

"I smell blood." She whimpered, stricken.

He quickly realized something very important. "Where's Billy?"

Ruby breezed past him, sniffing the air wildly. He followed, barely aware of Granny drifting to the truck. Ruby led them toward the dumpster, a grayish tinge to her skin.

Following the second trail of blood, Granny came to a stop on the other side of the truck. Her eyes closed briefly before she raised her voice for the others. "Here!" Billy's head, eyes wide and glazed in death, stared at her, body half beneath his own truck.

David half-turned to go to her. Ruby's scream made him whip back around and he raced to her side. She stood, tears already spilling down her cheeks. Her wide, hysterical eyes fixed on the dismembered legs that struck out of the dumpster.

"It was the wolf!" She screamed. David was there, and she turned frantically to him. "It was me!"

Desperate, and out of options as Lillian was still stuck in the Enchanted Forest for the foreseeable future, Regina reluctantly called Gold. The man, despite his prickly nature, easily acquiesced to the unprecedented 'house-call' the moment she'd made mention of her son's name.

"Oh, yes," he muttered lightly as Henry held up his arm. His eyes lazily roved over the long, shiny burn. The barest hint of concern glinted in the depths. "You were quite right to call me."

"So y-you can help?" Henry asked, unable to control the fear swirling inside him. Gold's eyes softened ever so slightly. "It was just a dream."

Gold disliked having to crush the hopeful expression that was forming on the boy's face. "Well, what you're describing is certainly not a dream."

Regina bristled beside him. "Then, what was it?" She demanded.

"A side effect," he slanted a glance at her. "You know, it's remarkable you'd cast a curse you know so little about." The chastisement was not lost on her.

She drew herself up, scowling now. "My victims are not supposed to wake up." She reminded him. "That's why I certainly never cared what happened to them after," her voice lowered, eyes darted anxiously to her pale-faced son. "…Until now."

Gold began to mix various liquids and agents into a small vial. He had no interest in the reemergence of his old student's conscious. "When people fall under a sleeping curse," he began, watching for the correct reaction in the vial, "the soul travels to a Netherworld, where it resides until awoken. Now, this world is between life and death, and it's very real." Henry swallowed past the lump in his throat as Gold began to drip the potion over the pendant. "However, even when the curse is broken, sometimes, in sleep, the victims find their way back to that world." He raised his eyes to meet Henry's. "Victims like you."

Regina settled next to her son, wrapped an around around his shoulders. "This other world is tormenting my son every time he sleeps." She informed Gold unnecessarily. "I want you to give him something that will keep him from going there."

"Well, I'm afraid that's not possible." He didn't voice his displeasure at the order she'd issued. He didn't need to. "I can, however, provide you with something that will allow him to control his actions whilst in that world." Satisfied with his work, he replaced the empty vial in the box. "And once one controls something, one no longer need fear it." He held up the pendant, which glowed faintly in the morning sun.

"A necklace?"

Gold held back a chuckle at the hint of incredulity he detected in Henry's voice. "You wear this while you're sleeping," he explained simply, "Once you control the journey, fear will stop. And then, you can come and go as you please."

He extended his hand, halting when Regina stopped her son from reaching for the pendant. "Everything comes at a price with you." She stated flatly, suspicion clear as day in her voice. "What do you want for this?"

Gold's eyes narrowed as he dismissed her with a sniff. "For a house call? You couldn't afford it," his eyes softened minutely when they focused on Henry. He'd seen the little boy grow up, much closer than most residents, because of his place in Lillian's life. In his assistant's absence, he'd protect the boy in her stead. "But this is for Henry," he held the pendant out once more. "This one's on me."

The boy wasted no time in taking the glimmering object.

David had hold of her shoulders. "It had to be something else, Ruby."

"No, I did this!" Ruby tried to twist out of his grasp. "We both know it."

David lightly shook her. "No." He replied so firmly that she stopped and stared. "A few months ago, everyone thought Mary Margaret was guilty of murder. She needed someone to believe in her." Guilt and self-recrimination clouded his countenance. "I didn't do that. I am not going to make the same mistake with you!:

"Mary Margaret never killed anyone," Ruby snapped in reply the moment she recovered use of her voice. "I have."

"I know who you really are, Ruby. Even if you've lost sight of it."

"It doesn't change the fact that I am going to turn again tonight, and somebody else could get hurt."

Granny, who had remained surprisingly silence, spoke then. "Maybe this isn't the place to have this discussion."

David met her grimace head on. "It's okay," he swore. "I'll protect her."

Ruby jerked away from them. "No! Lock me up," she began to plead. "If the freezer couldn't hold me, maybe a jail cell will." She stepped away from him further when he reached for her. "I don't need to be protected from other people, David." She exhaled shakily. His blue eyes were soft, and she turned from the understanding there. "Other people need to be protected from me."

Enchanted Forest

"Granny lied to me." Red whispered, dumbfounded. "That story about you being killed by hunters…."

Her mother smiled sympathetically. "She's been lying to you ever since she stole you away from me, when you were just a baby." There was a feral tinge to her features now.

"Why would she do that?"

Anita moved closer. "Because she didn't want you to find out the truth about who you really are. She believed the wolf is something to be ashamed of - I see things differently." Sympathy softened her features. Red unconsciously leaned closer, craving the security this woman - her mother- freely offered. "Humans want us to believe we're the monsters. The moment you believe them… that's when you become one." She controlled the rage that bubbled forth at her daughter's lost expression. Revenge was never far from her mind, and she meant to repay her mother for her treachery. "You're not the first to learn the truth about yourself through tragedy. So many of us spent so much of our life suppressing the wolf, they have no idea how to control it." Red hung on her every word, eyes hungry. "They just need help… help embracing their true nature. The only way you will ever control the wolf, is by accepting it as a part of you."

"You can teach me to do that?"

Anita smiled reassuringly at her hopeful, clearly frightened, daughter. "Indeed, I can."

"How?"

Anita's sharp eyes fixed on the red cloak draped along her daughter. "You can start, by getting rid of that."

After a moment's hesitation, Red raised her hands. Her fingers settled on the thick material of the cloak. She'd worn it so long, that it was almost a part of her. Encouraged by her mother's encouraging expression, her warm eyes and the love that poured off her, Ruby pushed the cloak off her shoulders. It heaped on the ground with a whisper as mother and daughter hugged and shook with repressed tears.

Storybrooke

Despite his arguments, Ruby had refused to budge. Heart heavy, David swung the cell door shut, meeting her eye worriedly. Her face was drawn and taut, and he could barely manage to smile reassuringly.

"You'll be safe in here tonight."

Ruby merely nodded at his promise. "Thank you, David."

He sighed. "Thank me in the morning. By then, I'll have found whoever really killed Billy." She didn't look like she believed him but he didn't push it. It had taken both he and Granny hours to calm her down, to keep her from collapsing into hysterics. He wasn't about to upset her already fragile peace of mind.

"You already have." David spun around at the voice, features twisted into a sneer. Albert entered further, undaunted by the crossbow Granny carried, or the gun David fingered. "That thing. That she-wolf."

David took a step forward. "Get out," he ordered flatly. "Whatever issues you have with me, don't involve her." He stepped in front of his friend, blocking her from Spencer's view. "There's no proof Ruby had anything to do with what happened."

Spencer eyed him speculatively. "It seems to me, that you're allowing your emotions to cloud your judgment."

"Leave him alone." Ruby snapped from her cell.

Spencer barely spared her a glance, too focused on the ruination of his son's twin. "Protecting your friend at the peril of everyone else," the barest of smirks crossed his lips then. "I knew you'd slip up, shepherd. It was only a matter of time."

"What do you want?" David asked, exasperated with the older man's presence.

"Justice." Albert snapped, pointing at Ruby. "Hand that over to me, and let the town decide her fate."

David shifted, blocking Ruby from view. "Never. I know exactly what kind of justice you have in mind."

"This town is bigger than you think." Spencer retorted conversationally. Granny's hand tightened on her weapon in response. "I start telling people that you're putting their lives in danger to protect your own interests? You'll have a mutiny on your hands."

David's eyes narrowed, though he appeared unruffled by his 'father's' threats. "Yeah, we'll see." He took another step forward, hissing out a promise. "You want her, you have to go through me."

Spencer's eyes gleamed eagerly. "I look forward to that."

Enchanted Forest

"It'll be like nothing you've ever felt before… the pine needles underfoot, the air rushing over your fur, your brothers and sisters at your side. Your mind won't want to believe it. It will tell you a wolf is invading your body, trying to take over. And if you believe that, for even a moment, you'll black out, and lose control. Like you have every other night you've turned. But, if you give in to the wolf, you'll realize the truth. You, are the wolf. And, when you accept that, you will finally be in control."

Hours after her mother's words has ceased to echo around in her mind, Ruby stirred awake. Anita was there the moment she began to rise, eyes wide and expectant. The rest of the pack awaited with bated breath as their newest member faced her mother.

"How much do you remember?"

"All of it." Red breathed out, a smile lighting up her face.

Her mother returned the expression. "You finally became the wolf." She praised quietly, almost overcome. Her daughter no longer hunched within herself, was no frightened of everything and herself.

"I don't have to be afraid anymore."

Storybrooke

The door to the Sheriff's station didn't budge when he pulled hard on it. Unconcerned, he turned back to the crowd. Being barred from the station, where he'd informed them that their beloved prince was keeping a monstrous creature safe, merely stirred up their already volatile resentment.

"We won't cower in fear of this creature any longer!" The crowd quieted slightly at his raised voice. "We know who she is, we know where she's hiding. So why is she still alive?" The crowd cheered in agreement, and he withheld the urge to smirk in victory. "Because she's being harboured by one person – David Nolan. How many more people have to die, before our Prince decides to act?"

"Yeah!" The shout rose in response.

"If he won't protect you, I will." Spencer promised before he gestured for one of the men at the head of the mob to utilize the weapon he'd brought.

Once the chains were broken, the mob spilled into the station, Spencer at the head. Expecting David and the Widow Lucas to be there, Spencer stilled at the sight that met his eyes. The darkened station was empty, as was the cell he'd seen the wolf in just hours before.

In the library across the town, David and Granny quickly filled in the mildly bewildered librarian. Belle watched as Ruby gripped a pair of shackles, her knuckles bleeding white.

"These should work." The taller woman muttered, half to herself.

David drew back the blue-eyed woman's attention. "Thanks for letting her hide here," he said for the fifth time in the last twenty minutes. "The Sheriff's station isn't safe."

"Of course," Belle replied without hesitation. She slanted a look at Ruby, who was watching her warily, as if expecting her to start screaming. "It's, uh… it's not every day you find out your friend's- "

"A monster?"

Belle frowned at Ruby. "Hunted. I was going to say hunted."

Granny's head tilted, eyes alert. "The crowd's six blocks from here."

Belle glanced askance at Granny, bewildered. "You… you have wolf hearing, too?"

"It's not all it's cracked up to be, especially when you run a hotel." Granny returned, hoisting her crossbow higher.

"The only way we're going to get the mob to stand down, is if we prove Ruby had nothing to do with Billy's death." David turned to Granny. "I'm going to need your help," he waited for her to nod in acceptance. When she did, he turned back to Belle. "If the mob comes this way, call us." He looked to Granny once more, who easily followed when he said, "come on."

Enchanted Forest

Red jerked awake, taking several heartbeats to realize what had woken her. Likewise, her pack mates were all making their way to their feet, alert and wary. Slowly, shaking the grip of sleep off her limbs, she made her way to her feet.

"What is it?" She whispered as Quinn passed her. The older werewolf placed a comforting hand on her shoulder in response to the fear in her words.

"Hunters." Quinn uttered the word like a curse.

As one, the members of the pack slipped into the shadows, hiding as the footsteps drew closer. Quinn, muscles tensed in preparation, waited until the figure cleared the small archway. The moment they did, he leaped out, grappling briefly with the smaller form. As he roughly grabbed hold of the intruder's wrists, the hood obscuring their face fell.

"No!" Quinn's head jerked from the intruder to Red, who had leaped out of her hiding spot. "Don't! She's not here to hurt us!"

His grip tightened on the girl's arms. "What other reason do humans have for entering our den?"

"She's a friend," Red retorted, bristling when Quinn refused to release Snow. She whipped her head round to meet her mother's pensive gaze. "Who stood by me after she learned the truth – after I killed. Without her, I never would've escaped my village alive!"

Anita eyed her daughter, the desperation in her eyes, before nodding at her lover. "Let her go."

Red raced to the smaller girl the moment Quinn released her. "Oh, I'm sorry Snow!" Guilt clouded her features; she'd all but forgotten about their plan to meet at the stream, too consumed with learning to control the wolf and the reunion with her mother.

Snow, selfless as always, merely stared wide-eyed at Red, too relieved for words. "When you didn't show up at the stream this morning, I thought the Queen's men had killed you." They clasped hands tightly before Snow became aware of the multitude of eyes around them. "So… who are your friends?"

"We're her pack." Quinn answered shortly before Red could respond.

Snow looked at them then, truly looked at them. "Are they…?"

"Yes. They're like me." Red answered, rushing to reassure her friend. "But you don't have to fear them."

Snow smiled faintly. "Of course not."

"How did you find us?" Anita asked, stepping forward.

It took Snow moment to speak, her wide eyes taking in the feral looking woman. "I tracked wolf prints here, like you taught me." She added, eyes shifting to Red.

"You could've been caught by the Queen's men."

"I wasn't going to leave without you." Snow's hand tightened on Red's, gentle smile lighting up her face. "Why don't we go find that cabin we talked about, okay?" She made to turn, lightly tugging Red with her, only to be met by resistance. "You're not coming with me, are you?" She whispered, a faint quiver to her voice, as she turned to face Red.

"I don't have to be ashamed of who I am here," Red replied faintly, a heartbreaking smile forming. "I found my home. I found my mother."

Snow startled, looking between the tall, wild woman and her friend. "But I thought- "

"Granny lied." Pain flared in Red's voice, but she covered it well. "I'm sorry, Snow. I know you risked your life to come back here for me."

"No, I understand." And she did. "I would do anything to be with my mother again."

"I know we planned on leaving the kingdom together… " Red stopped, lump forming in her throat.

Snow smiled warmly in response. "I'll be alright," she promised, swallowing back the tears the thought brought her. "You've taught me enough already. I'll manage." Overcome by the other girl's seemingly endless understanding, Red flung her arms around Snow, who returned the embrace as fiercely. "By, Red," Snow whispered against her friend's shoulder. "Thank you."

Red smiled widely as they pulled back. "No, thank you."

They were torn from their goodbyes when an arrow whistled through the air and struck Quinn in the chest, Anita's enraged cry echoing through the air.

"They found me!" Snow hissed in disbelief as several of the black knights streamed into the den.

"Stand down or die at the hands of the- " The nearest pack member dove at the knight, the rest following suit.

Red fell to her knees, drawing Quinn's head onto her lap. "Quinn, no!" She pressed her hands uselessly against the blood that ebbed from the wound. She watched, Snow by her side and tears in her eyes, as the man heaved one last, shuddering breath, before going limp. "He's gone."

Storybrooke

"You need to leave," Ruby urged her friend, holding the chains tightly in her hands. "The moon's going to be up soon." She could feel it, the wolf howling within her blood.

Belle looked doubtful. "But will the chains hold?"

The other woman didn't look too optimistic. "Hopefully."

"Then, I'm staying," Belle said simply, trying to smile but the expression was strained. "Think of it as girls' night." When Ruby did nothing but look down, she pressed, "What's wrong?"

Ruby refused to meet her eyes. "I know David wants to believe the best, but I've killed before, and I'll do it again." Self-reproach lined every inch of her features. "Everyone in this town is right to be afraid of me."

"Okay," Belle let her vent. "Well I'm not."

"You should be."

Belle took several steps closer, ignored the way Ruby flinched back. "No matter what you might've done in your past, David sees the good in you and… and that tells me one thing."

"What?"

"That it's in there. So if we can all see it, why can't you?"

Ruby started, too afraid to really hope. "You really think so?"

Belle's smile shifted wryly. "Trust me. I'm sort of an expert when it comes to rehabilitation."

"Maybe," Ruby said finally, uncertainly. "Maybe, you're right. But the town's right, too. I am a monster." Her grip on the chains tightened. "And that's why I need to make sure I don't ever hurt anyone again."

Belle shook her head. "No, no, no," before she could continue, the feeling of cold iron touched her wrists. Wide-eyed, she looked first at Ruby, then at the manacles chaining her to the bar. "Wh-what are you doing?" She demanded breathlessly, too stunned to summon any anger.

"I can't let you stop me," Ruby backed away, toward the door. "The mob wants a wolf, I'm going to give them one." Resignation settled heavily within her. "I need to pay for all I've done."

Belle jerked on the chains, wincing at the bite of metal. "And they'll kill you!"

Ruby sent her one last, long look over her shoulder, smiling sadly. "Isn't that what I deserve?"

Holding Billy's jacket in hand, Granny easily picked up the scent. "This way." She urged, leading David down Main Street. They'd heard little of the mob, and the silence was more worrisome than the shouting. The trail ended at a parked car, and she sniffed deeply before gesturing toward the back of it. "The trunk."

David immediately popped the trunk, his eyes hard and lips pursed. There was little to speak of inside; it looked like how one would expect a trunk to be. However, when he shifted the things around, eventually lifting up the lining to get to the spare tire compartment, his hands began to shake with rage.

"The wolf didn't kill Billy." He muttered furiously, drawing out the bloodied hatched as Granny reached for the second item in the compartment.

"Ruby's hood."

"So she'd be forced to change back into a wolf," David breathed furiously, "So whoever killed Billy could pin the murder on her."

Granny, likewise, looked ready to spit nails. "Who would want to hurt my Ruby?" She demanded, bewildered.

David stormed around the car, to the driver's side, and proceeded to smash in the window. Uncaring of the stinging multitude of cuts he gained from the action, he swiftly searched the car. "This isn't about Ruby," he snarled out quietly as he drew the registration out of the car. "It's about me." He held it out to her, eyes focused hatefully on the name displayed. "Spencer."

"King George?"

He nodded. "He needed a reason to wrestle power away from me, so he created one."

Her mouth opened, only for it to fall slack. A wolf's howl sounded from the distance, low and mournful, and fear rapidly overtook her. "She's out."

As if on que, the sound of dozens of people shouting came from the same direction. "The mob," he whispered. "They're going to kill her."

Enchanted Forest

It shouldn't have surprised her; her mother had all but lived as the wolf inside her all those years. And the sight of Snow, bound and terrified, a lamb for the slaughter, was too much. She'd missed her mother so fiercely it had been an ache within her chest, but she couldn't allow her mother to kill the one person who had always accepted Ruby, not as a wolf or human, but as herself.

"No!" She made to stop her mother, only for another of the pack to grab hold of her arms. "Mother, stop!" She begged, struggling violently against the stronger wolf.

Anita sent her an unreadable look. "Sorry, my daughter," she said, though wasn't sorry at all. Her daughter needed to accept that this was what they were, what they did. "This is what it means to be a wolf."

With the moon high in the sky, Anita transformed into her wolf form. She stalked toward the princess, teeth bared and gleaming.

"Please… " The girl whispered, white-faced and frozen with fear. The wolf lunged with a snarl, only for another to launch herself into Anita's side, knocking her away from Snow. "Red!" Snow cried when a loud cry came from across the den. Renewing her struggles, the princess managed to free a hand from the bindings and raced toward the two wolves, Red's hood in hand.

She came to a dead stop, eyes wide at the sight that greeted her. Human once more, Anita lay on the ground, gasping around the spike that protruded from her chest. A whine startled her, and she turned to see Red, still in wolf-form. Without a thought, she flung the cloak over her friend, reverting Red back to her human form. Snow helped the shaky woman girl stand, thoguh Red stumbled forward to collapse to her knees beside Anita.

"I didn't mean to," she whispered, pained. "I'm… I'm sorry, mother."

Anita stared back, voice cracking. "You chose her."

Red's voice hardened slightly. "No, I chose me." Her head shook. "I'm not a killer."

Anita didn't reply, merely inhaled raggedly once more before her head lolled and her eyes slid shut.

Storybrooke

Spencer led them to the library, recalling the friendship between the Dark One's woman and the she-wolf. A howl split the air, causing the noise of the mob behind him to cease.

"She's close." He announced in the eerie silence, leading them around the building an to a nearby alleyway. A low growl came from the end, and he caught sight of fur and gleaming eyes from behind the dumpster. "There you are," he drew his gun, malice rising inside him as his plan worked out beautifully. However, before he could pull the trigger, a crossbow arrow knocked the gun out of his hand, sending it skittering into a dark corner.

"The next one goes between your eyes!" Granny shouted, brandishing her loaded crossbow for all to see and looking angrier than anyone had ever seen.

David started through the crowd. "Ruby!" The wolf released another growl as the mob closed ranks, keeping David were he was. "Listen to me!" He finally shouted, ceasing their loud protests at his presence. "Ruby didn't kill Billy! He did!" They followed his hand to Spencer, who stood, face like stone. "He stole her cloak," he held up the signature cloak. "And killed Billy in cold blood to make it look like a wolf. All to get you to think I wasn't leading this town as I should."

Ruby growled then, and the mob started toward her again. Holding back the urge to roll his eyes, David easily slipped through the crowd, coming to the head of it.

He threw his hands up to ward them off. "Hold up! Somebody already died because of what this man did," he sent Spencer a heated glare then, scowling blackly when the older man stare back passively. "Let's not spill more blood. She won't hurt anyone," he promised the still riled crowd. "She's just scared."

That said, David turned back to where Ruby was hidden. Yellow eyes gleamed fiercely in the shadows, teeth bared in a silent snarl, and David refused to appear intimidated.

"Ruby?" He called softly, gently inching his way closer. "I know you're in there, so listen to me. It was Spencer, not you." He held the hood up. "Don't let him trick you into thinking you're a monster." A low growl escaped her throat, making him wince. "Alright, alright," he placated sheepishly, refusing to flinch. "Poor… poor choice of words. Please, Ruby, I know you. I know the real you, and I know you can control the wolf." The wolf had let him get closer, hadn't attacked despite the growls escaping its throat. "Ruby. Ruby?" He called again, empty hand extended, mere inches from the wolf's snout. "Ruby." He could feel its warm breath on his skin. "It's me - David."

All at once, the growls ceased as intelligent amber eyes met his own. He smiled faintly as the wolf sank down onto its haunches, allowing him to carefully touch its face. Without wasting a moment, he threw the hood over it, watching as Ruby, human once more, emerged from its confines/

"You saved me." She whispered, practically blinding him with her smile.

"No, you saved yourself." He replied, gripping her in a loose embrace. "I just reminded you of what you already knew."

Her mouth opened, eyes rapidly jerking to look over his shoulder when a shout rose from the crowd behind them. Spinning round, he weaved his way through the previously forgotten mob, Ruby at his side. The woman let out a cry when she saw Granny on the ground at the edge, eyes wide and pained.

"What happened?" He demanded, reaching down at once to help her onto her feet. She swayed once, eyes rapidly clearing. "Where's Spencer?"

"He's gone," Granny said gruffly, shrugging off their concerned hands and shooing them. "Go. Go."

David nodded distractedly, torn between concern for her and hatred for Spencer. "Okay." He muttered finally, sprinting to his car, Ruby once more at his heels. It didn't take long to track down the man with Ruby's sense of smell. They cornered him on the beach, standing beside a fire.

"You think you can hide from a wolf?" Ruby demanded, stalking over the sand with the gait of a predator.

"I wasn't trying to hide."

David's eyes narrowed at the easy manner of the older man. "You killed an innocent man."

"He was a mouse."

"He was better than you'll ever be!" Ruby snarled in the face of Spencer's derisive reply.

"You want to make a deal?" David stalked forward, unsettled by the calm way Spencer held himself. "It's not going to happen."

Spencer stared back placidly. "I'm not interested in making a deal. I just want to see the look on your face when you realize something."

"And what's that?"

"That you're never going to see your wife, or your daughter, again."

David paused, brow creasing deeply. "What are you talking about?" He demanded flatly.

"You really should be more cautious with something so valuable." Was all Spencer said before he showed them his hand. David started forward at the sight of Jefferson's hat, despair rising within him, choking him, when it was thrown into the fire.

"NO!"

"It doesn't matter how much fairy dust you gather, or how much you rally the town behind you." Spencer continued, face hard and eyes glittering coldly. "Your family's gone."

The words had barely left his lips before David was on him. Fist cocked back, he punched Spencer across the face, grimly satisfied when it knocked him into the sand. He drew his gun before Spencer could move, aiming it right at the man's chest.

"David, don't," Ruby urged, her voice faraway and tinny.

"I told you – you should've killed me when you had the chance." Spencer sneered, spitting out blood onto the sand.

Ruby's hand was like iron on his arm, gently urging him to lower the weapon. Head swimming, all David could see was the sneering visage of the hateful creature before him. He should kill him. Spencer would waste little time in doing the same. But you're not Spencer, a voice, one that sounded eerily like Snow whispered somewhere in the back of his mind.

Slowly, almost achingly so, David lowered his weapon.

Enchanted Forest

"May you always run free beneath the moon's pale light." Red whispered to the night air. They'd buried her mother as best they could. The rest of the pack had fled into the forest, what bonds they had broken. "Goodbye, mother."

Snow pulled her friend into an embrace, allowing Red to cry herself out on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry," she whispered once Red had spent herself. "I know what it's like to lose your family."

"I didn't lose my family today – I protected it." Red simply said.

Snow's eyes softened, grief temporarily abated. "Thank you."

"My mother wanted me to choose between being a wolf and being a human. Granny did, too." Red tried to smile, the tips of her lips just barely quirking. But it was enough. "You are the only person who ever thought it was okay for me to be both."

"'Cause that's who you are." Snow replied fiercely, hooking arms with Red. "Come on. Let's go find that cabin."

Storybrooke

Regina easily agreed to leave after seeing the state David was in upon his return. After quietly telling him to call her in the morning - that it concerned Henry - she'd slipped from the loft, leaving the obviously distraught man and Ruby alone. They sat, watching Henry sleep peacefully in the downstairs bedroom.

"He may never see his mother or sister or grandmother again," David started brokenly, staring at his grandson's peaceful features. "How am I going to break that news to him?"

"You won't have to."

David sent her a frown. "Travel between worlds is as hard as it comes. Fairy dust on its own isn't enough. It took an entire curse to get us here in the first place. Without the hat… "

"You'll find another way."

"You don't know that."

Ruby merely shrugged. "But I know you. And I know you'll never give up until you do. And David?" She waited until he'd turned his reddened gaze. "You're not going to be doing this alone."

David sent her a tired smile. "Thank you."

She nodded in response, returning the expression. Squeezing his shoulder, she stood and made for the door, pausing before she'd taken half a dozen steps. "Do you mind giving Granny a call?"

David nodded distractedly. "Sure." Then, as if realizing what she'd said, his head craned toward her, brow creased. "Why? What for?"

Ruby avoided his eye. "I may have left Belle chained up in the library." She admitted quietly, and he somehow grinned. "Somebody should probably… "

"Unchain her?" He helpfully supplied.

Ruby nodded, sheepish. "Yeah."

"Yeah, I'll take care of it," he promised, happy to see her perk up. "Where you going?"

"I've still got a few hours of Wolfstime left," she explained, suddenly looking antsy and excited. "You helped me regain control. I want to do something I haven't done in a very long time."

"What's that?"

Ruby grinned back, unabashed and unrepentant in her happiness. "Run." She breathed before turning on her heel and all but flying out the door.

No sooner had the door shut, less than a minute, then a lone howl rose up, and David smiled at the sound

Enchanted Forest

"What are you doing?" Emma asked, watching her mother jump with a raised brow. She'd slipped into the woods soon after they'd made camp, and while she'd refused to invade her mother's privacy, Emma was starting to worry.

"Uh, just thinking." Mary Margaret said, deflecting the question. She'd tried to contact Lillian, to summon her the way she had back during the war, but nothing had worked. Inwardly, she knew that the younger woman was impossible to find if she didn't want to be found, but refused to just wait for the sorceress to show herself.

Emma eyed her, clearly unconvinced. "Come on," she shrugged inwardly, unwilling to press and not sure she wanted to know. "Mulan has some ideas where Cora might be hiding."

Nodding, Mary Margaret joined her, and they traveled back to the small camp where Mulan and Aurora waited. The princess was asleep, shifting restlessly, and Mary Margaret sent her a worried glance as they walked past.

The smoke choked her, burning her throat and eyes worse than the flames. When they flared up, Aurora screamed and jumped away from the heat licking at her skin. The feeling of being watched niggled at her, and her head snapped up in time to see the boy from before appear across the room. She glimpsed him through the flames, watched as he closed his eyes in stunned silence before the flames began to subside.

"Wait," he called as the last of the fire was put out, hand gripping his pendant tightly. "Don't be scared."

"Snow!" The woman in question spun around to see Aurora, eyes wide and glistening, jerk away. "Snow!"

She raced across the small campsite, kneeling beside the shaking woman. "Hey," her hands soothed over the younger princess' face. "I'm here, it's okay, it's okay. It was just another nightmare."

Aurora shook her head, pulling away enough to look Snow in the eye. "No, this time was different. There was a little boy." She swallowed thickly, wonderment in her eyes. "He… he put out the fire. He talked to me.

Mary Margaret went still. "A little boy?"

"What'd he say?"

Aurora looked over Snow's shoulder to meet Emma's gaze. "He said… he said his name was Henry."

No one noticed the arrival of the dark-haired sorceress, though Mulan spun around at the harsh intake of breath. The warrior stared, sharp eyes taking in each and every facet of Lilith's features, the hard expression softening slightly. The young woman looked like she'd been through hell.

"Lilith," she muttered instead, causing the others to turn in varying stages of bafflement at the sight.

Mary Margaret recovered first. "Lillian -"

Lillian ignored her, focusing so intently on Aurora that the princess shifted uncomfortably. "Did you just say Henry?" She asked instead, scarcely able to believe her ears.

Aurora swallowed, still mildly daunted by the younger woman, but nodded anyway. Her mouth, somehow, worked, and she blinked in awe at the tears that filled Lilith's eyes in response to the single word.

"Yes."

Thoughts? Comments? Questions?