MATILDA ELIZABETH MONROE was a successful war photographer and journalist. To must of his father's worry, she had chased the carry she had been always interested in. As a young girl, the woman seek out the truth, and hope to someday show it to the world. It came to shock many of her classmates - from high school - that the introvert wallflower wanted a carrier like that, but as always; she was always full of surprises.

The brunette sat in a table next to her best friend Erik, who was looking at her now published photos in the journal, and in the internet. "They say you might be a star." Erik told her, as she smiled at him while eaten part of her coffee cake.

"I'm glad. Finally somebody appreciates my talent." Matilda said, her mouth still full of cake. Erik laughed at his friend. "You know, Emma call this morning. Said she needed me urgently, but I am not exactly sure why. My guess, she is worried about me." Matilda told Erik. 

"Well, you better return her call. Go on. Either way, I have to get back to work. Duty calls." Erik told Matilda. Matilda smiled at him. 

"Take care." Matilda told him, before gathering her things as well. As she entering her car, she heard her own ringtone. Quickly picking up the phone, the brunette answered the call. "Matilda speaking. Hello." She answered. 

She heard Emma's urgent voice. "I just met my kid. The kid I gave away eleven years ago. It came to my apartment." Emma said from the other line. 

"You didn't kick him out in panic? Did you?" Matilda asked her. 

Emma scoffed from the other line. "No. He is seating in my bedroom. He has this book with him." Emma told her. 

Matilda sighed, looking down at her watch. "I will be there first thing in the morning. I am taking the first flight to Boston. Talk to him." Matilda told her, getting inside her own car. 

"What do I say?" Emma asked her. 

"You will figure it out." Matilda told her before hanging up. She sighed, dialed another phone number. "Hello, Mr.Janks. I am sorry, but I can't go to work today, nor the next two days. Something...has come up. I'm sorry. I will drop the photos and my work so far today." Matilda said through the phone. 

.   .   . 

Matilda took her spare key of Emma's apartment, opening to see the blonde sitting in front of a eleven year old. Matilda dropped the keys in the small plate in the table that was beside the door. She put her suitcase down on the floor, catching the attention of the other two. 

"Who is she?" Henry asked Emma. "Is she from child services? Because if that's the case...there is no need to. I already have a home. It is just that...Storybrooke needs you." Henry told the blonde. 

Matilda closed the door behind her. "Don't worry, kid. I'm not from child services. I'm a friend of your mom's." Matilda told Henry. "Matilda Monroe. What's your name, dear?" Matilda asked him, kneeling in front of him. 

"Henry. Nice to meet you." Henry told her. 

"Why don't you tell Matilda what you have told me?" Emma told Henry. "I will be right back." Emma whispered to Emma. 

"Don't run away." Matilda whispered back. Emma rolled her eyes at her as she left to the kitchen. Matilda took a seat next to Henry. "So, where are you from? Is there anybody you will like to get into contact with?" Matilda asked him. 

Henry looked at her, frowning when he noticed the familiarities between her and the queen in her book. Henry did not replied, but instead opened a fairytale book which titled 'Once Upon a Time...' Matilda watched him as he opened the book, getting to the certain page that held a picture of the Evil Queen and the woman who resembled Matilda. Henry looked back at Matilda, trying to form a question that might not scare the woman away. 

"How long have you been living in Boston?" Henry asked her. 

Matilda smiled. "I don't live here. I live in Washington D.C with my dad." Matilda told him. 

"Who is your dad?" Henry asked her. 

"Jethro Monroe. He works with the police department. What about you? Why come here?Not that I'm not happy that you want to find your biological mother, but...I'm just curious." Matilda explained.

"My mom has to come to my town. It is hard to explain." Henry replied. 

"Are you in trouble? Is somebody threatening you in any way? Because if that is the case then I will gladly call my father." Matilda told the boy. 

Henry smiled at her kindness. "No. It's other thing. Umm...do you by any chance know any fairytales?" Henry asked him.

Matilda nodded. "I'm a huge Disney fan myself. Plus, I have my own copy of Hans Brother's tales as well as the Hans Christen Andersen stories. Although, there are a bit harsh for a boy your age." Matilda pointed out. 

Henry looked at her. "Do you believe in magic?" He asked the woman. 

The woman thought for a minute, smiling as she thought of the answer. "I do. Might be quite surprising for many...but the world is more bearable if you believe in the magic that surrounds it. Don't you agree?" She told Henry. 

Henry nodded, smiling at her. He agreed with the answer, and thought that the woman will quite fit in Storybrooke. He also thought how her answer will make it easier to explain the events in the troubled town where he grew up. 

"Okay, now. I have took a thought about it, and I'm bring you back to that town myself." Emma told Henry. Emma motioned you to come with her. You nodded at her. Matilda took a box of chocolate to give it to Henry.

"I bought you some. I presumed you enjoyed chocolate. I also ordered them without peanuts because I did not know if you were allergic to them. If you are allergic to chocolate, then I'm sorry. I knew a person who was. He went to primary school with me." Matilda told Henry. "I will be right back." The woman followed Emma to the kitchen. "What are you planning on doing? It will be nice to keep him. He seems calm and nice. The poor thing is really brave to go on a trip to find you." Matilda told him. 

"I can't keep him. It will be weird weird. Plus, I don't know how to raise a child. I gave him away for a reason. To have a better life." Emma told Matilda. 

"I think it will be fine. It is more difficult when they are babies, or so I have heard. 

"I think it's the other way around." Emma corrected her. Emma looked at her. "You are coming with me." Emma told Matilda. Matilda looked at her with a small smile. "You are coming with me to drop off Henry off in his own home." Emma told her. 

Matilda smiled brightly at her. "Well, isn't that just great. I have already called a few days off. Then we are good to go." Matilda told Emma. "Are you going to tell him who the father is?" Matilda asked her. 

Emma frowned, shaking her head. "Why is the point in that? He already left." Emma told Matilda. 

"He didn't knew you were pregnant. That's all." Matilda told her quietly. 

"Plus, he is part of my past. I want to live it like that." Emma told her. Matilda nodded at her. Matilda walked towards Henry, taking a seat next to him. 

"So, what's your favorite fairytale?" Matilda asked him. Matilda laughed at the gleam of mischief and amusement that came from Henry's eyes. "Mine is Beauty and the Beast. Oh, and if we are also talking about other magical stories...I will say Narnia and Harry Potter." Matilda told him. 

"You like Harry Potter? What's Narnia?" Henry asked her. 

"It is a magical place where you will only enter if you are called. You have Aslan, a lion whose breath can unfreeze the victims of the evil cold witch. But then you have our set of heroes who came to save Narnia on multiple occasions. The Penvensies. Peter, the eldest, Susan, Edmund and Lucy the youngest. We have price Caspian, and the the narnians which are creatures that talk. I have all the series if you will like to read it. How does that sound?" Matilda asked him. Henry smiled at her. 

"It sounds great." Henry told her. That was how our story begins. A brunette following her blonde friend and a eleven year boy to a town that nobody had heard of.