Emma takes on a case to help Ashley (Cinderella), a young, pregnant maid, escape from Mr. Gold, who demands her unborn child as payment for a deal. In flashbacks to the Enchanted Forest, we see Cinderella’s pact with Rumplestiltskin, in which she unknowingly agrees to surrender her firstborn child. Meanwhile, in Storybrooke, Emma intervenes to help Ashley regain control of her life and make her own choices.
Mary Margaret (Snow White) meets John Doe (David/Prince Charming), who has been comatose in Storybrooke's hospital. While helping him, she senses a connection to him, hinting at their deep, forgotten bond. Flashbacks reveal how Snow White and Prince Charming first met in the Enchanted Forest, beginning the love story that would lead to the birth of Emma.
In this episode, we learn more about Regina’s backstory and her powerful hatred for Snow White, which led her to cast the curse that trapped all the fairy tale characters in Storybrooke. Meanwhile, Emma decides to stay in town to be closer to Henry, which puts her at odds with Regina. Henry, still certain of Emma's destiny to break the curse, urges her to believe in magic and look deeper into Storybrooke’s secrets.
In the series premiere, Emma Swan, a hardened bounty hunter and self-described loner, is confronted by her estranged 10-year-old son, Henry, whom she gave up for adoption as a baby. Henry believes Emma is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, destined to break a curse that has trapped fairy tale characters in the small town of Storybrooke, where they’re unaware of their true identities. After reluctantly taking Henry back to Storybrooke, Emma begins to sense that there might be more to his story—and to the town—than meets the eye.