True North

"True North" is the 9th episode of Once Upon a Time.

Summary
Feeling their pain from having lived through the same experience, Emma desperately tries to help two homeless children find their birth father before they're separated and put into the foster care system. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale world that was, the Evil Queen coerces Hansel and Gretel into stealing an important artifact from a blind witch.

Plot
ONCE UPON A TIME

Act I
We are treated to the detailed drawings displayed on the pages of an Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk comic book. Henry Mills, the Mayor's adopted soon, is reading the graphic novel, inside the local pharmacy. He shows a grin on his face and nods as he enjoys the action of the story, and a female voice behind asks what he is reading. He turns around, relatively surprised, to face a young blonde girl, a little older than him, and he tells her he's reading the 'Hulk vs. Wolverine'. The girl tells him her name - Ava - and comments that she thinks she's seen him around school; she then asks if he's in Miss Blanchard's class, to which Henry nods affirmatively. A boy shows up, asking Ava if she's almost ready, and the scene appears to become somewhat awkward all of a sudden. Ava tells Henry that this is her brother Nicholas. Nicholas greets Henry, informally, and the Mayor's son seems to be somewhat content to hear that he's Ava's brother. Nicholas tells his sister that they should go, and as he heads out, Ava asks Henry if he wants to come hang out. The lonesome child is happy, and agrees to, putting his backpack on and heading out with his two new acquaintances. However, as Nicholas opens the front door, Mr. Clark (Sneezy's counterpart), the pharmacy's owner, shuts it again with his hand, asking them where they think they are going - right before sneezing. As he takes out a tissue, he tells Henry to open up his bag, and the young man is confused. Mr. Clark says, "Don't think I didn't see you rob me. Open your bag." Henry tells the man that he didn't take anything, and Mr. Clark takes the backpack from him and opens it to find some pieces of candy. "And a liar too," he says. Henry turns to the siblings, realizing that Ava was talking to him so that her brother could put that stuff in there. Ava feels bad. Mr. Clark tells Henry that he's shocked, and then turns to the brother and sister and asks them, "Just who do you think you are?" Ava looks at her brother.

Back in the fairytale land that was, in the woods, an axe is seen hacking away at a large tree. A woodcutter is seen repeatedly hitting the tree with his axe, and eventually the long tree starts to tumble and falls to the ground. The woodcutter comments that it's a fine specimen, and his daughter - the counterpart of Ava Zimmer - shows up behind him, as her father says that the wood the tree will provide will keep their family warm this coming winter. The girl wonders if she can have an axe, and her father looks at her with confusion. She then reminds him that he wanted her there so that she could help. The woodcutter admits that he did, and gives her a task: to take the cart and go fill it up with kindling, the drier, the better. The girl agrees, and her father tells her to have her brother (Nicholas' counterpart) accompany her. Before they head off, however, the woodcutter stops them. He heads over to them and removes the compass pendant he wears on his neck, putting it around his daughter's. She stares at it with wonder, and he tells her she can have it so that she doesn't get lost. "A family always needs to be able to find one another," he says. He then gives her a little pat and tells them to go, and the two young siblings head out into the woods. The father tells them to be safe, and they smile at him. He picks up his axe to get back to work, and looks on as they leave, sharing one last glance with his daughter.

Some time later, the girl tells her brother, who is playing with his sling shot, that it is getting late and they should go. She finishes packing up the cart with kindling, and proceeds to take her brother's sling shot from him. "Hey," he says, "give it back. Come on, Gretel, give it back." "No, Hansel," she tells him in return, "we need to get back to father." He acquiesces and she checks her compass and tells him to follow her. Hansel takes the cart and obliges. The siblings make their way to the site where they last saw their father, and Gretel comments that this is where they left him. However, the woodcutter is nowhere to be seen. Hansel asks why he isn't there, and they rush off to search for their father. They start calling out for him, with growing concern, and then they hear a noise coming from the nearby road. They rush in the direction of the road, continually calling for their father, until they are met with a pair of black knights riding their horses. The horses come to a halt before the children, but the startled Gretel falls on her back to the road. When she does, she accidentally cracks the glass of the compass her father gave her. Hansel comforts her, but a black knight soon grabs them by the shoulders and brings them to the black carriage being escorted. He then lets go of them and heads toward the carriage, while Gretel puts her compass pendant back around her neck. The door to the carriage is opened and the Evil Queen pokes her head out and asks, "What are you doing in my forest?" Hansel and Gretel look with some surprise at the feared individual before them.

In the modern day world, Mayor Regina Mills, the equally feared counterpart of the Evil Queen, is seen standing before the front door of the Dark Star Pharmacy, having been called over by Mr. Clark, who apologizes to her in advance, before going on to tell her that her son was shoplifting. Regina turns to Henry and asks if he was, to which he nods negatively, not saying a word. Mr. Clark tells her to look for herself, pointing at his counter, on top of which is Henry's opened backpack, along with the stolen items. Regina goes to check, getting her hand on an Apollo candy bar, and points out that her son doesn't eat candy, and he knows better than to steal. She then comments, as she looks at Ava and Nicholas in front of her, that it was obviously the two of them. She then says they're going, and starts to walk away with her son, until they are stopped by the arrival of Emma Swan. Emma, surprised to see Henry, asks what happened, and Regina, with one arm over her son's shoulders, reminds Emma that genetics mean nothing. Emma puts her hands on her waist, as though she can already guess what's coming next, and Regina goes on to say that Emma isn't his mother and what happened is already taken care of. Emma responds that she's there because she's the sheriff. "Oh, that's right," Regina says, "Go on, do your job." Emma walks past them and Regina tells her to take care of those 'miscreants'. The Mayor then leaves, and Emma asks Mr. Clark if he called the siblings' parents. Clark tells her that the number they gave him was disconnected. The pharmacy's owner then goes back behind his counter, and the new sheriff asks the teens if they gave Mr. Clark a fake number. They nod their heads in denial, and Emma asks why it is disconnected then. Ava tells her that their parents couldn't pay the bill. Emma looks at the stolen items on the counter, as Mr. Clark puts them back in a basket to restock them. She particularly notices that one of the goods is toothpaste, and realizes that they were just trying to help. Ava nods affirmatively, with a look of fear on her face, and begs Emma not to arrest them, for it would just make things worse for their parents. Emma looks at them with sympathy.

Hansel and Gretel's story resumes as they stand before the Evil Queen, with the young blonde begging for the Queen to forgive them, for they didn't mean to bother her; they just lost their father. The Queen feigns a look of understanding, commenting on the "two helpless children, lost and alone, a family torn asunder". "Such a sad and moving story," she says. She then calls for her guards, and turns her back on them. Gretel starts to take the sling shot out of her pouch, and the Queen orders her guards to seize them. Gretel tells her brother to run, which he does, and Gretel starts swinging her sling shot around and hits one of the guards in his helmet with a rock. The Queen is shocked, and the siblings start running up a hill. One of the knights unsheathes his sword, but the Queen stops him. As Hansel and Gretel make their way up the hill, the Queen makes herself appear out of the thin air, amidst a cloud of purple magic. She laughs at them, saying that running from her if is foolish. They turn back and keep running from her, but, with a single wave of her hand, the Queen makes it so that the roots of the trees in the ground become enchanted and entrap the two siblings. Hansel and Gretel are quickly dominated by the roots and left relatively motionless, as the Queen makes their way up to them, chuckling with evilness. "Foolish... but also brave." The siblings struggle to break free from the roots, and the Queen tells them that their bravery may have just spared them and their family's lives. She waves her arm again and the roots let go of the children. Gretel wonders if she's letting them go, to which the Queen replies that she's doing more than that, claiming that she is going to find their father. The teens are confused, and Gretel asks why. The Queen then tells them it's because the two of them are going to do something for her. Gretel asks if them she'll take them home.

In Storybrooke, Emma Swan is seen in the driver's seat of her functioning car. She is stopped in front of a small house, and asks Ava and Nicholas, who are sitting in the back seat, if this is their house. Ava nods affirmatively, and Emma stops the engine and unbuckles her seat belt, as do the kids. Emma opens her door and Ava begs her not to go with them, because if their parents see her they will be so embarrassed. Emma closes the door again and asks them if Henry told them about her super power. The siblings exchange looks of confusion, and Ava tells her that they just met Henry. The sheriff tells them that she has the ability to tell when anyone is lying, and asks them to tell her the truth: "money problems aside, is everything okay at home?" Ava, understanding what Emma means by this, nods and says that they're great, then asking if they can go. Emma agrees, and the kids then leave her car, with Nicholas bringing with him a bag of goods, which Emma apparently bought for them. They go up the steps and wave at her, and Emma drives away in the sheriff's car. Once they see that she's gone, they come back down the steps and make a run for it. They go around the house, climb up a fence and make their way to an abandoned, old, rundown house. They enter through a door and we're shown the room where they apparently sleep, an old basement/tool shack. Ava puts the products on a shelf, but then a noise coming from the floor above them startles the siblings. Ava goes up the stairs and opens the hatch. She enters the floor through it and her brother follows. They enter an old kitchen, with a bit of apprehension, and are startled by a voice asking, "Why'd you guys lie to me?" They turn back around to find Sheriff Swan standing in front of them. She asks them where their parents her; "We don't have any," Ava answers. Emma looks at them with pity.

Act II
Ava and Nicholas are seen having breakfast in Emma's apartment, and the latter is seen having a talk with her roommate and friend, Mary Margaret, asking her if she knows the kids, and whether they go to her school. Mary Margaret claims to have seen them, but adds that she no idea, no one did. Emma opens up a file on them, and tells her friend that the teens' mother was a woman named Doris Zimmer, who apparently died a few years before. The name doesn't ring a bell with Mary Margaret, and Emma tells her that no one seems to have known or remember Doris. The teacher then asks about the father, to which Emma responds that there isn't one, at least not that they know. Mary Margaret asks what the social services said, and Emma gets a look on her face. Her friend realizes instantly that she didn't report them. Emma points out that if she reports them, she won't be able to help them, they'll go into the system. Mary Margaret comments that the system is supposed to help, and Emma tells her, "Yeah, says the woman who wasn't in it for 16 years." Emma explains to her that the kids get thrown into homes where they are a "meal ticket". The families get paid for these kids, and as soon as they're too much work, they get tossed out and then it all starts over again. Mary Margaret says that they're not all like that, to which Emma replies that all the ones she was in were. Mary Margaret wonders if she assumes they're just gonna adopt them. Emma says that she wants to look for their father; they don't know him, and he might not know that they exist. Mary Margaret wonders if she thinks that when he knows, he'll want them, to which the blonde says that she doesn't know. Emma claims that what she does know is that it's hard enough to find foster families that take one kid that isn't theirs, let alone two. Emma starts to say that it's their best shot, or... and Ava, who appears standing behind her, finishes her thought, tearfully, adding that they can be separated. Emma promises her that that's not gonna happen. Mary Margaret is wary. Ava begs Emma not to let it happen. The two women look with sorrow at the young girl, who looks at her brother.

Emma shows up at the local hall of records, and addresses Mr. Krzyszkowski, the clerk, calling him, however, by a wrong name. He corrects her as he gets up, and adds that everyone calls him "K". Emma introduces herself as the sheriff and explains that she's hoping to look at the birth certificates of Ava and Nicholas Zimmer. He takes out some triplicate forms for her to fill out, and stamps them. Emma agrees to, unenthusiastically, but when Mr. K goes to get her the files she seeks, he apologizes to her, for those documents have recently been removed. Emma asks, "By who?"

"Don't worry, Miss Swan, you can relax," Regina tells Emma, in the former's office, explaining that she's contacted social services, for it turns out that these kids are on their own and they need help. Emma explains that she was trying to help, by trying to find their father. Regina picks up the files on the Zimmer siblings and tells Emma, as she hands them over to her, that the father doesn't exist. Emma opens the folder, saying that he has to, but in the document before her the father's name is given as "UNKNOWN". Regina comments that he exists biologically, but there's no record of him, which means they have no choice. "These children need a home, so they will be put into the foster system." Emma asks if Storybrooke has a foster system, a little incredulous, to which Regina responds that it doesn't, but she's contacted the state. Unfortunately, she says, Maine's group homes are filled, but they've put them in touch with two homes in Boston, a boys' home and a girls'. Emma is shocked. "They're separating them?" she asks. Regina pours herself a drink and says that she doesn't like it either, but her reflection in the wall mirror tells us otherwise. "But we have no choice," she says. She then tells Emma that she needs to have them in Boston that night; Emma is confused, and Regina reminds her that she wanted to be sheriff, and this is what sheriffs do. "Yes, you're taking them." Emma denies this, claiming that she promised to the children that they would not be separated. The Mayor suggests that she stop making promises she can't keep. Emma starts to feel hopeless. Regina walks up to her and tells her that these children need a home, and she's just trying to find the best one.

Hansel and Gretel are seen following Queen Regina through the woods, with the young blonde holding on to her father's compass. Regina notices this and wonders what it is, to which Gretel replies that it's her father's compass: he gave it to her so that she could find him, but now it's broken. Regina notices something in the distance and Gretel asks her when she's going to tell them where they're going. The Queen stops and tells them that this is close enough. Gretel asks what to, and Regina turns to them and says it's the home of the Blind Witch. The children are somewhat alarmed and Hansel tells his older sister that that doesn't sound good. Regina explains to them that the witch has something of hers, and she needs them to get it back. Gretel wonders what it is, to which Regina simply tells her that it's something she needs to defeat a very wicked and powerful enemy. She adds that it is kept in a black leather satchel inside her house. Gretel asks her why she doesn't get it herself, why she needs them to do it for her, and Regina answers that the house is protected by magic, and she can't enter; luckily, the spell doesn't work on children. She then goes on to tell them that they'll have to wait there until the night falls, and then, once the witch is asleep, they can sneak in. Gretel asks if she promises to find their father should they do this. Regina smiles and says, "Oh, indeed I will. But there's one more thing. The witch's house is... unique. And because of this, you have to take special precaution once you're inside." Gretel asks "Like what?", and Regina says that, whatever they do, no matter how they're tempted, they mustn't eat anything. Regina then moves some leafy branches out of the way to reveal the Blind Witch's property... containing a house made of gingerbread, decorated with many structural pieces made out of candy. Hansel is delighted by this captivating vision, but Gretel gives him an alarmed look, and his expression changes.

Act III
Emma is seen at the sheriff's station, going through the files on the Zimmer siblings. Henry walks in, bringing with him his book. He puts his backpack down as he asks if Emma had any luck, to which she says she didn't, with a discouraged look on her face. Henry puts the book down on her desk, claiming to know who the siblings are, and opens it to find their story. Seeing as how they're brother and sister, lost, with no parents, they must be Hansel and Gretel. He shows her a drawing of the two of them with their backs turned to the Gingerbread House, and the image resembles Ava and Nicholas Zimmer. Emma asks, humoring her son, if there's any information in the book about the twins' father, and Henry tells her that he abandoned them. She states that that sounds like a familiar story before packing away her files and saying that whoever the father is, he could be in Laos by now. Henry follows his mother into the adjacent room as she approaches her filing cabinet and assures her that he's in town, and the blonde wonders how he knows that. He explains to Emma that no one leaves Storybrooke, no one comes there, and no one goes, and that's just the way it is, but she reminds him that she came there. Henry says that that's because she's special, telling her that she's the first stranger ever to enter town. Humoring him further, Emma tells him that she forgot before grabbing more files from her cabinets and saying that if the Zimmer siblings' father is around the area, she's going to find him. She sits down at her desk as she begins to rummage through the papers but Henry soon perches upon the same desk and asks his mother if she can tell him about "him". Emma reminds the kid that she doesn't know anything yet, assuming that he's referring to Ava and Nicholas' father, but Henry explains that he's in fact talking about his own.

Emma appears stunned, clearly discomforted by the subject, but Henry points out that he told her about her parents and now she's even living with her mom. The blonde tries to tell him that Mary Margaret is not her mother, but stops mid-sentence as to not make out that she doesn't believe in the curse. "Please," the kid begs, and Emma leans back in her chair, turning to face Henry, before telling him that she was pretty young and had just gotten out of the foster system and the only job she could get was at a 24-hour diner just off the interstate. Henry seem intrigued by his mother's story, and listens eagerly as she continues, and she tells the boy that his dad was training to be a fireman and also got the worst shifts and so he would always come into the diner and order coffee and pie and sit at the counter, apparently always complaining that pumpkin pie was not available for purchase. Henry smiles as Emma tells him that his father always came back the next night anyway, and the kid asks her if she got married. Emma laughs, answering negatively and saying that it was nothing like that, explaining that they "hung out" a couple of times outside of work and life happened: his got better and hers got worse and she got into trouble. "And went to jail?" Henry asks, already knowing that he was born behind bars. Emma sighs, confirming this, but tells her son that before she went she found out she was pregnant with him, and Henry smiles while Emma goes on to say that she tried to contact his father, however, the blonde soon leans in closer and tells the kid that she found out his dad died saving a family from a burning apartment building. Henry appears saddened by this, and Emma adds, "So... you think I'm the savior, Henry... he was. Your father was a real hero." Henry asks if Emma has anything of his that she's able to remember him by, and Emma thinks hard, leaning back in her chair once more before admitting that she doesn't. Something suddenly dawns on the blonde and she apologizes to Henry, telling him that she has to go as she may know how to find Ava and Nicholas' father. She lifts her files off the desk and begins to leave the sheriff's station and the shot settles on Henry, who hops off the desk and follows his mother.

Back over at Emma and Mary Margaret's place, Nicholas is seen reaching for a cookie whilst he and his sister sit at the kitchen counter and nibble at them. Emma soon emerges from the stairs carrying a cardboard box in her arms, and she walks over to the counter and places the box down on a stool, telling the twins that she wants to show them something. She opens the box and pulls out her woolen baby blanket, the one with "Emma" embroiled upon it, and Nicholas wonders what it is. Emma tells him, explaining that it's something she's held onto for her entire life and is the only thing that she has from her parents. She goes on to say that she's spent a lot of time with a lot of kids in their situation, and all of them - "all of us" - held on to stuff. Emma tells the twins that she wants to find their father but will need their help to do so, asking if there's anything of his that they've held on to. Ava reveals that she might have something, but asks that if she gives it to Emma, if she'll make sure they'll stay together. The blonde assures them of this before placing her own baby blanket back into the cardboard box and focusing her attention back on the children as Ava pulls something out of her pocket and hands it over to Emma who takes it in her hands and realizes that it's a compass. Ava explains that their mother kept it and said it was their dad's, and Emma thanks the two children before Ava asks if she found "them". Emma wonders to whom the girl is referring and she adds, "Your parents." The blonde reveals that she hasn't yet but that she will find theirs, and she continues to inspect the compass as Ava turns to her brother.

Gretel turns her head to one side and the other as her and Hansel approach the home of the Blind Witch. The girl tucks her father's compass into her dress as her brother runs his finger through some frosting on the outer wall of the edible house. Gretel quickly bats his hand away, reminding him via stare that they're not supposed to eat anything, before grabbing on to the window ledge and beginning to climb through it. From the inside of the house, we are shown Gretel opening the window from behind stacks of colorful cakes and the girl soon hops off the window ledge and makes it inside. Hansel takes one last look behind him before climbing through the window himself and Gretel peers over at the Blind Witch, who's sleeping in a chair on the other end of the room, as she approaches the table full of cakes. When her brother lands inside the house, Gretel gestures for him to remain quiet, and Hansel asks through whisper how his sister can be sure the witch is sleeping. Gretel says that she can't but reminds her brother of what the Queen said: not even a lick. Hansel looks longingly at the mounds of cake before turning back to his sister and agreeing not to eat it, and the two of them creep slowly through the house, approaching the blind witch. Hansel assures Gretel that she was right, hearing the witch's snores and being sure that she's asleep, and Gretel soon spots the satchel hanging on the wall. As the girl walks closer towards it, her brother asks her what she think's inside it, but she asks him if it matters, stating that all that matters is getting it back to the Queen so that she can find their father. Gretel continues to approach the satchel, walking past the Blind Witch to do so, but as she retrieves it, Hansel is seen reaching for a cupcake from the table. He looks to his sister, making sure she isn't looking, but Gretel is too distracted with getting the satchel and becomes scared when she hears the Blind Witch make a sudden noise, but passes it off when the witch's eyes remain closed. As she regains her breath, Gretel continues to try and retrieve the satchel, but as she does so, Hansel moves the colorful cupcake closer to his mouth.

Gretel soon manages to grab the satchel and remove it from the wall, walking back past the Blind Witch and towards her brother, however, she is stunned to see Hansel take a large bite from the cupcake, and tries to ward him against it, but it is too late, and the Blind Witch's eyes shoot open. Gretel runs towards Hansel who immediately places the cupcake down, but the Blind Witch draws a large breath before sniffing and turning to the two children from her chair. She continues to breathe heavily as the camera reveals the piles of human bones resting beside her fire place, and Hansel and Gretel begin to run as the Blind Witch stands up out of her chair. The kids run towards the door but the lock slams shut automatically, and so Gretel turns to the open window and leads her brother over to it. However, as they reach it, the window slams shut also, and Hansel and Gretel stand scared as the Blind Witch stands before them, rubbing her hands together in excitement before stating the she smells dinner. The twins look to one another as the witch licks her lips, and they turn back to the hungry villainous with their eyes widened in fear.

Act IV
The camera moves around the items of Mr. Gold Pawnbroker & Antiquities Dealer as the little bell is heard ringing and Emma enters the shop. Mr. Gold, who's polishing a lamp and places it upon his counter, comments how lovely it is to see Sheriff Swan, telling her that he's flattered she'd take time off her busy schedule for him. Emma approaches the pawnbroker with the compass in her hand and he asks her what he can do for her, at which she places the old compass on the counter and states that she's looking for information on it. Gold picks up the compass and inspects it as Emma asks him if he has any idea where it could have come from, and he notes the detail of the compass, pointing out that the jeweled setting of the compass is crystal. He goes on to say that, despite the very unfortunate shape it's in, it's actually a very unusual piece, placing it down on the counter and stating that the person who owned it obviously had very great taste. Emma wonders where someone like that would buy it, and Gold tells the sheriff, "Right here, of course." She asks him if he knows it and he confirms this, saying that the compass is difficult to forget. She then asks if he knows who bought it and he steps out from behind his counter saying that he's good with names, but not that good. However, he tells her as he limps over to a drawer, as luck would have it, he happens to keep very extensive records. As he rummages through the drawer, he soon pulls out a slip of paper but doesn't tell Emma what's on it, merely hovers it in front of her. The blonde wonders what his price is and he tells her, "Forgiveness." She asks him if he'd settle for mere tolerance and Mr. Gold smiles, telling her that that's a start. The pawnbroker states that the compass was purchased by a Mr. Michael Tillman and Emma asks him if he has any other information on the man. Gold denies this, saying that he has only the name, but that he generally finds that that's all that one needs. Emma gives a nod to the middle-aged man in slight confusion before turning around and exiting his shop, and as she does so, Mr. Gold wishes her good luck on her investigation. The camera then moves down to the slip of paper that Gold put away in the drawer, only to reveal that it's completely blank.

Across town at a mechanic's workshop, Michael Tillman is seen staring at a file containing photos of Ava and Nicholas before handing it back to Sheriff Swan whilst shaking his head, stating that it's not possible that those two children are his. "Actually, it is," Emma says, but Michael tells the sheriff that Dory, the children's mother - "It was just once." He then turns back into his garage as Emma tells him that sometimes, that's all it takes, and Michael explains that he met Dory when he was camping and they had sex, but it's not possible that he's the father of twins. However, Emma assures him that he is and that these twins have been homeless ever since their mother passed away and living in an abandoned house because they don't want to be separated from each other. She goes on to say that they're about to be shipped off to Boston unless he steps up and takes responsibility for them. Michael, who's trying to continue work on a car, hurts himself accidentally before telling Emma that he can barely manage his garage, let alone two kids. He asks her why he's so sure they're his, before turning back to his work. "Besides the timing," Emma says, taking the compass from out of her jacket pocket and asking Michael if he's ever seen it. He turns to her, recognizing the compass, and approaches it, taking it out of Emma's hands. As he fondly inspects it, he states that he had lost it, and the blonde points out that that was twelve years and nine months ago. As the truth dawns on Michael, Emma tells him that she knows it's a lot, and recounts the time that Henry, the kid she had given up for adoption, showed up on her doorstep the previous month asking for help with something, and she ended up moving to Storybrooke for him. (See "Pilot") Michael tells Emma that he heard about that, knowing that Henry's the mayor's son, but points out that staying in town is a lot different than taking him in. "I don't have my kid," Emma says, "Because I don't have a choice. You do. Those kids did not ask to be brought into this world, you brought them into this world. You and their mother. And they need you. And if you choose not to take them, you are gonna have to answer for that every day of your life. And sooner or later, when they find you, because believe me, they will find you, you're gonna have to answer to them." Michael remains quiet, merely staring down at the compass in his hand, before telling Emma that he's really sorry and handing the heirloom back to her. She appears saddened as he tells her that he doesn't know anything about being a dad and walking away, assuring the sheriff that if it's a good home she's looking for, it's not with him. Emma closes her eyes tight with sorrow as she clutches the compass in her hand.

Mary Margaret is seen babysitting Ava, Nicholas and Henry when she answers the phone to Emma, who has just left Michael's garage. The blonde tells her roommate that she needs her to come outside right away and Mary Margaret asks if everything's alright. Emma requests that the teacher not say anything in front of the kids before answering negatively. Mary Margaret looks over to the three children, who all smile at her happily. Outside, Emma tells Mary Margaret that Michael doesn't want the kids. The teacher realizes that Emma doesn't want to tell them but the blonde points out that she can't because all she'd be telling them is that the false hope she's been supplying is exactly that. Mary Margaret tells her roommate that the truth can be painful but that it can also be cathartic. Emma says that she agrees on the painful part, but Mary Margaret reminds the blonde that she told Henry the truth that his father's dead and he's handling it great. "I didn't tell him the truth," Emma admits, and Mary Margaret appears confused. Emma explains that Henry's father was no hero and that her son does not need to hear the real story, before suggesting that maybe they could hide the kids until they find a good family able to take care of them. "Yes, hiding the twelve-year-olds is a good plan..." the teacher says in a sarcastic tone, but Emma asks her if she has a better idea. Mary Margaret states that there isn't an idea, but before she can finish her sentence, Regina approaches and addresses Emma, wondering why she's not on the interstate. Emma asks the mayor what she's doing there and Regina replies that she's seeing to it that the sheriff is doing job. Emma assures Regina that she doesn't have to check up on her as she knows what she has to do, but the mayor questions this, telling the blonde that Ava and Nicholas have to be in Boston tonight.

In the fairytale land that was, the Blind Witch is seen locking Hansel and Gretel into a jail cell within her house. The children appears frightened as the witch reaches through the bars and cheerfully asks them where they are. She soon grabs Hansel's shoulder and moans in pleasure, regarding him as nice and tender before retracting her hand, telling him that he'll make a succulent roast. She then walks away from the cell urging the twins to step up to the bars and watch what she's doing as the witch approaches a large oven and opens it, basking in the mighty flames. The places her hand in the oven to check the temperature as Hansel worriedly turns to his sister and exclaims that he's going to be cooked and that they have to do something quick. Gretel tells him to stay calm and as she watches the witch chop seasoning, she tells her brother that when she opens the cell to take him, not to try and fight, but to grab the key which is in her pocket and toss it through the bars. The Blind Witch places the knife down before approaching the cell and Hansel exclaims that she's coming and that he can't do it and he's going to die. Gretel pushes him to one side of the cell and holds her breath as the witch approaches, her arm ready extended to fell the children's presence. "Gravy or butter?" she asks as she presses her face up against the bars, "Which shall it be?" Her hand's near Gretel's face as the girl continues to hold her breath and she soon stomps on her brother's foot, causing him to yelp out in pain. She smiles a large smile as she opens the cell door and tells Hansel to come with her. As she goes to grab the small boy, Gretel goes in his stead and is pulled out of the cell, leaving Hansel inside as the witch re-locks it. As Gretel is walked over to the oven by the Blind Witch, the girl takes the key from the witch's pocket and throws it to Hansel, who catches it through the bars and uses it to unlock the cell. The witch begins to tie Gretel up and Hansel runs up the stairs of the house, grabbing a cane before running back down, however, he trips on the steps and makes a loud noise as he lands on the floor, alerting the Blind Witch who turns to him.

"Gravy or butter?!" she asks again, this time more angrily, "Gravy or butter?" she proceeds to throw Gretel down to the floor next to Hansel, "How shall I baste you?!" she asks. Hansel stands and goes to hit the witch with the cane, however, she waves her hand and it flies out of his, returning to its place on the stairs. He appears scared, pressed up against the wall, as the witch continues to approach him, deciding on butter and declaring it time to cook, before grabbing the boy and pulling him towards the oven. However, Gretel manages to free her wrists from the rope binding them and Hansel trips the witch on the way to the oven, meaning that she falls on top of the massive baking tray and Gretel is there to help her brother push her into the oven, and close the door. Hansel quickly grab's the witch's satchel as she begs to be let out, but they simply run over to the door, open it, and escape. As they run, the shot moves to a mirror on the Blind Witch's wall which reflects her begging to be let out of the oven, and we are quickly shown Queen Regina watching the exact same thing through her Magic Mirror. The Queen casts a fireball and throws it at the mirror, and in the Blind Witch's house, the same fireball flies out of her mirror and into the oven, igniting the witch and causing her to scream in pain as she dies. In Regina's palace, the Queen takes relish in this before stating, "I would've gone gravy."

Act V
TBA

Act VI
TBA

Gallery
Gallery of photographic stills released to promote the episode.