Author's note: Hi everybody! Thank you all so much for your reads, follows, favourites and reviews! Sorry this has taken so long to post- It's been a combination of a new job, illness and life getting in the way.
Some of you have said that you wanted less 'episode' scenes as you've already seen them, and yet others have said that they have yet to see the episodes. So, I've tried to make both camps happy, by giving Neal 'updates' on what's happening to others, or altering an 'episode scene' slightly if he's present or mentioned. I'm hoping this will be an okay compromise for both parties.
However, as this episode focuses primarily on Regina and Snow's relationship, I didn't think I could cut out their scenes together, so I still included them.
Here is 'Bleeding through' and I hope you like it!
Please review at the bottom of the page.
~..~..~..~..
Henry sat in an armchair of Granny's hotel foyer, with a series of padlocks, wires, paperclips and hairpins before him on the coffee table.
He held a large padlock in his hand as his father demonstrated how to pick a lock.
"It's all about the tumblers, Henry," Neal told him quietly, as he put a small bend in the end of the two small wires before pushing them carefully into the key hole. "The teeth of an ordinary key pushes the tumblers back into place, which makes the padlock open. So with the wires, you have to push back each tumbler individually. It takes patience, and practice, but with time," he smiled as the padlock clicked and Henry was able to open it easily, "you'll be able to do it."
"Cool," Henry grinned. "And can all of this stuff be used to pick a lock?" Henry gestured to the various wires scattered before them."
"Yep," Neal nodded. "You can use something like a torque wrench for a quicker job, but the average person wouldn't carry one every day, so we'll start you on the basics. Here," Neal offered a new padlock and the wires he used. "You try."
Eagerly, Henry took the wires and placed one in the 'teeth' section of the keyhole and one pressing against the top.
"You have to feel it, don't force it," Neal told him as he held the padlock steady for his son.
"So, you taught my mom how to do this?" Henry asked carefully as he tried to rake the wire over the tumblers in the lock like his father had. "And that's how you stole stuff?"
"Yeah," Neal admitted slowly, nodding. "But it can be used for more than stealing; If you forget your keys for your locker in high school, for example."
"Or for breaking into a bad guy's room to find evidence, like mom does," Henry added, pulling at the padlock hopefully, only to find it still securely fastened. He frowned.
"It's harder than it looks," he stated.
"Yeah, it is," Neal nodded with a smile. "It just takes practice."
Inserting the wires again, Henry tried again, this time pressing on the wire so hard, he bent it completely.
"You can't force it," Neal reminded him as he straightened out the wire. "You don't force a key, so you can't force this. You have to feel where the tumblers are so you know where to rake the wire. Try closing your eyes," he suggested. "It might help."
Inserting the two wires in the padlock again, Henry closed his eyes as he tried to use the wire to feel where the tumbles were.
At that moment, Neal's phone rang, and a quick look at caller ID told him it was Emma.
"Hey Emma," Neal answered, a smile in his voice.
"Neal, we have a problem," Emma got straight to the point.
"What?" He asked quickly, standing up to move away from the table. "What's wrong?"
"Zelena got Regina's heart."
Neal froze. He knew that Regina's heart was one of the things that Zelena needed to enact whatever cursed magic she had planned for them all.
Now she was one step closer...
"We're all heading to Regina's house," Emma continued in a rush. "She says she has an idea on how we can find out what Zelena's after."
"So, wait," Neal tried to understand. "Regina's alive?" Neal had thought that Zelena had wanted to kill Regina, so if Zelena had Regina's heart...
"Yeah, thankfully," Emma answered. "But, this means that whatever Zelena needed her heart for, it wasn't to kill her."
"Right," Neal agreed quietly as he mulled over what else Zelena could have planned for them.
"Come over to Regina's, quick," Emma instructed. "Where's Henry?"
"He's safe," Neal was quick to assure her. "We're just at Granny's."
"Tell him to stay there," Emma told him. "And get here fast. Something tells me we'll need all hands on this one."
"Got it," Neal nodded. "See you soon."
Hanging up, Neal turned back to Henry, who had abandoned his lock picking attempts to listen.
"What happened to Regina?" He asked, concerned. He'd grown to quite like the Mayor.
"She had a very close call with the woman holding my father captive," Neal explained as much as he could.
"Her name's Zelena," Henry stated, "right? I eavesdropped the other day," he explained when his father gave him a look.
"Right," Neal answered slowly- they'd have to be careful what they said whenever Henry was in the vicinity. "So we're heading to Regina's house to try and figure out what she's up to, 'cause we still don't know what she wants."
"David's the Sherriff," Henry spoke up, "why doesn't he just arrest her for kidnapping or assault?"
"If that was all we needed to do, we would've done it already," Neal told his son patiently. "But don't worry," Neal assured him. "When we find out what her goal is, we'll stop her. You stay here and practise, okay kid?" Neal hugged his son goodbye. "I gotta go, but I'll see you soon."
"I bet you a hot chocolate I can pick these padlocks by the time you get back," Henry challenged.
"You're on," Neal smiled as he left the room.
~..~..~..~..
Emma and Neal entered Regina's study, where Snow and David were sitting around a small table. Hook was sitting on a small leather couch, tossing a green apple pensively in his hand, whereas Regina couldn't be seen.
"You should really watch out for the apples in this house," Emma warned the pirate. Regina had told them of how Zelena had dropped off the green apples earlier and had a 'sisterly chat' in order to distract her as Gold went to Robin Hood's camp to steal her heart. Regina had been so worried that Robin's son, Rowland, had nearly been killed as Gold threatened him with an arrow in exchange for the heart.
"Hey," Neal greeted Snow and David, who appeared to be arguing over something serious at the small table, "you two need a referee?"
"Hi Neal," Snow greeted with a bright smile. He and Emma had been spending more time together, lately, Neal's love for Emma all over his face, and Snow was happy her daughter seemed to be giving Neal a fair chance.
"Emma," David began urgently as they sat down. "Will you please tell your mother we will not be naming your baby brother Leopold?"
"Why not?" Snow reasoned, drawn back into their argument once more. "It was my father's name."
"People will make fun of him," David argued.
"My father was a king," Snow stated firmly.
"Which is why no one made fun of him," David countered and Emma couldn't help but quirk a smile, wondering if they had had similar arguments with coming up with her name.
"Well," Snow sought to find an alternative, "what about Eva after my mother?"
"I don't know how that would work with a boy," David mused.
"How do you know it will be a boy?" Snow countered. She knew David wanted a son, but he couldn't put all his hope on that.
"Sorry I'm late," Regina announced as she entered the room carrying a teapot and cups. "I was busy making this special tea," she explained as she placed the cups around the table and poured. "Don't drink it!" She warned as David was about to take a sip from his cup. "It's poisonous."
Slowly, David placed the cup back on the table.
"I prefer Earl Grey," he commented dryly as Hook and Regina took their seats around the table.
"It's a potion for conjuring the Dark Forces," Regina explained.
"What?" Emma repeated, slightly fearful of what Regina had brought them here to do. They wouldn't have to make a blood sacrifice or anything would they?
"Conjuring the Dark Forces?" Neal repeated. "Isn't that normally a bad thing to do?"
"Says the man who brought The Dark One back from the dead," Hook commented wryly. Emma gave him a look.
"We don't know what Zelena's plan is, and now that she has my heart, we are running out of time," Regina told the group. "She told me this morning that my weakness was not knowing about her past, so I believe there is someone who may be able to help us." She took a deep breath.
"We need to speak to my mother."
Everyone else shared wary glances.
~..~..~..~..
Zelena examined the heart glowing in her hands. She finally had all the ingredients she needed. Well, all bar one.
Hearing a noise behind her, she turned to see one of her monkeys, chattering.
'Yes, I know it looks battered," she told him, "but that's the point."
Carefully, she placed the heart in a box, before placing it alongside the hilt of Charming's sword, which held the essence of his courage.
'Only one more to go,' she smiled. But she would have to wait for that.
Thinking it was time to celebrate, Zelena turned to take a suit from the closet.
"Yes," she mused, running her fingers along the expensive fabric. "This should do nicely."
A few minutes later, she was staring at Rumple's incredulous face.
"What do you want me to do with that?" He asked, staring blankly at the suit in her hands.
"What do you think?" she asked. "I want you to wear it."
Rumple swallowed.
"I have everything I need," she told him smugly. "I have Charming's courage, Regina's heart, and right in here," Rumple flinched as she ran her fingers through his hair roughly, "ready to be plucked: your beautiful brain. Time to celebrate, don't you think? Now," she smiled. "Let's get you dressed."
"I'm not your doll," Rumple hissed.
"Aren't you?" Zelena countered. "I'm not using the dagger, but I could. A certain baby could be here any minute, and I will give you a choice on how you spend this remaining time: One is pure agony, the other is much more pleasant. Choose well...Doll."
Smiling in anticipation, Zelena made her way back up the cellar stairs. She had to get ready as well.
~..~..~..~..
"It's a simple spell," Regina continued, "it's just not often done."
"If it's so easy to speak to the dead, why don't people do it more often?" Emma asked curiously.
"Because: You need both the murder weapon," Regina gestured to the black and white candle that lay in the centre of the table, which she had procured from Belle at Gold's shop earlier that morning, "and the murderer," she finished flatly, turning her gaze onto Snow.
"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Hook asked. "Digging up the past is rarely a pleasant affair. And I imagine that if Cora wanted something to stay secret, it would."
"We don't have much of a choice if we want to understand what Zelena's plan is," Regina stated as she took her seat between David and Neal. "My mother has kept a lot of secrets from me during my life: she owes me something."
"What do we need to do?" Neal asked.
"Focus on Cora," Regina answered simply.
Regina carefully lit the candle on the table before reaching out and taking up both David and Neal's hands, who in turn took the hands of Emma and Snow, who then joined hands with Hook, completing the circle. Closing her eyes, Regina concentrated on her mother, feeling her magic flowing through her, though the people around her who made up their circle and into the very air that surrounded them.
'I call to the Spirits of those who have been before,' Regina focused her mind on their goal. 'I call to my mother: I call to Cora.'
After a few moments, a silvery light pierced through her eyelids and Regina and the others opened their eyes as a whirling portal of silver light and grey smoke opened in the ceiling above them.
"Mother?" Regina called. "Can you hear me?"
Snow held on to David's hand more tightly as wind whirled around the room.
"I need to know what you did to Zelena," Regina called again, hoping her mother's spirit could hear her. But while the portal remained open, nothing came through.
"Don't ignore me, Mother," Regina had to raise her voice even more to be heard over the wind. "You owe me this!"
"Oh!" Snow gasped in shock as the table suddenly jumped. Unfortunately, she also let go of David and Hook's hands, causing the circle to break.
Regina watched helplessly as, with the circle broken, the portal shrank until it disappeared.
"Sorry, Love. That was my fault," Hook spoke up. "I crossed my legs and bumped the table."
Disappointed, Regina snuffed out the candle.
"Can we try again?" Neal asked.
"No," Regina shook her head in disappointment. "It worked: a portal opened, but nothing came from it. She doesn't want to talk to me. It seems, that whatever secrets Mother has, she wants to keep them buried."
~..~..~..~..
As Neal and Emma entered Granny's, Henry came racing towards them.
"Neal, look: I did it!" He announced proudly, showing off the two open padlocks in his hands. "I'm just on the third one now."
"Wow, you learn quick," Neal congratulated, giving his son a hug. "You're a natural, like your mother."
"More like you, I think," Emma countered quickly.
"Remember our deal," Henry said as he went back to his work. "All three padlocks, for a hot chocolate."
"Sure," Neal smiled. He knew Henry had said he'd pick all the locks before he got back, but he'd be happy to buy his son a hot chocolate, regardless.
Emma studied her son as he carefully raked the wires over the tumblers, remembering her first lesson with Neal.
"Take it easy," she encouraged. "Don't force it."
"Yeah, Neal told me," Henry informed his mother distractedly, concentrating hard on his task.
"Well, Neal's a good teacher," Emma granted, glancing at the man in question with a smile.
"Ha!" Henry cried triumphantly as the padlock clicked open and he slapped it on the table beside the other two. "Three in a row, and one hot chocolate," he grinned as his parents chuckled, caught up in the victory.
"Of course," Neal stood up. "I am a man of my word, after all. Three hot chocolates, coming up."
Together, the three of them made their way into the diner.
~..~..~..
Back at Regina's Snow had stayed behind while the others had left, in order to help Regina clean up. But the truth was, she had an alterior motive.
As she sat at the kitchen counter, studying the red apple in her hand, Snow gathered her courage. What she had to say may not be worth much, but it was the least she could do...
"I want to apologise Regina," Snow began slowly. "For Cora, for..."
"Murdering her?" Regina supplied bluntly.
"Yes, "Snow answered simply. "Please don't take it lightly," she continued, taking a deep breath. "I think about everyday."
"So do I," Regina's voice was flat as she stared out the kitchen window. "And when I do think about it," she continued, turning around to face her step daughter, "I remember that she did kill your mother. So, I'll admit, it's complicated."
"Thank you," Snow told her sincerely. She hadn't expected such an open reaction from her stepmother. "I know you must have had many things you wanted to tell her."
"Oh yes," Regina admitted. "My mother walled off a lot of her own life for me. She wasn't the warmest mother," Regina stated as emotion began to make her throat tight, "but at least I felt I occupied a singular place in her heart." She sighed. "A sister," she shook her head slightly in wonder as she leant her elbows on the kitchen counter. "Zelena. Why would she give her up?"
Suddenly a rattling could be heard throughout the house.
"What's that?" Snow asked cautiously, listening.
"I have no idea," Regina couldn't identify the sound.
"It's coming from upstairs," Snow stated slowly.
Together, Regina and Snow made their way out of the kitchen and up the stairs, the sound growing stronger with each step.
On the landing, Regina spotted the doorway at the end of the hall. While it was shut, flickering silver light could been seen through the gaps surrounding the edge of the door and its frame.
"What's in there, Regina?" Snow asked slowly as they cautiously approached the room. The sound of rattling, and whirling, as if from a strong wind, reaching their ears ominously.
"Nothing," Regina answered warily. "There's nothing in this room. Stay behind me." Regina commanded Snow. For if this was one of Zelena's tricks, she needed to make sure Snow was safe. The baby would be the last thing Zelena needed...
Regina threw open the door, and the two women were shocked to see a ghostly, silver spinning wheel, whirring as a spirit pedalled.
As the spirit turned, Regina saw a young woman, and Regina recognised those dark eyes...
"Mother?" She whispered. The summoning spell had worked.
Floating swiftly into the air, young Cora's spirit locked on Snow, her eyes flashing with anger.
~..~..~..~..
After having chocolate at the diner, Neal and Emma left Henry with Hook at the marina as they went to help Belle search Gold's collection of books for something that could clue them in on what Zelena was up to.
"Thank you so much," Belle told them gratefully as she led them to the back room, where they were to start. "There's just so much to go through."
"Well, apparently my dad taught Zelena as well," Neal cast his eyes over his father's collection, wondering where to start. "So if he taught her everything she knows..."
"Then maybe he can give us a clue as to what she's after," Emma finished.
"Let's get to work."
However, after going through what felt like a mountain of books, Emma's eyes had begun to water, so she went back to Granny's to get lunch. Re-entering the shop, Emma passed Belle her iced tea before making her way to the back room, placing a single cup of hot chocolate on the counter.
"Come on," she encouraged Neal as he lifted his head from the book he was flicking through. "You need a break and I wanna show you something." She had yet to really show him what Regina had been teaching her, and wanted to show off her skills.
Neal watched, waiting as Emma sat at the counter, the cup of hot chocolate standing before her, eyes closed in concentration.
When she opened them, she saw the cup had disappeared.
"Boom!" Emma slapped the counter in triumph as she turned to see the cup sitting before Neal at the opposite table. "Granny's to go. I should open up a franchise."
"It'd have the best delivery service ever," Neal smiled as he picked up the cup. "Very impressive."
"Wanna see something else impressive?" Emma challenged as she raised her hand.
"Hey!" Neal objected as, just as he was about to take a sip of chocolate, the cup disappeared and reappeared in Emma's hand. "That was mine!"
"Go get your own," Emma told him, taking an exaggerated sip of her chocolate in victory.
"Can't you magic one up for me?" Neal asked cheekily.
Tilting her head curiously, Emma smiled at the challenge. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated, before flicking her fingers outward.
In a flash of white light, a second cup of hot chocolate, complete with cream and cinnamon, appeared before Neal.
"Woah," Neal smiled as Emma grinned proudly. "Now that's impressive."
Hearing a triumphant "that's it!" from the front room, Neal and Emma turned as Belle rushed in, carrying a large book in her hands.
"I've found it," she announced breathlessly, placing the book open to a marked page on the table. "We have to tell Regina and the others."
"Okay Belle, slow down," Emma told her. "What did you find?"
"Zelena's plan," Belle answered. "I found out what she's doing."
~..~..~..~..
"This can't be," Regina didn't understand. "The spell opened up a portal for talking."
"It's me," Snow knew, seeing the anger and resentment in Cora's eyes. "Cora sensed my presence and found a way to break through to our world."
Suddenly, Cora's spirit flew towards Snow, and Regina was quick to get in between.
"Stand down mother," she told her. "And tell me: what did you do to Zelena?"
With a wave of her hand, Cora's spirit sent Regina flying to one side and Snow backed down the hall fearfully as the vengeful Cora flew towards her, arms reaching for her. Quickly, Regina waved her hands and in a whirl of purple smoke, they were standing in Regina's study.
However Spirits aren't so easily lost, and it wasn't long before Cora's spirit burst through a wall, lunging for Snow once more.
Using her own magic this time, Regina fought to hold her mother at bay.
"If you want to get to her, mother, you'll have to go through me!"
After a few minutes struggle with neither backing down, Regina dropped her magic and she and Snow watched as Cora hovered, silent .
"It's time for answers, Mother," Regina demanded. "What did you do to Zelena?"
Cora's spirit shoved her daughter to the floor before entering Snow's body. Collapsing onto a nearby chair, Snow sat, frozen as a montage of images flashed before her eyes.
A man in a bar offering Cora a wedding ring made of straw. Snow heard his name in her mind: Jonathan.
Cora waiting sadly at a crossroads in the rain, the straw ring falling from her finger.
The same man who had given Cora the ring pushing her away in disgust.
An image of a younger Leopold, offering Cora a gold wedding ring.
Jonathan demanding payment for his silence of their baby if Cora wanted to marry Prince Leopold.
Princess Eva revealing to Leopold the jewels in Cora's pockets and telling of her pregnancy.
Leopold turning Cora away.
And finally, the image of a tearful Cora, placing baby Zelena in a basket at the foot of a tree.
"Poor babe, life is truly cruel," she told her child."That's the only lesson I can give to you."
"Mary-Margret!" Regina panicked as Snow continued to shake rigidly as if she were having a seizure. "Hang on," she told her stap-daughter determinedly, "I won't let you go."
Using her magic, Regina carefully pulled Cora's spirit from Snow's body. As Cora was freed, a silver portal opened in the wall, and Regina magically threw her mother into the vortex, which closed behind the spirit.
"What the hell was that?" Emma demanded, racing into the room. Hook, Neal , David and Belle close behind her. Emma, Belle and Neal had called David and Hook from Gold's shop, telling them to quickly meet at Regina's.
"Cora," Regina answered before turning to Snow.
"Are you okay?" She asked, concerned.
"Cora," Snow mumbled weakly, still recovering from the memories she had been bombarded with. "She was trying to communicate."
"What?" Regina queried. Not trying to kill? "What did she say?"
David became concerned as Snow appeared to lose consciousness once again, mumbling incoherently.
"She doesn't look good," Emma stated. "We have to get her to a doctor."
"But she knows something," Regina protested.
"Regina, it'll have to wait," David said firmly.
"It can't wait!" Regina argued. "If we're going to stop Zelena, we have to know what she's doing and why!"
"I can help with half of that," Belle supplied.
All eyes turned on her.
"What?" Regina asked.
"Zelena plans to back," Belle began. "Back in time."
"No one has ever created a spell that can go back in time," Regina
"Well, she thinks she has," Belle said. "Courage, brains, a resilient heart...those ingredients were in every time travel spell I found."
"Why would she go back in time?" David wondered. "We have no idea what she's trying to accomplish."
"I do."
All eyes turned to Snow.
"She never wanted to give up Zelena," Snow reported sadly. "She was forced to: because of my mother, Eva." She looked pointedly to Regina. "She told a secret," she informed her. "Just like I did."
"I thought our family were the good guys," Emma sounded confused.
"Life is too messy for it to ever be that simple," Regina commented.
"So if it weren't for Eva," David mused, "then Cora would have kept Zelena?"
"Then she would have been tutored by Rumplestiltskin and cast the curse," Belle nodded.
"Which means..." Neal was afraid to say it.
"Zelena's going back to kill my mother," Snow stated flatly.
"Then," Regina began regarding Snow fearfully, "you'll have never been born."
"I'm guessing this is where your help ends?" Emma stated, thinking Regina would love the idea of never having her life ruined by Snow White.
"No, think this through," Regina corrected, turning her gaze to Emma. "That means: You'll never be born." Regina flicked her gaze to Neal, "and neither will Henry" she finished.
"And on this different path, Regina," Snow added, "you may never be born either."
"It's a good thing no one's succeeded in this time travel nonsense," Hook spoke up.
It was like a lightbulb flashed in David's mind. "Our baby," he realised.
"What?"
"That's why no one's succeeded," David told them. "It's the last ingredient that Zelena needs, somehow, someway, our baby is the key."
"What does she want with it?" Snow wondered.
"I don't know, but she's not gonna get it," David reassured his wife as he placed a protective hand over her swollen belly. "But because our baby's not born, she's stuck. And we have something we need: time."
Snow placed a hand carefully on her swollen belly.
"Just not very much of it," she cautioned.
~..~..~..~..
"You should have a woman dress you more often," Zelena told The Dark One as he entered her small house.
Rumple noticed that Zelena's hair was hanging loose around her shoulders and her clothing was more revealing than usual. She was treating this dinner as a 'date'. Holding back a sigh, he noticed that the dagger was tucked into her tall, high heeled boot. That was his focus for his mind, yet his eyes travelled to the table set for two wearily.
"Please," Zelena continued. "Have a seat."
"I wonder how much civility I'll have to endure before tonight's true purpose is revealed," he stated, wishing she would just get to the point of all this.
"Relax, I'm not one for subtlety, "Zelena smiled as she poured him a glass of wine. "Besides", she added, "we know it wasn't the dagger that brought you into my kitchen."
"Coercion takes many forms, my dear, regardless," Rumple gestured to the serving dish. "I didn't come for the boiled peas."
"No," Zelena admitted as she brought the meat pie out of the oven. "You're here for my secret. Why a heart? Why courage? Why a brain? Why this particular baby?"
"And why is this of any interest to me?" Rumple added.
"Because," Zelena explained as she set their meal out on the table. "My secret can reunite you with your long-lost son."
"My son is not lost," Rumple reminded her. "He's alive and well."
"But not for long," Zelena reminded him.
"If you would let me work on a cure-" Rumple tried again. For Zelena had used the dagger to expressively forbid him from trying to cure his son. He couldn't even speak with him, or Belle, or anyone. All of his magic had been reserved for Zelena's purposes only.
"You have better things to do," Zelena told him firmly. "I need you, Rumple, and I'd hate for you to ignore me. Besides," she added, "nothing can cure magic as dark as those your son invoked to bring you back. Like father like son," she laughed softly. "Willing to do anything for their family. But all is not lost. " She assured her guest. "My secret is better than a cure." She smiled. "My secret can ensure you never have to risk losing him in the first place."
Zelena smiled eagerly.
"I'm going to change the past," she confided.
"No," Rumple stated flatly. "Time travel spells have been written since the dawn of the Dark Arts, but never cast. It's against the fundamental laws of magic."
"Magic never fails," Zelena said as she poured a glass of wine for herself. "People do. Laws only exist until they're broken by someone superior."
"You?" Rumple asked, raising a sceptical brow.
Zelena's confident smile was all the answer he received, but it was enough. She had his full attention now.
"You've devised a means of time travel?" He asked, impressed.
"When that baby's born," Zelena confided, "I'm going back to claim the life that should have been mine. And there's no reason why you can't come with me. Your son could die in a matter of days, but you can change that. Make sure he's never in harm's way..."
"Perhaps never give him up," Rumple added thoughtfully.
As they ate, Rumple's mind was racing, until eventually, their plates were clean.
Seeing Zelena wiping her mouth delicately with a napkin, Rumple thought now was the time.
"Thank you ," he told her, standing to remove her empty wine glass.
"For what?" Zelena asked slowly.
"For showing me something I should have seen years ago," he informed her as he poured another glass. "It's not easy for a man to admit when he's wrong, but I wronged you, Zelena, and I regret hurting you."
"Well," Zelena tried to keep her voice casual, as if she hadn't been waiting for years to hear him say he should have picked her. "Those memories won't hurt us for long. For soon," she raised her glass in toast, "history shall be wiped clean."
"Until then," Rumple smiled, "a gentleman always makes amends for their failings."
Gently, Rumple caressed Zelena's Cheek, and Zelena felt her heart leap with hope as he leaned forward and brushed her lips in a kiss.
As Rumple deepened the kiss, he slowly trailed his hand lightly along Zelena's arm, down her back, all the while doing his best to distract her from his real target...
However, just as his hand was making it's way down her leg towards the dagger in her boot, he felt himself frozen in place. He'd been caught.
"You evil soul," Zelena hissed as she moved away, tears of humiliation burning in her eyes.
"Not on the first date, huh, dearie?" Rumple sneered.
"I could have given you everything you wanted!" Zelena snarled, brandishing the dagger to magically force Rumple backwards, towards the door. "I could have given you your son!"
"I already have my son," Rumple told her. "And I know how he'd feel if I stopped him leaving in the first place. He'd never meet Emma, and he would never have Henry. And the man he is now because of the experiences that shaped him, would be gone." Rumple shook his head. "He was willing to give his life so that I could stop you," he hissed. "And I will make sure you are stopped."
"Celebration's over," Zelena spat through gritted teeth. "Back to your cage, doll."
Enslaved as he was, Rumple had no choice but to leave the house and return to the cellar.
Once Rumple was out of the room, Zelena slumped in a chair by the table, a single tear trailing down her cheek. She'd really thought he'd meant it, that time...
~..~..~..~..
Carefully, Regina began picking up the broken glass from a lamp that had broken during her mother's attack.
"Need a hand?"
Turning, she saw Snow standing in the doorway.
"Shouldn't you be on bed rest?" Regina asked.
"Dr Whale just left." Snow supplied. "He cleared me and the baby. Apparently, the human body has a rather strong resilience to ghost possession." Snow took up a broom. "May I?"
Regina nodded and Snow began sweeping.
"You wanna talk about it?" Snow asked hesitantly.
"What's to talk about?" Regina asked. "You officially have a less damaging relationship to my mother than I do: and you killed her."
"Well," Snow granted, "at least we know: you and me, our history... is more complicated than we thought."
"I know how much you looked up to Eva," Regina began. "I'm sorry you had to find there was darkness in her past."
"It makes me wonder what happened that changed her," Snow mused as she sat with Regina at the small table in the study. "I guess I'll never know."
"We'll never know the past clearly," Regina granted. "If I had, I probably wouldn't have spent so much time trying to kill you."
Snow raised her eyebrows at the lightness of that statement.
"Well, we would've found something to fight about," Snow nodded. "I was such a brat."
"Your mother's child," Regina told her and Snow smiled.
"I think we've wasted our days being haunted by the past," she said.
"Now we can be haunted by our inevitable lack of future," Regina finished.
"Zelena isn't going to win," Snow argued. "Not with all of us united against her."
"Hoping is more difficult for me, when I know she has my heart."
"Which you will get back," Snow assured her. "Stronger than ever. That's what it means to be the most resilient."
"That could be one of her tricks too," Regina wasn't so sure about Snow's claim.
"Regina, I've seen what life has thrown at you," Snow couldn't understand why Regina was still doubting herself. "You still fight against the darkness every single day. Sooner or later, your heart will find the way back to happiness. I know you," Snow took up her stepmother's hand earnestly, "and you feel things deeply. Not just with your heart, but with your very soul. Don't let anything hold you back."
~..~..~..~..
In the forest, Robin was tending to a small fire. Hearing a sound behind him, he turned.
"Milady," he greeted, standing as Regina walked purposefully towards him through the night. "I am so sorry," he told her emphatically. "Your heart was lost to Zelena on my watch. But I assure you," he swore, "I will get it back."
Without saying a word, Regina grabbed Robin's jacket and kissed him before her courage failed her.
All too soon, their lips parted, and Regina's eyes searched Robin's face, hoping...
Robin's lips against hers once more was all the answer she needed, for words were needless, now.
~..~..~..~..
Author's note; So what did you think? How did my compromise work?
The timeline in Storybrooke throughout this episode confused me slightly. It was Emma showing Hook her magic in the diner that started it: In the scene, Granny's diner was shut and it looked dark outside, yet the Storybrooke scene before that was Snow and Regina finding Cora's spirit, which apparently happened in the late morning, after the 'seance'. Then, the 'possension/fight' scene didn't occur until Rumple and Zelena had started their dinner- at night! So, how long were they standing in the corridor? There were other time discrepancies as well so I changed the order of scenes slightly, and I hope the story flows more smoothly.
Another thing that irritated me a little was that everyone had been going on about how no one knew what Zelena's plan was, yet Belle was the only one trying to actually find something. So, I thought it fair to have Emma and Neal help her out, and have a bit of bonding time over magic hot chocolate (the most magical drink in the world, in my opinion) but still have Belle be the one to find the answer.
What I did like about this episode is the fact that Snow and Regina could finally make peace with each other, and of course, for Regina to finally open herself to love and get the courage to kiss Robin- it was a great ending for the episode!
And I just had to get Henry's lock picking lesson in this chapter somewhere! And with both of his parents being who they are, I know Henry would be a natural at it.
(Attention: no one should attempt to pick a lock unless it is an emergency situation. Picking a lock to break in somewhere, or to steal, is illegal.)
Thank you for reading, and please review!