Chapter One Broken

Once Upon a Time...

Isn't that how every story should go?

"Who's that?" Henry asked as he slid in the booth across from his aunt. She jumped in surprise, almost messing up her picture.

"Don't do that." she lightly scolded. He gave a sheepish grin, causing Ellie to roll her eyes and then go back to her drawing. Henry repeated his question.

"I don't know kiddo," she began as she finished up her drawing, "All I know is that he'll be important to me someday." She smiled at her drawing and then showed it to Henry.

"He looks like Captain Hook." Henry commented, leaning in a bit more.

"Well maybe he's my true love." she teased.

-OUAT-

Emma and Ellie slowly walked down the street, watching everyone reunite with one another. Henry walked behind them, keeping a tight grip on his aunt's hand. Though Ellie wouldn't ever tell her sister out loud, she was looking for a particular somebody. Her 'Captain Hook', as Henry called him.

"So...do we look for..."Ellie began, not really sure how to finish the question.

"Mom and Dad?" Emma finished, nodding at a group of people embracing about twenty feet away.

"In all our years of imagining this...I don't think we'd ever thought of something like this." Ellie said and Emma let out a small laugh.

"Now? I find my daughters." Mary Margaret answers Ruby. Emma and Ellie look at each other, and take a few steps forward towards the group. Henry let go of Ellie's hand, staying behind to watch. Ellie wanted him to stay with her, she would feel ten times better if her nephew was here to give her and Emma some support. A part of her wanted to trade places with him, to just stand aside and watch everything.

"So, it's true."Emma says. Everyone turns, facing the twins. Mary Margaret, who had started to tear up, stepped forward. She cupped Emma's face, then Ellie's, and then hugged the two of them. Neither Ellie or Emma returned the gesture.

"You found us." Mary Margaret whispered. David soon joins in, kissing both of his daughter's heads. The two of them sill remained motionless. Ellie felt like she should hug back…but she wasn't sure how Emma would react to that. So she remained still.

"Grandpa?" Henry questioned, though the situation (or...whatever you wanted to call it) was slightly awkward, Emma and Ellie shared a small smile. Mary Margret laughed and David chuckles.

"Yeah, kid. I suppose so." David answers and Henry joins in.

"They did it. They saved you." Henry said and the hug was broken. Ellie and Emma suddenly become uncomfortable, shifting on their feet a bit.

" They saved all of us." Mary Margret corrects, smiling proudly at her daughters. The two of them look at each other, unsure of what to say.

"Uh..."

"I...Well..."

"Uh, then why are we still here?" Leory asked, bringing everyone's attention to the current problem on hand.

"That my friend, is an excellent question." David says, looking around the town as if an answer is going to jump out and start tap dancing.

"Well, what was that smoke?" Mr. Clark asked.

"Who did this? What was that smoke?"

"A-And why?" Walter stuttered.

"And what was that smoke?" Ellie was beginning to get a little nervous, too many questions and almost no answers. Though she never had experience with a group of angry and confused, she certainly knew that it was just going to cause more trouble. Help came in the form of Mother Superior, whom Henry had told her was the Blue Fairy.

"Magic. It's here. I can feel it." she explained. The statement quickly caused an uneasiness to form among the group. From what Ellie had seen in Henry's book, magic only meat trouble.

"Magic? In Storybrooke? You're the Blue Fairy. Do something magical." Henry said, looking to Mother Superior. She gave a light chuckle.

"It's not quite that simple, Henry. No wand, no fairy dust…matters are complicated now."

"Let's go to the person responsible for bringing it-the Queen." Leory offered, looking to the others. Some nodded in agreement but Emma quickly shut that down.

"No, wait," they all looked at the twins, "It wasn't Regina."The two of them quickly explained how they went to Gold for help when Henry had been poisoned. Soon the group was walking down the street to Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop.

"Is there anything that you want to ask us? You must have questions." Mary Margaret said, walking a little faster to keep up with her daughters.

"The only questions I have are for Mr. Gold. Why did he double-cross us, and what did he do to this town?"

"Em…"Ellie gently said, making her sister look over at her. When they were younger, they used to joke and say they had 'twin telepathy'. As they got older, it seems that all they had to do was look at one another and they'd be having a mental conversation.

'Please be nice. This is a big moment for them'. Ellie's face said.

'We've got bigger things to worry about'. Emma's expression responded. Ellie knew that she wouldn't be able to push anything else out of her sister, so she left it at that. Though Emma was the blonde and Ellie a dark coppery red head, the two of them certainly had the opposite personalities. If a person were to take a glance at the two of them, they would instantly say that Emma was the kind one while Ellie was the hot-head. They always proved people wrong.

"Uh…shouldn't we talk about 'it' first?" Mary Margaret asked, looking between the two of them. To be honest, Emma wasn't the only one that didn't want to talk about 'everything'.

"What?" Emma asked, pretending that she didn't know what her mother was talking about.

"Us, your lives, everything?" Mary Margaret asked. Ellie bit her lip, already knowing how Emma would want to handle this, like she handled any other problem that was too big for her. With alcohol, lots and lots of alcohol.

"Can we do everything maybe later? Like, with a glass of wine. Or…several..bottles." Ellie sighed, sometimes she hated how well she knew her sister.

"I know it's a lot to take in-for all of us." David said, gesturing to everyone.

"And we don't want to push," Mary Margaret quickly added in, "But, we've waited for this moment for so-"

"Yeah, so have we." Emma interrupted, coming to a halt.

"We've thought about this moment our entire lives. We made up different stories of what you'd be like." Ellie calmly added, clasping her hands together and looking down at them.

"But, of all our scenarios that we connected, our parents being…we-we just need a little time. That's….that's all." Emma explained, struggling with the words. She looked over at her sister, who looked up and gave her parents a nod. Some shouting breaks out behind them and Ellie looks back. She tugs on her sister's jacket, pointing to the angry mob that was running down one of the cross streets.

"Snow." David says, pointing it out to his wife. Archie runs up to the group, slightly panting. "There you are. Come with me," he clutched his side, "I need your help. Dr. Whale's whipped everyone into a frenzy. They're going to Regina's house. They're going to kill her!"
"Great, let's watch." Leory said, crossing his arms. A few nodded in agreement. Archie quickly shook his head.

"No. No, we cannot stoop to her level. No matter who she is or what she's done, killing her is wrong." Archie argued.

"He's right. Please. She's still my mom." Henry pleaded. That was Emma's weak spot, Ellie knew she'd do anything he asked. Probably because she was trying to make up for giving him up all those years ago.

"We have to stop them." Emma finally decided.

"If magic's really here," Ellie paused, "I actually said that," she shook her head, "They'll all be marching into a slaughter." They took off, following the mob.

-OUAT-

Ellie, she learned it from Emma so blame her, stole Emma's gun as they tried to push through the mob. Aggravated, Ellie rose it above her head.

"Ellie!" David cried but she fired it. The mob ducked and turned. Ellie felt a little proud that they all looked terrified of her, usually it was Emma whom everyone was afraid of. She was glad that this was her moment...even though it was possibly the weirdest one.

"Thank you! Now move it!" she snapped. The mob created a path, allowing the group through. She handed Emma her gun back at the two of them went up to separate Dr. Whale from Regina.

"When did you-"

"A few minutes ago. Archie said mob, mob means gun. Gun means you." Ellie shrugged and the twins left it at that. Emma and Ellie ran up on the porch, pulling Dr. Whale from Regina.

"Let her go! Let her go! Let her go!" Emma snapped, pushing Dr. Whale far enough from Regina.

"Why should I listen to the two of you?" Dr. Whale sneered.

"Because she's still the sheriff and I can still kick your ass if need be." Ellie snapped.

"And because they saved you. All of you!" David stepped in, looking at Regina and Dr. Whale, then the mob.

"And I still haven't heard a thank you from any of them." Ellie muttered to her sister, who nodded in agreement.

"And because no matter what Regina did, it does not justify this." Mary Margaret added, gesturing to the situation.

"We are not murders here." Emma said.

"Well, we're not from this world." Dr. Whale argued.

"Whale, I'm trying to decide if I like cursed you or non-cursed you. It's kind of hard to tell because both versions of you were a dick." Ellie snapped and Dr. Whale lunged at her but David quickly stepped in. He pushed him back.

"Okay, Whale. We're done." Dr. Whale pushed David back.

"Back off. You're not my prince." he spat.

"Who are you, Whale." David asked, looking at him. Ellie frowned, that was an excellent question. She didn't remember reading about any sort of Doctor in Henry's book.

"That's my business."

"Well, my business is making sure this town doesn't go to hell. So, whether or not I'm your prince, isn't the issue. We have a lot to figure out, and this isn't the way to do it."

"And Regina's death won't provide any answers. She needs to be locked up. For her safety and, more importantly, for ours." Mary Margaret said, looking over to Regina.

-OUAT-

David, Mary Margaret, Henry and Ellie stood behind Emma as they watched Emma lock Regina in one of the cells. Henry turned away, burying his face in Ellie's stomach. She hugged him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

"So, I'm a prisoner now?" Regina bluntly asked, looking at the group. More glaring though at Ellie and her son. Ellie didn't flinch, Emma and other people had given her worse looks over the years. And besides, she knew it was only because she was holding Henry in an affectionate way.

"The curse is broken. Why didn't we go back?" David asked.

"Because there's nothing to go back to. That land is gone." she explained with a shrug, showing that she didn't really care. Though Emma was the one with the 'superpower', she could tell that Regina knew something else...something that she wasn't letting on. And with what she knew, Gold had to be in it too.

"We should get to Gold." Ellie said, and they all nodded. Ellie pulled Henry away and held his hand, leading the group out of the police station.

-OUAT-

Ellie stood between David and Mary Margaret as Emma put Henry into the car with Ruby. The twins had an argument about that, Emma claiming that she wanted Ellie to go with Henry and keep the two of them safe. Ellie, however, stated that this was her fight as much as Emma's. Ellie glanced between her 'parents' and then walked up to the window of Ruby's car.

"Keep him safe Ruby." Ellie rolled her eyes and kissed Henry's cheek.

"Keep each other safe." Ellie corrected her sister. The two in the car smiled and gave them a nod before they drove off.

"Don't push it, Snow." David murmured to his wife, watching his daughters watch the car drive away before turning and facing the two of them.

"I'm not..."

"You guys ready?" Emma interrupted.

"We need to talk." Mary Margaret immediately stated, wasting no time whatsoever. The twins looked at one another before Ellie cleared her throat.

"I...Well, I don't think we're just quite ready for that." she stumbled, looking to her sister for help. Emma nodded, looking a bit unsure herself.

"We...don't really want to talk." Emma added.

"Well, I do, kay. Gold can wait. I can't. I mean, you two are our daughters, and...I want to talk to both of you. I know that we have talked. But, we didn't know that we were talking. And we talked about things we probably shouldn't even have talked about-one night stands and the like." Ellie awkwardly cleared her throat, looking anywhere but at her 'parents'.

"One night stands?" David questioned, looking between the three of them.

"Whale." Mary Margaret shrugged, like it was nothing.

"Whale!?"

"We were cursed. That is neither here, nor there," Ellie finally found the courage to look at her parents, "The point is, we did not know that we were mother and daughter, and now, we do. And, so...Please, let's talk." Emma and Ellie looked at each other and gave each other a simple shrug, saying what harm could come from that?

"Okay. What do you want to talk about?" Emma asked.

"We're together-finally. And I can tell that neither one of you are happy about it."

"No..we are," Ellie reassured them before she cleared her throat and decided to tell them the truth, "But, see...no matter the circumstances that arose. All we thought about for the last twenty-eight years was that our parents sent us away. And that we had no one but each other because no one wanted us."

"We did that to give you your best chance." Mary Margaret argued.

"You did it for everyone," Emma corrected, "Because that's who you are. Leaders, heroes, princes, and princesses and that's great. A-And amazing. And wonderful. But it doesn't change the fact that, for our entire lives, we've been alone."

"But, if we hadn't sent you away, you would've been cursed too." Mary Margaret sadly explained. Even though Ellie can see her reasoning behind her actions...it didn't really mean that she agreed with them one hundred percent.

"But we would've been together. Which curse is worse?" Ellie questioned. David and Mary Margaret don't answer. Ellie sighs and puts her hands in her jacket.

"Let's just go find Gold." Ellie finally said, walking off. The four of them walk in silence to Gold's shop. Once they reach it, they walk inside to find him making tea.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, placing the pot down as the twins walked up to him.

"What you can do, is tell us what you did." Emma demanded, playing the bad cop role.

"I'm sorry. You're going to have to be more specific." Mr. Gold said, playing innocent.

"You know damn well what we're talking about." David spat. Ellie held up a hand, pushing him back a bit. Though she only knew Gold as Gold, she figured that she and Emma had more of a chance in interrogating him.

"You double-crossed Emma and Ellie, you, uh, took your...portion, from her." Mary Margaret explained, as if Gold had actually forgotten what he'd done.

"And did who knows what to this town." David added.

"And, worst of all, you risked Henry's life." Emma stated. Ellie sighed, she knew that that was going to get thrown in there somewhere.

"Well, that is quite a litany of grievances now, isn't it?" Gold questioned, looking at the family.

"Maybe I don't need answers. maybe I just need to punch you in the face." Ellie pushed her sister back, muttering to her to calm down. Though Ellie had her anger moments, like earlier, she was the only one that could calm Emma down.

"Really, dearie? Allow me to answer your questions with some of my own, alright?" Gold looked to the twins. Ellie was still holding Emma back, but Gold continued. "Did your dear boy Henry survive?" Ellie could tell that Gold was going to bring up some points that all of them missed.

"Yeah." Emma answered and nodded to her sister. Ellie lowered her hands, but stayed close in case Emma decided to attack. She, unfortunately, had a tendency to do that.

"Is the cruse broken? And let's see. Uh, Miss and Miss Swan. How long have the two of you been searching for your parents? Seems like, rather a punch in the face, I deserve a thank you." Gold smugly stated. Ellie waved it off.

"Twist my sister's words all you want. What's up with the purple smoke stuff you brought to the town?"

"You know...magic." Gold said with a shrug as if it was the most obvious answer.

"Why?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Not telling." Gold said, sounding like a child with a secret, teasing the four of them. A loud explosion went off, shaking the store. Ellie grasped her sister's arm, stumbling over her feet.

"What the hell was that?" Emma gasped. They ran to the window, Ellie's mouth dropping wide open when she saw the sight outside.

"I don't even know what to think anymore." Ellie muttered.

"That...is my gift to you. That is going to take care of Regina." Gold explained. Ellie wanted to whine and stomp her feet, can't the problems just stop? The four of them looked away from the window and then over at Gold. The sisters glared at the man.

"Emma, Ellie, come on." Mary Margaret said, pulling her daughter's hands along.

"We need to take care of this." David agreed.

"We're not done." If Emma could do the 'I'm watching you' gesture, Ellie knew that she certainly would. But it would 'ruin' her sister's image of being a badass.

"Oh, I know. You two still owe me a favor." To be honest, Ellie didn't like the sound of that.

-OUAT-

The four of them ran into the jail, finding the wraith beginning to suck out Regina's soul.

"Hey!" David yelled and smashed the wraith with a chair. The wraith began throwing furniture around the station. Ellie had to slam herself against the wall to avoid getting hit by a desk.

"Over here!" Mary Margaret yelled, she lit a lighter and used an aerosol to create a flamethrower. The wraith gave a screech and flew out of the window.

"What the hell was that thing?" Emma breathlessly asked as Ellie helped her sister up onto her feet.

"A wraith, also known more simply as a soul sucker." Ellie explained and everyone looked at her with confusion.

"What? I read."

"Did I-" Mary Margaret asked, bringing the attention back to the problem.

"Kill it? No, it's regenerating. It'll be back. It doesn't stop until it devours its prey-me." Regain interrupted. Ellie and Emma looked at each other, both giving a sigh.

"So, how do we kill it?" Emma asked.

"There's no way. Can't kill something that's already dead." Regina stated.

"Then we have a problem." Emma stated with a sigh.

"No, we don't. Regina does." David corrected. Ellie raised an eyebrow, that didn't sound very prince-like.

"What?" Apparently Regina thought so too.

"David?"

"You want to let her die?" Emma questioned.

"Why not? Then it goes away and then, we're safe." David explained, looking between his three girls.

"That's quite the example you're setting for your daughters there." Regina remarked.

"No, you don't get to judge us." David snapped, walking up to her.

"Let me ask you something. Where do you think that thing came from? Gold." Emma and Ellie looked at each other, remembering what Henry asked the two of them.

'We made a promise.' Ellie's face said, reminding her sister. Emma sighed, she hated when her sister was right…which was all the time.

"I made a promise to Henry," Emma finally said, looking to everyone, "She's not dying." Regina and Mary Margaret looked happy, David looked a little miffed. However, Ellie was glad that her sister was finally starting to step up as the role of a mother.

"If it can't be killed, what do you suggest?" Mary Margaret asked her daughters.

"Maybe we can send it somewhere where it won't hurt anyone." Ellie mused, thinking about all the different types of portals she had heard of from Henry's book. There had to be something that worked now that magic was in town.

Ellie paused, "That's it I'm going crazy." She thought.

-OUAT-

Emma and Ellie stood side by side in Regina's office while Regina pulled out a hatbox from one of her cupboards.

"Did Henry really ask you to protect me?" Regina asked, pausing and then looking over at the twins. Ellie and Emma looked at each other and gave her a nod. Regina gives a small smile and pulls out Jefferson's hat. Ellie frowned.

"The hat. You had his hat all along." She stated, pointing at it. Emma looked at the hat, frowning herself.

"What do you mean?" Regina asked.

"That's Jefferson's hat." Emma explained.

"Who's Jefferson?" The twins dropped it when Mary Margaret and David came in, carrying brooms to be used for torches.

"Torches-for when it comes back," he explained and spun the one he had around, "I know it's old fashioned, but so am I."

"So. How does it work?" Mary Margaret asked, looking to the Evil Queen. The five of them bring the hat and their makeshift weapons to another room.

"It will open a portal to our land. All we have to do is send the wraith in there." Regina explained.

"Oh yeah. Just that." David scoffed.

"I don't understand. I thought that our land was gone?" Mary Margaret asked, looking at Regina. She knelt down, placing the hat on the ground.

"It is. But, sending it to a place that no longer exists…well, that's banishing it to oblivion." Regina explained. The lights began to flicker and the wraith wailed. Ellie grabbed Emma's arm, looking sharply around. Mary Margaret and David lit their torches, ready for any attack.

"Regina…"Emma warns, trying to calm her sister so she wouldn't have a panic attack. She knew that the lights were bringing up bad memories of the previous orphanages, the kids constantly teased her about her fear of the dark. Emma never judged her sister because she knew that everyone had a fear, she only helped when she was needed.

"I'm trying." Regina snapped, giving the hat a spin. Though every time she did so, it only spun and then stopped. The doors to the room bust open, making Ellie jump and let out a shriek.

"Regina…" Ellie warned in a shaky voice, clutching onto her sister as they watched the wraith enter the room.

"I know." Regina said, getting a bit agitated as she continued to try and open the portal. David waved his torch around, trying to keep the wraith back. Mary Margaret grabbed a bottle of alcohol off a nearby table and poured it along the railing in front of them.

"David!" David gets behind the barrier at his wife's command and quickly lights it up.

"Hurry!"

"It's not working!" Regina snapped at the prince. Ellie and Emma quickly stepped in, doing everything in their power to help their parents keep the wraith back.

"What's the problem?" Ellie asked, knowing that she would be more help to Regina than to the others. Mostly because she didn't carry some sort of weapon, the only thing she had on her was a tiny six-shooter that Emma insisted she carried around and only fire if it was in dire need. Which was why she stole, again Emma taught her, gun to deal with the mob.

"Magic…it's different here." Regina explained.

"Now would be the time!" David yelled. Ellie went forward and touched Regina's shoulder. The hat suddenly begins to spin and the purple vortex appeared. Ellie laughs, so thankful for something to be going in the right direction for once.

"It's coming!" David yelled. Ellie had just glanced back when she heard a crash. She quickly pushed Regina out of the way and stumbled backwards as the wraith tried to pull her into the portal with her. Ellie fell on her stomach, the wraith dragging her by her ankle. Emma quickly slid forward, grabbing her sister.

"Please don't let go Emmie." Ellie begged, tears falling down her face. Emma shook her head.

"I won't. I'm not letting you go." She promised, the wraith gave a tug on Ellie's ankle, causing Emma to break her grip on her sister.

"NO!" Emma screamed, clawing for her sister's hand. Though she was too late, Ellie and the wraith fell through.

"No!" David and Mary Margaret yelled. Emma numbly stared into the vortex. She didn't even notice Mary Margaret jumping in of David pulling her back.

"She's gone…" Emma finally said after the portal was closed. David tried hugging his daughter, she still remained stoic. She didn't want any sort of affection from anyone…she just wanted her sister back.

"Where are they?" David calmly asked the Queen. In all honesty, he wanted to wring her tiny neck and demand her to open the portal back up so he could jump in and go find Ellie and Snow. But Emma needed him more.

"I have no idea."

"Are they dead?" Emma croaked and if the Queen were to answer yes, then nothing had the power to stop her from killing Regina. Ellie often disapproved of Emma's acts of violence but…

"It won't matter all that much then." Emma bitterly thought.

"The curse-it destroyed all the lands."

"That wasn't the question. Are. They. Dead?" David asked, pulling away from Emma and slowly walking over to the Evil Queen.

"I don't know." Regina answered.

"I should've killed you myself." David spat.

"Well, then. What's stopping you?" Regina challenged. With a wave of her hand, she magically threw David against the wall. Vines magically protruded from the wall, holding David in place while attempting to strangle him.

"You think you're some heroic prince?" Regina scoffed and Emma slowly removed her gun from her holster, still making it look like she was grieving, "Please. You're nothing but the son of a shepherd. I should've killed you when I could. And now…" Emma jumped to her feet, pointing the gun at Regina's head.

"Let him go." Regina rolled her eyes at Emma's act and waved her hand, sending her flying and landing on her back.

"Emma!" David yelled, now fighting even more to break free of the vines. Ruby and Henry enter, seeing the scene before them, Ruby quickly runs over to Emma and helps her onto her feet.

"Mom?" Henry questions. Regina turns her attention towards Henry, surprised and a bit startled.

"Henry, what are you doing here?" she asked, and mentally hoping that he would leave so that she could continue her work without her son seeing.

"What are you doing?" Henry asked.

"It's okay. You're safe now." Regina assured him. The vines disappear and David falls to the ground, rubbing at his neck. Emma and Ruby quickly go over and help him.

"W-Where's Aunt Ellie and where's-"

"They're gone. They fell through a portal. They're-Henry, I'm sorry." She takes a few steps forward to comfort him but Henry steps back.

"No, you're not," Henry shakes his head, "You really are the Evil Queen. I don't want to see you again."

"No, don't say that. I love you." Regina begged, shaking her head. She could take everyone else calling her that, but when it was the boy she had raised…it was heartbreaking.

"Then, prove it. Get Ellie and Mary Margaret back. And until then, leave me-leave everyone alone." Henry demanded. Henry still saw his mother in there somewhere, but she had to prove that she was in there to him…or else he'd never speak to her again.

"But where will you go?"

"With us." Emma answered, getting to David to his feet. The four of them walked out, leaving Regina alone.

"As it should be." Emma angrily thought, keeping one arm around Henry and not even glancing back.

-OUAT-

Ellie knew she must be dreaming because she hadn't been back to Miss Blackley's Dance School for at least fifteen years.

"Hello?" she called out as she walked in. Nothing looked out of place from what she remembered, which was sign number one for it being a dream.

"Miss Swan! Why aren't you dressed?!" That was sign number two, Penelope Blackley died six years ago. A hit and run while she was going on her morning jog.

"Please just go away. You're dead."Ellie begged and turned away from her old dance teacher, rubbing her arms. Miss Blackley morphed into Emma.

"Would you rather I look like this?" 'Emma' questioned and Ellie sharply turned back around, seeing her sister standing there with her familiar smirk on her face.

"Can I wake up? You're just being cruel right now." Ellie asked her subconscious. Ellie used to have dreams like this when she was a child, where her subconscious would show her things. The dreams varied, some would be people or places she'd been other times it'd be unfamiliar things that she would later draw. As she got older, the dreams disappeared until Henry showed up at her and Emma's apartment.

With the recent events, Ellie now guessed that her dreams had to do with who her parents were and where she was born. It was hard to deny that when it had been practically shoved in her face.

"I'm just preparing you for when you wake up." 'Emma' waved her hand and Ellie slowly opened her eyes. Two women stared down at her, wearing things that looked like they belonged in Henry's book.

"Uh…Hi?"