Hoping everyone had a happy and safe Christmas, if you celebrate; if not, hoping you're all happy and safe anyway!

There is further discussion in this chapter of Emma's miscarriage, so if this is a sensitive topic, you might want to skim to the scene break.

By the time the ship docked, the word had spread through the town, and everyone gathered on the docks, all desperate to see that everyone had returned safely.

When Henry appeared at the top of the gangplank, the crowd burst into cheers, which were only sustained when Emma, then Snow and David followed him.

Belle hung back, letting Granny and Ruby fuss over Henry and Emma, while her gaze remained fixed on the ship, until Rumple appeared, giving her a slight smile. She reached for him as soon as he was close enough, letting him hold her close, closing her eyes as something settled inside her.

"I told you I'd see you again."

Rumple smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "That's the last time I don't listen to you."

"So Neverland …" Belle said.

"… was dying," Rumple finished. "Pan wanted to use Henry's heart to sustain it. Pan is trapped and Henry's safe."

"And you … brought the Lost Boys home?" Belle asked, eyeing the boys now disembarking the ship.

Among them was a girl dressed in a nightdress and a dressing gown. A shout of "Wendy!" went up behind her, and Wendy Darling went running into her younger - now older - brother's arms.

"Couldn't very well leave them there," Rumple said. "I don't trust them, but you know what the Charmings are like."

"Hey."

"Hi," Belle greeted automatically, before her eyes registered who was in front of her. "How …?"

"Bae got help," Rumple said, beaming. "And joined us to rescue Henry."

Neal grinned at her. "Surprise."

Belle hugged him tightly. "Thank goodness you're alright."

While Henry was greeted with enthusiasm, Emma was fully intending on figuring out what to do with the Lost Boys.

With Gold's help, the waters were still doing their work, and Snow stayed glued to her husband's side, leaving only briefly to greet Ariel.

"Okay, I know I said I was okay with being a big sister," Emma said quietly. "But I'm really hoping I'm not about to get that many brothers."

Snow smiled. "No, sweetheart. That's a bit too much."

"We can help," Abigail said, approaching them. "Frederick and I have far too much room in that big house. We've got more than enough space to set them up until we can find them families."

"While they discuss that," Ruby said, appearing at Emma's side with a smile, "you need to come with me."

"Oh?" Emma asked, her eyes automatically finding Henry, who was surrounded by some of the dwarves.

"He seems to be doing well," Ruby commented.

"I hope so," Emma said. "He's been through a lot; I wouldn't be surprised if he crashes."

Regina was watching him as well, she realised, the same worry in her eyes.

"Did you know that magic takes time to work?" Ruby asked.

"No …" Emma said slowly. "Why?"

"Well, it does," Ruby said. "Sometimes it takes a while to heal someone and the body does something odd while it waits."

"Good to know," Emma said dryly. "Should I worry about Henry turning into a frog or something?"

"I'm not talking about Henry," Ruby said. She guided Emma round a huddle of people and then there he was, standing at the edge of the docks as though nothing had happened.

Emma stopped dead, her breath catching in her throat. "August?"

"Blue didn't want to say anything because she wasn't sure it was going to reverse," Ruby said, grinning like a madwoman. "Go on!"

Emma took a tentative step forwards, her eyes locked on his. His lips curved in a smile, Ruby gave her a little shove, and then she was running.

Her arms wrapped around him and he spun her around to offset the impact. She buried her face in his neck, tears beginning to seep into his shirt.

"I'm here, Ems; I'm here," he murmured, over and over again into her hair.

She was vaguely aware of her parents joining them, but only when she heard Henry's voice did she loosen her grip a little, pulling back to wipe her eyes. "You're okay."

"I'm okay," August said, brushing a kiss to her cheek. "I promise. Hey Henry; you alright?"

Beaming, Henry stepped forwards to hug him. "I'm fine. I'm glad you're okay, Dad."

The title caused Emma to startle, her eyes automatically flickering over to where Neal was talking to Belle and Gold.

August was clearly just as surprised, and the expression on his face caused Henry to falter when he let go. "Is … Is that okay?"

"Of course it is," August said immediately.

"It's okay with us," Emma added. "But you may want to mention it to your Papa before you use that name around him."

Henry nodded. "Okay. Mama, is it okay if I stay with Mom tonight?"

Emma hesitated. She wasn't quite ready to let Henry stray too far from her side again, however much she wanted a private reunion with August.

On saying that, Henry was not just dealing with Neverland and the effects of that, but also the knowledge that Regina had been about to sacrifice herself to protect everyone.

"If it's okay with your mom," Emma said slowly, "yes of course. Maybe we can all meet for breakfast tomorrow?" She added, as Regina approached.

Regina sighed. "Of course you're going to pacify me with breakfast."

"Actually, Henry asked if he can stay with you tonight," Emma said. "I said yes, and maybe we can all have breakfast tomorrow."

Regina's face lit up in a smile she didn't bother to hide. "Of course. You're always welcome with me, sweetheart; you know that."

Henry smiled and hugged Regina tightly, as Ruby called out that they'd be holding a party at Granny's to celebrate the return.

Emma watched Henry tug Regina off in the direction of the diner, resting her head against August's chest.

"What's wrong?" August asked, reading her demeanour as well as he ever had.

"Hopefully nothing," Emma said. "I'm just worried about Henry, that's all."

"Well, he's been through a lot," August murmured into her hair. "I'm sure he'll settle."

"I hope so." Emma tilted her face up to brush a kiss against his jaw. "Do you mind if we don't go to the party?"

"Oh, I certainly don't mind a private celebration," August assured her with a smirk, but Emma didn't smile. "Em? What's wrong?"

Emma pulled herself from his arms and took his hand. "Come on."

Content that her parents (and room-mates) would be occupied at the diner for at least a few hours, if the crowd was anything to go by, she guided him in silence back to the loft.

August took his cue from her, letting the walk pass without a word, until her bedroom door closed behind them. "What's wrong?" He asked again.

"I have to tell you something," Emma said, her voice trembling. "And you're not going to like it."

August cupped her face in his hands. "Em, I love you. Whatever it is, we can deal with it."

Gently, Emma took his hands and guided them down to her abdomen. "Ruby filled you in on what you missed?"

"She did," August said, his eyes following the path of their hands. "Emma …"

"I was pregnant," Emma said, cutting him off. "I found out after you … after it happened. I lost the baby the day Neal fell through the portal."

"Oh, Emma …"

The affection in his voice caused the dam to finally break and she buried her face in his chest, finally allowing herself to cry properly for the child she never really had a chance to know.

His arms closed around her, rocking her a little in comfort, his own tears leaking into her hair.

"I don't know how it happened," Emma murmured. "I thought I was covered, but …"

"The trip to the Enchanted Forest," August said. "It must have thrown the timing off."

"Maybe." Emma pulled back to wipe her eyes. "I've got an implant now. Not that I was planning on being with anyone, but … It stops my monthlies and that's a good thing - something about blood loss."

August shuddered, his hand splaying across her stomach. "And you're alright?"

Emma shrugged, managing a weak smile. "Physically yes. I'm so sorry."

August frowned. "Sweetheart, what are you sorry for? It's not your fault. These things happen."

"Stress is bad for a pregnancy. If I hadn't put myself in that position …" Emma began.

"It would have happened anyway," August finished with certainty. "If you hadn't been there, then you still would have had to deal with the trigger, and Regina, and Henry being kidnapped, and any one of those things could have caused it. Not to mention, you've got no idea that it was stress that did it - for all we know, this baby just … wasn't meant to be."

Emma sniffled. "You really believe that?"

August kissed her forehead. "I do, Princess. Be honest - was it the best time to have a baby?"

"No," Emma admitted. "What with everything happening in town and you being a seven-year-old again, it was a terrible time to have a baby. But I would have …"

"I know," August said soothingly. "I know you would. And you would have been a wonderful mother to that baby, just as you are to Henry." He hesitated. "Blue told me once that babies' souls are older than their bodies. It takes a while for them to catch up. Maybe our child knew that it wasn't time and they're waiting until it is."

Almost a week had passed since their return from Neverland, and Emma's adrenaline had finally settled - she was no longer waking at every tiny sound, and she no longer found herself panicking when she woke without August at her side.

Without Pan's influence, the Lost Boys had opened up to the idea of a new life, with the possible exception of Felix, Pan's second-in-command, but, without Pan, he seemed lost, rather than dangerous, and Emma wasn't worried about him.

She was, however, still worried about Henry.

He was quiet, too quiet, and spent his days either glued to Regina's side or reading the storybook, even though she was fairly sure that by now he knew it inside out.

Since the reunion on the docks, he hadn't called August 'Dad' a second time, and Emma had even brought it up to Neal, to see if maybe Henry had mentioned it to him and received a less-than-happy reaction, but Neal was as surprised as she had been.

Emma wanted to think that maybe Henry had said it on a whim and was now just considering his own feelings on the matter, but he was pulling away from her as well.

In fact, Regina and Emma's roles seemed to have been reversed; it was now Regina making sure that Emma saw Henry and Emma seemingly relying on Regina's grace on the matter.

The only explanation Emma and Regina seemed to have come up with was that Regina was the stronger magic user, and maybe, after his ordeal, she made Henry feel safer.

Either way, Regina was certainly not concerned about the turn of events.

And why should she be? Her baby boy was back home with her.

Certainly, Henry was acting a little out of sorts, she agreed, but nothing to be concerned about, given what he'd been through.

So Emma returned to work, pushing her concerns to the back of her mind; Regina had known Henry far longer than she had, after all.

The Sheriff's job had certainly become easier - for once, everyone in Storybrooke seemed to be living in harmony.

Every now and then, one of the families who had taken in a Lost Boy stopped by with their new charge so she could explain how law and order worked in this new land, something that they found surprisingly comforting - at least, it surprised their new parents, not Emma.

"It's to be expected," she told Mrs Baker quietly morning. "They've been living under a regime where the rules were never clear and that's scary. It's much easier and safer when you know what the rules are and the consequences for breaking them. He will test you, just so you know."

"Oh, we know," Mrs Baker said with a smile. "Thank you Sheriff."

As Mr and Mrs Baker left the station with their new son, Grace came in.

This, in and of itself, wasn't unusual; summer vacation had started after all, so she didn't have school.

But when Grace wasn't at school, it was unusual to see her without her father.

"Good morning Grace," Emma said with a smile. "I'm afraid Henry isn't here."

"I know," Grace said quietly. "I needed to speak to you."

Something in her voice caught Emma's attention and she took a proper look at the young girl. She was pale, a little teary-eyed, indecision warring in her expression.

"Alright," Emma said gently, getting to her feet. "Why don't we step into the break room?" She pulled the door of the station closed, flipping the sign to tell any visitors that it was temporarily closed and to call her if they had any issues.

Grace followed her into the break room, taking a seat on the small couch Emma certainly hadn't napped on more than once. "I'm worried about Henry."

Emma had been about to offer the girl some hot cocoa, but at this she faltered. "Why?"

"It's probably nothing," Grace said. "He's been through a lot."

"He has," Emma said, coming to sit beside her. "But you know that. And if you hadn't already considered that, you wouldn't be here now."

Grace turned a little pink. "It's embarrassing."

Emma hesitated. "Grace, you can talk to me. Even if it's not because you're concerned, even if it isn't about Henry. You're reaching an age where talking to your dad might be difficult, so if you need to talk to a woman about something, please know you can come to me."

Grace's blush deepened. "Thank you. But I really am worried about him, it's just … At the welcome back party … Henry kissed me."

"Did he?" Emma asked. "Did you … want him to?"

"No," Grace said hastily. "I mean, yes; I mean … maybe I did, but that's not the point. He kissed me like that was just a thing we did. He brushed it off afterwards as something he'd wanted to do and he thought maybe I did too, but he hasn't brought it up since, and … Something's not right."

Grace wasn't wrong.

Pan's shadow had reappeared - and the shadow only took orders from one man.

So Emma found herself at the town line with her parents, Gold, Belle and a box, while Regina kept Henry safe.

Emma was convinced that Pan, despite being trapped in Pandora's Box, was still able to control his shadow - and if he could do that, maybe he was also still influencing Henry's odd behaviour.

"I still don't see how it's safe to let him out," Belle said.

"There's no magic beyond the town line," Gold explained. "If we release Pan outside Storybrooke, he'll be powerless to fight back."

Emma put out a hand to stop him. "I'm doing this."

Gold sighed. "I dealt with the spell. I can cross the line and retain my memories."

"It's not about that," Emma said. "There's no magic over there. All due respect, the real world is my expertise." She drew her gun. "I'm going to deal with Pan on my terms."

"He is my father," Gold said.

"It's my hunch," Emma retorted, taking a step over the town line. "If I fail, you're more than welcome to pick up the pieces."

"Emma, be careful," Snow said nervously, as Gold waved a hand over the box.

It began to glow and he carefully placed it over the town line, outside the reach of magic.

With a soft pulse of light, Pan appeared slumped on the ground and Emma shifted uncomfortably, raising her gun as he got to his feet, staring at the Storybrooke sign.

Given everything Pan had done, she was perfectly happy to shoot an unarmed man, but she was not willing to stoop so low as to shoot him in the back.

That, and she wanted to look him in the eye.

But when he turned to face her, his eyes widened with unexplained fear at the sight of her gun. "Mama?"

Emma faltered. "What?"

"What are you waiting for?" Gold asked. "Shoot him."

"Don't" Pan cried. "Please! I'm Henry! Pan - he switched our bodies."

"You expect me to believe that?" Emma asked.

"Don't listen to him," Gold spat. "This is one of his tricks."

"No, it's not!" Pan protested, and, okay, that sounded like her son. "He did it right before Mr Gold captured me in the box, I swear!"

"Don't come any closer," Emma warned, as he seemed about to move towards her.

"Shoot him!" Gold repeated.

Emma's mind was racing, replaying everything that had happened with Henry.

Maybe it was something Henry had said to Pan that made him call August 'Dad', assuming that that was the natural state of things - just like kissing Grace at the party.

When the reaction had not been what he expected, he had adjusted his behaviour accordingly, rather than committing to anything.

Maybe he was staying with Regina, not because of the increased safety, but because Emma's magic would tell him if he was lying.

"Maybe he's telling the truth," Emma said. "Maybe that's why I can't shake this feeling something's off about Henry."

"Maybe that's what he wants you to believe," Gold said impatiently. "If he steps over that line, we're all dead."

But Pan would have no way of knowing there was no magic where he was - he hadn't even tried to reach for it.

Almost like he wasn't used to having it.

"Alright," Emma said. "If you really are Henry, prove it. Tell me something only Henry would know."

"I got trapped in the mines," Pan said. "I helped you break into Mom's house so you could free Mary Margaret. I like hot cocoa with cinnamon."

"This proves nothing," Gold said.

"He's right, Emma," Snow said. "Henry could have told Pan all of this in Neverland."

Emma narrowed her eyes, remembering something David had told her in the midst of her grief. "Pan might know facts," she said slowly. "But life is made up of more than that. There are moments. He can't possibly know all of them. The first time you and I connected, you remember that? Not met, but connected."

A smile touched Pan's face, soft and reminiscent. "Yeah."

"Where was it?" Emma asked.

"My castle," Pan answered immediately. "Right after you came to Storybrooke."

"And what did you tell me?" Emma prompted.

"That I knew why you gave me up," Pan said.

Emma lowered her gun a little. "And why was that?"

"Because you wanted to give me my best chance."

The voice was different, but the inflection was the same.

Emma holstered her gun and opened her arms. "Henry."

Henry rushed into her embrace, folding his newly tall body to bury his face in her shoulder.

"This is Henry," Emma said firmly. "Promise me you're not going to incinerate us when we step over the line."

Looking more settled, Gold nodded, and Emma released Henry in favour of taking him back over the town line. He immediately embraced his grandparents.

"I'm sorry I doubted you, Henry," Gold said quietly. "And I'm sorry I put you in this box in the first place."

"It's okay," Henry said. "I would've done the same thing."

"If he's all the way out here," David said, "where's Pan?"

"I'd say that's obvious," Emma said darkly. "With Regina, pretending to be Henry."

Regina wasn't at city hall.

Nor was she at home.

So everyone converged on the cemetery, Emma still trying to get hold of Regina.

"Anything?" Snow asked anxiously.

"Still not answering," Emma said, hanging up as the call went to voicemail once again.

"When we find Pan," Henry said, "remember he's still in my body. So if you have to throw a fireball or something, at least avoid the face."

Gold couldn't help smiling. "I'll do my best."

August, Tinkerbelle and Hook were outside the vault, watching Neal trying (and failing) to pick the lock.

Hearing their voices, Neal straightened up, his eyes falling on Henry. "Is it really you?"

"Papa!" Henry ran into his arms, hugging him tightly, before doing the same to August

"Did you find the shadow?" David asked.

"Not yet," Tinkerbelle answered.

Hook held up the candle they had retrieved from Neverland. "We'll be ready for him when we do."

"It's Pan we should be concerned about now," Gold said. "Why are we still up here?"

"It's locked up tight," Neal answered.

"Really?" Gold asked, lifting a hand.

The pulse of magic shattered against the door but did nothing.

"She's down there," Emma said with certainty. "She never locks the door up that tight. I've picked that lock before."

"Told you," Neal said.

Gold nodded. "Fair enough. This is gonna take some time."

Everyone retreated to give him some space and Emma rested her head against the trunk of a nearby tree, feeling August approach her and tuck his arms around her waist.

"It'll be okay," he murmured.

"What if he's killed her?" Emma whispered, taking care to pitch her voice so Henry wouldn't hear.

"He won't have done," August said. "I'm sure she's alright."

"I wish I had your faith," Emma murmured.

Finally, with a loud bang, the doors to the crypt flew open, and Emma rushed forwards, following Gold down into the vault.

Pan wasn't there, but Regina was, lying motionless on the ground, and Snow darted to her stepmother's side with a cry of her name, checking on her while David and Emma checked the rest of the vault.

"Pan's gone," David concluded.

"We're clear down here," Emma called up the steps.

Gold stepped over to Regina's body, urging Snow to back up. With a gentle, almost paternal, brush of his fingers against her cheek, and a soft pulse of magic, Regina stirred.

"What happened?"

"It's Henry," Emma said gently. "Somehow Pan switched bodies with him."

Regina's face fell and she pushed herself up from her prone position on the floor. "And I fell for it."

"We all did," Snow said kindly.

Regina shook her head, getting to her feet. "I wanted to believe what he was saying so badly, I missed all the signs. I just wanted to believe that he still needed me to be his mother."

"I still do."

The sight of Pan's body clearly startled Regina, but, like Emma, she immediately saw her son in his eyes. "Henry …"

Henry slipped past Emma and threw his arms around his other mother.

While Regina held her son close, David frowned, looking around. "Do you often bring Henry down here?"

"Never," Regina said firmly, stroking her son's hair. "He was worried about the shadow; I was looking for something that might make him feel safer."

"So he talked his way down here," Emma concluded.

"So what exactly did Pan come down here to get?" David asked.

Gold took a step away from Regina, approaching an open box nearby, waving a hand over it.

Whatever he was looking for, it clearly wasn't good.

"Please," he said, turning to Regina, "tell me you didn't keep it down here?"

"Where else would I keep it?" Regina asked.

"What is it?" Emma asked, looking from one to the other. "What did Pan take?"

Gold sighed. "The Dark Curse."

"Why would Pan even want the curse?" Regina asked. "I already cast it."

"And I already broke it," Emma added.

"Well, that doesn't mean you can't cast it again," Gold said darkly. "And this time, without your parents' true love woven in, you would be powerless to break it."

David shook his head. "I don't understand, we're already in this land."

"What exactly would casting the curse in Storybrooke do now?" Snow asked.

"Everyone would forget," Gold answered. "We would all lose all knowledge of who we are. And Pan would be able to reshape this world into his own playground. Into a new Neverland."

At some point, the rest of Emma and August's reunion will be included in 'Ohana in Private' so watch out for that.

Also credit where credit is due - I borrowed the idea about "Henry" kissing Grace from MelyndaR's Common Ground series - if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.