V IS FOR VENDETTA

A Good Girl, But I've Been Bad Before

After Lena manages to get over the fact that Snow is very obviously nine months pregnant, she can finally focus on the more pressing issue that no one in Storybrooke can remember how they wound up back here or what happened during their brief stay at the Enchanted Forest.

"Okay, the kids are asleep upstairs." Emma mutters as she joins everyone on the ground floor of Snow and Charming's apartment. "So the last thing any of you remember is us crossing the town line?"

"Yep. And now we're cursed- again." David sasses, casting a suspecting glower in Regina's direction.

"I can assure you I am just as clueless as everyone else. Had I cast this curse don't you think retrieving Lena and Henry would have been the first thing I would have done?" The ravenette scoffs. "I didn't know if it was safe."

"I don't understand..." David sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose as he turns to Hook. "If you left the Enchanted Forest before the curse, how did you know to find Emma and come to Storybrooke?"

The pirate shrugs as he idles back into the couch. "As I was sailing the realms a bird landed on my ship's wheel with a note instructing me to retrieve Emma and bring her back here. There was a small vial of memory potion tied to its leg. I assumed you sent it."

"A message via bird." David arches a brow as he turns to his wife. "That does sound like you."

"Unless Doctor Doolittle exists in this realm." Lena snarks gloomily, her fearsome glare never straying from Hook as Regina tucked her tightly into her side. The mayor snakes an arm around her waist and squeezes gently to grasp her attention, arching a questioning brow when darkened eyes meet her own. Before she can ask what's wrong though, Leroy bursts into the apartment, panting to catch his breath.

"We lost another one. We're five now."

"Four, actually." Happy laments "Bashful's not answering."

"Wait. What's going on?" Emma shakes her head in bafflement.

"It's not just our memories that are missing." Snow reveals. "Ever since we woke up, people have begun disappearing."

"Whoever cursed us is picking us off, one by one." Leroy fumes.

Lena does a quick scan of the room to ensure no one of value has been captured. "Hmm. Maybe they're eliminating the weakest links."

That earns her a few glares but she just shrugs as Emma ignores her observation.

"Hold up. So who exactly has gone missing?"

"Aside from the dwarves, we're not sure. There's been a lot of confusion over the past few days. It's been hard to keep track of everyone." David explains.

Emma's eyes light up hopefully. "Neal. Is he here?"

"Well, we haven't found him yet." Snow winces sympathetically.

"He'll turn up, Swan." Hook reassures. "He always does."

"Some folks have set up camp in the woods at the edge of town. Neal might be there." Offers David.

"Or he may not have got swept up in the curse at all." Lena theorises. A strange need to protect Emma remains after their year as 'sisters', and although it confuses the hell out of her she can't quite seem to subdue it. "There's only one way we can figure all this out. We have to get your memories back."

"How are we going to do that?" Snow asks, watching as the 'sisters' exchange knowing glances.

"By figuring out who took them in the first place."

"Wait, Dwarf." Lena demands before Leroy can heave-ho. "Where was your comrade when he was taken?"

"We were searching the town line."