Disclaimer: Lines taken from 3x19: A Curious Thing (from the ForeverDreaming Transcription site).
Chapter Eight: Aftermath, After Science, and After Magic
All was silent in the wake of Zelena's disappearing act. Nobody seemed to know what to say; each eyed other and then looked away quickly.
"She's dead. She has to be," Robin finally said.
"Yeah? How do you figure?" Neal asked.
"Simple. I never miss."
Rumple scoffed. "That's all well and good, Dearie, but in this case, magic was involved. The rules are different, or have you forgotten your tango with me?"
"You were invulnerable. She isn't. That arrow will find her."
"But will it kill her?"
"Are we certain we want her dead?" Belle asked. "I mean, heroes don't kill. Are we certain we want to stoop to her level and become murderers, simply because she – "
"Because she what?" Rumple asked. "Because she nearly killed my son and tortured me for weeks on end for her own pleasure?"
"Rumple I …. I don't mean that you don't deserve justice, but if you kill her and darken your heart further, then she wins. She has power over you still, if she makes you do that."
"She isn't making me do anything. In fact, think she'd be rather against what I have in mind for her."
"No! Rumple, you're better than that! I know it! Seeking revenge is wrong, and – "
"And you seem to have forgotten that she is still a threat. Need I remind you of the last time you convinced me to stay my hand from harming someone who was a threat? I believe he repaid your saving his life by shooting you at the town line."
"I agree that murder is wrong. As is torture," Robin said, "But killing to protect those you love is different. I have a son, Belle. What will happen to him, now that the witch is free?"
"I thought you were confident that she was dead," Rumple said.
"I still can't believe what you did," Neal said. Rumple winced, but to his surprise, he turned on Belle, "You used the dagger on him. You, of all people. How could you?"
"Now, now, Bae, it's not as simple as all that. The dagger is a powerful, seductive tool – "
"How can you defend what she did to you? She controlled you! And now Zelena is out there, posing a threat to all of us. She tricked me into killing myself!"
"I'm aware. But I'll not condemn Belle for an accident, when better people than she have succumbed on purpose."
"Yeah? Who?"
"You, for one. You don't remember, because I didn't want you to, but you used the dagger on me once, long ago."
"What?"
"Excuse me," Tinkerbell said. "I know this is terribly important, and I support group therapy sessions and breakthroughs as much as the next fairy, but I believe we need to plan for what comes next. I'm going to call Killian and Regina and have them meet us at the Nolan's loft. Now that the Dark … I mean, Rumpelstiltskin is free, it's time we all worked together to defeat this witch once and for all."
" … You evil, heinous witch!"
"I understand you're upset," Regina said, forcing a smile and trying to keep her temper in check, "but if you'd just let me – "
"Why should I let you do anything, after what you did to my son?"
"I want to give him back his life,"
"You made him serve you! You didn't give him a choice!"
"Yes, as the Evil Queen, I was truly – "
"Filthy, heinous bitch!"
Regina sighed. "Yes, that. But now, I'd like to return your son's heart. So if you could just go get him – "
"Hey, lady, she's trying to make it right," Ruby said. And when she received nothing but a snarl in response, turned to Regina. "We need reinforcements."
"Speaking of…" Regina said, as her phone rang. "Tinkerbell. Perfect timing. I could use some of your fairy clout right about now … What? Yes, of course. I'll be there as soon as I can." She hung up the phone, "This will have to wait. It seems there is an emergency meeting regarding a certain Wicked sister of mine at the Charmings. Maybe see if you can talk her around while I'm gone?"
"I don't think she'll listen to me, and it's not like I know how to put a heart back. I'd say your instinct to get fairy help is spot on, but in the meantime, I have my own mission."
"Very well." She turned to the woman barring her own door. "We'll be back, and no, that isn't a threat."
Regina disappeared in a whoosh of purple smoke.
"I hate it when people do that," Ruby said to the woman, who promptly slammed the door in her face. Sighing, she took out her phone and dialed Dr. Whale's number, "Victor? Yeah, I'd like to work on our problem now. I'm gonna text you an address. Can you meet me?"
"Do you need anything? Cocoa? Soup?" Snow asked. "I could make soup!"
"Mom," Emma said as she snuggled into Aaron's side, "I'm fine. Really. I didn't have magic for most of my life. This is no different."
"Isn't it?" Snow asked. "Emma, you always had magic. You just didn't know."
"Okay, so I didn't know. So, I won't miss what I barely knew I had. The important thing now is defeating Zelena, and sure, it'll be harder now that I gave up my magic, but we'll find a way."
"You did what?" All faces turned to see Killian standing at the door looking gob-smacked.
"I gave up my magic," Emma repeated.
"Swan, how could you?"
"I had to," Emma said. "Aaron's daughter, Andrea – "
"I knew it!" Killian said, turning an accusing glance on Aaron. "This is all your doing. You'll not rest until you've drained her of everything that makes her special."
"Magic is not everything that made me special," Emma said with a huff.
"Of course not, but Swan, you were … are extraordinary, and no man should be allowed to diminish you simply so you can fit into his world."
"This wasn't about fitting into his world, it was about saving his daughter's life. And for the record, I like being normal. I want to be normal."
"Perhaps, but Emma, you've never been normal. Magic was a part of you, a beautiful part that you've now cut off like …" Killian lifted his Hook. "You'll miss it. You'll regret severing a part of yourself, mark my words. You'll be quite bored in his world of normalcy, and the longer you live there, the more trapped you'll feel. Turn back now, I beg you, before the path becomes barred."
Emma shook her head. "You've got a lot of nerve, you know that, Hook? Telling me what I want. I never wanted to be a hero. I never asked for magic, or to be a Savior, to be responsible for the happiness of an entire town. All I wanted … all I ever wanted, was a family. And now I have Henry, my parents, a man I love, and his kids, who I love too. And yeah, I could have that and magic, but then how long until I need to put on my Savior hat again and risk everything for this town? I don't want that. I want a life with my family. You may not get it, or me, but that is what I want, and as soon as Zelena is defeated, I'm done!"
"Done?" Snow asked, "What do you mean, done?"
Emma shook her head, "I mean I'm done with this destiny you saddled me with before I was even born. I can make my own destiny, and I choose to be destined to live out a normal, happy life with my family. Can everyone just accept that, please?" With that, Emma stormed off, Aaron following after her.
"Well, that was quite a show," Regina said. She had come up behind Hook at some point, though he wasn't quite sure when. They hadn't seen each other since … well.
"Your Majesty," he said, inclining his head.
"Guyliner," she said dismissively. "So, Emma's given up her magic, has she?"
David sighed, "She had no choice, Regina."
"Oh, really?"
"She did it to save me," Andrea said. "It's my fault."
"Stop. Of course, it isn't," Henry said. "Mom did the right thing. She put saving someone's life first. That's what heroes do."
Regina smiled at Henry. "That is true. And Emma is a hero, even if she doesn't want to be. But … we still need to defeat my sister. Without Emma's magic, how are we going to do that?"
"Perhaps with some help from an old friend." For the third time, everyone turned to the door. This time with all jaws dropped at the sight of Rumpelstiltskin, Belle, Neal, Tinker Bell, and Robin standing together. "May we come in from the cold?" Belle asked.
Snow nodded. "Of course. I'll make some cocoa."
Ruby and Victor eyed the house dubiously.
"You're sure this is it? It looks so … ordinary."
"This is the address Regina gave me. And it's not as though your cursed house looks like an evil scientist's laboratory."
"Evil scientist is a bit extreme, isn't it?" Whale asked with a smirk.
Ruby grinned. "How about mad scientist?"
Whale groaned. "I'd rather be evil than mad."
"Funny, I'd rather be neither. Now, why don't we go in there and bash some heads together?" She stepped up to the door and tapped lightly.
"Normally, people who bash in heads don't knock."
A pudgy little man with glasses answered the door. "Can I help you?"
"That's one of them!" Victor said.
"No, duh. Listen, we know you took a certain serum from the good doctor here. We'd like it back."
The man shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. Now get off my property." He slammed the door in their faces.
"Looks like we'll need to take on a less direct approach," Ruby said.
Aaron found Emma sitting on the bed in the upstairs bedroom, playing with a loose thread on the blanket. "Hey. You okay?"
Emma shook her head. "I am just so sick of being the Savior. Of everyone depending on me to be the hero, to fight the monster. Why can't I just be Emma? Why isn't that enough?"
Aaron sat down next to her. "It's more than enough. To use your friend Captain Hook's words, 'just Emma' is extraordinary." Aaron reached up and put his hand on her cheek. "At least, that's what I thought the second we met."
Emma snorted. "Really? The very second?"
"Well, maybe not right then, but it didn't take long."
"It's just, everybody wants me to save them. The heroes. The villains. The civilians. Every last person needs me to guarantee their happiness and … and what about my happiness? Why doesn't that matter?"
"Of course, it matters."
"Not in this town. In this town, I'm the Savior. I'll never be anything else. Even to my parents, who I looked my whole life for, it's easier for them to think of me as the Savior than as their kid. And, I mean, I get it. I'm all grown up. That's why they …"
"Why they … ?"
"Decided to have another kid. A do-over. One they get to raise, like they didn't with me. One who can just be normal."
"Emma, nobody's normal."
"Maybe but hold the outside world up against people from this place, you'll find some stuff that passes, for sure."
"Well, this place is … insane."
Emma laughed. "Yeah, no kidding. You have no idea what it was like in the beginning, Henry bringing me here, telling me I had to save everyone, and the entire town just so bizarre that I actually started to believe him."
"You could tell me, if you want. What it was like."
"It was like, what's that expression, the one-eyed king in the land of the blind?"
"In the Kingdom of the Blind, the one-eyed man is king," Aaron said.
"You're such a nerd. How do you know this stuff?"
"Because I'm such a nerd."
Emma laughed, kissing Aaron lightly on the lips. Then she rested her head on his shoulder. Aaron wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. "Thank you."
"Thank you," Aaron countered. "Not just for being the Savior and saving my daughter, though I'll always be grateful, but for being this amazing woman that I've fallen in love with."
"Let's just sit like this for a bit, 'kay?"
Aaron nodded. "Whatever you need."
"I don't understand why you didn't just … wolf out at him," Dr. Whale said, as he and Ruby examined the perimeter.
"Okay, first off, not the Hulk. I don't 'wolf out'. And second, do you not get what these guys are doing? They're de-wolfing werewolves. Maybe their brother really wanted to be 'cured,' but I know those wolves in the packs. No way they turned back because they were given a choice."
"We don't know for sure – "
"Yes, we do. I do. I'm sure about what they're doing and it's sick."
"You never wanted to be normal?"
"Sure, I did. When I ate my boyfriend, when I had no control, when I didn't understand what I was. But now … I can't imagine not being able to change, or really run in the moonlight. I won't give it up, even if I really am the last." She choked up a little on the word last, and Victor patted her back.
"So, we're rescuing the wolves?"
"I … it may be too late for them."
"So, what are we doing? And why us? Why not the 'heroes,' of this town?"
"They're a little busy with the Wicked Witch right now, but this is important too. We still need to get your serum back and see if or how they've altered it. Because if it works on wolves, it may work on monkeys. We could turn back Little John and the rest of them. We just need a way in, and," Ruby pointed to a vent on the outside of the house, "I think I found one."
Everybody sat quietly around the loft's tiny kitchen table. Some were stirring cocoa, others trying to squeeze in better to the space.
"Well, I must say, this is a warmer welcome than I was expecting," Rumpelstiltskin finally said, "And it is nice to see Henry back in Storybrooke." Henry shot a questioning look at his grandparents, who each looked away. "The Savior being without her magic is a setback, but not insurmountable. It would be better if we had the witch in our control, however – "
"I said I was sorry," Belle muttered.
"For letting her get away, or for using the dagger on him?" Neal asked.
"I told you, it's moot. I don't miss," Robin added.
"Great, this again," Tinker Bell said.
"With the witch on the loose," Regina said, "we need to find her, then fight her."
"Well, finding her shan't be too difficult. Surely, in his time as her captive, the Crocodile learned where she's been hiding," Killian said.
"Which has surely occurred to her," Rumple replied. "Meaning she's likely vacated."
"Unless she was too weak to do so," Robin said. "Even if I missed a vital organ and she didn't die instantly, I would have hit her intestines."
"Which she could heal, couldn't she?" Belle asked.
"It depends how much pain she's in," Regina said. "Magic requires focus. If you really took her out … Well, we can confirm that by finding her. Or, what's left of her."
"And then what?" Snow asked.
"Well, I think that should be fairly obvious," Rumple said. "We finish the job."
Snow gasped. "But, surely there's another way. We're not murderers."
"True. Except if you count the time when you killed Cora. Or the soldiers the prince killed in his war against King George and," he glanced at Regina, "Her Majesty, here. And I don't think anyone needs to be reminded of the Queen's tenure."
"Killing a man in combat during war time is not the same –" David began.
"Spoken like a man who has never been cannon fodder."
"This witch nearly turned me to tin. I'm all for taking her out," Andrea put in.
"Glad to have your approval. And who exactly are you?" Rumple asked.
"She's Emma's boyfriend's daughter," Neal said, shifting slightly.
Rumple put a hand on Neal's arm. "Son-"
"I'm okay, really. Plus, now isn't the time."
"Wait a minute," Henry said. "You're Rumpelstiltskin, right?"
Rumple nodded, looking at Henry in confusion. "Of course. You've known who I am for quite a while now."
Henry shook his head. "Mom said that my dad was Rumpelstiltskin's son. And you just called him son. So that makes you … my dad."
Neal looked down. "Yeah."
"Haven't we done this before?" Rumple asked.
Belle put a hand on his arm. "You've missed a bit."
"I know you," Henry said, causing Neal's eyes to widen, and a small smile to come across his face. "You were staying in the room near ours. You were watching me."
Neal's face fell. "I was."
"Did you know who I was?"
"I did."
"Stop answering like that! Why didn't you tell me who you were?"
"I was trying to respect what your mom wanted. I owe her that. Believe me, Henry, I wanted to tell you."
"Why did you set her up with the watches?" Henry asked.
"What watches?" Snow asked.
"She didn't explain that to you?" Neal asked.
"What's going on?" Emma asked, as she and Aaron came downstairs.
"I'd like to know that myself," Rumpelstiltskin said. "Henry doesn't seem to remember his father. Or me. I'm quite curious as to why."
"Well …" Emma looked at Henry, not knowing what to say.
"Mom, what's going on? I thought you said no more secrets."
"You had to remember on your own," Emma said.
"Please," Regina said with a scoff. "That's just an excuse so he wouldn't hate you."
"Mom?"
Emma didn't say anything for a long time. Finally, she opened her mouth. "Remember how I told you that I thought about giving you up for adoption?"
Henry nodded. "You said you were scared, but then you held me, and knew you couldn't live without me."
Emma dropped down to Henry's level, cradling his face in her hands. To Neal and Rumple, the scene looked achingly familiar.
"Don't do this for me, Emma," Neal said.
"It isn't for you. It's because he's right. I promised no more secrets. I won't do what Regina did to him, no matter how easy it would be."
"Mom?" Henry asked again, looking incredibly young.
"Henry, I never held you. I let you go. And you were raised her, in Storybrooke, by Regina," she motioned to the other woman, who looked frozen in place. "You found me when you were ten, and brought me back here to break a curse, which I did. But there were more curses and … and our memories got changed. Yours and mine. We forgot this place. We thought we'd always been together. Hook," she motioned again, "came to New York and gave me a potion to remember the truth, but he only had one and … and I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't know how to tell you that I gave you away."
Emma and Henry both had tears in their eyes. And much like a day over a year ago in an apartment in Manhattan, Henry stepped out of Emma's grasp, shaking his head like he couldn't believe what he'd heard. Then he turned to the door, opened it, and ran.
"This lab is a dream," Victor said, as they explored the makeshift laboratory set up in the basement of the three little pigs and their werewolf brother.
"Yeah, don't get too excited. They definitely qualify as evil scientists."
"That's it!" Victor said, pointing to a whiteboard which had an equation written on it. "That's my serum. But they've added a few components and … of course! Of course!"
"What?"
"I know how to make this. I know how to help the monkeys!"
Ruby smiled. "That's great, but we still need to rescue the wolves … former wolves."
"There's no point," a woman with chestnut hair said, stepping forward.
"Adalyn?" Ruby asked.
"Hello, Daughter of Anita," the woman named Adalyn said.
"It's just Ruby, here," she said, sniffing at the air. "You smell different."
Adalyn lowered her head. "Yes, I imagine I do."
Ruby put her hand on Adalyn's arm. "I'm so sorry. If I had known what they were doing – "
"You couldn't have stopped it. Fanatics are impossible to dissuade. Now I suggest you get out of here, before you suffer the same fate."
"But I … I have to help."
"There is no help left. You're the last of us now, Ruby."
"No!"
"We have to go," Victor said. "I hear someone coming."
"What if I were to bite you?" Ruby asked. "Would that –?"
"It won't work," Victor said. "The science and magic are clear here. She's immune now."
"I can't be the last of my kind."
"You are," Adalyn said. "And perhaps it is fitting. Now leave, before the bite dies with you."
Victor, who had gathered up as much serum as he could, grabbed Ruby and pulled her out the way they came, which was thankfully not through a chimney.
"Well, aren't you going to go after him?" Regina asked.
"I don't think he wants to see me right now," Emma said.
"Which I wouldn't care about, if there weren't a witch out there. But leaving Henry alone and unprotected –"
"He'll just run from me again. Besides, it's not like I have magic anymore."
"Ah-ha!" Killian said. "You see. You're not so happy about it, are you? Fear not, Swan, I'll go after the lad and protect him."
"No, you won't. You don't have magic either. You don't even have two hands."
"Emma," Neal chastised.
"No, I'm sick of this!" She turned to Hook. "In Neverland, you told me at one point, that I would have to make a choice. Well, I've made it. You just can't accept that it wasn't you."
"You just admitted that a life without magic –"
"Is perfectly fine when I'm not fighting a wicked witch, which I won't be in New York. But first I have to fight that witch, and you know what? I have a gun, and my wits, and this isn't the first time I've been 'outmatched,' and still come out on top. I beat a dragon with a sword, not to mention you."
"Please, I let you win."
"Sure you did. You know what, Hook? If you're not going to help, why don't you just go back to The Enchanted Forest? Nobody asked you to be here."
Crestfallen, Killian exited the apartment.
Neal followed after him. "Killian, wait. Just because Emma doesn't need you, doesn't mean that the rest of us don't."
"I appreciate that, Bae. But right now, I need to make myself useful, and you have to help your son. Any man who can evade the likes of Pan can evade a wicked witch just as well."
Neal headed back in and found that the conversation hadn't really moved on.
"I could go after him," Aaron said.
"It should be me," Neal said. "He's my son, and this is my fault. Besides, you don't know how to handle magic and stuff."
"I've got to learn some time, don't I?"
Both men looked to Emma, who sighed. "It should be Aaron," she said, shooting Neal an apologetic smile. "Henry knows him. He trusts him."
"But will he be okay out there?"
"Aaron just needs to convince him to come back where he's safe."
Neal nodded. "Okay, but if we don't hear from either of them in an hour, I'm going after him myself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a phone call to make."
"Emma," Aaron asked, "are you sure? I mean, I want to go after Henry, but if I'm not the best person –"
"You are. I'm sure of it," Emma said, kissing him, "Bring Henry home to me."
"So, how do we find this witch? You going to sniff her out?" Victor asked.
"I would need something of hers to do that. But we don't need to find her; it's the monkeys we're after, and last I checked, they were guarding the town line."
"So, you plan to, what, use us as bait?" Victor asked.
"Do you have a better idea?"
"I'm not sure how comfortable I am with this," he said.
"You've chosen quite the coward as a mate," Adalyn said.
"I'm hardly a – "
"He's not my – "
Both looked at each other. "Well, bait it is then. But it would be inefficient to get them to all drink it. Too many monkeys." Dr. Whale shuddered. "Perhaps I can make a gas of the serum, get the whole forest."
"That's brilliant!" Ruby said. She paused. "Except, I can't be anywhere near it then."
"You want me to do this alone?"
"I can't lose my ability to change, Victor. I just can't! Please understand."
Dr. Whale nodded, "I always wanted to be great, extraordinary even. You already are, and you don't want to lose it. Though for the record, Ruby, you're pretty extraordinary as a human."
Ruby blushed. "I'll take Adalyn to Dr. Hopper. Something tells me she could use someone to talk to about the change."
"Then we should get the other wolves," Adalyn said. "Former wolves," she corrected herself more quietly. Ruby rubbed her arm in comfort.
"I guess I'll go be a hero, then," Whale sighed. "Never thought I'd say those words."
"You are, though. This is your serum. If we can save the monkeys, that's all you."
"Thank you, Ruby. Still, I find myself afraid of putting myself in harm's way."
"You can do it. If you get scared, just remember this," she grabbed his collar and pulled him toward her, kissing him soundly.
Adalyn tapped her foot impatiently. "Are you quite finished?" she asked after a minute.
Ruby pulled back. "Not just yet. To be continued?"
Dr. Whale smiled. "I guess It'll have to be. If I survive this, huh?"
"You better," Ruby said. "So you can ask me out. Now go back to your lab and work it into a fog. We'll get the wolves and then head to Dr. Hoppers."
"Thank you," Regina said, offering Emma a smile. "For telling him."
"I didn't do it for you," Emma said.
"I see. So, the ice hasn't thawed, is that it?"
"What do you expect, Regina?"
"I expect you to see that I'm trying. Do you know what I was up to today? Trying to return all the hearts that I've taken over the years."
"You kept them?" Emma asked.
"Yes, Emma, I kept them. Between Neverland and this new curse, I haven't had occasion to think of returning them before now."
"Well, it's good that you are."
"It isn't easy. People don't tend to be too receptive to a woman who took their heart. I'm hoping Tinker Bell can help with the diplomacy of the matter."
"I'd be happy to," Tink said, coming from behind. "For now, though, let's focus on the issue at hand. Defeating the witch."
"The issue at hand is actually making sure Henry will be returned safely," Regina said.
"Aaron's taking care of that."
"Yes, non-magical Aaron. But who will protect your lover and our son if they're attacked?"
"I have someone looking out for them," Neal said, joining in the conversation. Emma shot him a look, "Sorry for not running it by you, but Emma, he's my son, too. I agreed not to be the one to fetch him, but I want him safe."
Emma nodded. "Okay, well, who is looking after him, then?"
"I have a hunch," Tinker Bell said.
"Just this fairy I know," Neal said, his face turning red. "Anyway, wouldn't the best way to get him to forgive you be to give him his memories back?"
"At this point, probably, but I couldn't begin to know how."
"I may have an idea," Snow said, heading for her closet. "The Storybook. It appeared one day in here because Henry needed it. Something tells me he needs it again." She began searching behind her boxes of shoes.
"Why do women keep their shoe boxes?" David asked.
"Because after true love, there is no more powerful magic than footwear. It has to be protected. Aha!" she exclaimed, holding up the Storybook like a prize.
"This is all very pleasant for your family," Rumple said. "But what about Zelena? Henry remembering should be secondary at this point."
"Unless breaking one curse allows us to break the other," David said. "Think about it. Zelena is smart. Strategic. Perhaps we discovered something in the missing year to stop her."
"And then, the only way to stop us from interfering was to bring us back here and wipe our memories," Snow said. "So, if we get our memories back, we might already know how to defeat her."
"Doubtful," Rumple said. "The best way to deal with a villain like Zelena is to kill her. You should have learnt that by now."
"And she'd be dead already if not for –" Neal started to say.
"I said I was sorry!" Belle snapped.
Rumple drew her to him and rubbed her shoulder in comfort.
"She may be dead already," Robin interjected. "As I said, I never miss."
"Never miss?" Regina asked. "I think you five need to fill in some blanks. What exactly happened when you freed Rumple?"
She had told the little girl, Ava, that she was free to use the computers at the school. Killian could put two and two together. This Mrs. Easton was clearly a teacher of some sort. Perhaps she taught people how to use the magic boxes.
Sure enough, he found her in a room filled with the atrocities. Aside from those contraptions, she was thankfully alone.
"Mrs. Easton," Killian said. "I know your secret."
The woman barely looked at him. "And what secret would that be, Mr. Jones?"
"That's Captain," he said instantly. "But this isn't about my name; it's about yours. Easton. East. I know how things work in this town; names come from somewhere. You're from Oz, aren't you? The Witch of the East?"
"Well, that is a clever theory," Mrs. Easton said. Killian smiled. "However," she continued, ", it is entirely wrong." Killian's face fell. "I'm afraid I've never even been to Oz."
"But you are a witch?"
"Wrong again."
"Bloody hell!" Killian said, kicking the desk. "I was hoping … "
"What, exactly?"
"I just wanted to help. To be of use. I thought if you could help us defeat the witch –"
"A pirate with heroic notions. How novel."
"You don't know the first thing about me."
"I know you're a pirate, Captain of the Jolly Roger, yes?"
"Not as such. The Jolly Roger is currently under Blackbeard's command."
Something stirred behind Mrs. Easton's eyes, though she was quick to mask it. "Blackbeard, you say?"
"Heard of him too, have you?"
"And where are they now, your ship and Blackbeard?"
"In the Enchanted Forest," Killian said. "Where the woman I love just told me to return, because I'm a useless lump and she's in love with another man."
"Do you plan to?"
"I … I'd love to get my ship back, but reaching the Enchanted Forest is no easy feat. In any case, I'm determined to be of use here, to her."
"Yes, well, should you change your mind, and find a way, let me know, would you?"
"You want to go to the Enchanted Forest?"
"Sod the Enchanted Forest. I want back what Blackbeard took from me."
Killian's eyebrow arched. "Blackbeard took something from you? Are you certain he still has it?"
"Quite certain. And I intend to retrieve what I've lost, whatever it takes. Even if it means teaming up with a pirate."
"I'm beginning to understand your feelings about pirates. What exactly did he take from you?"
"That's my business. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lesson to plan."
"Might I at least have your name, your proper one?"
Mrs. Easton sighed. "Mary Ormond. Now please, leave my class. Should you decide to track down that horrid man, you know where to find me. Otherwise, kindly keep your distance."
Henry wasn't sure what it was about the broken-down playground that drew him in. It just felt comfortable, almost familiar. Besides, where else was he going to hide?
Maybe it is familiar. Maybe I used to play here. The thought made him shudder. How could he have a whole life he didn't remember, a life with a different mom? How could his mother have given him up?
"Henry!" he heard Aaron exclaim.
He didn't look up, but he could feel the man he'd thought of as a father for nearly a year now towering over him.
"Mind if I sit?" Aaron asked.
Henry shrugged, and Aaron sat down. "So, she sent you after me, huh?"
"She didn't think you wanted to see her." Henry didn't say anything to that, because it was true. He didn't want to see his mom. "This is a cool place," Aaron went on. "How did you find it?"
Henry shrugged again.
They sat in silence for a bit. "I just don't get how she could do it. How could she give me away?"
Aaron sighed. "What do you know about where your mom was when she had you?" he asked.
"More than you, probably. We always told each other everything. Or I thought we did."
"And now?"
"I don't know. I don't know what's real. Is our whole relationship a lie? The one person I trusted more than anyone, the person thought I could count on for my whole life … and none of it was real."
"You know, there are different kinds of real. It's not as simple as facts you can prove sometimes. Like love. Love has no tangible proof, but you know when you love someone. You can't explain it or prove it, it's just there."
"Is this where you tell me my mom loves me, and everything she does is because of it?"
Aaron shook his head, "I know it's not that simple. Your mom couldn't love you in the beginning. She didn't know you. She tried to make sure that you had a good home – "
Henry scoffed at that. "With the Evil Queen," he said bitterly.
"I'm guessing there's more to the story."
"How can you defend her? How can you not be mad?"
"I was. But I trust her."
"Well, I don't. I mean, I want to but … how can I?"
"Because she's still your mom. She still loves you. You know what she told me about this curse she broke, about how she broke it?" Henry shook his head, wiping tears from his eyes. "She told me she gave you True Love's Kiss." Henry looked up at Aaron, "So, you see, there is proof sometimes. Your mom might not have raised you, but she loves you. And you love her, right?" Henry nodded. "So, why don't we head back to the loft? Maybe defeat a witch? Maybe get some answers and have some cocoa?"
Henry smiled. Then his face fell. "The witch? Are we safe out here? I don't want to get you killed."
"I think I can help with that," a small voice too big for the small creature that floated near them said. Then she got bigger.
"Perriwinkle?" Henry asked.
She smiled brightly. "You remember me?"
Henry shrugged. "Sure."
"Well, hello Henry. It's nice to see you again. Now, if you two will come with me, I'll fly you back to the loft under my protection."
Henry's smile widened. "We get to fly?"
"Well, of course. I am a fairy after all. And I've never lost my wings either. Now come on."
She lifted the two of them up in the air and carried them safely home.
I'll show you a mad scientist, Dr. Whale thought, as he approached the town line. After all, he was a scientist, and he had never felt madder. Acting as bait? That wasn't him. He wasn't a hero. He was a pragmatist. Make the serum, sure, but this? This was lunacy!
But he thought of Ruby's soft lips on his, and the look in her eyes that said she believed in him. He'd never had that. His own father hadn't believed in him. Even his brother had doubted his methods. But Ruby thought he could be more, be better.
"Here goes nothing," he said, starting to make his way across the town line. Instantly, three creatures swooped down lift him up. He sprayed them with the liquid version of the serum.
Three humans fell to the ground.
"Philip, the baby?" the female among the three asked.
"Don't worry. I'm a doctor."
"Have you matriculated in the proper study?"
"I take it you didn't come over with the first curse. I'm a physician. I can check you over, though I will require something in return."
"We'll pay whatever you require," the father—at least Whale presumed so—said.
"When I'm done checking you over, I need you to take me to the other monkeys so I can turn them back."
The two smiled. "Happily," The woman said.
The third former monkey hadn't spoken yet. Dr. Whale turned to him. "I don't suppose you're a part of this happy family.
The man shook his head. "No, but I do have business to attend to. Thank you, Dr. Whale, for your service."
"Hey, how do you know my -?" Before Whale could finish the question, the man had disappeared into the wilderness. Victor could have followed him, but there were monkeys to free and a pregnant mother to soothe.
"All right," he said. "Come with me to the hospital."
"Hospital?" The woman asked, her voice high and eyes wide.
Whale sighed. "It's not like in your land. People actually get medical help there. Come on. We can take my car."
"What's a car?"
When she had teleported away, Zelena had miscalculated. That damned archer's arrow might not have hit anything vital, but it had struck her somewhere in the lower abdomen. She had struggled to maintain consciousness, but eventually, she had passed out.
The pain that had tired her out also woke her. She could heal herself, she was sure, but it would take focus. She tried, but the pain …
"Well, isn't this an interesting picture," she heard her favorite monkey say.
"So, you've returned then." She tried to look up and sound intimidating, but to no avail, "Well, don't just stand there. Help me up. I need something to numb the pain so I can … ah … focus."
"You know, I don't think I will," he said.
"What was that, monkey?"
"That's the thing. I'm not a monkey anymore, and it isn't by your permission that I am once again walking in human form."
"Not. Possible." she gritted out.
"Apparently, you underestimated some of the people in this town. I imagine your other monkeys are being freed as we speak. Perhaps they'll come for you. Perhaps not. But as your first and favorite, I wanted first crack at punishing you for all you put me through."
"Murderer now, are you Oz?"
"But that's the beauty of it. I don't have to kill you. I can simply let you die. Of course, I've known you long enough now that perhaps I shouldn't underestimate you. Even in pain, even dying, you might find a way out. It won't do. Well, you've talked me into it now. I know just what I'll do." He leant down next to her. "For my first trick, I'll pull that arrow out of your gut, and let you start to bleed out."
Zelena let out a cry as she felt the arrow tear out.
"For my next trick, I'll speed things along by taking this lovely little vial of poison and spreading it against that deadly open wound," he continued, working as he spoke.
"Now tell me, puppet-master of mine, would you like to languish in pain for the time it takes, or should I make it quick?"
"I'll survive this," Zelena snarled "I'll kill you for it!"
"If you say so. Oh, I lied before. This wasn't about making sure you couldn't escape. Well, perhaps it was, in part, but I think I just wanted your blood on my hands. You see, had the archer been completely responsible for your demise, it might have put a fly in the ointment of that burgeoning romance between him and your sister. And after all you've put me through, I so want her to win. Because if she does, I'll know you've lost. And all of Oz will rejoice at that."
Zelena blustered. She cursed. She cried. But eventually, she faded. Her strength drained away, and the light left her eyes. And the Wizard of Oz smiled and said, "Ding-dong. The witch is dead."
"… So you see why I did what I did," Belle said, "it was an accident, a mistake, but – "
"No buts are necessary," Regina said, "It was an accident. Let's leave it at that."
"Regina," Snow said with a gasp, "You can't mean you would want us to kill your sister?"
"She's given us very little choice in the matter." Regina said. "It would have been different had she been powerless, but considering I can't seem to defeat her, and Emma has just given up her magic, killing her seems the most prudent way to ensure all our safeties."
"Buying our unborn child's life with the blood of another," Snow said sadly. "Wait? What if she were powerless? Is there a way to do that, drain her like Emma was drained?"
"Not without her consent," Regina said. "And I don't see her volunteering."
"It just doesn't seem fair," Snow said. "When you were coming for our child, we spared you."
"Yes, and I'm grateful. But my soldiers were not so lucky, and I've had reason to remember quite recently that not all of them were under my employ of their own free will."
"Wait?" David asked, "Are you saying those soldiers I killed when trying to get Emma to the wardrobe were your slaves?"
Regina sighed, "I know your conscience probably can't stomach that, but they would have killed you if you hadn't fought back. They nearly did anyway."
Snow nodded, squeezing David's hand. "I think you needed to defend yourself, David. You had no choice."
"Are we simply going to sit here debating morality, or are we going to hunt down the witch who has caused so much pain, and end her once and for all?" Rumple asked.
"We don't even know how to find her," Snow said. "Do you?"
"As her captive, I wasn't privy to much she didn't want me to see. Her majesty, however, shares blood with the witch. She should be able to track her magically."
"I've tried," Regina said, rolling her eyes. "She's blocking me somehow."
"What if -?" Belle began to speak, but broke off as Aaron and Henry came through the door.
"Kid—" Emma began. Henry barreled toward her, wrapping his arms around her stomach.
"I'm sorry, Mom."
"I'm sorry too kid. I wanted … I wanted to keep you. I missed so much. I regret so much. You have no idea."
"I know." Henry said, tears in his eyes. They stood like that for a while.
When Henry finally let Emma go, she bent to his level and wiped his face. "Do you want us to try and get your memories back?"
"I … think so?" Henry said. "I mean, will I still be me?"
Emma nodded. "Yeah. You'll be the same awesome kid. I promise."
Snow stepped forward. "Why don't you take a look at this?" she suggested, handing him the book.
As soon as Henry took hold of it, and everything flashed before his eyes. His real life. Regina raising him, finding Emma in New York, eating the turnover, meeting his dad, Neverland, saying goodbye to his mom …
"Mom," he said. Then he turned to Regina. "Mom!"
Regina broke out into the biggest smile. Henry ran to her, and she hugged him and kissed his forehead. A whoosh went through Storybrooke, and everybody remembered everything about the past year.
Victor wasn't used to this much praise. First, he had helped the pregnant woman, Aurora, to ensure her baby was safe. That was part of his job, and he was used to the sort of gratitude that entailed. But freeing the monkeys … that was something else.
Every last one of them came up to thank him, shaking his hand emphatically, or even hugging him. It was too much, and yet, wasn't it what he had always wanted?
He wanted the feeling to continue. He wanted them to keep looking at him like he was their savior. But all the same…
"Our job isn't over," he said. "There's still the witch to deal with. Do you all remember where she's hiding?"
A very big fellow nodded. "It'll be hard to get there without being able to fly. We'll have to climb."
"Then climb we shall. The witch must be stopped, and if we wait around for the heroes of this town, that may never be done. Let's free the town from this blight!"
Cheers greeted his pronouncement, and together they went toward the hut on the steep hill that they knew to be at the edge of the forest.
"Excuse me?" Little John turned to the very pregnant woman approaching him. "Excuse me," she repeated, as she drew closer.
"Yeah, I can carry you." he said.
"What? No. I'm fine on my own, thank you."
"Aren't you pregnant?"
"Yes, but – "
"Maybe you shouldn' be climbin' with the rest of us, then."
She stood up straighter. "I can manage, thank you. Now, aren't you one of Robin Hood's men?"
"Yes."
"I wanted to ask after a friend. Mulan? Was she turned as well? I don't see her here."
"She's not here, Miss. She didn't come over with us."
"Didn't come … You mean, she's still in the Enchanted Forest?"
"Don't know. All I know is, when we appeared in this new land, she weren't here. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to focus on climbin'. It's a long way up."
"Of course. Philip?" she called, looking about. "Where are you?"
"I'm here," a man said, coming up behind her. "What's wrong? Is it the baby?"
"No, Philip, it's Mulan. She isn't here. She isn't with the Merry Men. She may still be in the Enchanted Forest. We have to get back there. We have to find her! She could be in trouble."
"I agree. We'll find a way back, just as soon as we make sure the witch is no longer a threat."
When they reached the witch's hideaway, high up on the hilltop, they found an unfamiliar man standing over her. "You're too late," he said. "I've killed her."
"- needed Emma's magic, and you were here. There was no other way to get to you, so we cast the curse," Snow said.
"What? How?" Emma asked.
"She killed me," David said.
"What? I mean … what? But you're not …. I mean …. You're alive, aren't you?"
"Maybe he's a vampire!" Jason said.
"I'm not a vampire," David said. "Why? Do I look like a vampire?"
Andrea shook her head. "Not even a little."
"Snow gave me half of her heart, and Regina put it in my chest. It brought me back."
"That's beautiful," Andrea said.
"No, it's totally gross. Right Henry?" Jason asked, elbowing his friend. Henry didn't say anything. "Hey, Henry, now that you have all these different memories … I mean, we're still friends, right?"
Henry gave a small smile, "So long as you're still a Marvel fan."
"Always."
"And once again, we've missed the plot," Rumple said. "Our memories are restored, but we're no closer to defeating the witch."
"I hate to interrupt," Snow said, "but I … I have to."
"Yes, please. It isn't enough that we've had family drama, curses broken, memories returned, and all of this with the witch still at large. What is so important, Dearie?"
"My water just broke."