We open back, a year later, in the fairy tale land. Prince Phillip is riding fast. He finds Princess Aurora, who is still pregnant, and asks her if she's okay. She says that she is, but then they both see the magic purple cloud quickly approaching. Aurora thinks it's just a storm cloud, but Phillip senses that it's magic and tells her that they need to take cover. Yet, the cloud envelops them before they can. Once the cloud dissipates, they are fine, but see Snow, David, Regina, etc. appear in front of them. Aurora sees Snow and asks her what happened. Snow somberly replies, "We're back."
In New York, at night, a year later. Emma is meeting a man, Walsh, for dinner at an upscale New York bistro. They embrace and it's clear that they're dating. They order and while she's eating, Walsh asks Emma if she's happy, gently takes her hand, then tells her that he'll be right back. Once he's gone, Hook slides into his seat. Emma is mortified and calls him a stalker. He apologizes to her for kissing her earlier and says that he was just trying to "jog your memory." He then tells Emma that her parents are in great danger and that "your believing your an orphan is wrong. I know you better than you know yourself." He then produces "proof," it's a piece of paper with an address on it. He tells her that she's been there before, a year ago. She replies That a year ago, she was in Boston "and then I moved to New York to have a fresh start with my son." She calls him a "crazy person or a liar or both."
Hook then tells Emma to "use your superpower. Yeah, I know about that. Use it to see that I'm telling the truth." Emma replies, "Just because you believe in something doesn't make it true." Hook fires back that he knows that she senses that something is off. He implores her to go to the address, afterward, "you'll want to talk. I'll be in Central Park, by the entrance to the zoo. Don't do it for me or for you...do it for your family. They need your help." Then, Hook departs.
Back in the fairy tale land, Snow asks Aurora what has happened since they've been away. She replies That the ogres were defeated and Snow sees that Aurora is pregnant and congratulates her. Phillip then says that everyone is "welcome in their kingdom. "Charming thanks them, but says that they just need horses because they have their own kingdom to save. Regina reminds them all that her protection spell saved the castle and "I married into it, so it's still my castle." Snow replies, "And now, we're taking it back..and you're coming with us" Regina scoffs that Snow can't be serious, but Snow reminds her how scared and confused everyone is now. They need hope. What better way to give them that is to return united? I know you don't like it, but you'll learn to. For our good and for yours." David thanks Phillip and Aurora for their hospitality. Phillip wishes them all luck and Snow, Regina, David, etc, leave.
Once they're alone, Aurora tells Phillip, "You know we can't pretend like this didn't happen. We have to tell her." Phillip replies That they can't, but Aurora says, If she finds out otherwise, she'll take it out on our child. We have no choice, she has to know."
Walsh returns to the table. Dessert comes and he asks her if she remembers their first date. She ordered an ice cream sundae at that very bistro. Emma replies That she remembers that she was "nervous and full." Walsh then asks her to.look at the dessert, which has a diamond ring in the middle. Walsh then says that he "couldn't wait any longer. I love you. I love Henry, I love our lives together." He then gets down on one knee and asks Emma to marry him.
Outside the bistro, Emma tells Walsh that he took her by surprise since they've only been together eight months. She then asks him.how he knows this is right? He replies, "I've know this was right from the moment you walked into my furniture shop." Emma tells Walsh that she loves him. Walsh then says that they don't have to get married anytime soon. "I don't care if we don't get married until we're 65 years old. All I know...is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Emma asks for some time to think it over and he agrees to give her some.
Emma comes home and Henry asks her what her answer was. Emma is surprised that he knew. He tells that Walsh isn't like his father and wants him to join "their little family."
Back in the fairy tale world, Grumpy tells David that more fairy tale characters are appearing back in their world about 50 miles away. David tells Grumpy to tell "all new arrivals to make way their to the Queen's castle." Hook says that he's headed back to the Jolly Roger. Neil wants to stop by Rumplestiltskin's castle to see if he's there. David and Snow tell him that Rumplestiltskin sacrificed himself, that he's gone and the curse was a "a total reset."
Henry asks Emma about what she's going to say to Walsh's marriage proposal. She tells him that she still isn't sure. Henry then tells Emma to really think about it before he leaves for school and tells her that he loves her and she says that she loves him.
Emma goes to the address that Hook gave her. It's Neal' s apartment. She then sees the Dreamcatcher that Neil once told her would protect from bad dreams. She sees mail addressed to Neil and sees things with Henry's name and replies, "It isn't possible."
Emma meets Hook in Central Park like he asked her to. He tells her that her parents and their kingdom need her and asks her to drink a portion, which "will make her remember all you've lost." Instead of drinking it, Emma has Hook arrested for assault. He keeps screaming that her family needs her as he's being taken away.
Back in the fairy tale land, everyone is making their way to the Queen's castle. Belle tells Neil that their might be a way to find Rumplestiltskin. Snow finds Regina burying her heart. Regina says that she "can't be happy without Henry," which is why she's burying her heart."
Then, Snow feels a wind. Regina doesn't feel anything until a white light appears and a "monster" whizzes by. Snow tells Regina that they need to run for cover. Regina replies she doesn't run from "monsters," they run from her. She throws a fireball at the "monster," but it grabs Regina , but drops her when Robin Hood intervenes. Then, the "monster" flies away. Snow thanks Robin for his assistance and introduces himself and his MERRY men.
Emma and Henry talk about Walsh's proposal. Henry tells her to accept it and tell him at dinner, which he texted Walsh as her, agreed she would have with him that night. Emma then says that she forgot something and she and Henry part ways. She opens the mail she found at Neil's apartment and find pictures of her and Henry boarding a plane to Boston, etc, and other events she doesn't remember happening.
Hook is leaving the police station as Emma appears because she posted his bail. He begs her to drink the potion. She doesn't want to leave her job, Walsh and her happy life there with Henry. He tells her to believe in her super power so she drinks the potion. She flashes back to everything that happened in Storybrooke, then says, "Hook."
Back in the fairy tale land, Hook asks Neil.if found his son. He says that he did and he's with his mother. Regina asks Snow if they can trust Hook. Snow thinks they can and asks Regina if she thinks he's cute. They get to the Queen' s castle, but find its under a protection spell. Regina isn't happy that "someone has hijacked her porridge and I don't like someone sitting in her chair" Robin then says he can provide them with food and shelter until they figure out what to do.
Hook and Emma are back at her place. She doesn't know how to tell Henry everything she now knows. Then, Walsh knocks and tells Hook that she loves Walsh too.much to drag him into everything.
Emma takes Walsh to the roof of her building and tells him that she can't marry him, how a "ghost" from her past has reappeared and she can't drag him into it. He tries to convince her to still marry him, but she still says that she can't. Then, Walsh tells Emma, "I wish you didn't drink that damn potion because I was starting to like you." Emma doesn't understand until Walsh morphs into a flying monkey and attacks her. She fights him off, he then plummets off the roof then disappears in a cloud of smoke when he hits the ground. Then, Hook appears and asks Emma, "What was that?" She replies, "A reminder that I was never safe. The life I wanted, it isn't in the cards for the savior. We leave in the morning."
The next morning, Henry can tell that Emma is upset as she's making breakfast. Emma asks if he believes in magic. He says that he believes in anything that gives him a present. Henry then asks if she made the right decision regarding Walsh. She tells him that she did and that it's going to be just her and him for awhile. Henry replies, "As long as you're happy." He then says he has to hurt or he'll be late for school, but Emma tells him that isn't any school that day because they're going on a trip. She tells him that she has a new case in Maine and she thinks "it would be an adventure." Henry replies, "No school? A trip with you? I'm sold." Then, there's a knock at the door and Henry asks Emma if she's expecting anyone. She says that she is and opens the door to see Hook. Emma introduces Henry to Hook, but calls him by his real name, Killian, as her new client. Henry asks if Killian skipped bail and he replies, "I see he's still a little spitfire."
Henry's confused when he says "still" and asks him why he's dressed like he is and they start to bicker. Emma stops it and asks Hook to help Henry pack. Henry replies, "We're really going?" Emma then says that they are, but she just needs one more thing. She then goes to her closet and fishes out her red jacket, what she was wearing when she and Henry crossed the Storybrooke town line and forgot everything.
In her yellow VW bug, Emma and Hook arrive in Storybrooke. She can't believe it's still there and she tells Hook to watch Henry so she can go talk to her parents. She knocks on their door, expecting to have to explain to them who she is, but James/David recognizes her and they hug. He asks her what she's doing there and Emma tells him that Hook found her and told her that he and Mary-Margaret were in danger and needed her. He tells Emma that the curse trapped them in Storybrooke and the last year "has been wiped away. All we remember is saying goodbye to you. It feels like yesterday." Then, Mary-Margaret comes downstairs, sees Emma and hugs her too. We then see that Mary-Margaret is pregnant and Emma asks them who cast this new curse.
Back in the fairy tale land, in the Queen' s castle, a green-skinned woman is visited by a flying monkey. She asks the creature, "Did you get hat I need? The Queen's blood?" The creature nods, gives the vial, which she mixes with another substance. She then says, "Now, I'll have my revenge. The Queen may be evil, but I'm wicked."
image courtesy of ABC