Why. I had answered it before he even asked, because I knew he would. Why did I swear to never fall in love? And honestly, I don't have a good answer. I was just a child, 8 years old. What did I know at the time? All I wanted was that gift, so I could give Charlotte something nice for her birthday. She was turning 13, and I wanted it to be something special, a birthday she would always remember. So I accepted the woman's deal, figuring I didn't need romance. I was happy with just Charlotte, with just my family. But when I was a little older, Andy came along. He was sweet, and funny, and nice... and I liked him. I didn't love him. But he made me realize that I could love. And that I wanted to. So I had to break that vow. But I had discovered I had magic shortly before coming to the Land Without Magic, though I kept it hidden from my parents. And I knew that any vow a magician made was biding. So I did research, some while I was still with Charlotte and more in Neverland. I discovered that the book of Analain knew everything - including how to free me from my fate.
All this I thought about as Rumpelstiltskin tore through books and I read an incredibly long passage from the book of Analain with almost no useful information in it. Finally I was fed up. "Let's go warn them first!"
"Alright", he said. "You do that."
I ran out into the street and as fast as I could to the apartment. I banged on the door. Emma opened it. "Elizabeth! What the hell is the problem?!"
"The entire town, especially the children, are in danger!"
"Why...?"
"Um... I cast that spell..."
"Well what happened?"
"Some sort of void opened... I don't have time for the details, just get Henry and Neal down to Gold's shop, he's setting up a boundary there."
"O - ok"
I ran off to warn everybody else.
Luckily, the schools were still in session, so saving all the children was easy. I couldn't send them all to Gold's shop, obviously. So I sent them to the town hall. I put a protection spell on it before running back to Gold's shop. The void was growing darker and bigger by the minute. Emma, Mary Margaret, David, Neal, Henry, Regina, Rumpelstiltskin, Belle, and my Papa were all there, frantically searching for a way to close the void. But I knew the way. I remembered now.
"I - I know how to close it", I said.
"How?", asked my Papa. I was still angry at him for not trusting me. He had been right about casting the spell, though. And harmwas going to come to me.
"It needs... a child's willing sacrifice."
"No", he said automatically.
"No", said everyone else in turn. Even Rumpelstiltskin said it, which surprised me.
"I have to", I said. "My actions, my price."
"No", said Henry. "My family, my price." And he began to walk out. I ran after him.
"Henry, no!"
"Elizabeth, I have to save my family. Let me do this."
"No, let me. I brought this."
"You were doing it to try and bring back my father."
"That wasn't even the original reason."
"You were still gonna do it. And I'm still gonna save you. And him."
"No!", I yelled. But it was too late. He jumped into the void.
I jumped after him. What else was I to do? I grabbed him and clung to the edge. He wasn't falling in. Not on my watch.
"Elizabeth, let me go", he said.
"I'm sorry Henry, I can't do that", I replied. I concentrated, a spell I had never tried but knew how to do, and we switched positions. He was now holding me over the portal.
"No!", he yelled.
"But there is something I can do", I continued. I waved my free hand, and concentrated really, really hard. Baelfire lay sprawled on the pavement, gasping. "Henry, what the...", he began. Then he looked over and saw me. "Who is this?"
Henry smiled at me. "This is your sister Elizabeth", he said. "She brought you back." He took a long pause before saying, "And I'm gonna save her."
He squeezed his eyes shut, hard. No. Oh no. He was casting a spell. I could think of only one thing to stop him. I let go of his hand.