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It's been a couple of days since everything went down with David, Kathryn, and Mary Margaret. Mary Margaret, however, was still getting snubbed by the townspeople. But she was taking it with her head held high and trying very hard not to let it get to her. If it wasn't for Avia and Emma, they were pretty sure Mary Margaret would never leave her apartment. But there were things that still needed to be done, and Mary Margaret refused let a broken heart stop her from doing them.
In the back booth at Granny's Diner, Emma and Avia are having breakfast.
"Okay. I'm just curious here." Emma says as she looks through the newspaper. "But I'm just wondering when melodramatic Avia is going to go away."
Avia has her head resting on the table. She lets out a light groan. "Graduation."
Emma rolls her eyes. "You still have Karley." She reminds her sister.
"Yeah. But Karley has been super busy lately getting to know her dad." Avia scoffs. "It's been like two weeks already. You would think they would know each other by now."
Emma chuckles. "I think it's takes a little longer than that, Avs. They have twelve years to catch up on."
Avia rolls her eyes. "Whatever. School is just really boring when I have no one to be mean to."
Emma smiles. "Yes. I'm sure Nick misses that, too."
"Excuse me." Mary Margaret attempts to get the attention of those in the diner but fails miserably as she stands in the front of the diner door. She clears her throat. "Can I please have everyone's attention, please?" She says a little louder. Everyone looks back at her including Avia and Emma.
"Oh, no." Avia mumbles.
"I'm sorry to interrupt your morning, but I just wanted to remind everyone that a very special occasion is upon us – Miners Day. As always, the nuns of Storybrooke are hoping that everyone will get involved and will help sell their exquisite candles. All we need are a few energetic volunteers. So, who wants to join me?" The customers begin to talk amongst themselves again, ignoring Mary Margaret's request. Avia and Emma glance at each other. They felt bad for Mary Margaret. She had been having a terrible week since everything went down, and the townspeople were not letting up. Leroy, the town drunk, walks up. "Leroy, you wanna volunteer?" Mary Margaret asks, enthused.
"I want to leave, Sister. You're blocking the door." He says, rudely.
"Oh, right." Mary Margaret steps aside. "You know, if you want to help, it'll be a – "
"Yeah, right." Leroy interrupts. "Quite a team we'd make. Town harlot, town drunk. The only person in this town that people like less than me is you. If you're coming to me, you're screwed." He glares before walking out.
Mary Margaret sighs as she follows him out.
"Come on." Emma tells Avia. They grab their jackets and run after Mary Margaret. "Hey. Mind if we join you?" Mary Margaret smiles somberly at the two girls who stand at either side of her as they walk down the street. "What the hell is Miners Day, and why are you beating yourself up over it?"
"It's an annual holiday celebrating an old tradition. The nuns used to make candles and trade them with the miners for coal." Mary Margaret explains.
"Coal?" Avia scowls. "In Maine?"
"I don't know. Now they use it as a fund-raiser. It's an amazing party. Everyone loves it."
"It doesn't seem like everyone loves it."
"It's not Miners Day. It's me." Mary Margaret sighs as she looks down at her clipboard. "Last week, I had ten volunteers. This week, they all dropped out."
"You think this is about what happened with David?" Emma asks.
"Oh, I know it is." Mary Margaret nods. "A few of them told me as much. I've never been – " She looks down at Avia, trying to find the right word. " – a homewrecker before."
"It's gonna blow over." Emma promises. "You made a mistake with David. It happens. But you don't have to do charity to try to win people's hearts back."
Mary Margaret chuckles desperately. "Well, I have to do something. And this is the best I can do. Love ruined my life."
Emma's phone rings, interrupting. "Ah, hold on. Sheriff Swan." She answers. "Okay. I'll be right there." She hangs up. "Duty calls. If there's anything I can do to help, I will." Emma assures Mary Margaret.
"I know." Mary Margaret smiles gratefully at her roommate. "Thank you."
Emma walks away. "You know, you still have me." Avia tells her foster mother with a small smile. Mary Margaret smiles down at Avia and wraps her arm around the girl's small frame, squeezing her close. "And I'm not really popular in the friend's department either right now, but I'm sure I can get Karley to help out. And she can probably find a way to get Nick to help, too, since she is still allowed to see him."
"You'd really do that for me?"
Avia nods. "I can't promise anything, but yeah, I wanna help you."
"Just trying really helps. Thank you, Avia."
At the town line, a car seemed to run off the road and crashed into a tree. Emma is there taking pictures for evidence.
Sidney pulls up. "You mind if I take a look, too?" He asks, camera in hand.
"What for?"
"Well, just because I got fired from 'The Mirror' doesn't mean I can't do a little freelance reporting. So, what do we got here?"
"Gym teacher found this thing on the side of the road, abandoned, engine running, no one around." Emma tells him. "Registered to Kathryn Nolan. She's M.I.A."
"Kathryn Nolan, whose husband very publicly left her?" Sidney asks, suspiciously. "I mean, the story writes itself. If I get a scoop like that, 'The Daily Mirror' would have no choice but to take me back."
"Calm down, tiger. You don't work for Regina anymore." Emma hops into the driver's seat. "Kathryn got accepted to law school in Boston. Maybe after David dumped her, she decided to leave town." Emma grabs the keys and gets back out. "Car broke down. She hitched the rest of the way. It's what I would do if I was running away from my problems." Emma unlocks the trunk, opening it revealing luggage inside.
"And would you leave your clothes in the car?" Sidney asks.
"Time to pull Kathryn's phone records and find out who she spoke to last."
"Yeah, you know, if you go through the sheriff's department, it'll take you days to get those. I've got a contact over at the phone company who used to help me out when I was at the newspaper. I can get those in a couple hours."
"Great. Call me the minute you get your hands on those phone records."
David pulls up in his truck. "There he is." Sidney says.
"Time to break the news."
David gets out of his truck looking confused. "You really think he doesn't know?"
"I'm about to find out." Emma glowers as she walks towards David.
Avia is helping set up the booth for the candles when Karley and Nick walk up. "Hey. Look who I found." Karley smiles.
Avia looks up and is surprised to see Nick. "Nick, what are you doing here?"
"It's good to see you, too." He laughs.
Avia rolls her eyes. "No. I mean, I'm glad you're here, but how?"
Nick shrugs. "This is for the town – for the nuns. If my mom has a problem with me helping out with Miners Day, then that's her problem. She'll get over it." Avia gives him a questionable look. She was really liking this new daring side of Nick. "Plus, Karley told me that you're desperate for some help."
Avia nods. "Yeah. Very much so. Since the whole thing with Mary Margaret and David, the whole town is coming down hard on her. They want nothing to do with her. It's kinda depressing actually."
"I'm sorry, Avia. I wish I could have been around these last few days."
Avia shrugs. "Well, it's not your fault. It's your mom's and whatever her stupid vendetta she has for me and my sister." She says, annoyed.
"Still don't know who could have told David's wife about him and Mary Margaret?" Karley asks.
Avia shakes her head. "No. I'm pretty sure only me and Emma knew." Avia sees Nick look away. "What? Do you know something I don't?"
Nick sighs, dropping his head. "Um."
"Spill it." Karley nudges Nick in his side.
Nick looks back at the two. "I think maybe my mom might have known."
Avia's eyes widen. "What?!" She exclaims. "Why do you think that?"
Nick shrugs. "I don't know. The other day when I found out she moved me out of all our classes together, I left school to go and yell at her at her office."
"Wow." Avia says, impressed. "Ballsy."
Nick smirks. "I have it in me sometimes." He jokes. "Anyways, when I was walking out, Kathryn Nolan was walking in. She looked like she had been crying."
"So, what you're saying is, your mom could have told Kathryn about Mary Margaret and David?" Karley assumes.
"Maybe." They look up at Avia who is staring off midway into unpacking the boxes. "Uh, Avia? You okay?"
"This makes so much more sense now." Avia tells them.
"What does?" Karley asks, confused.
"Regina hates Mary Margaret, and she's been out to keep them apart ever since David woke up from his coma. And, what, suddenly she's best friends with Kathryn? Don't you think she would have known who David was in the first place if they were so close before? I have to tell Mary Margaret." Avia says quickly. "Can you two finish unpacking these boxes? I'll be back." She runs away into the building in search for her foster mother.
"Where can I sign up?" Mary Margaret looks up from the table she is sitting at and is surprised to find Leroy standing in front of her. She looks back down, ignoring him remembering how he acted towards her that morning. "What?" Leroy glares. "I want to volunteer to sell candles."
"No, you don't." Mary Margaret narrows her eyes. "You made that very clear this morning at Granny's."
"Well, maybe I saw the light. I mean, maybe somebody showed it to me. What difference does it make, sister? It looks like you can use all the help you can get."
"Mary Margaret!" Avia runs in but stops suddenly when she sees Leroy. "Uh, hi." She slowly moves behind the table next to Mary Margaret.
"Okay, I need help manning the candle booth." Mary Margaret gives in. She really did need as much help as she could get. "No swearing, no drinking, and I get to call all the shots."
"You got it."
"Avia will show you to the booth."
Avia groans. "But, Mary Margaret, I – "
"Please, Avia." Mary Margaret pleads desperately. "I really need your help right now."
Avia wanted to protest, but by the look on Mary Margaret's face, she knew she couldn't say no. She figured she could just tell her tonight about Regina after everything was done. "Fine. Come on." She glares at Leroy as they walk out of the room.
Back at the town line, David closes the door to Kathryn's door, still bewildered by what happened.
"She's just gone?" He asks Emma.
"You really don't know anything, do you?" Emma asks, knowingly.
"I don't understand. What happened?"
"I don't know. I'm trying to find out. What can you tell me? When was the last time you spoke to Kathryn?"
"A couple days ago."
"Okay, look, I know there has been lies and deceit, and I'm really not judging you, but is that the truth?"
"Yes." David stresses. "I haven't spoken to her since we – I ended things. And I came home, and all her things were gone. I assumed she was going to Boston. That's what she told me. Am I a suspect or something?"
"No. I know when people are telling the truth, David, and you are." Emma assures him. "But, don't worry, I will find her."
Regina grabs Kathryn Nolan's phone records she printed off her computer and grabs the phone, dialing Sidney's number.
"Sidney. Those phone records you wanted – I have them." She smiles, ominously. "And I think you'll find them quite helpful."
"Buy your Miners Day candles here!" Mary Margaret shouts out to the crowd from the booth. "Handmade by Storybrooke's very own nuns! Light your way to a good cause!"
Avia sighs, dropping her head in boredom. "I don't think this is working very well."
"Little sister's right. We should pack it up." Leroy agrees.
Avia glares at the grump. "I didn't say that."
"No. I'm saying, if the customers won't come to us, we gotta go to them, door to door."
"If they hate us here, what makes you think they'll like us in their homes?" Mary Margaret asks.
"Exactly. They'll pay us just to leave." Leroy chuckles. "Have the kids man the booth. As long as we're here no one will feel sorry for them."
"Yes." Avia smiles. "I can play the sad foster kid and Nick can play the sad Mayor's kid." She jokes receiving a playful stare from her foster mother. "Come on, Mary Margaret. I know it's hard to admit, but you know he's right. As long as you're here these candles aren't going anywhere."
Mary Margaret exhales, thinking. "Okay, fine. We won't be too long." She says as she helps Leroy pack some of the candles.
"Take your time." Avia waves them away.
"Sad Mayor's kid?" Nick questions earning a light chuckle from Avia.
Emma walks up to the Sidney who is playing a game at one of the booths. "What the hell are you doing?"
"What's happening?" Sidney asks.
"I just got off the phone with Kathryn's school in Boston. Registration was this morning, and she never showed up."
"Something did happen." Sidney says, intrigued.
"It looks that way."
"Oh, Emma, help me out!" Mary Margaret pleads. "What's more sympathetic – um, scarf or no scarf?" She asks placing the scarf on and off.
"Uh. Scarf." Emma answers, jumbled.
Mary Margaret smiles, happily, putting her scarf around her neck. "Come on. We're on a schedule." Leroy rushes.
"Oh, thank you. Gotta go." Mary Margaret follows Leroy.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Sidney asks Emma. "You're looking for a suspect, someone with a motive. Pixie cut over there has got one a mile high."
"She had nothing to do with anything." Emma glares. "Trust me."
"But she's the one – "
"Trust me." Emma raises her voice. "I know her. Just give me those phone records." Emma walks away.
After an hour, the kids weren't having any luck selling the candles either.
"I guess people don't feel sorry for the mayor's kid like we thought they would." Karley says as they lean sadly onto the booth as people walk by without even one glance their way.
"Yeah. You would think they would be scared enough to buy them." Avia says.
Nick turns and looks at the girls' sad faces. He, then, looks around when an idea comes into his mind. "What if they didn't have a choice but to buy them?"
Avia and Karley look quizzically at Nick who is holding a devilish grin. "What are you talking about?" Avia asks.
"Just be ready to thank me when I get back." They watch Nick run away.
"Should we be worried?" Karley asks.
Avia rolls her eyes. "I am so not telling him thank you."
At the station, Emma is looking over the pictures she had taken from the scene when Sidney walks in.
"You find something?" She asks.
Sidney hands Emma the papers. "Kathryn's phone records. Every call she made the day she crashed her car, including an 8-minute call between her and David within an hour of the accident."
Emma furrows her brows, puzzled. "That's not possible. He said he didn't speak to her that day."
"Then he's lying."
Emma grins, confidently. "No. I know when someone is lying, and David – "
"It's right here on paper, Emma." Sidney interrupts, firmly. "Phone records don't lie. People do. And our friend David does it better than most." Emma frowns, knowing she couldn't argue with that. "Don't beat yourself up over this. You're not the only person David fooled."
At the diner, Mary Margaret couldn't help but feel sorry for herself. She and Leroy failed miserably at selling candles, so she didn't have the guts to face the kids, or the nuns right now.
Leroy walks in to find Mary Margaret drinking at the counter. "I'll have what she's having." He says, glumly.
"I think you're right." Mary Margaret says as Leroy sits down next to her. "I was dreaming if I thought that the town harlot and the town drunk could accomplish anything."
"What about the kids?"
Mary Margaret sighs. "I'm not ready to face them yet." Suddenly the lights go off in the diner. "What's going on?"
Ruby looks outside. "The whole town's out."
"The kids!" Mary Margaret runs out of the diner.
At the candle booth, Avia and Karley are swarmed by townspeople wanting to buy candles. Nick runs over.
"Wow. They're really selling." He grins.
Avia laughs in disbelief. "What did you do?"
Nick shrugs as he begins to help them out. "I think the transformer blew out."
"Avia!" Mary Margaret shouts as she and Leroy run into the busy crowd. "What happened?" She looks around in disbelief.
Avia laughs. "Thank Nick."
"Sometimes being the mayor's kid has its perks. You can't see without candles, right?" Nick shouts as he and Avia high-five.
"Hey!" Karley yells as she looks inside the empty boxes. "We're sold out!"
"What!?" Mary Margaret gasps. She grabs the kids and pulls them all into a hug. "Thank you! Thank you! You three are amazing!"
"Told you we'd help you!" Avia laughs.
Mary Margaret smiles down at her foster daughter as she keeps her in a tight embrace. "You did." She sighs, happily. "You helped me." Avia chuckles into Mary Margaret's shoulder.
Granny walks up from behind, tapping Mary Margaret on her shoulder. She turns around, keeping Avia close. Avia was ready to go off on the woman again if she was there to ruin their moment. Instead, Granny grabs a candle and lights the wick from her own candle before handing it to Mary Margaret. "Avia, I want to apologize for the other day. You were right."
Avia glances up at Mary Margaret. "No. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spoken to you that way."
"You had every right." Granny assures her. Mary Margaret smiles softly down at Avia. "I was quick to judge and that wasn't fair."
"Everyone makes mistakes." Avia shrugs, sheepishly. "Even the good ones." She says, looking up at her foster mother who was failing terribly at keeping her tears in as she smiles down at her foster daughter.
"You have an amazing girl there, Mary Margaret."
Mary Margaret pulls Avia closer to her. "Yeah." She agrees. "I think I'll keep her." Avia rolls her eyes playfully. They hear someone gasps and everyone turns to where they are pointing. "Is that David?" Mary Margaret gasps.
"Emma must have found something." Avia says as they watch Emma walk David to her car.
As soon as David sits in the backseat, Emma closes the door, and he looks up, locking eyes with a confused Mary Margaret.
At the station, Emma hands David something to drink before she begins to question him.
"Thank you." He says, gratefully. "I hope Kathryn's somewhere warm, not out in the cold."
"David, I think you need to start worrying about yourself." Emma tells him. "Your wife is missing. You are in love with another woman. There's this unexplained phone call."
"I know. I know." David shakes his head. "I just… I can't explain why it says that. I didn't do anything to my wife."
"I'm pretty good at spotting a liar. And honestly, liars have better material. Now go home."
David looks surprised. Emma had barely asked him anything. "I can go?"
Emma opens the door for him. "We don't even know if there was a crime yet. So, get some sleep."
"Thank you."
"And, David, maybe get a lawyer." She suggests cautiously.
David nods as he slowly walks out of the station.
Not long after David had left, Emma walks out of the station and is immediately bombarded by Mary Margaret and Avia.
"How is he?" Mary Margaret asks. "David?"
"He's a little shaken up, but he's headed home." Emma tells her. "He's fine."
"You think he did it?" Avia whispers.
"Avia." Mary Margaret lightly scolds.
Avia shrugs. "What? She brought him to the station. Usually that means he's a suspect."
"I don't think he did it." Emma says, honestly.
"Really?" Mary Margaret look surprised and relieved. "Good."
"So, what do you know?" Avia asks.
"All we know is that she found out about you two – " Emma says, looking at Mary Margaret. " – gave you a well-deserved slap, and then disappeared."
"'Well-deserved?'" Mary Margaret questions. "Do you really believe that?"
"No. I'm just preparing you for what everyone else is gonna think."
"What are they going to think?" Avia asks sharing the same puzzled look as her foster mother.
"I'm just saying, you and David are going to look bad until we figure the truth out." Emma explains.
"You mean David?" Mary Margaret asks. "That people are going to think in order to be free with me – "
"Some are. And he's not doing himself any favors. So, if there's anything you could think of to pin down his whereabouts that night – "
"He wasn't with me. We really were through."
"Hey. There's Ruby." Avia points to where Ruby is standing on the street corner with a bag, talking to Dr. Whale.
"I really don't need a ride." They overhear Ruby say as they walk closer.
"It's awfully cold out here." Dr. Whale tells her.
"I'm fine. Really."
"I can carry your bag. Where are you headed?"
"Dr. Whale?" Mary Margaret questions.
"Mary Margaret." Dr. Whale turns around to find the three walking up. "Oh, and Emma. Avia, how's the head?" He smiles.
Avia narrows her eyes, suspiciously at the doctor. "Still attached." She says sarcastically.
Dr. Whale chuckles lightly. "Good. I was just having a talk with Ruby here. But I should, um – "
"Yeah." Emma agrees. She knew exactly what the doctor was trying to do with Ruby and she didn't like it. It was bad enough he succeeded with her roommate. "Yeah, you should."
Dr. Whale walks away. "Was he bothering you?" Mary Margaret asks Ruby.
Ruby scoffs. "The day I can't handle a lech is the day I leave town, which this is, I guess."
"You're leaving?" Avia asks, disappointed.
"I had a fight with Granny. Quit my job."
"You quit?" Mary Margaret says, flabbergasted. Ruby nods. "Where you going?"
"Uh. I don't know. Away." Ruby says, unsure.
"Yeah, well, buses out of town don't really happen." Emma tells her. "You might want a destination first." Ruby looks away and that's when they noticed how scared Ruby truly looked.
"Hey, if you need a place to figure things out, you could always come home with us." Mary Margaret offers, earning looks from her roommate and foster daughter. Mary Margaret gives them a firm look.
"Uh, y—yeah." Emma stutters. "Just a for a little while." She wraps an arm around her sister. "Avia can bunk with me."
"Come on." Mary Margaret says gently taking her friend's arm as they walk away. Avia and Emma look at one another before they sullenly follow behind.
The next day, Avia, Nick, and Karley are walking through the woods. Avia, just like everyone else, was desperate for this whole Kathryn thing to be over with. It seemed the entire town was on edge because of it, including Emma and Mary Margaret. And since Avia was also good at finding people just like her sister, she felt like she needed to do something. She couldn't just sit back and watch David be accused of something that even Emma was sure he had no part of. He still wasn't her favorite person at the moment, considering how he treated Mary Margaret, but for her foster mother's sanity, Avia was determined to get to the bottom of it.
"I'm just curious here, so don't get upset with me." Karley begins. "But last time I checked, we're just kids. How do you think we'll be able to find something – let alone a person."
"I'm not saying we're going to find Kathryn. But we may find something that may help us." Avia tells her friends. "Look, I know this is crazy. But you guys aren't living in an apartment with my sister and foster mom. It's not really fun right now. They all on edge, and it's really hard to go anywhere by myself because they think something will happen to me."
"They're just worried about you." Nick states. "You did fall down into the mines and almost crushed your skull."
Avia rolls her eyes. "Okay. Now you're exaggerating. I'm just saying, Emma isn't the only one who can find people. I'm pretty good at it, too."
"Then why hasn't Emma found her yet?"
"Because she has to do things by the book. She's the sheriff now. If Emma does anything that is out of the ordinary, our fine mayor will have her butt. Thank you very much." She says, glaring at Nick.
"Okay. Don't blame me for how my mother acts."
"I'm not." Avia sighs. "Well, not really. You've been acting so defiant lately towards her, why can't you just tell her to back off a little bit? It would really help Emma."
"And you really think she would listen to me?" Nick scoffs.
"Well, you are out here with us right now." Karley tells him.
"She doesn't know." Nick says, looking away.
"And where does she think you are?"
"The arcade." Nick mumbles.
"Nice." Avia laughs.
"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Nick asks.
"I don't know." Avia says, frustrated. "Something. Anything."
"Hey. Wait." Karley whispers, stopping Avia and Nick who look at her, confused.
"What?"
Karley points in front of her. "Is that Mary Margaret and David?"
Avia and Nick follow Karley's gaze and, in the distance, they see Mary Margaret and David standing close together. "What are they doing?" Nick wonders.
Avia glares furiously at the two. "I don't know. I thought they were over."
"Apparently not." Karley whispers.
"She knows you didn't do anything." Mary Margaret says to David. He looked completely out of it. It seemed he hadn't slept at all. It was if he had been out all night since leaving the station. "Emma, I mean. She can tell when people are lying, so… she knows. And I'll stand with you." Mary Margaret promises. "I'll tell everyone this isn't possible." She looks up at David. "She's going turn up somewhere. That's why we're out here, right?"
"I'm looking." He says, expressionless.
Mary Margaret looks at him, worried. He seemed in a complete daze. "David?" David starts to walk away. "David. David!"
At the station, Avia is sitting at the computer with Ruby, trying to help her find a job as the phone rings off and on in the background.
"Wanna be a bike messenger?"
Ruby scowls. "Bike messenger?"
"That's about taking things to people in a little basket." Avia explains.
"Nope." Ruby declines. "I'm not so great at bike riding."
"How about taking things on foot, to people, in a little basket?"
"I'm not so sure that's real job."
Avia laughs. "It is." She points to the screen. "It's right here."
The phone continues to ring then stops after just one ring. "Why do the phones keep doing that?"
"The nonemergency calls go to a machine when Emma's busy."
The phone rings again and Ruby answers it before it can go to the machine. "Sheriff's Station. How can I help you? Mm-hmm. I'll get her to return. Thank you, too." The phone rings again. "Sheriff's Station?" Ruby answers the next call just as Emma walks in. "Hey, Miss. Ginger." Emma walks up, giving Avia a curious look. "Uh, no, that's not a prowler. That's Archie's dog Pongo. Throw him a vanilla wafer. He'll quiet down. Did you still want to talk to Emma? Great. Glad I could help." Ruby hangs up.
"How's it going, you two?" Emma asks, amused.
"Great, except I can't do anything." Ruby says, defeated.
Avia smirks. "You can answer phones."
"That? That's nothing."
"No. No, it isn't." Emma agrees with Avia. "I actually have some money in the budget if you wanna help out around here."
Ruby jumps up. "Yes! Thank you. Yes. I could answer phones and help out." She says, enthusiastically. "Is there anything else that you need done? Organize files, cleaning up? Please. I wanna be useful."
Avia rolls her eyes. "She could always use help filing." She teases, earning a light slap on the arm from Emma.
"Well, I'm swamped with the Kathryn Nolan thing. If you maybe wanna grab us lunch, I would never say no to a grilled cheese." Emma says, guiltily.
"Ditto." Avia agrees, eyes still focused on the computer.
Mary Margaret walks in. "Hey!"
"Lunch, Mary Margaret? I'm getting for everyone." Ruby offers.
Avia rolls her eyes and grabs her jacket. "Actually, Ruby, I'll come with you." Avia glares at Mary Margaret who furrows her brows in confusion as she watches Avia follow Ruby out.
"Are you two okay?" Emma asks, noticing the encounter.
Mary Margaret frowns. "Last time I checked…"
"Hm. So, what's up?"
"David's in the woods." Mary Margaret says, concerned. "There's something wrong with him. He looked right through me. It's like he was a different person."
"A different person, how?" Emma asks, carefully.
Ruby and Avia walk up to Granny's Diner, and Ruby stops, staring at the building. Avia looks up and could see that Ruby was hesitant about going inside. She hadn't seen Granny since she walked out last night.
"You can do it." Avia assures her.
Ruby takes a deep breath and smiles at Avia. She holds her head up high and they proceed to walk inside. Customers stare their way as they walk by. Avia follows Ruby over to Granny who is surprised to see her grand-daughter considering how they left things before. "I need a couple of grilled cheeses. I'm working over at the sheriff's station now."
Granny looks at Avia who gives her a small smile. "Ahh."
"Sort of like a – "
"A deputy." Avia finishes. "She's really good at it, too." She says as Ruby gives her a grateful smile.
"Yeah." Ruby says confidently. "I guess sometimes your fate finds you."
"Seems kinda like you're doing the same thing you always done." Granny tells her.
"Plus so much more."
"Those will be right up."
"Yeah." Ruby sighs, looking away.
"Tony has to unwrap the cheese slices."
"She helps solve crimes." Avia says ardently. She was trying her best to help Ruby out. She knew all too well how it feels to be looked down on, and it wasn't fair that Granny was belittling Ruby for wanting to live her own life.
"I hope you're finding what you're looking for." Granny says, haughtily.
"I am." Ruby snaps.
Granny walks away. Avia puts a comforting hand on Ruby's back. "Hey. Don't listen to her. You can do this. She just wants you to need her. She doesn't want you to succeed on your own, but you can. You can do anything you want. You just have to want it."
"I hope you're right." Ruby says, somberly.
Emma was just about to leave to find David in the woods when Ruby and Avia walk in. "Got your grilled cheese." Ruby says, handing Emma her bag.
"Thank you." Emma smiles gratefully. "Hey, where's yours?" She asks Avia.
Avia smiles, guiltily. "I ate it on the way. Where are you going?"
"I have to go find David. Mary Margaret found him in the woods, and she said he didn't seem like himself."
Avia scoffs. "Yeah. I'm sure." She mumbles.
Emma raises her brows, bending down slightly to look at Avia. "What was that? Do you know something?"
Avia sighs as she sits down at the desk. "Nope. Nothing."
But Emma didn't believe her, and Avia knew that, but now was not the time. Emma sees that Ruby isn't in the cheerful mood that she walked out of the station with earlier. "You alright?"
"I guess." Ruby shrugs. "I mean, this is something I know how to do, so yay." She says sarcastically.
"Okay, let's pack these back up, and we can eat it in the car." Emma says, packing the bags. "I need to find David and I need your help."
Ruby laughs. "I'm pretty sure I'm just gonna screw it up. I mean, I'll screw it up with flair, but – "
"No, you won't. Come on. You can do this. Avia, I'll drop you off at the apartment."
Avia groans. "Fine."
Avia walks in to the quiet apartment. She was hoping to make it upstairs before Mary Margaret spotted her, but –
Mary Margaret walks out of her bedroom and smiles at her foster daughter. "Avia, you're home."
"Uh, yeah." Avia says as she slowly takes her jacket off. "I'm just going to head upstairs."
"Wait. Wait." Mary Margaret stops Avia before she can make it any further up the stairs. "Come here for a minute." She gestures to the kitchen.
Avia sighs silently and follows Mary Margaret, sitting on one of the stools as Mary Margaret walks behind the counter. "You're not gonna make me drink another shake, are you? Because I think once a day is enough."
Mary Margaret chuckles. "No. Uh, I just wanted to talk about earlier."
Avia frowns. "What about earlier?"
"Well, when I went to the station and you were leaving with Ruby, you seemed upset with me. Did something happen that I'm not aware of? I know I've been pretty distracted lately, and I'm sorry. With Kathryn missing – "
"It's fine." Avia quickly interrupts. "I'm okay."
Now Mary Margaret was really worried. There was definitely something up. "Okay. Now, that didn't sound too convincing." Avia sighs. She didn't want to tell Mary Margaret that she saw her in the woods with David. It was none of her business. "Avia." Mary Margaret urges. She reaches over and touches Avia's hand, but Avia moves away.
"I saw you." Avia says quietly, looking away from Mary Margaret.
"Saw me?" Mary Margaret questions, confused. "Saw me where?"
"In the woods – with David." Mary Margaret exhales, closing her eyes. "You said you were done."
"Avia, that's not what it looked like." Mary Margaret tells her.
"It looked like it to me." Avia stands up, backing slowly to the stairs. "I said I wasn't going to say anything then, and I didn't. And I'm not going to say anything now. I understand that I'm just a kid and I don't need to know everything. But, just, - " Avia narrows her eyes, shaking her head, offended. " – don't lie to me. Or just don't tell me anything at all."
"Avia." Mary Margaret goes to step forward, but Avia puts her hand up, stopping her.
"No. I'm just a foster kid and you're just a foster parent. You can live your life how you want to. I'm not going to stand in your way. There's not a rule in the foster handbook that says we have to be close. It's fine." Avia runs upstairs before Mary Margaret could stop her.
Mary Margaret falls onto the stool Avia vacated from and wipes a single tear that manage to fall. How did she let things get like this? She and Avia were making progress, and now it seemed like they were farther than they ever were before.
"This place is massive." Ruby says as she and Emma walk through the woods. "How are we supposed to find one guy?"
"Hey, shh." Emma hushes her. "We might be able to hear him."
"It's massive."
"I'm following the path because there are boot prints, so just stay close." Emma orders.
"I shouldn't even be here." Ruby complains. "I'm just gonna screw everything up." Ruby stops suddenly causing Emma to run right into her. "Oh, wait."
"Ruby." Emma groans.
"I hear him."
"Really?"
Ruby looks around trying to determine how far he is. "Yeah, really. I hear him or – something." She grimaces. "I mean, I know where he is. Don't you?" Ruby begins to run off.
"No." Emma follows Ruby. "What are you doing?"
"He's over here!" Ruby shouts.
"Ruby!" Emma finds Ruby standing over David who is laying on the ground behind a tree. "David?" She kneels down next to David and starts to shake him. "David, come on. Wake up. David, wake up."
David slowly opens his eyes, squinting up at Emma. "Emma? What? Ruby?"
"Do you remember where you are?" Emma asks him.
David sits up. "No, I – what the hell?" He looks around the woods in confusion obviously not remembering how he got there. "I was in your office. Did you bring me here?"
Emma's eyes widen. "You don't remember anything since you were in my office? Last night?"
"No." David pants, trying to make sense of it all. Emma and Ruby look at one another, puzzled. "I don't."
"Well, he's bruised, scratched up, a little dehydrated, what'd you expect." Dr. Whale tells Emma as they sit in the hospital room with David.
"He's got a cut on his head." Emma points out.
"It's superficial. I can refer him to Dr. Hopper for a mental health eval, but it's my opinion that whatever caused this blackout is the same phenomenon we observed when he came out of his coma – moving around, acting out, not remembering it later."
"We will figure it out." Emma assures David.
David sighs, still not understanding what happened. "It's so strange. I can't even believe it happened."
"How functional could he be during one of these episodes?" Emma asks Dr. Whale curiously. "I mean, he talked to someone."
"Well, people in similar states – even under sleep medication – do all sorts of things – cooking, talking, driving a car."
"You want to know if I could've made that call." David realizes what Emma was trying to get at. "Or more. You want to know if I could've, what, kidnapped her?" He asks, getting himself worked up, thinking he could have actually done something to Kathryn.
"Now take it easy there." Dr. Whale tells him.
"No one's saying you did anything bad, David." Emma says, firmly.
"No, but it would explain why it didn't seem like I was lying." David tells her. "I wouldn't know."
Regina walks into the hospital room. "Stop talking, David." She demands. "What are you doing here?" She asks Emma, rudely. "Why doesn't this man have a lawyer present? Have you even read him his rights?"
"No, because he's not under arrest." Emma exasperates. "We're just talking."
"Right. Just talking."
"What are you doing here?" Emma asks. She was in no mood to deal with Regina right now.
"Mayor Mills is still Mr. Nolan's emergency contact." Dr. Whale informs her.
"You have to be kidding me."
"I thought that changed to Kathryn." David says, bewildered.
"Well, Kathryn's currently unavailable." Regina reminds them. "Some people haven't found her yet." She glares at Emma. "Stop trying to place blame and just find her."
"There's a whole lot of Maine to search, Regina." Emma tells her.
"Well, you covered this room. I suggest you branch out." Emma rolls her eyes and walks out of the hospital room.
Emma dials the station's number as she walks down the hall of the hospital. Ruby answers. "Sheriff's Station. Thank you for calling. How may I direct your – "
"Hey, stop." Emma interrupts. "It's me. Here's the thing – the last time David went for a dream walk, he went to the Toll Bridge. You know the one? It's a crazy hunch, but I want you to take my bug and go and see if he was there."
"No, I could get somebody else to." Ruby says nervously.
"Ruby, you were great out there. I still don't know how you found him. You can do this." Emma encourages.
"I don't know."
"It's gonna be dark out soon. David's gonna be let out. If there is something there, we've gotta get there first." Emma stresses. "We don't have time to argue. Can you do this?" Ruby wanted to say no, but she didn't want to let Emma down. She was desperate to prove her Granny wrong.
Ruby drives out to the Toll Bridge, still on the phone with Emma. "I mean, what am I even looking for?" She asks as she steps out the car.
"Anything out of the ordinary." Emma tells her. "Something that doesn't belong there."
Ruby walks down to the river. "And if I find something?"
"Just follow your instincts."
Ruby finds a board on the ground – her instincts telling her to look under it. She bends down, pushing the board to the side before she begins digging through the dirt with a stick. She digs for only a few moments before she hears a 'thud.' Ruby sighs in disbelief as she pulls a box through the dirt. "You can't give me a clue what I'm looking for?" She asks Emma.
"Anything of Kathryn's." Ruby picks up the dirt covered box. "Ruby? What's going on? Did you find something?" Ruby begins to breathe rapidly, nervous to what she was about to find inside of the box. As soon as she opens it, she screams, horrified by what's inside and drops the box back onto the ground. "Ruby!?"
Back at the station, Ruby and Emma are standing in front of the opened box.
"Is – Is that what I think it is?" Ruby grimaces.
"Yeah." Emma frowns.
"I can't look anymore." Ruby turns away.
Emma shuts the box and walks over to Ruby. "You okay?" She asks, worried. She felt bad for sending Ruby out there, but she was her best shot and she did it.
Ruby sighs. "I don't know what I am."
"It's gonna be all right. We can figure out what happened now. Ruby, you did good."
"This is doing good?" Ruby asks, tearfully.
"Yeah. It's amazing. First you found David and now this. I know you say you don't know what you are, but whatever it is, I gotta say, I'm impressed."
Ruby chuckles. "Don't be. I was scared out of my mind."
"But you did it anyway." Emma says, proudly.
The following day, Ruby woke up and realized that working at the station wasn't something that she really wanted to do. She was amazing at it, but it didn't make her happy. And Ruby wanted to do something that made her happy – that fulfilled her. So, she went back to the diner and made up with Granny who was thrilled to take her back. Emma, however, was dreading what she was going to have to do that morning.
Emma had been up all night, back and forth to the station and the hospital. She knew she had to find some sort of evidence to link the person involved. Emma had called Mary Margaret and explained what happened to David. So, first thing that morning, Mary Margaret went to make sure that David was okay even though she was reluctant to leave Avia. But Avia meant what she said. She wasn't going to stand in Mary Margaret and David's way anymore. She has a safe place to lay her head – for now, and she wasn't going to screw that up. It pained Mary Margaret to see Avia give her the cold shoulder like she did that morning. She wanted to shake the girl and yell at her to wake up and realize that she is loved and that she is wanted. But Avia's stubborn. She walked downstairs that morning, grabbed a water from the fridge, her pill, and headed back upstairs without even a good morning or a glance at her foster mother. And that just made Mary Margaret even more determined to prove Avia wrong. Mary Margaret was going to do whatever it takes to show Avia that she is nothing like her other foster parents. But, for now, the teenager needed her space, and Mary Margaret was going to give that to her which is why she went see David.
"David, it's going to be okay." Mary Margaret tries to assure David who was pacing up and down his office at the animal shelter.
"Really?" David stresses. "How do you know that?" He was still freaked out about what happened last night. How many times could he had possibly 'blacked out' and never knew? "Because I honestly can't say anything about my actions anymore."
"Well, there has to be an explanation."
"You're right. But the problem is, I don't think it's a good one." Emma walks in, disheveled from her lack of sleep, and by the look on her face she wasn't there with good news. "What is it?" David asks. "Did you find her?"
"We found a box." Emma tells him prudently.
David and Mary Margaret look at each other, confused. "Wait. What does that mean?"
"We think it – " Emma wavers. "We think that she – "
"What?"
"There was a human heart inside it."
"Oh, my gosh." Mary Margaret gasps as David begins to sob, falling to his knees.
"We're gonna send it out for some tests, but there aren't any other missing people." Mary Margaret goes to console David. "There's more." Emma says, grudgingly. "There were fingerprints inside the lid of the box. I ran them through the records of everyone in town, and there was a match."
"Arrest me." David urges Emma as he walks to her willingly.
"No. David!" Mary Margaret exclaims.
"Arrest me, Emma. Do it."
"David, the fingerprints weren't yours." Emma tells him. "They were Mary Margaret's."
"What?" David and Emma look at Mary Margaret who is staring back dumbfounded.
The Enchanted Forest…
Charming and Red are still on the run from King George and his knights. They made camp in the snowy area and were waiting until light to continue their search for Snow White.
"Red, watch out!" Charming shouts. Red jumps from her seat just as an arrow blazed with fire shoots down and Charming jumps in front of her, blocking it with his sword. "We need to move." They see a swarm of knights heading their way. "They found us."
Charming jumps on his horse, putting his hand out to Red. "Go." Red orders him. "I'll take care of them."
"Red, I'm not leaving you."
"Find Snow. That's all that matters. Find her!"
"What are you gonna do?"
Red looks up at the full moon. "I'm giving you a head start." Red begins to take off her red hood as Charming rides away. Red's eyes glow green with fury before she runs towards the knights, transforming into the wolf that she is.
Present…
The camera flashes as Emma takes Mary Margaret's mugshot photo. "Please turn to the right." Emma tells her.
"Emma, this is a mistake. I didn't kill Kathryn." Mary Margaret strains.
"Of course you didn't. But while I am your friend, I am also the sheriff, and I have to go where the evidence leads."
"Which points to me? Emma, yesterday it was David. There's something not right here."
"I know, but your fingerprints were on that box, and his are not so now we have to deal with…this." Emma explains, holding up the photos.
"Evidence that says I cut out Kathryn's heart and buried it in the woods? This is insane."
"If I don't book you, with all this evidence, it's gonna look like favoritism. And then Regina will have cause and she will fire me, and then you know what she'll do? She'll bring in someone who will railroad you. So please, just try to be patient and trust me." Emma begs. "We can't even move forward till we verify the heart belonged to Kathryn, and I am still waiting for the D.N.A. test results. But in the meantime, you have to bear with me. I have to ask you a few questions."
"This is crazy." Mary Margaret shakes her head in disbelief. "I would never hurt anyone."
"I know, but – "
"What about Avia, Emma? She already has all these insecurities bottled up. How do you think she is going to feel when she finds out that I'm a suspect in a possible murder case?"
Emma sighs. "I know." She says, glumly, knowing that telling Avia that her foster mother is in jail is going to be hard to do. "I'm going to head there as soon as I'm finished with you." Emma nods for Mary Margaret to go into the next room so she can begin to question her.
The Enchanted Forest…
Snow White is sweeping inside the dwarves home when a tiny blue bird flies in. She is humming softly as the bird lands on her finger. She places it on the table and her sweet smile quickly forms into a rage of fury as she attempts to squash the bird with the broom.
Grumpy walks in to find Snow White waving the broom all around, trying to kill the tiny bird. "Snow? What are you doing?"
"Getting rid of the vermin in this house." Snow says furiously as she attempts to squash the bird again, but it makes it safely out of the window. "What do you want?" She groans in frustration.
"It's dinnertime." Grumpy tells her.
"I'm not hungry." She glares.
"Come on. We made something extra special tonight." Snow rolls her eyes, but she lets Grumpy take her hand and lead her to the dinner table where the rest of the dwarves are waiting.
"Somebody die?" She asks rudely, seeing the somber, yet frightened, faces of the dwarves.
Jiminy Cricket flies in. "Snow, why don't you have a seat?"
Snow tries to wave him away. "Oh! Why is there a dirty cricket in here?"
"My name is Jiminy, and your friends have asked me to be here tonight. They're concerned about you and they have something they'd like to say. Grumpy, why don't you start?" The cricket suggests.
Grumpy looks down at the sheet of paper in his hands and begins to read. "'Snow White, you've changed. You've become angry, irritable, and downright mean.'"
"Changed?" Snow repeats. "And who are you to tell me I've changed?"
"Snow, please, these are your friends, and we're all here because we care about you." Jiminy tells her desperately. "Who wants to go next?"
Sneezy pulls out his note and begins to read. "'You brought bales of straw into the house last night even though you know that I'm – " He sneezes. "' – allergic.'"
"You are allergic to everything." Snow amplifies dramatically.
"You broke my mug!" Happy exclaims.
"You're lucky it wasn't that mug you call a face!"
"You are the worst, most nasty, horrible – "
"Enough!" Grumpy shouts. "Look what you're doing to Happy." Snow sighs, rolling her eyes. "That potion you took – the one that erased the prince from your mind – you haven't been the same since you drank it."
"That helped me forget whatever or whomever I needed to forget, and I am clearly better off for it." Snow informs him, irritably. "That potion was the solution, not the problem. The problem is that I'm living here, in a house full of dwarves instead of in my palace, with my father, as a princess, but I can't do that anymore, can I? Because he was murdered, murdered by the same woman who sent a huntsman to kill me!"
"Snow, your anger towards the queen is understandable." Jiminy assures her. "It's just not fair to take it out on your friends."
Snow looks around at the dwarves as she slowly walks closer to the cricket. "You're right. I should be taking it out on her."
'Oh, wait." Jiminy quickly flies up to Snow. "Revenge is not the answer. No, it's gonna change you. It'll turn you into something darker than you can imagine." Snow grabs a glass top and places it over Jiminy. "You don't want to go there!" He shouts.
"Good news, fellas – you can quit your complaining, because I'm leaving." She announces. "I have more important things to do." Snow begins to walk out of the house, grabbing her things.
"Snow, wait!" Grumpy pleads. "Where are you going?"
Snow exhales, grabbing an axe. "To kill the queen."
Present…
Emma slowly climbs the stairs to the apartment. The last thing she wanted to do right now was walk in there and tell her sister that Mary Margaret is locked up. No matter how upset Avia was at Mary Margaret, Emma knew this would break her sister's heart. Avia, well, both of them, have grown to really love the woman. Emma hated having to lock those jail cell doors behind her roommate, but unfortunately, right now, all evidence was pointing to her, and there was nothing Emma could do until she could find proof of Mary Margaret's innocence.
Emma walks into the apartment and finds Avia sitting at the kitchen table, working on her homework. Avia glances at her sister.
"You're home." She says a little surprised. Emma has been so busy with the Kathryn Nolan case, she had only been home a couple of times for just an hour, giving her enough time to shower and grab something to eat.
"Uh, yeah." Emma slowly closes the door, keeping her eyes on her sister.
"Well, if you're looking for something to eat, good luck. Mary Margaret left this morning and hasn't been home since." Emma could hear the annoyance in her sister's voice.
"Uh, yeah, I know."
"She's probably in the woods with David." Avia scoffs, shaking her head. "It's their favorite spot now." Emma walks closer to Avia and slips down into the chair next to her. Avia looks up and is confused by Emma's demeanor. "You do know they are still seeing each other, right?" Avia asks. "She lied to us."
"Avia…"
"I'm not apologizing for how I acted last night either. She lied to us, Emma." She says stubbornly.
"She didn't lie, Avia." Emma sighs.
Avia furrows her brows. "What are you talking about? I saw them in the woods together."
"Avia, something happened." Emma says, carefully as Avia frowns in confusion.
At the station, Mary Margaret stands up when she hears footsteps coming from down the hall. She stands up, wrapping her hands tightly around the bars, seeing her foster daughter run into her view, stopping shortly as she stares wide-eyed at her foster mother.
"Avia." Mary Margaret exhales. This was the last place she ever wanted Avia to find her.
Emma walks up behind Avia, looking back at her roommate who she could see was trying to stay strong. "No." Avia says as immediate tears begin to fall.
"Avia." Emma tries to put her hand on her sister's shoulder, but Avia was already running to the cell.
"No!" Avia refused to believe that Mary Margaret was locked inside a jail cell. She had been through this so many times in her life, all well-deserved, but not Mary Margaret. No. She didn't deserve this. "No!" Mary Margaret closes her eyes, trying her hardest to contain herself as Avia shakes the bars, attempting to get them open. "Emma, let her out! She didn't kill Kathryn!" Avia cries out.
Emma walks up, trying to pull Avia away. "Avia. Avia, stop." She pleads.
"No!" Avia shouts.
Avia stops when two hands cup her face. She slowly looks up, meeting Mary Margaret's green eyes and soft smile. "Sweetheart, calm down."
Avia shakes her head, holding Mary Margaret's hands. "You didn't do anything."
"I know I didn't."
"The jewelry box is Mary Margaret's, Avia. I had no choice." Emma tells her.
Avia glares at her sister. "Emma, you know she didn't do this."
Emma slides down on the edge of the couch. "I know, Avia. But as the sheriff, I have to follow protocol."
"Screw protocol!" Avia shouts. "You know this is wrong! Mary Margaret would never hurt anyone!" Mary Margaret smiles slightly at Avia's confidence in her. Emma looks down, knowing Avia's right. Avia looks back up at her foster mother. Mary Margaret wipes away the tear that has fallen down Avia's cheek, only causing more to follow. "I didn't mean what I said last night." Avia tells her, desperate for forgiveness.
"Hey. Hey." Mary Margaret coos. "It's forgotten. But I need you to understand that I would never lie to you, okay? I promise I wasn't with David. It was just a coincidence."
Avia shakes her head. "It's okay. I don't care anymore."
Emma stands back up, placing a gentle hand on top of Avia's head. "Hey. I'm going to figure this out, okay? I will get Mary Margaret out of here."
Then the realization hits Avia. "What's going to happen to me?" She asks, fearfully. She looks back and forth to Emma and Mary Margaret. "If Lucy finds – "
"Lucy doesn't have to know anything right now, okay?"
"Emma – " Mary Margaret sighs.
"No." Emma refused to call Lucy. She was not going to let them take her sister away from the one good place that she could finally call home. "I will take care of Avia. It's not like I've never done it before." She says, smiling at her sister.
Suddenly, Avia begins to sway. She closes her eyes, flinching at the slight pain she is feeling in her head. She was hoping no one saw, but Mary Margaret felt her under her touch. Through the cell bars Mary Margaret grabs onto Avia's wrist, attempting to steady her foster daughter as Emma stands behind her. "Avia, are you okay?"
Avia nods, clenching her teeth. "Fine." She struggles to say.
"No, you're not." Mary Margaret says, bending down to look Avia in her eyes. "Is it your head?"
"I'm okay."
"Okay. We need to get you home. The stress of the last couple of days is finally catching up to you." Emma tells her.
"No. Please." Avia pulls away. "I don't want to leave."
"Hey. Go back home and get some rest. I'll see you later, okay?" For some reason, though, Avia felt like this was going to be last time she'd ever see her foster mom again. "Emma, her pills are – "
"In the cabinet above the stove." Emma smiles. "Got it."
"Take care of her."
"Always. Come on, kid."
Avia was reluctantly to let go of Mary Margaret's hand, as was Mary Margaret. But they kept their eyes on one another as Emma pulls Avia away. "I'll be back later." Emma tells Mary Margaret who simply nods as she watches them leave – her heart breaking for her foster daughter. Even though she was the one behind the cell doors, Mary Margaret couldn't help but think that Avia was the one suffering the most through this. She couldn't let them take Avia away from her and, if they did, she was going to fight to get her back as soon as Emma proves her innocence.
The Enchanted Forest…
Snow peeks behind one of the trees, watching as a dark knight rides up on his horse. As soon as he reaches the right spot, Snow pulls onto a rope she set up, hitting the knight right into the chest, knocking him off his horse and to the ground.
With a menacing smile upon her face, Snow grabs her ax and walks over to the knight, hitting his leg. He screams out in agony. "It'll heal..." Snow says unsympathetic. "Eventually."
"What do you want?" The knight asks.
"Information. Where's the queen?"
The knight inhales sharply, amused. "And why would I tell you?"
Snow kneels down. "Do you know what a diamond is? It's the strongest substance known to man or beast – beautiful, precious, nearly impervious to destruction. Nearly." She stands back up, showing the knight her ax. "This. Well, this is an ax from the dwarf mines. It's a special bled. It can, believe it or not, actually cut a diamond." The knight tries to back away, fearful of what Snow was about to do. "Imagine what it can do to human flesh…soft, pliable, tender flesh."
Snow holds the ax up above her head, ready to strike. "She's at her castle!" The knight says quickly. "But only for the night. In the morning, she leaves for the summer palace. That's all I know."
"That summer palace was built for my mother." Snow scowls furiously before knocking the knight unconscious with the end of the ax. Snow begins to strip the knight of his armor before grabbing his sword.
"What do you think you're doing?" Grumpy asks, walking up just as Snow is finishing gathering everything she may need for her interaction with the queen.
Snow jumps, startled. She sighs heavily when she sees Grumpy. "I already told you." She says in annoyance. "I'm going to kill the queen."
"By stealing the armor off a knight?"
"Whatever I have to do to get into the castle. So get out of my way. I have to get there before she departs."
Grumpy grabs Snow's arm, pulling her back. "Have you lost your mind? You really think this disguise is gonna fool anybody?"
"I'm getting in there." Snow says, surely.
"Listen to yourself!" Grumpy exclaims angrily. "All you care about is revenge. You can't even see reality anymore."
Snow chuckles. "What I don't need is to be lectured by a dwarf with a bad attitude."
"I didn't come here to lecture you. I came here to help you."
"Help me? How?"
"By taking you back to Rumplestiltskin. He's the one who gave you the potion in the first place, the one that took away all your memories of your prince. If anyone can give them back to you, it's him."
"I don't want my memories back." Snow says stalwartly. "That's why I took the potion."
"And it changed you. Maybe he can at least bring you back to the person you used to be. He's the most powerful man in the world. He can do anything."
"Anything?" Snow questions, intrigued. If he can take her memories away, what else could this man possibly do for her?
Present...
"I can't believe you locked her up." Avia says in disbelief as she and Emma walk into the apartment.
"Avia, I had to. If Regina found out I was playing favorites, she'd have my job. I need this job to stay close to you. You have to understand why I'm doing this." Emma pleads.
Avia sighs, taking a seat on the stool. "What good is this job if we don't even know how long I'm going to be here for?" Emma grabs the pills from the cabinet, dropping one into her hands and grabs a bottled water from the fridge. "You really think Regina is just going to stand by and let me roam her town while my foster mother is locked up? You're not the only one that she hates around here."
Emma drops the pill into Avia's hand. "I'm going to try and figure this out before Regina even has the chance to think twice about sending you away. You trust me, don't you?"
Avia was scared, though, and Emma could see that. She was scared, too. "You know I do."
"Okay, good." Emma walks to the front door and begins to check the locks for some sort of possible break in.
"You really think someone could have broken in just to set up Mary Margaret?" Avia asks as she watches Emma.
"It's possible. Someone could have come in while you two were at school and I was at work." Emma checks the window latches. "Now, please. I know Mary Margaret isn't here to watch you, but I don't want to lie to her when she asks if you're resting. She'll see right through me."
Avia grins, knowing that's true. As good as Emma is at detecting a lie, Mary Margaret had been quite good at it herself since they moved in. Just as Avia sits down on the couch, the heat comes on. Avia furrows her brows in confusion when she hears rattling. "Emma, what's that noise?" She sits up, looking around the room, searching for where the noise could be coming from.
Emma walks out of Mary Margaret's room looking just as equally confused as her sister. Avia walks over to Emma. "The vent." Avia points the floor. Emma grabs a glove from her back pocket and removes the vent. She looks down curiously and sees the cause of the rattling. "What is it?"
Emma pulls out something that is wrapped in cloth. "I don't know." Emma unwraps it, revealing a large knife. Avia gasps. Emma looks up at her sister. How was she going to be able to explain this?
Emma knew what she had to do, though She had to get to Mary Margaret and find some sort of explanation about the knife before anyone else found out about it. So, she dropped Avia off at the diner, afraid to leave her sister alone, and then she headed to the station.
Avia was sitting solemnly in one of the booths as Ruby places a mug of hot chocolate in front of her. But all Avia could do was stare at the yummy substance. It only made her think of her foster mother.
"I don't think that hot chocolate is going to drink itself." Avia looks up to find August standing over her. She rolls her eyes and looks back down at the drink as August sits on the other side of her. "So, I heard you found your book."
"You heard, or you were the one who dropped it off at the station?" Avia asks, narrowing her eyes at the man. August smirks, unable to hide his guilt. Avia shakes her head. "I knew you took it."
"You were missing a few pages." He shrugs.
"How would you know that?" Avia asks, curiously. "Did you write the book?"
"Would that matter?" August asks.
"Actually, no." Avia admits. "It doesn't matter. I won't be here much longer anyway. Whatever hope that was supposedly inside of that book never existed. It's just a book of stories."
"Do you really believe that, or are you just saying that because the book reminds you of your foster mother?"
"What do you know about this book?" Avia was curious to why August was oddly attached to her book. "Why did you steal it just to add more pages to it? And why did you drop it off at the station instead of just giving it to me yourself – or to Emma?"
"That's a lot of questions about a book that doesn't matter."
"You're right." Avia opens her bag and pulls out the book. She slides it to August. "Then take it. I won't need it anyway."
"Are you sure?" August opens the book to the end of the story. Avia looks confused when she sees a page missing.
"Wait." She says, looking closer. "I thought you said the book was missing some pages."
August nods, looking carefully at Avia. "It was. I added what I thought it needed."
"What did you add?"
"Well, I'll let you figure that out."
Avia scowls. "And the ending?"
"That's up to you, too."
Avia slams the book shut. "Are you ever not cryptic? It's quite annoying."
August slides the book back over to Avia. "You should take a closer look at the book, Avia. You may find something."
"Let me guess, you're not going to tell me what to look for?"
August grins. "Now what fun would that be?" He stands up, bending down slightly at Avia's ear. "You may just find something to believe in." He whispers.
Avia frowns at August's words. What could she possibly believe in right now after everything that is happening? She looks at August who is smiling at her as he walks out of the diner. Why was that man so intriguing and infuriating at the same time? Avia sighs. She hadn't looked through the book since Emma gave it back to her – too distracted by the current events happening. So, since she knew she was probably going to be at the diner for a while, Avia opens the book on the search of whatever she is supposed to be believing in.
The Enchanted Forest…
Charming jumps off his horse, spotting a footprint in the snow. He looks up and finds the unclothed knight, trying his best to cover himself as he walks through the forest.
"Put your hands where I can see them." Charming orders as he slides his sword from his sheath, pointing it towards the man. The man turns around, keeping a hold of the pile off weeds he has covering himself. Charming grimaces. "Uh, on second thought, don't." He grabs a blanket off his horse and tosses it to the naked man. "Who did this?"
"She's crazy." The man shivers. "She had a pickax. She threatened to skin me."
"The evil queen?"
"No. Snow White."
Charming draws closer, shoving the sword against the man's throat. "What!?" He exclaims at the mention of Snow.
"She said she wanted to kill the queen." The man clarifies. "I've never seen someone so bloodthirsty."
"No. Snow is not bloodthirsty." Charming says, refusing to believe the man's accusation. "She is not a killer. I know her."
"Maybe you don't."
Present…
"The heating vent?" Mary Margaret repeats, shockingly. Emma had just finished explaining to Mary Margaret what she found in the vent inside the apartment and Mary Margaret was at a complete dismay. "Emma, I don't even know where the heating vent in my bedroom is."
"Well, someone did, and they put a hunting knife in there." Emma tells her. "I checked for signs of a break-in, but there weren't any."
Mary Margaret furrows her brows at Emma's stance towards her. "You don't believe me." She exhales.
"Of course I do." Emma assures her. "But what I think doesn't matter. The evidence is piling up."
"Okay, what are you saying?" Mary Margaret asks carefully.
"I'm saying you should think about hiring a lawyer."
"An excellent idea." Both women look up to find Mr. Gold.
"Mr. Gold." Emma states, puzzles. "What are you doing here?"
"Offering my legal services."
"You're a lawyer?"
Mr. Gold walks closer. "Ever wondered why I was so adept at contracts? I've been following the details of your case, Miss. Blanchard, and I think you'd be well-advised to bring me on as your counsel."
"And why is that?" Mary Margaret asks.
"Well, because the sheriff had me arrested for nearly beating a man to death, and I was able to persuade the judge the drop the charges."
"Asserting your influence isn't what's needed here." Emma argues. "We need to find the truth."
"Asserting influence may be exactly what's need here."
"What's needed here is for me to do my job."
"Well, no one's stopping you. I'm only here to help."
"Enough." Mary Margaret interrupts. "Please go."
"You heard her." Emma glares at Gold.
"No, I was talking to you." Emma turns to Mary Margaret, confused. "Oh, Emma, he's right. I need help. And you need to do your job, or else I'm screwed. So please, just do your job the best you can, and you'll prove me innocent. Until you do, I need some practical help."
"Trust me." Mr. Gold says. "This is in Miss. Blanchard's best interests. And, from what I'm assuming, your sister's."
Emma and Mary Margaret frown at the mention of Avia. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I'm pretty sure a certain mayor is seeing to it that your sister is being sent back to where she came from as we speak."
"Emma." Mary Margaret says, desperately. Emma grabs her jacket and runs out of the station. "I can't pay you." She tells Gold.
Gold smirks. "I'm not interested in your money."
"Then why are you doing this?"
He looks back at where Emma left from before turning back to Mary Margaret. "Let's just say I'm invested in your future."
The Enchanted Forest…
"The potion you gave Snow – " Grumpy begins as he and Snow walk into the library of Rumplestiltskin who is busy spinning his wheel of gold. " – it changed her. She's not the same."
"Well, of course it changed her." Rumplestiltskin says in an obvious tone. "It took away her love, left a big hole in her heart. There is no cure for what she's got. The person she was – " Rumple walks over to Grumpy, glancing back at Snow who is in her own world. " – there's no way to bring her back." He opens his cabinet filled with different types of potions he has collected over the centuries. "No potion can bring back true love. Love is the most powerful magic of all, the only magic I haven't been able to bottle." He looks closely at an empty space that was designated just for true love. "If you can bottle love, you can do anything." He turns to Snow. "But you don't care about that, do ya?" He asks, knowingly. "Now what is it you really want?"
"I want your help – " Snow tells him. " – to kill the queen."
Rumple chuckles. "Now we're talking, dearie."
Snow follows Rumple across the room. "What's that?" She asks, watching as Rumple grabs an enchanted bow.
"This is how you'll kill the queen."
"How will that help me get into the castle?"
"No, no, no. That's impossible. You have to kill her when she's on the move, when she's on her way to the summer palace." A map magically appears into his hands. "Fire the arrow from this spot here, and you'll be hiding from sight. An arrow fired from this bow will give you exactly what you need. It always finds its target."
Grumpy could see that Snow was mesmerized by Rumple's words. She was considering this, and he wasn't going to stand by and let her ruin her life. "If you take that weapon, you do it alone."
Snow scoffs, pushing Grumpy out of her way. "That was always my plan." She grabs the bow and arrow from Rumple as he smiles menacingly. "So, what do I have to do in return?"
"Do?" Rumple questions. "You don't have to do anything, dearie."
"Everything comes with a price with you." Snow glowers. "Last time you took a strand of my hair. What's in it for you this time?"
"Let's just say I'm invested in your future." Rumple grins.
Present…
Emma storms into Regina's office. "What do you think you're doing?"
Regina sits back in her chair. "My job."
"It's your job to run this town, not to ruin my sister's life." Emma glares.
"Your sister is living here without supervision. Her foster mother is behind bars." Regina says, smugly. "The better question why I had to do your job?"
"Seriously?" Emma exclaims. "You really thought I would call social services on my own sister?"
"Exactly. But last time I checked you have no ties to Avia."
"It's called being a family."
"A family that doesn't have custody. I'm just looking out for her best interest."
"Best interest?" Emma scoffs. "Right. When have you ever had her best interest in mind? You only know how to look out for yourself and make others miserable as you do it."
"What's done is done, Sheriff." Regina says firmly. "I expect you to do the job you are here to do unless I need to find someone else to do it for you."
"How long do I have?" Emma glares furiously at the mayor.
"48 hours." Regina answers bitterly.
Emma turns around, storming back out of the office, slamming the door behind as Regina smiles proudly from behind her desk.
At the diner, David walks in and sees Avia sitting in one of the booths, reading. "Avia, hey."
Avia glares up at the man who broke her foster mother's heart. "I don't really feel like talking." She says, looking back down.
David sighs. He knew this was going to be hard. He sits down in the booth. "I can't imagine how you are feeling right now, Avia. I'm so sorry."
Avia shakes her head. "You're right. You have no idea how I'm feeling right now. I'm losing the only place that's ever felt safe because of you."
"Me?" David questions, confused.
"If it wasn't for you – if you were just honest from the beginning, none of this would be happening. I wouldn't be losing Mary Margaret. I wouldn't be losing Emma. I wouldn't be losing a home."
David frowns. "Avia, if I could start over – if could make this right, I would."
"But you can't. The damage is done, and I'm not sure it can ever be undone." Avia looks back down at her book, and David sees that he wasn't going to get anything more from the girl. He screwed up, and in his screws up he was also screwing up Mary Margaret and Avia's life as well. He sighs, looking apologetically at the girl whose walls were higher than they ever were before.
"I'm sorry, Avia." He slides out of the booth, giving the girl one last look before walking out of the diner.
The Enchanted Forest…
"Rumplestiltskin!" Charming yells as he bursts into Rumplestiltskin's home. "Show yourself!"
"Still dressing like a prince, I see." Rumple appears behind him. "Even though you ran away from the life I gave you. How's that for gratitude?"
"You gave me a prison sentence."
"Yeah, one that you've now skirted. Careful, dearie. King George is a vengeful man."
"I'm here about Snow. Rumor has it she's after the queen and she came to you for help."
Rumple smiles satisfyingly. "Yes, indeed." Charming slides his sword from his sheath, pointing it at Rumple. "Ooh." Rumple chuckles.
"What did you do to her?" Charming shouts furiously.
"What did I do to her? You mean what did you do to her." Rumple corrects Charming. "You caused her pain. Without that pain, she would never have drank my potion to forget about you. That's what changed her." Rumple sneers as he puts his weight onto the tip of the sword, knowing fully it would do no harm to him.
"Undo the potion. All magic can be broken."
"Oh, yes, with twoo wuv." Rumple mocks.
"So, that's it then?" Charming asks. "True love's kiss will awaken her."
"Most certainly. But it's gonna be hard to kiss her when you don't know where she is." Rumple giggles, slapping the sword away.
Charming places his sword back into sheath. "Name your price."
"How about your cloak?"
"My cloak? Why would you want my cloak?"
"It's drafty in here." Rumple shrugs.
Charming takes his cloak off, willing do whatever it takes to get his true love back. "Where is she?"
"On her way to the queen's highway." A map, similar to the one given to Snow, appears into his hand. "This is the route she's taking. But you better be quick, because if she kills the queen, she becomes as evil as the woman whose life she takes."
"She could never become that evil." Charming refused to believe it. He was determined to find and stop Snow.
"Evil isn't born, dearie." Rumple shouts to Charming who was already halfway out. "It's made."
Out in the woods, specifically the evil queen's highway, Snow has readied herself to take down the queen. Just as she pulls back on her bow, testing it, Charming grabs Snow from behind.
"Get your hands off of me!" Snow yells, struggling against him.
"Snow." Charming pleads.
Snow turns around, hitting him in his chest as he keeps a firm grip on her. "Who are you? What are you doing!?"
"I'm helping you remember." He pushes his lips onto hers. Snow freezes looking wide eyed at the man she doesn't recognize before finally pulling away. "I told you, I will always find you." He says, breathlessly.
Snow reaches back, punching Charming in the head causing him to fall to the ground, unconscious.
Present…
"I'm going to figure this out, Avia. I made you a promise." Emma says as she and Avia walk up the stairs of the apartment building.
Avia drags her way up the stairs, taking in every step that she may never see again. "I know you promised you could get Mary Margaret out, but there's a knife involved now, Emma. It was in the apartment. It has blood on it. I don't think even you can prove Mary Margaret's innocence with that sort of evidence."
Emma looks surprised. "You're giving up?"
"I'm just facing the inevitable. I'm used to it." Avia shrugs sadly. "I was naïve to even think I could make this place a home."
Emma stops Avia and kneels down in front of her, taking her small hands into her own. "I'm not losing you again, Avia. I'm going to get Mary Margaret out of this. I don't know how, but all I do know is that you're not going anywhere." Avia, for the first time, had no words. She was tired of believing that good things would happen to her. She wanted to believe Emma, but she could see that Emma was struggling to even believe it herself. So, instead, Avia just leans down, wrapping her arms around her big sister and holding her close. Emma sighs into Avia's shoulder. "I love you so much."
Avia pulls away and wipes the tear from her sister's eye. Emma knew Avia was closing off since she was the one crying and Avia was consoling her. "I know." Emma stands back up, grabbing her sister's hand. Neither one wanted to be apart – not at this time. They climb the stairs and stop suddenly at the familiar face that's standing in front of their door. Emma's grip around Avia's hand tightens.
"Hello, Emma. Avia." Lucy smiles.