Henry was surprised to open the door to what looked like an empty house. After a frantic call from his father explaining the situation with Walsh, he bought the first plane ticket to Maine he could find, only to discover that there wasn't enough in his bank account. He packed up his car and left with Grace just as the sun rose.
"Guys?" Henry called out, entering cautiously with Grace by his side. Conversations could be heard echoing softly in the distance, giving the house an eerie feeling. When he didn't get an immediate answer, Henry started up the stairs towards Roland's bedroom. He noticed his parents in the hallway, hugging solemnly.
"Henry," Regina called out, a wave of relief flooding over her as soon as she saw her oldest son. She smiled warmly when she caught sight of Grace standing next to him. "I'm glad the both of you are here."
"Don't you have class?"
Before Grace could speak, Henry gave his dad a defensive glance. "This is more important than class right now- besides, we can retake classes next semester."
That was a conversation neither parent could handle.
"Can I put my bags in Roland's room?" He then asked, changing the subject.
"I would stay clear of him for a bit, he's upset about not being able to join the search party out in the forest."
"Seriously? You're not letting him go?"
"We have bigger things to worry about- Zelena is here," Robin added in. "She's…helping with finding a solution."
"You invited her here?" Henry questioned, shocked by what he was hearing. "She's… what, downstairs?"
Before either parent could respond, Henry started back down the stairs, leaving Grace with a guilt ridden look on her face. "Sorry about him. It was a long drive."
"It's okay, I'm just glad you both made it safe," Regina said, reaching forward to give the young woman a quick hug. "If we can get through the rest of today without the house burning down, I'd consider that a win."
Following their son to the living room, everyone held their breath, anxious for the conversation that was about to happen.
Despite just being told she was in the living room, it still felt jarring for Henry to see Zelena, the Wicked Witch who kidnapped half of his family, sitting on the couch looking relaxed as ever while reading one of his mother's books. He had thought up some choice words to say to her during his anger fueled walk down the staircase, but when he came into the room, all the motivation to speak drained from him completely.
"Henry, right?" Asked Zelena, setting the spellbook down on her lap and looking him over. "Nice to finally meet you."
Over the last several weeks, Henry had heard a lot about Zelena; everyone had different bits and pieces to say about her character, her delusional behavior, how she saved the day back in the Enchanted Forest. He had so many things he wanted to ask her- to accuse her of- but none of it was coming to mind.
"I, uh, heard your boyfriend tried to kill you." He eventually replied, not knowing what else to say.
Zelena refrained herself from having too much of a reaction and kept her expression nonchalant, returning her attention back to the book she was reading. "He's not my boyfriend."
An awkward silence filled the space between them.
"How are you feeling, Caroline?" Regina began, redirecting the conversation. The girl had a blanket slung over her shoulders and a cooling mug of hot cocoa resting next to her on the coffee table.
"Tired," she said, her eyes becoming heavy as she leaned her head against the back of the sofa. Her mother was quickly at her side, placing her palm against her forehead to check her temperature. Thankfully, she didn't feel any less warm than the last time she checked.
"Why don't you take a nap, we're not going anywhere. Henry and Grace just got here."
"Long time no see," Henry began, sitting down next to his sister to give her a hug. He had been nervous to see her, thinking that she would look damaged in some way due to the curse. She seemed completely normal, though, and gladly returned his hug.
"I missed you," she said, switching sides to give Grace a hug too.
"We brought Smarties," Grace smiled, reaching for her purse to get the candy out. "There were some popcorn twists too, but someone ate them during the drive down here."
"Hey," Henry defended, giving his girlfriend a playful glance, "it was a long drive, okay? We'll bring more snacks next time."
"Why don't you go upstairs and get some rest," Regina suggested, trying to not worry too much over her clearly exhausted state. They had all been through a tremendous amount of stress in the last few days, she kept reminding herself, and it was normal for her to be so tired.
"I'll take you upstairs if you want," Henry proposed, gently picking her up with her blanket still wrapped around her. He remembered how easy it was to hold her when she was small, and how she always loved piggyback rides whenever he offered them. Before he began upstairs, he turned back to his parents.
"Grace and I are going to meet up with Will's group headed south after I get her to bed," he started, "unless you guys need more help here- I can stay if you want me to."
Regina hesitated, the argument with Roland about going out there still fresh on her mind. She wanted to say no, but he was an adult- she had to allow him to make his own choices. "You can go- just stay with the group, okay? The last thing any of us need are more things to worry about."
"Buddy system, got it," he responded, cracking a smile. He started back upstairs, wondering if Caroline had already fallen asleep in his arms. He set her down on her bed, covering her up with blankets. As he studied her for a moment, thinking about how big she was getting, he realized how pale she was. He thought about the cruel magic stirring inside of her, eating away at her until there was nothing left. The asshole was going to pay for what he did to his little sister.
Henry left her to sleep for a bit, passing by Roland's shut bedroom door without giving it another thought. Little did he know that Roland was long gone, his window wide open.
Roland never really asked for much. Growing up, he was perfectly fine going with the flow, doing whatever everyone else wanted in order to keep the peace. He never did mind, because he was content being with his family and friends. However, that was before his life turned upside down by multiple maniacs trying to tear down everything that mattered to him. Through all the fear the fifteen year old had experienced, he learned one important lesson- taking risks was worth it for the people he cared about.
That's why, after being sidelined again by his parents, Roland decided to take measures into his own hands. After a desperate phone call, August and Alex had arrived at the back yard, deriving an escape plan to break him out. Alex quickly made her way to the front door, knocking on the door and putting the plan into action. When the door opened, revealing Robin, the teenager put on an award winning smile.
"Hey Alex," Robin started, able to read through her innocent expression immediately. "Roland's up in his room if you want to cheer him up- he's mad because we won't let him join the search party."
Alex swore inwardly- she was certain her plan would work. She wasn't about to give up without a fight. "Oh, I'm not here for Roland. I was going to give him the homework he missed, but I forgot it at home. My mom wanted me to come by and check on how Caroline is doing. Also… is it true that Zelena is helping you guys? That's what people have been saying at school-"
"She's… we're still figuring it out. Tell your parents that they can join in on the research if they're up for it. The fairies are dropping off every spellbook they can find at the library."
"Yeah, I'll let them know," Alex replied, watching August and Roland maneuver around the bushes where they couldn't be spotted. "Good luck with everything- tell Caroline I said hi."
Robin could only give a halfhearted response as he said goodbye. Alex rejoined her friends as they took off down the road, where August's truck was waiting for their getaway.
"Is your dad okay?" She asked Roland, once they were in the car. "He seemed really off."
Roland fastened his seatbelt as his boyfriend started the truck, heading towards the edge of town. "Who knows- we're all messed up in one way or another."
Soon they were at the edge of town, August cautiously slowing down as they approached the bright orange line. "You brought your talisman, right?"
Roland pulled a long chain locket from his pocket and hung it over his head. It was a gift from his parents after Regina officially adopted him, a picture of his family. "I'm ready when you are."
"I know exactly what I'd use for a talisman if I needed one," Alex began with a smile, "all six seasons of Lost on DVD."
Both teens rolled their eyes in response. "You can save the bragging for after we find this flying monkey."
Although he had crossed the border several times in his lifetime, Roland felt a wave of anxiety run through him as they continued down the road. Thankfully, August's hand was there waiting for him, squeezing tight. The winding road eventually led them to a group of parked cars off to the side- a yellow bug and a brown truck among them.
"Aren't they gonna be mad at us once we catch up to them?" Alex asked, glancing around the area for anyone familiar in sight.
"There's nothing anyone can do out here in the woods- I'm sure they're not too far away."
The three of them got out of the car and looked towards the forest, the trees creating a dark canopy over the sun shining brightly above. The temperature difference was immediately apparent.
"Are you guys… sure about this?" August asked, putting a hand on Roland's shoulder before he could walk forward. "I mean, this guy is dangerous- he can use magic out here-"
"We have to find a way to save my sister," Roland told him, continuing onward until he was engulfed completely by trees. Alex and August looked at one another, having no choice but to follow him.