Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Key

The "apology gift" that Regina had given Henry was beginning to lose its value, especially considering that it was an "apology gift" and not with much sentimentality attached to it. What mattered most to Henry recently was a certain mysterious item that he discovered in the "Once Upon A Time" storybook, serving as a bookmark of sorts, before he loaned it to Emma. Reaching in the drawer that sat beside his bed, he pulled the item out through the chain linked to it. As the item rose from the shadows of the drawer, it suddenly sparkled under the light of the sun that shined through Henry's bedroom window.

The item appeared to have been some sort of key, but Henry did not know to what. The bizarre, decorative symbol engraved in its structure seemed to have implied an alien origin; and Henry knew of only one particular alien capable of owning the key. He smiled upon looking at the key that he let dangle in front of him, but that smile soon faded just as he heard Regina's furious voice bellowing throughout the house. As if in reaction of hearing his mother's voice, Henry hastily placed the key around his neck, hiding it under his shirt, and rushed out of his bedroom to see what the matter was.

Crossing his mother's bedroom, Henry saw that she was on the phone; the furious tone in her voice switched to one suitable for indoors. "No, Sidney. I don't want you to do a thing until I've gotten to the bottom of this. We need to find a way to cover up Kathryn's return, or else rumors will start…and you-know-who will be the one to start them." She then angrily hung up her cell phone and started moving out of her room.

Henry saw her coming his way and quickly rushed back to his room and closed the door quietly, making it look as if he had not heard the conversation she just had. When he lied back down on his bed, Regina knocked his door a few times. "Come in."

Regina opened the door and popped her upper body into the room, addressing Henry in a stern tone. "Henry, I have to go out for a little. Do not leave this house under any circumstances while I'm gone. Understand?"

"Understood." Henry confirmed, and he waited for her to shut the door again before he let a big, wide smile grow on his face. Kathryn Nolan was alive, which meant that the Evil Queen's attempts in ruining the life of Snow White (Mary Margaret) had been thwarted once again; most importantly, it meant that Emma had a perfect opportunity in breaking the curse once and for all.

But there was still hope with the Doctor, and if the key that Henry found in the storybook was any consolation, then it could be the only key (figuratively and literally speaking) to breaking the curse. The only question was what the key was supposed to open…a box, a car, a door…

And then it hit Henry…

The TARDIS!

24 Hours Later…

When August W. Booth requested for Henry to meet him near Mr. Gold's shop to discuss a plan that involved distracting Gold long enough for August to sneak in the back and look for something, Henry could not have seen a better time to execute his own plan. He knew that Mr. Gold had the police box (the TARDIS) stored in the shop, and the only way to see if the key left in the book was the one for it. With his key kept safely around his neck, he met up with August right outside Mr. Gold's shop. As he met up with him, he saw John Smith across the street, conversing with Ruby, who was still visibly shaken after finding Kathryn Nolan in the alley outside Granny's Diner.

"You all set?" August asked Henry. "You know what to do?"

"Operation Cobra is always ready." Henry confidently said. "I just…"

August saw the hint of hesitation on his face. "You just what?"

"I don't understand what this has to do with getting Emma to believe."

"Sometimes other priorities assert themselves." August explained. "Can you handle a little improvisation?"

Henry smirked. "Yeah. Can you?"

August returned his smirk and patted him on the back. "We're a go."

With this confirmation, Henry crossed the street and headed into Mr. Gold's through the front door, while August went in from the back. Upon entering the shop, the bell above the door jingled, alerting Mr. Gold of Henry's presence. He stepped right out from the back and appeared behind the counter, giving August a perfect chance for sneaking in unnoticed. As Mr. Gold appeared, Henry spotted the police box at the corner of his eye, seeing it positioned near the shop entrance.

"Hey, Mr. Gold."

"Good morning, Henry. What can I do for you?"

"I want to get a gift for Ms. Blanchard…since she didn't kill that woman."

Gold nodded understandingly. "Oh, I see. Good thinking."

Henry pointed to a section of a nearby shelf and asked, "Are these bells?" He went to the most reachable bell on the shelf – a shiny silver one with a long handle – and he jingled it, feigning excitement. "Cool."

"See anything you fancy?"

"It should be something special, like…this bell."

"You're asking a lot from a bell."

"Well, it's the thought that counts, right?"

"Certainly. I believe so. Everything has sentimental value, right?"

"Some things do." Henry jingled the bell again, hearing how well it carried a tune. "This one's good. How much?"

"The price is on the back."

Henry checked the back of the bell for the price, smiling over how agreeable it was. "Oh, wow. I have just enough for it." He reached in his pocket and took out his wallet, handing the money over to Gold, who put it in the old fashioned cash register sitting on the front counter and returned Henry his change. After putting the bell in a box for Henry, he voiced his gratitude, which sounded a bit ironic. "Thanks, Mr. Gold. You've been a big help."

"Glad to be of service, Henry. You have a nice day."

Henry watched as Mr. Gold went to the back and hoped that he gave August enough time to accomplish what he set out to do. With Mr. Gold out of the picture, Henry set out on his own mission, centering his attention on the police box near the shop entrance. As Henry approached it, he heard Mr. Gold talking in the back, assuming that he caught August. Becoming more urgent in his mission, Henry immediately removed the key from his neck and inserted it into the keyhole on the right door of the police box.

Before turning the key and opening the door, Henry closed his eyes and hoped that what he was about to do would actually work; he knew that it was a long shot, but he did not care, if it meant saving the Doctor from the curse. When Henry finally did turn the key and slowly open the door, the first thing he saw was bright light shimmering through the cracks. He swallowed hard; his heart was beating rapidly with excitement. Opening the door further, Henry's eyes grew as wide as the smile on his face upon witnessing a very familiar sight within the police box…or TARDIS as it should be more appropriately named.