Archie held the door, but then he almost slammed into her as Dora stopped in her tracks.

"I can't go in here," she whispered furiously to Archie. "There are too many people."

He put a gentle hand to the small of her back. "It's all right, Dora. You're among friends. No one's going to hurt you here."

Her eyes were wide and fearful. "But I don't want to hurt anyone else. It happens when others are near me."

"But not all the time," Archie qualified. "You haven't hurt me."

"Yet." She said it in such a horribly resigned way, that he couldn't help but smile.

"You didn't hurt Neal, either. Or Snow, when you brought Neal in for his feedings." He looked thoughtful. "For that matter, you didn't hurt Dr. Whale, or Henry, while we're at it. I'd say there's a whole list of people you could have hurt, but didn't."

Dora had obviously never thought of that before. "You think I can control it?" She shook her head. "I don't know if I can believe that."

"Then I'll believe for both of us," he said. "Now, let's get you fed and find you a room."

###

"Well?" Killian asked, setting down a bag and a drink carrier with two coffees before tossing the key card on the table.

Emma was sitting up in bed, holding her phone in her hand.

"I talked to my parents," Emma answered. "They're going to talk to Belle. We'll know soon enough."

"Robin and Roland have already had breakfast," Killian said. "He's taking the boy to a merchant to buy him some additional clothing for the journey. I told him we'd call him when we were ready to depart."

"So, what's in the bag?" She held up a hand. "Please don't tell me it's another breakfast burrito."

He gave her a dark look. "Donuts," he answered. "The kind with filling, and one with sprinkles."

She smiled at him. "You really know how to woo a girl."

He sat down on the side of the bed, reaching his hand out and looping a finger around the sheet, which was the only thing covering her.

"I'm about to say the hell with breakfast," he replied huskily.

"I need a shower," she demurred.

His hand slid down inside the sheet. "So do I. I'll wash your back if you wash mine."

"Deal," she agreed, kissing him. "And then the donuts."

###

"Dora? Dora, it's Archie."

"Yes, I'm here," she called out, then she opened the door. "I'm here."

"Would you like to come to breakfast?" he asked. "There are some people I'd like you to meet."

She looked dubious. "I don't know..."

"Come on now," he smiled. "Dinner last night was completely uneventful. Wouldn't you agree?"

She wouldn't, actually.

She'd enjoyed her first hamburger, and Archie had made her laugh and she hadn't laughed in...well, in a very long time. And then he'd procured a room for her here at Granny's and seen her safely to it's door. When was the last time anyone had cared for her well being?

Never. No one had ever treated her with this much kindness before. It was wonderful, but at the same time it was worrying. How much longer before it all went wrong?

"The fact that it was uneventful makes it eventful," she said. "And you really don't have to buy me breakfast. Once I can find work, I can repay you."

Archie shook his head. "It's my pleasure. Really. I'd love to know more about you. Last night, you were so quiet, I was afraid I was boring you."

"Oh, no! You mustn't think that!" she burst out, then she flushed and looked at her toes. "I mean...no one ever talks to me. I never talk to anyone. I forgot how nice it is to simply sit and...talk."

"Are you hungry?" Archie asked. "Granny's has the best pancakes in town. Well, the only pancakes in town...but they're still good."

She gave him a hesitant smile. "I'll take your word on that. I've never had a pancake."

"Right this way," he said, leading her into the restaurant. She sucked in a breath before stepping into the room, looking around warily. Behind the counter, Red accidentally dropped a mug and Dora spun around instantly, shaking her head wildly.

"Dora...Dora!" Archie's hands settled soothingly on her shoulders. "It's all right. She just dropped a mug. Nothing else. Nothing worse."

She leaned into him, trying to calm down. Her voice was muffled in the front of his shirt.

"You're sure?"

"Yes. Everything's fine."

She peeked up again, then glanced over at Red, who was giving her a contrite smile.

"Sorry," Red called out. "Didn't mean to startle you."

Dora looked confused. "You're apologizing...to me?"

Now it was Red's turn to look confused. Archie gave her a smile and a look that clearly told her to leave well enough alone, and then he walked Dora over to a table where Snow, David, Henry and Belle were already seated. Dora's eyes grew wide when she saw David, and she began to tremble all over, her eyes filling with tears.

Just then, Leroy entered, tripping over the doorstep and slamming into a table, knocking another resident off to the floor, where she rolled into Red, who was carrying a tray of dirty dishes she'd just cleared away. Everything fell to the floor, and shattered glass and china flew in all directions.

Dora turned to run, but Archie blocked her way.

"Let me go!"

"Dora, no! Calm down." She feinted left and he moved to counter her. Behind them, Leroy let out a groan, then rolled to his feet, bumping his head into the underside of the table.

"Can't you see!' Dora said, in a full panic now. "I'm not safe! Let me go!"

Archie did the only thing he could think of to do. He pulled her into him, and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

"You won't hurt me, Dora. And I know you don't want to hurt anyone else. You can manage this. Pretend it's just you and me here, all right?"

Snow slid out of the booth, giving David a weighted look as she helped Leroy to his feet. Granny rushed in from the back with a dustpan and brush, and Archie just stood there, holding Dora until everything was cleaned up and cleared away, and Leroy got his breakfast sandwich and made a getaway.

"Can we try to sit down now?" Archie asked.

She looked up at him with tear soaked eyes. "I - I don't know. I'm afraid."

"Well, we're not afraid of you," Henry said.

"I'm not afraid of you," David agreed.

"You took good care of my son," Snow said warmly. "I'd like to thank you."

"And I'd like to know a little more about you," Belle said. "Because I think we may be able to help you."

Dora looked at them all in surprise. "You would...help me?"

"We'd like to try," Snow said. "Won't you please sit down?"

Dora glanced up at Archie, who gave her a supportive nod. He pulled out a chair, and she carefully slid into it.

"Now...Dora..." David looked her. "Do you prefer 'Dora' or 'Pandora'?"

"Dora." She and Archie both said it together. She smiled. "I prefer Dora. Pandora is a name that has more than its share of infamy."

"That's true," Belle agreed. "But stories aren't always fact. I think if we're to help you, we need the real story. Your story."

###

"Phone." Emma's voice was muffled by the pillow. Killian didn't move, so she repeated: "Phone."

"I hear it, love. But it's your phone."

"Crap."

She slid her leg off of him and rolled out of his arms, pushing at the tangled sheets and finally slamming her hand down onto the nightstand and gripping the phone.

"This is Emma," she answered, once she saw the number. "Really? No, a minivan is fine. It's perfect, actually. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Okay, I'll meet you there at eleven."

She ended the call and laid the phone back down before rolling back over and facing Killian, who was laying on his back.

"We have to get moving," she said. "That was my contact. He got us a car - well, a minivan. We have to meet him in the Bronx."

Killian didn't move, or open his eyes for that matter. "Is that far?"

"Not really, but we're using public transportation, so it'll take an hour." She poked his side. "Come on...get up."

"Have a heart, love. You damn near killed me in there." He opened his eyes to see her grinning a very smug and satisfied grin.

"That was payback," she said. "For last night."

"Do you have any idea how difficult it was to carry you one handed, dripping wet across a tile floor with my head still spinning from the aftermath of your ministrations?"

"You bounced back pretty well," she said.

He gave her a crooked grin. "I told you...I'm a survivor." He reached over, pulling her in for his kiss. "And I believe I owe you now."

"Oh. We're keeping count?"

"Mmm-hmm." He kissed her again. "I can't leave it uneven like that."

"You overindulged me last night, as I recall," she reminded him. She rested her hand on his jaw, brushing it lightly with her fingertips. "You and your ticklish whiskers."

His eyes darkened. "You have very sensitive thighs."

Emma's eyes dropped to his lips, remembering every single brush of them against her, the heat of that incredible mouth and the silky slide of his tongue...she pushed back, and sat up.

"We don't have time to be starting things up again," she said. "We need to get dressed and find Robin."

"Quite right, Swan. If I'm to even the score, it won't be in a hurried fashion." The gleam in his eye made her forget how to breathe for a moment. And from the brow he raised, he knew it, too.

"Come on," she said - a little grumpily. "We'll eat the donuts on the way."