Chapter Seven: From All Sides

Andrea stared at her phone, feeling her face grow hot. Her throat was burning. One of her friends had snapped a picture of Chris and some blonde chick she didn't recognize holding hands on the Wonder Wheel at Coney Island.

Andrea had so many questions. Who was this girl? Were she and Chris dating? When did this happen? How did this happen? She was starting to text her friend back when she felt the air whoosh beneath her, and suddenly, she was in the woods. At one point in her life, she would have assumed she was dreaming. Now she knew better.

"I could use a little warning, you know? What if I were with people?"

"You were texting your friends from the privacy of the bathroom," Oz said.

"You're spying on me in the bathroom?" Andrea snarled, "That is beyond creepy! I feel violated."

Oz shook his head. "I wasn't watching you. I just knew where you were."

"Still creepy. And if you weren't spying, how did you know I was texting? I could just as easily have been on the toilet."

Oz shook his head again. "I told you I had ways of finding you. But perhaps it's time you had a way of finding me." Suddenly a pair of silver slippers appeared in his hands. "A gift," he said, passing the slippers over to Andrea.

"Are these what I think they are?"

"They're magic slippers. If you click your heels together three times while wearing them, they will take you wherever you want to go. You can bring objects with you, but not people."

Andrea starred at the slippers for a few minutes before putting them on. "They fit perfectly."

"They're enchanted to fit the wearer, whoever he or she may be. And next time you have need of me, you can simply use the slippers to take you to me."

After a minute of admiring the slippers on her feet, Andrea looked up. "Except it's you who has need of me. You keep calling me here, having me spy, and what have you done for me?"

"Didn't I bring you your mother?"

"For five minutes!" Andrea said, trying not to stomp her foot like a child. "Excuse me for wanting more than that."

"Well, I can't bring her just now, but I can provide you with something else that's useful. A powerful object that will help the Savior channel her magic." The wizard held up a necklace with what appeared to be a golden gem in the middle, "Convince her to put it on. It will amplify her abilities, as well as help her gain control of them."

Andrea reached out to take the proffered necklace, but before she could take it, a flash of light struck through it, cracking the gem.

Both Andrea and Oz turned in the direction the light had come from to see the fiery redhead that Andrea remembered going toe-to-toe with the mayor at Granny's just a few days ago.

The Wicked Witch! She has to be.

"Sorry my pretty, but I'll be taking that," she said. What was left of the necklace disappeared in green smoke and reappeared in the witch's hand. "Pity to destroy such a powerful object. I'll give you this, Oz: it was a good plan. Too good. Which is why you must be eliminated." She locked her eyes on Andrea's and a chill went down the girl's spine.

The witch flung a blast of green light directly at them. Oz pushed her out of the way, taking the brunt of the attack. "Use the slippers!" he said

The slippers! She had forgotten about the slippers. While Oz distracted the witch, Andrea clicked her heals three times, thinking of the bathroom at Granny's.

And then she was there, perfectly safe. It took her a second to get her breathing back under control. That had been close. Sadly, the necklace was broken, but she had the shoes, and she had gotten out alive.

As for Oz, was he … ? She didn't want to think it. He was an ass, but he had saved her. More importantly, he was the only hope she had of getting her mother back.

Andrea rubbed absently at her left hand—which felt strangely tingly and tight—as she tried to think. She needed to regroup. She needed to take a minute to catch her breath, and then find Oz. How else would she know if he was okay? But how would she know when it was safe to look for him? She needed to figure out –

"Are you almost done in there?" she heard Jason call from the other side of the door. "You're taking forever. If you don't hurry up and finish soon, I'm just going to wiz in your luggage."

Gross, Andrea thought, crinkling her nose, "I'll be out soon. Keep your pants on." She took one more deep breath and exited the bathroom.

It was either late or super early, depending on your perspective. The last time Emma had glanced at a clock, it had been past 1:00 AM, and she was exhausted, so it probably wasn't the best time to have this talk.

Except she couldn't wait. Emma had never been mistaken for a patient person.

Regina answered the door after just one ring. "Emma? Is Henry all right?"

Regina's instincts regarding Henry's safety nearly melted Emma's heart. Nearly, but not quite. She'd come on a mission and wouldn't be deterred.

"Henry's fine. He's sleeping." 'He's sleeping. He doesn't know.' Graham's voice said in her head. 'Oh my god, I wish I was Henry right now.' had been Emma's reply then. 'I wish I was anywhere else right now,' was what she was thinking now. But she owed Graham this. "Can I come in? I think we need to talk."

"At this hour?"

"It's long overdue," Emma said, pushing past Regina into the mansion. She turned to face Regina, arms crossed over her chest. "We need to talk about what happened to Graham. About what … what you did to him."

Regina's eyebrows went up. "Can I ask what brought this on?"

"No. You can't. I'm asking the questions, not you."

Regina sighed. "Would you like some cider?"

"I'd rather be sober for this, thanks."

"Emma – "

"You killed him! No sorry, first you controlled him, and then you killed him."

"I did, yes. But that's ancient history."

"It wasn't that long ago. And you never ... you were never held accountable."

"Held accountable?"

"You never made it right!"

Regina shook her head. "And how would you suggest I'd have done that, Emma? Bring him back? Why don't you talk to Dr. Whale about how well attempts at resurrections have gone in Storybrooke?"

"I'm not saying … I know dead is dead – "

"Then what's done is done."

"No! It can't be that simple. What you did to Graham can't just mean nothing."

"You're behaving like a child," Regina said, rolling her eyes.

"Because I want justice for someone I cared about?"

"Because I killed and tortured countless people, and yesterday? You were okay with that, but today you're throwing a tantrum because you found out one of them was your boyfriend."

"Graham and I were never … That isn't what this is about."

"No. Emma, you said you could see that I was trying; you gave me the benefit of the doubt that I wasn't responsible for this new curse. Did you ask any of the family members from villages I slaughtered how they felt before you came to that decision?"

"You're not helping your case."

"I can't undo the past, so why dwell on it? I can't make it right for Graham, because he's gone, and he left behind no next of kin for me to appease. So there's just you. What, Miss Swan, do you propose I do so we can leave this behind us?"

Emma stared at Regina, her mouth open, "I … "

"Nothing I do will bring Graham back. Nothing I do will undo what I did to him during his lifetime. Am I supposed to wallow in guilt while there's a witch to fight?"

"You're supposed to admit that you did something. You're supposed to regret it."

"I don't regret. However … I will admit that he deserved better than what I did to him. You probably won't believe me, but I cared about Graham."

"Please," Emma scoffed.

"It's true. I knew he was only with me because of the curse I put on him, the control I had, but we didn't act like that, and after 28 years waking up next to someone, having them hold you and act like they care, you start to believe it, even if you know it's a lie. Back then, I became so deluded by it, it actually hurt when he strayed."

"And that's why you killed him." Emma said matter-of-factly.

"I killed him because he was waking up, and I couldn't afford that. Not then, not when I thought it would cost me everything."

"Maybe it should have. I've been feeling so bad about Henry not remembering you, but you did horrible things when you were his mother, and some of them you did to him. Do you know how devastated he was when Graham died?"

"I recall."

"And me? Do you know how devastated I was?"

"Emma – "

"It's not enough to just decide to be good from this point forward. Not when the things you did – "

"I don't recall deciding to be good. I recall deciding to work together with the rest of you for my son's best interests, and if we're no longer in agreement about what those are – "

"Are you threatening me now? Have we gone back in time that far?"

"You're the one dragging up ancient history!"

"Because we didn't deal with it back then, and Graham damned well deserves to be remembered."

"You think I forgot him? Is that it? I haven't."

"You forgot him while he was alive. You just remembered your puppet, not who he was for real. God, how could you … Did he have any choice in being with you?" Regina had the sense to look ashamed at that, but Emma didn't back down. "Do you know how twisted that is? How it must have felt for him to not be able to say no?"

"I was married to a man twice my age right after my mother murdered my true love in front of me, and while he was happy to have his daughter succeed him on the throne, he wasn't opposed to having more heirs. Believe me when I say, I know how it feels."

Emma's eyes widened, but she didn't back down. "That's the thing with you though. Regina, I had a shitty childhood too, a really, really shitty one, you have no clue how shitty. But I don't use it as an excuse to be shitty to other people. Push them away, sure, but – "

"So you didn't abandon a newborn because you had been abandoned? My mistake."

"That is not the same thing. I was trying to do what was best for Henry. I made sure he had a good home. Paying it forward would have been leaving him on the side of a highway, and I made sure that I didn't. I had no choice but to give him up, but I wasn't cruel just because I could be. That's what you were to Graham."

"I know," Regina said with a sigh, "I know I was far more cruel to him than he deserved. I'm sorry."

"That's not good enough!"

"What would be? How can I possibly make right the enslavement of a man who is no longer with us?"

"You mean a man you killed?" Emma shook her head, "I don't know. But you better figure it out, because until you do, you're not getting near Henry." With that, Emma headed for the door.

"He's my son, Emma. I raised him."

"Yeah. It's a shame he doesn't remember that. And if you can't prove that it's what's best for him, maybe he doesn't have to."

Neal was on his way out to switch off with Robin for watch duty when Hook—Killian—knocked on his door.

"I've brought breakfast," he said, holding up a bag and cardboard drink tray with multiple cups of coffee.

"Uh, thanks man, but I'm sort of on my way out. Plus… I don't need that much coffee."

"Right, well, the other cups were for Tink and Belle. I thought, perhaps, I could join in on the tactical session. I have run a few in my day."

Neal grimaced. "I'll bet. Any of those involve coming up with tactics for killing my dad?"

"Bae, er, Neal, look. I … I'm trying. You said we were family, and I'm trying to play my part. I want to help. I can't just sit on my arse and do nothing."

"You did help."

"And then I was shut out!"

Neal ran his hand down his face, letting out a breath of air as his fingers slid past his chin. "Look, Killian, I know you're trying. And you did help, but you also spent centuries trying to get the dagger. Now that we're after it … you can get why you'd be out of the loop, right?"

"You don't trust me."

"I want to, but old habits die hard for both of us. Plus Belle … You haven't exactly endeared yourself to her."

"Then that's where I'll start," Killian said, turning to leave.

Neal grabbed Killian's arm and spun him around. "Hey, when you say that, if you're even thinking of breaking up another one of my dad's relationships – "

"Milah didn't love your father, Bae. You must know that. But Belle does love him, for whatever reason. Even my dashing good looks aren't enough to deter her from the path she's chosen. I have no intention to seduce the lass, simply to offer a more genuine apology."

Neal nodded. "All right. Well," he grabbed a pastry from the bag Killian had brought, as well as a coffee. He took a bite, a sip, and gave Killian a two-finger salute, "See ya."

It was half past six in the morning when Emma finally made her way back to the loft. Aaron met her at the door. Her expression must have tipped him off, because he wrapped her in his arms and held on tight, letting her rest her head against his chest, "Long night?"

"You have no idea. Every time I get used to this place, something changes, and I find out I'm co-parenting with someone who murdered my … Well, it's a long story."

"I'm happy to hear it."

"And I want to tell you. Everything. But for now, can we just stay like this?"

Aaron nodded, kissing her forehead. The peaceful moment was shattered by a girlish scream from upstairs.

"Andrea!" both said, running quickly to towards the noise. When they found her, the girl was clutching her arm. She had tears in her eyes.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

Slowly, Andrea tried to unfurl her fingers, which Emma and Aaron could now see had turned a silvery color. Aaron grabbed her hand, but it was cool and hard to the touch.

"What-?"

"Tin" Andrea cried. "I'm turning to tin."

"Well, I'm sure she didn't mean it," Snow's voice said over the phone.

"Oh trust me, she meant it," Regina replied. "If she tries to keep Henry from me … "

"Regina, you're backsliding. Don't. You've come so far."

"Emma doesn't agree. And if I lose Henry, what is even the point of doing good?" She heard Snow gasp, "Don't act so surprised. You dubbed me The Evil Queen for a reason."

"I did. But I also know how capable of love you are, how capable of good. Emma knows too; she's just upset right now. She'll remember."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then you show her. And Henry. Be the person Henry wants you to be. Holding on too tight nearly pushed him away before. What brought him back to you was you trying to be better. So be better."

"How? Graham is gone. His heart is dust. I can hardly return it now."

"Well, what about the others?"

"Others?"

"The other hearts you took? I saw hearts in your vault when I … "

"When you killed my mother?" Snow was silent. Regina sighed and then continued, "Yes, there are other hearts, but I've long forgotten who they belong to. A portion of their owners are probably long dead, not to mention that some of those hearts were taken by my mother during her reign."

"You can still try. Can't you use magic to track them down?"

"After this long … I'm not so sure. But I might have another idea."

"Good. And Regina, Emma will calm down. It'll all work out, I promise."

"How did this happen? I thought she was safe here!" Aaron exclaimed.

Emma shook her head. "I don't – "

"It's my fault," Andrea said. "I snuck out."

"What?" both adults asked, turning incredulous eyes on her.

"I've been working with the Wizard of Oz. He said he could help – "

"By turning you into the Tin Man?"

"No! That wasn't him. The Wicked Witch attacked us. He saved my life. Maybe … maybe he can help."

Emma sighed. "Then I guess we need to go talk to him. Where is he hiding out while we fight his war?"

Andrea shook her head. "I don't know … But the slippers!" she produced the silver shoes. "He said these could take me to him in case I needed him."

"So, let's go."

"It has to be just me. I can't take anything with me. Well, I can take things take actually, but people – "

"So you're going alone? We don't know anything about this wizard," Aaron said.

"We know he saved her," Emma said. "And I don't have any other ideas. I'd go to Regina, but after what I said to her this morning, I don't know how inclined to help she'll be. We could try the fairies again –"

"The fairies are useless," Andrea said. "They couldn't even make me fly with pixie dust. And they couldn't teach you magic. We don't have time to talk about this. I don't know how much time I have. I'm going."

"Andrea –" Aaron tried again, but his daughter had already slipped on the slippers, and she was clicking her heals. Then she was gone.

Belle liked books, and she liked Rumpelstiltskin. Other than that, Killian knew very little about her. He had no idea what sort of gift to get in an effort to appease her, but it would have gone against his better judgement to show up empty handed. He picked up some pastries at Granny's (Ruby did comment on his picking up food twice in one day, as it wasn't usual for him) and headed for the library.

Belle was behind the desk. Her back stiffened when she saw him approaching. "Can I help you?" she asked coolly.

"I owe you an apology," Killian said. "A genuine one."

Belle folded her arms and stared him down. "All right then. Let's hear it."

Killian scratched behind his ear. "When we first met, I was obsessed with a mission: destroy the Dark One. It didn't matter who was in my way or who I hurt. It was all worth it for my revenge. Except … that's not true. It always matters who you hurt, and I hurt you repeatedly. I raised a hand to you, something that shames me. I offered you help and betrayed you when I found out you would be of no use to me. Then I made you feel scared and trapped, shot you, erased your memories … I'm proud of none of it. You did nothing to me. You saved me. When Rumpelstiltskin would have killed me, you convinced him not to, and I repaid that by trying to kill you simply because I was trying to hurt him. You did not deserve that. I am truly sorry."

He handed over the bag of pastries, and Belle peeked inside. "Well, you do sound sincere. Then again, you sounded sincere when you said Rumple was a threat to my father."

"I know. But I beg you to believe me. I am truly remorseful."

"And why now? For Emma?"

"In part. I want to be the sort of man she deserves. But I also want to be the sort of man Baelfire trusts, the sort he would be proud to call family. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, and I want to make right what I can. I want to help defeat the witch and free your love—free us all. I want to make amends for my mistakes."

"And how will you help?" Belle asked.

"However you wish me to."

Belle's … device beeped. She looked at it, and then back at Killian, "I have to go. If you'd like to help me now, you can watch the library."

"And that will be my penance?"

"That will be a start. And Killian, it isn't about making the past right; it's about making good choices going forward. That's a man a woman like Emma deserves."

"There is no woman like Emma," Killian said.

"Well, Emma herself is taken last I checked, so you may want to open your mind to other options. Now, I have to go. Just help anyone who needs to find or return something, and make sure nobody takes a book without checking it out properly." With that, Belle sped out the door, and Killian was alone in the library.

"Looking for Tinker Bell again?" the fairy with the low-cut habit asked Neal as she invaded his personal space.

"Um, yeah. If she's around. Which she should be, since we had plans."

She sighed. "I'll go get her. You know, there are other fairies here other than her royal famousness."

"I don't … Tink and I go way back. It has nothing to do with … Believe me, the last thing I want in my life is someone from a story."

The fairy harrumphed, "Sure. Because that's why people come to this town."

"I thought people don't come to this town."

"Not many. But those strangers came, and all they care about is Tinker Bell. She was kicked out! She hasn't even had magic for ages, and only recently got it back. Some of us have been trying forever to be fairy godparents. We'd give anything for a godkid, or just a kid in general. But we're not in a book, or play, or musical. We didn't fly in Neverland or make Pinocchio a real boy, so we're chopped liver."

"I … think maybe you should speak to Archie? That's his name, right?"

"Yes, that's his name," the fairy said, crossing her arms over her chest, "But I'm fine."

"Really? 'Cause I can feel myself being scorched by your heat vision right now."

"I don't have heat vision. I'm a fairy, not a Kryptonian."

Neal's eyebrows went up. "You know what a Kryptonian is? Wait, they aren't real, right?"

"Not that I know of. But I like the comics."

"Me too! I'm more into Marvel though. More nuance."

"Maybe initially, but over time, they shared writers and plotlines. The rivalry isn't real."

"Blasphemy!"

The fairy giggled. "I'm just saying, Superman started it all, and The Fantastic Four made it about flawed heroes, but now you have both on both sides. So, what's the difference, right? Other than a juvenile male pissing contest?"

Neal laughed. "What was your name again?"

"Periwinkle."

"I'm – "

"Neal!" At Tinker Belle's voice, Periwinkle and Neal turned. "There you are. I was wondering what was keeping you."

"We, uh, we have to go," Neal said. "I'll see you around?"

Periwinkle shrugged, offering Neal a coy smile. "You know where to find me."

"Fortress of Solitude?"

"Gods, no. Maybe reading Shakespeare at my place downtown."

"So, you're Jimmy Olsen then?"

"He's my favorite! The forgotten cub reporter, just as talented and hardworking as Clark, but completely overlooked. Plus, he's adorkable."

Tink grabbed Neal's arm. "Hate to interrupt but –"

"Right, yeah. The important thing we have to do." The next thing he knew, they were making their way out of the convent. "Thanks for that. I was having some trouble leaving."

"That might not be a bad thing. Though I will warn you, fairies don't generally date."

Neal's face heated up. "What? No, we were just –"

"Why don't you save your excuse for after we save your father?"

Andrea didn't know what she had been expecting. A castle, maybe? Or a yellow-brick road of some sort? But no, it was just an ordinary office building. After clicking her heels, she had appeared in front of an office door bearing the words, "Oz, The Great and Powerful." She knocked, and the Wizard answered.

"Andrea," he said, seemingly pleased to see her. "I was hoping to hear from you!" His eyes zeroed in on her arm. "Oh dear. I suppose the witch did that?"

"You know she did! You saw!"

"I'm … terribly sorry. I never wanted this to happen, truly."

"But it did. It has and … and I can't turn to tin. I have my whole life ahead of me. I have plays, and prom, and my first time. And that's just high school, and I can't miss all of it because I'm a fucking statue in Maine."

Andrea bawled into her hands, and then she felt arms wrap around her. "Mom?"

"I'm here, darling. I'm here."

"I need you, Mom. I need you so much. I screwed up and I don't know what to do."

"You didn't screw up anything. You were trying to help me and your friends."

"Yeah, but now I … What do I do?"

"The Wizard will help you, like he's helping me," Andrea's mom said. "You can trust him."

"Can you help me?" Andrea asked Oz.

"Please," her mother added. "Help my daughter."

"There is a way," Oz replied carefully, "but there's a cost. All magic comes with a price, after all."

"We don't care about the cost," her mother said. "My daughter needs this. Whatever it takes, help her. Please."

The Wizard produced a heart-shaped object. "This can cure you. It simply needs to be charged with magic."

"And the price?" Andrea asked.

"Whoever charges it will be drained of their magic. Forever."

"I don't care if you're drained," Andrea scoffed.

"I don't have any magic to drain," the Wizard said. "You'll need someone else to do it."

"Whatever it takes," Andrea's mother said. "Sweetheart, you understand what you have to do?"

Andrea nodded. "I need to find someone with magic and have them help me."

"Who do you know who has magic?"

Andrea's eyes widened. "Emma."

"That's right. Now go, quickly. You don't have a lot of time." Her mother kissed her forehead. "I love you, my brave girl."

In a swirl of green smoke, Andrea's mother disappeared.

"Wait! Mom, don't …"

"There's no time," the Wizard said. "You need to go back."

"But my mom –"

"Andrea, look at your arm."

Andrea looked down. Her arm was entirely tin now. She tried to move her shoulder and found it stiff. She could barely feel it.

"If it reaches your heart, there won't be anything I can do. You need to go now. Click your heels."

Andrea did as she was told and returned instantly to the loft. The second she appeared, her father engulfed her in a hug.

"Thank G-d. Never do that again."

"Are you okay?" Emma asked.

"Maybe. I don't … We need to talk."

The lunch rush was always, well, a rush, but Ruby was used to it. She had a system and she knew the orders of the regulars. Dr. Whale, for example, usually got a black coffee to go at breakfast, and she didn't see him again until dinner, which made her wonder why he was here now.

"What can I get you?"

"Can we talk privately?"

Something warmed in Ruby's chest. Sure, Victor had been the worst sort of letch under the curse, but since it had broken, she'd found they had a lot in common. If he was seeking her out, she wasn't going to complain.

"I'm taking my ten," she called over her shoulder, not waiting for Granny's permission (or lack thereof), and followed Dr. Whale outside.

"I need your help with something. Your, um, wolf help."

Ruby's shoulders sagged slightly. "No pleasantries then. Fine. What can I do for you?"

"Can you help me find these men?" He showed her a somewhat blurry picture of a room at the hospital. There were three men she didn't recognize in the picture. "I took your advice. I worked some more on a cure for the monkey-transformations going around. It was stolen again, but it wasn't the witch who did it. The security cameras caught these men. Can you find them?"

"From a picture?" Ruby asked. "If you had something of theirs, I could sniff it out, but I can't do anything with a picture. Go to Emma or Regina. They're the ones who know how to track people down."

"They aren't likely to help me. The sheriff is far too busy dealing with the witch, and the queen isn't my biggest fan."

"I wouldn't say that," Regina's voice rang out from behind them.

"What do you want?" Ruby asked, trying not to growl. Snow said Regina had changed, and Ruby wanted to believe her, but Snow could be a bit naïve at times. Then again, wasn't her naiveté part of why she trusted a girl who was a wolf? "Sorry. Reflex."

Regina rolled her eyes. "It's better than your grandmother's crossbow. But I do need your help. I have some … hearts belonging to people in this town that need to be returned. I was hoping you could help me sniff them out."

"You have HEARTS?" Ruby asked, eyes wide. "Like with Graham?"

"I didn't know you knew about Graham," Regina said.

"Well, not here, but in The Enchanted Forest … we were close. And you should remember that."

"There's a lot of pain I've made an effort to forget. I want to move forward."

"Forgetting the past won't erase it," Ruby said.

"But dwelling on it might drown me. You both have some experience with that?"

Ruby sighed. "Of course I'll help. Those people need their hearts back. But while you're doing good deeds, maybe you could lend some magic towards Victor's problem."

"As long as it isn't an STD," Regina said.

Dr. Whale rolled his eyes. "I need to track down the people in this photo. Can you I.D. them?"

Regina looked at the photo. "Of course. I remember them well."

"I meant with magic. Wait, you knew them?"

Regina nodded. "Three brothers playing with magic they didn't understand. They came to me for help."

"What kind of help?" Ruby asked.

"They had a fourth brother. He had your … affliction."

"It's not an affliction; it's a gift."

"Well, some see it as an affliction. They were working on a cure for him, and they wanted my help."

"Did you help them?"

"I'm not in the habit of helping those who come hat in hand offering me nothing. I turned them into defenseless animals and left them with their brother, assuming nature would take its course. That's the last I saw of them."

"Defenseless animals?" Ruby asked.

"Domestic pigs."

"Victor, if they wanted your medicine to turn back the monkeys, maybe they wanted to finish what they started. And maybe, that's why I can't find the werewolves; they aren't wolves anymore." Ruby felt a pinching in her heart. Could she be the last of her kind now?

"As fascinating as this is, we need to get started. We have a lot of hearts to return." And with a sweep of her hand, Regina took herself and Ruby to her vault.

It had been going splendidly. Perhaps Belle truly had been too busy to show him the ropes, or perhaps she was testing him, but it hadn't mattered. This world, for all its "modern conveniences," still used a card catalog. Killian knew how to use a card catalog far better than that magic box on Belle's desk. He had helped Roland and Pinocchio check out a book with ease. And then Ava Zimmer had had to wreck it all!

She apparently didn't have a printer at home, and Belle let her print out her homework at the library. Except, Killian couldn't get the bloody device to work.

"It can't be that hard," Ava said, as Killian pressed useless button after useless button.

"Well, then why don't you do it?" Killian snapped.

"Maybe I can help," a woman Killian hadn't seen before said. She had red hair, green eyes, and was wearing the semi-masculine sort of clothing women in this realm seemed to favor. Before Killian could respond to her interjection, she pushed past him and started pressing buttons on the dreaded machine. "Well, you need the password, to start. Lucky for you, I helped Belle set the computers here up when she first opened the library, so I know the passwords to get in."

"And a computer is?"

The woman gave him a cheeky smile. "The machines that scare you so."

In no time at all, another blasted machine started making noises like it was going to explode. Killian prepared for the blast, but instead, it just spit out papers.

The woman handed them to Ava Zimmer.

"Thank you, Mrs. Easton," Ava said.

"No problem, Ava. Though, in the future, if you want to use the computers at the school to print something, you are welcome."

Ava nodded. "Okay," she said. Then she ran off with her papers.

"Thanks for that," Killian said.

"I did it for the girl, not you," the woman said, making her way for the exit.

Killian blocked her path. "Have I done something to offend you? Not that I haven't offended many a lady in my day, but I don't remember you."

"We haven't met, but I've heard of you."

"And you believe everything you've heard?"

"I've had a lot of experience with pirates. They're not exactly my favorite sort of people. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Killian stepped aside, letting the lady pass.

"You have to call Regina!" Snow said.

"I've tried. She isn't picking up and, given how we left things, I can't say I'm surprised."

"Well then, we have to wait until we can get her on the phone or —"

"Mom, stop! There is no time to wait. Andrea doesn't have the time."

"Emma, without your magic, Zelena can —"

"We'll figure something else out. We always do. But Andrea and Aaron … they need me now. I'm doing this."

David sighed. "Then your mother and I support you."

"David —"

"She's right, Snow. Imagine if it was Emma. I don't want to risk our child either, but that's tomorrow's problem. This is today's, and for all we know, it's reversible. We don't have time to argue."

"Actually, you are taking time to argue right now," Henry said.

"Andrea, give me that heart-shaped thing."

Andrea handed over the object that the Wizard of Oz had given her.

Aaron put his hand on Emma's shoulder. "Emma I … Thank you."

Emma nodded "Okay, let's do this."

Closing her eyes, Emma focused on her magic, the power she barely admitted was inside of her. Then she focused on Aaron, staring lovingly at his daughter. She focused on Henry, her kid, whom she loved, and Andrea, a kid she was coming to think of as her own. Then the heart started to glow, and she felt the energy … or something… start to drain out of her.

Within seconds (that felt like millennia) it was over. Andrea was back to flesh and blood, and Emma collapsed into Aaron's arms.

In the beginning, the plan went off without a hitch. After smearing the latch to the underground shelter with squid ink, Robin watched from a nearby tree. Tink hovered by his ear in her fairy form, poppy dust ready. Belle and Neal were also hiding nearby.

Zelena came right on schedule to feed Rumple. As her hand touched the latch, the ink froze her in place. Before she could call for Rumple, Tink hit her with the poppies and she went down. Belle and Neal came forward, scrambling for the dagger. Belle got it first.

"Rumpelstiltskin!" she called.

With a whoosh and a poof of smoke, Rumple appeared and quickly took in the scene: Zelena unconscious, Belle holding his dagger. "Belle? Is it truly you?"

Instead of answering, Belle rushed to Rumple, drawing him into her arms, "Rumple," she sobbed. "I thought I'd lost you."

Sobs were coming from Rumple as well as he burrowed into Belle, "And I you. I nearly lost … everything."

"But you didn't. I'm here. And so is your son."

Rumple looks up, "Bae?"

"I'm here, Papa."

Rumple opened one of his arms, and Neal barreled into it. The three of them stood like that, holding each other as the minutes ticked by.

"A family reunited," a sickly-sweet voice said, "How sweet, if short-lived."

Zelena reached for the dagger at her belt, only to find it wasn't there. As realization dawned on her face, she started to whoosh away.

Rumple reached out his hand, his magic halting her in place, "Not so fast, Dearie. You're going to suffer, as you made me suffer."

The Witch floated into the air, manacles forming around her wrists and ankles, tying her to planks that appeared out of nowhere. The planks started to fly apart, stretching her out until she screamed in agony.

"Papa!"

"Rumple, stop!"

And he did. He stopped. He looked at his hands, not understanding, and then at Belle, who was still holding the dagger.

"Belle?" Rumple asked quietly.

"I didn't … I didn't mean. Rumple, please, I –"

Before any of them could say another word, an arrow flew through the air, hitting the witch just as she teleported away.