The next morning in Storybrooke came rather early for Ben as there was a knock on his door that jolted him a bit. He then snorted as he woke up and rubbed his eye as he opened his door, groaning a bit.
"Good morning, son." Rumple greeted his teenage son.
"Hey, Dad," Ben greeted, his voice a bit thick since he just woke up after all. "What's going on?"
"I'm leaving to collect Miss Swan for our trip out of town," Rumple replied. "I thought you'd like to know before I left."
"Thanks, Dad..." Ben said, still a bit groggy in tone since he was woken up against his will. "I'll keep an eye on your shop while you're gone."
"Very good, Benjamin," Rumple approved. "Just make sure you go when you can and I'll be calling you to check in occasionally."
"Okay, Dad. You have my cell phone number, so call anytime you need to." Ben replied softly.
"No, Benjamin, I'll be calling the shop phone, not your cell phone." Rumple clarified.
"Oh... Aw... Come on, Dad..." Ben groaned slightly.
"So if I were you, I'd stick to the schedule I left for you to follow," Rumple smirked at his teenage son. "Also, please... Check on your mother," he then added tenderly. "I know she won't remember you, but I would prefer it if you continued to check in with her since I won't be able to."
"Don't worry, Dad. I will," Ben promised as he nodded in response. "I'll take care of her just like when Doug took care of his mother during The Dark Curse."
"Good boy," Rumple nodded warmly. "Give my regards to Mal. I didn't want to wake her up because I know how she gets about waking up when she doesn't want to."
"You did the right thing, Dad..." Ben said softly before he soon decided to hug his father. "Be careful out there, okay?"
"I'll be just fine, but thank you," Rumple replied as he hugged his teenage son back, gently patting him on the back. "I'll call you soon."
"Thanks, Dad. See you later." Ben nodded in response.
"See you later, Benjamin." Rumple replied before he left the house and soon went out to his car right away.
Ben nodded his head and shut the door and locked it behind his father as he soon walked inside with a bit of a yawn. "Hm... Maybe I should wake up Mal and give her a special breakfast to make up for what happened after our picnic date before The Jewel-Bilee... Either way, she deserves the prince in me and not The Beast in me, no matter who my father is and what he did..." he then said thoughtfully before he nodded at himself. "Yeah. That's what I'll do... Hopefully she'll be in a good mood this morning or at least will cheer up after breakfast," he then said before he went to the guest room door and knocked on it. "Hey, Mal. You awake?" he then asked while knocking before waiting for an answer.
There was of course no response because of what happened last night while everybody was sleeping.
"...Mal?" Ben repeated. "...You asleep?"
Still, there was no answer heard from behind the door.
"...You at least dressed?" Ben asked, biting his lip as he wondered whether to go on inside or not. He then shrugged before he decided to go inside the room anyway to at least check on Mal, but to his surprise and shock, he gasped and was horror-struck once he saw something very wrong in the room. "What?!" he then asked with wide eyes.
Mal was nowhere to be found in the room.
Ben soon looked around and checked Mal's bed, but it was cold, so he ran upstairs to check in the bathroom and the other rooms before he realized that he was completely home alone. "Where could she be?" he then asked before he took out his cell phone and was just about to call his father to tell him that Mal wasn't in the house, but he decided not to since his father had bigger things to worry about right now. "...I don't wanna bother him while he's already gone to find my brother..." he then said, deciding to ignore his phone before he hit his head on his bedroom door instantly. "But what am I gonna do now?"
Suddenly, after the door was hit, the letter that Mal left behind fell from where she left it and it landed on his feet suddenly.
"What's this?" Ben wondered as he soon bent down and picked up the letter and decided to read it as he bit his lip, looking very worried and anxious for Mal.
"To whom it may concern:
if you found this letter, that means you just missed me before I left while you were sleeping. It also means I decided to split town, and no one's probably noticed 'til now. No one needs to worry, I won't bother anyone again. Don't bother coming to look for me because you'll never ever find me and I'm just doomed to have an unhappily ever after and be rotten to the core just like my mother and grandmother before me.
Sincerely, Malissa Bertha Draconis AKA Daughter of Maleficent and Granddaughter of Carabosse AKA The Villain Descendant"
Ben then looked down, looking very sad and heartbroken as he wondered what he should do next since Mal was gone and probably never ever going to be seen again. "Oh, Mal... Why didn't you stay?" he then asked quietly, trying very hard not to cry. "We could've worked something out... We didn't need people like Audrey and Chad to think any different. I would've been here for you... I would've... Been here..." he then said before he put the letter down and sat down on his bed before he hugged his pillow and began to break down crying now that Mal was gone forever and he wondered what he could possibly do to cope with her loss.
Meanwhile, Rumple was driving along and soon made it over to the Blanchard loft once it was the time that he and Emma had discussed last night before he popped open his trunk so that any extra luggage could go inside before he stopped driving. He then pulled up there and soon made his way inside, going to go up the stairs to see Emma so that they could leave Storybrooke to begin their journey. Dee Dee came out of her hiding spot and soon saw that the trunk was unlocked and looked around before she crawled into the trunk of the car and hid herself away, holding her backpack close so no one would see her as she tried to make herself "invisible".
Rumple soon knocked on Mary Margaret's door with his cane and Emma soon opened the door once it was officially 12:00 noon. "Ready to go, Miss Swan?" he then asked patiently once he saw the woman he had come for.
"Almost." Emma said as she crouched by the stairs as Rumple let himself inside the apartment.
Henry came down the stairs with his coat. "Do you think it will be cold where we're going or warm?" he asked.
"I think layers are always a good idea," Emma smiled.
"I thought the terms of our agreement were quite clear. You owe me a favor. You alone." Gold told her.
Emma straightened up. "I'm not leaving Henry here with Cora lurking about, so either we both go or we both stay." she said firmly.
Rumple thought a moment. "Then we'll have to purchase another plane ticket, won't we?" he asked.
Emma looked a bit taken aback. "Wait. We're flying?" she asked.
"Don't worry, I'm covering expenses, even the new ones." Rumple said about Henry now joining them.
Mary Margaret came over and helped Henry put on his jacket.
"You're a real gentleman, aren't you?" David commented as he came down the stairs, giving Emma a bag and soon walked over to the man, looking very firm and protective. "All right, Gold. You're going out there with my family. Just know if anything happens to them--" he then began to warn the older man.
"Then you'll what? Cross the town line? And David Nolan will hunt me down in his animal rescue van?" Rumple asked both defensively and sarcastically.
"I'll be devastated," David emphasized bravely and strongly. "This isn't a threat. It's a request. Take care of them."
"I promise no harm will come to your family. After all... We have a deal." Rumple told them. He then turned on his heel and gestured for them to follow.
Henry smiled at his maternal grandparents and then made his way down after Rumple. Emma gave them a small smile too before she also followed. Dee Dee scooted further and tried to stay as quiet as possible in the trunk of Mr. Gold's car. David soon came back inside with Mary Margaret once the family left to get out of Storybrooke.
Soon Rumple was driving, not yet having discovered Dee Dee.
"So where are we going?" Henry asked.
"Logan International Airport." Rumple told him.
"I think he meant the one after that." Emma told the man.
"Let's just take things one step at a time shall we?" Rumple suggested, gripping his steering wheel a little tighter.
"Do you really think that shawl's gonna work?" Emma asked.
"Well, if it doesn't, and I revert to my cursed self, we're all gonna have some problems. It'll work." Rumple told her, closing his eyes a moment as the car crossed the town line and a blue light shimmered over him. He then opened his eyes and concentrated on the road.
Emma and Henry looked at him.
"So...?" Emma checked.
"My name is Rumplestiltskin," Rumple said, pausing a moment. "And we're gonna find my son." he added as he smirked just a little.
"Achoo!" A tiny voice sneezed.
All three looked around curiously. Dee Dee soon took out her nutcracker doll and saw a note in her pocket along with a heart-shaped cookie that had the words "EAT ME" written in icing before she began to eat the cookie and holding onto her nutcracker doll as she began to ride away for a brand new adventure as a stowaway.
David was soon shown putting on a gun holster, looking confident and secure.
"You like the holster, huh?" Mary Margaret smirked as she was making a cup of tea.
"I miss carrying a sword." David chuckled at her.
"Well, it looks good on you." Mary Margaret smiled.
"Come on. Leroy has the dwarves on Cora watch," David then said as they had a mission to do. "They've got eyes everywhere, but they could use our help."
"Really? How hard can it be to find a powerful sorceress in a small town?" Mary Margaret asked as he helped her into her jacket.
David then opened the door to suddenly see Regina outside of it, about to knock. "Apparently not very hard." he then said once he noticed the woman, looking a bit firm for a moment.
"Regina, you're back." Mary Margaret said in surprise.
"I know you think I'm responsible for poor Dr. Hopper's death." Regina began firmly.
"He's... Alive." David corrected.
Regina looked a bit surprised. "What?" she then asked.
"You were framed." Mary Margaret told her.
"Who would do that?" Regina then asked as David stepped aside.
"Your mother. She's here." Mary Margaret told her.
"Well, th-that's not possible." Regina denied.
"When we found a way back, so did she," Mary Margaret said. "We were wrong, and we're so sorry." she then told the woman.
"I know, but if Cora's here, then we're all in danger," Regina warned as she soon looked around for Henry. "Please, you have to let me see my son. I can protect him and Evie."
"He's not here," Mary Margaret said, briefly closing her eyes a moment, before looking at Regina again. "Surely you could do something with Evie though?"
"I feel like she's been avoiding me lately and said that she was going to go to a friend's house after The Jewel-Bilee last night and probably watch a movie," Regina explained about Evie before she looked curious. "...Henry's not here?" she then asked.
"Mr. Gold asked Emma to help him find his son," David explained. "They left town about an hour ago with Henry."
"And no one told me?" Regina then asked.
"We didn't know where you were, and, to be honest, Regina, I don't think Emma has to run anything by you." Mary Margaret explained, trying to be both firm and fair in tone.
"...No, I suppose she doesn't." Regina replied before leaving abruptly as Leroy was right behind her before watching her go suddenly.
"That went well..." Mary Margaret said softly before she looked over and suddenly saw a certain grumpy former dwarf.
"Come on. Let's go find Cora," David told Mary Margaret as he handed her her bow and arrow before seeing Leroy. "Uh, hello, Leroy. Can we help you?" he then asked.
"Is Dee Dee around here?" Leroy asked them.
"Uh... No," David said. "We thought maybe you and Sister Astrid were looking after her after the dance recital last night. Why? What happened?" he then asked.
"Cuz I went to the covenant to make sure Dee Dee would be safe, but she's not there." Leroy explained.
"What, she went missing?" Mary Margaret gasped. "W-We have to find her!" she added, though looked conflicted.
"Shh... Shh... It's okay..." David comforted her. "We'll find her... Let's just hope that Cora hasn't found her."
"Yeah, you better hope so," Leroy glared. "You think I'm grumpy now, imagine me if anything happened to that kid!"
"We have to find help to get Cora first and we'll look for Dee Dee on the way," David soon said before giving his wife her bow, arrows, and quiver. "I know just who to ask."
Mary Margaret looked to her husband.
They soon went over to the hospital to get some help. Soon, Nova, Evie, and Doug joined in since Leroy would be involved.
"You didn't even ask me about my recovery." Hook complained as he was being released thanks to them as his son joined along.
"I did." Harry piped up.
"I wasn't asking you." Hook retorted to his son.
"How are you feeling, Hook?" Mary Margaret asked, after an amused chuckle.
"Come closer and feel for yourself." Killian replied with a playful smirk.
"You wanna lose the other hand?" David glared as he pushed Hook backwards and away from Mary Margaret. "Where's the ship? Come on. Archie told us; it's shielded somehow, isn't it... Mate?" he then added firmly.
"Aye. That it is. Follow us." Harry nodded.
"I don't know what you expect to find," Hook soon added. "Cora won't be there."
"Maybe she left something behind that will tell us where she went," David guessed before pushing Hook forward. "Let's go."
"No funny business." Leroy glared sharply, a bit more grumpy than usual.
"Yeah, we're watching you, pirates." Nova added, trying to sound stern to both Hook and his son.
"Yes, Dwarf and Fairy. That should deter my boy and me from any malfeasance." Hook chuckled, amused by the threats.
"Oh, don't worry, guys. They'll help us." Mary Margaret soon reassured Leroy and Nova.
"They had better." Evie said with a firm pout as Doug began to look nervous about something.
"Mm... You've got fire... I like fire~" Harry grinned eagerly at Evie.
Evie soon grunted and rolled her eyes in a bit of disgust.
"What makes you so sure?" Hook soon asked Mary Margaret.
"Because you're a pirate. You know which way the wind blows, and, right now, it is gusting towards us." Mary Margaret explained assertively.
"Oh. I see where your daughter got her gumption," Hook smirked at that. "Follow me. Harry, I trust that you remember where to go from here?"
"In my blood, Captain." Harry replied confidently.
"Good boy. I raised you well." Hook nodded as he soon led the way for the others.
The adults went on ahead after the pirate father and son.
"Ooh... I can't do this... I really wanna do this, but I don't know if I have it in me to do it..." Doug spoke up, sounding a bit frazzled about something.
"Doug, are you worried about getting seasick?" Evie asked the teenage dwarf in concern. "I don't think we're going anywhere. We're just going on board to get what we need from Mr. Hook."
"N-No, Evie... It's not that..." Doug said nervously before looking toward his grumpy uncle. "It's just... Oh... Oh, I don't know how to put this into words..."
Mary Margaret soon looked over at the two teenagers curiously.
"Go on ahead of us, Ms. Blanchard," Evie suggested. "I think me and Doug need to talk in private."
"All right." Mary Margaret said before she and the others continued after the Hook father and son duo on the pier.
Evie nodded at that before looking over. "Okay, Doug. What's up?" she then asked. "You look like you're gonna throw up."
"Well... It's just... I can't talk to Uncle Leroy or anyone else about this, but... Evie, I know it's my birthright especially since I got my jewel last night, but... Well..." Doug said before he sighed and took out his birthright jewel which looked like a diamond that a dwarf would find in a mine.
"Oh, Doug... That's an amazing birthright jewel," Evie smiled. "I would be honored to have one like that, but I had a ruby one. Luckily for me, red's one of my favorite colors next to probably blue."
"Well, I'm glad you like it... Maybe you'd wanna trade legacies." Doug said before groaning and pouting.
"...Doug, what's really going on?" Evie asked. "You can tell me."
"Well... Okay... It's easier to talk to you than the other dwarves anyway..." Doug said as he looked her in the eyes before he soon took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "...I don't wanna be a dwarf."
"What?" Evie asked with a bit of a frown.
"I know, I know... My father's a dwarf, my uncles are all dwarves, I'm half-dwarf on Dad's side of the family, but... I don't wanna work all day, grind up diamonds to make fairy dust for the fairies like I'm supposed to in the next generation," Doug then said, sounding a bit weak and scared in his tone of voice. "All of them want me to be a dwarf like them, but it's no use. I'm no good at swinging a pic-ax or anything like that... I can't even whistle!" he then said before he tried to whistle before he sputtered and spit on her face by accident.
Evie winced and wiped off his spit with a slight glare, but wasn't angry with him.
"S-Sorry..." Doug said nervously since he just did that.
"No biggie." Evie reassured.
"I'm just really afraid to tell Uncle Leroy and the others and I don't wanna let the other dwarves down," Doug said before he shivered. "I sometimes get the really weird feeling they're watching me."
"Well, everybody thinks that about their parents, but it's never true." Evie said, trying to soothe him.
"They all love this dwarf stuff, but I stink at it," Doug sighed and frowned, looking crushed and defeated until he started to suddenly scratch himself out of stress before he stuck out his tongue to her. "How am I gonna face them? I think the pressure's giving me a rash! Is my tongue coded?"
"It's... Uh... Kinda hard to tell." Evie said as she flinched slightly at the sight of his tongue.
Doug then put his tongue back in place nervously.
"Anyway, I know how you feel," Evie soon said to help try to comfort him. "It's tough when everyone's trying to pressure you to succeed and you just can't."
"You too, huh?" Doug asked.
"Yeah... I'm supposed to be an evil queen when I grow up since my mother was Snow White's wicked step-mother and my grandmother did even worse when she became queen of a world that wasn't even her own," Evie then said as she sounded a little low herself. "Either way, Doug, you need to tell Leroy and the other dwarves, one way or another that you don't wanna be a dwarf and you shouldn't have to if you don't want to be."
"It sounds so easy when you say it like that," Doug replied softly. "But there's also one extra pic-ax because of my Uncle Stealthy."
"Ah, right... There were eight dwarves instead of always being seven." Evie then memorized.
"Exactly," Doug nodded. "That'll just crush them even more that I don't wanna be a dwarf just them. They need someone to pick up Uncle Stealthy's slack."
"Well... Try not to worry, okay?" Evie replied as she put her arm around Doug. "Whatever happens will happen and I'll be here for you when it does."
"R-Really, Evie?" Doug asked before blushing.
"Really, Doug," Evie smiled before they went to go after the adults. "Come on. Let's go see what we're missing, so try not to worry about what's about to come when you do eventually tell the other dwarves you don't wanna be just like them."
"Well... Okay, Evie... If you believe in me." Doug said before smiling back and blushing a bit.
"I do, Doug. I really do." Evie smiled as she soon caught up with the adults once they continued to walk down the pier together.
Eventually, Hook and his son had walked up the invisible stairs and disappeared behind the shield which prompted the rest of them to follow suit.
Soon, the other trio had driven to the airport but when they opened the trunk they found Dee Dee.
"What are you doing there, dearie?" Rumple asked the girl, firmly.
"You found me..." Dee Dee whispered. "Um... Hello there, Mr. Gold... Miss Swan... Henry..." she then smiled sheepishly. "Uh, surprise?"
"What are you doing here, kid?" Emma frowned, but helped the girl out of the trunk.
Rumple took out the bags.
"I'm sorry..." Dee Dee said softly as she stared at the ground and put her hands in her pockets as she watched her left foot draw circles in the ground. "I just wanted to help."
"Well, I guess you'll be safe from Cora here..." Emma frowned. "I'll have to call Leroy and Astrid though to let them know," she told the girl.
Rumple sighed a little. "One more expense." he muttered but didn't complain more than that, after all, he was on his way to find his elder son.
"You mean I can stay?" Dee Dee asked, softly and surprised.
"Well, there's no way to send you back now, especially not alone." Emma told her.
Dee Dee smiled innocently as she looked happy to come along before she suddenly hugged Emma.
Emma blinked in surprise but gently patted the girl on the back. "Alright kid, let's get going." she suggested.
"Oh... Are we going up to the sky?" Dee Dee then suddenly asked nervously as she saw a plane taking off ahead of them as they were on their way to the building.
"Yes, but don't worry kid, it's safe." Emma assured her.
"How did you still keep your memories?" Henry asked, glad she still had them, but surprised she did.
"I... Don't know..." Dee Dee paused suddenly. "Um... I remember this one lady telling me to eat a special cookie though."
"What lady?" Emma frowned.
"We don't really have the time to discuss this now, you can discuss it when we're on the plane." Rumple suggested.
Dee Dee felt a little frozen as she watched one of the planes take off before she made herself follow the others inside of the building. "Ooh, I should've stayed home..." she then said, feeling deathly scared all of a sudden. "I thought you'd be going on a train or something safe on the ground."
"Don't worry, kid, you'll be safe," Emma promised with a small smile. "It's safer than a... Horse and carriage." she told her.
Dee Dee bit her lip before reaching into her backpack and taking out her nutcracker doll and hugging it for comfort and security. She may have been 11 now, but she was still a little scared and nervous and she soon began to follow them into the airport as she felt like she could trust Emma, mostly because Henry did, but for different reasons. Henry took his friend's hand as they went inside. Dee Dee followed behind as she held her doll in her free arm, following behind him and the two adults. Henry smiled soothingly to his friend as they went to check in at the airport to go to wherever they were going.
Back in Storybrooke, everyone soon made it onto the pirate ship that they had to go to on the main deck.
"Welcome to The Jolly Roger!" Harry soon announced with a wicked and dark chuckle as he got in touch with his inner pirate since he was going to be just like his father someday.
Hook smirked as he looked rather proud of his son.
"You sailed this ship from our land. Can you sail it back?" Nova soon wondered as she stood beside Leroy.
"My ship? She's a marvel and someday she'll belong to Harry for his own adventures on The Seven Seas. Made from enchanted wood," Hook replied. "We weathered many a storm together, seeing many strange glittering shores, but to travel between lands, she must go through a portal."
"Yeah. What do you know about Cora's plans?" David soon asked the adult pirate.
"Cora's not the most communicative of lasses, but let me tell you this: whatever malice she has in mind, her weapon of choice is in here." Hook explained as he tapped on something that was covered by a cloth.
Leroy and David soon removed the cloth from the object to reveal a cage. Leroy then looked inside to see a rather large man who appeared to be asleep or unconscious.
"Who's that?" Mary Margaret wondered.
"A giant we once met." Harry replied.
"You mean...?" Evie began with wide eyes.
"Aye..." Harry nodded before he narrowed his eyes sternly. "The one that Emma Swan tried to leave my father at the mercy of."
Hook then gently put his hand on his son's shoulder.
"So, Cora used magic to make him travel-sized." Leroy remarked.
"Whatever she intends to do with him, it's important." Hook advised.
"Oh, I think you know exactly what she intends," David glared suspiciously. "You're holding out."
Hook smirked. "Well, either have your lovely wife torture it out of me, which I promise will be fun for both--" he then began to say.
David then suddenly grabbed Hook by the throat and shoved him against the wall. "Why don't you and I have some fun?" he then interrupted darkly.
"I don't know what she's planning," Hook grunted before he grinned despite the painful hold before gesturing to the key that was there. "Why don't you wake the bloody giant and ask him yourself?"
Mary Margaret soon took the key to the cage from Hook before she then opened the cage. "Hey," she then spoke to the tiny giant who suddenly woke up, looking startled. "It's all right. You're safe now. What's your name?"
"Anton," The tiny giant said before he crawled out of the cage. "Where's that witch?"
"She's gone." Doug reassured.
"What did she do?" Anton wondered as he looked around his new surroundings. "She made me small."
"Come on. Let's get you outta here." David soon said, grabbing Anton's shoulder and turning him around to help sort him out.
"You." Anton said, suddenly sounding dangerous.
"Me?" David wondered curiously.
"You! Uhh!" Anton glared before he soon uppercut David, sending the other man flying backward over a railing on deck.
"David!" Mary Margaret cried out.
"Hey! Hey, over here, you big--" Leroy yelled out with a glare as he ran toward the tiny giant.
"Aah!" Anton yelled out before throwing Leroy down the stairs of the ship, causing him to hit his head.
"Leroy!/Uncle Leroy!" Nova and Doug cried out before rushing over to the fallen former dwarf.
Anton soon walked quickly down the stairs. David then pulled out a gun from his holster, but Anton kicked it away before he looked like he was going to hurt Doug and Evie next who held onto each other out of fear. An arrow then whooshed by Anton's shoulder and grabbed his attention. He turned to see Mary Margaret pointing a loaded bow at him.
"Step away from my husband and those children." Mary Margaret scolded as she pointed her loaded bow at him.
"You may have me outnumbered, but this isn't over," The tiny giant glared before looking directly at David. "You think I forgot what you did? I didn't. You'll pay for your evil. I promise you'll pay!" he then added before he soon ran off the ship.
"Well... I don't know who that was, but he definitely does not like Mr. Nolan." Doug remarked.
"There has to be some mistake." Evie frowned.
"Come on, let's get some lunch and think about this," Mary Margaret suggested. "You two can come along too."
"Please and thank you," Evie nodded. "I don't feel comfortable enough to go back home right now, especially since Henry's out of town."
"Yeah. Let's go." Doug agreed.
"Come along then," Mary Margaret said before giving them a small smile, trying to make things better. "Maybe you two can have a couple of milkshakes."
Doug and Evie smiled back as that sounded really nice.
Soon, they left for Granny's Diner to sit down and reflect on what just happened. They weren't the only ones in Granny's Diner though. Ben could be shown at the bar, looking emotionally crushed.
"Another round of chocolate frosted milkshakes, please, Kiara..." Ben soon slurred as he almost sounded as though he was drunk at a bar.
"I think you've had enough ice cream and milk to last a lifetime, Ben." Kiara advised gently.
"Oh, so you wanna take away my milkshakes too, huh? Well, I won't let you!" Ben glared as he suddenly grabbed Kiara by her shirt as he narrowed his eyes deep into her own, nearly sounding like a Beast again.
"Benny! It's me, Kiara... Remember Kiki?" Kiara spoke up, sounding a bit scared and nervous. "I was chasing a butterfly at Evie's 6th birthday party and I nearly fell off the docks of Storybrooke cuz I didn't know how to stay put?"
"Oh... Oh, I'm sorry..." Ben said softly before he realized what was happening and gently lowered his friend as he tried to calm down. "I'm sorry, Kiara... I'm just upset because of what happened to Mal... Why did she leave?"
"Oh, Ben, I'm very sorry about what happened, but you can't let it get to you forever," Kiara said softly. "You just shouldn't blame yourself."
"It's my fault though," Ben defended. "She became my girlfriend, everybody's treating her like a villain because of who her mother was, and I yelled at her for using her spellbook when I thought she should donate it to my dad's shop. Face it, Kiara. I have no one else to blame but myself."
"Oh, Ben... I wish I could help you feel better..." Kiara frowned.
Ben groaned and hit the bar table as he folded his arms, looking like he was going to have a mental breakdown.
"I'm on my way to visit Belle in the hosp--" Ruby said as she walked by with a basket of goodies like she would as Red Riding Hood until she saw what Ben was going through. "Whoa... Ben... Who spit in your milkshake?" she then asked, concerned.
"Mal left Storybrooke." Kiara explained with a small frown.
"What?!" Ruby asked with wide eyes.
"It's true... She left me a letter and I have no idea where she is," Ben said as his voice was breaking due to his tears and extreme sadness. "This is all of my fault."
Ruby frowned. "...Can't you call your father and talk to him?" she then suggested.
"I can't call him just as he left Storybrooke too to find my brother," Ben sniffled and pouted as tears streamed down his face. "And I can't go to my mom either because she has no idea who I am."
"Hmm... That's true, but maybe seeing her will help cheer you up just a little bit?" Ruby offered before shrugging. "I'm going to visit her myself anyway."
"I think I need another milkshake." Ben said before he reached into his wallet.
"I think you spent enough allowance on milkshakes, for now, Ben," Ruby said as she firmly but gently took the boy's arm. "Come on. Come with me and let's go see your mother for a little while. She might not remember you, but you can help her remember you until we find out what to do with her. Besides, it's better than being stuck here all day and drowning your sorrows."
"Yeah. That's Leroy's job." Kiara added as she tried to make a joke.
Ben let out a small chuckle before he sniffled a little. "...Well, I guess I could go over for a bit," he then said softly. "I did promise Dad that I'd visit her every day and check on her for him just like Doug used to for his mother."
"There ya go," Ruby smiled before looking at Kiara. "Kiki, I'll be heading out if Granny's looking for me."
"Got it," Kiara nodded before smirking. "But you're doing the dishes tonight."
"Fine..." Ruby rolled her eyes before she smirked back then began to leave the diner with Ben in tow. "Come on, Ben. Seeing your mother, whether she knows you or not, should be a good cure for a sour face like yours."
"I guess that's a pretty good idea, Ruby." Ben said softly.
"Of course it is." Ruby replied, playfully smug in response.
Kiara smiled before she went back to do her own job in the diner as Ben and Ruby left together.
In Storybrooke General Hospital, Belle was shown to be sitting in a chair and was watching television.
"Hey there, folks. Bill Godwin here. Be sure to tune in to 'Good Morning, Storybrooke' every day at 7:00 AM. And now back to 'Expose'. Previously on 'Expose'..." The TV soon said to Belle as she sat there.
"Hey." Ruby said as she soon walked in with a basket with Ben beside her.
Belle soon turned around to see the young woman and teenage boy. There was a period of silence as Belle wondered what they wanted.
"You don't remember us, do you?" Ben asked softly.
"Um... Sorry, no I... I don't." Belle answered gently and apologetically.
Ruby soon walked in a bit more, prompting Ben to follow her before she set down the basket and sat in a chair next to Belle while Ben decided to sit on the other side and turned off the TV.
"Well, for one thing I'm Ben." Ben soon began to tell his mother.
"I think you were here with that girl with purple hair." Belle then said.
"That's right..." Ben nodded hopefully.
"And I'm Ruby. You used to come into my granny's diner a lot before," Ruby soon added gently. "Anyway, I... thought you could use some comforts from home," she then reached into her basket and pulled out a book. "You were always telling me about Jules Verne, so I brought you my favorite: 'The Mysterious Island'."
"Thank you," Belle said as she took the book. "Well... Were we really friends?"
"Yeah, we were." Ruby nodded.
"Then tell me the truth," Belle said before explaining what she did remember. "Before I was brought here, I was hurt. I was bleeding, and then this man came. And h-he healed me. Then I saw him hold a ball of fire in his hands. How? How is that possible?" she then wondered.
"That was my dad!" Ben spoke up suddenly. "And I'm your son and--"
Ruby then quickly covered Ben's mouth. "The nurse said that the tranquilizers can give you wicked nightmares." she then told the other woman.
"No, I know what I saw," Belle said assertively. "And I don't need any more tranquilizers or--"
"Belle..." Ruby began to say.
"Don't call me that. Why does everyone keep calling me that?!" Belle glared suddenly.
"Because that's your name!" Ben said as he got free from Ruby. "That man who helped you is my father and you're my mother!"
"No, I'm not! I don't have a son!" Belle suddenly said as Ben suddenly looked deeply pained to hear his mother say even though he knew that she wouldn't remember a thing until she was suddenly grabbed by the severe nurse who tried to restrain her. "I'm fine, I don't--"
"Take it easy. Take it easy." The severe nurse soon said as she finally got Belle back in her chair.
"She doesn't have a son..." Ben frowned.
"You know that she doesn't mean that," Ruby gently told Ben before looking at the severe nurse. "Has she been like this the whole time?" she then asked.
"More or less. We've had to keep her heavily sedated," The severe nurse replied as she injected Belle with a tranquilizer. "Okay, let's get you back to bed. Now here we go. There." she then told Belle, getting the woman to stand up and then began to lead Belle back to her room.
Greg Mendell, the outsider in Storybrooke, was silently observing what had happened until he decided to make his presence known as Ben looked a bit hurt, though seeing his mother did bring him some sort of comfort. "Everything okay in here?" he soon asked the two.
"Everything's fine, Mr. Mendell. She's all right," Ruby reassured as Ben wiped his eyes as he began to settle down emotionally. "How are you?"
"Much improved." Greg replied.
"Well, then rest up," Ruby advised. "The sooner you're better, the sooner you can be out of our quiet little town."
Greg nodded as he gave a slight glance toward Ben in a strange way before he soon left the two alone. Ben sniffled a little bit, though he didn't look totally depressed anymore.
"Feeling any better, Ben?" Ruby asked the teenage boy.
"A little bit, I guess," Ben shrugged in response. "That wasn't too bad, I suppose."
"No, it wasn't," Ruby shook her head before smiling a little until she saw the time. "I should probably head back to the diner. Say... Why don't you see if you can give Dr. Hopper a call?" she then suggested. "He lets your conscience be your guide after all."
"Because he was Jiminy Cricket. I know, I know," Ben sighed before he paused thoughtfully. "Hmm... I guess I could actually do that."
"I highly recommend it," Ruby nodded. "Maybe call him first before you go into his office. You don't know how busy he could be." she then advised.
"All right, Ruby. I'll give it a try." Ben replied.
"That's the spirit," Ruby smiled as she put her hand on Ben's shoulder. "You be safe and be careful, all right?"
"Thanks, Ruby." Ben replied softly.
Ruby smiled as she then walked off and decided to rush back to work before it would get too late.
Ben looked thoughtful before he took out his phone and decided to make a quick call. There was no sudden response from Archie and only the answering machine, so he took a deep breath and tried to get out what he wanted to talk about, trying to speak slowly and clearly on the phone. "Hey, uh, Dr. Hopper? It's me, Ben... Uh... I wanna talk to you about something... So please call me back... 555-1991. Thank you." he then said before he hung up after recording his message and let out a bit of a sigh before he looked at his estranged mother one last time, then pouted a little as he began to leave the hospital.
Back at the diner, the adults and two teenagers were still there and hanging out to reflect on what happened.
"David. Did that giant just say he'll make you pay?" Mary Margaret soon asked her husband. "For what?"
"I have no idea," David said, sounding confused. "I've never seen that guy before."
"Well, he sure knows you." Doug remarked as he sipped on his milkshake.
David soon suddenly stopped to think for a moment. "No. It's not about me. He just thinks it is." he then suddenly said, sounding deep in thought.
"Ugh..." Leroy groaned and held his head.
"Let's get you a towel." Nova told Leroy softly before she left with him to the bathroom.
Leroy nodded at her before they soon walked off together.
"He thinks it's about you?" Evie asked David. "But I don't understand..."
"...I think I do," Mary Margaret suddenly said once she got an idea. "Your brother. That's who he thinks you are." she then told her husband.
"It's the only thing that makes sense," David said before he suddenly got up from the booth. "Come on."
"Where are we going?" Mary Margaret asked her husband.
"To find out just what kind of trouble my brother got himself into," David said as he was suddenly filled with determination before he looked over at the two teenagers. "Doug, tell Leroy to get his head looked at and gather the dwarves. You need to keep an eye out for this giant."
"Me?" Doug asked with wide eyes in a squeaky voice.
"Yes, you, you're a dwarf too," David nodded at the boy. "Evie, you should go somewhere and be safe too."
"I'm not going home to my mother and grandmother," Evie spoke up. "They just wanna turn me into them and I don't wanna be just like them."
"You shouldn't get involved with this," David suggested. "You two are just kids."
"No offense, Mr. Nolan, but we are more than just kids and we can help," Evie insisted as she tried to stay brave and bold. "This is apart of our fairy tale heritage and we reserve a right to help out if we can help it."
David looked a bit soft in response.
"No offense of course," Evie then repeated herself before she nodded assertively. "We should learn more about the world we came from because while you guys experienced The Enchanted Forest, we as the fairy tale descendants never truly got a chance to experience it ourselves. Other than just that we're descended from fairy tale characters that once upon a time ago, only my little brother believed in. I didn't believe him either for a while, but now we can help shape our own history and tell our own stories. So please," she then added as she took Doug's hand, causing the boy to blush and his glasses to fog up slightly. "Let us help you to help others in the world we live in."
"Uh... Y-Yeah! ...Ditto." Doug quickly added, sounding a bit bashful and nervous since Evie did what she did.
"You truly are Regina's daughter, Evie," Mary Margaret remarked before she gave a small smile. "All right. You can help out."
"Mary Margaret, are you sure about that?" David asked softly.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am," Mary Margaret reassured as she nodded. "Evie's right. The descendants in our town don't know a lot about our Fairy Tale Town and what came before it, so they should learn more about their parents and grandparents and even with what Ben said about giving The Villain Kids a chance, especially since he's the son of Rumplestiltskin and yet he's the most popular boy in Storybrooke High."
"Well... All right," David then relented before nodding as he looked back at Doug and Evie. "You can help out, but don't say we didn't warn you."
"We won't." Doug and Evie both promised at the same time before they glanced at each other and glanced away, blushing.
"All right," Mary Margaret nodded. "Then it's settled."
"Speaking of the other descendants though, do you think you'll include those girls you brought with you from The Enchanted Forest, Audrey and Lonnie?" David then asked the two teens.
"Uh... Should we, Evie?" Doug wondered.
"No, I don't think they should get involved right away, especially with what Xianniang wants from Lonnie," Evie replied. "They have enough to worry about being in a new world and environment and being far away from their parents until we find a way to help get them back home. Though Audrey told me about how her fairy godmothers gave her a necklace to use at the right time and to protect her like they protected her mother and grandmother from Maleficent and Carabosse."
"Right... Sounds good..." David nodded.
"What does that shape-shifting witch want from Lonnie anyway?" Mary Margaret then asked Evie, trusting that The Evil Princess would know.
"She's mentioned something called The Treasure of Qin," Evie explained, though she shrugged as she wasn't fully sure of what that was supposed to mean. "I don't know what Lonnie has that Xianniang would want, she just has a pet lizard she calls Mushu, but she says he's a dragon and not a lizard."
"Even though a dragon would probably be too big for her hand?" David raised an eyebrow, sounding unimpressed with that claim.
"Her words, not mine." Evie defended.
"Well... All right. We'll make sure that she and Audrey are safe from any harm around here until we figure out what to do with them." David reassured.
"Thank you, Mr. Nolan." Evie smiled tenderly.
"All right then. Let's move out before anything else happens." Mary Margaret advised.
"Right." David, Doug, and Evie agreed.
Mary Margaret nodded at them and they all soon left Granny's Diner so that they could keep doing what they were doing, especially with a former giant loose in Storybrooke. It was a good thing they left when they did because they soon heard the sounds of terrorized residents as they followed the sounds.