Henry heard the door to the police station click shut as Jefferson's last words rang in his ears.
Mr. Gold is Rumpelstiltskin.
Of course he was. That made perfect sense. Who else besides Mayor Mills would have so much power over the town? Or so much money?
Mr. Gold was Rumpelstiltskin. According to Aurora, Rumpelstiltskin was the man who ripped people's hearts out and crushed them. According to Kayla's book, he was the man who had created the dark curse.
And he was raising Kayla.
Virginia Mills stood up from her desk when she heard a soft tapping on her door. "Mother? Did I accidentally lock you out?" Waiting for permission to enter a room had never been the mayor's style.
"No, it's me," called the familiar voice from behind the door.
Virginia breathed out a sigh of relief when she recognized Helena's voice and then opened the door and saw her.
"You again," she said with a smile. "Did you need something?"
"No, not at all," Helena assured her. "I just heard your mother was going to be in a meeting about that explosion all day and wanted to know if you wanted to hang out."
Virginia's eyes lit up, but she was visibly apprehensive at the thought of leaving. "We don't have to do anything your mother might notice if you don't want to," said Helena. "We could just go for a walk in the forest. In a couple of hours I need to go back to the stables to help feed an orphaned foal anyway."
"That sounds wonderful!" said Virginia. "I've never been around horses before."
Actually, Helena hadn't meant that Virginia should come to the stables with her, but she supposed there was no harm in that. "Let's go," said Helena. "We can pick up lunch at Granny's on the way. I'll buy."
When Aurora arrived at the police station a short while later, Henry was pacing back and forth running his hands through his hair.
"Henry, what's wrong?" asked Aurora. He'd sounded terribly distressed over the phone and appeared to be now.
"Mr. Gold is Rumpelstiltskin," said Henry.
"What?"
Henry stopped pacing and turned to face the princess. "There's another guy here who remembers everything. Jefferson, the guy we see with his little girl all the time. He remembers Mr. Gold as Rumpelstiltskin. The Dark Lord and his wife have been raising Kayla."
Aurora took a deep breath. "Henry, didn't you say yourself that even though the Gold family seemed odd, that they didn't seem like bad parents?"
"It's going to take more than a hunch to convince me that it's safe for her to be in that house," muttered Henry. "Oh, God. She doesn't even know. She would have told me."
Aurora put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Until the curse breaks, Mr. Gold probably won't even remember who he really is."
"If Jefferson could remember, then surely it's at least possible that The Dark Lord can," said Henry. "Here's the plan. I'm assuming here that no one who was in Storybrooke when the curse was cast can leave until it breaks, so the only people who I can get out of here safely in the meantime are Helena and Kayla. I'll go talk to the mechanic about getting my car fixed as soon as Graham gets back from his lunch break. Then I'll convince Helena to drive out of town with Kayla, confront Mayor Mills myself, and break the curse. After that, I don't know."
"What do you want me to do?" asked Aurora.
"I haven't decided yet. If I don't absolutely need your help confronting the mayor, I'm going to have you outside ready to warn everyone of what's happening when it breaks."
Aurora nodded. "But if you do need my help, don't be afraid to bring me in."
"I won't," said Henry. "For now, just act like everything's normal, and if you see Mr. or Mrs. Gold, make sure you don't reveal anything. The element of surprise may be the only thing we have going for us."
Even though Helena didn't have to be back for a while yet, Virginia insisted on walking to the horse stables first thing, partly because she was looking forward to seeing horses for the first time and partly because it was so far out of the way that her mother would never notice she was there. Once they got there, she stood in the barn aisles petting and talking to each horse, spending at least fifteen minutes with each of them, much to Helena's amusement.
"It's too bad I'm not dressed for grooming," Virginia remarked. She was wearing a long navy skirt, a white blouse, and grey heels.
"Nice to see you brought another volunteer with you," said the man who ran the place, stepping out of the feed room. "I just may have a spare pair of boots you can borrow if you want to help. It won't stop the rest of your outfit from getting dirty, but horses are way more important than beauty, right?" The corners of his eyes crinkled when he smiled, and Virginia returned the smile with her sweet one. For a moment, Helena thought their smiles were similar.
Virginia put on the paddock boots and then accompanied Helena into the foal's stall to help feed her. Virginia grabbed a rope on the way into the stall and wrapped it around the foal's neck to keep her from acting up while Helena fed her.
"I never would have thought to do that," Helena remarked. "You're a natural."
Virginia beamed. "Well, thank you." Actually, she felt more at home out here than she had anywhere in as long as she could remember. She would gladly come out here every day if it wasn't for the fact that she could never get away with it.
"Have you given any more thought to what we talked about a few days ago?" asked Helena. Virginia shifted uncomfortably. "You know…leaving your mom?"
"I'm still not sure," said Virginia in a voice so small it was almost a whisper. "Living with her has never been pleasant, nor has working in that ridiculous building, but...it's what I'm comfortable with, you know? I've always had an irrational fear of living life any other way." She wasn't sure why she was opening up to Helena to the extent that she was, other than that she had nobody else to talk to.
"Maybe that's how she wants you to feel," said Helena gently. "Maybe if you just pack up and leave, and show her that there's nothing she can do to stop you from making it on your own, she'll start to understand."
"I don't even know what I would do if I wasn't living with her right now."
"You could start by getting a room at Granny's and volunteering here," Helena suggested. "That's what I'm doing while I'm waiting for my brother's car to get fixed." Virginia glanced at her with a puzzled expression. "Never mind, long story."
When Henry finally arrived at Michael Zimmer's auto repair shop, he was greeted at the door to the waiting area by the mechanic's little son waving a wrench above his head. "Look at me!" he said. "I'm going upstairs to take apart my sister's toys!"
"No!" screamed the little girl as she came into view. "You're not!" She ran over and slugged her brother.
"Both of you!" shouted Michael as he ran in from the garage. "Will you just please…" The boy threw down the wrench he was holding, accidentally hitting his father's foot, and tore upstairs with his sister behind him yelling and threatening to flush his action figures down the toilet.
"Um…hi," said Henry. "You have my car. The 1998 Toyota?"
"Yes, yes, I remember you," said Michael Zimmerman warily. "Like I told you, the vehicle isn't going to be ready for pickup for at least another month or so…"
"Is there any way I can get it back sooner?" said Henry. "I've got money, I swear. I can make it worth your while. I just really need it back."
"Eh…I'll go check on the uh…status of the repair, but I can't guarantee anything. Like I said before, it's going to take a long time."
As the mechanic went back out into the garage, Henry went over to the front desk to see if there was a pen and some paper he could use to write down the phone number and address of the place. If necessary, he would go around town asking for help getting the parts and direct them to be deliver here. The fact that he was the official deputy of this town meant that people had to trust him and be willing to help him, right?
Henry glanced at the messy counter and noticed that while most of the customer files lay in a disastrous heap next to a typewriter, the file labeled "Henry Stable-Toyota" was off to the side. Henry glanced to see if anyone was watching, then picked up the file. He didn't know much about cars, but maybe if he could just understand enough to know what the problem was, he would know the best way to get it fixed fast. Henry opened the file and found a rental agreement for the auto shop. It figured that someone as overwhelmed as Mr. Zimmer would misplace something like that. But when Henry took it out to put it aside, he noticed that the thing was dated only two days ago. It had been drawn up and signed that very Monday, the day before Henry's car was brought in. Henry glanced around to make sure that no one was watching him, then quickly skimmed over the contract. On the third page, something caught his attention.
Section IV, The Stable Clause
Beginning the day after this contract is signed by both parties, Michael Zimmer's rent shall be reduced by $50.00 per day for the duration of the time that the vehicle owned by Henry Stable remains in the repair shop. If Michael Zimmer can keep Henry Stable's car in the shop for at least twenty days out of any full month, Michael Zimmer will not pay any rent for that month. After the car leaves the shop, for every day that Henry Stable continues to have issues with his car that keep him and Helena Stable from being able to make the drive out of Storybrooke, Michael Zimmer's rent for that month will be reduced by $25.00 dollars.
"Just like I told you, Henry, your car isn't looking so…" Michael froze when he saw what Henry was holding in his hand.
"You want to explain this?" Henry asked.
"Henry…I…I can explain…"
"Who asked you to sign this contract?"
"Mr. Gold, of course," Mr. Zimmer confessed. "Henry, I'm so sorry. Ever since I lost my wife I've barely been able to manage the shop and my kids on my own. The money was just too good to pass up. And you know Gold, right? He doesn't take no for an answer."
"Yeah, I know," said Henry. He shoved the contract and folder back into Michael's hand. "Keep the car for now. Don't tell Gold anything."
"Are…are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
Henry left the shop and ran down to the animal shelter as quickly as he could. Now that he knew Mr. Gold was on a mission to keep him and Helena from leaving town, his resolve to get his sister and Kayla out of there had only grown. He wasn't sure why the Dark Lord was taking such measures to prevent his departure. Maybe he was afraid Henry would tell other people in the outside world about the town, or maybe he was already afraid that Henry would try to take Kayla with him. That must be it. He must have realized that Henry was going to figure out who he was and realize that it wasn't safe for Kayla to live with him.
When Henry entered the animal shelter, David and Mary Margret were sharing a tender kiss over the counter. When they saw Henry, they pulled back and both blushed.
"Helena's not here right now," said David.
"There's actually something I need to talk to you about," said Henry. "Something private."
Mary Margret took her cue and left to go feed the animals in the back.
"What's the matter?" asked David.
"If I tell you something, can you promise me that you won't tell anyone?" Henry whispered. David nodded. "Helena needs to go back to Boston to deal with a family emergency. Is there any way she could borrow your car for a couple of days?"
David was surprised at the request, but since he didn't actually drive his car much, he was fine with loaning it out, especially to the man who had convinced him to finally ask out Mary Margret. "Sure," said David. "I'll give you the keys now."
"No, don't," said Henry. "She's not leaving until tonight. Until then, you cannot tell anyone that you're planning on loaning it to us. Understand?"
"Uh…okay?"
"Thanks, man. I owe you one."
Henry spent the entire rest of the afternoon moping around the town center, waiting for Helena to show up. Helena stayed at the barn with Virginia for a few hours grooming all the horses. Then Virginia went home in time to be able to tell her mother she'd gone home early due to not feeling well and Helena stayed to feed the filly again. At about 6:00 p.m., she finally showed up at the hotel.
"Where have you been?" asked Henry as soon as she walked through the door.
"Volunteering at the stables," said Helena. She was covered in horse hair and dirt, so that should have been obvious. "Why do you look so upset?"
"Come upstairs with me," said Henry. He led the way to his room.
"Henry, what's going on?" asked Helena.
"First, I need to explain something to you. Then you can go to your room and shower and I'll help you pack. I already bought some food and water for you to take with you, so you won't need to stop to eat."
"Stop to eat on the way to what?" asked Helena. "Henry, I'm tired. Can't this wait until tomorrow?"
"No," said Henry. "I'm sorry, but it can't. You can take a nap for an hour or two if you want. You'll need to wait until 9:00 to leave anyway."
"Leave for what?"
"That's the good news. You are driving back to Boston tonight with Kayla."
"Why with Kayla?"
"That's the bad news." Henry sat down on the edge of the bed and motioned for his sister to sit down next to him. "I'm going to need you to listen to what I have to say very carefully." He took a deep breath. Worry was etched on his sister's face. "The reason I'm in this town isn't just because of Kayla." Helena waited for him to continue. "The reason I'm in this town is because…" He took another deep breath. How did he even begin to explain this?
"Yeah? I'm listening?"
"Remember that bedtime story I used to tell you every night when we were little? The one about Daniel and Regina and the magic wardrobe and the…"
"Of course I remember that," Helena cut in. "How could I possibly forget it?" Her heart started beating faster. Was this finally going to be the moment when he actually told her what he remembered about their parents?
"It was all true. It wasn't just a story, I wasn't making any of it up. It actually happened."
"Which part?" asked Helena. "The part about us living on a farm? Our parents' names? What?"
"All of it," said Henry again. "You and I really did come to this world through a magical wardrobe. There really was a witch we were trying to get away from. And all of the other people in that world were brought here by the witch's curse."
"What do you mean here?" asked Helena, who was wondering how Henry could possibly expect her to believe what he was saying right now.
"Storybrooke," said Henry. "Everyone from the world we were born in is in this town. The evil witch is Mayor Mills, King Midas's daughter runs the flower shop, Snow White and Prince Charming are David and Mary Margret, and I haven't found our parents yet but I know they're around here somewhere. And Mr. Gold is Rumpelstiltskin. That's why I need you to get Kayla the hell out of town long enough for me to imprison him, defeat the evil witch, bring everyone's memories back, and find the vault where she keeps her hearts."
"Henry, why are you doing this?" asked Helena. She was more hurt than she was angry, because the fact that he was expecting her to believe this made it even less likely that she would ever hear the real truth about her parents.
"I'm telling you the truth," said Henry. "And I can prove it to you." He got up, opened a drawer, and pulled out a large book titled Once Upon A Time. He sat down next to his sister and opened it to the first page to a picture of Daniel and Regina the night they ran away. "You see this? These are our parents. I've always told you their names and what they look like, right? This is them. This is the beginning of their story. Our story." Henry put the book on his sister's lap and turned to the back page, which had a watercolor drawing of himself and his sister beside the wardrobe, about to climb in. "And you see…this is us. This is me in the outfit I was wearing when we came here, and that's you in the basket you were in. If you look through the whole thing, you'll read the stories of the other people you've met in Storybrooke as well. Aurora and Philip are in here, for example, and Ruby."
Helena was trembling as she slammed the book shut.
"Are you okay?" asked Henry gently. "I know it's a lot to take in."
"Henry…one of us is losing it here, and it's not me," said Helena sadly. "Don't you realize what this means? Obviously, you read this book somewhere as a child, and you convinced yourself because the little boy on the last page looks like you and had a baby sister that this was our story. It's not. We don't have parents who abandoned us to protect us from a witch. No one is waiting for you to break their curse. All the homes we lived in, all the crappy jobs you had to take right after you got out, your work at the police station, my work at social services…this is it, okay? This is the real world."
"A real world," said Henry. "Look here." He flipped open the cover of the book. Right next to the blank inside of the front cover was the first page of the story. "Do you see a publication date or a copyright here? The reason there isn't one is because this is the only copy of this book in existence, anywhere. I promise. Go look it up on the internet when you get back to Boston."
Helena sighed and tossed the book onto the bed behind her as if it were something toxic. "I can't even talk about this with you right now," she said. "Do you realize that you just asked me to kidnap a child?"
"I just told you, she's living with Rumpelstiltskin," said Henry, even though he knew it was pointless because she wasn't going to believe him anyway. "I have to make sure she's okay. I'm her father."
Helena let out a shaky breath. She couldn't believe that her brother had actually believed in fairy tales his entire life and furthermore believed now more strongly than ever. More than anything, she was terrified for him right now.
"Yes, you are," she finally said. "And so is Mr. Gold. So if you think you are going to have any involvement in that child's life that he and his wife haven't specifically consented to, I suggest you find yourself a hell of a good lawyer, because it's going to be pretty hard to get "He's Rumpelstiltskin" to hold up in court."
Henry sighed, defeated. "Helena, please."
"Just leave me alone." Helena turned and ran back to her own room, locked the door, and wouldn't talk to anyone for the rest of the day.