On the beach of Storybrooke, David and Mary Margaret were walking along beside the waters. A nice walk along the coast was exactly what they needed. It was nice to relax, especially after all that happened.

"We can't just sit back and do nothing," David told his wife.

"You're right," Mary Margaret said with a nod as she leaned into David's arm as they walked together. "Hey, we can be as fun as any pirate captain."

"Exactly. Henry did much growing up in the past year. We have to adjust accordingly."

They continued walking along the beach until they came to a group of people talking at once and surrounding something. The two approached.

"What's going on?" Mary Margaret questioned as they came closer to the group.

"Does anyone know what happened?" a man asked.

"She just washed up on shore," another man answered.

"Who did?" Mary Margaret asked. "Who's here?"

The crowd made a small opening, enough for David and Mary Margaret to see, and they saw who had washed up. Ariel.

"Ariel?" Mary Margaret asked. She hadn't seen her friend in a long time. And she wasn't expecting her to wash up on the beaches of Storybrooke.

The people began to walk off one by one as Granny handed the mermaid a takeaway coffee cup.

"Where have you been?" Mary Margaret asked her friend. "We thought you'd been turned into a monkey."

"A monkey?" Ariel laughed. "No, I'm a girl that turns into a fish."

"Yeah. We know," David said. "But what happened to you?"

"I've been under the sea. Searching," Ariel answered. "I've travelled to every known realm looking for Prince Eric."

"So he's missing?" David asked. "For how long?"

"After Pan failed, I woke up here like everyone else. I couldn't find him. I didn't understand what happened until I overheard everybody saying that we had all gone to the Enchanted Forest and been there for a year without knowing it."

"So you still don't know what happened to him?"

"That's why I came back here. I thought that maybe I had overlooked something. That he'd be here. But obviously, you haven't seen him."

"We're sorry," Mary Margaret said. "We've been trying to piece together what happened. All we

know is that we're up against Regina's sister, the Wicked Witch."

The Wicked Witch? "Do you think she might be responsible for Prince Eric's disappearance?" Ariel asked.

"Without our memories, it's impossible to know everything," Mary Margaret told her.

"Maybe for us, but what about Hook?" David asked. "He was out there, on the seas. Maybe he's seen something. Knows something."

"The pirate?" Ariel asked.

"Yes. He wasn't part of the Witch's curse. He has his memories. Maybe he can shed some light on what happened to Prince Eric."

"Well, do you think he'd help me?"

"He seems to be a changed man. I don't know why he wouldn't be able to help you."

Hook had taken Henry to Granny's Diner, and both of them were sitting in a booth. While Henry ate his breakfast, Hook taught him how to roll dice. The pirate's way.

Hook chuckled as he rolled another excellent pair. "You want to know the secret to winnings?"

"Practice?" Henry asked him.

"No, my boy. Loaded dice." He picked the pair of dice up off the table and showed Henry. "

That's cheating," Henry pointed out.

"Only if you get caught," Hook said, taking a sip.

"I think it's cheating either way."

"The point is, you win," Hook said, noticing David walk into the diner. Hook leaned across the table. "Practice, huh?" He left the dice with Henry and then walked over to the door where David was still standing.

"Ah, Hook, this is a friend of ours," David said, as Ariel and Mary Margaret entered, "Ariel. She's looking for someone who didn't return to Storybrooke with the rest of us."

"He's from a maritime kingdom, and he loved to sail," Ariel added. "Perhaps you came across him on the high seas? His name's Prince Eric."

Hook stared at Ariel. He knew her too well. And in their last encounter, in the year that everyone forgot, he wasn't too generous with her. "Sorry, lass, I wish I could help, but I've never heard of him," he lied.

David looked at the pirate. "Are you sure you can't remember anything that can be useful?"

"My apologies, mate. But if I run across a prince during my adventure, I think I'd remember it."

Ariel sighed. All this way, and still nothing. "I… I don't understand. How could he vanish without a trace?"

"That's it," Mary Margaret said. "Maybe he didn't." David looked at his wife. "What do you mean?"

"When the curse brought us back here, it brought our things, too. Gold's shop is filled with them."

"And if we find something of Eric's, we can use a locator spell to track him."

"Let's go!" Ariel enthusiastically said.

"Sounds like a plan," Hook said. "Best of luck with that." He turned to go. He didn't want anything to do with this. Not if Ariel was involved.

Mary Margaret called out after him, "Wait. No, it would be best if you came with us. You might remember something that we won't or can't. You'd be far more helpful than us."

Hook stopped and came back to them. "Well, someone has to keep an eye on the boy."

"Well, Mary Margaret and I can take over," David said.

"Could we talk for a moment?" Hook asked him, and they both moved into the far corner.

"What is it?" David asked.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, mate?" Hook asked. "Let's be honest. There's only one obvious explanation for why Little Mermaid can't find her prince here. He's dead. There's no reason to ply with false hope."

David sighed. "In my experience, there's no such thing. You have to believe. Now go. Good luck."