David truly was a man on a mission. Without a doubt. But he was also a man of his word. No matter what was happening in his love life, he wouldn't let Princess Abigail down.

David took the water from Lake Nostos back to Abigail, who looked at it as though it were worth more than her fiancé's weight in gold. She used it immediately, and just like Winter thawed to become Spring, gold melted away to reveal flesh and cloth and iron. He'd succeeded, he was determined, and though he could no longer hear what they were saying, he'd been watching long enough to recognize certain words on their lips, and "Snow White" was one of them.

She was a topic of conversation, but they didn't talk about her with angry eyes or frustrated words. David still adored her. That much was obvious. So he watched as Abigail gave David a bag of provisions and a horse to send him on his way. But before he could go, a flash of fear in his eyes and he was almost certain that one of the words she said was "King George". A warning, perhaps.

Now that Fredrick was back, he had no doubt that Abigail would marry him. Abigail was the apple of his father's eye, he, unlike King George, was not going to force his little girl to marry someone she didn't want to, especially after all Fredrick had been through. And King George…he was rash. The King didn't know how to play a situation as the Dark One did. If he was smart, he'd milk King Midas for as much gold as he could, he'd call it collateral damage for pain and suffering and proper payment for the dragon. He could do that, he should do that. But he knew that George was more likely to seek David out. A one-time payment was a lot less than an alliance that could last a lifetime. Oh, he'd put on a good face for Midas, wish Abigail and Fredrick happiness in their marriage, tell him he was glad that everything had worked out. But in his mind, nothing was going to be as suitable as David and Abigail joined in marriage would have been. He'd look for someone to blame. Abigail, Fredrick, King Midas-all were untouchable. David, however, was an easy target. And when he found out how Fredrick had come back to life, and he had no doubt that King George would figure it out one day, he'd settle for nothing less than David's head on a platter.

The King sought David, the Evil Queen sought Snow White…they truly were a match made in heaven.

In the days that followed, he took his eyes off of the couple only once, and that had been on the Seer's orders. She had assured him it was safe to look away while he journeyed to Lake Nostos himself and poured a preservation spell into the waters. Physically, the water in the lake would fade away without the Siren, but for some reason the Seer wanted the magic preserved. He tried to press her, but each time he simply got a brief image of a well, and a strong sense that he needed to move on and trust the work was done. And, indeed, when he returned to the tower after completing his task, he found that David and Snow were just as he'd left them. Nevertheless, he returned to his vigil. He watched for days as David continued to search the woods, making inquiries, and finally managing to track her to the cottage she'd been living in prior to making her deal with him. But of course, he was already too late. And King George…he was far too close. By the time he showed up and had a conversation with Red, by the time the two of them managed to outwit the King and his soldiers who had come for David yet again, the damage was done. Snow was already living with the dwarves and the potion he'd given her had taken effect.

While the potion and their living arrangement seemed to work well at first, as time passed, he was beginning to notice some side effects. He'd made a version of a Forgetful Potion, one that would lock away memories but not erase them completely. The problem, he quickly deduced, was that in altering to remove only a person, her True Love, from her memories, it had targeted her heart, unexpectedly hardening and darkening it. He shrugged it off, there always was bound to be some kind of mishap in experimentation. He made note of it in his books and continued to watch. He continued to watch as David and Ruby pursued the Princess, getting closer and closer to where she was staying, he watched as King George pursued them, and he watched and listened, grateful for mirrors, as just when he needed the girl to sit still so David could find her, she refused.

"Snow? What are you…what are you doing?" Grumpy asked as she swatted at the bluebird with her broom.

"Getting rid of the vermin in this house," she growled. Again, she attacked the bird, a far cry from the girl that Regina had once said celebrated her ability to communicate with the birds. When it finally flew out the window, she almost seemed happy. "What do you want?"

"It's dinner time."

"I'm not hungry," she stated without interest, slamming the window covering shut. Grumpy came closer anyway and took her broom from her.

"Come on, we made something extra special tonight." He set the broom aside and grabbed her arm, practically dragging the girl into the next room. David had put up less of a fight against the Siren than Snow did with the dwarves. Not that it wasn't for good reason, when they arrived, after he'd adjusted mirrors, he saw that dinner was not in fact at the table. Only dwarves. They spoke to one another in low hushed tones…until Snow walked in, then all were silent and watched her carefully, looking somber and sad.

The girl shrugged. "Somebody die?"

All of a sudden, he saw a figure from his past, one he hadn't check in on in years but wasn't surprised was still alive. It was none other than Jiminy Cricket, flying in from a window and fluttering around her hair.

"Snow, why don't you have a seat?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed, giving him a little flick. "Why is there a dirty cricket in here?"

"My name is Jiminy, and your friends have asked me to be here tonight," he stated, flying away from her and settling himself on the table. He looked good, nearly unchanged from the cricket he'd seen over a hundred years ago. Fairy magic, he hated the stuff, but he had to admit…it was rather impressive. "They're concerned about you, and they have something they'd like to say. Grumpy, why don't you start?"

Beside Snow White, Grumpy gave a swallow and unfolded a piece of paper he had in his pocket. "Snow White," he read, "you've changed. You've become angry, irritable, and downright mean."

"Changed…" she drawled, rolling her eyes at him. "And who are you to tell me I've changed?"

"Snow, please," Jiminy plead. "These are your friends. And we're all here because we…we care about you. Who wants to go next?"

Another dwarf raised his hand and took out a piece of paper. "Uh. You brought bales of straw into the house last night, even though you know that I'm…I'm…I'm…"

Another dwarf reached out and put his finger under his nose. The dwarf sighed in relief until he pulled his hand away and then-

"Achoo! Allergic," he sneezed, wiping his nose.

"You are allergic to everything!" Snow argued.

"You broke my mug!" another yelled.

"You're lucky it wasn't that mug you call a face!"

"You are the worst, most nasty, horrible-"

"Enough! Look what you're doing to Happy," Grumpy chastised. "That potion you took, the one that erased the Prince from your mind," he reached into his pocket and pulled out the vial that he'd given Snow White, the one that contained the Forgetful Potion…more or less. "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. That potion was the solution," she insisted, addressing the dwarves and not just Grumpy, "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!" Jiminy inserted before she could get too much more carried away. "Your anger towards the Queen is understandable. It's just not fair to take it out on your friends."

Something flickered in the eyes of dear Snow White, something that a normal Forgetful Potion wouldn't have caused, something that he'd never expected to see in that little girl's eyes…revenge.

"You're right," she agreed, stepping forward to address the cricket. "I should be taking it out on her."

"Oh, wait! Revenge is not the answer. No, it's going to change you. It'll turn you into something darker than you can imagine. You don't want to go there-"

But the rest of what Jiminy attempted to say was cut off by the Princess taking a glass dome over some fruit and fitting it over the bug humorously. He was stuck. Crying out from within as she ignored him.

"Good news, fellas! You can quit your complaining, because I'm leaving. I have more important things to do." She moved around the table and walked away from them as Grumpy followed.

"Snow, wait! Where are you going?"

She picked up a satchel by the door and one of the dwarf's axes, swinging it over her shoulder as if she was simply off to work, but when she turned to face her companions, there was no joking in her face, only a dead seriousness that came from a decision he knew she'd made before she had to announce it.

"To kill the Queen."

Okay, so this scene might not fall until the category of "pivotal", but it was sort of like a free gimme. I mean, every time they are in a house there are plenty of mirrors and glass surfaces for Rumple to use and let's face it, this scene was just too hilarious not to use it. If there is anything this section needs, it's a bit of comic relief. Plus, it was a really good way to wrap up the previous episode and get Rumple to preserve the magic of Lake Nostos. Magic that returns that which one has lost...wonder where that will come back.

Thank you Alarda, Grace5231973, and Jennifer Baratta for your reviews on the last chapter. This episode has a few more chapters to it unlike the last couple. Rumple is sort of active through this section, so...small favors! Peace and Happy Reading!