"There'd be no magic for us, no joy. Only bitterness and garbage piles and the feeling that you'll never be able to get out of this place, no matter how hard you try."

***

Third Person:

Regina, Emma, and the villain kids all sit in a circle in the sheriff's office. Emma puts down her phone and says, "My parents and Killian are on the way. We should probably get started now."

"So, we found this book," Regina starts, "Almost exactly like yours, and all of you are in it."

"What?" Uma asks.

Regina sets the book on a table in front of them and opens it to a random page in the middle. She points to the picture and says, "See? That's you."

"Okay, what the actual fuck?" CJ exclaims.

Her siblings, who would normally chastise her, are completely silent as they stare at the seemingly harmless little book on the table with the rest of the VKs.

"So, what, we have interdimensional books connecting us?" Uma says.

Carlos replies, "Probably because they're our- not supposed to mention that part yet, right."

"Wait, you guys know too?" Evie inquires.

"Know what?" Regina replies.

Evie takes a deep breath, "That you're my birth mother and I was stolen from an evil sorceror as a baby?"

Regina glances to Emma, then back to her, "Yeah, actually. I did."

Jay leans forward, "So, because we went through the weirdest adoption process imaginable-"

"Kidnapping," Emma corrects.

Jay shrugs, "Right. Because we were kidnapped at birth and sent to a different dimension, there are these magic books that connect the two worlds. That's really wacked, but it actually makes some kind of sense."

CJ gives him a look, "How? How does any of this-" she gestures around wildly, "-make any kind of sense?"

Harry laughs, "Wow Ceej, you're acting like this is the weirdest thing that's every happened to us."

"Because it is!"

"The last time that we visited Neverland, you almost-"

"Okay. Fine, I get the point," CJ cuts him off.

Emma frowns, "So, I know that this is probably a lot to take in, but we want to understand how this happened so that we can get you home."

"Then let's share intel," Harriet suggests, "You tell us what you know, we tell you what we know."

Regina nods, "Sounds good to me."

"I think so too," Emma agrees, "Well, I guess I'll go first. Rumpelstiltskin stole the children of villains in our world, and brought them to your world. Then he wiped their memories, and gave the kids to the alternate versions of the villains."

Uma nods, "Yeah, that's what we have too."

"Quick side note, those kids are us," Harry adds.

"Yes," Evie says, "Then we were raised by the villains in the other dimension."

"As for the books," Regina starts, "I think I have an idea about that. So, there are multiple dimensions, right?"

Everyone nods, and the former Evil Queen continues, "Well, there's this magically appointed person who is tasked with writing the stories of all the different realms. We call him the Author."

Evie frowns, "So this Author wrote these books?"

Regina nods, "Yeah, that's right. There are many of them, with many different stories, along with many versions of the same ones."

"Is there an Author for each realm?" Uma asks.

"As far as we know, there's only one... But there could definitely be more," Emma replies. A knock on the door makes all the kids jump. Emma stands up and answers it.

"Don't worry, it's just Emma's parents and boyfriend," Regina tells them, "We like to be inclusive when dealing with magical crisises."

"Are they helpful?" Harriet questions.

"Surprisingly, sometimes," she replies. The villain kids start talking amongst themselves about everything they've learned as Killian, Snow, and David walk into the room and sit in the extra chairs.

The kids all quiet pretty quickly when Emma clears her throat, "You've all met David, my dad."

"Wait, that's your dad?" Uma asks.

"Yeah, it's kind of a long story," Emma shrugs, "Short version, I was put in a dimension-hopping wadrobe as a baby and they were put under a time-stopping curse."

"Nice and concise," Regina compliments.

"And I'm Mary Margaret," the woman waves.

Emma smiles, "And this is Killian."

The pirate nods, and that's when CJ glances up from fidgeting with her coat and goes deathly pale.

"Ettie?" She whispers to her older sister.

Harriet, who up until this point has been sharpening a small knife, catches a glimpse of Captain Hook and practically leaps in front of her younger sister. She grabs her brother's arm and pulls him behin her as well right as Harry is seeing the infamous Captain Hook.

"Is something wrong?" Mary Margaret asks, concerned.

"This isn't possible," Harriet says harshly, "He can't be here."

Emma glances around confusedly, "Who?"

"Him," Harriet points to Killian with her knife.

The pirate, for his part, looks just as confused as the rest of the people of Storybrooke, as Uma and some of the other villain kids are starting to recognize the man with the hook.

"I don't know what this is about either, love," Killain says, standing up.

"Don't get any closer!" Harriet exclaims, reaching her knife out and pushing her siblings backward.

A clamor goes through the room as Emma steps in front of Killian, holding her hands up. David and Snow stand too, ready to back up Emma if anything got crazy.

"Harriet, right?" Emma says, "No one's here to hurt you. Can you put the-"

"Shut up, blondie!" Harriet growls.

Killian tries to reason with Harriet, "Lass, I don't mean you any harm-"

Harriet slams her fist into the wall, causing everyone to jump backwards, "Like hell you don't! You stay away from them!"

"Ettie," CJ puts a hand on her sister's arm, "I don't think it's him."

Harriet's voice shakes, "How do you know, CJ?"

"Listen sis, CJ's right. It's a different world," Harry reasons, "Stands to reason there's a different Hook."

Harriet takes a few deep breaths before dropping her arm and stepping back. CJ reaches for her sister's hand, but Harriet shakes her head and sits down, turning away from everyone.

"Ettie..." Harry reaches out for his sister, but Harriet holds up her hand and turns back to Killian.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Killin Jones. I'm better known as Captain Hook."

Regina stands up, "Okay, okay. Let's maybe just start over. Can someone explain to me what's going on here?"

Evie glances to Harry, who nods at her, and she puts the books on the table before opening up both to their chapters on the Hooks. Uma speaks up when Evie hesitates, "They were raised by the Captain Hook in our world."

When Killian, Snow, and David look completely baffled, Regina asks Emma, "You did explain to them?"

Emma shrugs, "I was figuring we could tell them about it when they got here."

Regina groans, "This is why I can't trust you to handle these things on your own. Basically, these kids come from a different world, and our counterparts in that world are their parents."

"Well..." Uma trails off, glancing at Regina, "You're right, we'll just explain that part later."

"So," Killian points to the Hook kids, "They're-"

Jay nods, "Yeah, our Captain Hook is their dad."

"He's not our father," Harriet counters, "Never has been, never will be."

Killian looks back to the girl, "Listen, I'm sorry-"

"No, you listen," Harriet cuts him off, "I don't lose my cool easy. And when I do, it's for Harry and CJ. I thought they were in danger, but you didn't do anything wrong.

Anyways, let's sort out this dumb dimension thing."

***

A few miles away from them, a witch and a princess are getting out of a bush and spitting out leaves and dirt.

"Ugh," Audrey groans, "Where are we?"

Iria looks around the unfamiliar forest with confusion, "I'm not really sure."

They stands up, holding out their hand for Audrey as well.

Audrey rubs her head, "Do you remember what happened?"

"Yeah. I cast that spell..." Iria trails off, "Damn it! I'm burned out."

"What?"

"I can't cast spells for a while. I need to rebuild some magic energy."

"But that's a normal thing, right?"

"Well yes, but that one spell shouldn't have eaten up every last drop of it."

"Wait, where's Gil and Ben and Lonnie?" Audrey asks frantically, "They were with us, where are they now?"

"Okay, okay, cool it for one sec, I'm trying to think," the pirate kicks a rock and then exclaims in excitement, "Oh! I think I know what happened!"

"Okay, what?"

"Well... Alright, so I cast a combination locator-blood bond-multiverse-encompassing spell, right?"

Audrey pauses for a second before Iria continues, "Whatever, you get the point. The way I wanted the spell to work was to extend my basic locator spell to other dimensions using my blood, which is magically linked to Uma's."

Audrey nods, "Okay, I think I'm following."

"Right, so instead of making the locator spell extend across dimensions like I wanted it to, the multiverse spell was a transporter, because no one makes good multidimensional add-on spells!" They pause, "Not the point. So, then I think that the locator worked, the spell transported us across dimensions to the place where it located Uma. The only thing I can't figure out is why she's not right here. Or why it wasn't just me."

Audrey shrugs, "Maybe it had something to do with the blood magic? From what I've heard, that can have crazy affects on simple spells, expecially depending on the time-"

"Time! That's what it is. Obviously. Time is always messed up when it comes to changing dimensions. So, Uma was here. And if Gil, Lonnie, and Ben were transported by the spell, they should be here. Unless..." he trails off again, while Audrey reaches back into the bushes, "What are you doing?"

Audrey grunts, "I think I dropped my necklace in here."

"It's a piece of jewelry, you can buy another one."

"Hey, Evie made it for me!"

Iria rolls their eyes and continues, "Anyways, I used the wish-locator spell instead of a regular one, because the normal one was crap. So, instead of using my blood as a representation of my wish, the blood was both me and Uma's wish. So, it brought me to Uma, and brought Uma's friends to her. I think, at least. Have you found your necklace thing yet?"

Audrey finally stands up, triumphantly holding up her necklace, "It was caught on a branch! Anyways, what were you saying?"

"Doesn't matter. Point is that Gil, Lonnie, and Ben should be here somewhere," Iria digs through her pocket, "And thankfully, I have something from each of them to cast a locator spell that will actually locate people. But, until I have some time to recharge, I won't be able to do anything."

"Okay..." Audrey pauses, "Well, the sun's almost down anyways. Maybe we should find somewhere to get some sleep."

"Alright," Iria nods, "You good with sleeping on dirt?"

"What? There's some sort of civilization just over there," Audrey points through some trees, "I can see the lights."

"You're right," Iria says, "I must be really tired."

"Yeah," Audrey agrees, "Now let's get going before we get mauled by bears or something."

***

Lonnie turns the corner, glancing around to see if anyone is walking the streets this late. She sighs when she sees no one as Gil and Ben trail behind her.

"So we just have no idea what's happening right now?" Gil asks them quietly.

Lonnie and Ben glance at each other before he answers, "Nope."

"And we don't know how we got here? Or even where we are?"

"Not a clue," Lonnie says, "But at least we're in civilization. If we can actually find a person in this town, maybe they could tell us where we are."

"What about Iria and Audrey? We don't know what happened to them," Gil says.

Lonnie sighs, "One thing at a time. We'll figure that bit out later."

All three kids turn quickly at the sound of a cane tapping on the sidewalk.

Lonnie smiles at the first person they've seen in this town, "Hi, I'm Lonnie. We're lost. Do you think you could help us?"

The stranger smiles, "I do believe that I can be of some assistance. And you can call me Mr. Gold."