Regina was treated for smoke inhalation and released. On the way home, Emma pulled up to the convent, "what are we doing here?" Regina asked.
She noticed Emma had gotten out and was already at her door. The sheriff reached her hand out and Regina took it. Once Regina was out of the car, she held onto Emma as they made their way inside. Emma took her to a room where the Blue Fairy was. "Thanks for doing this," Emma said to Blue. She sat Regina down on a bed and signed, "do you trust me?" The mayor nodded and Emma helped her to lie down. Regina watched as Emma stepped back and the Blue Fairy came over. Blue's wand lit up and she waved it all over Regina's body. Suddenly the pain was gone and the sound was back.
"Did you just heal me?" Regina asked.
"Can you hear me?" Blue asked.
"Yes, I can hear out of both ears." Regina looked over and smiled at Emma who was also smiling.
"Are you feeling any pain?"
"No, I'm not."
"I'm not sure if everything was completely healed. I can't see inside of your body to see if there's any other damage. You may still have trouble moving around, but hopefully, this is the end of the pain."
"Why did you do this?"
"Henry asked me the day Whale attacked you if I could heal you. I told him I didn't have magic. He asked if I did, could I try to help you. I told him that I would. I finally had enough magic to keep my word. Plus, Emma, Snow, and David have been asking me to help you."
"Emma, I'm not surprised by, but Snow and David?"
"Granny even asked."
Emma looked at Regina, "I think she just wants there to be an even playing field when she insults you."
Regina smiled and looked back to Blue, "thank you," she said, "I owe you." The mayor tried to sit up, but couldn't. That answered their question about any other damage. Blue helped the woman until she was on her feet. Regina had tears in her eyes when she looked up at Blue, "thank you," she whispered and hugged the fairy. When the hug ended, Blue held onto Regina until Emma took over. The sheriff drove the mayor home.
David joined Emma at the sheriff's station as a deputy. Emma and Regina were staying with Snow and David since they didn't have a kitchen. "Hey," David said to his daughter when she walked into the station, "I have the report from the fire inspector."
Emma put her things down and took the report. She read it quietly while David waited for her to finish, "arson?!"
"Yeah," David sighed.
"Great, now we have a crime and an entire town of suspects."
"I think there are a few we can cross off."
"Just a few?"
"Yeah, that doesn't help much. However, look at the line under the cause."
"It says the accelerant was ethyl chloride."
"I looked it up, and ethyl chloride is used for numbing in mild medical procedures."
"Whale," Emma said.
"He's the only one who has attacked or made his anger towards Regina known. Plus he has access to ethyl chloride."
Emma had to think for a moment, "okay, look, as much as I'd love to follow through on my threat, Regina wouldn't want me to. Why don't you go question Whale and I'll get a search warrant for the hospital and his house?"
Emma and David left to complete their tasks. David walked into Whale's office, "your highness, what can I do for you?" the doctor asked.
"I have some questions and I was wondering if you had a moment?"
"Have a seat."
David shut the door and went to the chair in front of Whale's desk, "does the hospital have ethyl chloride on hand?"
"I'm sure we do. Why?"
"Ethyl chloride was used as an accelerant in the fire at Regina's."
"You think I started the fire? I mean, what about Gold? He's lit the building that houses the mayor's office on fire."
"I'm not accusing anyone. I'd like a list of everyone who has access to ethyl chloride. I will tell you that it doesn't look good for you. You had the motive and means, but I will look into anyone with access because I don't want what happened to Snow to happen to you."
"Every medical professional here has access to it. I would assume that Gold and Regina do as well. I mean, she does have skeleton keys and Rumple is Rumple." Whale handed David a list of the medical professionals.
"Thank you," David said.
"Thank you for not immediately convicting me. How long until the sheriff shows up to kill me?"
"She said that Regina wouldn't want her to do that. You're safe," David said, "at least for now."
David took the sheet and returned to the station. Emma had him go with her to search the hospital and Whale's house. That night, they took everything and went home. David, Snow, and Emma were sitting around the kitchen table while Regina and Henry slept. Both fell asleep before Emma and David arrived home. "I say we each take half of the employee list and question them," Emma said.
"What about Gold and Regina?" David asked.
"The previous fire, Gold's anger at Regina, and allegations made by Whale are all we have to go on. As for Regina, why would she set the fire?"
"I don't know, but he had a point. She has a huge ring of skeleton keys."
"Let's focus on the hospital workers and see where that takes us."
"Emma," the three turned and saw Regina standing there.
"Did we wake you?"
"No, but why did you get home so late?"
"We were just following some leads," Emma answered.
David stood and helped Regina into the chair he once occupied. Snow had quickly put the files back together and moved to sit at the other end while David took her seat. "About the fire?"
"No, we're waiting on the final report from the inspector. This is other post-curse crap." Regina leaned her cane against the table and reached for a file. Emma quickly moved it, but Regina used magic to take the file. "When did you get your magic back?"
"After Blue healed me." Regina opened the file, "I called the inspector to ask if he had sent you the final report," she said as she read the contents. Emma sighed and put her head in her hands. "What's ethyl chloride?" Snow, David, and Emma all sat there silently. "One of you can tell me or I can look it up."
Emma sighed, "it's used to numb an area before a minor medical procedure."
"Whale?"
"I questioned him and he obviously didn't admit to anything. He also didn't deny it. I got a list of all medical employees. He also said that Rumple could be at fault or even you," David said.
"Why me?"
"Your skeleton keys."
"The only people who know about those are in this loft and Gold."
"Whale doesn't know?" Emma asked.
"If he does, I didn't tell him."
"Then how does he know?" Snow asked.
"Plus, why would I set my house on fire and hurt myself?"
"He didn't have an answer. We searched the entire hospital and one bottle of ethyl chloride is unaccounted for. It wasn't found when we searched Whale's house either," David answered.
"What about my house?" Regina asked. "He could have dumped the empty bottle in my trash."
Emma and David stared at each other, "why didn't we think of that?" Emma asked.
Regina grabbed her cane and placed her hand on the table, "I'll go look."
"No, you'll stay right here," Emma said.
"I'm fine and you're both exhausted."
Snow stood, "I'll go with her."
"No, Emma and I will go in the morning," David said.
Regina waved her hand and put both Emma and David to sleep. "This will give us enough time to get there."
Snow grabbed a bag and some gloves. Regina wasn't strong enough to teleport them yet. "I'll search and you record it," Snow said.
Regina took out her phone and Snow put the gloves on. She shined a light on the trash as she began searching. There was a noise and Regina jumped. She dropped her phone in the process, "damn."
Snow looked up, "what's wrong?"
"I don't know why I'm so jumpy."
The two women saw a car pull up, "Regina, let me handle this. Go inside and lock the door."
"I'm fine and I have my magic." As the two people approached, they were easier to identify, "but magic won't protect me from Emma."
"What the hell?" Emma asked angrily. She saw Regina's phone on the ground and picked it up. Regina took her phone and pointed it back at the trash.
"Look, the trash will be gone tomorrow morning. We had to do this tonight," Regina said.
"Then you should have let us handle it," Emma argued.
"Guys," Snow said and held up a bottle. She shined the flashlight on it.
"Is that it?" David asked.
"There's a bag in my pocket," Snow told her husband. He took out the baggie and Snow placed the bottle inside. "Hopefully there's fingerprints on it."
"Emma," Regina said in a pained voice.
"What's wrong?" Emma placed a hand on Regina's upper back and the woman moaned in pain. When the sheriff pulled her hand back, it was covered in blood.