Omg it's been so long I didn't even realize! I'm so sorry! Life has been crazy as per usual but with this new semester I'll have way more free time to be able to write and keep this story more regularly updated.

"I'm sorry, you're who?" Emma asked, feeling light-headed. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Regina watching her carefully, and was thankful for the steadying hand on the small of her back.

"Avery's younger sister," Mary repeated. "My parents tried to keep it hidden from me, and I know that they basically had me to replace her but it didn't work. Our house was always broken without Avery in it."

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you find out?" Regina asked.

Mary shrugged. "They were so overprotective after what happened that I was a super rebel during my teenage years. Got pregnant and had Liza with Jackson. My mom was so disappointed that she yelled that Avery would never have gotten knocked up."

"That's a messed up way to find out," Emma mumbled.

Mary chuckled bitterly. "They didn't even tell me the whole story. I don't know what's going on, but someone is targeting my family and I don't know why." She took another deep breath before looking at Emma. "You're the anonymous person that came forward, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Emma said quickly. "I've never met Avery. I just went over the case file when David first brought it in."

"Emma," Regina scolded gently. "She came here for help."

Emma shook her head before walking away and into the kitchen. Regina looked at Mary and sighed. "I'm sorry we couldn't be more help. I don't know why your family is being targeted, but I guarantee that we will try and find Liza and get justice for your sister."

Mary nodded before accepting the fact that she wasn't going to get a straight answer out of Emma tonight. Regina gently closed the door behind her before going to find Emma. She was leaning over the sink, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm herself down. How had Mary known? What was she going to do?

Regina leaned up against the counter next to Emma, reaching out to gently tuck her hair behind her ear so she could see Emma's face. "She just wants to find her daughter."

Emma winced. "I can't. I just-"

"I know. It's a lot."

"That's not it," Emma said. "Well I mean yes it is, but it's also the fact that it's my fault. Anywhere I went, anyone I talked to, always got hurt. Maybe I should go."

Regina's jaw dropped in shock. That definitely was not what she was expecting. "What?"

"You'll get hurt. Somehow. You and Henry. My parents. Everyone will get hurt someway or another. I mean you all already have, and each of the things that happened to you could come back to me somehow."

"Not true, if it's anyone's fault it's mine," Regina argued. She sighed before wrapping her arms around Emma. She was relieved when Emma accepted the comfort and leaned into her embrace. "Look, we could play the blame game forever but that will help no one. We will find the key to this case, and bring Liza home."

Key. Emma froze, an image flashing in her mind. "Oh my God."

"Bluebeard?" Regina asked, watching as Emma dug through Avery's file. "As in, the murderer of his wives that kept them in a room after he killed them?"

Emma nodded, continuing to look for the image she wanted. "I just, I know what I'm looking for."

"Should you be looking at those?" Regina asked gently, watching Emma look through the photos of Avery's body at the crime scene.

"I'm not going to break," Emma snapped.

"That's not what I was suggesting and you know it," Regina said. "You're drowning in enough guilt as it is."

"Found it!" Emma said triumphantly. She handed the picture to Regina, trying to keep the shaking of her hand hidden. Of course, she failed.

Regina took the picture from her, grabbing Emma's hand in hers and squeezing it gently. "What am I looking for?"

"Next to her on the right side," Emma said, sitting next to Regina. She leaned against her side, their hands still together. "I completely ignored it the first time around, not deeming it important. Clearly that was a mistake."

"Not your fault," Regina said firmly before looking closer at the picture. "A bloody key. Just like the one in the Bluebeard tale."

"But why?" Emma asked. "What in the world could inspire someone to replicate the Bluebeard tale?"

"Who said it isn't the real one?"

"Wait, the real Bluebeard? He can't be real."

Regina cocked an eyebrow at her. "Says the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming to the Evil Queen."

Emma laughed. "Good point. But why does he live in the real world and not here?"

Regina shrugged. "Neal lived in New York. You and Henry lived out of town for awhile. Gold left to hunt down the author. Fairy tale people can leave and come back freely."

"But why target Mary and her family?" Emma asked. "Avery could be random, but why Liza?"

"Think of the tale of Bluebeard," Regina said. "He chose the youngest daughter to force to marry him. Mary was born, making her the youngest. Then she had Liza. She was next in line."

"How do we find her?" Emma asked.

"She must be in California," Regina suggested. "That's where Avery was found, and where you both lived when she was taken."

Emma sighed. "I don't know if you've noticed, but California is a really big state. And he took Liza from Maine." Her eyes widened. "What if this is my fault?"

"Emma-"

"No, just think about it. I live in California, he takes Avery. I live in Maine and he takes Liza. He followed me."

"Or he followed Mary. Her parents didn't move after Avery's death, she moved away to Maine after marrying Jackson."

"But-"

"No," Regina said, her tone ending the argument. "Until proven otherwise, none of this is your fault. We've taken road trips before, why don't we go to California? Talk to the local police about the case, see if they have any ideas about where Liza could be."

Emma smiled. "Regina I don't know if you've noticed but we're not exactly in a real town. We can't exactly go into a police station and say that we're from Storybrooke."

"How did David get the files?" Regina asked.

"Said that he was a reporter wanting to investigate the case," Emma said. "Didn't think he could lie so well, but they gave it to him. They're hoping that it might spark someone to step forward."

"Well someone did," Regina pointed out. "Whether you think so or not, you are helping this case."

Emma went to argue, but her phone rang. She looked at it in confusion before answering. "David? Is everything okay?" She listened, her eyes widening. "You're kidding. Yeah, we'll be right there. Call Mary and Jackson." She hung up before looking at Regina with an unreadable look in her eyes.

"Liza just walked over the town line."