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CHAPTER FOUR; TICK TOCK 

"So, what's on the agenda for Operation Scorpion?" Henry asked, glancing between his grandfather and Sage. The three were walking across the street, escorting Henry to the bus stop since David didn't exactly want to leave Henry alone, especially after all that is happening. Yesterday, literally all the locals of Storybrooke were on the verge of leaving town which meant losing their memories again once they crossed over the boarder line. But Charming gave a heroic and inspirational speech that made everyone return back.

It seemed after that whole situation, the panic of Storybrooke were slowly dismissing. The locals were finally getting back to normal; working their jobs, eating at the diners, children going to school. Every piece was getting put back together.

Sage furrowed her brows, scrunching up her nose as well. "What's Operation Scorpion?"

"The code name for our mission to find Emma and Snow? Do you prefer viper? That was my second choice." He rambled on, obviously watching too many spy movie for his own good.

"Henry, we need to talk." David abruptly interrupted and Sage sensed an argument coming along. It was bound to happen since she already knew Henry wasn't going to like what her and David have to say.

Henry didn't quite hear the seriousness in David's tone. "Yeah, scorpion's better."

"No, it's not that. It's..."

That's when Henry spotted the yellow school-bus that was waiting for him and the rest of the children. "I'm not coming with you." He stated before turning around, facing them. "But I thought we were going to find Jefferson?"

"Um..." Sage shared a nervous look with Charming. "We already did."

"What? Is he going to help us?" Henry asked, his anticipation at an all time high. It was clear that he wanted to get his mother and Mary Margaret back home sooner than later.

She shook her head, sadness filling her eyes. "No. No, Henry, he's not."

"But why didn't you guys tell me you two talked to him?" Henry asked, hurt that the two closet people in his lives, for whom he considers family, would keep such a secret from it. Of course, the answer would be to protect him but Sage always found that as a stupid excuse.

David exhaled deeply, rubbing his forehead. "Because we didn't want to disappoint you. I know you want to find your mom, but Jefferson can't help us. Sage and I need to find a way to restore the hat."

Deep inside, Sage knew there was no way of restoring the hat. The only way to find Emma and Snow would be to get another portal but there was no other one in Storybrooke. Still, Henry was being his stubborn self and wanted to go along with the adventure. "So, why can't I help you guys look?"

"It'll require magic, Henry. And magic-"

"Always comes with a price." Henry finished for him. He was rather observant. "I've read the book, you know."

"I'm sorry, but I just can't let you anywhere near this stuff. If you really want to help Sage and I, you'll go to school where we'll know you'll be safe, okay?" Charming explained, making Sage nod in agreement. Just because everyone in Storybrooke now remembers everything and is magical, it doesn't mean that Henry needs to be pulled along to the tide.

Finally, Henry obeyed the two and nodded. "Okay."

With that, the boy headed towards the school bus. Once Henry was out of speaking distance, Sage quickly turned around to face David. "Now what?"

"We try to talk to Jefferson again." David shrugged, stuffing his hands in his front pockets. "Maybe, he knows something else."

"Let me talk to him, by myself." Once the words left her lips, Charming opened his mouth to protest until Sage continued her talking. "He knows me. Your just the guy who threatened him. Me, I'm his best friend. Please, just let me talk to him alone."

Hesitantly, he nodded. "Okay but please, be safe. The guy seems a bit...nut in the head."

Sage chuckled. "Aren't we all?"

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"Thought I would find you here." Sage smiled widely, her hands stuffed into her pockets as she sat down next to Jefferson. She had found him at the harbor, sitting on a bench while looking at a wrinkled piece of paper. He wasn't that hard to find considering back home in Wonderland, he always loved a quiet, peaceful place near the water.

Jefferson attempted to smile but it soon withered. He had this conflicted look on his face, like he was having trouble figuring something out. A few seconds of silence passed by before Sage just had to speak, "I need your help, Jeff."

"Look, I already to you and David, I can't do anything." He replied softly, avoiding her look like he was afraid of seeing the disappointment in her eyes.

"I know. But, there must be something we can do." Sage optimistically questioned, trying to keep some sort of hope that she could bring back Emma and Snow before something happens to them.

"You and I both know that there's nothing that can be done. Magic isn't my thing." With a shake the head, he shrugged his shoulders. "Try Regina. Maybe she's got something in that vault of hers she can help you with."

She rose her eyebrows. "A vault? She has a vault, here, in Storybrooke?"

"It's none of my business." Jeff sternly stated, meeting her stare. When it came to Jeff, he always stayed out of people's business unless it was absolutely crucial. It's one of the things she liked about him.

Sage peaked over his shoulder and saw that on the paper was a drawing. It was a rather crude, child-like drawing of a man and below on the paper was a message saying "Have you seen my Papa"? "What's that?" The girl asked curiously. "Did Grace draw that?"

Once Sage spoke of his daughter's name, Jeff folded the piece paper together once more and tucked it back into his coat pocket. Of course, Sage knew who Grace was even though she never got to meet her. The whole story was explained to her by Jeff on how Regina tricked him and separated the two. It was another thing Sage added to the "I Hate Regina" list.

"What do you know about her?" Jeff questioned bitterly, leaning on his knees.

The brunette sitting next to him ignored his sour tone, instead a small smile grew on her lips. "You forget we spent years together in Wonderland. Why are you here? She's at school."

"I gotta go, Sage." He announced, standing up.

But Sage was open quicker than him, walking backwards as Jeff walked forward, trying to move past her. "She probably wants to see you!"

"Get out of my way." Jeff muttered as Sage continued to try and stop him from moving.

"Why aren't you trying to find her?"

"Because I left her!" He abruptly yelled. Jeff grabbed Sage by the upper-arms, locking her into place while shaking her slightly. She flinched at his tone of voice and the tight grip he had on her arms. But once she saw the heartache and anguish swearing around in those deep blue eyes of his, she suddenly relaxed, knowing he would never hurt her. "And she'll hate me."

"How do you know that?" Sage vigorously questioned him, holding tightly on his arms too, making sure he heard every word she was about to say.

"I was on my way..." He trailed off, his voice strained with weakness. "Fate reminded me I shouldn't."

"You should. I was left, too. Anything's better than nothing." Sage spoke and it was the absolute truth. She refused to not let Jeff get his happy ending, even if it wasn't with her. He needed his daughter like he needed to breath. He would go mad again without her. "She'll spend her whole life wondering why you left her. Not knowing is the worst."

She paused as she lifted her hand up and cupped his cheek, her skin gazing against his stumble while unwanted tears brimmed in his blue eyes. "I know how much you love Grace. Hell, you never shut up about her." She chuckled, hot water filling her eyes as well. "You can't let your guilt consume you. It wasn't your fault. She's your daughter and she loves you."

His strong hands trembled on her arms and before Sage knew it, his chapped lips slammed into her's. Immediately, she kissed back. The kiss wasn't lustful or desire-filled, it was impassioned with warmth and bliss. It was a sad thing, really, that this was their first kiss yet their last. But at the same time it was also wondrous thing about how a kiss can mean so much. When kissing someone you love, there is this new feeling of ecstasy that shoots through.

Jeff's hands traveled down to her elbows before seconds later, he reluctantly pulled away. Once their lips separated apart, both their tearful eyes stared at each other. "Thank you." He breathed out, slipping his hands away from her. "I know I can't help you restore the hat but...remember the clock?"

Sage's eyes knitted together. "The clock?"

Their foreheads leaned against each other as they just breathed in the air around them. "If you still have it, just remember the clock." He softly said, looking sadden as he took a step back. "Goodbye, Sage."

"Goodbye, Jeff." The girl in return whispered, her lips trembled as tears streamed down her face. With that, the two best friends looked at each other one last time before Jeff walked away. But Sage turned around, watching him go as her face became red with tears and consumed with utter heartbreak.

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"Where the hell is it?" Sage angrily muttered, rummaging through the all the random shit she had. She was in the apartment with all of her stuff scattered out on the living room floor. Ever since she said her farewells to Jefferson, his words seemed to linger in her mind. Clock, something about a clock. She didn't own any clocks but from what Sage was guessing, it was a clock brought back from Wonderland. Even though Regina made quite an effort to erase any memories from their past life, it could be possible that something came with Sage with the curse happened.

The door opened and in walked in Henry, who had a silly grin on his face. "Hey Sage!" He greeted, the girl muttering in response.

"Where's your grandpa?" She asked, distracted but asking anyhow.

"He's getting food from Granny's. I still can't believe he taught me how to sword fight." Henry's face than look confused, as he peaked around Sage and saw all of her belongs on the floor. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I spoke to Jefferson and he mentioned something about a clock. I'm thinking that it might help us." She shrugged, pushing around all the clothes and random books. "Think of it as trying to find a needle in a haystack except the needle may or may not be in the haystack."

He rose his eyebrows. "Have you found it yet?"

Sage opened to speak until her eyes spotted an object, her voice turning into a mere whisper as she picked it up. "I just did."

The clock was actually a pocket-watch that Sage hasn't seen in a very long time. It was a old brown pocket-watch with a rusty and long chain attached to the top. Almost instantly, Sage remembered how special and sentimental this pocket-watch was. She pressed it too her chest before her eyes widened and she turned around the face Henry. "This clock is a portal!"

"The pocket-watch?" The boy questioned in shock.

Sage nodded quickly. "I remember it. Go get David and tell him we have a portal!"

After that, Henry rushed out of the apartment. Sage found it absurd that she didn't remember the watch after all these years. Then again, she did have no memories. The thing about this portal was that only one person can go at a time but even so, at least they had an actual portal. Her hand shook the pocket-watch before pressing the back of the watch to her ear. No sound.

"You never did work." She muttered, clutching the watch in her hand.

That's when she started to twist the knob that moves the dials. Once she stopped, the watch started to rapidly shake and ring loudly, like an old telephone. Automatically, Sage dropped the watch and stared at it with large eyes as it continued to shake and ring. Suddenly, purple smoke started to swirl around the clock and wind whipped around the apartment.

Tick Tock...

Tick Tock...

Tick Tock...

It was the portal opening.

Sage used all her strength and clutched onto the wooden stairs, holding herself still as the portal tried to draw her in. It acted as a black-hole and soon enough, Sage was sucked into the portal, along with the watch.

She was gone.

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Here it is! Jeff and Sage say there final goodbyes :( So very very sad. You guys will learn more about Sage's past and her parents soon. So obviously, y'all watch Once Upon A Time and for season two, each episode either mainly focuses on the Enchanted Forest or Storybrooke so some episodes will be skipped.