Chapter 20

Snow and David met Emma and Gold at the docks. Snow immediately got out of the truck.

"Are you all right?" asked Snow while rushing to Emma.

"Emma replied, "We're fine."

"I got to sail a pirate ship. My dad taught me," Henry said pointing to Neal.

David looked at Neal. Neal looked back at David. "Hi, that would be me."

David helped Gold into the back of his truck. "Good to see you're still alive. Cora hasn't found the dagger yet."

"I'm still alive but I need to get back to my shop. It won't be long until they have it," Gold said.

"We have to find it first and you have to trust us," said Emma.

"Ms. Swan, why should I trust you?"

"I got your son back. You owe me now."

"All right. The dagger is inside the clock in the clock tower. Hurry."

After dropping Gold off, David and Snow went to the clock tower and retrieved the dagger.

"We found it," exclaimed Snow. There was no way Cora would get her hands on this.

Soon Cora and Regina magicked into the clock tower.

Snow knew Regina had to keep up with the façade so whatever happened, it was all Cora's doing.

"Cora," said Snow.

David walked forward. "You're too late."

"It looks like we're just in time," Cora shot back.

It was now Snow's turn to put on an act. She looked at Regina. "Good has won, Regina. You chose the wrong side."

Cora laughed. "I think the day has finally come, my darling Snow, to finally learn a long overdue lesson."

Cora magicked Joanna into the clock tower. Snow gasped. She didn't want her nanny, her friend to be caught in the middle. If she even gave a look of concern towards Regina, their cover would be blown.

"Let her go, Cora," said Snow.

Cora ignored her comment. "See in the end, it isn't good or bad that wins but power."

Cora signaled Regina to continue and Regina plunged her hand into Joanna's chest and pulled out her heart. "It's only for show Joanna. You're going to be fine once I let you go."

Regina turned to Snow and said "Your choice." "Come on Regina, keep up the façade. Snow don't do anything rash."

Snow's thoughts were going a mile a minute. This wasn't the plan. Regina couldn't have known this is what Cora was planning. But the Evil Queen knew and she wasn't going to share any of Cora's plan with her. Regina was just a pawn in this sick and twisted game. She would get Joanna out of this safely.

Snow said, "Don't harm her. She has nothing to do with this."

Cora replied, "Of course she does."

"Please Snow, don't give it to them," Joanna pleaded.

"Quiet handmaid!" Cora shouted and Regina lightly squeezed her chest.

David pointed his gun at Cora but Cora deflected it.

Cora was getting tired of this conversation. "Enough of this. Surrender the dagger, dear. We all know you'll follow your mother's example no matter the cost. All she ever wanted was for you to be good."

Snow tilted her head in confusion. "Where did you hear those words?"

"Where do you think?" asked Cora.

"The Blue Fairy made me promise to never speak of that candle again. Not because it was a secret but because it wasn't her."

Cora extended her hand. "The dagger, dear."

However, Snow pressed further. "She didn't give me that candle. You did! My mother wasn't sick at all, was she?"

"Oh, she was quite sick," Cora refuted.

Snow was stunned at this development. Not only had she destroyed Regina's life but hers as well. "You did all this. You killed my mother!"

Regina looked at the scene unfolding between Snow and Cora. All the damage her mother had caused was unbelievable.

"Actually, the candle would've worked. You could have saved her."

Snow was in tears. "But you knew I wouldn't, why? Why did you take her from me?"

Cora shrugged. "To make my daughter the queen."

Regina, David and Snow just looked at her. She answered so nonchalantly. Snow looked at Regina and she was just as shocked. "She had no clue."

Regina quickly recovered from her shock and continued to play the part of the uncaring woman. "Hand over the dagger."

Snow was caught up in all of the emotion. "No! I will not let you win! Not again!" Her statement more directed at Cora.

Cora decided to play on Snow's emotions. "You've already lost your mother. How many more people closest to her do you have left? Not many."

David tried to say something but Snow ignored him. Joanna's life was at risk.

Regina wanted this to be over. She may have wanted Snow to suffer before but not like this. She now saw why Snow didn't want her to lose her mother in the way she lost hers.

"Snow, give up the dagger. Save Joanna and I promise you, I will get my mother under control."

Regina wished she could assure Snow at this very moment.

Cora twisted the knife in Snow's heart even further. "What would she say now? If she wasn't dead."

Snow couldn't take it anymore. She threw down the dagger in defeat.

Regina kept her composure but she was relieved. She didn't want to kill Joanna or anybody for that matter. She just wanted her son and Daniel and live a normal life.

"Good, Snow. Now Joanna can go home."

Regina plunged the heart back into her chest. Snow reached for Joanna and pulled her closer.

Snow looked back at Cora. "You have what you came for."

"Not quite," Cora stated.

To the shock of everyone, Cora flicked her wrist and sent Joanna flying out the window to her death.

Snow and David rushed to the window to see Joanna's lying face down on the pavement.

"See where good gets you," Cora smirked.

They went away in a puff of smoke leaving an inconsolable Snow.

Regina's home….

Regina felt terrible. She didn't know her mother was going to do that. She wanted to call Snow and apologize but what could she say to her?

Cora noticed something was wrong. "Are you not pleased my daughter? We have the dagger."

"I didn't know what all it took for me to become Queen."

"It was necessary evil that had to be done."

Regina nodded.

Cora smirked. "Did you see the look on Snow's face? Priceless I must say. Her soul will be black as coal soon enough."

"Not if I can help it. You turned my soul black and look where it got me. Daniel is counting on me to redeem you."

"The little twit deserves it, mother. We will have our revenge," said Regina.

Cora caressed her face and Regina wanted to slap her hand away.

"All in a day's work. I'm going to retire to bed. I need a nap."

"Of course, mother. I'll see you later."

Cora went upstairs.

Regina went to check to see if Cora was actually asleep and when she saw that she was, she went to see Daniel.

Daniel's hotel room…

Daniel had taken a nap. He didn't realize how exhausted he was until he hit the pillow. He meant to stay up and wait on Regina.

"Daniel! Are you here?" Regina shouted.

Daniel shot out of bed. He saw Regina pacing and wringing her hands. He groaned because something just went terribly wrong.

"Regina."

She stopped and then ran into his arms. "It was awful! I didn't know!" she cried in his arms.

"What happened?"

"Cora killed Snow's nanny, Joanna. She tossed her out of the clock tower window."

"What?!" cried Daniel.

Regina nodded and started telling him about everything that happened after he left.

"How are you feeling? Snow must be devastated."

"She is. I think she knows I didn't know anything about her mother dying. My mother ruined both our lives. Maybe you were right…maybe my mother does have to die."

"I thought you wanted to redeem her," Daniel said.

"I do want to redeem her. I just…I'm lost. I'm conflicted."

"Any child would be but sweetheart what do you want?"

"I want a normal life. I would like for my mother to be a part of that but I don't think that's possible."

Daniel guided them to the couch where they laid stretched out. "I want to have a normal life too. If there is still a chance for redemption, then take the redemption. Believe me, I wanted Cora to die and I even thought of doing it myself but Snow said you would never forgive me. So if we can't kill her then we redeem her."

Regina nodded. "Thank you for not actually planning to kill my mother. You have all the reason too. Remind me to thank Snow for stopping you."

"How long do you have before you have to go back?"

"Only a few minutes," she replied.

Daniel pulled Regina closer and they stayed wrapped up in each other's arms. There was no predicting what tomorrow might bring.

Snow and David at Joanna's funeral….

Snow was livid. Cora just used anybody she could for her daughter to become Queen. Regina didn't even want it! Cora would die and soon. Snow wanted revenge. She was tired of being good and living by impossible standards. Where did it get her?

Right, it got her a dead mother and father, it got her child taken away. She was separated from the love of her life for almost 30 years! It brought nothing but heartache but not anymore. Snow would turn the tables on Cora.

David tried to persuade her that justice will prevail but Snow no longer believed that.

Snow said, "I have to be the one to change. I'm going to kill Cora."