Author's Notes: A special thank you goes out to BizarreBard. She has been helping me by Betaing this story and giving suggestions on where to take things. I'm very appreciative of her help.

Chapter 24: Dreamy

Leroy is eating breakfast at the counter in Granny's Diner as Mr. Clark and Walter enter.

"Uh, excuse me, Leroy. Uh, do you mind scooting over a seat so Walter and I could sit together?" Mr. Clark says.

Leroy frowns, "If I wanted to sit there, I would've sat there. You want this seat? Try dragging your sorry asses out of bed a little earlier."

"You're a real ray of sunshine as-" Mr. Clark says as he sneezes.

"Congrats – just lost my appetite. Seat's all yours." Leroy says as he gets up to leave as Mary Margaret and Buffy walk in.

"Excuse me. Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Mary Margaret asks as the diner goes silent. "I'm sorry to interrupt your morning, but I just wanted to remind everyone that a very special occasion is upon us – Miner's 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?"

Everyone ignores her and goes back to what they were doing. She looks to Buffy who motions towards Leroy who heads to the door.

"Leroy, you want to volunteer?" Mary Margaret says.

"I want to leave, sister. You're blocking the door." Leroy says.

Mary Margaret sighs, "Of course. Uh, you know, if you wanted to help, it could really be a-"

"Oh, yeah. Right. 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." Leroy says before looking at Buffy. "I'd be more careful who you hang around with." He brushes past them and leaves.

A moment later, Mary Margaret also leaves. Emma and Buffy follows her outside and walks along with her.

"Hey. Mind if I join you two? So, what the hell is Miner's Day, and why are you beating yourself up over it?" Emma asks.

"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 says.

"Coal? In Maine? If they were mining for lobster, I'd understand." Mary Margaret says.

Mary Margaret shrugs, "Look, I don't know. Now, they use it as a fundraiser. It's an amazing party – everyone loves it."

Emma sighs, "It doesn't seem like everyone loves it."

"It's not Miner's Day – it's me. Last week, I had ten volunteers. This week, all but Buffy here dropped out."

"You think this is about what happened with David?" Emma asks.

"Oh, I know it is. A few of them told me as much. I've never…been a home wrecker before." Mary Margaret says.

"It's going to blow over." Buffy says.

"You made a mistake with David – it happens. But, you don't have to do charity to try to win people's hearts back." Emma says.

"I have to do something, and this is the best I can do. Love ruined my life." Mary Margaret says.

Emma's phone rings. "Sheriff Swan. Yeah. Buffy and I'll be right down." She hangs up. "Well, apparently, duty calls. Hang in there. And, if there's anything I can do to help, I will."

Mary Margaret nods, "I know. Thank you. And thank you Buffy."

"My pleasure Mary Margaret." Buffy says before she leaves with Emma.

Moments later Buffy and Emma are investigating Kathryn's crashed car.

Sidney arrives on the scene with a camera. "You mind if I take a look, too?"

"What for?" Buffy asks.

"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?" Sidney says.

"Gym teacher found this thing on the side of the road abandoned. Engine running, no one around. Registered to Kathryn Nolan. She's MIA." Emma says.

Sidney nods, "Kathryn Nolan, whose husband very publicly left her? 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 says.

Buffy nods, "Kathryn got accepted to law school in Boston. Maybe, after David left her, she decided to leave town. Car broke down."

"She then likely hitchhiked the rest of the way." Emma says. "That's what I would do if I was running away from my problems." She opens the trunk of the car. There is a suitcase inside.

"And, uh, would you leave your clothes in the car?" Sidney asks.

Emma shakes her head, "Time to pull Kathryn's phone records and find out who she spoke to last."

Sidney nods, "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."

Buffy eyes Sidney, her mind is trying to piece together something she remembered from when she was six. She would have to ask August or Henry who Sidney was in the Enchanted Forrest.

"Great. Call me or Buffy the minute you get your hands on those phone records." Emma says

David's truck pulls up along the side of the road.

"There he is." Sidney says.

"Time to break the news." Emma says, nodding.

"You really think he doesn't know?" Sidney asks.

"I think he doesn't. Either way though we're about to find out." Buffy says.

In town Dawn and Mary Margaret are filling out forms at a table at the Volunteer Center.

Leroy enters. "Where can I sign up?" Mary Margaret ignores him. "What? I want to volunteer to sell candles."

Dawn sighs, "Mary Margaret."

Mary Margaret eyes Dawn for a moment, "No, you don't. 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." Leroy says.

"Okay, I need help manning the candle booth. No swearing, no drinking, and I get to call all the shots." Mary Margaret says.

Back at the crash site… "She's just gone?" David asks, grief stricken.

"You really don't know anything, do you?" Emma asks.

David shakes his head, "I-I don't… I don't understand. What happened?"

"We don't know. We're trying to find out." Buffy says. "What can you tell us? When was the last time you spoke to Kathryn?"

"Yesterday afternoon." David says.

"Okay, look. I know there has been lies and deceit, and I'm really not judging you, but is that the truth?" Emma says.

David nods, "Yes. I haven't spoken to her since we… I ended things. And I came home yesterday, 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?"

Buffy shakes her head, "No. Emma and I know when people are telling the truth, David, and you are. She hasn't even been gone twenty-four hours. She's not even technically missing. But, if she is, trust me – I will find her."

At Regina's office Faith and Regina are sitting in the office, when a fax comes through.

Faith gets the Fax and looks at it which is two pages of Kathryn's phone records. "M…"

"Can you please stop using that nickname, Faith," Regina says.

"It's a habit of mine. Dates back to childhood. Even my friends get them. Buffy is B and Dawn is D. For me it's a fact of life." Faith says. "Anyways mind if I ask why you needed the phone records for Kathryn?"

Regina nods, "Sidney asked for them. He's helping Sherriff Swan and Deputy Summers investigate Kathryn's disappearance."

Faith nods, "Fair enough." She hands the fax to Regina who grabs her phone and dials a number.

"Hello, Sidney? Those phone records you wanted – I have them. And I think you'll find them quite helpful." Regina says.

Across town at the Miner's Day festival, Dawn, Mary Margaret and Leroy are trying to sell candles at their booth.

"Buy your Miner's Day candles here! Handmade by Storybrooke's very own nuns! Light your way to a good cause! By buying a candle… This isn't working." Mary Margaret says.

"You're right. We should pack it up." Leroy says.

"Now you're quitting?" Dawn asks.

Leroy shakes his head, "If the customers won't come to us, we got to 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 says.

"In a weird way it might just work." Dawn says.

Elsewhere at the festival, Sidney is playing ring toss. Buffy and Emma walks up to him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Emma asks.

"What's happening?" Sidney says.

"We just got off the phone with Kathryn's school in Boston. Registration was this morning, and she never showed up." Buffy says.

Sidney frowns, "Something did happen."

Emma nods, "It looks that way."

Dawn, Mary Margaret and Leroy rush past, but Dawn and Mary Margaret stops when they see Emma and Buffy.

"Oh, Emma! Help me out! What's more sympathetic. Um, scarf or no scarf?" Mary Margaret asks.

"Dawn, what's going on?"

"Sc-Scarf." Emma says.

"We're going to try going door to door to sell the candles. No one is buying here." Dawn says.

Mary Margaret nods, "Okay."

"Come on – we're on a schedule." Leroy says.

"Oh, uh, thank you. Come on Dawn we got to go." Mary Margaret says as she, Dawn and Leroy run off.

"Why didn't you two say anything? You're looking for a suspect. Someone with a motive. Pixie cut over there has got one a mile high." Sidney says.

"She had nothing to do with anything. Trust me." Emma says.

"But she's the one-" Leroy says.

"Trust me – we both know her. Just get us those phone records." Buffy says.

Dawn, Mary Margaret and Leroy go to their first house. A man eating a carrot answers the door. A woman then appears beside him.

"Hi. We're selling candles for Miners Day." Mary Margaret says.

"We're not interested." Woman says as she shuts the door.

Dawn, Mary Margaret and Leroy try several more houses, but have the door slammed in their face every time.

Back at the Volunteer Center Astrid is picking up the plums that she dropped, when Leroy enters the Volunteer Center. Dawn and Mary Margaret watches from the other side of the room.

"Sister Astrid?" Leroy says.

"Hi." Astrid says.

"I have to talk to you. See, I have some bad news." Leroy says.

Astrid frowns, "Oh, no. What is it?"

Leroy smiles, "The bad news is, that… That… You nuns are going to be real busy making candles, cause me and Mary Margaret just sold them all. You're not losing the convent. You're not going anywhere."

Astrid hugs Leroy. Afterwards, Dawn and Mary Margaret pulls Leroy aside.

"How could you tell Astrid that we sold all those candles? That is five thousand dollars, Leroy. Five thousand dollars that we don't have." Mary Margaret says.

"Don't worry about it, alright? I got a plan." Leroy says.

"What plan?" Dawn asks, skeptical. "A plan like going door to door and having everyone in town laugh in our faces?"

"Just give me till the end of the day. I'll figure something out." Leroy says.

"And why is this so important to you?" Mary Margaret says.

Leroy sighs, "The nuns… They're going to have to leave."

"Oh, my God. You like her! She is a nun, Leroy. Could you possibly pick anyone any less available?" Mary Margaret says.

"Says the girl who went after a married guy? At the end of the day, you're no better than I am. You got your reasons for being here, I got mine. And when I say I'm going to get that five thousand dollars, I'm going to get that five thousand dollars." Leroy says.

At the station, Buffy and Emma are looking at pictures from the crash site on a bulletin board. Sidney enters with a folder.

"You find something?" Emma asks.

Sidney hands Emma the folder. "Kathryn's phone records. Every call she made the day she crashed her car. Including an eight minute call between her and David within an hour of the accident."

"That's not possible. He said he didn't speak to her that day." Buffy says.

Sidney shrugs, "Then, he's lying."

Emma shakes her head, "No. I know when someone is lying, and David-"

"It's right here on paper, Emma. Phone records don't lie – people do. And our friend David does it better than most. Don't beat yourselves up over this. You two are not the only people David fooled." Sidney says.

At Granny's Diner Dawn and Mary Margaret are having a drink as Leroy comes in and sits next to them.

"I'll have what they're having." Leroy says.

"Well? Did you get it?" Dawn asks, knowing the answer without him saying anything.

"What do you think?" Leroy asks.

"I think you're right. I was dreaming if I thought the town harlot and the town drunk could accomplish anything." Mary Margaret says.

Dawn shakes her head and sighs.

Leroy nods, "Yeah. Just dreaming."

"Leroy, you understand that a relationship between you and Sister Astrid can never happen?" Dawn asks.

Leroy nods, "Yeah, yeah. My whole life people made it their business to tell me what I can't do. She was the first person that said I could do anything. Who believed in me. I didn't want to disappoint her."

"But there are consequences to following through when the world tells you not to. I mean, look at me. I am a pariah in this town." Mary Margaret says.

Leroy nods, "What about your good memories?"

"What do you mean?" Mary Margaret asks.

"Didn't you have moments with him that you love? Do you regret them?" Leroy asks.

Mary Margaret shakes her head, "No, of course not."

"Isn't that what life's about? Holding on to your good memories? All I wanted was a moment with Astrid. One moment to give me hope that any dream's possible. You've had all that, Mary Margaret. So has your friend here and I hardly know anything about her from before she moved here. So, stop feeling sorry for yourself and enjoy it. Because I haven't."

Mary Margaret sighs, "Well, if I had the dream, I'm sorry to say, it wasn't worth it."

"And sitting here drinking won't end this pain." Dawn says.

"What will?" Mary Margaret asks looking to her friend.

"I can only think of one thing." Leroy says, answering for Dawn.

30 minutes later at the Miner's Day festival, Leroy, who has a pick axe, is on the roof of one of the buildings. He sees a transformer near him. "Perfect."

Dawn and Mary Margaret also climb onto the roof.

"Leroy! What are you doing? Please, don't do it!" Mary Margaret says, concerned.

"I'm not going to jump." Leroy says.

"You're not?" Dawn asks, confused.

Leroy smiles, "No, are you crazy? I could hit someone. You know how much damage I could do? I'm solidly built."

"Leroy, what are you doing up here?" Mary Margaret asks.

"I'm going to get my moment." Leroy says.

"Wait! Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! What?" Dawn says.

"You might want to duck." Leroy hits the transformer with the axe. The power goes out at the festival.

"What are you doing?" Mary Margaret asks.

"I'm selling candles, sister." Leroy says.

All of the people at the Miner's Day festival mob Dawn, Mary Margaret and Leroy to buy candles.

Mary Margaret then notices that all of the boxes are empty. "Dawn, Leroy. We sold out."

They hug each other before they see Astrid standing with the other nuns.

"Well, go on – give her the news. Have your moment." Dawn says.

Leroy brings the box of money over to the group of nuns.

"Excuse me." Astrid says.

The other nuns leave, leaving Astrid and Leroy alone.

"Five thousand bucks. Piece of cake." Leroy says.

"You sold them all?" Astrid asks.

Leroy nods, "I had a little help."

"You made it happen." Astrid says.

Leroy nods, "You have no idea."

"I don't know what to say." Astrid says, smiling.

"You're welcome. Listen – that boat of mine? I'm going to fix it up. And, well, maybe you could be my first passenger." Leroy says.

Astrid smiles, "I'd like that."

"Well, then, that's what we'll do, sister." Leroy says.

Astrid nods, "Oh. It's beautiful, isn't it?"

They look around the festival and see everyone holding the lit candles.

Buffy and Emma are looking over Kathryn's phone records at the station. The name 'D. Nolan' is highlighted. Regina enters.

"If this is about the blackout, We've got the guys from the power company down there working on it." Emma says.

Regina shakes her head, "That's not why I'm here. It's been twenty-four hours since my friend, Kathryn, went missing. Have you found anything?"

"We found something. We just don't know what it means." Buffy says.

"Well, what is it?" Regina asks.

"At this point in the investigation, it's best we don't divulge that information." Emma says.

"If you two are covering for someone." Regina says. "If you two are not doing your jobs, Sheriff Swan, Deputy Summers. I'll find someone who will."

Across town Dawn knocks on Regina's door before Henry opens it.

"Mom's not here, Aunt Dawn." Henry says.

"I only need a couple questions answered." Dawn says. "Is Regina mine, Buffy and Faith's mother?" Henry nods and Dawn sighs. "She is the Evil Queen?" Henry nods again. "Why did she curse everyone?"

"Two events set her on a path of revenge against Snow White." Henry says. "The first is your abduction. At the time all evidence pointed at Snow White. The second was someone Mom loved was killed by your grandmother, Mom's mother. She did it because of something Regina had told Snow White in confidence and Snow White repeated it to Cora. Those two events set Mom on her path of revenge."

At the fair Mary Margaret makes a 'sold out' sign and puts it at the front of the candle booth. She walks to her car, which still has the word 'tramp' spray painted on it. She stares at it for a moment, and then decides to go back to the Miner's Day festival. Granny stops her and relights Mary Margaret's candle. David watches Mary Margaret walk past as Buffy and Emma arrives and approaches him.

"Emma." David says. "Buffy."

"David, we need to talk." Emma says.

David nods, "Did you get a hold of Kathryn?"

Buffy shakes her head, "No, I'm afraid not."

"Then, what is it?" David asks.

We need you to come to the sheriff's station with us and tell us everything." Emma says.

"I'm sorry. I thought I already did." David says.

Buffy nods, "So did we."

Buffy and Emma leads David to the back seat of the squad car. Mary Margaret looks on worriedly.