Henry raced out the door before she could explain herself, leaving Emma standing in the living room with guilt washing over her. She glared at Regina. The mayor sat crossed-leg, her blood red lips curled in a smirk.

"You planned this, didn't you?" The realization struck her like a punch to the gut and flared under her skin like a ugly rash. She should have suspected something when Regina invited her dinner like they were old friends.

Regina's smirk widened, "Did I know that my son is sensitize to being called crazy? Did I tell him to be downstairs right before you show up? Of course I did. I'm his mother."

Emma could only stare. "The kind of mother who hurts her kid just to get to someone? How did you get like this?"

Regina didn't answer, but her smirk fell.

Shaking her head in disgust, Emma left to catch up with Henry, but by the time she got outside, Henry had vanished. She cried out, "Henry?! Henry, where are you?" She immediately drove to the castle, hoping he'd gone there to brood, but found no one there.

How could she explain herself to Henry? What could she say to calm him down? Blaming Regina wouldn't make things better because he already had a low opinion of her. The hurt and betrayal in his face sickened her. Only then did it occur to her how awful it must have felt so him, to believe something so strongly and be shut down at every turn. Mary had said he was lonely. Maybe it wouldn't hurt if she played along for a little while, and let him grow out of it once he realized how ordinary Storybrooke was.

Back in town, Emma noticed a lanky man strolling down the sidewalk. Although Emma knew how stupid and reckless it would be to accost a strange man alone in the dark, she figured nothing too bad could happen in a small, quiet town, so she picked Henry's book, got out of the car and tapped on his shoulder to get his attention. Muscles tense, heart pounding, and legs ready to flee, she forced herself to say, "Excuse me. I'm sorry, but I need your help."

He stopped. "Evening. You're the new woman, Miss Swan." the man asked. He had a bronze, rectangular face with a large hawk nose and wore plain, stained clothes that reeked of sea-salt and something metallic.

"You can just call me Emma." she stated, "Have you seen a little boy around lately? About this tall, brown hair, brown eyes, looked really upset?"

"You mean Henry Mills? He went into Dr. Hopper's office about fifteen minutes ago." he answered, "I can you show you the way."

Emma smiled, "Thank, I'd really appreciate that."

"I'm Teddy, by the way," the man told her as they walked in the opposite direction. "I work down by the docks."

"Interesting." Emma replied. She wasn't interested in anything but apologizing to Henry, but she didn't want to be rude.

"Are you a friend of the mayor?"

"Definitely not. I'm Henry's...I guess I'm Henry's friend."

Teddy had one of those smiles that lit up his eyes, "That's nice to hear. He doesn't have too many of those."

"He doesn't?" Childhood memories filtered behind Emma's eyes as she pictured Henry sitting alone at his castle. Moving from home to home, from school to school, she made friends easily as a little girl, but never got to keep them. Eventually she forgot how to make friends at all. Especially after-

She didn't want to think about that.

"He's a bit of a loner," Teddy shrugged, "and his mother's always hovering over him. But he's a good kid."

"He runs away a lot." Emma muttered. Which, she admitted to herself, was rich coming from her: the woman who had run away from nearly ever foster home she'd been in; never lived anywhere for more than three years in her life; and had the art of moving to a new city down to a science.

Teddy nodded, "Yeah. And here we are." Dr. Hopper's office, a small, shabby place, was in the middle of Main Street, not far from Granny's diner.

"Thanks again." Emma told Teddy as he held the door open for her.

"Good night Emma," he smiled at her before leaving.

Emma stepped inside and found Henry sitting with a red-haired middle-aged man who could only be Dr. Hopper. "Hey kid." she said with uncertainty.

Henry turned his face away from her. "Go away."

Her heart cracked.

"Excuse me, who are you?" Dr. Hopper asked. He set down his glasses and put away his pen and notepad. "This is a private session. You'll have to wait outside."

Did she have to introduce herself to everyone in this town? "I'm Emma Swan and this involves me." she said quickly. Emma sat down next to Henry. "Look kid, I'm so sorry."

"You said I was crazy!" Henry cried.

"I said the curse was crazy, not you." Emma replied before placing Once Upon a Time in Henry's lap. "And it is. But, that doesn't mean that it isn't true. It is a lot to ask anyone to believe in, but there are a lot of crazy things in this world. So what do I know? Maybe it is true."

Dr. Hopper looked worried, but didn't say anything.

"But you told my mom-"

Emma interrupted, "What she needed to hear. What I do know, is that if the curse is real, the only way to break it is by tricking the Evil Queen into thinking that we are non-believers. Cause that way, she's not on to us?"

Henry traced the letters with his fingers and a smile bloomed on his face. "Kind of like you were undercover?"

"Exactly like that." Emma agreed.

"So you do believe me!"

"I believe that you need my help," Emma said carefully, "but magic is a harder to believe."

"But you're willing to listen, at least?" Henry pleaded, his brown eyes filled with hope.

Emma couldn't help but smile, "If you can prove that magic is real, yes. But honestly, I'm here to make sure you're okay."

Henry looked bewildered, "Me? You're staying for me?"

"Of course."

He threw himself at her, hugging her waist so tightly it almost hurt. "I knew you cared about me." he choked. "I knew you were here to help me."

Emma wrapped her arms around him, "That's right kid, I am."


"Where's my pearl necklace!" Jun Li screamed, "We're almost late!"

Ye Xian combed through the trunks they'd brought with them from home, but there was no sign of her sister's necklace. "Just a second," she pleaded. Her stepmother would kill her if Jun Li didn't outshine everyone else at the ball. She closed the trunk, dropped to her hands and knees, and groped under the furniture. Maybe the necklace had someone gotten under something.

Jun Li sat in front of the vanity, smoothing her hair and whining, "I can't go to the ball without my necklace! Hurry up, you've ruining everything."

At last Ye Xian's fingers glided over the smooth, cool sting of pearls under the low couch and she took it. "I've got it," Ye Xian assured her sister. "You'll be ready in time."

"You can't expect me to put that on. It's been on the floor," Jun Li sneered, "Clean it."

As soon as Ye Xian left the room in search of clean water, her stepmother met her in the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Mei Fen demanded, "I ordered you to get my daughter ready for the ball."

"I just went to get water to clean her necklace because she asked me to." Ye Xian explained.

Mei Fen grabbed Ye Xian by the upper-arm, sharp red fingernail piecing her skin, and dragged her back into Jun Li's chambers. She asked her daughter, "Darling, did you tell Ye Xian to leave to clean your necklace?"

Ye Xian held back a sigh, having already guessed the answer.

"I didn't tell her to leave." Malice and amusement glittered in Jun Li's brown eyes. The eyes they shared with their father, although his had never sent waves of ice down Ye Xian's spine.

"Ye Xian, look at me," Mei Fen commanded. The instant Ye Xian faced her stepmother, Mei Fen rose her hand and slammed it against Ye Xian's left cheek. Her talons left four pink, stinging lines across Ye Xian's face. "Ungrateful child. I raised you after your worthless whore of a mother died, yet you insist on making things difficult for me. You know how important this ball is for your sister. Don't you want her to find a good husband? Or are you too busy thinking only of yourself? Finish getting Jun Li ready. You'll face your punishment when we return."

Mei Fen pet her daughter's cheek, threw one last cold glare at Ye Xian, and sashayed outside.

Ye Xian got back to work, ignoring the pain in her face and the tightness in her stomach she got whenever Mei Fen struck her. She avoided Jun Li's eyes. Jun Li wore a crimson and cream down that Ye Xian's mother had once owned, the last finery they still owned after their father's passing left them destitute. If Jun Li married the prince, she and Mei Fen would have enough servants to carter to them that Xe Yian could at last be free. She only required patience.

After Jun Li and Mei Fen boarded the neighbor's carriage, Ye Xian retreated to her bedroom, the only sanctuary she had left. She lived in the smallest room, four bare walls and a dirt floor. She kept her few possessions in wooden trunk. Save the most precious.

Ye Xian closed her eyes and left her mind drift back to day she found her friend. Soon after her father died and the new clan leader threw her family onto the streets with only what they could carry, Ye Xian had become a servant to the rest of her family, performing chores until her fingers bled and her bones ached and her body collapsed from exhaustion. One summer day, Mei Fen sent her to the river to fill five stone jugs with water. The jugs stood almost to her waist. They were so heavy it took most of the morning to get them to river.

"Ye Xian," a voice had called out to her.

She looked around but saw no one.

"Here, in the river!" the voice called to her again. A great fish swan toward her. It looked over ten feet long, with scales like pure gold and eyes like moonstones.

"How do you know my name?" Ye Xian asked. She left the jugs and walked down to the back to get a closer look at the marvelous animal.

The fish explained, "From your mother. I knew it was you because you look just like her."

"My mother?" Ye Xian gasped in disbelief. Her mother had died shortly after her birth and Mei Fen was the closest thing she'd ever had to a mother - not that it meant much.

"She knew she wouldn't have much time to be with you, so she created me to your to fill your life with happiness."

Tears filled in Ye Xian eyes. Despite everything that had happened to her, there was still joy to be found in the world. "What is your name?" she asked the fish.

"I don't have one."

"May I call Jin?"

"Certainly!" Jin replied, "Let me help you with your chores."

Ye Xian watched in astonishment as Jin's eyes glowed pale gold. Water rose from the river and flowed into the jugs. Once they were full, they vanished.

"What happened? Where are they?" Ye Xian cried, "Who knows what my stepmother will do if I don't return home with water?"

"Don't worry," Jin assured, "Where you return home, they will be there."

When she returned home, Ye Xian found the water jugs by the front door. From that day, Jin had become her only friend. Jin would help finish her chores and they'd spend the rest of the day enjoying each other's company. Until Mei Fen, suspicious as to why her stepdaughter was suddenly happier and less tired, sent Jun Li to spy on her. Mei Fen followed Ye Xian down to the river one day, stabbed Jin with a long dagger, and ordered Ye Xian to serve her friend for dinner to the whole village. A voice in her ear told Ye Xian to gather Jin's bones and put them in four pots, each hidden under the four corners of her bed. Though Jin was dead, the magic had not faded from the bones.

Ye Xian sat in the center of her bed. "I wish I could go to the ball too. Just one night to enjoy myself." She wept. A cloud of golden dust rose from under her bed, filling the room with its warm haze. Ye Xian sprang out of bed in alarm and fled to the courtyard. Outside, a good distance away, when Ye Xian stopped to catch her breath, she realized that splendid new clothes had appeared from nowhere: a gown of fine sea-green silk studded with freshwater pearls and a sweeping cloak made the feathers of kingfishers glimmering black and blue in the moonlight. Her feet were no longer bare; instead she wore slippers made partly of glass and party of gold.

"Jin, is that you?" Ye Xian wondered.


Mr. Gold found Regina in the apple orchard behind her mansion. He watched her examine a piece of fruit before picking it and placing it in her basket.

"Lovely evening, Madame Mayor." He greeted with practiced levity.

Regina glared at him for interrupting her peace, "What do you want?"

"I was in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by." Mr. Gold grinned. Watching her set the basket down, he continued, "It's been an interesting last few days, hasn't it?"

"That's not how I would put it." Regina grumbled.

Mr. Gold nodded, "Of course. It must hard knowing your child hates you so much he keeps trying to run away."

Hatred exploded inside her and it took all her self-control not throw him ten feet or give him a fireball to the face. "Well, I won't have to worry about that anymore. It was all Emma Swan's fault and if I'm not mistaken, she'll probably halfway back to Boston by now."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that, dearie," Mr. Gold replied as his teeth bared in a menacing smile. "The townsfolk might be easily cowed, but something tells me Miss Swan is made of sterner stuff. You'll have to get creative if you want to get rid of her or you'll just end up driving Henry away."

"He'll get over it," Regina shrugged.

"Really?" Mr. Gold tilted his head, "Because I just saw your boy walking down Main Street with our new arrival and the two of them looked as thick as thieves."

Regina's eyes darkened. "Don't you have a hole to crawl back into?"

He chuckled, "It was nice speaking with you too, dearie."


"Shit, I'm late!" Mary wrestled herself out of the cozy confined of her bed and staggered into the bathroom to prepare for her volunteering gig. This week she had to take the fourth and fifth graders to Storybrooke General Hospital. Once she made herself reasonably presentable, she threw open the curtains. Sunlight flooded the apartment. Due to limit of space she could afford, Mary took care to keep everything organized, but today housekeeping would have to wait.

She refilled her birds' bowls and feeders. "Don't get into too much trouble," she joked to her beloved pets. They were all males: a lark, a dove, a sparrow, a parakeet, and three different species of finches. Though Mary didn't remember how she had collected this colorful array of winged friends, she loved them more than anything. "I'll be home before dark."

To her luck, none of the students had arrived when she reached the hospital. As Mary filled the paperwork, Styrofoam cup of cheap hospital coffee in hand, the mayor walked in with her son, Henry.

"Good morning Madam Mayor, Henry." Mary chirped.

Henry returned her greeting, but Regina's eyes swept over her with clear irritation. She told Henry, "I don't want to hear any complaints from Ms. Blanchard or any of the hospital staff, especially not after the way you've been acting lately."

"Yes Mom."

"I'll pick you up at eight. Have a good time honey." Regina pet Henry's hair and walked out.

When Regina had gone Mary spoke to Henry, "How have you been Henry? I understand the last few days have been a bit chaotic."

Henry grinned, "I'm great! Emma's staying in Storybrooke and I'm gonna prove to her the curse is real."

"Really?" Mary couldn't suss out how that made her. "That's... something."

The doors of the hospital opened again and this time a group of four or five young girls walked in chatting and laughing. Murmurs of "Good morning Miss Blanchard" and "Hi Henry" interrupted the conversation before the girls huddled in the corner and resumed their chat. More students fluttered in. At nine-thirty Marty corralled the children behind the front and handed out the required pins that marked them as volunteers. After relaying the rules and guidelines, as usual, before sending them off. On most days the children were fine wandering the halls helping in whatever way the doctors and nurses found appropriate, but today Mary kept a close eye on them. Why had she let them run around before?

After lunch while some of the students made "get well" cards for the patients, Mary fixed a bouquet of lilies and Henry wandered the halls taking note of each patient.

"Henry, why aren't you with the others?" Mary asked.

"I'm trying to guess who they are from my book," Henry moved from an woman in traction to a sleeping white-bearded man.

Mary shook her head, "Please leave the patients alone. It's rude."

Henry scowled, "But-" His eyes widened and rushed past her, despite her unhappy eyes, "That's him!"

Annoyed, Mary turned. Her heart clinked to life like the rusty, cobweb-covered gears of an old clock moving for the first time in years. The man lying on the bed behind her took her breath away; the serene look on his sleeping face, feathery eyelashes, bow-shaped dark pink lips. Velvety dark skin stretched across his broad, handsome features. Several moments passed before Mary noticed all the machines around him. Coma.

"Don't bother him," Mary warned.

"That's Prince Charming, your husband." Henry said confidently.

Mary sighed. "He's a coma patient Henry, and I've never met him before in my life." Though, she had to admit, she wouldn't mind if he was her husband. She'd been volunteering at the hospital for as long as she could remember. How had she not seen him before?

"You just-"

"Don't remember?" Mary finished.

"Everything alright here?" A woman asked them in a chipper voice. Mary recognized her from the maternity ward, Dr. West. Her hair, a tangle of bright red and dull grey, was pulled back in a bun, her pale blue eyes unusually alert for the time of day, and an easy smile on her thin, pale lips.

Mary apologized for Henry's behavior. "We were just leaving." She wrapped an arm around Henry's shoulders and began leading him toward the other children.

"Do you know him?" Dr. West asked. "I know this isn't my department, but he's been here for years and no one's ever claimed him. He's like our own little mystery."

"No idea." Mary shrugged.