Well, readers, we're coming up on a long and painful winter hiatus, but fear not - I have stories to keep you warm. After this tale winds up, I have another one raring to go featuring a new villian...somebody previously mentioned on OUAT but never explored. How's that for a tease? And suffice it to say, this villan will bring heartache and drama and all sorts of mayhem that will test our beloved characters - all of them - but especially Killian and Emma.

Thanks to all of you who've been sharing and tweeting out links to my newly-minted author page and show recaps. You guys are amazing and supportive and creative and so very, very smart with your comments. The reviews really, really keep me going.

Now let's get back and see what we know about this puzzling, exasperating situation...

Killian shut the door behind him, sitting down next to Emma on the edge of the bed as Robin pulled a chair over to face them. Mr. Smee was already sitting in the other chair, worrying the corner of his apron.

"I can't stay long, sir," he apologized. "I have a lasagna in the oven."

Killian rolled his eyes. "We'll keep that in mind," he said. "What we need to do is figure out what we each remember before everything changed."

"I told you what I was doing," Smee said. "I was at the counter in the pharmacy buying cheese curls."

"And I was with my men," Robin said. "After the fire - we were looking for clues as to who might have set the fire in the forest."

"That's right!" Emma said, remembering. "There had been a fire, and after Regina and Gold put it out, we were trying to figure out who'd set it. The fire originated- "

"In an enchanted tree," Killian finished for her. "Regina was trying to figure out if that tree was targeted for it's properties-"

"But she couldn't tell entirely because there was very little of it left," Robin said. "It had burned to ash and most of that had blown away."

"And if she could find more enchanted wood, she could create a spell to figure out who did it and why," Emma continued. "Then Killian left to go and get something."

"Aye," Killian said. "I had a small piece of one of the Jolly's deck planks that I held as a keepsake. I'd just closed my hand around it when everything changed."

"I was at the Sheriff's station, along with Regina, my father, and Robin," Emma said. "And we all ended up in different places."

"There's no rhyme or reason to this," Robin said, clearly frustrated. "We've found your father, but who knows where Regina is."

Emma's eyes met Killian's, then shifted back to Robin. "I know. She's back in the Enchanted Forest, only she's not on the throne. She's on the run from George. And he's king. He didn't turn into someone else."

"And George was the one who broke into your apartment and took the compass," Killian reminded her.

"We don't know that for sure, but it's likely. Gold warned me about him and when I got to the apartment, the compass was gone. We couldn't find him anywhere, though."

"Two of my men spotted him on the outskirts of the forest, near the town line," Robin said. "But by the time we could get word to you, he was gone."

Emma nodded. "I remember." She leaned back on her hands, shaking her head. "What the hell could he have done?"

Killian stood, rubbing his beard thoughtfully. "He created a portal."

"With the compass?" Robin asked.

"And the ash," Killian said. "Just like Cora did before. He surely heard the story of it after you returned. Everyone in town was talking about it."

"And you think he tried it for himself?" Emma's eyes widened. "That's nuts."

"Alas, George isn't the steadiest fellow," Robin replied.

"But the ash from the tree blew away," Emma said. There was nothing left and that was one massive tree. The wind had to have gotten to it."

"He only needed a handful," Killian reminded her. "And your father - or should I say "The Dark One" told me that whatever had thrown us here was portal magic."

"So George was creating a portal," Robin said. "But how did he manage to move some of us? And the whole town?"

"Sir?"

Smee's voice broke in to their musings. He cleared his throat nervously.

"I - he came to me, sir. Asked me to obtain something for him."

"When?" Emma asked.

"The day after the big fire. He approached me on the street and pulled me into an alley. Said he was laying low and couldn't be seen."

"And what was it he asked you to obtain?" Killian demanded.

"A wheelbarrow."

"A wheelbarrow?" Robin queried. "That's it?"

"And a shovel. That's all. I don't know what he needed them for, but he paid me well."

"Emma," Robin said. "We found a wheelbarrow on the north edge of the forest, where my men had seen George last. It was overturned and dirty, but there was nothing in it."

"Was he burying something?" Emma asked.

"Or someone?" Killian theorized. "You never know with George."

"Well, he obviously lost the compass when we all got thrown around," Emma said, "He wanted to find it, and badly."

"And he wanted my ship," Killian said. "A ship made of Enchanted Wood."

Robin shook his head in confusion. "So...now he wants to go back? After we've all just gotten here? At least he's still himself. Why leave now?"

"And why was he immune?" Emma asked. "If he opened the portal, he would have been the first one sucked in. Why didn't he get jumbled? And why can't the rest of us remember going through a portal?"

"That's not an experience that could go easily unnoticed," Killian agreed. "And a portal wouldn't have taken our memories."

Emma fell back on the bed, cramming her palms into her eyes. "This is so confusing. And frustrating."

Killian moved back over to sit beside her on the bed. "Well, the good news is, we know how to bring people back to themselves. We have to identify their personal talisman - something that ties them to their true selves. For Robin, that was the bow, Smee has his hat, and you have your car. Now we find the others and get them back to themselves."

Emma pushed herself up again. "We need Rumplestiltskin. Or Regina."

"Rumpletstiltskin's talisman is more than likely the Dark One's dagger," Killian pointed out. "And since your father is The Dark One, he's not likely to hand it over - not without being brought back to being himself first."

Mr. Smee stood abruptly. "Sorry, sir - the lasagna..."

"Go on, Smee, but keep your eyes and ears open. We need information, and we're going to need to find personal items that will aide us in our job."

"Of course, sir." Smee headed out the door, and Robin got to his feet as well.

"I'm going to go and see if I can find my men around town," he said. "No one was in the forest, but it's possible there may be a few working in places I wouldn't expect."

"Let's meet back here after dinner," Emma suggested. "We'll compare notes on who we found."

Robin gave a nod and closed the door behind him.

"Killian." Emma turned to look at him. "Where's my mother?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen her here, or back in the other realm, either - but we haven't searched the entire town yet."

"And Henry?"

Killian reached over, taking her hand. "I don't know. Perhaps he's with Regina."

Emma blinked hard. "Let's start knocking on doors. God only knows where he could be."

"We'll find him, love," he tried to reassure her. "He's an intelligent lad, with his mother's guts. He'll be all right."

Emma leaned her head against his shoulder, and he pulled her in, folding her into his arms.

###

"Now then," said the woman behind the desk. Her graying hair was shoved into a mussy bun on her head, and her desk had stacks of paper all over it. She opened the manilla folder, pulling out a sheaf of papers and began leafing through. She peered over the top of her reading glasses.

"You say you don't know where your mother is?"

"That's right."

"And your father?"

"He's dead."

The woman pulled a paper from the stack, flipping it around and shoving it across the desk. "And that's your last known address?"

"Yeah."

"But you haven't been to school in months," the woman said. "Or even at that address. Where have you been living? On the streets?"

"Something like that."

The woman obviously had little patience for vague answers, but she wasn't unkind. She folded her hands on top of the papers and looked thoughtful.

"Henry, you were found wandering a highway in Maine, with only the clothes on your back and your school backpack, dozens of miles from the nearest town. You're very lucky you were found by the state police when you were, or something serious could have happened." She took a breath, and gave him a knowing look. "I don't know where your mother is, but it's a good bet that when and if she does come looking for you, she'll come back to New York. And since she's got some experience with Child Protective Services herself, she'll know where to come looking."

"But that's just it - she'll be in Maine and-"

"Henry - you're a resident of the state of New York, and as a minor resident, you fall under the jurisdiction of New York CPS. Now, I've arranged a foster home for you until we get all the answers. It's a safe place, and not that far from your old neighborhood. Maybe you can reconnect with some old friends?" She forced a smile, hoping to get one from him, with no luck.

"Officer Cooper will be taking you over to the home," she said, signing the bottom of one of the papers and shoving it back into the folder. "If you can think of any information - anything at all - that could help us find your mother..." she pushed a business card across the desk at him. "Call me. I want to help you, Henry. I really do."

"I know you do," he said. "But it's not that easy." He picked up his backpack, and walked with the officer to the car. The ride to the foster home took half an hour, and it was after dinner when he arrived. He ate a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and he was shown to his room, where he slid his backpack under his bed before climbing between the sheets.

"Hey kid," came a voice from the next bed. "I'm Vince."

"Henry."

"They say your Mom left you on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere."

"That's not true," Henry said vehemently. "Something happened."

"Yeah," Vince snorted. "Nobody cares about you, that's what happened. Just like the rest of us."

Henry rolled over, giving Vince his back, and screwed his eyes shut.

Eventually, he managed to sleep.