Only one chapter for this ep. Heads up that I'm travelling for the next week, so it might be awhile before I'm able to write/post the next one. Enjoy!

Storybrooke:

"Hey, I forgot something." I said to Henry, as he browsed the comic books. "We need to go."

"You go. I want to read this." He indicated to the comic in his hands. "Okay, see ya later." I said, heading for the door.

I looked back at Henry one more time, and as I pushed out the door, I ran straight into someone. "Ooof, sorry." I automatically responded, as two hands grabbed my arms to steady me.

"My bad. I was walking and reading. A terrible combination, but one way to kill two birds with one stone."

My breath caught. The guy in front of me was smiling, and after insuring I was stable on my feet, released my arms to bend and pick up the book he'd been reading.

As he stood back up, book in hand, he asked, "Maddie, right?" I nodded. Still stunned in silence.

"You're in AP Biology next quarter?" He continued. I nodded again. "Cool, I'm in that class, too."

"You… you're Andrew? The Bio TA?" The words stumbled out of my mouth as he smiled at me. "Yeah! Well, only for this quarter. I'm in the AP class next quarter, though."

My mind had turned to a foggy haze, like I was trying to remember something.

"Anyways, I'll see ya around, Maddie. I should get to work." Andrew indicated to the store behind me, "It's inventory day, so I should get started."

He gave me a smile, and then ducked past me, into the store.

Enchanted Forest:

"Tell me again, how you got the potion." Elizabeth said to Andrew for the 20th time that day, as they neared the village. "I told you, Beth. I made a deal with someone who had it. Don't worry about it."

Andrew gave her a gentle smile, and squeezed her hand. "But what kind of..."

Andrew cut her off. "That's for me to know, and you to stop worrying about. Okay?" Elizabeth went to protest, but Andrew silenced her with a kiss. "Now, the village. We need more soap, some food, and you a warmer cover." He said, looking at the thin cloak Elizabeth had on her.

Elizabeth nodded, but said nothing, lost deep in thought. They walked until they found a place to camp for the night.

"Alrighty, I'll head in, get the goods, and be back in an hour." Elizabeth simply nodded again.

They'd agreed it was best for her to stay unseen and hidden, as Elizabeth had worried someone would recognize her, due to the fact she was a younger version of the evil queen.

Andrew leaned in, and grabbed her face. "Hey, you did what you had to. Okay?"

Since that night with her mother, Elizabeth had a never-ending battle raging within her.

Avoiding the eye contact, said "I made my own mother hate me. Distorted her memories and love for me… I'm just as bad as her." Elizabeth whispered the last part, her eyes focused somewhere other than the present. Andrew carefully lead her to a log, and pushed gently to sit on it.

When they'd first met up, after Elizabeth had escaped the queen, she'd refused to share what had happened. Only that they didn't have to worry about Regina wanting her back. Ever.

"Hey." Andrew said, sternly. After a few seconds, Elizabeth reluctantly met his eyes. "You did what you had to. Beth, you're nothing like her. Nothing, okay? You didn't hurt anyone and never would. Besides, if anything, you made it easier on her and safer for all. Just imagine, if you'd left without doing it, she'd hate Snow even more and take it out on countless, innocent, people, but this way… well…

Andrew paused, realizing the pep-talk hadn't gone the direction he'd hoped. "This way we can find your sister, and get you back the family you deserve."

Elizabeth smiled weakly at his attempt. Holding his gaze, she said, "You're right. I know… I know." Taking a deep breath, she lightly smacked her hands on her thighs.

"Go to the village, I'll set up camp." She reached into her pouch, and handed him some of the money she'd brought with her.

Andrew took the money in one hand, and squeezed her leg with the other, before standing. He gave her one more look, then kissed her on the forehead and set off.

Elizabeth watched him walk away. She truly hoped he was right, but in the pit of her stomach, she had all kinds of knots pulling at each other. If her mother hated her, that probably meant she didn't want her back… But did that mean Regina now wanted Elizabeth dead as well, like Snow?

Shaking off the feelings, Elizabeth stood and started to inventory the best way to make camp. Knowing, that her battle with her mother was far from over, but deciding now wasn't the time to focus on it. Snow, she'd get to Snow, and they'd figure it out together.

Slowly, she turned and started to pull their supplies out of their packs.

Regina stared at the locket on her vanity. It reminded her of the betrayal, the betrayal of her wretched daughter.

She grabbed the locket in a fist, and clenched it tightly, then brought her eyes to the vanity in front of her. It showed that boy and girl she had found, in the forest. It showed Hansel and Gretel, who were waiting for night fall, to break into the blind queen's house.

A wicked smile spread across her face. No, she didn't need her daughter. She'd show Elizabeth. Any kid would be lucky to live with her. To have her care for them. No, she didn't need Elizabeth, she'd take those two. They'd want her.

Storybrooke:

"Have you ever asked mom about your dad?" Henry asked me, his legs swinging on the dock. I looked up from my history book, to him.

I closed my book, and thought for a second. "I mean, I think a few times, but I've never really pushed the issue. Why?"

Henry shrugged a little. "I asked Emma about mine."

I tilted my head, to look at him and raised my eyebrows. "And?"

"She told me how they met. He was a firefighter." He said, looking at me with a big smile. "I love firefighters!"

A small laugh escaped me. Henry had never said anything about firefighter previously, so I had a feeling his "love" for them was solely related to this new-found knowledge.

A thought occurred to me then and I looked at my little brother. Henry saw my stare, "what?"

My eyes went back to looking at the water, before I shared my thoughts. "Neither of us know our dads."

Henry, too, looked at the water, a pondering look on his face. "Huh, we don't."

Just then my phone chimed, pulling me from the conversation. I looked down, to where it lay next to me, and saw a message from Derrick.

"Dinner at Granny's?" It asked. I paused for a second, and then picked up my phone to respond. "Sorry, having brother/sister time with Henry. Rain check?"

"Emma knows how to find people. She's finding Hansel and Gretel's dad." I looked from my phone, to see Henry looking at me. "Maybe she could find yours?"

I gave him a skeptical look. He insisted those two kids were Hansel and Gretel. Then his other words sunk in, and I hated that part of me liked the idea, but I shook my head. "No, Henry. That's not a good idea. Mom and Emma…" I sighed, "Emma doesn't need to go poking into mom's past. My past. That's dangerous territory. Besides, I don't care…" I couldn't look at him, but instead set my gaze on a seagull flying nearby. "From what I know, my dad wasn't great. I'm okay not knowing him, really."

Henry shrugged, then picked up the comic book I'd gone back and bought him after this morning's fiasco, and started reading it.

I, too, opened my history book, but just as soon closed it, again. My eyes thinking over the conversation.

"You don't care, Maddie." I told myself. "Don't go there. Don't"

I tried to convince my brain that I didn't want to know. That I didn't care, but the truth was, now that Henry knew something about his dad, I kind of wanted to know about my own. I looked to my little brother again, as my phone chimed.

Derrick: "You avoiding me?"

I didn't respond, instead stared out at the water, lost in thought.

I looked at the door to the study once more. Pausing with my hand a few inched from the handle, then retracting it, and paced a few more steps.

"You going to pace all night?" Called my mother, through the door.

I froze, and then hesitantly opened the door, trying to swallow down my nervousness.

Peeking my head around the door, I found my mother giving me a questioning look over her paperwork and then she looked down again. Closing the door quietly behind me, I slowly approached the desk. If Henry was brave enough to ask Emma about his dad, I could surely ask about mine.

Plus, I was the distraction while Henry went to have pumpkin pie with Emma. Something about it being his dad's favorite.

I looked around the study. Everything within it screamed my mother. I didn't know where to stand or look, so I walked to the front of the desk. My mom was still looking back down at her paperwork, as I was trying to find my voice.

"You just going to stare at me or?" She asked, as I watched her sign her name at the bottom of a page, and then looked up to me.

"Can you tell me about my father?" I had intended to ask the question with confidence, but it came out sounding anything but.

She eyed me for a second, before putting down her pen, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "What do you want to know?" Her voice was void of emotion and her eyes didn't leave mine, searching for something.

I had to look away. Shrugging I said, "I don't know… Who he was? How you met? Why… Why he left?"

I was still looking down, but the silence became too much, and I brought my eyes, to look at her.

My mother huffed a sigh, and turned in her chair, standing up. Walking around the desk, she made her way to the liquor cabinet. "He…" She paused.

Pulling out a glass, she put it on the counter, and then looked over her shoulder at me. Turning back, she started to pour amber brown liquid into the glass, as she said, "He didn't leave us... He's… dead."

My mouth went dry. I'd always assumed, thought he'd walked out. An "oh" escaped my lips, and a staggered to a chair.

Holding the glass in one hand, other arm crossed over her chest, my mother leaned against the cabinet and looked at me.

I scrunched my eyebrows. "How'd he die?"

She pursed her lips, before saying evenly, "He was killed when you were young."

When she made no attempt to continue, I got a little agitated. "Why didn't you ever tell me?" I pushed, my voice sharper than I'd intended.

Her eyes we staring at the floor, her thoughts somewhere other than the study. "Mom!"

"What, Madelyn!?" She snapped at me, her eyes suddenly burning into mine.

Normally, I'd have backed down at that tone, but something snapped. "Tell me something, please! His name? What he did? How He died? Did he even know about me? Am I anything like him? Who the heck was he?"

I was startled by questions pouring out of me, demanding an explanation.

My mother stood, and walked backed to her desk, sitting down, and folding her hands in front of her.

"Why do you want to know?"

I felt my mouth drop open. "Why do I.. Are you serious?" Now I was irritated and angry. Why couldn't she ever just answer a damn question?

I jumped up from the chair I was in, and walked to the desk, slamming my hands down across from her. "Maybe because he's half of who I am? Half of the reason I'm here!"

Not moving, my mother said, "You need to calm down, before we continue this conversation."

"What conversation?" I yelled back, pushing back from the desk, throwing my hands in the air, and turning in an angry circle before facing her again, "You won't tell me anything. You never do! Not about our family, where we came from. My dad—Who. Is. He?" I demanded.

I was panting slightly, and part of me wondered when I'd become so volatile. I saw her nostrils flair, as she said back, her voice eerie calm, "I'll talk to you when you can act like an adult and handle adult conversations."

I ran my tongue over my teeth before, deciding it wasn't worth it. "Fuck this." I huffed, turning to storm out.

"Excuse me!" Came my mother's sharp voice from behind me.

I knew I'd gone too far, but I didn't care. When I didn't stop, I heard her chair scraped back with the force of her standing. "Elizabeth!" She yelled, causing me to freeze mid-step.

Silence. There was silence from behind me. I suddenly became very aware of how loudly my heart was pounding, as I very slowly turned to face her. I watched her face change from pissed off, to confusion, then to shock, concern, and... horror maybe.

My head, it was spinning, and I opened my mouth to speak, before closing it again. We just stared at each other, before she cleared her throat and said, sharply, "Madelyn Elizabeth Mills, you will not speak to me like that, ever again. Is that clear?" Her voice was shaking slightly, but from anger or some other emotion, I wasn't sure.

I still stared at her, but eventually nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

"Go to your room." She demanded and I didn't hesitate, to run from the room.

Once upstairs, I closed my door and slid down it, wrapping my arms around my knees. What had just happened?

"Elizabeth!" She had called me Elizabeth. No, yelled it. And she hadn't even stumbled on my first name, she very clearly called me Elizabeth.

"It was just a mistake." My brain told me. "You were mad, she was mad. A mistake, nothing more."

But her face, the look that had crossed her face…

While my head told me it was an accident that she'd called me Elizabeth, my heart… My heart and gut told me it wasn't. But, if it wasn't I didn't know what that meant, either.

If you have time to review, that'd be great. Let me know if you like the direction the story is going, or if you have any requests. I have the whole thing basically written in my head, but I want ya'll to enjoy it as well. :o)