Later that night, Henry was sound asleep in his bed until Emma's voice could be heard coming through the walkie-talkie.
"Code Red. Code Red. Henry?"
Henry then woke up and quickly responded. "Emma, what's wrong?" he then asked in concern.
"I need to talk to you." Emma replied urgently.
"About Operation: Cobra?" Henry asked hopefully.
"No. About us," Emma replied. "Get your sister and both of you meet me downstairs."
Henry then nodded and signed off as he went to sneak out of his room. He made sure to be very quiet before he knocked on the door, knowing that their mother would be asleep by now. He just hoped that he wouldn't disturb his sister too terribly.
Evie yawned and slid her sleepmask over her eyes as she slowly opened the door and rubbed her left eye while looking down at her little brother. "H-Henry...?" she then answered quietly and slightly concerned. "What is it?"
"Sorry to wake you up, Evie," Henry replied quietly. "I had a bad dream."
"Oh? What happened?" Evie asked, slightly more alert than she was before.
"I can't tell you out here." Henry then said before looking up and down the hallway a bit.
"Oh..." Evie said softly. "Do you wanna come in my room?"
"Actually, could we go downstairs?" Henry then asked.
Evie looked curious before she then went back inside to take out her bathrobe to wear around her pajamas which were a tank top and short shorts and even slid on her slippers since it was rather chilly this evening. Henry led the way downstairs before they then went past the living room and were on their way out the door.
"Henry, we can't go out right now," Evie reminded. "It's a school night and way past your bedtime."
"Okay, I didn't have a bad dream, but I had to get you to come down without Mom waking up or realizing what's going on," Henry explained quietly. "Emma called me on the walkie-talkie, so we have to go and see her right now."
"Oh... I see..." Evie then said, calming down a bit before she then yawned. "Let's just hope she makes it quick before Mom wakes up and catches us."
Henry nodded before going with Evie to go out of the house and saw Emma's bug parked right there. "If our mom sees us out here talking to you, she'll get really mad." he then told Emma on the way into her car to speak with her in private.
"Not to mention this could cut into my beauty sleep." Evie added as she crossed her arms a bit while getting in the front passenger seat as Henry sat in the back.
"I'll try to make this quick then," Emma replied before she got straight to the point. "Guys, I need to ask you both something very important."
The Mills siblings looked on, waiting to hear what the blonde woman would have to say.
"Do you wanna get away from Regina?" Emma soon asked the siblings. "Do you wanna come and live with me?"
Evie's eyes slowly widened as she was just too stunned and not sure how to respond to that question.
However, Henry was quicker to answer the question than his sister. "More than anything." he then stated.
"Okay. Then, buckle up," Emma nodded. "You ready?"
"Why? Where we going?" Henry then asked.
"We're leaving Storybrooke." Emma told the two as she started the car and the three of them suddenly drove off.
"Wait, what?" Evie gasped. "I can't leave! I-I have to go to school here, my friends are here, I owe my friend Ginger a favor for when Jack Horner comes to the school!"
"Seriously? Jack Horner?" Emma scoffed slightly.
"Hey, you wouldn't like it if someone made fun of your name, would you?" Evie defended. "He's a celebrity chef anyway and he's going to judge a pie contest in school with a charity bake sale."
"Well, you'll probably have to change your plans because I think you would be better off without Regina too." Emma then said to Evie calmly.
"Well... I don't know about that..." Evie said as she looked away with a shrug.
"Besides, we should probably get our stuff before we leave Storybrooke," Henry then piped up. "We can't just go around in our pajamas."
"Henry..." Evie sighed, sounding very hesitant in leaving town even though she heavily understood why her brother would want to leave.
"Well, all right, you can go get your stuff," Emma replied. "You don't have to come too, Evie; I just thought it would be good for you too or at least you can check on and visit your brother whenever you can?" she then began to suggest.
"I... I just don't know..." Evie sighed. "I've known Storybrooke for my whole life and it's home to me... But if you really wanna go, Henry," she then started to say before looking over in the backseat, looking like she was trying very hard not to cry. "Then I won't stop you because I want you to live happily ever after like in the stories that you've read about."
"Evie..." Henry frowned softly about Evie not going on the trip too to stay if that was what Emma wanted for both of them.
"I'd miss you a lot, little terror," Evie said with a small smile and tweaked his nose a little playfully. "I was probably born in Storybrooke and Mom does everything in her power to make sure I stay in Storybrooke and maybe even die in Storybrooke... But who else am I gonna have fun with around here before bedtime?"
"You'd still leave Storybrooke for your brother?" Emma asked Evie, a bit soft and surprised at the same time.
"Emma, separating me and Henry would probably be the cruelest thing that could ever happen and I would never allow that to happen," Evie replied out of firm and assertive determination. "While I'm sure Mom and everyone else might need me to stay here, Henry needs me even more. He's my little brother and we're family, blood or not."
Emma looked soft and she then realized that Evie was absolutely right before she nodded. "All right," she then said softly. "Both of you get your stuff and come back here as quickly as you can."
"Henry, put pillows and stuff in your bed with the covers over it," Evie soon quietly hinted and suggested. "Just in case Mom comes by your room in the middle of the night."
"Good idea, Evie." Henry nodded as that sounded like pretty solid advice.
And so, the Mills siblings soon went to get their things together and get ready to meet Emma outside, but first, a quick bathroom break as the two had just woken up suddenly. Eventually, the two siblings were ready as Evie checked her phone to see a text from her newfound friend Ginger asking for Evie's help for the upcoming charity bake sale/pie contest hosted by celebrity chef Jack Horner.
"Sorry, Ginger..." Evie whispered to herself as she put her phone away for right now after sending a reply which Ginger would probably get in the morning. She would have to worry about that another time because right now it was time to ride in the yellow bug to begin a brand new adventure.
"Is that all your stuff?" Henry soon asked Emma as he took a look around the car, seeing what his birth mother had with her.
"All I need." Emma nodded.
"Wait. You wanna go now?" Henry asked, suddenly urgent with wide eyes. "We're leaving now?"
"Uh-huh. I'm getting you out of here," Emma nodded as she continued to drive swiftly. "Away from all this. Away from her."
"No, no. Stop the car! You can't leave Storybrooke," Henry then told Emma. "You have to break the curse!"
"No, I don't. I have to help you." Emma retorted.
"Emma..." Evie firmly whispered and pouted.
"But you're a hero; you can't run," Henry told Emma urgently. "You have to help everybody."
"Henry, I know it's hard for you to see it, but I'm doing what's best for you and Evie," Emma gently retorted as the "Leaving Storybrooke" sign was soon coming into view. "That's what you wanted when you brought me to Storybrooke."
"But the curse... You're the only chance to bring back the happy endings." Henry reminded urgently.
"Henry..." Emma sighed until Henry reached over and grabbed the steering wheel to avoid passing the sign and leaving Storybrooke and they almost crashed. "Henry!" she then cried out.
Evie clutched her chest as this was a pretty big and serious moment in her life, but luckily, there wasn't a crash, but her heart was beating so fast from the sudden shift that she could hear it in her head. Henry had caused causes the car to veer off the road and into a ditch.
"Henry! What were you doing? You could've gotten us killed!" Emma scolded the boy while panting a bit.
"Please! Please, don't make us go! We can't go!" Henry urged and pleaded. "Everything's here... Me, Evie, your parents, your family. Please, Emma. They need you. Your family needs you. The descendants like Evie need you too so some of them can live happily ever after like their parents because of their fairy tale family history even if Evie is the daughter of a villain." he then added.
Emma just looked soft and thoughtful.
"You can't leave Storybrooke yet. You just can't," Henry urged Emma. "It's very important that we stay here."
"But I was going to save you two from here and especially Regina." Emma defended as calmly as possible.
"You can, but right now the happy endings are more important than both of us," Henry retorted. "It's your job as The Savior."
Emma looked defeated and she then sighed before she would take the kids back home. "Evie, do you believe this?" she then asked the teenage girl.
"I think, no... I know Henry is right about the curse," Evie replied. "There's something strange going on in Storybrooke that hasn't happened before. Things are changing because of you and he's right about me and a lot of the other kids in Storybrooke being descendants to the original fairy tales. Even Doug's mother is right."
Emma looked over them, still hanging onto her disbelief much to the chagrin of Henry and Evie, but especially Henry. Eventually, she took the kids back home and they went to bed for the rest of the night as leaving Storybrooke would probably have to wait for another time. She was still not believing in the curse despite obvious signs to now both of the Mills siblings.
"I have to help out my friend Ginger anyway," Evie told Emma as they talked after Henry had gone inside. "She's really on the edge about Jack Horner coming to our school to judge for the pie contest she'll be participating in."
"Oh, you mean that girl who's supposed to be the daughter of the witch who got Hansel and Gretel?" Emma replied from memory when they met Nicholas and Ava.
"Well, yeah, but you know," Evie said before shrugging a bit. "I'm sure we'll leave Storybrooke another time, but it would really help Henry feel better if you played along a bit longer."
"I'm sorry, Evie, but I outgrew fairy tales when I was a little girl and reading The Ugly Duckling," Emma defended. "I'll let you guys stay if you want to stay a bit longer, but sooner or later, we'll need to get you guys out of Storybrooke."
"I understand," Evie nodded. "Thank you for the offer anyway, but I'll still go with Henry when he's ready. I love Mom, but she can be so frustrating sometimes."
"Sometimes is a bit of an understatement, don't ya think?" Emma replied with a small smirk, trying to make a joke.
"Very funny, Emma." Evie rolled her eyes in response to that.
"At least you and Ben seem to be becoming friends again though, right?" Emma then reminded. "You two sounded like you were really close when you were kids."
Evie sighed and gave a fond, heartfelt smile in nostalgia. "Yes, Ben and I were the best of friends when we were little," she then admitted. "Almost like a brother and sister, we could tell each other anything. On his first sleepover at my house, he said he was homesick, so we called his dad and asked him to say good night to all of Ben's toys and shine a flashlight from home to show that Mr. Gold wasn't too far away from us so he wouldn't go home early and I was really excited for my first sleepover."
"I see..." Emma said thoughtfully. "So what happened between you guys?"
"I guess just growing up changed everything," Evie shrugged, a bit unsure of what exactly happened when she and Ben got a bit older. "Our interests differed, we just grew apart, one just accepts these things, though I had a sleepover with Amalie, Scarlet, and Magda on my 10th birthday... We were gonna play Barbies, so... Ben thought maybe I shooed him away, but he had decided to shoo himself away."
"Because boys don't play with Barbies?" Emma guessed.
"Yes," Evie nodded. "Even though he did when we were little before Henry was adopted. I had a big Barbie doll collection and he often played with me and he usually gave the dolls the funniest voices." she then chuckled warmly at how Ben would try to deepen his voice to sound like a monster or a Beast when playing dolls with her.
Emma gave a small smile. "That's very nice," she then said. "I had a close friend like that when I would travel on my own from foster home to foster home. My life was pretty adventurous after all."
"Oh, yeah?" Evie replied.
"I had this one friend who sorta reminds me of your friend, Mal." Emma then commented before Evie's face dropped into a frown suddenly.
"Oh," Evie pouted a bit. "Mal and I are not friends. We never were and we never will be, she'll make darn sure about that."
"Do I wanna know what happened?" Emma asked.
"It's a long story, Emma..." Evie sighed. "I guess because I didn't invite her to my Super Sweet 6th birthday party."
"Super Sweet 6th?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow. "People usually have a Super Sweet 16th birthday party."
"Yes, well, you have to remember, I'm this town's princess, so I was a little spoiled." Evie reminded with a small smirk.
"Oh, right. That makes sense." Emma smirked back with a light chuckle.
"Exactly," Evie nodded before she took a look at the time. "Well, Emma, I'd love to talk some more, but I should get going. It's pretty late and I need my beauty sleep."
"Right... You better run along," Emma agreed. "You have a good night then, Evie."
"Good night, Emma," Evie said before rushing back inside the house. "We'll talk more later."
"Hopefully." Emma added in a whispery voice before she decided to get going too.
Evie then rushed back inside and shut the front door and locked it behind her. She then tried to be very quiet once she wandered inside the house and was on her way up the stairs. "Emma, I know the curse still sounds like just a fairy tale, but I think Henry's right about it being true," she then whispered to herself. "I just hope you reconsider."
As she said that, it was hard to tell in the dark, but Regina's apple tree appeared to be wilting and the apples appeared to be very unappetizing right now as some fell and splatted on the ground. Much like Evie and Henry's mother, the apples had gone rotten to the core if you know what I mean and the apple tree was slowly dying somehow.
The next day soon came as Evie took Henry to school after a night of less than usual sleep, but still getting up on time in the morning. Meanwhile, however, in the abandoned Storybrooke clock tower/library, Mal was shown to be getting up with anticipation filled in the air as she rolled out of bed and donned her school uniform with her own personal touch of leather boots and fingerless gloves. She looked very pumped about something coming up that she could fill in the air.
"Yes... Today is the day... It's going to be the day..." Mal grinned to herself as she got dressed and ready for a brand new day of school.
There was growling and a snarl heard in response.
"Don't worry, it's coming," Mal told the snarling voice which belonged to a certain creature that no one else in Storybrooke knew about except for a few group of certain adults. "This is going to be the first day of the rest of our lives, especially in 'The Union of The Raven and The Dragon'." she then promised before she brought out her backpack and took out what looked like a plush of a dark blue bird.
The voice then roared and growled in response.
"Yes, you'll soon be free, Mom, and I can have the revenge that I desire as well as your own," Mal reassured the growling creature as she put the bird in her backpack before she wore it and took out a can of spray paint. "Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta get going. I gotta be careful about where I use this too. The penalty is if you get caught is that Old Man Gold makes you work in his shop or else he'll have you thrown in jail."
The growling then continued while conversing with Mal.
"I love you too... Bye though," Mal said before she left the clock tower/library of Storybrooke and then ventured out into a brand new day in town. "Nothing is going to ruin this for me~" she then told herself.
However, as she walked along, a certain someone rather quickly darted by and snatched her spraypaint can away from her before she could even blink.
"What in the name of Hades?" Mal muttered before she saw that her can was gone in an instant and she looked around before she narrowed her eyes and had an idea of who snatched her can away from her. "Give it back, Jay." she then demanded to the boy in question, putting her hands on her hips as she saw him across from her on the sidewalk.
"Make me." Jay snickered as he teased Mal as he found it fun to get her mad even if other students in Storybrooke High considered it to be a death wish.
"Jay!" Mal snarled at the kleptomaniac boy. "Make you what? Brusie? Bleed? Thief's choice today." she then retorted sharply.
"Fine... Jeez..." Jay said in defeat as he gave her back the can of spray paint.
Mal then swiped it and accepted it. "Thanks," she then said, using her manners in a very rare time. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood today."
"Good mood? Ya could've fooled me," Jay replied. "What's going on?"
"It's a bit of a long story, but let's just say some dreams and wishes are about to come true." Mal said.
"Oh, yeah? How's that?" Jay then asked.
"I can't tell you too much, but it's going to be juicy, especially against Princess Blueberry," Mal replied darkly. "I'll tell you more later on, especially after school today."
"Aw, Mal... You can't just keep me in suspense like that," Jay whined. "Are you gonna wait until we see Carlos then?"
"Probably, if Carlos isn't too close with his fairy girlfriend." Mal grumbled slightly as Carlos had been hanging more around Jane lately than the two of them.
"What?" Jay asked. "Did you say something about fairies?"
"Don't worry about it," Mal dismissed. "Just remember, we'll all get a happy ending, especially the descendants of villains."
Jay looked curious as Mal was talking a bit funny.
"Because we're rotten..." Mal then prompted a bit.
"To the core," Jay nodded before he fist-bumped with Mal. "I suppose I can wait a little bit longer, but just promise me that the surprise will be worth it."
"Oh, trust me, it will be," Mal replied before grinning. "It'll just be a bit of happily ever after with a little flavor."
"Happily ever after?" Jay chuckled. "Now you sound like Evie's little brother."
"Trust me, Jay. I know what I'm talking about," Mal said as they continued to walk to school together. "I'll just need a special little pawn to help me out. By the way, is your shop getting any customers or anything good in it?"
"Kinda hard to draw in people when they see Dad's store as an inferior version of Mr. Gold's place," Jay rolled his eyes. "I saw something pretty cool though like a snake staff."
"Yeah?" Mal replied.
"I don't know what it does, but it at least looks cool," Jay said with a shrug. "Though Dad really seems to want to get what looks like a genie's lamp in Mr. Gold's store for whatever reason. I try to sneak in and get it for him, but I swear that Old Man Gold has eyes and ears everywhere for an old man, even if you whisper about him."
"Yeah... He's pretty crafty..." Mal said like she had an idea of why and how Mr. Gold would seem like that. "You probably don't wanna mess with him. I heard he beat up Mr. French at the flower shop with his cane on Valentine's Day."
"Whoof..." Jay winced and grimaced. "That sounds pretty messed up."
"Oh, for sure." Mal nodded in agreement.
The two then continued to go off to Storybrooke High as Evie was taking Henry to Storybrooke Elementary School.
"All right, Henry. I'm sorry I won't be able to help out too much with Operation: Cobra stuff for a while," Evie told her little brother as they walked along together. "I promised Ginger I'd help her out."
"All right. I guess I understand that," Henry replied as they walked off to school together. "Guess this week's mission will be recruiting my special helper Dee Dee."
"You two are really becoming good friends, huh?" Evie commented.
"Yeah, she's a great partner and a pretty good dancer too," Henry nodded. "If she invites me to a dance recital, do I have to go?"
"Henry, it would be a very kind gesture and a friendly thing to do if you went," Evie replied softly. "It would probably mean a lot to Dee Dee if you'd go if she invites you. She would want you there."
"Okay. Okay." Henry then said.
"Don't think of it as a chore," Evie replied. "Think about it as helping out a friend in need and a friend in need is a friend indeed." she then advised.
"I suppose that makes sense." Henry then said with a nod.
Paige was soon shown to be riding by on her bike before looking over and waving at Henry and Evie briefly. The Mills siblings then smiled and waved back at her as they soon went over to the elementary school like they did every weekday morning together.
"All right, Henry. Have a good day, okay?" Evie then said as she put her hands on her younger brother's shoulders. "Stay out of trouble and good luck on your mission today. Just remember not to go too overboard."
"Okay, Evie. I'll try," Henry nodded before he hugged his sister goodbye. "See ya later, Evie."
"See ya later, Henry." Evie replied, hugging her brother back before letting him run off to go and join the other kids in school. She then stood up straight with a smile, then nodded her head at the school principal who stood on the blacktop and supervised the children before heading inside the school for the day.
Meanwhile, Ms. Blanchard was getting ready for school until she saw her front door open and close, showing a certain guest at the door. "Oh. Thought you'd left."
"Mary Margaret..." Emma murmured softly.
"But I couldn't tell for sure, because you didn't bother to say goodbye," Ms. Blanchard then continued, sounding a bit cold as snow. "Do you remember when I left? When I ran? What you said to me? You said, we have to stick together. That we're like... Family."
"Yeah. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left." Emma sighed then.
"You're right; you shouldn't have," Ms. Blanchard then replied. "So why, after everything, did you just go?"
"I don't want to be Sheriff. I don't want people relying on me," Emma explained out of defeat. "I don't want this. Any of it."
"What about Henry and Evie?" Ms. Blanchard then asked.
"I took them with me." Emma gently replied.
Ms. Blanchard's eyes widened a bit. "You abducted them?"
"Maybe." Emma said then out of slight guilt.
"So, you don't want people to rely on you, but you took your son and his non-blood sister?" Ms. Blanchard then asked. "Now, that sounds like a stable home for them. What the hell is wrong with you?" she then added in as she scolded the other woman.
"I want what's best for them." Emma defended.
"And running is what's best for them? Or, is that what's best for you?" Ms. Blanchard retorted. "You're reverting, Emma, into the person you were before you got here. And I thought you'd changed."
Emma frowned even more to that. "You thought wrong." she then said.
"Well, regardless, you have to do what's right for those kids now." Ms. Blanchard then said.
"What's that?" Emma soon asked.
"Oh, I don't know," Ms. Blanchard replied. "You're Henry's mother; that's your job. So, you figure it out."
Emma blinked with a lot on her mind suddenly at the other woman's advice.
Meanwhile, Regina was staring at her apple tree from the window of her office, when a certain someone soon entered the room. "Jefferson. So, you got my message." she then greeted.
"How could I miss it?" The man called Jefferson scoffed as he stepped into the room. "You know I watch her."
"It must be so painful, your daughter Paige being oh, so near." Regina taunted in response.
"Grace. Her name is Grace," Jefferson glared. "You should know that; you changed it. What do you want?" he then demanded.
"Your help." Regina replied.
"And what makes you think, I won't kill you after everything you've done?" Jefferson retorted.
"Because you don't have it in you and you wouldn't want Evie to be without a mother, would you?" Regina defended icily.
Jefferson narrowed his eyes before he let her continue.
"If you did, you would have done it 28 years ago when I brought you here," Regina then continued. "Because you know if I'm dead, you'll never get back to your daughter. And I have a way for us to both get what we want." she then stepped away and retrieved some sort of box and placed it on the table.
"My hat." Jefferson said softly.
"I want you to use it again." Regina then told the man.
"I can't make it work. No one can," Jefferson replied. "Not here. Not without magic."
"Well, then you're in luck, because I happen to have some. Not a lot... But hopefully, enough... For one last journey." Regina then said.
"Where?" Jefferson asked urgently.
"Back to our land," Regina stated before she added a bit more. "Where there's a solution to a very delicate problem I have... How to get rid of the one person who could break my curse."
"Emma," Jefferson realized based on some time he spent with the mysterious woman known as Emma Swan while Evie was out with the other teenagers that night. "And why shouldn't I let her do just that? End the madness and go home." he then added.
"To your hovel? Selling fungus at the fair? Why? When you could just stay here in the mansion I gave you?" Regina scoffed at his requests. "My problem, Jefferson, is the same as yours. It's family. We both want our children back, and we both can get them, if we work together."
Jefferson narrowed his eyes in response. "Why should I trust you now?" he then asked with a disgusted scoff.
"You shouldn't, but it's the only offer you've got," Regina replied. "After we're through, I'll wake up your dear Grace, so she remembers who you are."
Jefferson looked tempted, but then suddenly stepped back. "No. Remembering is the worst curse. Two lives in her head, like me. I want to forget," h then said. "I want you to write us a new story, a fresh start, here. I even have plans to open up a little tea shop for the kids since the adults hang out at that bar The Rabbit Hole."
"Well, my dear Jefferson, then that's exactly what you'll have," Regina grinned, though there was still one catch. "Oh. After we take care of Miss Swan." she then added a bit venomously.
Jefferson narrowed his eyes.
Regina soon led Jefferson down a set of stairs, leading to what looked to be an underground tomb. Several urns and boxes could be seen lining the walls.
"Watch your step." Regina warned her special guest.
"What is this place?" Jefferson asked as he took a look around.
"Where I've kept the last bit of my magic," Regina explained. "The only magic in this world is in the things I brought with me."
Jefferson then placed his hat in the center of the room, but nothing was happening. "It's not spinning. It's not working." he then said out of concern.
"It needs to absorb the magic that's here," Regina replied. "I have some things left. A few trinkets." she then took a box from one of the sidewalls and dumped its contents into the hat.
Once again, however, nothing happened.
"It's not enough," Jefferson soon told Regina. "You need something that still works."
Regina then pulled out a certain ring and held it up. Produced by magic, a man's face, though not just any man, Daniel Colter, Evie's estranged, deceased father, could be seen in the middle of it.
"Who's that?" Jefferson asked as he didn't know.
"Someone long gone." Regina replied softly.
"Well, whatever or whoever it is, it still has magical properties," Jefferson said before he looked expectingly. "Give me that, and let me see what I can do with it."
Regina looked at him, but hesitated in giving up the ring just like that.
"If you want your son and daughter back, if you want your revenge, give it to me." Jefferson then reminded urgently.
Regina looked defeated before she sighed and dropped the ring into the hat. A slight purple vortex then began to form, but the hat suddenly stopped spinning.
"What's wrong?" Regina demanded. "Why isn't it opening a portal?"
"The magic; it's not enough. We can't go anywhere." Jefferson advised.
Regina firmly frowned in response. "Then you failed." she then told him a bit coldly.
"Maybe not," Jefferson retorted. "There's enough magic to touch the other side, just not to get us there. There might be enough to... Reach through and retrieve something." he then suggested.
"I can bring something back?" Regina then asked as her eyes lit up briefly.
"Is there an object that can help you?" Jefferson replied before he helped her a little bit. "Perhaps, I can open it enough and reach through and grab it. It would have to be small. Something that you can take with your hand. Is there anything like that that can help you?" he then suggested.
Regina stopped to think about it before she then nodded and answered him. "Yes. Yes, I believe there is."
"Then, you need to direct me to the time and place where this object exists." Jefferson then advised before he handed his hat over to the woman.
"How?" Regina then asked.
"Think about it. Guide the hat." Jefferson educated.
Regina then closed her eyes and thought for a moment. When she placed the hat back on the ground, a proper vortex began to form because she did exactly as he said for her to do.
"Excellent. It appears to be working," Jefferson nodded. "Now, what is it we're after?" he then asked.
"An apple." Regina replied, much to Jefferson's confusion at first.
Then suddenly, as if on cue, an apple appeared through a portal through Jefferson's hat like magic, prompting the man in question to catch it. "Is this it?
"Yes. Yes, it is." Regina nodded as that was exactly what she needed.
"And my daughter? My Grace?" Jefferson then urged hopefully.
"First things first. The deal's not done. Not until I solve the next conundrum," Regina then explained to Jefferson. "How to get this Savior to taste my forbidden fruit...?" she then paused thoughtfully as she stroked the fruit.
Soon, at the high school, Evie was heading right for the cooking classroom. She was hoping that Chef Skinner wouldn't be around as he was rather mean and cruel for a cooking teacher also quite critical, probably a worse critic than what Ginger was preparing for who was Jack Horner. Luckily, as she poked her head into the classroom, she saw Ginger by herself in the kitchen, cooking up a storm for the upcoming bake sale/pie baking contest for after school.
"Hi, Evie. Glad to see you offered to help volunteer and help me out for the bake sale." Ginger greeted and smiled at the other girl as she was holding a bowl and stirring some batter inside of it.
"Hey, Ginger," Evie smiled before she walked over. "Of course I was coming to help out, even if something happened last night that was about to change everything."
"Yeah? What was that?" Ginger then wondered.
Evie thought about telling Ginger the truth, but then decided not to. "We just thought there was going to be a family emergency, but there was a crisis averted," she then reassured. "I just hope that Henry will be okay on his own after school today."
"I'm sure he'll be okay," Giner replied calmly. "Nicholas and Ava are going to help out too at least."
"Oh, yeah? You got them to help?" Evie asked as she began to wash her hands before getting an apron to help out Ginger.
"Well, they do like their sweets, but they promised to be well behaved and not sneak too many of personal nibbles," Ginger nodded about her new brother and sister. "Especially with my famous gingerbread cookies, but maybe for the Christmas season next year I'll make gingerbread houses for everybody."
"Aw, yeah!" Evie smirked and playfully cheered. "Ginger in the BREADhouse!" she then cheered, laughing, trying to make a joke.
Ginger blinked a few times in response to that joke.
"Aw, don't sugarcoat it," Evie then said. "That wasn't my best joke, though I'm not much of a joker in general."
Ginger then walked over to her hand on the other girl's shoulder before smiling at her. "That's okay, Evie. Let's just get baking and see how many gingerbread cookies you can make as fast as you can." she then suggested and advised.
"Okay, Ginger," Evie smiled back and nodded. "I feel like today is definitely going to be a day to remember in Storybrooke."
"I think so too, Evie," Ginger replied. "Now come on. Let's get started."
"Right," Evie agreed before she went to help Ginger out in a day mostly filled with baked goods for the good of their school. "Are any other students coming?"
"I think Jane and Carlos are coming to help out too if they aren't too busy," Ginger replied. "Did you hear what happened to Carlos' parents?"
"I did... How awful..." Evie nodded with a low frown. "I don't think I know much about Mr. and Mrs. Hellman personally, but hopefully Carlos will be okay. He's a very good kid."
"He is." Ginger agreed as she brought out the flour, dough, and other ingredients such as frosting, sprinkles, and chocolate chips.
Evie and Ginger then smiled to each other as they continued to help each other out in the cooking classroom as Jordan snuck by to take pictures for both her school newspaper and the school yearbook. The other two girls rolled their eyes, but they let Jordan take her pictures as long as she promised not to spread "juicy" and awful rumors or something to humiliate them with. However, deep down, while excited to help out, Evie had a bit of a strange feeling at the bit of her stomach that she tried to ignore so not to spoil her day as promised with Ginger.
"I hope it's okay, but my mom's gonna bring apple turnovers later," Evie then told Ginger. "I know the last thing you kinda want is a healthy dessert, but let's just say my mother really loves her apples."
"Oh, I know about that, especially with her tree." Ginger chuckled with a nod.
"So, are you using... Uh... Ginger?" Evie then asked, chuckling as she asked about the namesake spice for the culinary girl.
"Yes, I'll be using ginger for my famous gingerbread cookies," Ginger replied before she then smirked. "Let's just hope they don't come to life and run, run as fast as they can."
"Very funny, Ginger..." Evie smirked before looking around as she thought she heard a kerfuffle followed by chuckling. "...I think we might have company and I don't think I mean mice loose in the kitchen."
"Hmm... I don't think it might be mice either," Ginger smirked back as she took a look around. "You haven't seen Jane or Carlos, have you?"
Ginger and Evie then took a look around as they heard crunching and chuckling underneath the kitchen counters. Jane and Carlos were there, but were sneaking some cookies for themselves before they looked up and grinned sheepishly at the other two girls.
"Hey, guys..." Ginger smirked a little bit. "We cannot have disorder in the kitchen. If you are here, you are here to help."
"Sorry, Ginger... It's just that your cookies smell so good." Jane said bashfully.
"We couldn't resist on the way over while you two were talking." Carlos added.
"You guys along with Nicholas and Ava can eat the rejects, but you better wash your hands and get a couple of aprons," Ginger then suggested. "I'm flattered that you enjoy my cooking that much though, even if a lot of students didn't like my cooking at first."
"Well, forget about them," Jane said before she stood up with Carlos. "We're here for you no matter what."
"Just as long as you don't cook us and eat us like Hansel and Gretel." Carlos added bashfully.
"Carlos!" Evie tutted and playfully hit the boy in the shoulder.
"Ow! Okay, I guess I deserved that." Carlos replied bashfully.
"Hmph." Evie smirked and crossed her arms.
"All right, guys. Let's get started and take some good pictures for the yearbook." Ginger then suggested.
Everyone else then agreed as they could tell that today was going to be a pretty good day for baking after all.
Meanwhile, some time had passed and Henry eventually met up with Dee Dee to tell her what was going on since they last saw each other and they had to go and see a certain man right away. Henry was then knocking on said man's door.
"Hang on." August's voice said before he waited a few moments and then answered the door to see the two kids pushing their way into the room.
"August, please. We need your help," Henry said as he rushed inside with his best friend. "Emma wants to leave."
"What? Slow down." August replied even though Henry didn't say too much at once already.
"Y-You were going to make her believe," Henry said then. "You have to."
"I know, Henry," August replied. "I'm sorry. I-I failed."
"Failed?" Henry and Dee Dee then asked out of concern.
"I tried to show her," August explained before he stepped back a little. "At first it was my legs, and now... Now take a look... At the unvarnished truth." he then pulled back his sleeve to show his arm to the kids.
"Whoa!" Dee Dee gasped as she saw something interesting since she believed and trusted Henry about the curse even if no one else in town really did.
"It's wood." Henry noted.
"Yes." August nodded truthfully.
"All of this... I was right," Henry then beamed as his theory was no longer a theory and it was the truth. "The curse... It's real!"
"You're a smart kid." August replied.
"And you're Pinocchio." Dee Dee then said.
"What gave it away?" August replied with an amused smirk.
"Unless you were The Nutcracker Prince, but I don't think so," Dee Dee said softly before she looked curious. "...Do you have any descendants in Storybrooke?"
"Oh, yeah, sure," August replied slyly, trying too hard to make a joke with the kids. "I have a son named Pin and a daughter named Cedar."
Dee Dee paused thoughtfully before she smirked a little. "That's a joke, isn't it, Mr. August?" she then asked suspiciously.
"Yeah... Yeah, that's a joke, Pigtails." August nodded then.
"I knew it." Dee Dee giggled to herself.
"But, why are you turning back to wood?" Henry then asked August in concern. "Your story... You should be real."
August sighed before he explained himself as honestly as he could. "I'm changing back because... I haven't exactly been a good boy. And... Well... If the curse doesn't break... This doesn't stop." he then explained.
"So, we show Miss Emma that you're turning back into the puppet you were, and then, she has to believe." Dee Dee piped up urgently.
"That's right. And, when she does, she could break the curse." Henry then added.
"I tried that. She doesn't want to see, so she doesn't even though Evie and I think that Ben did too," August replied. "There's nothing more that I can do. I-I'm getting tired. It's hard to ride and it's hard to walk. Soon, it's going to be hard to breathe." he then said, sounding very weary right now.
"So, we have to do something fast." Henry said with a small frown.
"Let's make a plan," Dee Dee suggested. "What sort of plan should we make though?"
"There's nothing to do and there's no plan," August told the kids. "And with what little time I have left, I want to spend it with my father."
"Marco." Henry and Dee Dee then said knowingly.
"Told you you're a smart kid." August nodded in response.
Dee Dee frowned in defeat. "So, everyone's giving up." she then said hopelessly.
Henry looked over and looked down at the floor in worry.
"I'm afraid that I don't have a choice. I'm sorry, kid, but I'm out of Operation: Cobra," August then told the kids out of defeat. "Now, it's up to you."
Henry and Dee Dee looked at each other and soon wondered what they had to do next.
At Ms. Blanchard's apartment, there was a knock on the door. Emma answered it and saw that Henry and Dee Dee were at the door and she decided to let the two kids in.
"Hey, Emma. Everything okay?" Henry greeted on the way inside. "You sounded strange over the walkie."
"Oh, um... No, I'm okay. Just, um... Yesterday, when I tried to take you away, you were right. I can't take you and Evie out of Storybrooke," Emma replied. "But I can't stay either."
"What?" Henry asked in concern.
"You were gonna leave Storybrooke?" Dee Dee pouted at Henry.
"It's a long story, I'll tell you later," Henry replied. "Besides, Emma, what do you mean?" he then asked his birth mother.
"I have to go." Emma replied urgently.
"Go? You mean leave Storybrooke?" Dee Dee then asked, sounding a bit sad.
"Yeah. I spoke to Regina, and we made a deal," Emma explained as she looked at Henry. "I'm still gonna be able to see you and Evie, just not... Every day."
"No! No, you can't trust her!" Henry cried out then.
"I have to. It's my only choice. It's what's best for you, Henry, and your sister," Emma defended. "Every time I fight her, someone else gets hurt."
"No, no, no! You're just scared," Dee Dee spoke up. "This happens to all heroes. Like The Nutcracker Prince and The Mouse King."
"It's just the low moment before you fight back." Henry added.
"Guys! This isn't a story. This is reality," Emma told the kids, trying to make them understand. "And things have to change. You can't skip school, you can't run away, your sister can't lie to Regina, and... You can't believe in curses."
"But... Henry said-" Dee Dee pouted and sniffled, looking like she was almost ready to cry.
"I know what Henry said, but you can't hold onto that forever or with Evie enabling you guys." Emma then said, a bit firmly to avoid tears from Dee Dee.
Henry looked like he was almost right there with Dee Dee. "Y-You really don't believe?" he then asked Emma as he trembled a bit.
"I... This is how it has to be right now," Emma gently explained. "I made a deal, and I used my superpower. She's telling the truth. She's going to take really good care of you and your sister."
"Yes, but she wants you dead because she's The Evil Queen and you're the daughter of Snow White." Dee Dee retorted with a firm pout and crossed her arms.
"Come on, guys!" Emma complained.
"Doug's mother believes in us too since she's Snow White's cousin Ebony Black," Henry then said. "You're the only one that can stop her along with 'The Union of The Dragon and The Raven'."
"Stop her from what? All she's ever done is fight for you," Emma retorted wearily as the kids were really going overboard with this. "It just... Got out of hand. I'm sorry."
Henry then looked over before he then decided to hug Emma. Emma looked calm then and decided to hug him back. Dee Dee smiled a little as this seemed to be turning out a little bit better as the two continued to embrace until Henry noticed the turnover on the table.
"Where did you get that?" Henry asked once he saw the turnover.
"Regina gave it to me," Emma replied calmly as Henry sniffed the turnover suspiciously. "She saved me one while the others would go to your sister's bake sale."
"Apple!" Henry cried out.
"Oh, no!" Dee Dee panicked as Regina using apples could only mean one thing.
"So?" Emma shrugged.
"You can't eat that. It's poison," Dee Dee told Emma. "You're Snow White's descendant and Regina is The Evil Queen, so you should know!"
"What?" Emma asked wearily.
"Don't you see? The deal... It was all a trick to get you to eat that," Henry told her urgently. "To get rid of The Savior."
"Guys, come on," Emma sighed and shook her head. "Why would she do that when I just told her I was gonna go?"
"Because as long as you're alive, you're a threat to the curse." Henry retorted.
"Henry, you've got to stop thinking like this." Emma told him.
"But it's the truth!" Henry replied. "And you leaving isn't going to change that."
"I'll prove it to you." Emma said, about to eat the turnover suddenly.
"Henry, stop her!" Dee Dee cried out.
Henry then grabbed the turnover from Emma before she could bite into it and end up just like her mother, Snow White.
"Henry... What are you doing?" Emma asked in disbelief.
"I'm sorry it had to come to this. You may not believe in the curse... Or in me, but I believe in you." Henry said before he took a bite out of the turnover.
Everybody waited for a few moments, but nothing seemed to happen. Dee Dee looked like she was on the edge for her best friend because she was scared of what would probably happen next.
"See? You want to have some ice cream with that?" Emma smirked, looking briefly victorious. "And then we can go back to talking about-"
However, Henry then suddenly collapsed in the middle of the floor and appeared to be unconscious.
"Henry?" Emma called, waiting for an answer. "...Henry? Henry!" she then cried out again before rushing to the boy's side as he seemed to be actually knocked out and not joking around.
Dee Dee's face paled as she cupped her mouth and looked really scared and worried for her best friend since he wasn't waking up. "Maybe he's just taking a nap?" she then suggested.
"I don't think so," Emma replied as she looked back over at Dee Dee. "We need to get Dr. Whale. Do you think you can call someone for help?"
"I think I know who to call." Dee Dee replied softly.
"Good girl," Emma nodded. "I'll get Henry and we need to get him at the hospital as soon as possible."
"Oki!" Dee Dee nodded before she darted away.
"Don't worry, Henry. We'll help get you out of this," Emma whispered to the boy. "At least... I hope so."
Meanwhile, at the high school, the bake sale was going on without a hitch.
"Treats and sweets! Step right up!" Evie smiled as she stood behind a counter with plenty of gingerbread cookies out and about as students lined up to get some. "All for a good cause!"
Several students then jumped in and went to get as many gingerbread cookies as possible.
"Gosh... Running out of gingerbread cookies, but not enough customers." Evie noted before she rushed back into the cooking classroom.
As she did, Ginger was taking out a fresh new batch of gingerbread cookies from the oven to add more to what was to sell and eat at the school's bake sale before the pie baking contest would start with the arrival of Jack Horner. She sniffed the air that the cookies left with them and set the tray down in front of Nicholas and Ava who helped with the decorating, smiling as they enjoyed spending time like this with their new big sister.
"Ginger, the bake sale!" Evie warned as she rushed into the room urgently. "These people need more gingerbread cookies right now!"
"Perfect timing then," Ginger nodded. "I have a new fresh batch right here."
"And we're decorating!" Nicholas and Ava then added together.
"Good..." Evie smiled before she felt her phone vibrate and then took it out of her pocket. "Oh... I have a voicemail? Funny, I didn't hear my phone ring."
"Take a break, Evie," Jane suggested. "You've been working so hard lately."
"Not that we don't appreciate it though." Carlos added.
"Thanks, guys," Evie smiled before she pushed the button on her phone to listen to the voicemail. "That's probably just Mom saying that her apple turnovers are ready to share with the school."
After a few moments of silence on the voicemail, there was soon speech heard that sounded rattled and nervous. "E-Evie? This is Dee Dee... I think Henry is dead. Please come to the hospital as soon as you can."
Evie's eyes widened from the voicemail before her face paled and she suddenly fall over right in the middle of the floor and she seemed to pass out.
"EVIE!" The others cried out in concern because of how sudden and kind of scary that was.
Evie groaned before she shut her eyes and everything went to black and everyone sounded like they were underwater suddenly.