AN: I'm skipping 'Manhattan' because it manly focuses on what's going on in New York. And, now on with the show…

The Queen Is Dead

Later that day, Mary Margaret was telling David and Travis about the phone call she got from Emma. They found Rumpelstiltskin's son and it turned out to be Henry's father! "So Rumpelstiltskin is Henry's grandfather?" asked David.

"Apparently," said Mary Margaret.

"But I'm his grandfather."

"You can have more than one," said Travis.

"So his…step-grandmother is Regina, the Evil Queen," said David.

"Actually, his step-great-grandmother," said Mary Margaret, "And she's also his adoptive mother."

"It's a good thing we don't have Thanksgiving in our land, cause that dinner would suck."

"Or, maybe this will mellow everyone out."

"I'll tell you one thing," said Travis, "This definitely puts a crimp in my plans for when I get to meet Henry's father."

"What do you mean?" asked Mary Margaret.

"I always promised myself I would punch him right in the face. There is no way I'm punching the Dark One's son in the face…"


The next morning, Travis was sitting at the bar, watching TV, drinking coffee, while David was making breakfast. Mary Margaret walked in and asked her husband, "What are you doing?"

"I'm making breakfast."

"Why?"

"I'm hungry."

"You think I don't know what you're doing? We talked about this. We had a deal."

"I know. I know. But, with the curse broken, I thought maybe you would change your mind."

"Well, I didn't. "

Travis looked at his parents with a confused look, "Hello? Confused son here… What are you to talking about?"

David looked at Mary Margaret and she gave him a little nod, "Today is your mother's birthday."

Travis smiled, "Oh… Happy Birthday, Mom." He stood up and gave her a hug.

"Thank you," as she hugged him back.

"Why don't you like celebrating your birthday?"

David looked at Mary Margaret again and again she gave a small nod, "Your mom lost her mom close to her birthday when she was younger."

"Oh," said Travis. Then he gave his mom another hug, "I'm sorry."

"Thank you," said Mary Margaret. She looked and saw a wrapped gift with a card attached to it on the table, "What's this?"

"Birthday present," said David.

"No, I told you…"

"It's not from me!"

"No one else knows."

"Apparently, someone does, and they also think you should celebrate. It was left outside the door this morning."

Mary Margaret picked up the gift and opened it, "What is it?" asked Travis.

She lifted it out of the box. It was a diamond tiara. She started to tear up, "My tiara from when I was a little girl," she said.

"I thought that was lost when the curse hit," said David.

"So did I."

Mary Margaret opened the card and it read, 'Thinking of you today. –Johanna.' Mary Margaret smiled, "Johanna."

"Who's Johanna?" asked Travis.

"My mother's personal maid."

"I didn't know she was in Storybrooke," said David.

"Neither did I," said Mary Margaret.

"After the curse, you were gone for a while. We're all still finding each other. It hasn't been easy."

"I have to go," Mary Margaret took the tiara back from David and went to grab her coat.

"Okay," said David, "Hey… Happy Birthday."

David and Mary Margaret kissed, and she said, "Thank you for understanding. You two should go. It's getting late. You have to go to work."

"I know," said David, "I just… I just wish this day made you happier."

"I know. But we both know it can't." Then Mary Margaret left.


A short time later, David walked into the Sheriff's station alone. They got a call just as they were walking in, so Travis and Elsa went out to answer it. As David was hanging up his coat, he was briefly distracted by a noise. He looked and saw nothing. Then, Hook came up from behind him David and hit him in the head with a crowbar, knocking him out. Hook took David's keys, and said, "Apologies, mate, but I think you have something of mine." He unlocked the drawer of Emma's desk and saw his hook inside. He removed the fake hand he was using and snapped his hook back on. Then he left.

Travis and Emma arrived back at the Sheriff's station and saw Mary Margaret getting ready to go inside. "Mom… What are you doing here?"

"I just came from visiting with Johanna while I was there I heard some noise in the woods in the behind her home. I took a walk and saw Regina and Cora digging."

"Digging for what?" asked Elsa.

"The Dark One's Dagger."

"What?"

"What's so important about The Dark One's Dagger?" asked Travis.

"The Dagger controls Gold," said Mary Margaret, "Whoever possesses it can force him to do anything."

"If Cora and Regina find it," said Elsa, "Who knows what they could do with it…"

"Come on, we've got to talk to David," said Mary Margaret.

They went inside and Mary Margaret called out, "David?" Then, they saw David lying unconscious on the floor. "David!" said Mary Margaret and Elsa together.

"Dad!" said Travis as the three of them rushed over to and frantically attempted to wake him up.

Then, David came to an groaned, "What happened?" asked Travis.

"Hook. He ambushed me," said David, as she helped him to a sitting position.

"Are you hurt?" asked Elsa.

"I'm fine. It's not me he wants. It's Gold…and his hook. Yeah, I'm going to enjoy throwing his ass in jail," said David as he stood.

"Hook isn't the problem, David," said Mary Margaret.

"Tell that to my head."

"It's Regina. She's been lying to us. She's working with Cora to find Gold's dagger."

"The dagger controls him. If Cora gets it, she can force Gold and all his power to do her bidding."

"Or… Become the Dark One herself."

"Neither one of those options sounds good," said Travis.

"Lucky for us, we can call the man himself," said David, "He's with Emma."

"Tried it. Sent a message," said Mary Margaret.

"Well, we can't just wait," said Elsa.

"No, we have to buy time until they call us back or return."

"How?" asked Travis.

"Regina. She doesn't trust her mother," said Mary Margaret, "Never has. If we can put some doubt in her about Cora's motives, it might slow them down."

"And you think she'll just trust you?" asked Elsa.

"Well, she doesn't need to trust me. She just has to listen to me. And I know how to get her to do that."


A short time later, Regina walked in Granny's Diner and saw Mary Margaret sitting in one of the booths. Regina walked up to her and asked, "So, how is Henry? Is he okay?"

"He's fine. Everything's fine," said Mary Margaret.

"What'd he say?"

"I didn't actually talk to him."

Regina sat down, "Then why am I here?"

"Because I know you've been lying. And I thought it was time we talk about it."

"I don't know what you're talking about-"

"No, no, no, no. No more lying. I know you've been with your mother. I know you're looking for the dagger."

"What I'm doing is my business."

"There's a war starting, Regina."

"That much is clear, yes."

"Lucky for you, you've earned enough good will with me to give you one last chance – a chance to choose the right side… The side of good."

"Have you ever considered that maybe, perhaps… I am good? I was always the Queen. It was you who added 'Evil' to my name."

"Good doesn't do what you do. Why? Regina, why go back to being this way after how hard you tried?"

"And what did it get me? Dinner with a bunch of hypocrites who pretend they'll forgive me, when in their hearts, they know… They never will. You're giving me a chance? How about I give you one? Stay out of my way." Regina then got up to leave.

"Listening to your mother is a mistake, Regina," said Mary Margaret.

"Because listening to you will work out so much better."

"She doesn't care about Henry. All she wants is power."

"Power is how you get things."

"She doesn't care about you."

"Really? And what would you know about mothers?" asked Regina, then she left.


After her meeting with Regina, Mary Margaret went back to the Sheriff's station and told the others what happened. They decided they needed help. So, they headed to the convent to talk to Mother Superior, a.k.a., The Blue Fairy. When they got there Mother Superior was already outside, "Mother Superior! We need your help," said Mary Margaret.

"I know. Something's wrong," she said, "I sense a great deal of dark magic has been expelled."

"That's why we're here," said David, "Cora and Regina are trying to find Gold's dagger."

"So they may control The Dark One."

"We're hoping your magic will find the dagger first," said Travis.

"Please, Mother Superior, you're our only hope," said Elsa.

A little while later they were all standing outside Mr. Gold's shop. Mother Superior, used her wand, to open the lock but her wand dropped from her hand as she felt a magical feedback, "Ah! He's cast a protection spell," said Mother Superior.

"Well, then we need to try something equally powerful," said Mary Margaret.

"Dark magic?" asked David.

"Dear, you don't know what you're saying."

"Cora can't get that dagger," said Mary Margaret, "If dark magic is the only thing that can break that protection spell, we need to make an exception and use it. Just like you told me once before."

Mother Superior was shocked, "What… I never told you any such thing."

"Look, I kept your secret."

Mother Superior looked insulted by Mary Margaret's insinuation. Just then Travis' cell phone rang. He took it out and saw it was Emma, "Everybody hold on," he said, "Emma? What have you got? It's where?" He looked up at the clock above the library.


David, Mary Margaret, Travis and Elsa climbed the steps inside the clock tower until they reached the clock itself. Travis took a pane of glass off the clock face and the dagger was attached to the minute hand of the clock, "It's here!"

"A clever hiding place for a very clever man," said David as Travis removed the dagger from the hand of the clock. Then, he handed it to Mary Margaret.

"We did it," she said.

"The Dark One finally can be controlled," said Elsa.

Just then they heard Cora's voice, "Indeed he can be. But by whom?"

The looked up and saw Cora and Regina magically appear in a puff of purple smoke.

"Cora…" said Mary Margaret.

"You're too late," said Travis.

"Actually, it seems that we found you just in time," said Cora.

Mary Margaret looked at Regina, "I told you to pick your side carefully. Good has won, just as it always does."

"I think the day's finally come, my darling Snow, for you to learn a long overdue lesson," said Cora. She waved her hand and Johanna magically appeared.

"Johanna!" said Mary Margaret.

"You see, in the end, it isn't good or evil that wins… But power."

Regina stuck her hand through Johanna's chest and pulled out her heart, "Your choice."

"Do not harm her," said Mary Margaret, "She has nothing to do with this."

"Of course she does," said Cora.

"Whatever they want, Snow, don't give it to them," said Johanna.

"Quiet, handmaid."

David drew his gun and pointed it at Cora, "Mother, watch out," warned Regina.

Cora then magically knocks the gun out of his hand, "Leave me, Snow!" said Johanna. Regina started to squeeze Johanna's heart and she started to yell in pain.

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

"Those words," said Mary Margaret, "Where did you hear those words?"

"Where do you think?"

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

"The dagger, dear."

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

"Oh, she was quite sick."

"You did all of this. You killed my mother!"

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

"But you knew I wouldn't. Why? Why did you take her from me?"

"To make my daughter the Queen."

"Hand over the dagger," said Regina.

"No. No," said Mary Margaret, "I will not let you win. Not again!"

"You've already lost your mother," said Cora, "How many connections to her do you have left? Not many, I'd wager."

"If we give up the dagger, we can still win," said David.

"Let me go, Snow. It's alright," said Johanna. Then, Regina squeezed Johanna's heart again.

"What would she say if she could see you now?" asked Cora, "If she wasn't dead" Regina continues to squeeze Johanna's heart and she yelled out again in pain, "The dagger, dear."

"Enough!" shouted Mary Margaret. Then she threw the dagger to the ground. Regina released her grip on Johann's heart.

Cora magically brought the dagger to her hand, "Such a good girl."

"You have what you came for," said Elsa.

Regina put Johanna's heart back into her chest. Johanna then rushes over to the small group. Then Cora said, "Not quite everything." Cora then magically threw Johanna through the face of the clock and fell to the sidewalk below. Mary Margaret looked of the broken clock face and started to cry at the side of her old friend dead on the street below. David tried to comfort her while Travis comforted Elsa.

"Well, there you go. You see where good gets you?" asked Regina, then she and her mother disappeared in puff of purple smoke.


Mary Margaret, David, Travis and Elsa were at the graveyard. Mary Margaret was planting flowers of Johanna's grave, "It was a beautiful service," said Elsa.

"That never should've happened," said Mary Margaret, "Johanna was an innocent."

"You can't blame yourself, Mom," said Travis, "You did the best you could do in an impossible situation."

"And yet, Regina's family mausoleum remains untouched."

"Mary Margaret…" said David.

"I've had the same rule my entire life," said Mary Margaret, "hold on to goodness. It's what my mother taught me. How many more lives is following that lesson going to take away from me?"

"You can't let Cora make you lose faith in who you are," said Elsa, "someone who does the right thing. You know, that's exactly what she wants."

"I made the 'right' decision, when I stopped Regina's execution all those years ago. When it could've saved us all of this heartache. I made the 'right' decision, when I sent Emma and Travis through the wardrobe alone, and we didn't see their first steps. I made the 'right' decision, when I let my own mother die from Cora's poison."

"And we keep beating them," said David.

"At what cost?" asked Mary Margaret, "All I want is our happy ending. It's time. We've earned it. No more lives lost. No more hearts broken."

"The dagger is useless until Gold returns to Storybrooke," said Travis, "We have time. We'll get it back. And when we do, we can bring Cora and Regina to justice."

"I don't care about justice anymore. We keep thinking that people will change. What if that's wrong? What if I'm the one who has to change?"

"Change how?" asked David.

"I'm going to kill Cora," stated Mary Margaret.

AN: Remember, if you like this story. Review, Favorite and Follow. It gives me motivation to keep going.