A/N: I apologize for the late update. My family went out of town for the weekend and got home 4 hours after we were supposed to get home and then FF wouldn't let me upload any files for some strange reason. But I finally figured something out so I'm only a day late! Hopefully I can get chapter 4 up on time next week! This is the last chapter written back in 2013, so starting next week the writing style may change just a little bit, but I've worked really hard to make the transition as seamless as possible!

This is dedicated to the Squad, of course! You guys make me laugh and are the best support system a girl could ask for! I am so glad we get to talk as much as we do!

Special thanks to my beta IUsed2bcool for giving me so many great suggestions on how to make the conversation between Ellery and Emma more organic. Special thanks also to sassyoq for doing beta work also! I don't know what I've done to deserve such great betas! Love you both!

Chapter Three

The bell above the door jingled as Emma walked into the Toy Store. She looked around at all the toys and books arranged in cubbies and shelves along the pale blue walls. The shop was empty, which surprised Emma since Regina and Olivia had supposedly just been in there talking to Ellery. "Hello?" She called as she walked further into the shop, looking for Ellery.

"Hold on a minute," Ellery's voice came from the back of the shop, Emma could hear the quiver in her sister's tone. Ellery came out into the shop, looking down at her phone as she walked, "Welcome to Enchanted Toys, how can I …Emma?"

Emma smiled at Ellery as her sister looked up and noticed her. Despite the fact that Emma hadn't seen her sister since she'd given birth ten years ago, Emma felt like no time at all had passed and her sister's answering smile prompted her to greet Ellery, "Hey Sis, how's it going?"

Ellery raised an eyebrow in Emma's direction, "Really, Emma? We haven't seen each other in ten years and the first thing you say to me is how's it going?"

"It doesn't feel like it's been ten years," Emma laughed.

Ellery smiled at her sister, "Good point!" She walked over and hugged her sister, "It's good to see you, Emma. I've missed you."

Emma gladly returned her sister's hug, "I've missed you too, Ellery."

Ellery pulled back and looked Emma up and down, "You look great Em! The last time I saw you, you were still wearing glasses. I like you without them!"

"And you're still wearing glasses. I like the lavender frames," Emma remarked, "It must be why no one has recognized me as your twin!"

"That or the curse is keeping anyone from seeing that we're related." Ellery spoke the true reason wryly, "But in all seriousness Sis, Henry said you were leaving town, are you?"

"At the moment I'm looking for Henry," Emma replied, "I had planned to leave town last night and then come back to talk to you today, but I hadn't made any plans past that. I definitely didn't come here to be the Savior; I'm not sure I'm ready."

Ellery hopped up on the counter and looked at her sister steadily, "Whether you're ready to be the Savior or not, you're here now and you are."

Emma sighed, "Only because of Henry and I'm only here because he ran away again."

"Yeah, I know. Regina just came in and told me," Ellery sniffed to hold back tears, "She also, somehow, figured out a way to get control of our visitation. Which, of course, means that I will be lucky if I get to spend time alone with my son at all during the next two months."

"I'm sure Regina won't keep him from you for two months," Emma assured her sister, "She's not unreasonable."

"Just evil and out to keep everyone in this town from being happy," Ellery said in frustration, "I'll be lucky to run into my son at all. And the worst part of all of this is that, when Regina tells him that the visitation schedule has changed and our weekend has been cancelled, she'll find a way to make it my fault. She does everything in her power to drive a wedge between Henry and me and I'm afraid that one day it's actually going to work."

"I don't think that'll happen," Emma said, "Henry seemed very loyal to you."

"Still, Regina is going to be the only one who gets to tell him what's going on," Ellery moaned, resting her chin on her fist, "And the longer Regina can't find him, the longer she'll take it out on me; even though I haven't seen him since last week and I haven't heard from him since last night."

"So you have no idea where he is?" Emma asked.

Ellery smiled and picked up the walkie-talkie sitting on the counter, "I have a few ideas, but I know one way I can find out for sure." Pressing the talk button, she called her son, "Come in, Monkey, Mom calling."

"Monkey?" Emma questioned, biting back a laugh.

"When he was about 8 months old, he learned how to climb and he's loved climbing ever since." Ellery explained, "Mom called him monkey one day when she found him climbing the stairs even though there was a baby gate up, and the nickname stuck. He acts like he hates it sometimes, but I don't know that I'll ever stop calling him Monkey."

"What's going on, Mom?" Henry's voice crackled through the radio.

"What are you doing, Henry?" Ellery asked.

"Sitting on the playground at recess," Henry said tentatively.

"Really, Monkey? Then can I talk to Mare please?" Ellery tried to get Henry to admit he wasn't at school.

"Umm, Nan's inside right now," Henry didn't lie very well.

"Two things, Buddy," Ellery said, "One: You're a terrible liar, you always have been. Two: Regina, Olivia, Mary Margaret, and Emma have all told me that no one knows where you are."

"Emma's still in town?" Henry sounded excited at the prospect and Emma felt her heart skip a beat.

"Yes," Ellery assured her son, "but that's not an answer Henry Neal White."

"I plead the fifth, Mom," Henry said, "I'm not going back."

"You don't have a choice, Henry," Ellery sighed exasperatedly.

"Yes I do!" Henry shot back, "I'm going to stay hidden until they let me go home!"

Ellery closed her eyes and bit her bottom lip, "Monkey, that's not going to work, and you know that. What time did you run off this morning?"

"Four, I think." He mumbled, "I couldn't sleep. So I ran off."

"Henry, did you have a nightmare?" Ellery asked concernedly. "Why didn't you call me or come over?"

"I didn't want to worry you again," He said apologetically.

"Well, you're kind of worrying me right now," Ellery replied, "So can you please tell me where you are?"

"Will you come get me?" Henry asked.

Ellery sighed, "You know I can't, Monkey, but I can send Emma."

Henry sighed, "Alright, fine! I'm at our castle, Mom."

"Thanks buddy," Ellery said, "Emma'll be there in a few minutes."

Emma smiled at Ellery as the latter placed the radio back on the counter, "Where's this castle?"

Ellery gave her sister directions to the castle playground her son loved to frequent. As Emma turned to leave, Ellery called out, "Emma, remind him that I love him."

"He knows you do, Sis," Emma smiled at Ellery, "But I'll be sure to tell him."

Before she exited the shop, Emma stopped one last time and turned around, "Ellery, I may not be comfortable with being the Savior yet, but I don't regret being here. It really is good to see you again and I can't tell you how grateful I am that you chose to take Henry when I insisted I couldn't raise him. El, what happened?"

"It was the best decision I ever made," Ellery smiled softly, "But, can we have this conversation at a later date? I need to know Henry is safe."

"You got it," Emma agreed, "I'll get him to safety and then we can talk."

When Emma pulled up in front of the wooden castle, she could see that Henry was upset and looking worriedly at the clock tower. She picked up his storybook and walked over to the castle. Climbing up behind Henry, she sat down and handed him the book, "You left this in my car. Still hasn't moved, huh?"

Henry sighed and shook his head, "I was hoping that when I brought you back, things would change here. That the final battle would begin."

"I'm not here to fight any battles, kid," Emma said. At least she didn't want to fight any battles.

"Yes, you are. You're here because it's your destiny," Henry insisted, "You're going to bring back the happy endings."

She hated being told that breaking the curse was her destiny, "Can you cut it with the book crap?"

"You don't have to be hostile," Henry smiled at Emma, "I know you like me, I can tell. You're just…pushing me away because I make you feel guilty. It's okay, I know why you gave me away. You wanted to give me my best chance and you knew my best chance was with your sister."

"So you know your mom is my sister, huh?" Emma asked, "And how do you know that's why I gave you away?"

"Yes of course I know you two are sisters," Henry rolled his eyes, "And it's the same reason Snow White gave you away."

"And what about Ellery?" Emma asked, knowing there was no mention of her sister anywhere in the book. "Listen to me, kid. I am not in any book. I'm a real person. And I'm no Savior." At least she really didn't want to be the Savior, "You were right about one thing though: I wanted you to have your best chance. And my sister was, and still is, definitely your best chance, it has never been with me. And your best chance at getting back home now is by doing what Regina and Olivia tell you to do. C'mon, let's go."

"Please don't take me back there!" Henry begged, "Just stay with me for one week, that's all I ask! One week, and you'll see I'm not crazy. And you can tell Olivia that my Mom is better for me than Regina."

Emma sighed, "I'll tell you what kid, I won't take you back to the Mayor's house yet. Instead, we'll stop by and surprise your Mom."

Henry's eyes grew wide and he grinned broadly, "Really? Are you serious?"

Emma chuckled, "Yeah, Henry, I'm serious. Your Mom was a little down earlier and she wanted me to tell you that she loves you, but we'll give her the chance to tell you herself."

Henry nodded and grabbed Emma's hand, "Let's go!"

Henry was vibrating in excitement and Emma was fairly certain he would have pushed the car himself if he thought it would get them to the shop faster. When they pulled up in front of Enchanted Toys, Henry bolted out of the car before Emma could get her seatbelt off. "Hold up for just a second, kid."

Henry stopped short, visibly trembling with excitement as he looked back at Emma, "What do you want?"

"I just don't want you to scare her by running in suddenly." Emma said as she caught up to Henry, "Why don't we walk in together?"

"Alright," Henry said, opening the door and walking into the store with Emma behind him.

"Welcome to Enchanted Toys," Ellery called from somewhere in the back of the store, "I'll be right out."

"It's just me again, Sis," Emma called, winking at Henry, "I realized that yesterday was our birthday and I didn't get you anything before coming to town, so I thought I'd bring you something special today."

"You didn't have to get me anything," Ellery called as she walked into the store, "Just tell me that Henry…" She stopped short when she spotted her son standing next to her sister.

"Hi, Mom!" Henry grinned as he bounced in place next to Emma, "Surprise!"

"Get over here, Monkey," Ellery said, holding her arms out for her little boy.

Henry needed no further invitation and ran over to throw his arms around his mother. "I'm sorry I missed our extra visit last night, Mom. I'll make it up to you this weekend, I promise."

Ellery sighed and crouched down so she wasn't looking down at her son. Rubbing her hands up and down Henry's arms she said sadly, "Henry, we don't get visitation this weekend."

"Why not?" He asked, surprised, "This is our weekend."

"I know, Monk," Ellery soothed, "But Regina convinced Social Services that she should be able to stop our visits if you do things like, I don't know, run off."

Henry hung his head, "I wasn't thinking when I went to find Emma and I couldn't stay there when I woke up. I was really scared and upset."

Ellery pulled Henry in for a hug, "You should have called me, Monkey. You can always call me when you're scared. I would rather be exhausted and worried for you than to have you go through your nightmares alone. You are so much more important to me than anything else in the world."

Henry clutched his mother, "I don't want to lose our weekend, Mom! Isn't there something you can do?"

"No there's not." Ellery said, kissing Henry's forehead, "I wish I could do something, but Regina's already said we're not getting this weekend."

Henry pulled back slightly, "Emma can do something, can't she?"

"Whoa kid," Emma said from where she'd been watching and listening to the conversation, "I'm not quite sure I'm staying. I have a life to get back to."

Ellery glared at Emma and said in a sickly-sweet tone of voice, "We can't ask Emma to leave her life behind, Monkey."

"But she's the Savior, Mom," Henry insisted, "She has to stay and break the curse."

"Henry!" Ellery said sharply, "What have I said to you about the curse?"

"That I need to stop insisting that it's real," Henry scuffed his feet as he spoke, "But, Mom, it is real. Nan is Snow White and Regina's the Evil Queen."

Ellery closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Maybe it is real, Monkey, but you can't go around saying that it is. We can't afford to have Dr. Hopper thinking that we believe in a curse. Because if he thinks we believe in a curse then he won't be able to tell the judge that he thinks you should live with me again."

"I guess," Henry sighed, "But isn't there something Emma can do to help us?"

"Why don't you let your mom and I talk alone for a few minutes, kid?" Emma broke in.

"Yeah," Ellery agreed, standing up, "Why don't you go grab a snack from the back room?"

Henry nodded and hugged his mother once more before disappearing into the back of the store. Ellery and Emma stood facing each other silently for a long moment. If anyone else had entered the store, they would have thought they were seeing double, almost. Ellery and Emma were identical even after ten years, save for the glasses Ellery wore and Emma didn't. Even their clothing was the same since Emma had shed her leather jacket and left it in her car.

Emma finally broke the silence, "So you used to read him the stories, but you never told him they were real?"

Ellery laughed, "Something like that. When he was little, he would play Prince Charming and insisted everything in the book was real. I'd planned to tell him everything when he turned ten, but then things changed and I decided to wait. I wasn't going to let him have the book, I was hoping he would forget about the curse, but then Mom brought it to him without consulting me and Henry latched onto the curse idea and hasn't stopped talking about it since."

"So how did he figure out I was the Savior then?" Emma asked curiously, "You aren't in the book. It doesn't even mention the fact that I have a twin since no one knew about you in the Enchanted Forest."

"I don't know, Em," Ellery sighed exasperatedly, "Maybe the curse decided to lead him to you so you can break it. Or maybe he just never thought about the fact that we're sisters and that we obviously grew up together. All I know right now is that I have to lie to my son until I can regain and keep custody of him."

"It doesn't seem like he's going to stop trying to convince us that it's true though, Ellery," Emma stated, "Nothing I said to him last night or earlier today convinced him that he shouldn't talk about the curse."

"As long as we don't let on that we know," Emma posited, pacing up and down in front of the counter, "As long as Regina doesn't think Henry's theories hold any danger to her curse, then we should be safe. But that means that if you stay, you have got to have a reason other than your destiny. And you have to stay Emma, because if you leave, she'll find a way to keep Henry. She'll win."

"I'm sure she won't be able to keep custody of him," Emma assured her twin, "Even if she does hold some sway over the judge, you're his mother and I'm sure the judge will take that into consideration."

"You're underestimating her, Em, and that's dangerous. She cursed an entire land to this town to destroy our mother's happiness!" Ellery hissed, "She is in control of everyone, Emma. She will make the judge believe that I am unfit to be Henry's mother because if I am happy, Mom is happy. She will do anything she has to in order to be victorious and destroy our happiness."

"And how am I supposed to stop her from doing any of that?" Emma cried in frustration, "How am I supposed to keep her from winning?"

"By staying in town," Ellery said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "You are his birth mother and I need you to stay to help me convince the judge that Henry is safe living with me. Please stay, Emma, please!"

Emma sighed, "I can't stay with you, not since you live with Mom; at least not yet. I have to wrap my head around the fact that she's two separate people and doesn't know she's our Mom. How have you done it for 10 years?"

"It's not that difficult," Ellery smiled, "She's a lot like Mom in all the ways that really matter and any time she's around me and Henry her Mary Margaret persona and her Snow White persona blend together. Of course, I have to remind myself daily that I can't call her Mom, at least not seriously. Sometimes I slip up and say it in jest."

"Well I'm not used to it yet," Emma said snappishly, "So you'll have to tell me where the nearest hotel is."

"Augusta," Ellery replied cheekily, "We don't have a hotel in town. Granny and Aunt Red own a quaint little Inn behind their diner though. Obviously no one ever stays there, so it shouldn't be too hard to get a room. After you take Henry home of course, Regina can't see me with him."

Emma looked at the clock, "Yeah, I should probably get him home. Henry, we need to go!"

Henry came back out into the store reluctantly, "Mom, can't I just stay here and Emma can say she couldn't find me? Or couldn't we all just go to Boston?"

"Not to the first question: it's illegal, but good try," Ellery said, ruffling Henry's hair, "As for the second question: still illegal. Besides, I don't think Mary Margaret would move to Boston with us."

"Well of course Nan couldn't come," Henry stated, leaning into his mother's side, "No one can leave Storybrooke, except us."

"Henry," Ellery warned, "that's enough. Now, it's time for you to go, Monkey. I know you don't want to, but you have to."

Henry threw his arms around Ellery, "Am I going to get to see you again, Mom?"

Ellery held her son close, "Of course you will. Regina can't stop us from running into each other in town. And she can't stop all of our visits." Emma could tell her sister didn't fully agree with what she was trying to convince her son of, "I love you, Monkey, and nothing will ever change that."

"I love you too, Mom." Henry said, pulling back and smiling at Ellery. "I'll see you around."

"Get out of here," Ellery joked, pushing Henry towards the shop entrance, "Call me before you go to bed and if you have nightmares, got it?"

"Yes, Mom," Henry nodded, stopping at the door, "I'll talk to you later."

Ellery smiled as Henry raced out the door and got in Emma's bug. "Hold on a sec, Em," Ellery grabbed a pen and piece of paper from her shop counter, "Here's my cell phone number, we should keep in touch this time around."

Emma took the proffered piece of paper, "I'll call later tonight so you can have my number and we can discuss your plan to use me to get Henry back."

Ellery chuckled, "Alright that sounds good to me. Now get him home."

Emma turned to go but stopped before opening the door, "Have you found Dad? Is he still alive?"

"Yeah, the curse saved his life," Ellery sighed, "But he's in the hospital, in a coma. I don't know what will wake him up."

"I guess that'll have to be priority number two then," Emma said as she opened the door, "Right after figuring out how to get Henry out of Regina's hands. Later, Sis."

Ellery watched her sister drive off with her son and, for the first time in a long time, she believed that things really would change.

Henry was uncharacteristically quiet on the drive to Regina's and Emma felt sorry that she had to take him back. "You know I would let you stay with Ellery if I could, right?"

Henry nodded, "Yeah, I know. I just feel bad for my mom. She pretends like she's okay with letting me leave every time I have to go back to Regina's, but I know she's not and I hate it! I hate that she's upset."

Emma stopped the car in front of Regina's house, "I know you do, kid. She hates it when you're upset too. But that doesn't mean you should hide from your mom when you're upset. In fact, it makes it more upset when you hide things from her."

"Yeah, I know," Henry sighed, unbuckling his seatbelt, "I'm just ready for this to be over. I want to go home."

Emma sighed as she opened her door, "But you can't right now, kid. You have to accept that this is your home for now. So let's get you back inside. Come on."

Henry climbed out of the car and waited for Emma to join him before he made his way towards the house. When they were halfway up the sidewalk, the door to the house opened. Regina stared pointedly at Henry as he ran into the house and up the stairs.

"Thank you," Regina said sincerely.

"No problem," Emma replied, thinking of how happy her sister had been to see Henry and how she would do what she'd done today a hundred times over just to see her sister and Henry happy.

"He seems to have taken quite a shine to you," Regina recognized.

Emma chuckled, "You know, it seems kinda crazy. Yesterday was my birthday and, when I blew out the candle on this cupcake I bought myself, I actually made a wish; that I wouldn't have to be alone on my birthday. And then Henry showed up…"

Regina interrupted, "I hope there's no misunderstanding here."

Emma raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry?"

Regina elaborated, "Don't mistake this as invitation back into his life."

Emma wanted to explain just how easily she could become a part of Henry's life again, but she wouldn't. "That's really not up to you, Madam Mayor. It's up to his mother and possibly his Social Worker."

"Miss Swan, you gave up all rights to him ten years ago," Regina said defensively, "including visitation rights. That's what a closed adoption is."

"I don't think you understand, Madam Mayor," Emma began, planning to tell Regina just how open the adoption really was supposed to be.

Regina interrupted her again before she could continue, "No, you don't understand, Miss Swan. You have no legal right to Henry. So, I suggest you get in your car and go back to Boston now. Because if you don't, I will destroy you if it the last thing I do. Goodbye, Miss Swan."

Emma decided that her best option would be to let Regina believe that she really didn't have any legal rights to Henry. What mattered was that she knew that she could beat Regina if she tried. She was destined to defeat The Evil Queen after all. Emma stayed where she was, silently watching the Mayor walk into her house and close the door. Then Emma smiled broadly, oh, she was definitely staying in Storybrooke and Regina couldn't say anything to make her change her mind.

Emma found the Inn her sister had directed her to with very little difficulty. As she walked inside, she saw the woman who could only be her mother's closest friend, dressed in extremely skimpy clothing and arguing with an old woman who had to be her Granny. After a particularly nasty jab at her Aunt Red's supposed plan to sleep her way down the Eastern Seaboard, Emma decided to step in, "Excuse me? I'd…like a room?"

The woman her mother had always referred to as Granny was astounded, "Really?" At Emma's nod, Granny grabbed the ledger that held the Inn's room information, "Would you like a forest view or a square view? Normally there's an upgrade fee for the square, but as the rent's due, I'll waive it."

Emma almost laughed aloud, but was able to refrain, "Square is fine."

Granny nodded and began to write down the information in her ledger, "Now, what's the name?"

"Swan," Emma said tentatively, not sure she should use the last name she and her sister had chosen to share eleven years earlier, "Emma Swan."

"Emma, what a lovely name," A new voice came spoke and Emma turned to see a man she couldn't quite place in the grand scheme of the curse.

"Thanks," she said cautiously.

Granny reached into a drawer and pulled out a roll of cash which she handed to the man, "It's all here."

"Yes, yes, of course it is dear. Thank you," He accepted the cash without counting it and turned to leave. He smiled creepily in Emma's direction, "You enjoy your stay, Emma."

Emma felt a shiver run up her spine at the way the man had spoken to her, but she waited until he was gone before asking, "Who's that?"

Red was looking out the window watching the man as she replied, "Mr. Gold, he owns the place."

"The Inn?" Emma asked.

"No, the town," Granny replied gravely and then reverted to a happier tone of voice, "So, how long will you be with us?"

"A week," Emma replied. That was what Henry had asked from her and that was as long as she expected Ellery would let her stay in the Inn. It was a good start for now and wouldn't make Regina suspicious, "Just a week."

"Great," Granny said, pulling an old-fashioned key from the row of boxes in the wall and holding it out to Emma, "Welcome to Storybrooke."

Across the street, the clock in the library tower moved for the first time in twenty-eight years and across town, a ten year old boy smiled in satisfaction. Things were about to change in Storybrooke.

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