#nta!

Storybrooke, Maine, Fall 2039

Three women surrounded the Wishing Well in the woods of Storybrooke. A fourth woman stood away, leaning against a tree. She didn’t have magic, so the sisters didn’t need her for the curse. She was only there at Hades’ suggestion in order to ensure that the three witches kept up their end of the deal.

The three sisters worked their magic. It wasn’t exactly the Dark Curse, since the sisters didn’t have a thing that they loved the most, but it was a curse that would work almost the same.

Hopefully, it was also a curse that the Savior couldn’t break. All they needed to do was make sure that they cursed the people Hades needed. If they failed, there would be consequences to face.

The fourth woman wasn’t keen on the sisters failing and invoking the wrath of the God of the Underworld. They better not screw this up.

As the sisters finished the curse, smoke began to rise from the well. It was thick and a twirling mixture of deep red, emerald, and royal purple. The thick clouds rose towards the sky as it expanded outward, already engulfing the sisters.

In a slow roll, the curse headed towards the fourth woman.

She let the curse overtake her. Here we go.

A frequent, card carrying member of the Storybrooke Library, Killian Jones found himself entering said library on a lovely Saturday morning.

As usual Belle was there.

Her husband Will Scarlet, a man that Killian had actually grown fond of over the last twenty odd years, was there having delivered breakfast a la Granny’s.

Will jovially greeted Killian, but Belle looked at the pirate turned deputy with sad eyes. She knew why he was here as he’d been coming to the library for the same reason for twenty years now. Emma joined him often enough, but today she wanted to spend her day off with their children. Killian just had the morning off, but he was due at the station by lunch.

After Will bid his goodbyes, Killian made his move for the stacks, but Belle stepped in front of him.

“Killian, don’t you think that it’s time to give up the search?” She spoke gently, not wanting to hurt him, but twenty years was too long to hold on to hope. Especially after everyone they knew had done everything in their power to find what was lost to the Jones family.

Killian moved around her, ignoring her comment. They had had many arguments over the years about him and Emma giving up, but it had only made the Jones’ more stubborn. Often Killian ended up turning it on Belle, asking her if she would ever give up if it was her kids. That usually made her back down rather quickly, but she eventually always brought it up again.

It stung that even one of the Godmothers of his children, someone who had once believed that there was good in the Dark One, had given up hope just like everyone else had. Only he and Emma were left; it might not be healthy for them, but they weren’t just going to stop if there was a chance.

Shaking her head, Belle returned to what was left of her breakfast, not wanting to get into another argument with her best friend.

Belle sighed as Killian perused the shelves. By now both he and Emma had read all of the books that the library possessed that referenced magic. They had even gone through all of the books and scrolls in Regina’s vault, including the one’s that had once been in Rumplestiltskin’s possession. Surely, if they hadn’t found some way by now, it was time to give up, right?

Deputy Neal Nolan tossed yet another pencil in the ceiling of the Sheriff’s Station.

“You know, your sister isn’t going to be happy to see more wholes in the ceiling.” Robin Hood told the younger man as he read the newspaper. Robin was a part of Storybrooke’s Forest Rangers, but he took shifts at the station from time to time to help out. His wife Regina was keen for him to retire, but Robin wasn’t in any hurry.

“She won’t know they’re there if I make them disappear.” Neal shrugged.

Robin looked at him over his paper, arching a brow. “Are you admitting to an officer of the law that you, another officer of the law, abuse your magic by using it to cover up your transgressions?”

Neal smirked. “That’s absolutely not what I said. Go back to your paper, old man.”

“And take my eyes off of you so that you can cover up your crimes?” Robin asked with good humor. “You are defacing public property after all. The town has to pay for that.”

“Only if there’s evidence.” Neal said. A look of horror suddenly came across his face as he pointed at the window behind Robin. “Look!”

“That’s not going to work.” Robin said. “You forget, I have two children who live to pull the wool over my eyes.”

Neal huffed. “Yeah, okay, you got me there.”

The phones started ringing.

Robin and Neal shared a worried look since all of the phones and phone lines were ringing. That was unprecedented in Storybrooke’s history.

Before either man could start answering phones, they heard people screaming outside.

The two men hurried out of the station.

People were running towards the center of town, the smoky clouds of a curse behind them following the residents of Storybrooke at an alarming speed.

Neal gaped at the clouds. “Well, fuck.”

It was such a lovely day to be at the beach, and Emma Jones was happy to spend the day with her two children, especially since her son Wes would be finishing his gap year and going to college in the fall. At least Morgan was still in high school, so Emma’s baby could still be her baby a little while longer.

Of course, in Storybrooke, happiness was usually interrupted.

They had heard the screaming from the town, and as they hurried back, Leroy had found them, screaming about another curse.

After living in Storybrooke for decades, Emma could handle a curse.

As she, her kids, and Leroy ran towards the center of town, Wes shouted at her. “Was there even a villain on the radar?”

“Not that I was aware of.” Emma called back as she ran ahead.

“It’s already covered half the town!” Leroy screeched. “We’re too late!”

Emma rolled her eyes. When they reached Main Street, Emma could see the curse coming. It was three separate colors that twirled around each other. That was new.

It made Emma’s gut churn. Now that she knew the curse was more of a threat than Leroy’s usual overreactions, she hurried up Main Street trying to remember Regina’s lessons in stopping curses and spells. It was tough for Regina to do, but she had long ago told Emma that as a product of True Love, Emma’s magic could handle more than the average sorceress. If she couldn’t stop it Wes and Morgan were right behind her packing just as much True Love magic as her thanks to hers and Killian’s love.

Emma stopped in the middle of Main Street and took a deep, calming breath, centering herself before opening her eyes and flinging her arms out. White magic shot from her hands and hit the curse clouds, halting their progress. As she concentrated her magic into doing as Regina instructed, something didn’t feel right. This curse was different.

“Mom?” Morgan sounded worried, and that wasn’t usual for Morgan. As the baby of the family, she often let everyone else do the worrying.

But Emma knew why she was worried; Emma’s magic wasn’t working to stop the curse. She could hear people crowding behind her and she heard her mother speaking to the people to calm them down.

Wes stepped up to her side. “I don’t think you can stop it.”

“I can’t just let everyone become cursed.” Emma said. “We don’t know who cast it or why or where we’ll end up.”

Wes was silent and Emma knew those gears in his head were turning. Like his father, Wes often thought of a solution Emma didn’t, and she was glad to have him by her side with Killian being oddly absent. “Shield the rest of the town.”

Understanding what he meant, Emma shifted her magic into a forcefield that rose over and around the remains of the town. “Everyone on the other side will be taken by this curse.”

“Then we’ll figure it out.” Wes said. “You always figure it out, mom.”

“He’s right.” Morgan spoke up, watching the curse clouds cascade over Emma’s white shield. “Besides, you’re not alone. Wes and I can help, and Dad and Henry wherever they are.”

When the curse dissipated Emma lowered the shield and went to stand beside her mother in front of the gathered townspeople. “As you can see, we’ve had another curse. We don’t know who was behind it or why, but we will find out. Unfortunately, we were too late to stop it. All I could do was protect the rest of you from being taken by it. I want all of you to go to your homes and jobs, and find out who all is missing. Report them missing to the Sheriff’s station. If any of you see someone or something suspicious, call my number directly and immediately.”

After years of Emma Jones being pretty much in charge of everything, the town agreed to her orders. She was the Savior after all.

Seattle, Washington, a few weeks later…

Henry Swan was alone. That was his life. Orphaned at a young age, adopted into an abusive family, and then bouncing around with no set goal in life, all Henry had was himself to rely on. He lost himself in reading and then learned that his passion was in writing stories. His stories, getting lost in creating these worlds, worlds of magic and curses and pirates and saviors, became his home; his reprieve from his lonely existence.

He was watching his ramen noodles cook in the microwave, his thoughts geared towards the newest adventure of Emma Swan and Captain Jones, when there was a knock at the door to his apartment.

Confused, because he didn’t have friends and he certainly never had visitors, Henry left his kitchen and walked over to the front door. He peeked out of the peep hole, but saw nothing.

There was another knock at the door that made Henry jump back.

Cautiously, he opened the door.

There was a little girl with black hair and warm, dark brown eyes, her round face smiling up at him. She must have been no more than eight years old. He had never seen this girl in his life, but there was something painfully familiar about her, and his heart filled with an aching feeling that made his head spin.

He shook his head and blinked. “Can I help you?”

“Are you Henry Swan?” The little girl asked, though her tone made Henry feel like she already knew the answer. Even the way she was looking at him made him think that she seemed to know him, even if he didn’t know her. She seemed to be very excited, but it appeared as though she was trying to hold it all in.

Like a bomb ready to explode.

It made Henry nervous. “Um, yeah?”

Henry blinked at the young girl. “I’m sorry, what now?”

Sofia rolled her eyes and pushed her way into his apartment. “You really need to get on the uptake. I’m your daughter, and we need to leave now.”

Henry was so confused. Who was this girl and why the hell did she think that he was her dad? Sure, he had had relationships, flings, and one night stands, but…a kid? No way. “I’m sorry, little girl. I think you’ve made a mistake. I…I don’t have any kids.”

Sofia turned to look at him, scrutinizing him with a droll look that gave him déjà vu. “How would you know?”

Truthfully, he couldn’t know. If he’d gotten a woman pregnant, then he couldn’t have known unless she told him. So…this girl could be his daughter…maybe? Sofia did look familiar after all. “Okay, well, whether I’m your dad or not, I need to get you home. Your mom is probably worried sick.”

Sofia grimaced. “The curse gave me an adoptive mother. She’s an evil witch.”

A surge of sympathy ran through Henry, even if he was still confused as hell. “You’re adopted?”

“It’s a recent development.” She remarked dryly.

Even though it was a little girl talking, Henry heard Emma Swan’s voice as if his orphan turned Savior literary heroine was right there in the room with him. “Okay, so you’re adopted, and it’s new, so you sought me out? Why? Why not find your birth mom?”

“I know where my mom is.” Sofia said. “My mom is cursed, just like everyone else. I don’t really know what happened, but I know there’s a curse, and you have to help me break it.”

Why was this sounding like his Once Upon A Time series? An evil witch cast a curse? Henry narrowed his eyes at the girl. “Have you ever read the series Once Upon A Time?”

“By H.S. Jones.” Sofia nodded. “My grandad used to read them to me.”

“How are you adopted?” Henry asked. “You have a mom, a grandad, why don’t they have you?”

Sofia sighed as if she lost her patience with him. “Look, we need to go to the Hyperion Heights neighborhood and then we can get on to Operation Cygnet.”

Henry had never heard of Hyperion Heights, but Seattle was a huge city and he’d only moved here last year. “Operation Cygnet?”

Sofia shrugged. “You liked snakes, I like birds. Grams says I get that from her mother.”

“You have a grandmother too?” Henry was starting to think that this kid was lying.

As if sensing his thoughts, Sofia deflated. “You don’t believe me.”

“Why should I believe you?” Henry asked. “I have no idea who you are or where you come from, and you claim to have family, but you’re adopted and then you’re talking about curses. How do I know this isn’t just your overactive imagination?”

Sofia’s face crumpled, her eyes shining with tears. “You’re supposed to believe. You’re the Truest Believer.”

Henry stiffened. The Truest Believer was a character that he scrapped from his series; a character that was Emma Swan’s son that was taken by the Evil Queen and raised by him. Henry still wrote in the character of the Evil Queen’s adopted son, with a few hints that he was really Emma’s son, but he never once wrote about the Truest Believer. “Where did you hear that?”

Sofia wasn’t listening though, instead rubbing at her eyes and trying not to cry. It wasn’t working. “You always believe in things. Why can’t you believe me now?”

Henry winced as the little girl began to sob. “Hey, hey, don’t cry.” He knelt down in front of her. “Please, don’t cry.” Awkwardly, he pat her shoulder, trying to think of anything that he could do to make her stop crying. “I’m sorry, okay.”

She wiped at her eyes again and sniffled, pouting at him like a puppy that had just been kicked.

Henry felt like absolute shit. This little girl was obviously troubled, and was seeking out help, and here he was being a total ass. “Look, I’m sorry. Really, I am, but I don’t know what you expected to find here. I don’t have a family, and you obviously do, so I need to get you back to them, okay?”

“Will you come with me?” Sofia asked, looking so lost that Henry’s heart hurt.

“Yeah, I’ll…I’ll take you home.” Henry said. “Hyperion Heights, right?”

Sofia gave him a small smile. “Yeah.”

The unmarked Dodge Challenger pulled up in front the fancy apartment building known as Salem Towers. It was owned by Sanderson Inc., as was most of Hyperion Heights, a corporation that had been built from the ground up by three sisters. Three sisters that Detective James Rogers suspected, not only owned the neighborhood and every building in it, but likely the Hyperion Heights Police and Fire Departments. In fact, his gut instinct told him that the Sanderson sisters had their hands in everything.

Rogers was the senior Detective of the Violent Crimes Unit, and kidnappings were on that list, which was why he had been assigned to the high profile case of finding Winifred Sanderson’s adopted daughter.

He flashed his badge to the doorman, his partner, Detective Warren Shepherd, right behind him.

They were escorted to a private elevator where the security guard swiped a card to let them in. When they entered the elevators, Shepherd spoke. “Think we’ll find her?”

Rogers turned towards him. Shepherd was a fair-haired man with blue eyes around Rogers’ age, both being in their mid-fifties.  He was a bit taller than Rogers’ and broader in the shoulders.

The opposite of Rogers himself. “I hope so. It’s no surprise that this happened though.”

“Yeah.” Shepherd sighed. “Think they’ve gotten a ransom call yet?”

“I hope not.” Rogers said. “We really should be there for that.” Rogers eyed the elevator number as it creeped up.

Winifred Sanderson lived in the penthouse apartment on the very top floor of Salem Towers…which had twenty floors.

“How much is Winifred worth again?” Shepherd asked.

“Billions I think.” Rogers said.

Shepherd let out a long whistle. “What exactly does Sanderson Inc. do again?”

“I’m fairly sure they do a bit of everything.” Rogers shrugged. “They own the entire neighborhood.”

Finally the elevator dinged at the twentieth floor, and the detectives stepped out into the large room of the penthouse. The place was immaculate and full of modern and sleek furniture that looked like it was bought because it was expensive and not at all comfortable. It was an open floor plan allowing a clear sight of the sitting area, the dining area, and the kitchen. There was a spiral staircase near the windows in the farthest corner. Upstairs must’ve been where Winifred and Sofia slept.

The Sanderson sisters were sitting in the sitting area, Winifred in a high-back armchair, and her sisters on the couch. Uniformed officers were in the room, and one, a young rookie who Rogers and Shepherd had a soft spot for, walked over.

Officer Joseph White was in his early twenties, and every time Rogers saw him, he could swear he was really looking at a younger version of Shepherd, the only difference being that White had dark hair. “Detectives.”

“White.” Shepherd nodded in greeting. “What do we have?”

White looked down at his notes. “Sofia Sanderson, eight years old, dark brown eyes, black hair, brown skin tone, three foot five. Last seen here in the penthouse wearing jeans, a purple long-sleeved shirt, and white tennis shoes.”

“Wait, she was last seen here?” Rogers’ brow furrowed.

“The security guards, receptionist, and doorman all claim they didn’t see her leave the building with anyone or on her own.” White said. “If she managed to leave here, she was very clever or someone took her from here and hid her.”

“There are security cameras, right?” Rogers asked.

White nodded. “The lobby and the front entrance have them. I have an officer with one of the security guards getting the tapes now.”

Rogers nodded. “Good work, White.” He walked past the young officer and strode over to the sisters.

Shepherd fell into step with him.

“Ms. Sanderson, I’m Detective Rogers and this is my partner Detective Shepherd.” Rogers said.

Winifred Sanderson was a pale woman in her mid-thirties with high cheekbones and striking curly red hair that was in an elaborate half-up half-down do. Her sharp blue eyes pierced him and Shepherd. Instinctively, Rogers knew that she didn’t want them there, and he wondered if this was something more sinister than a missing girl. She stood from her chair with catlike grace and held out her hand. At her full height, in the heels that she wore, she was still just a tad shorter than Rogers, but he still felt like she was looking down at him.

Rogers took her hand and shook it lightly and quickly.

Winifred eyed his left “hand” and gave a slight sneer before shaking Shepherd’s hand and sitting back down, her hands smoothing out the creases of her emerald pantsuit.

Rogers had long gotten over his self-consciousness over his missing left hand, especially now that he had a new prosthetic that allowed for more hand-like movements. The black glove covering it made him feel a bit like a Jedi, so that was even more of a plus. He looked over at her sisters.

Her sister Mary was a bit younger and rounder in the face. She was stouter than her sisters, but wore a flattering red dress under a back blazer. Her dark hair was short, framing her face and everything about her seemed to scream doormat, even her fidgety demeanor. Her blue eyes were filled with worry.

Sarah was the youngest and could probably pass as a model with her long blonde hair and lean, tanned body. She wore heavy make up that made her blue eyes pop, and she seemed much more concerned about her manicure than the situation at hand.

“Officer White has told us that Sofia was last seen here.” Shepherd spoke.

“That is correct.” Winifred said cooly. “My sister Mary had been watching her.”

That explained Mary’s demeanor; either she blamed herself or she was scared of her sister’s wrath.

Rogers glanced around the apartment. There were no pictures of the sisters or Sofia. Only expensive art and mirrors hung on the walls. “Do you have any pictures of Sofia? Perhaps on your phones?”

Winifred glared at him. “No. I’ve only recently adopted her and she’s very photo shy.”

That was a partial lie at least. Rogers could feel it in his bones. “Recently adopted? So there’s a chance that she might’ve runaway?”

Shepherd sent him a warning glance. It wouldn’t do well for them to get on the bad side of the wealthy and powerful.

“Just what are you implying, detective?” Winifred’s tone was icy.

“I’m simply trying to get all of the facts.” Rogers said. “This very well could be a kidnapping, or a runaway. We need to investigate all of the possibilities.”

“What he means is that we just want to be sure that we’re thorough.” Shepherd said, trying to smooth things over. “Finding Sofia is our number one priority. However, it is suspect that Sofia was last seen here. Who all has access to this apartment?”

“My sisters, the security guards, and myself.” Winifred answered Shepherd crisply, but her eyes were still glaring at Rogers. “Sofia doesn’t have an access card. She’s too young for that responsibility. Mary or Sarah are usually with her, and Mary was tonight as you know. We also have a maid and a cook, but they cannot get in unless we, or security, let them in and they are often watched. The maid comes in and cleans when Sofia is at school and the cook comes only at meal times.”

“So neither would have the chance to take Sofia?” Shepherd asked.

“The maid had left about an hour before Sofia returned from school.” Mary spoke up, nervously. “I was here. Our driver, Mr. Flint, picked Sofia up and I let her in here. The cook usually comes at six thirty to prepare dinner, and the last I saw Sofia, she went upstairs as soon as she came home from school.”

“What about any of the security guards?” Shepherd was scribbling notes in a notepad, ensuring that he didn’t miss anything that was said.

“They know better than to come up here.” Winifred said.

Mary wasn’t lying at all, that Rogers could tell, and Winifred seemed not to be a maternal type of woman. He had the distinct feeling that this wasn’t exactly a kidnapping; having been an orphan himself, he knew a runner when he saw one. “Is there anything missing from Sofia’s room?”

“Such as?” Winifred asked.

“A bag, clothes, toys, shoes, books, a hairbrush.” Rogers listed of examples.

“You think she ran.” Winifred hissed.

“I think that she at least left the building on her own.” Rogers explained. “As for what happened after, either she ran away or someone took her from the street.”

If looks could kill, Rogers would be dead with the withering look that Winifred sent him.

“Sofia is very happy here.” Winifred said. “She has a wonderful home, goes to the top school in the district, can have anything she wanted if she asked. I do not like the implications and assumptions you are making Detective Rogers.”

Rogers stared her down for a moment before conceding, if only to keep himself on this case. “My apologies. Do you have an enemies? Disgruntled employees?”

The questioning became routine and it turned up nothing, so they explained what to do in case of a ransom call and that uniformed officers would be posted outside. Shepherd gave the sisters the number to reach them at the station and they bid the ladies goodnight and left.

“You don’t think this was a kidnapping.” Shepherd wasn’t asking.

“I think that that woman doesn’t have a heart.” Rogers said. “I don’t think for a second that that little girl was happy here.”

Shepherd studied him and nodded. “Your instincts are usually right, but I’d feel better if we kept investigating this as a high profile kidnapping.”

Rogers sighed. “You’re right. If there’s a chance that that poor girl is in danger…”

“We’ll find her.” Shepherd clapped a reassuring hand on Rogers’ shoulder. “Right now, we need to get back to the station and keep looking into this.”

Dennison Apartments wasn’t too shabby, but certainly not glamourous. However, it was good enough though for their purpose. After all, they didn’t plan on staying here too long. At least, Emma hoped that they wouldn’t be here too long. One could never be too sure how long curses would last, but at least True Love’s Kiss was a surefire way to break them.

They just had to find Killian first.

“Here you are, Mrs. Jones.” The landlord handed her the key to apartment 4C. She could make two copies for the kids tomorrow.

Emma smiled, trying not to show the man any familiarity. “Thank you, Mr. Boyce.”

“Please, call me Keith.” The man smiled, laugh lines crinkling around his blue eyes.

“Then call me Emma.” Emma preferred the first name basis anyhow.

The name Boyce was much too close to the man’s real name of Booth, and it would be hard enough to remember to call the man before her Keith instead of August.

“Well Emma, welcome.” Keith smiled. “I hope you and your kids find a home here.”

Thinking of Killian and their quest, Emma nodded. “We hope so too.”

Where the hell was Hyperion Heights?

Henry felt like he’d been driving around for hours, but there was no sight of the neighborhood Sofia claimed to live in.

Sofia kept pointing to a side street that Henry was sure was a dead end. “I’m telling you it’s there. You just have to believe.”

Henry sighed. Believe what? This girl’s story? He glanced at the dead end street before turning back to Sofia. “What do I have to believe?”

Sofia shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m only eight, and that means I don’t know squat.”

Henry arched a brow at her. He had a feeling that despite her age, Sofia knew a lot more than she was saying. Still, her words did amuse him. He had to hand it to this girl; she had spunk. “Okay, okay, so I have to believe?”

“I guess so.” She looked inexplicably sad as she watched him, as though she were remembering something that Henry wasn’t aware of. “It’s what you always do.”

This girl acted as if she’d known Henry her whole life. If she knew the first thing about him, it was that he was skeptical of everything. There was no use in believing in things that would never come to pass.

He sighed and rubbed a tired hand over his eyes.

Sofia pulled her backpack up from the floor of Henry’s car and unzipped it, pulling out a large, brown leather bound book. It had Once Upon A Time emblazoned on the cover in gold lettering.

“That’s not one of my books.” Henry said.

“Nope.” Sofia said. “This book is a little more special. It was a part of Operation Night Owl.”

“And what is Operation Night Owl?” Henry was amused. This girl did like her birds.

Sofia gave him a secret smile. “I don’t think you need to know yet.”

“Why not?”

Sofia tilted her head, studying him. “Because you don’t believe.”

There was that word again. Henry leaned forward and looked her in the eye. “Okay, so I just have to believe, and the neighborhood will magically appear?”

“I hope so.” Sofia’s eyes widened. “Or we’re in big trouble.”

Henry leaned back and closed his eyes. He wanted to believe in something; there was no doubt of that. It’s why he wrote the Once Upon A Time books. He wanted to believe that somewhere out there, heroes and happy endings existed. Opening his eyes, he looked at Sofia, finding her flipping through the book. He wanted to help this girl. It was clear that she had gone through something bad, and that she was desperate for someone to fix her situation. He couldn’t be the hero that she needed though, could he? Still, there was something familiar about Sofia, something that tugged at his heart and it made him want to help her.

It couldn’t hurt to try.

Yeah, he would help her. He nodded to himself before looking out his window at the…neighborhood that was right where the dead end had been. How the hell did that happen?

“Henry?”

He turned back to Sofia, who looked tired and sad.

“I want to go home.” She told him.

“Yeah, okay, that way, right?” He pointed at the neighborhood.

Sofia’s eyes brightened and she sat up straighter. “You see it?”

“Yeah.” Henry started the car and pulled out of the parking spot. “Let’s get you home.”

As soon as the police left, Winifred turned on her sisters. “How did you let this happen?”

Mary shuffled nervously. “I...we...She was gone. She’s just a little girl.”

“A little girl that is causing trouble.” Winifred growled. “You were supposed to curse the aunt into my custody. Not the daughter of a princess and the author.”

“We cast the curse correctly.” Mary insisted. “But something stopped it. We only have half the population of Storybrooke. The whole town should’ve come with us.”

“It was probably that damn Savior.” Winifred sneered. “She must’ve stopped the curse somehow. Not completely, but enough that her little brats are safe.”

Sarah giggled. “At least her husband is cursed. He’s quite the silver fox.”

Winifred scoffed. “Did you not hear me? The Savior and her children are not cursed. We need those kids.”

“I’m sure Hades will find a way to get them.” Sarah said as she checked her make up. She pursed her ruby red lips.

“Getting those children was a part of our deal, remember?” Winifred threw up her hands, exasperated with her sisters and their incompetence. Was she the only one who understood the terms of their deal with Hades? They needed the Savior’s teenaged brats. Hades wanted them, and if the Sanderson sisters wanted to remain alive then they had to be the ones to deliver them.

“Maybe we could offer up the author?” Mary suggested. “He’s the son of the Savior.”

Winifred scoffed. “But he’s not a product of True Love. His magic is nothing compared to the other two. Hades won’t want a substitute. He’ll want those two and we have to get them.”

“But if they’re not cursed, then they’re back in Storybrooke.” Sarah said. “How will we get them?”

“We could always go back.” Mary suggested.

“We can’t.” Winifred said. “We’re cursed too. We can’t leave Hyperion Heights until the curse is broken.”

“Then we’ll break the curse.” Sarah smiled.

Winifred sighed heavily. Her sisters just didn’t get anything at all. “Sarah, do us all a favor and shut up.”

Sarah pouted.

“We have power while the curse is intact.” Winifred began to pace. “We just need to figure out how to get those brats before Hades comes to collect. We definitely have to keep the author’s little brat in line too.”

“So what do we do?” Mary asked.

Winifred clicked her tongue. “We hold up our end of the deal.”

“Stop!”

The shout startled Henry, causing him to jerk the wheel slightly.

“Stop, stop!” Sofia insisted, jumping up and down in her seat as best as she could with the seatbelt restraining her.

Quickly, Henry parallel parked the car. “What is it?” He asked, cutting the engine off.

Sofia was unbuckling her seatbelt and already opening the car door.

“Sofia!” Henry quickly got out of the car and walked around it to the sidewalk. He caught her from running off. “Wait, wait, wait. What are you doing?”

“We need to go there.” She pointed down the sidewalk to a bright neon sign.

Neptune’s Star.

“What’s Neptune’s Star?” Henry asked.

“Mom works there.” Sofia said, already walking off.

Henry followed her. “Wait, your adoptive mom?”

“No, my real mom works there.” Sofia told him.

Henry looked at the building as they approached. “Wait, is that a bar?” He managed to step in front of Sofia. “I can’t let you go into a bar. You’re just a kid.”

“It’s fine.” Sofia shrugged. “My mom’s there. I mean she doesn’t remember being my mom, but it’ll be fine. Plus, you’re an adult so it’s not like I’ll be unsupervised.”

Henry wasn’t so sure of that. As far as anyone knew, he was a strange man with a girl that claimed she was his daughter. If the woman who worked here was Sofia’s mom, then she might not be happy to see him if he was really Sofia’s dad. But then again, Sofia said her mom didn’t remember her, so was Sofia telling the truth or making all of this up because she wasn’t happy with her adoptive mom?

They entered the bar. It was dimly lit like most bars, with brighter lights over the pool tables. The interior felt like the inside of one of those old sailing ships with the floors and walls all wooden planks that looked aged, and the vaulted ceiling. The warm colors of the wood worked well with the burgundy vinyl of the bar stools and booths. There were nautical decorations mixed with posters and framed vinyl records from classic rock bands. The bar area was at the center of the room, kind of like Cheers. It was a cozy place.

A few patrons looked their way, but Henry kept his focus on Sofia, who was heading towards the bar.

Sofia jumped up on a barstool, looking smug as Henry sat down.

“Okay,” Henry sighed. “What now?”

Sofia looked around, probably trying to find her mom, or at least, the woman Sofia wanted to be her mother. “We need to get my mom. Then you guys can break the curse.”

Looking around nervously, Henry decided to indulge Sofia’s curse story. “Okay, so how would we break the curse?”

“With True Love’s kiss.” Sofia stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

True Love’s kiss? Henry looked at Sofia with concern. She had read his Once Upon A Time books, and True Love’s kiss was how curses were broken in his books. Did Sofia believe that his books were real? “True Love’s kiss only works when people are in love.”

“You and mom are.” Sofia said. “You just don’t remember it. When you meet, you guys will fall in love again, and kiss and break the curse.”

Henry had no idea what to say to that. If he did hook up with Sofia’s mom, and she remembered him, Henry doubted love was in the picture. If the lady was a stranger, well, love at first sight didn’t exist.

“Sofia?” A woman appeared behind them, catching Sofia and Henry’s attention.

Henry’s breath caught.

She was beautiful. Her bronze skin contrasted well with her ebony hair that reached her shoulders, framing her heart shaped face. Her dark brown, almond shaped eyes narrowed on Henry.

Henry swallowed hard.

“Sofia, what are you doing here?” The woman asked, but she was still glaring at Henry. “Who are you? What the hell are you doing with her?” She pushed between him and Sofia. “Sofia, go to the back, now.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait!” Henry stood up from the stool and backed up, his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I can explain!”

“You better hope you can before I call the cops!” The woman stepped forward, getting into his face.

“Serafina, wait.” Sofia jumped off of the stool and pulled Serafina back. “He’s my dad.”

“He’s your what?” Serafina’s expression went from angered to confused. “Your dad?”

Sofia nodded. “Yeah, I found him.”

Serafina looked between Sofia and Henry, trying to figure out what was going on. “Okay, I’m going to need you to start from the beginning.”

“Well, there was a curse…” Sofia began, but then she trailed off, not sure if it was a smart thing. Would spreading knowledge of the curse be helpful, or would it hurt people? What would Winifred do to people who knew? Sofia knew that the Sanderson sisters were evil, but just how evil were they?

“What curse?” Serafina asked.

Sofia shrugged, now unsure of herself.

Serafina turned to Henry. “Do you know what she’s talking about?”

“Look, I’m not really sure.” Henry said. “Sofia showed up at my apartment, and said I’m her dad. I just wanted to bring her home.”

Serafina turned to Sofia. “Why don’t you go sit at the bar, and let me talk to your….dad?”

Sofia looked nervous, but she complied.

“Are you her dad?” Serafina glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

Henry swallowed nervously. “Uh, I don’t know.”

Serafina didn’t look impressed.

In fact, Henry felt like she was sizing him up and not liking him one bit.

“Any chance you could be?” Serafina asked.

“I, uh, I don’t know.” Henry said. “I mean if I am, her mother never told me, so…”

“Right.” Serafina nodded, clearly wary of him. “So where is Sofia’s mom?”

Henry blinked. “She said you were her mom.”

Serafina’s jaw dropped. “She said what?” She huffed, nervously. “I think I would remember having a kid.”

Henry looked over at Sofia, who was looking back at them looking somewhat upset. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but I do know that Sofia seems to be struggling with something personal. She said she was recently adopted, and maybe she’s looking for someone who understands or somewhere to belong.”

“And that concerns you?” Serafina arched a brow.

“Let’s just say that I know what that’s like.” Henry said.

That drew an intrigued look from Serafina, but before either could say more, the door to the bar banged open.

Henry watched as two men entered the bar.

One was fair haired with some wrinkles, his blue eyes scanning the room.

Henry got the sense that that was a man who believed in justice, giving off a Captain America vibe.

The other man looked slightly younger, his dark hair distinguished with silver at the temples. His blue eyes were sharp as they looked around.

Henry sensed a more roguish and tragic vibe from him.

He wondered who they were.

“Detectives!” Serafina walked over to them. “What are you doing here?”

“Someone called in a tip.” The blonde detective said. “Said Sofia Sanderson was here.”

“She is.” Serafina said. “At the bar.”

She led the detectives over as Henry joined them. “Detectives Rogers and Shepherd, this is….”

“Henry.” Henry introduced himself. “Henry Swan.”

Detective Shepherd shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Detective Rogers narrowed his eyes. “How exactly are you involved in this?”

“He’s my dad.” Sofia said.

The detectives looked surprised, both turning to Henry for confirmation.

“Look, I was just bringing Sofia home.” Henry said. “She showed up at my place, and said she was my kid.”

“Do you have proof?” Shepherd asked.

“No.” Henry said. “If she is my kid, I had no idea. I just met her tonight.”

Rogers stepped forward. “Shep, why don’t you take Sofia home? I’ll stay here and talk with Mr. Swan.”

Henry had a bad feeling about this.

Sofia huffed. “Don’t arrest him. He’s telling the truth. Besides, the curse took all of your memories anyway.”

“The what now?” Shepherd asked.

“Nevermind.” Sofia sighed.

“Let’s just get you home.” Shepherd helped her off the stool.

Sofia looked up at Henry. “You’ll stay, right?”

Henry wasn’t sure he would be around or not, and he wasn’t keen to give false promises. “I’m not sure.”

Sofia deflated, and Henry felt like shit for not being able to do more. “Yeah, okay.” She let Shepherd lead her away.

Henry watched her with an ache in his chest.

“So, Mr. Swan.” Rogers looked at him with a smirk that chilled Henry. “I think we need to talk.”

“It’s Henry.” Henry said, nervously.

“Mr. Swan will do for now.” Rogers said. “How about you come with me down to the station?”

Oh yeah, Henry had a bad feeling about this.

Morgan looked around her new room, not feeling at home at all. It had been a few weeks since the curse, her mom and grandmother having worked overtime to keep the town calm and in order. After all that, her mom had finally had time to locate where the curse took everyone.

Seattle had been a bit of a surprise since there wasn’t supposed to be magic in the Land Without Magic, but then again, by that logic, Storybrooke shouldn’t exist either.

Magic didn’t make sense most of the time. At least not to her.

Morgan plopped onto her new bed with a heavy sigh. Tomorrow, her mother was going to enroll her in Hyperion Heights High School (she rolled her eyes at the creativity), and she’d be forced to attend high school with people she knew, but they would have no memory of her. That sounded like loads of fun.

This curse sucked.

When she begged her mom to let her come with her and Wes, she thought that she’d be actually helping and investigating. But nope, back to school for her.

“Hey Momo.” Wes knocked on the doorframe, catching her attention. “Can I come in?”

“Sure.” Morgan replied, not taking her eyes off of the ceiling. She felt the bed dip, before Wes plopped down beside her.

“Yes, the popcorn ceiling is fascinating.” Wes commented dryly. “Do you think that it’s styrofoam since the curse was just cast, or is it asbestos because they were trying to go for that seventies your home is made of death materials look?”

Morgan snorted. “How do you even know that?”

Wes shrugged, causing the mattress to move. “Random, useless trivia.”

“Does your random, useless trivia filled brain have any idea on how to break the curse?” Morgan asked, her tone souring.

“Well, there’s the all-purpose curse breaker known as True Love’s Kiss.” Wes suggested. “Though, the problem with that is that it won’t work with memory loss.”

“So if we find dad, he and mom won’t be able to break the curse?”

“Ha, have you met dad?” Wes chuckled. “Nah, he’ll easily fall for mom, even without his memories.”

Morgan wasn’t as certain as Wes was about that. While their parents did have True Love and loved each other very deeply, their dad was still cursed, and they had no idea who he was or what he was like here.

An elbow lightly prodded at her stomach. “Come on, Momo, you got to believe that we can do this. It’s just a curse, and once it’s broken, we can all go home.”

“Don’t you think I’m too old for nicknames?” Morgan asked without heart, trying to change the subject.

Wes sat up and looked down at her with an arched brow. While Wes was a perfect physical blend of Emma and Killian, he definitely inherited Killian’s expressive brows. “Since when is fifteen old? You’re not getting all moody teenager now, are you?”

“As a teenager, I have every right to be moody.” Morgan countered. “It’s not my fault that you were atypical from normal teenagers.”

“Incorrect.” Wes said. “Teenagers are not normal, they are monsters.”

Morgan rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help the grin that broke out on her face. “You’re such a weirdo.”

Her brother gasped dramatically, placing his hand over his heart. “Why are you so cruel to me?”

Morgan sat up and grabbed one of her pillows, quickly whacking him with it.

“Abuse!” Wes exclaimed. “I’m going to report you for assault.”

“Oh yes, I’m so worried.” Morgan smirked. “What are you going to do? Have mom arrest me?”

Wes gave her a serious look. “I just might.”

Morgan stuck her tongue out at him.

“Mature.” Wes laid back, making himself comfortable on the bed.

“I’m a teenager, I’m not suppose to be mature.” Morgan said. “According to the CW, I’m supposed to whine and angst and be a part of an unnecessary love triangle with two guys who are realistically really bad for me.”

“That would be unnecessary since you prefer boobs over dick.” Wes said.

“Shhh.” Morgan glanced at the doorway, wondering if their mom was around. “I told you I wasn’t sure what I liked.”

Wes rolled his eyes. “And I told you that dad’s bi and mom will support you no matter what.”

“How do you even know dad’s bi?” Morgan asked. Wes tended to know a lot of things most people didn’t. “He’s been devoted to mom, oh since, before we were born.”

“It’s called eavesdropping.” Wes remarked. “You should try it sometimes. You learn a lot of things when adults are sure you’re not listening. Though, I’m quiet, and you’re a disaster, so you’d be discovered before learning anything good.”

Morgan hit him with the pillow again.

“Ow.” Wes’ face scrunched up. “That was a lot harder than the last hit.”

“Was not.” Morgan huffed.

“Was too.” Wes countered.

“Was not.”

Wes groaned. “I am not getting sucked into this.”

“You started it.” Morgan bit back a mischievous smile.

Wes glared at her. “You are truly an annoying little sister.”

“Yes, but I’m also the best little sister you’ve ever had.” Morgan said.

“I’d say you’re the only little sister I have, but that’s so cliche.” Wes sat up again. “The ceiling isn’t that interesting.”

Morgan tilted her head in a confused fashion. “Well, yeah, it’s a ceiling.”

“Then why were you staring so intently at it earlier?” Wes asked.

She shrugged.

Wes wasn’t easily deterred. “Momo, no secrets.”

Morgan groaned. “Fine. I just think it’s stupid that I have to go to school. It’s a curse, I should be helping you and mom, not trying to get an A in Algebra.”

“Well, you suck at Algebra, so an A is quite a reach.” Wes said, earning another smack with the pillow. “So violent today.” He shook his head, clicking his tongue. “Look, believe it or not, going to school is a good thing. For one thing, it keeps your life as normal as possible.”

“How is any of this normal?” Morgan threw her arms up. “We’re here to break a curse.”

“That doesn’t mean we need to put our lives on hold.” Wes told her. “The other thing that’s good about you going to school, is that you are helping. You go to school, learn who’s who, and find out if any teachers or students there are not from Storybrooke. You’d be investigating and doing recon for mom. I mean, mom looks younger than her age, but she couldn’t pull off eighteen, and she isn’t teacher material. I can’t do it, because I have to scope out the rest of the town, and unlike you and mom, I have tact and dad’s charm…”

Morgan snorted again.

Wes ignored her. “So we’re relying on you to do all the leg work at the school, okay?”

The girl nodded. “Fine, but I still don’t like it.”

Wes gave her a sympathetic look. “It’ll be fine.”

“You know, that’s the line that a male in horror movies says whenever a woman expresses her worries over the situation, and he usually gets axed.”

Wes’ eyebrows rose to his hairline. “I think I need to tell mom that your Netflix profile needs to be supervised.”

“Then I’ll tell her that you lied about what really happened to grandpa’s truck last year.” Morgan said.

“How do you even know what really happened?” Wes asked.

“Zara told Rosemary, and I overheard it, because Althea and I are friends and I’m over at her and Rosemary’s house all the time.” Morgan smirked. “Honestly, I don’t know what surprised me more, how it happened, or the fact that you were fucking Zara Mills.”

Wes groaned. “It was a one time thing, and please don’t tell anyone.”

“It wouldn’t be blackmail if I told anyone.” Morgan was definitely too delighted to have such power over her big brother.

“You really are the evil one in this family.” Wes stood up, shaking his head. “Very evil.”

“Muahahahaha!”

Wes gave her a dry look. “You really should work on that laugh. Can’t be an evil mastermind without more ham.”

“I’ll be sure to check out villains on youtube.” Morgan said.

Wes chuckled and began to leave.

“Hey, Wessy.”

He paused and looked back at her, not even looking remotely irritated by the nickname.

Morgan gave him a smile. “Thanks.”

“That’s what big brother’s are for.”

When he left the room, Morgan’s thoughts turned back to school tomorrow, and it didn’t seem so bad now.

Rogers handed Henry a styrofoam cup of coffee, but Henry sensed that the gesture was meant to lower his defenses. Just like talking at Rogers desk instead of an interrogation room.

Rogers sipped his coffee, his eyes watching Henry carefully.

Henry tried to relax and focused on sweetening his coffee with the sugar packets that Rogers had brought. “So, you wanted to talk?”

“I did.” Rogers said, his tone giving nothing away. “So, what happened tonight?”

Henry sighed, looking Rogers in the eye. “I was at my apartment, and Sofia showed up. She claims that she’s my daughter. Honestly, I have no idea why she would think that, or what led her to me. I just wanted to take her back to her home.”

“Did she tell you who her mother was?” Rogers asked.

“She said that the woman from the bar was her mom.” Henry shrugged.

“Serafina?” Rogers looked surprised at that.

“Yeah.” Henry said. “But Serafina said she never had kids, so I don’t know if Sofia’s being honest or not.”

Rogers set his coffee down. “What else do you know about Sofia?”

“Just what she told me.” Henry said. “She was recently adopted, and she’s read my books.”

“Your books?” Rogers seemed curious.

“The Once Upon A Time series.” Henry said. “By H.S. Jones.”

Something flickered in Rogers’ eyes, but it left so quickly, Henry thought he was mistaken.

“A nom de plume.” Rogers wrote down some things on a notepad. “Why do you think Sofia sought you out?”

Henry wasn’t sure of that himself. He had a working theory, but it only left him feeling even more terrible for the poor girl. “She’s read my books, and my books have an overarching theme about finding family and love and happy endings. I was a foster kid once, and I wished for a family and happiness. Sofia might just be looking for that too, and maybe she thought that I could provide that, because she read my books.”

Rogers wrote some more, but didn’t comment right away.

Henry took a careful sip of the coffee, his eyes glancing at Rogers’ desk. There were no pictures, no personal items except car keys, and it was covered in file folders and paperwork. The detective was clearly a workaholic.

“What are your plans now?” Rogers’ question brought Henry’s attention back to the detective.

“Go home and sleep.” Henry said. “Wake up tomorrow, and live my life.” Alone.

Rogers didn’t seem to believe him, but got Henry’s contact information and address before letting him go.

Henry asked for directions back to the bar, so that he could get his car, and left the station, feeling Detective Rogers’ suspicious eyes.

It was a bit of a walk, but finally, Henry found his car. Relief swept over him as he got inside, ready to go home, sleep, and then pretend this night never happened. Even if worry for Sofia niggled at the back of his mind.

He turned the keys, and the engine sputtered. “No, no, no, no. Come on.” He tried to start it again, but the engine refused to roar to life.

The car was dead, and Henry was stuck here.

Sofia muffled her sobs with her pillow.

After her grandpa David, or Detective Shepherd, had dropped her off, Winifred had yelled at her under the guise of a worried mother.

Sofia wasn’t fooled. She knew that somehow she was ruining whatever plans the Sanderson sisters had, and Winifred was enraged that she had to deal with a spanner in the works.

Even worse, her dad, the man who believed in everyone, didn’t believe her at all. His cursed self wasn’t a believer, and he wanted nothing more than to get rid of her. Her mother had no memory of her either, and neither of her parents remembered each other.

How could she break the curse now? Her dad was probably long gone, and True Love’s Kiss doesn’t work with memory loss. She was stuck here with these evil witches, and no way of braking the curse, and no way of returning home.