"♪" "Once Upon a Time" " S01E09 True North" "Original air date January 15, 2012" "Thank you so much, Mr. Clark." " I really appreciate it." " Thank you." "Whatcha reading?" ""The hulk... vs. Wolverine."" "I'm Ava." "I think I've seen you around school." "You're in Ms. Blanchard's class, right?" "Almost ready, Ava?" "Mm, this is my brother Nicholas." "Hi." "Oh." "Come on." "Let's go." "You wanna come hang out?" "Sure." "Where the hell do you think you're going?" "Open up your bag." "What?" "Don't think I didn't see you rob me." "Open your bag." "But I didn't take anything." "And a liar, too." "That's why you were talking to me." "So your brother could put that stuff in there." "Henry, I'm shocked." "And you two--just who do you think you are?" "A fine specimen." "The wood it provides will keep our family's hearth warm this winter." " Can't I have an ax?" " Huh?" "You did say you wanted me here so I could help." "That I did." "So here's your task-- take the cart." "Go fill it with kindling." "The drier the better." "Okay." "And have your brother accompany you." "Okay." "Come on." "Wait." "Take this." "Your compass?" "So you don't get lost." "A family always needs to be able to find one another." "Yeah." "Okay." "Go." "Be safe." "It's getting late." "We should go." "Hey!" "Give it back." "Come on, Gretel." "Give it back." "No, Hansel." "We need to get back to father." "Fine." "Follow me." "This is where we left him." "So why isn't he here?" "Father?" "Father!" "Father!" "Father?" "Father!" "Get up." "What are you doing in my forest?" "I'm sorry, madam mayor, but your son was shoplifting." "Were you?" "Look for yourself." "My son doesn't eat candy, and he knows better than to steal." "It was obviously those two." "We're going." "Henry." "What happened?" "Ms. Swan, must I remind you that genetics mean nothing?" "You're not his mother, and it's all taken care of." "I'm here because I'm the sheriff." "Oh, that's right." "Go on." "Do your job." "Take care of those miscreants." "Did you call their parents?" "Uh, the number they gave me was... disconnected." "Did you guys give Mr. Clark a fake number?" "Then why is it disconnected?" "'Cause our parents couldn't pay the bill." "You guys were just trying to help out, huh?" "Please." "Please don't arrest us." "It'll just make things worse for our parents." "Please forgive us." "We didn't mean to bother you." "We just..." "Well, we just lost our father." "Two helpless children, lost and alone, the family torn asunder." "Such a sad and moving story." "Guards." "Seize them." "Hansel, run!" "Running from me is foolish." "Foolish." "But also brave." "And that bravery..." "May just have saved you and your family's lives." "You're--you're letting us go?" "Oh, I'm doing so much more than that." "I'm going to find your father." "You are?" "Why?" "Because you two are going to do something for me." "And then..." "You'll take us home?" "This it?" "Please." "No." "If our parents see you, they'll be so embarrassed." "Did Henry tell you about my superpower?" "We just met him." "I have the ability to tell when anyone is lying." "So tell me the truth." "Money problems aside, is everything okay at home?" "Yeah, we're great." "Can we go?" "All right." "She's gone." "We're good." "Why'd you guys lie to me?" "Where are your parents?" "We don't have any." "Do you know them?" "Do they go to your school?" "I've seen them, but..." "I had no idea." "None of us did." "Ava and Nicholas Zimmer." "Said their mother was a woman named Dorrie Zimmer." "She died a few years ago." "No one seems to know her or remember her." "And the father?" "There isn't one--at least not one that they know." "What does, uh, what does social services say?" "You didn't report them." "I report them, I can't help them." "They go into the system." "The system that's supposed to help." "Yeah, says the woman who wasn't in it for 16 years." "Do you know what happens?" "They get thrown into homes where they are a meal ticket." "Nothing more." "These families get paid for these kids, and as soon as they're too much work, they get tossed out and it all starts over again." "But they're not all like that." "All the ones I was in." "What, we're just gonna adopt them?" "I want to look for their father." "They don't know him." "He may not know they exist." "And you think if he knows he'll want them?" "I don't know." "But what I do know is it's hard enough finding foster families to take one kid that isn't theirs, let alone two." "It's their best shot or" "We're gonna be separated?" "No." "That's not gonna happen." "Please." "Please don't let it." "Excuse me." "Mr..." "Kry-zowksi?" "It's Kryzyszkowski." "Everyone calls me "K."" "Mr. K., I am sheriff Swan." "I'm hoping to look at the birth certificates of Ava and Nicholas Zimmer." "Well, just, uh, fill out this form..." "In triplicate." "Okay." "I'm so sorry." "Those documents have been recently removed." "By who?" "Don't worry, Ms. Swan." "You can relax." "I've contacted social services." "Turns out these kids are on their own." "They need help." "Which is exactly what I'm trying to do." "I'm trying to find their father." "Well..." "He doesn't exist." "He has to." "Well, of course, biologically, he exists, but there's no record of him, which means we have no choice." "These children need a home so they will be put into the foster system." "Storybrooke has a foster system?" "No, but I've contacted the state." "Maine's group homes, unfortunately, are filled, but they've put us in touch with two homes in Boston-- a boys' home and a girls'." "They're separating them?" "I don't like it either, but we've got no choice." "You need to have them in Boston tonight." "Me?" "Well, you wanted to be sheriff." "This is what sheriffs do." "Yes, you're taking them." "No." "I promised them they wouldn't be separated." "Well, then perhaps you should stop making promises you can't keep." "These children need a home." "I'm just trying to find the best one." "What is that?" "My father's compass." "He gave it to me so I could find him, but now it's broken." "When are you gonna tell us where we're going?" "This is close enough." "Close enough to what?" "The home of the blind witch." "That doesn't sound good." "She has something of mine, and I need you to get it back." "What is it?" "Something I need to defeat a very wicked and powerful enemy." "It's kept in a black leather satchel inside her house." "Well, why don't you get it yourself?" "How come you need us?" "Because the house is protected by magic." "I can't enter." "But luckily, the spell doesn't work on children." "You'll have to wait here until nightfall." "And then..." "Once the witch is asleep..." "You can sneak in." "And if we do this, you promise you'll find our father?" "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." "Like what?" "No matter what you do, no matter how you're tempted..." "Don't... eat..." "Anything." "Any luck?" "No." "I know who they are." "A brother and sister, lost, no parents." "Hansel and Gretel." "Anything in there about the dad?" "Just that he abandoned them." "Great." "Sounds like a familiar story." "Whoever this guy is, he could be in Laos by now." "No, he's here." "Just how do you know that?" "'Cause no one leaves Storybrooke." "No one comes here." "No one goes." "It's just the way it is." "I came here." "Because you're special." "You're the first stranger here ever." "Right." "I forgot." "Well, if he's around here anywhere, I'm gonna find him." "Can you tell me about him?" "I don't know anything yet." "Not their father." "Mine." "I told you about your parents." "Now you're even living with your mom." "Mary Margaret isn't-- she's..." "Never mind." "Please?" "I was pretty young." "I'd just gotten out of the foster system, and the only job I could get was at this 24-hour diner just off the interstate." "And, um..." "Your dad was training to be a fireman." "He always got the worst shifts, so he'd come in and order coffee and pie and sit at the counter and always complained that we didn't sell pumpkin pie, but he always came back the next night anyway." "Did you get married?" "Oh, no." "Nothing like that." "We just--we hung out a few times outside of work." "And..." "Life happened." "His got better and mine got worse, and..." "I got in some trouble." "When you went to jail." "Yeah." "And before I went, I..." "I found out I was pregnant with you." "And..." "I tried to contact him." "And I found out..." "That he died saving a family from a burning apartment building." "So you think I'm a savior, Henry?" "He was." "Your father was a real hero." "Do you have anything of his?" "Something you can remember him by?" "Something I could see?" "I..." "I don't." "Henry..." "I'm sorry." "I gotta go." "I may know how to find this guy." "I want to show you guys something." "Here." "What's that?" "It's my baby blanket." "It's something I've held on to my whole life." "It's the only thing that I have from..." "From my parents." "I spent a lot of time with a lot of kids in your situation, and all of them..." "All of us..." "We held on to stuff." "I want to find your father, but I need your help." "Is there anything of his you've held on to?" "I might have something." "But if I give it to you, you'll make sure we stay together, right?" "Right." "A compass?" "Our mom kept it." "She said it was our dad's." "Thank you." "Did you find them?" "Who?" "Your parents." "Not yet." "But I'm gonna find yours." "Shh." "How can you be sure she's sleeping?" "I can't." "And remember what the Queen said." "Not even a lick." "You're right." "Look." "And there's the satchel." "What do you think's inside it?" "Does it matter?" "All that matters is getting it to the Queen so she can find father." "No!" "I smell dinner." "Mmm." "Emma." "How lovely to see you." "I'm flattered you'd take time out of your busy schedule for me." "What can I do for you, sheriff?" "I'm looking for information on this old compass." "Any idea where it could've come from?" "Well, well." "Look at the detail." "You know, this is crystal, this jeweled setting?" "Despite the rather unfortunate shape this it's in, this is actually a very unusual piece." "The person who owned this obviously had great taste." "And where would someone like that buy it?" "Right here, of course." "You know it?" "Indeed." "A piece like this is difficult to forget." "Do you happen to remember who bought it?" "Well, I'm good with names, Ms. Swan, but maybe not that good." "However, as luck would have it," "I do keep quite extensive records..." "And..." "Yes." "Here we are." "What's your price?" "Forgiveness." "How about tolerance?" "Well, that's a start." "The compass was purchased by a Mr. Michael Tillman." "Anything else?" "Just a name, but I generally find that's all one needs." "Good luck with your investigation." "Not possible." "Actually, it is." "I'm sorry." "Look, Dorrie-- she wasn't my, um..." "It was just once." "Sometimes that's all it takes." "I met her when I was camping..." "And we, um..." "No." "It's not possible." "I don't have twins." "Yes, you do." "You have twins that have been homeless ever since their mother passed away." "You have twins who have been living in an abandoned house because they don't want to be separated from each other." "And twins who are about to be shipped off to Boston unless you step up and take responsibility for them." "Ow." "Look..." "I can barely manage this garage." "I can't manage two kids." "And why are you so sure they're mine?" "Besides the timing?" "Have you ever seen this?" "I lost this." "Let me guess--12 years and 9 months ago?" "I know it's a lot." "Believe me, I know." "A month ago, a kid showed up on my doorstep" "I gave up for adoption, asking for help with... something." "And I ended up moving here, for him." "I heard about that." "It's the mayor's son." "But..." "Staying in town is..." "It's a lot different than taking him in." "I don't have my kid 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." "I'm really sorry." "I am." "I don't know anything about being a dad." "If it's a good home you're looking for, it's not with me." "Hello?" "Hey, it's me." "I need you to come outside right away." "Is everything okay?" "Don't say anything in front of the kids, but no, it's not." "He doesn't want the kids." "And you don't want to tell them?" "I can't, because all I'll be telling them is that the false hope I gave them is exactly that." "The truth can be painful, Emma, but it can also be cathartic." "I agree on the painful part." "Well, hey, look, you told Henry the truth-- that his father's dead-- and he's handling it great." "I didn't tell him the truth." "What?" "Henry's father was no hero, and trust me, he does not need to know the real story." "Maybe we can hide the kids, just until we can find a family for them-- someone to take care of them." "Yes, hiding the 12 year olds is a good plan." "You have a better idea?" "Or maybe there isn't an idea." "Maybe you just have" "Sheriff?" "Shouldn't you be on the interstate?" "What are you doing here?" "Seeing to it that you do your job." "You know you don't need to check up on me." "I know what I have to do." "Really?" "Because those kids are supposed to be in Boston tonight." "Where are you?" "Oh!" "Yes." "Nice and tender." "A succulent roast you'll make." "Quick!" "She's gonna cook me!" "We gotta do something quick!" "Stay calm." "When she opens the cage to get you, don't try to fight." "Then while she's carrying you to the oven, grab the key that's in her pocket and toss it to me through the bars." "Hmm." "She's coming." "She's coming." "I can't do it." "I'm gonna die!" "Gravy or butter?" "What shall it be?" "Ow!" "Mmm." "Come with me, little boy." "Gravy or butter?" "Gravy..." "Or butter?" "!" "How shall I baste you?" "Butter it is." "Time to cook." "Oh!" "Aah!" "Quick, Gretel!" "Lock her in!" "Let me out!" "Let me out!" "You come back right now!" "Let me out!" "You'll pay for this!" "Let me out!" "Aah!" "I would've gone gravy." "My dear children." "Were you successful in your task?" "Yes, your majesty." "Though we were almost made into dinner." "Oh, how barbaric." "Now..." "If I could have my satchel." "I've waited a very long time for this." "Let's hope you didn't let me down." "You did it." "Yeah, we did." "You've got a strong heart, girl." "You remind me of myself at your age." "We did all that..." "For an apple?" "Oh, trust me, dear boy, this is not just an apple." "It's a weapon." "A weapon for a very particular and devious enemy, one who's still under the illusion..." "That she's safe." "Whatever your plan is, we did what you asked." "Now you have to keep your promise and find our father." "Of course." "To reunite your family, so you can live happily ever after." "You were left alone in the woods." "You deserve better than a father who would abandon you," "But he's all we have." "Perhaps he doesn't have to be." "What do you mean?" "You and your brother have impressed me." "You aren't the first boy or girl that I've sent into that..." "Sticky, sweet house, but you are the first to emerge." "And as a reward..." "I've decided to invite the two of you to live with me, here." "You mean that we get to live in a castle?" "Yes." "You would have your own rooms, of course, personal carriages and valets, too." "All of your dreams could come true." "No." "We want our father back." "He would never abandon us." "And even if he did, we would never want to live with someone as terrible as you." "Is that so?" "Yes." "We're going to find him, with or without your help." "And when we do, we're going to prove you wrong." "We'll see about that." "Gretel, what's happening?" "Come on." "It's gonna be-- here." "I'm sorry, but we gotta go." "Let's go, Henry." "No." "You can't take them." "They can't leave Storybrooke, Emma." "They can't." "Something bad will happen." "Something bad has already happened." "You've gotta be kidding me." "What happened?" "What's wrong?" "Engine stalled." " Who are you calling?" " Help." "Now she's cavorting with dwarves?" "Hmm." "When did that happen?" "Your majesty, the prisoner you requested is here." "Bring him in." "I demand to be released." "My children are in that forest that you took me from--alone." "They could be in great danger." "Yes, I know all about your children." "That compass you gave sweet little Gretel-- well, I'm afraid it didn't help her find you though, now did it?" "What have you done with them?" "You tell me where they are!" "Gone." "I told them you abandoned them, leaving nothing but a compass to find their way." "But I didn't bring you here to answer your questions." "You're here to answer mine." "I offered your children everything-- whatever their hearts desired-- and they still chose uncertainty because of their blind faith in you." "Tell me why." "Hmm?" "Why did your children refuse me?" "Because we're a family." "And family always finds one another." "Release him." "You're letting me go?" "You can all be together..." "As a family..." "As soon as you all find one another." "Hansel, wake up." "Hansel." "She let us go." "I'm scared." "Don't be." "Everything'll be fine." "Nicholas, look." "Those are them?" "Those are them." "And your car?" "It's fine?" "I just wanted you to see 'em." "Just once." "I didn't think I could do it either." "I gave up Henry 'cause I wanted to give him his best shot." "When I saw that he didn't have it, I couldn't leave." "I was just as scared, more probably." "But once I saw him, got to know him..." "I couldn't go back." "You're taking them?" "To Boston?" "I don't have to." "No." "You don't." "Hey." "What happened?" "Their dad?" "He showed up." "Changed his mind." "Changed his mind?" "Just like that?" "He might have had a little nudge." "They found their father." "That's great." "I wonder what that would be like." "Maybe you'll find out." "You can't give up." "I don't know." "I kinda think giving up might be the best plan." "I think I need to let go." "No, you don't." "Really..." "If they wanted to know me, they wouldn't make it so hard to look." "Maybe." "But maybe there's other reasons." "Maybe there is an explanation." "If there is, it's something crazy-- something even crazier than Henry's theory." "Yeah, what's Henry's theory?" "Well..." "That my parents put me in a magical wardrobe and sent me to this world to save them." "Oh!" "And who does he think they are?" "Well..." "For one..." "You." "Me?" "Well, Snow White." "Snow White has a kid." "Apparently, that book you gave him-- not exactly the stories in the most traditional sense." "I have a kid." "You'd think I'd remember that." "Yeah, you'd think." "You do kind of have my chin." "I think I need to go get some air." "I'm gonna go think." "If you're gonna be back late, I can wait to eat with you." "No, don't do that." "I'll leave you leftovers." "What a pretty blanket." "Thanks." "Good night." "Um, what's that?" "Just an old file." "What's up?" "Pumpkin pie." "I..." "I thought you'd like some." "It was pumpkin, right?" "Right." "Henry..." "About your father..." "Yeah?" "I'm glad I told you." "Me, too." "Gimme that." "What you did with Ava and Nicholas-- you really are changing things." "Hi." "Hey." "Is this Storybrooke?" "Yeah." "Any place to get a room around here?" "Uh, you're staying?" "That's the plan." "Just looking for a bed." "Granny's bed and breakfast is just up the road." "Another two blocks." "Thank you." "Hey." "I didn't catch your name." "That's 'cause I didn't give it." "I thought you said strangers don't come to Storybrooke." "They don't."