Chapter 4

"Son of a bitch!" Dean barks into his phone after telling Sam what he found at the coordinates Castiel gave them.

"Calm down, Dean. It's probably just the protection spell. I just got another email from Cas, so maybe we can figure out a way around it."

"So what did he say?" Dean asks impatiently.

"I don't know yet. I was about to open it when you called." Sam explained. "I'll call you back." He abruptly hangs up on his brother as he reads the email.

Dean paces around his car, kicking the tires out of frustration. His eyes go wide with shock at what he's done. "Oh, Baby, I'm so sorry. I'm just worried. I didn't mean to take it out on you," his apology to his car was truly heartfelt. His phone rings a moment later. "Tell me you've got something, Sam."

"Well, maybe. Apparently the town of Storybrooke was created with magic from the Enchanted Forrest. The Men of Letters actually have a few books on it. It's one of the Fairy Realms. Supposedly, the Enchanted Forrest is where most of the fairytales that we know actually live. Or lived, as the case may be. According to the books, there was a prophecy that a powerful witch would cast a curse that would send the population of the Enchanted Forrest to a land without magic. Here, apparently. Guess the prophets in the Enchanted Forrest didn't really know much about this land." Sam chuckles with very little humor.

"Is there a point to this, Sammy?" Dean asks, his frustration only growing.

"Well, yeah, maybe. According to the email, the most powerful magic in Storybrooke is true love. The information the Men of Letters have on the Enchanted Forrest say the same thing. Basically, an act of true love can break any curse," Sam explains.

"What does that mean?" Dean asks. "So, do I have to kiss some princess or something to get into this town? Or kiss Cas to get him out? That would be a sacrifice I'd be willing to make if only I could FIND HIM!"

Sam chuckles again. "No. An act of true love is usually a kiss, but it can be anything. There are lots of types of love, and according to this, basically an 'honest expression of pure love will defeat any spell and break any curse'."


Emma looks at Henry after he reveals the new story book pages. "So I should just let Regina face the extra crazy Dark One with a powered down angel and a man from a land without magic?"

Castiel snorts. "You think out there is a land without magic?"

Before anyone can respond, Henry speaks up again. "No, that's not what I'm saying. Castiel's friend DOES have magic."

"What are you talking about?" Castiel asks. "Dean doesn't have magic. A GED and a give-em-hell attitude, yes. But magic, not so much."

"Not according to this." Henry reads, "When the hunter with a righteous soul and a resilient heart…"

Castiel interrupts. "Well, Dean's heart IS resilient. He's been dead…" his eyebrows knit together over his blue eyes as he counts, "Well, he's been dead more times than I can count, so yeah, his heart is resilient."

"I don't think that's what he means," Emma starts.

"Yeah," Regina jumps in, "That's just a normal Sunday around here."

Henry clears his throat and levels the adults with a glower he clearly learned from Regina. "As I was saying…When the hunter with a righteous soul and a resilient heart enters the realm where true love is the strongest magic, all of the love and loyalty he feels for those he calls 'family' will create a strong magic inside of him. A power nearly equal to the Savior's."

All three adults look at Henry a little dumbfounded. Regina is the first to recover. "I think I know how we're going to get your friend into Storybrooke," she says with a smile. "But you will have to put your search for Belle on hold."

"How?" Castiel asks impatiently.

"First, you need to find out if he's made it to the town line," Regina states. The angel looks at the mayor confused. "Check your email. Didn't you hear it ding about five minutes ago?"

"Oh." Castiel opens the laptop. He can't believe he missed the alert again. "Dean is at the coordinates I gave to Sam. But he says there's nothing there."

"That's the protection spell," Emma explains, "It makes the town invisible to strangers."

"But you're going to make it visible," Regina explains, "with Emma's help."

"How can I help?" Emma asks.

"Really, do I have to do all the heavy lifting around here?" Regina asks with classic snark. "Think about it. You're the Savior, the product of true love. And, apparently, true love is the trigger for his friend to discover his magic. So, you're going to take Mr. Angel here to the town line and focus his 'friend love' on the barrier. Meanwhile," this time she looks at Castiel, "You need to make sure your guy is focusing his energy on the town line as well. If I'm right, it should open up the protection spell long enough to get him inside. And I'm usually right."

"Mom, you're a genius," Henry says to Regina with pride.

"OK, but once he gets in, how are they going to get out?" Emma asks.

"Do I have to think of everything? One problem at a time." Regina answers.

"Actually," Castiel interrupts, "Once I have my grace back, I can get us out. Angels can cross through many magical barriers, as long as they aren't protected against us. How do you think I was able to be pulled here in the first place?"


Sam called Dean after getting another email from Castiel explaining the plan that the former Evil Queen had come up with. Even though Dean was skeptical, Sam convinced him that if Cas thought it could work, then it probably would. Dean didn't know exactly how he was supposed to channel his "love and loyalty" towards empty air, but he knew he had to try. "This is crazy," he said to himself as he held out his hands in front of him and thought about everyone he had ever let into his family, and then focused completely on Castiel before he lost him too.

Suddenly, the air in front of him seemed change, almost as if it was shimmering. Before he knew it, he was staring at a quaint town. And there at the town line stood his favorite angel and a pretty blonde woman with her arms held like a reflection of his own. He looks from Castiel, to Emma, to her yellow Bug. "Nice wheels," is all he can think of to say.

Emma observes his black Impala, "Back at ya."

Dean crosses the town line and engulfs Castiel in a big bear hug. "Dude, I'm glad you're not dead."

Emma clears her throat. "I hate to break up the bromance, but you might want to bring your car into town before the barrier closes. You don't want to leave a classic like that in the middle of a deserted highway."

"Good call." Dean goes back to his car and brings Baby into the small town. Emma shows him where to park and introductions are finally made.


The trio walks down Storybrooke's main street while Castiel and Emma try to fill Dean in on, well, everything.

"So, we have to find this Dark-whatever, somehow convince him to give Cas his mojo back AND find out where he's stashed his wife so that some dwarf can wake her up from a sleeping curse? Is that right?" Dean says, not entirely believing the words coming out of his mouth. "This is weird even for me. And two days ago I exorcised a demon from a vampire before beheading it."

"That pretty much sums it up," Emma confirms. "We just have to see if Regina was able to figure out where Gold is hiding these days."

"That sounds great and all," Dean begins, "But can we get some food first. I'm starving. I drove straight here from Kansas with no breaks except for gas."

Castiel looks at him with astonishment. No road food? No diner stops? Dean must have been worried.

"Yeah," Emma replies, "I know a great place to eat. How do you feel about diner food?"

"It's my favorite!" Dean replies excitedly.

When the trio goes into Granny's Diner, they sit at the same booth that Emma and Cas sat at when he first came to town. Castiel sat next to the wall, with Emma next to him and Dean across from him.

Granny comes over to take their order. "I really need to hire another waitress. It's been Hell since Ruby left." She looks at Castiel, "Peanut butter and grape jelly." Then to Emma, "Grilled cheese." And finally to Dean, "What can I get for you, hot stuff?"

"Granny!" Emma chides her.

"What? I might be old, but I'm not dead," she replies as she waits for Dean to order.

"Bacon cheeseburger, extra everything. And chili cheese fries," Dean orders.

Granny gives Dean a once over. "You sure can eat for being such a slender thing." She smiles at the table and goes to fill their orders.

Dean gets serious for a moment as he looks across the table at Emma. "Look, I just want to thank you for taking care of Cas while he's here."

"How could I not?" Emma asks. "Look at him. He's kind of like a baby in a trench coat."

Dean starts to defend Castiel when Castiel merely chuckles and says, "I like her. She's like you with boobs."