Morning came to Storybrooke and everyone began to go about their daily routines. Mary Margaret took a bite of her cereal before looking out the window and seeing the clock tower. She paused, staring when she saw that it was telling time perfectly.
…
Slowly waking up, Emma looked around the room, reaffirming her decision to stay in town. She then got out of bed and went to the window, pulling back the curtain to look out at the city. She saw several citizens going back and forth getting ready for the day, including Sheriff Graham making his rounds, Dr. Hopper taking Pongo for a walk, as well as Granny and the teen she was arguing with last night opening up their diner.
…
In a pawnshop full of oddities, Mr. Gold was looking through his inventory, searching for something in particular. As he searched, he eventually laid eyes on a small, ornate wooden box with small engravings and golden etchings on it. He opened the box, smiling at the contents before closing it and tucking it into his coat.
…
Eve, meanwhile, was making herself some eggs and toast, sliding the eggs onto a plate straight from the skillet. Dumping the dishes into her sink for later, she gathered her food and ate, glancing out the window absentmindedly. The toll of the clocktower nearly made her choke on her toast, propelling her out of her seat and towards the window. She pulled back the curtain to see the clock tower striking 7 o'clock.
"Time..." she gasped. "Time's started again..."
She then heard a polite knock on her door. Setting her plate down, she ventured out of her apartment down to the cluttered hobby shop below. She approached the door, opening it to find no one was there. She looked around, then her eyes drifted downward, where the ornate box Mr. Gold had found was resting. There was a small note attached to it that simply read "We need to talk."
Curious, Eve opened the box, her eyes going wide. With shaking hands, she reached into the box, pulling out an ornate golden amulet, the very one her Enchanted Forest counterpart always wore. She ran a thumb over the jewel, then quickly slid the amulet around her neck. She seemed to sigh in relief as she did, the familiar weight around her neck like a godsend.
"Alright Gold," she said to herself, knowing exactly who had left the amulet. "Let's talk."
…
At the Mayor's house, Regina flipped through the pages of the book, horrified at how detailed it was about the Enchanted Forest. It even went into detail about her casting the curse, including having to crush her own father's heart to do it. She continued flipping towards the end of the book, but was shocked to find that the last few pages had been ripped out, removing the ending. Furious, she stormed up to Henry's room, where her son was getting ready for school.
"The missing pages," she fumed. "Where are they?"
"It's an old book," Henry replied dismissively. "Stuff's missing. What do you care?"
"I care, because you think I'm some Evil Queen, and that hurts me Henry." She placed a hand on his face. "I'm your mother."
"No, you're not," he replied, moving away from her.
"Then who is? That woman? I don't like what she or this book is doing to you. Fortunately, both are no longer an issue."
Just then, the clock tower struck eight, much to Regina's shock. Henry smiled, then grabbed his backpack.
"Time for me to go to school."
…
Eve casually walked down the street, looking up at the clock tower with a smug smile on her face. Her smug smile quickly vanished when she spotted Regina angry marching towards the tower. Thinking fast, Eve stuffed the amulet under her shirt before she came into the mayor's view.
"Good morning, Madame Mayor," she greeted. "Seems someone got the clock working. About time too."
Regina watched her walk past, catching sight of a familiar yellow bug.
"About time indeed."
…
As Emma got ready for the day, she heard a knock on the door. She opened it, shocked to find Regina standing there with a large basket of red apples.
Did you know the honeycrisp tree is the most vigorous and hardy of all apple trees?" Regina shared. "It can survive temperatures as low as forty below and keep growing. It can weather any storm. I have one that I've tended to since I was a little girl." She reached into the basket, pulling out an apple and offering it to Emma. "And to this day, I have yet to taste anything more delicious than the fruit it offers"
While surprised, Emma took the apple.
"Thanks?" she said in mild confusion.
"I'm sure you'll enjoy it on your drive home."
"Actually, I'm gonna stay for a while."
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea. Henry has enough issues, and he doesn't need you confusing him."
"With all due respect, Madame Mayor, the fact that you've now threatened me twice in twelve hours makes me want to stay even more."
"And since when were apples a threat?"
"I can read between the lines. Sorry, I just wanna make sure Henry's ok."
"He's fine. Any problems he has are being dealt with."
Emma felt several red flags shoot up at that comment. She straightened and her tone became accusatory.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means I have him in therapy, and it's under control. Take my advice, Miss Swan, only one of us knows what's best for Henry."
"Yeah… I'm starting to think you're right…"
"It's time for you to go, Miss Swan," Regina pressed.
"Or what?"
Regina just took a step forward in an attempt to intimidate her.
"Or I'll show you what I'm truly capable of."
The two women stared down one another, neither willing to give up this fight so easily.
…
The bell at the front of Mr. Gold's shop gave a small chime, indicating the presence of a customer. Mr Gold, who was merely polishing a pair of grotesque wooden puppets, gave a small smirk at the sound.
"Anything I can help you with?" he asked, not even looking up from his work.
"I thought you wanted to talk," Eve's voice called in reply. "You certainly gave me a very enticing reason to hear you out."
"Glad you liked it. I thought it would get your attention."
"It certainly did… where'd you get it?"
"I've had it gathering dust for years now. I figured you would appreciate its safe return."
Eve crossed her arms, skepticism etched across her face.
"Is that so? Well, I have suspicions that it's 'safe return' does not come without strings attached."
"It wouldn't be me if it didn't. I can imagine you have a 'vested interest' in keeping Miss Swan in town."
Eve gave a slow nod.
"I will admit that. However, my duties have not changed, and I cannot and will not ignore them."
"Not ignore them, per say. Just… put them on hold. At least until everything is… as it should be."
Eve's eyes narrowed.
"I can't promise I won't be involved during more… volatile situations. It's my nature."
"I suspected as much. All I ask for is a little distance. Enough that my… lesser dealings go without interference."
Eve didn't look happy with the arrangement, but the idea of giving up her amulet was something she wouldn't dare entertain. Reluctantly, she held out a hand.
"Deal..."
He took the hand immediately, shaking it.
"Always a pleasure doing business with you," he remarked.
"I'll bet."
…
Outside the Mayor's house, Regina was picking apples from her tree when an African American man approached, holding a newspaper in his hand.
"The Daily Mirror strikes again," he proclaimed.
"You're late," Regina replied dismissively.
"Sorry, I just wanted to bring you the latest edition. I have to say, it's one of my better hatchet jobs."
Regina took the paper and read over it, showing a small, front page article on Emma's destruction of the Storybrooke welcome sign.
"Sydney… this is nothing. I asked for an expose, not a gossip column!"
"Sorry, but truth be told, there wasn't much on her. She spent a lot of time in foster homes. She got into a little trouble when she was a kid, but the details are locked up pretty tight. Since then, she's been clean. Bounced around from place to place. The most I've been able to find is that she doesn't like to sit still."
"That appears to have changed."
"Well… I also found out that she had Henry while she was still in Phoenix. Makes me wonder how he ended up here in Maine."
"You know what I wonder? Why I should keep you around if you aren't going to give me anything of use?"
Sydney stepped back, looking nervous as he began retreating.
"I'll… I'll keep looking."
Sydney then took off, leaving Regina to continue tending to her apple tree.
…
At Granny's Diner, Emma was sitting at the counter, reading the paper. She snarled at the attempt to defame her. As she was about to bite into the apple Regina gave her, a hand plucked it from her grasp.
"I wouldn't eat that if I were you," Eve warned, tossing the apple into a trash can on the other side of the counter as she sat next to Emma. "Regina's known for using more than a few powerful pesticides on the apples."
"Uh… thanks…" Emma replied suspiciously.
"I'm not following you if that's what you're worried about. Granny's just makes the best bacon pancakes I've ever tasted. And their hot cocoa is the best."
"Heh, might take you up on that."
Just as she said that, the waitress placed a cup of cocoa in front of her. It had fresh whipped cream on top, with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
"Then you're in luck," the waitress, the teen from before whose name tag identified as Ruby, informed her. "A gift from the young man at the booth."
Emma turned to see Sheriff Graham sitting in the booth across from them. Emma then picked up the cup and walked over to him, getting his attention.
"Ah, I see you decided to stay," he noted.
"Observant. Important for a cop."
"Well, it's good for our tourism business, bad for our local signage."
Emma just gave him a look in response.
"Because you… ran over our sign… it's a joke."
"Look, I appreciate the cocoa, and I'm even impressed that you guessed that I like cinnamon in my chocolate, most people don't, but I'm not here to flirt. So thank you, but no thank you."
"I didn't send it."
"I did," a much younger voice answered from a few booths down.
Emma turned to see Henry sitting at the booth right behind the Sheriff, reading the paper and smiling.
"I like cinnamon in my cocoa too," he explained.
"Henry," Eve greeted, slipping off of her stool. "Don't you have school today?"
"Sure," Henry replied, catching a glimpse of the amulet around her neck. "But… I was hoping Emma could walk me."
Eve smiled, turning back to her stool.
"Well then, I'll leave you to it."
Emma just shrugged as she walked over to Henry.
"Alright kid, let's go."
…
As promised, Emma walked Henry down the street towards the school.
"So, what's the deal with you and your mom?" she inquired.
"It's not about us, it's about the curse. We have to break it. Luckily, I have a plan. Step one: Identification. I call it Operation Cobra."
"Cobra? But that doesn't have anything to do with Fairy Tales."
"Exactly! It'll throw the Queen off the trail."
"So everyone in this town is a Fairy Tale character, they just don't know it?"
"That's the curse. Time's beem frozen… until you came here. That's why the clock tower's working again."
"I just thought the town got it fixed."
"And the clock on your phone? How do you explain that?"
"My phone needed to be rebooted. It happens."
"Uh huh."
Emma just sighed in response.
"Well, what about their pasts?"
"They don't know. It's a haze to them. Ask anyone, and you'll see."
"So, for decades, people have been walking around, in a haze, not aging, with screwed up memories, stuck in a cursed town that kept them oblivious?"
"I knew you'd get it! That's why we need you. You're the only one who can break the curse."
"Because I'm the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming?"
"Yes! And right now, we have the advantage. My mom doesn't know that." he then unzipped his backpack and pulled out the missing pages from his book. "I took out the end. The part with you in it."
He showed Emma the pages, including one with Prince Charming holding a baby wrapped in a blanked with the word 'Emma' stitched into it.
"See? Your mom is Snow White!"
"Kid…"
"I know the hero never believes at first, if they did, it wouldn't be a very good story. If you need proof, take them, read them. But whatever you do, don't let her see these pages. They're dangerous. If she finds out who you are... then it would be bad."
The pair eventually reached the front of the school. Emma stopped walking when they reached the front gates, but Henry continued on.
"I gotta go, but I'll find you later and we can get started," He called back to her, grinning widely. "Try talking to Ms. Flemming. She had an amulet that looked like it was from the book!" After a moment, he called out one more time. "I knew you'd believe me!"
"I never said I did!" Emma argued.
"Why else would you be here?!"
Emma just smirked a little as Mary Margaret walked up, glancing back at Henry in surprise and disbelief..
"It's good to see his smile back, she commented.
"I didn't do anything," Emma insisted.
"You stayed."
The statement seemed to fill Emma with some confidence
So… does the Mayor know you're still in town?" Mary Margaret asked.
"Oh, she knows. Told me in no uncertain terms she doesn't like me. How the heck did she ever get elected?"
Mary Margaret gave a shrug.
"Honestly, she's been Mayor as long as I can remember. No one's ever had the guts to run against her. She inspires a certain amount of… well, fear. I'm afraid I only made that worse by giving Henry that book and now he thinks she's the Evil Queen."
"And who does he think you are?"
Mary Margaret blushed slightly, turning away.
"It's silly..."
"I just had five minutes of silly. Lay it on me."
"Well… Snow White."
Emma looked shocked, Henry's words about who her parents were coming back to her. Despite not believing in the curse, some small part of her that she had thought long gone began to wonder. She searched Mary Margaret's face, seeing if there was any resemblance at all, that small part growing more and more hopeful. Just then, the school bell started ringing, signaling Mary Margaret to get going.
"Sorry, I got to go," she apologized. "Uh, just out of curiosity, who does he think you are?"
"Uh… I'm not in the book," Emma replied, shrugging as Mary Margaet walked towards the school.
…
Later, at Intrinsic Things, Eve was looking down at her amulet, still shocked to have it back after so long. It didn't glow like it used to, but the weight alone was enough to ease her mind. It was only the sound of her store's bell that snapped her out of reverie. She looked up from behind her counter, surprised to see Emma walking in.
"Miss Swan, welcome. How can I help you?"
"I was wondering about that book you gave Mary Margaret."
"Well, I fear it was a one of a kind find. I don't have any other copies."
"I was more curious about where you got it."
"Uh… you know, it's the funniest thing. I was going through some inventory in the back and just… stumbled across it. I held onto it for a while until Miss Blanchard told me about how much of a hard time Henry was having. I suggested the book and, well, he we are."
"He said you might be in it. You know, like everyone else in town. He said something about a necklace, or something that you have. Do you know what he's talking about?"
Eve's hand went to her amulet.
"Oh, this old thing? Just a gift from a… acquaintance of mine. He found it and thought I'd appreciate it."
"Ah…"
"Is there… anything else I can help you with?"
"Uh… yeah, just one thing. Regina said Henry was in therapy. You wouldn't happen to know where I can find his doctor, would you?"
"Oh yes. You remember Dr. Hopper, right? You met him the other night when you came to town."
"Uh, yeah. Guy with the umbrella and the dog. Kid thinks he's Jiminy Cricket."
Eve chuckled a little.
"Yeah, well his office is down the street, left at the pawnshop. If you reach the library, you've gone too far."
"Thanks," Emma replied, heading out.
"Hope you find what you're looking for," she wished as Emma left the store. "For all our sakes…"
…
At Dr. Archie Hopper's office, Dr. Hopper was reading the newspaper when a knock rang out from his door.
"Come in!" he called out, putting the paper down.
Emma entered the room, much to Archie's surprise.
"Hey," Emma greeted. "I'm Emma Swan. We met the other night."
"Ah yes, Henry's mother. I was just reading about your… incident the other night."
"Half is bullshit, and the other half is probably the same."
"Then I'm guessing you're not here for a little help with post-traumatic stress. Free diagnosis."
"No, actually, I'm here to talk about Henry."
Archie looked surprised.
"Uh… sure, sure. What do you want to know?."
"Mostly about the fairy tale obsession. Any idea what's causing it? I mean, you gotta admit, thinking everyone in town is a fairy tale character is… crazy, right?"
Archie winced slightly at Emma's dismissive attitude.
"I-I hope you don't talk that way in front of him. The word 'crazy' is um... quite damaging. These stories, they're his language. He has no idea how to express complex emotions so he's translating as best he can, this is how he communicates. He's using this book to help deal with his problems."
"But he got the book a month ago. Has he been seeing you longer than that?"
"Uh…" Archie replied, seemingly telling Emma all she needed to know.
"So… it is Regina, isn't it?"
"His… mother is a… very complicated woman. Over the years, her attempts to try and bring her and Henry closer together have backfired." he went over to a file cabinet by the wall and opened it up, pulling out a file. "Here, why don't you look over the file."
"You sure?" Emma replied suspiciously.
"Henry talks about you a lot. You're very important to him."
Reluctantly, Emma took the file.
"Thank you."
"Just… make sure you get them back."
Emma nodded and walked out of the office. Once she was gone, Dr. Hopper went to his desk and picked up the phone, dialing a particular number.
"You were right," he informed over the phone. "She was here."
"Did she take the file?"
"Yes. how did you know she was going to come here, though?"
"Because… I'm the one who gave her the idea."
…
Later in her room, Emma was going over the file Archie had given her. Just then, there was a knock at her door, prompting her to get up and answer it. She was surprised to find that it was Sheriff Graham standing there, looking slightly sheepish as he did.
"Hey…" she greeted. "If you're concerned about the 'do not disturb' signs, don't worry, I left those alone."
"Actually, I'm here because of Dr. Hopper," the Sheriff explained. "He called, saying you and he got into a bit of a row. He claims you demanded Henry's fine and when he refused, you assaulted him and stole it."
"That's… not what happened at all. It was a civil conversation, and he gave it to me."
"Either way, I'm going to have to search your room."
"Go right ahead," Emma replied, letting him in.
Graham walked inside, seeing the pages of the file spread across her bed.
"Find what you're looking for?" Emma inquired.
"You're very accommodating," Graham replied, taking a pair of cuffs off his belt. "But I'm afraid Miss Swan, you're under arrest. Again."
Emma just let out a sigh as he began cuffing her.
"You know I'm being set up, right?"
"And whom, might I ask, is setting you up?"
…
At the Elementary School, Mary Margaret was giving a lesson in water synthesis. As she explained the process to the students, Regina walked up to the class with the air of someone who just murdered someone and was proud of it.
"Um… can I help you, Mayor Mills?" Mary Margaret asked.
"I just need to speak to my son real quick," she replied.
Henry nervously got up, gathering his things as he approached his mother.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news, sweetie," Regina told him. "The woman who you brought here... she's been arrested. She broke into Dr. Hopper's office and stole his files. She's a con woman. She's trying to learn about us in order to take advantage of us. That's why she's sticking around. I'm sorry."
"No you're not," Henry replied as a matter of factly.
Regina was slightly taken aback by that, but she retained her composure.
"I know you think otherwise, but all I'm doing is trying to protect you. This is gonna be good for both of us. You'll see, things will get better."
"No they won't, because you don't want them to! Well, you're not gonna win! Good always wins, and you're evil."
"Henry-"
"I gotta get back to class."
Henry went back to his class, leaving Regina standing alone, her victorious air shattered.
…
At the Sheriff's Station, Emma was being photographed for mugshots by Graham.
"You know the shrink is lying, right?" Emma insisted as Graham snapped the picture.
"To the right please," Graham requested, Emma doing as she was told. "Why would he lie?"
"Because he was coerced. I'm not saying he did it willingly."
"And who coerced him, exactly?"
"Who else? The mayor. She has to have something on him. He's terrified of her, like everyone else in this town."
"To the left. I will admit, the mayor is a touch intimidating, but I doubt she'd go as far as a frame job."
The camera flashed again as the Sheriff pulled the last of the mugshots from the camera.
"Then how far is she willing to go?" Emma inquired. "What does she have her hands in?"
"She's the mayor. She has her hands in everything."
"Including the police force?"
Sheriff Graham hesitated for a moment, then elected to remain silent.
"Hey!"
Emma and Graham turned to see Henry running up with Mary Margaret following close behind.
"Henry!" Graham let out in surprise. "Henry, what are you doing here?"
"His mother told him what happened," Mary Margaret explained.
"Of course she did," Emma snarled. "Henry, I don't know what she said-"
"You're a genius!" Henry cut off.
Emma had to do a double take for a second.
"What?"
"You were gathering intel," Henry surmised before whispering. "For Operation Cobra."
"I'm sorry," Graham responded. "I'm afraid I'm a little lost."
"Miss Blanchard's here to bail out my mom," Henry explained.
"What?" Emma let out. "First the weird shop owner, and now you? Why are you bailing me out?"
"I, uh… I trust you," Mary Margaret replied after a moment.
Emma looked genuinely shocked, but was not about to look this gift horse in the mouth. She turned to the sheriff, holding out her cuffed hands.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to get out of here. There's something I've gotta do."
…
At her office, Regina was going over some paperwork when the sound of a chainsaw reached her. Knowing she hadn't hired anyone for yard work, Regina looked outside, horrified to see Emma chopping one of the larger branches of the apple tree off. Instantly, she got out of her chair and rushed outside, screaming for Emma to stop.
"What the hell are you doing?!" she demanded.
"Picking apples," Emma remarked, dropping the chainsaw.
"You are out of your mind!"
"No, you are if you think a shoddy frame job's enough to scare me off. You're gonna have to do better than that. If you come after me one more time, I'm coming back for the rest of this tree. Because, sister, you have no idea what I am capable of."
Heaving the chainsaw onto her shoulder, Emma sauntered off, the clear victor of this round.
"Your move!" she challenged.
Regina just watched, glaring daggers at her as she walked away.
…
At Intrinsic Things, Eve perked up at the sound of her store bell. When she saw it was Emma, she came out from behind the counter.
"Miss Swan, I heard about what happened. I just want you to know that Dr. Hopper didn't lie to the Sheriff of his own volition. Believe me, he abhors the very idea of lying."
"Trust me, he's the last person I blame for that," Emma replied, pulling out an envelope. "I just wanted to stop by and pay you back for bailing me out the other day."
Eve blinked, taking the envelope.
"Thank you. I appreciate this honestly. However, I merely did it because it was the right thing to do."
"I know, I just… I've never had anyone willing to go out of their way for me."
"Well fortunately for you, there's plenty of decent people in Storybrooke."
"Some more than others."
"Are you referring to Miss Blanchard, or Miss Mills?"
"Pick one. As far as I'm concerned, they're opposite ends of the spectrum."
Eve laughed slightly
"Oh you have no idea. Miss Blanchard's heart is as pure as the driven snow, while Regina's is as black as coal."
"I believe it. What exactly is that woman's problem?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
Eve contemplated it for a bit, then gave a shrug.
"Perhaps over lunch?" she offered, shaking the envelope. "Granny's makes cheeseburgers that are even better than the pancakes."
"Sounds good."
…
As the two sat at Granny's, Emma told her about her attack on the apple tree. Upon hearing what she did and her challenge to the mayor, Eve absolutely lost it.
"You actually chopped down part of her tree! Right in front of her!"
"Oh yeah. You should have seen it, Regina was pissed."
"I can imagine. You have guts standing up to her like that, a special type of bravery that's not very common here."
"Why hasn't anyone stood up to her? You'd think they'd have enough of her crap after a while."
Eve let out a long sigh, her demeanor changing to one a bit more dour.
"Storybrooke is her town, her domain. While we may have our reservations about her, the sway she holds is too great to ignore."
"Seems like someone should do something about that."
"You volunteering? Cause you've got my vote."
Emma laughed at that as Granny came with their food. Eve immediately began eating but before Emma could, Granny put a hand on her shoulder.
"May I speak to you in private, please?" she requested,
"Uh… sure," Emma replied, getting out of her seat.
She got up, following Granny towards the rear of the diner where they could talk discreetly.
"Is something wrong?" Emma asked.
"Well…" Granny replied nervously. "This is awkward. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to vacate your room. Turns out, we have a 'no felons' policy. It's a city ordinance."
"And let me guess, the Mayor just called you to remind you."
Granny gave an awkward nod.
"I'll comp your meal and give you some time to vacate. I'm sorry..."
Emma just let out a huff.
"Thanks…"
…
"She destroyed city property!" Regina fumed to Graham as she picked up the fallen apples outside her office. "I want her arrested!"
"Again?" Graham remarked.
"What are you waiting for?!" Regina demanded.
"I'm just not convinced arresting her is the right plan," Graham answered as Regina stood up. "As she's proven, she's not going to back down. More than that, you need to consider the effect this will have on Henry."
"I'm doing this 'for' Henry!"
"Then I suggest you try a different strategy other than forcing an innocent man to lie to the authorities, especially a man who's trying so hard to help your boy."
"Really? Cause it sounds to me that your little school boy crush is clouding your judgement. Remember, I'm the one who made you sheriff in the first place. I can just as easily unmake you."
"If you want me to arrest her again, I will."
"Good."
"But she is gonna keep comin' at you. And I know you, you are gonna keep comin' at her. You will do whatever it takes to get her out of here. And you may succeed."
Regina angrily got to her feet, meeting Graham's eye. "I will succeed! He's my son! It's what's best for him."
"I know that's what you believe. But if this escalates, it seems to me the only one who will get hurt is Henry."
Regina sighed in response, honestly unsure of how to proceed.
…
Emma and Eve emerged from the diner, having finished their meal.
"Don't blame Granny," Eve insisted.
"I don't, I promise," Emma assured her. "Regina's got everyone in this town under her thumb."
"Just about," Eve agreed.
"You don't seem to be afraid of her. Why not?"
"Well-"
"Oh come on!" Emma let out, cutting her off.
Eve flinched, then looked to see that Emma's yellow bug had a parking boot on it.
"Ooh," Eve let out, hissing between her teeth. "Sorry about that."
Emma angrily kicked the boot a few times, venting her frustrations as her cellphone went off. She answered it, already having a pretty good idea of who it was.
"What?" she snapped.
"Ms. Swan," Regina greeted. "I'd be happy to continue demonstrating my power, but in my writing I'm guessing your resolve to stay is only growing?"
"Oh you have no idea."
"In that case, I'll save us both a lot of trouble and strife. I'm offering a truce. Come by my office and we can discuss this like civilized adults. The boot you've no doubt discovered will be removed by the time we finish talking."
"Alright… see you soon."
"If you're meeting Regina, I'd advise caution," Eve warned as Emma hung up. "Not everything is as it seems with her, and her promises are often twisted so only she benefits."
"I'm not planning on going in hoping she'll play nice. Still, if there's a chance to end… whatever this is before someone gets hurt, I'm going to take it."
"Well then, I wish you luck."
"Thanks…"
…
Sometime later, Emma met with Regina in her office, both taking a seat across from each other.
"I'd like to start by apologizing, Miss Swan," Regina opened.
Emma blinked, having not expected that as a start to this awkward encounter.
"What?" she let out after a moment.
"I just have to accept the reality that you want to be here."
Emma gave a nod, slowly relaxing.
"That's right. I do."
"...And that you're here to take my son from me," Regina went on after a breath.
Instantly, Emma was back on high alert.
"Okay, let's be clear: I have no intention of taking him from anyone."
"Well then, what are you doing here?" Regina questioned, her tone both curious and accusatory.
"I know I'm not a mother…" Emma let out a small laugh at the notion. "I think that's pretty self-evident, but I did have him, and I can't help it. He got in my head and I want to make sure he's okay. The more you try to push me out, the more I want to be here, especially after seeing how... troubled... he is."
"You think he's troubled?" Regina inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, he's in therapy, and I only got through a couple pages of his shrink's notes before you had me arrested. But putting all that aside, he thinks everyone in this town is a fairytale character."
"And you don't?"
Emma let out some combination of a laugh and a scoff.
"How can I?The poor kid can't even tell the difference between fantasy and reality and it's only getting worse. It's crazy."
"You think I'm crazy?"
Emma turned around and saw Henry standing in the doorway, visibly hurt by Emma's words. Regina, on the other hand, was barely able to suppress the cruel smirk that came to her face when she saw how crushed Henry was.
"Henry…" Emma let out before Henry ran out of the office.
Emma quickly got out of her seat before turning to Regina.
"How long was he there?"
"Long enough."
Eve's words came back to Emma, the warning of promises being twisted to benefit Regina and Regina alone.
"You knew he would be here…" she realized.
"Did I know that my son comes to my office every Thursday at precisely five P.M. so I can take him for dinner before his therapy session? Of course I did. I'm his mother." She smirked, then tilted her chin up. "Your move."
"You have no soul. How in the hell did you get like this?"
Regina made no reply as Emma exited the office.
…
Sitting in her apartment, Mary Margaret was working on some needlework when she heard a knock on the door. Setting her work aside, she got up and opened the door, surprised to see Emma standing there.
"Hey," she greeted as Mary Margaret opened the door fully. "Just wanted to say thank you and, um," she awkwardly held out an envelope like the one she'd given Eve, "pay you back the bail money."
Mary Margaret took the envelope, looking Emma over. She saw how tired the woman looked, and the exasperated, defeated look in her eyes.
"You look like you need to talk."
…
Not long after, Mary Margaret had prepared two cups of cocoa for the both of them, giving one to Emma. There was a light sprinkling of cinnamon on top of the whipped cream, a stick of it poking out like a decorative straw.
"Cinnamon?" Emma questioned, shocked at the cocoa being exactly the way she liked it.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Mary Margared apologized. "I should have asked. It's a little quirk of mine. Do you mind?"
"Not at all," Emma replied before Mary Margaret offered her a cookie. "No, thanks."
The teacher set down the cookies and joined Emma at the table. Emma took a sip of her cocoa for courage, then finally spoke.
"When you bailed me out, you said... that you trusted me. Why?
Mary Margaret thought for a moment before answering.
"It's strange, really. Ever since you arrived here, I've had the oddest feeling, like we've met before. I mean, I know it's crazy."
"I'm starting to reevaluate my definition of crazy," Emma remarked, bitter regret in her voice.
Mary Margaret leaned in, lowering her voice to not-quite-a-whisper.
"For what it's worth, I think you're innocent."
"Of breaking and entering, or just in general?
"Whichever makes you feel better."
They both laughed a little bit, but Emma's petered out quickly, her resigned face returning.
"Doesn't really matter what anyone thinks I did or didn't do," she remarked, abandoning the cocoa and rising to her feet. "I'm leaving. Thank you for everything, but I think it's for the best. If I stay, Henry's only gonna keep getting hurt."
"What happens if you go?
Emma didn't know what to say, so Mary Margaret continued.
"I think the very fact that you want to leave is why you have to stay. You care about him. Who will protect Henry if you won't?"
…
Eve was just about to switch the sign on her shop door to closed when it was suddenly pushed open. She backed up, seeing Henry walking in with his backpack.
"Henry," Eve greeted. "What are you doing here? I'm almost certain you have a session with Dr. Hopper right now."
"I wanna return this," Henry replied, reaching into his backpack and pulling out his book. "I don't want it anymore."
Eve's heart fell into her stomach at the lost look in his eyes and the hopelessness in his voice.
"Henry… what happened?"
"My mom thinks I'm crazy."
"Oh, Henry…"
Eve reached for him, but her hands stopped halfway through the motion. She was unused to offering consolation, especially to children, and didn't know how best to do it. Eventually, she just retracted her hands, absentmindedly running her thumb over the stone on her amulet as she always did when she was uncomfortable. Henry watched her hands, finally getting a good look at the amulet. Upon seeing it, he quickly opened up the book, flipping through it for any trace of it.
"Henry?" Eve questioned, now more confused than concerned.
He got to the page he wanted, which depicted an image of the Alchemist. The amulet was on full display, an exact match for the one Eve wore. The golden hair and eyes just synched it.
"Nicholette Flamel..." Henry gasped. "That's who you are."
Eve choked for a moment, panic setting in.
"I…"
"Please tell me I'm right! Nobody else believes me! I need to know this is true! Please!"
He had tears in his eyes as he clutched the book, his knuckles white. Closing her own eyes, Eve took a deep breath.
"It's true..." she admitted softly. "All of it."
…
Meanwhile, Dr. Hopper was closing up his office for the night. He was just about to head out the door when he came face to face with Emma.
"Miss Swan," he let out. "Listen, I'm sorry about before. The Mayor forced me to-"
"It's alright, I get it. The Mayor's a bitch. Where's Henry?"
"I wish I knew. He didn't show up for his session today."
"What?"
"He didn't show up. Miss Mills dropped him off, but apparently he just went out the back."
Emma wasted no time heading out to search for him.
…
As Emma got outside, she looked around, wondering where to start searching.
"Lose something?"
Emma stopped short, turning to see Mr. Gold walking down the street. He leaned on his cane, giving her a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Mr… Gold, right?" Emma recalled.
"Indeed. Was just passing by when I saw you. Everything alright?"
Emma sighed, rubbing her face.
"It's Henry…"
"The Mayor's boy?" Gold asked. "Ah yes, I just saw the lad."
"You did? Where?"
"He was heading towards Intrinsic Things. Odd, considering they're about to close."
"Thanks," Emma replied before taking off, leaving Gold smiling as he continued on his way.
…
"I knew it!" Henry cheered. "I knew I wasn't crazy!"
Eve shushed Henry, closing the book in his hands.
"Henry, listen to me," she whispered. "I understand what you're trying to do, believe me. But you have to be careful. Your moth-" she paused. "Regina is not someone to underestimate. If she were to learn the truth about Emma, or that I am aware..."
"It would mean trouble."
"Big trouble." She took a breath, settling her nerves. "And, as much as I want Emma to believe in the curse, you have to see this from her point of view. She's lived in the Land Without Magic all her life, and she's seen all of the darkness here. She's not ready to believe yet, and if we try and force her to believe, it will only make it worse."
"Which is why she said what she did," Henry realized, even if it still hurt.
"What we need to do is open her up to the idea slowly. Let her learn the stories at her own pace. We've waited 28 years for her to return. We can wait a little longer."
Just then, the door opened again, allowing Emma to enter the shop.
"Henry!"
Eve straightened up, switching from ancient alchemist back to eccentric shop owner in the blink of an eye.
"Miss Swan, welcome. I was not expecting you. How did you-?"
"I need to talk to Henry," Emma insisted. "Privately, if you don't mind."
Eve chuckled a bit.
"Kicked out of my own store... I'll be in the back room."
She slipped into the back as Emma bent down so she was eye level with Henry.
"Henry, I'm sorry about what you heard back there," Emma pleaded.
"It's alright. I know the curse is hard for you to believe."
"It is hard to believe… but that doesn't make it any less true."
This caused Henry to perk up
"This curse is a lot to ask anyone to believe in," Emma continued. "But there are a lot of crazy things in this world. So, what do I know? Maybe it is true."
"Then… what you told my mom-"
"Was exactly what she wanted and needed to hear," Emma supplied. "What I do know... is that if the Curse is real, the only way to break it is by tricking the Evil Queen... into thinking that we are nonbelievers. 'Cause, that way, she's not onto us. Is that what Operation Cobra was all about? Throwing her off the trail?"
"Brilliant!"
"I read the pages, and Henry, you're right—they are dangerous. There is only one way to make sure that she never sees them."
Emma then tossed them into a trash can and looked around the shop, spying a box of matches sitting on the desk. She opened it, taking one and striking it before dropping it onto the pages. As they burned, Emma smiled, turning back to her son.
"Now we have the advantage."
Henry just smiled as he rushed over to hug her.
"I knew you were here to help me!"
"That's right kid, I am," Emma confirmed, breaking the embrace to look at him. "And nothing, not even a curse, is gonna stop that."
The two hugged again, unaware of Eve watching them from the back, smiling.
…
Regina continued to tend to her apple tree, making sure that the severed stump was properly taken care of so it could regrow. As she worked, Mr. Gold came walking in, surveying the damage with mild amusement.
"What a mess," he remarked.
"Not for long," Regina replied, turning towards him. "What can I do for you, Mr. Gold?
"I was just in the neighborhood, thought I'd pop by. Lovely to see you in such high spirits."
Regina chuckled a bit.
"Well, it's been a good day. I just rid the town of an unwanted nuisance."
"Emma Swan?" Gold guessed. "Really?"
"Yes. I imagine she's halfway to Boston by now."
Mr. Gold plucked an apple from the tree, examining it in his hand.
"Oh, I wouldn't bet on that," he remarked as Regina scowled at him. "I've just seen her strolling down the main street with your boy. Thick as thieves, they looked."
Regina turned towards him in shock.
"What?"
"Perhaps you should have come to me. If Miss Swan is a problem you can't fix, I'm only too happy to help, for a price, of course."
Regina chuckled in response.
"I'm not in the business of making deals with you anymore," She informed him, turning her back to him and returning to the tree.
"To which deal are you referring?" Gold questioned, a strange note to his voice.
"You know what deal," Regina reminded him, turning back to look at him.
Gold paused for a moment before responding.
"Oh, right, yeah. The boy I procured for you. Henry. Did I ever tell you what a lovely name that was? How ever did you pick it?"
It was Regina's turn to pause this time, prompting her to turn and face him.
"Did you want her to come to town? You wanted all this to happen, didn't you? Your finding Henry wasn't an accident, was it?"
Gold shot her a disarming smile, one that just set her off even more.
"Whatever do you mean?" he asked
"Where did you get him?" she all but growled as Gold remained silent. "Do you know something?"
"I've no idea what you're implying.
"I think you do.
Gold said nothing in response, only giving a small smirk
"Who is this woman, his mother, this... Emma Swan?" Regina inquired.
"I would say you think you know exactly who she is," he replied, a stunned Regina just staring. "I really must be going."
He started to leave, but she quickly blocked his path.
"Tell me what you know about her," she pressed.
"I'm not gonna answer you, dear, so I suggest you excuse me."
Regina remained silent as she stayed put. That is, until Gold said his next word.
"Please."
Regina found herself frozen in place, unable to move or speak, a remnant of an old deal she'd made with Rumplestiltskin.
"Should I ever come to you for any reason, you must heed my every request. You must do whatever I say. So long as I say... Please."
Mr. Gold just smirked as he took a bite of the apple and walked off. Regina turned to watch him go, seeing him toss the apple dismissively over her shoulder before disappearing from sight.