Author's note: As always, thanks for the reviews :)

Chapter 21

"So you think that the memory spell you made caused everyone to be transported back?" Henry leans up against the counter of Gold's shop while his grandpa frowns at a rack of vials.

Earlier that morning he and Gold had waved goodbye to the Callahan family, sending them on their way. They hadn't seemed to notice anything wrong with Storybrooke. Or maybe that was because Gold had quickly conjured up a potion that made the family oblivious and decide that they had to leave right away.

Gold nods absently. "Yes. I imagine it must've interacted with the magic beans Mary Margaret and David were growing."

Henry raises an eyebrow. "How is that possible?"

Gold shrugs. "Not a clue. Spells and other magical items can sometimes interact. Quite negatively, as you can see. I may be the Dark One but even I don't know everything."

"So would there be any other side effects?"

"Again, I don't know." Gold holds up a mixture of powder. "Here. Powder made from poppies. It'll put you to sleep for a short time, long enough for you to hopefully converse with Mary Margaret."

Henry nods. "Right. Like the last time Mary Margaret and Emma were there." He follows Gold to the small bed in the back of the shop and lies down, folding his arms over his chest just as he did the last time he'd been there.

"Good luck." Gold says as he throws the powder over Henry, who immediately falls into a deep slumber.


Once again, he is back in the fiery room. And once again he is on a mission.

"Hello?" Henry calls, coughing against the flames licking at the air. "Anyone there?" As he squints, he can see another person in the room with him. As he and Gold expected, it is Mary Margaret. "Hey!" He shouts. "Gramma!"

But she does not respond.

"Mary Margaret!" Henry tries again to get her attention but yet again she ignores him, doesn't even look up at him. "Snow!"

At the sound of her fairy tale name she gives him a weird look. "Are you talking to me?"

"Yeah." Henry's voices oozes duh.

"Do I know you?"

At that, he stops short. "Um…what?"

She peruses him, an odd expression crossing her face. "You look familiar but I don't think I've ever seen you before."

"It's me!" He shouts in desperation. "Henry! Your grandson!"

"What?" She laughs nervously. "Grandson? What…what are you talking about? I can't have a grandson; I don't even have a daughter."

Oh no.

"Do you not know who I am?" He asks although he already knows the answer.

She shakes her head wildly. "No."

He opens his mouth, about to say something else but then he feels something ripping him away, up and out of the fiery room.


"She's lost her memory!" Henry shouts as soon as his eyes open.

Gold's face floats above him, a mask of confusion. "What?"

Henry sits up, hands planted on the bed on either side of him. His head is swimming with the information he's just received and he feels sick. "I-I saw Gramma. Mary Margaret. In the room. And she had no idea who I was. She didn't respond when I called her Gramma or Mary Margaret but when I called her Snow she looked up."

"What exactly did she say?"

"S-she said that she couldn't have a grandson. Because she doesn't even have a daughter." He turns to Gold. "What does that even mean?"

Gold's eyes widen as he takes this in. "I think if she doesn't remember Emma either, she's lost all her memories of everything after the curse." He says quietly.

"Is this a side effect?"

"Likely, yes." Gold answers. "The spell I'd intended for Belle was transported in the air. It was supposed to only affect its intended target. But I imagine that when it interacted with the beans it must've dispersed to whoever got transported back."

"What about other people? Do you think they could've lost their memories too?" Henry asks.

Gold nods. "It's definitely possible."

Henry flops back down, a pool of dread building in the pit of his stomach. "Then what are we going to do?" He sighs heavily. "How can we tell them how to get back when they don't even know who I am?"

Gold places a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We'll figure it out, Henry. I'm sure not everyone has lost their memory and all we need to do is contact them."


As David climbs into bed later that night, he cannot keep the smile off his face. Today has been one of the best days he's had in a long time. After their first game of BS in which Emma demonstrated just how good she was, they'd spent the rest of the afternoon playing other card games. He can't remember the last time he and Emma had connected so well, nor the last time Mary Margaret had been that happy. Ever since she thought she lost her baby, she's been depressed, a far cry from her usual spunky self. But today, David could see traces of her old self coming back.

Even if she didn't know it, Emma's presence was good for her.

Just as he's expected, moments after his eyes close he finds himself back in the fiery room. It's a side effect from going under the sleeping curse, one that he hopes goes away fairly soon.

But what he hasn't expected was someone else to be there.

"Henry?" His eyes widen with excitement. "I didn't know you still came here at night. I thought the effects wore off."

"Wait." Henry blinks. "Y-you know who I am?"

"Yeah." David says. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I saw Gramma earlier and she didn't know who I am."

Oh. David realizes. "She's lost her memory." He explains. "Of-"

"Of everything after the curse." Henry fills in. "Yeah, Gold explained it to me."

"Actually it's the curse and everything after that, but yeah same idea."

"Has anyone else lost their memory?" Henry asks.

At this, David's face falls. How can he tell the kid that his mother doesn't know who he is? How to approach this delicately? "Umm…Nova, Marco, Sidney, and…"

"And?" Henry prompts.

"And Emma." David finishes gently. "I'm sorry, Henry."

As expected, Henry suddenly looks downcast. "Oh."

"Hey." David kneels down in front of Henry. "It's ok. We'll get her memory back. Her and Mary Margaret and everyone else. I promise."

"Ok."

David straightens up. "So, how's everything back in Storybrooke?" He asks, trying to change the subject. "I imagine it must be lonely."

At this, Henry brightens. "Actually I've been spending time with Mr. Gold."

David's eyes widen. He's almost forgotten that Gold was back in Storybrooke as well. "What?"

"It's ok. He's not dangerous or anything. That's what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. I think Gold has a way to bring everyone back." Henry begins to explain, rather excitedly, about Gold's plan.

"Wait." David holds his hand up. His head is spinning with all the new information. "Gold wants us to find another tree like the one that sent Emma away and…return the magic to it?"

Henry nods vehemently. "He said that it'll work if you return the magic back to the tree."

"But…the one Emma used was the last of its kind. Is there any other option?"

Henry shakes his head. "Nope Gold says this is all he can think of. But it's easy. All you have to do is put magic back in it. And then Gepetto can make another wardrobe and people can go in one by one and come home to Storybrooke!"

That sounds impossible. David thinks, but the last thing he wants to do is further disappoint the boy. "All right." He smiles. "I'll talk to Regina and Blue and figure something out."

Henry grins. He reaches out and tries to wrap his arms around David's waist but finds that his arms go right through.

David laughs. "Forgot to tell you, kid, but you can't actually touch anyone here."

"Ok. I should go now." Henry responds. "Tell my mom, er, Regina, that I miss her."

David nods. "I will. And we all miss you too."

"Try and hurry." Henry urges. "Even with Mr. Gold it's lonely."

"Of course." David waves as Henry is ripped out of the room, trying to keep the light grin on his face although he feels the exact opposite.

The task ahead of them is near impossible, especially since Regina's magic is unstable and Emma has no idea how to use hers. If Gold thinks this is the only plan, how will they ever get back?

Author's note: Now that they have a plan what will happen next? Will it succeed?