Grumpy slung a couple of freshly caught fish over the skillet and took a seat next to Snow. "Remember when we first met? You were just as miserable back then. Good times." Snow laughed. He always did know how to cheer her up.

"It feels like a lifetime ago. Before Charming, before poisonedapples." She took his hip flask and swigged it earning herself a nudge in the ribs.

"Yeah. Funny how the past always catches up with you. Look at Blue. I mean, I kinda feel bad for the Queen. She ain't never had a chance. Not even a wish, like us dwarves."

Snow rolled her eyes. "If this is you trying to make me feel better. Stop. You're making it worse." She took another long glug of whatever it was and grimaced. "She did have a wish. I remember, she was the one who told me about them."

Grumpy sucked his teeth. "Nope. She mighta told you about them, but she never got one herself."

"How would you know? You didn't even know her before me."

"Nova told me. We used to talk a lot. The Queen wished for so many things before she became Evil. The others were forbidden from ever granting her a wish. That's one of the reasons Nova wanted to run away with me. Well that, and cuz she liked my eyes." He batted his lashes and Snow shoved him playfully.

"You do have beautiful eyes, hot stuff. I didn't know that. I knew Blue didn't like her. She was always so supportive of me back then. Why don't dwarves get a wish?That doesn't seem fair."

Grumpy shrugged dismissively. "We aren't supposed to want anything. Least, that's what Blue always said. Honestly, I think she always had some ulterior motive."

Snowgazed at the fire deep in thought. "If she'd had one wish come true, things could have been so different. She was so different back then. She saved my life. I looked up to her so much. I thought everything would work out and if I just explained to my father and her mother that she was in love with someone else, it would be fine. You know, she didn't tell me until years later that Cora killed him. She tried for a long time to be nice to me, I see now how hard that must have been for her."

Grumpy sighed. "Yeah. I know everyone in town hated her. I kinda liked her. She gave me a chance to be something else. Not a dwarf. Everyone hates dwarves. The others don't see it, but I never fit in. I guess the queen didn't either."

Snow turned the fish over in the skillet. "I don't think she wanted to come backhere either." Her thoughts turned to her daughter again. "I know Emma arrested you the other week. Did she seem different at all?"

"You're worried she did something stupid. If she did, she probably thought it was the right thing to do. No offence, Snow, but the apple fell pretty far from the tree there. She ain't nothing like any of us. Got her head screwed on straight. Good kid. Good sheriff."

They stared at the flames and shared another drink. Leyroy came off as brash and harsh, but he somehow always knew how to say the right thing. Snow felt bad for losing contact with him over the years. They were great friends and she'd been so wrapped up in her own family drama, she hadn't once checked in with him. "Have you seen her since we got back?"

He looked at her and realized who she was referring to. "Ain't seen her in well over a month. She ain't interested. Some of us just don't get a chance." He raised his flask and waved it towards the sleeping Queen. "This one's for you sista."

He chuckled to himself. "You know, it's funny. She ran into me the other day. I thought for sure I was gonna get the back end of something. She told me if I was heading to the convent, I should sneak in through the third window to the left. I figured she was just pissed at Blue or something, but I checked it out. It's Nova's room. I guess the Sheriff let the Mayor in on things. It felt nice to be seen. Like she was routing for me. I don't know, probably just happy to piss Blue off."

Snow grinned feeling her heart warm. "She does things like that all the time and dresses it up as if it's somehow benefiting her. I see her do it with Henry. They playground. Remember that?"

Grumpy laughed nodding.

"And the mines. And teaching Emma magic knowing the risk it entailed."

Grumpy added some more tales. "What about when she nearly blew herself up to save us all?"

Snow sighed wistfully. "I think Henry can wake her up. David will find a way to get to them. He always does."

SQSQSQ

The four unlikely allies rode along the coast continuing their journey. "So you're like the real Robin Hood? Stealing from the rich to give to the poor?" Henry steered Harley closer to ride alongside one of his other favorite characters from his books.

Robin groaned. "I suppose so. You make it sound more noble than what it was. I was an outlaw. But that was quite a long time ago. Nowadays, I just run a tavern and make an honest living."

"Where did the curse take you?" Henry was full of questions.

"The land of untold stories. I don't recommend it. Very dark. Too much rain."

Emma was just as curious if she were honest with herself. She remembered watching the movie when she was a tween and was pretty obsessed with Bryan Adams that summer. "So if you're from Sherwood Forest, how come you're here?"

"We moved. After our son was born. Marian was sick. A magical sickness. I stole something from a wizard and healed her.When she got better, we opened the tavern and started our new life."

"Let me guess, this wizard, was he called Rumplestilskin?"

"Yes, the dark one. He never came after me which was quite surprising. I thought for certain he'd run me through if he ever found me."

Emma nodded. "Yup, sounds like him. Maybe because he was taken to Storybrooke."

"Oh, no. This happened five yearsbefore the curse. He's actually been in the tavern a few times. Never given me any grief."

"He probably doesn't know it was you." Emma offered. Mr. Gold wasn't known for his forgiveness and from what she heard of his life here, he really was the biggest villain of them all.

Robin laughed. "He knows exactly who I am. That was the second time I stole from him, and he caught me. His maid let me go. I think perhaps he has a heart somewhere underneath that scaly exterior."

The journey went quickly and Emma found herself actually enjoying Robin's company. They were similar in many ways. She identified strongly with him. She'd spent her youth stealing to keep herself fed, and paid for it with a brief stint behind bars. She found out he was also separated from his son for the duration of the curse and again, it resonated with her. She only just found Henry after years of searching. He stole a wand to heal his wife, she stole a bean to get them here. He was doing this knowing the risks but feeling obliged to do the right thing, as Emma did.

"So, you are a Sheriff?"

"Yeah. That one still shocks me, to be honest."

"What is Storybrooke like?"

Emma shrugged. "It's pretty cool. Very quiet most ofthe time. Between curses and wraiths, and portals opening, it's just like any other smalltown in my realm."

Robin looked confused. "But you are from here, aren't you?"

"Technically, yes. The moment I was born, my parents sent me to the land without magic to escape the curse. I spent my whole life there." She filled in all the other details as they rode and Robin found himself taken with her. It had been a while since he connected with anyone on a friendship level. She'd make a fine Merry Woman.

Ariel stalled Davidson. "Here we are. This is the main port to Poseidon's Ocean from Enchanted Forest." She jumped down and rubbed her ass. "I need a break. I'm going to dive in and stretch my tail. I'm pretty tight from riding. You don't mind do you?"

Emma gave her a thumbs up and they all watched stunned when her legs transformed back into a tail. "She's a mermaid."

"Yup." Emma wiggled her eyebrows and chuckled. "This is gonna make for one hell of a joke in years to come."

"How so?"

She chuckled again. "It's probably in bad taste but Regina would find it funny. It'd start something like, why did the sheriff, the mermaid and the thief cross the realms?"

Robin laughed. "Oh, yes. I think I've heard that one. Was it to save the Evil Queen who did terrible things to them?"

Henry wrinkled his nose. "I don't get it."

Emma pulled a face at him. "Yeah, it's not funny. Yet. Probably will be in like, twenty years or so at some random Thanksgiving dinner."

"I still don't get. It's not even a real joke, Ma."

"You know what, forget it. I obviously need to get some sleep before my brain totally fries forever."

Henry nodded and grabbed her backpack to retrieve some snacks. He spotted the mirror. "Did you try mom again?"

The blondes eyes went wide and she snatched the compact away from him. "Yup. Mmm, hmm. This morning, before we left. She was still asleep. I'll try again tonight." She grabbed a bottle of water and took a big gulp,effectively hiding her expression.

Henry went off and sat by the water's edge leaving Emma alone with the outlaw. She took out the map and checked her points again. Robin looked over her shoulder. "I know exactly where that is." He pointed at the red circle she'd drawn before leaving home. Her eyes widened with hope.

"You do? How?"

He looked guilty. "I might not have been completely honest with you earlier when I said I've never met the Queen. I don't known her, but I did break someone out of her dungeons many years ago. A friendly woodcutter and his wife offered us shelter during our escape. That's their home, or it was. I knowthe Queen claimed the forest for herself not long after that. Possibly my fault." He ran a hand through his hair feeling uneasy with all the coincidences.

"How far?"

He looked off and spotted the turrets of the Queens Palace behind the trees. "Half a day. Quicker on horse back provided you know where you're going. Luckily, I do and I'm rather good at getting around the forest."

"I know I keep saying this, but thanks for this. I've never been to this land and everything seems so foreign to me here. If it wasn't for you and Ariel, I'd probably still be bumbling around by the docks." As she crouched down to put the map away, she noticed a shadowy figure slip behind a tree a few yards behind them on the path. She peered through Harley's legs and huffed when she realized who it was. "Give me a sec." She got up and ran down the path. She slowed as she reached the tree. "You can come out. I know you're following us. Any reason why?"

Hook stepped out from behind the tree looking guilty. "Caught me. What can I say, you might have made an impression on me."

Emma rolled her eyes. Something seemed off. Her lie detector was pinging like crazy but it seemed to do that a lot around the pirate. "Why are you hiding? If you wanted to check up on me, you could have just tagged along."

He nodded once. "I thought you seemed the headstrong, independent type. I doubted you'd want company, but I see I was wrong." He bopped his head towards Robin. "Very cosy."

Emma huffed and started walking back to her travelling group. "He knows the forest. He's helping me, that's all. Why am I even justifying myself to you?" She picked up the pace feeling annoyed for some reason. "Did you follow us on foot?"

"Not all the way. I jumped on the back of a wagon or two. Why are you going into the forest? It's forbidden land owned by the Queen."

They caught up to the group and Emma winked at Robin. She didn't trust the pirate and he realized he should stay quiet. "Why are you really following me?"

Hook held his arms out innocently. "I was worried about you. A young, beautiful maiden, travelling strange lands alone." Emma didn't buy it but what could she do? The guy was going to follow her around like a lost puppy whether she wanted him to or not.

Robin stepped forward protectively. "I think the maiden is more than capeable of taking care of herself.".

Hook's face contorted into a vicious snarl. "Then why are you here? I know for a fact you weren't taken to Storybrooke. You don't even know the lass."

Robin pushed his chest out. "How would you know that, pirate?"

Hook stepped closer to him in a challenge. "Unlike you, Outlaw, I've been there." He turned to Emma, "You know he's a thief? Wanted all over the lands."

Emma got between them sensing some masculine rivalry and talked them down. "Just chill. I've got enough on my plate without dealing with whatever this is. If you wanna come, fine. I can't stop you. Just try not to piss off my friends."

Robin made arrangements with the innkeeper at Silver Mines for their accomodation, and the unlikley group turned in for the evening. Once Emma and Henry were alone, he voiced his concerns. "Why is Hook here?"

"I don't know, Henry. There's something off with him. We'll slip away early. I'll go and tell Robin and Ariel. Will you be okay here?" The kid nodded and she took off down to the next room across. She knocked the door and Robin let her in.

"What's going on?"

"I think we should leave earlier. Give him the slip. I don't want him following us through the forest. Regina didn't trust him and neither do I."

Robin agreed. "I'll drop in on the mermaid and tell her of the plan. We'll leave before sunrise. I'll have you back to your Queen before you know it."

Emma slipped back into her room and settled next to Henry. "Early morning again tomorrow, Kid. How are you feeling about everything?"

He shrugged and put his handheld game away. The fact it worked in this realm was pretty cool. "I'm good. I can't wait to see Mom's face when we ride in to get her! She's gonna be so happy!"

Emma beamed at him and ran a hand through his hair. It pained her to keep such a secret from him but his hope was endearing.

"I want you to know something. Your Mom and I both love you so much. I know she's already so proud of you, and you mean the world to her, okay. Whatever happens tomorrow, remember that. She'd never want you to feel that any of this is any way your fault. You are the light of her life and if she ever thought she'd lost you, it would break her heart." She felt she needed to at least prepare him for the worst. When she'd seen Regina cursed like that, one of the first things she felt was betrayed and abandoned. She didn't want Henry to feel that way. She knew that wasn't the reason in her heart, but she was a logical adult. From a child's eyes, no matter how grown up, it would be hard to understand why she'd given up so easily.

"I know, Ma. I know I upset her when I brought you to town, but now I know it was a good thing. We'll all be together now. I think she needed to cast the curse in the first place so we could all be together. And now it's completely broken, we can all get a real fresh start. Maybe here."

She cuddled him hard and kissed the top of his head. "You are too smart, Kid." She tucked him in and got into her own bed next to his. She set an alarm on her phone, not that she thought she'd need it as she likely wouldn't sleep much but closed her eyes anyway. She hoped Henry was right.

SQSQSQ

Cora paced the room impatiently. Why was the Savior coming this way around? What did she know that Cora didn't? It was a silly mistake being caught following her like that, but at least she had allowed her to travel with them, or the pirate anyway. She shivered in disgust from using his glamour. No wonder he was so set on killing the Dark One. Having a hook for a hand was rather uncomfortable even as a glamour. The Outlaw might present a problem. She'd sensed the magical bow and arrow he carried on his back immediately. It was one Rumple used to have in his possession. It never missed its target.

She had hoped to get closer to the Savior. The way Hook had spoken, she assumed the woman was attracted to him but he'd clearly exaggerated his sway. The Outlaw was too cosy. Perhaps in the morning, she'd take him by surprise and walk a few miles in his shoes. No, he was leading them somewhere and she had no idea where it was. The pirate would have to do.